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Can You Convert Religion in Civ 6? A Comprehensive Guide

Yes, you absolutely can convert to a different religion in Civilization 6. Whether through active missionary work from other civilizations or through strategic choices you make within your own empire, the religious landscape of your cities is dynamic. Understanding how conversion works is critical for religious victories, cultural domination, and even just maintaining a happy populace.

Understanding Religious Conversion in Civ 6

Religious conversion in Civ 6 revolves around the presence and influence of religious units like Missionaries, Apostles, and Inquisitors. These units exert religious pressure on cities, slowly shifting the dominant religion based on their charges and strength.

How Religious Pressure Works

Each religious unit has a “Spread Religion” ability that exerts religious pressure. The amount of pressure depends on the unit’s strength, any promotions it has acquired, and religious beliefs that enhance spreading. As these units spread, they add followers to their religion within the city. If a foreign religion’s followers become the majority, that religion becomes the dominant one in the city, converting it.

Factors Affecting Conversion

Several factors can influence the speed and effectiveness of conversion:

Religious Strength of Units: Stronger religious units spread religion more effectively.
Number of Charges: Units with more charges can spread the religion more times.
Promotions: Promotions can enhance religious strength, range, or defense against religious combat.
Proximity: Being closer to the origin of a religion makes it easier for that religion to spread naturally.
Religious Centers: Holy Sites in cities generate passive religious pressure, furthering conversion.
Religious Beliefs: Certain beliefs can boost the effectiveness of religious spread.

Strategies for Religious Conversion

If you’re aiming for a religious victory or simply want your religion to be widespread, here are some strategies:

Found a Religion Early: The earlier you found a religion, the more time you have to spread it.
Build Holy Sites: Holy Sites generate Great Prophet points and provide a base for religious spread.
Train Religious Units: Produce a steady stream of Missionaries and Apostles.
Choose Appropriate Beliefs: Select beliefs that boost religious strength, spread, and defense.
Protect Your Religious Units: Religious units can be attacked by other religious units or even by military units in certain circumstances.
Use Inquisitors: Inquisitors can remove foreign religions from your cities, solidifying your religion’s dominance.
Consider Religious Alliances: Alliances with other religious civilizations can facilitate the spread of your religion through shared borders and trade routes.

Defending Against Conversion

If you don’t want to be converted, you’ll need to take proactive measures:

Found Your Own Religion: Having your own religion provides a natural defense against foreign influence.
Build Holy Sites: These provide a base for your own religious pressure.
Train Religious Units: Use Apostles and Inquisitors to combat foreign religious units.
Governors with Religious Perks: Certain governors like Moksha offer strong bonuses to religious defense.
Close Borders: Prevents foreign religious units from entering your territory. Be cautious, this also impacts trade and diplomacy.
Declare War: A more drastic measure, but war allows you to eliminate enemy religious units within your borders.

Consequences of Conversion

Converting to a new religion can have significant consequences:

Happiness: Cities with a different religion than the majority religion in your empire can experience unhappiness.
Loyalty: In extreme cases, cities with a drastically different religion may rebel and become free cities.
Religious Victory: Allowing other religions to dominate your cities will hinder your own religious victory.
Cultural Victory: Religion can play a role in cultural victories through specific beliefs and religious tourism.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Religion in Civ 6

1. Can you found a religion after being converted?

Yes, even if your cities are following another religion, you can still earn a Great Prophet and found your own religion, provided that the maximum number of religions has not yet been founded in the game. Focus on earning Great Prophet points through Holy Sites and related buildings.

2. Is it worth getting a religion in Civ 6?

Whether it’s worth getting a religion depends on your victory goals and playstyle. For a Religious Victory, it’s essential. Even for other victory types, religion can provide significant bonuses to culture, science, production, or military, depending on the beliefs you choose.

3. How do I make my religion dominant in Civ 6?

To make your religion dominant, spread it aggressively with Missionaries and Apostles. Target cities that don’t have a strong religious presence and use promotions to enhance your units’ religious strength and spread. Protect your units from religious combat and use Inquisitors to remove competing religions from your cities.

4. What religion is best in Civ 6?

There’s no single “best” religion, as the effectiveness depends on your civilization, strategy, and the map. However, strong worship beliefs include Cathedrals for culture, Mosques for religious spread, Wats for science, and Gurdwaras for food and housing.

5. Who is the best religious leader in Civ 6?

Several leaders excel at religion. Jayavarman VII (Khmer) is excellent at building populous, faith-fueled cities. Saladin (Arabia) gets a guaranteed religion and science benefits from his religious buildings. Spain is also a strong contender due to its bonuses for exploring and converting new lands.

6. What is the best country for a religious victory in Civ 6?

Some of the best civilizations for a religious victory include India, which gets Faith bonuses from meeting new civs; Scythia, which can generate early Faith through raiding; and Spain, which gets bonuses for converting new continents. Arabia is also a solid choice.

7. Can you start a religion without a Great Prophet in Civ 6?

No, you absolutely need a Great Prophet to found a religion. If you fail to acquire one before the last religion is founded, you will be unable to start a religion in that game.

8. How good are Religious Settlements in Civ 6?

Religious Settlements is an excellent pantheon belief, especially for expansionist civilizations. Getting a free Settler early on provides a massive boost to your empire’s growth.

9. What is the point of religion in Civ 6 if not for a Religious Victory?

Even if you’re not aiming for a Religious Victory, religion can provide numerous benefits. Pantheon beliefs offer early-game bonuses. Follower beliefs can boost production, culture, or food. Worship beliefs enhance your Holy Sites. Founder beliefs provide benefits based on how widespread your religion is.

10. Why can’t I start a religion in Civ 6?

You can’t start a religion if you haven’t earned enough Great Prophet points to recruit a Great Prophet, or if the maximum number of religions in the game has already been founded. Also, you need to found a pantheon before founding a religion.

11. Can you have multiple religious buildings in a city’s Holy Site in Civ 6?

No, you can only have one worship building (e.g., Cathedral, Mosque, Wat) in each Holy Site. Once you’ve chosen one, you can’t change it, even if the city converts to a different religion later.

12. Is Hagia Sophia a good Wonder in Civ 6?

Hagia Sophia is a fantastic Wonder, particularly for civilizations aiming for a religious victory. It provides Faith and an extra spread charge for Missionaries and Apostles, significantly boosting your ability to spread your religion.

13. What are the four types of beliefs in Civ 6?

The four types of beliefs in Civ 6 are:

Founder Beliefs: Benefits for the founder of the religion.
Follower Beliefs: Bonuses for cities following the religion.
Worship Beliefs: Unique buildings that provide faith and other bonuses.
Enhancer Beliefs: Affects the spread and strength of your religion.

14. Can you convert a city back to your religion in Civ 6?

Yes, you can always convert a city back to your religion, even if it has been following another religion for a long time. Use Missionaries and Apostles to exert religious pressure until your religion becomes dominant again.

15. What is the relationship between religion and culture in Civ 6?

Religion and culture are intertwined in Civ 6. Certain religious beliefs, like Cathedrals and Pagodas, provide culture bonuses. Additionally, religious tourism can contribute to your cultural victory. Religious art can also increase tourism, and some wonders offer both faith and culture bonuses.

Understanding the intricacies of religious conversion in Civilization 6 is key to mastering the game and achieving your chosen victory condition. Whether you’re aiming to spread your faith to every corner of the world or defending your cities against foreign religions, the right strategies and decisions will pave the way for success.

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Can you convert religion in civ 6?