Civilization VI Keyboard Shortcuts by Screaming Fist

1. Settling a city: Make sure to settle next to a river/lake (Dark green highli­ghted tiles); look at yields, a good city would have at least two tiles with 2 food + 2 produc­tion. It’s not a bad thing to restart the game because of a shitty location, that can sometimes happen.

2. Start off with a scout or a slinger (2 if on high levels), as the main priority at the start of the game will be to defend your city and to explore your surrou­ndings. Look for city-s­tates and tribal villages, who can give you random rewards including relics which are extremely useful if you want to try for a religious victory as they can give you a pantheon earlier than other civs and drasti­cally increase your faith (early game).

3. The first research you will have to make depends on what potential improv­ements you have (if you have stone research mining, if you have cattle choose animal husbandry, etc...). If you have no tiles with animals or mining resources, choose pottery. Don’t choose sailing or astrology unless you have a boost for them.

4. Look out for barbarian camps; barbarians will come after you if their scouts spot you and have time to return to their camp. The best way to take down the first barbarian is with a slinger so you will get the technology boost for archery.

5. City states are incredibly useful, but only attack them if they are more useful to you as a city rather than an actual city-s­tate. Try to send envoys to the ones that give you your required bonuses, don't send envoys to a city state you don’t need.

6 Food = citizens = production = Anything you need to build. Always try and have high amounts of food but make sure it the amount of citizens don’t overwhelm you (eg. low amenities, insuff­icient housing, etc...).

7. Science and culture are very useful early game; however if you opt for a domination victory and capture cities quickly you will gain access to their districts that provide those yields meaning you could focus less on it.

8. Even though it may not seem like it, religion is one of the most important aspects in the game. Pantheons and beliefs can give you incredible bonuses such as gold, science, food, yield bonuses, etc... If you want a domination victory, use the crusade belief which will give you +10 combat strength in your enemy’s territory if they follow your religion. Or if you are scared of being attacked, use defender of the faith which will give you +5 combat strength in your home cities that follow your religion.

9. Pro civ players always change their policies according to what they need in-game. Try and change them as much as you can (if it benefits you). You can change policies after every new civic resear­ched.

10. Great people are incredibly important; they can be earned through great person points through specialty district buildings, wonders, and wildcard policy slot (not recomm­ended). They can give you very powerful in game bonuses and you should try and have at least 2 before the medieval era. The least important ones are great artists + musicians, as they come in late game and don’t benefit you much unless you opt for a culture victory.

11. (R&F) Governors give additional bonuses to your cities, the best ones are Pingala, Magnus, and Amani (look at their promotion branches and you’ll see).

12. Try to expand as much as possible, to the point where you can control your cities. A good civili­zation would have from 6 to 9 cities (nice but fr). For higher levels 10 to 13 cities is a good amount)

13. Some civs are worth more to you unharmed, building up alliances can be very benefi­cial, as they give bonuses to you, even if you go for a domination victory (joint wars). The best allies to have are Gilgamesh, Poundm­aker, and Cleopatra as they give bonuses if you ally to them or trade with them.

14. Wonders are not a priority, but are very helpful and can boost your progress towards your desired victory. There are two types of wonders: those that give you an immediate bonus, those that give you background bonuses (my recomm­end­ation), here are my top 10 wonders (in order of when you can build them):

Oracle: Districts get +2 great person points (of their type) in their city + Purchasing great people with faith costs 25% less.

Pyramids: Gives you a free builder + your builders get +1 charge.

Mausoleum at Halica­rnassus: +1 faith, culture, and science for every coastal tile in your city, Great Engineers receive +1 charge.

Alhambra: Gives you an extra military policy slot.

Venetian arsenal: For every naval unit you train (not buy), you get a duplicate.

Forbidden city: Gives you an extra wildcard policy slot.

Potala Palace: Gives you an extra diplomatic policy slot.

Oxford university: +20% science in the city in which it is built + two free techno­logies.

Big Ben: Doubles your treasury and gives you an extra economic policy slot (+50% of your treasury if GS).

Broadway: Gives you +20% culture in the city in which it’s built and can include two Great Work slots (music).

(For those who like to focus on city-s­tates: Kilwa Kisiwani and Apadana might be the way to go:)

15. AI is especially vulnerable to powerful navies and aerial units. If you play on a contin­ent­/fr­actal map aim for a strong navy with a few aircraft carriers, on which you may transport 2 air units (I recommend 1 bomber + 1 jet fighter); bombers can target the city center, while the jet fighters clear the way for your land units.

16. In higher levels, don’t undere­stimate AI. They can have low military strength but secretly have a lot of gold in their treasury or can build walls at any minute you attack them. If you are planning to declare war on a civ, prepare yourself and have at least two catapults and enough troops to surround their city.