🎯Civilization 6: Menelik II's Ethiopia Guide on Civ VI

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Civilization 6: Menelik II's Ethiopia Guide on Civ VI Ethiopia is one of the new civilizations in the New Frontier pass. Here is the presentation of Menelik II as well as our guide to learn how to play it.

Menelik II is the leader of Ethiopia, one of the new civilizations of the New Frontier pass. Here is the presentation of its different characteristics, and our guide on how to play it.

Read also | All info about Menelik II of Ethiopia.

Unique feature of Ethiopia: Council of Ministers

Ethiopian cities based on hill tiles earn 15% of their generation of faith in culture and science bonus. In addition, all units have +4 combat strength when they fight on hills.

Civilization 6: Menelik II's Ethiopia Guide on Civ VI

This is undoubtedly Menelik II's most interesting bonus, allowing him toavoid falling behind scientifically and culturally focusing on the Religion at the start of the game. It is essential to lay all cities on hills to take maximum advantage of this bonus, which becomes particularly powerful when coupled with the other unique characteristics of Ethiopia.

The bonus of fighting force on the hills is mostly useful defensively : hills already provide a bonus of +3 when defending, so it becomes a +7 for Ethiopia. As long as you have fortify your units since 2 turns, they can have a total of +13 defensively, allowing them to hold a position while being very difficult for an invader to dislodge.

Unique Feature of Ethiopia: Aksumite Heritage

Each copy of a resource (deluxe, bonus or strategic) arranged offers a bonus of +1 was to the city in which it is located. International routes offer +0,5 faith for each resource in the Hometown. Finally, Menelik II can buy Archaeologists and Archaeological museums with faith.

The first bonus is one of the most important, and encourages you to make "specialty" towns for each resource: if you have a converted stone hut in a city, she gives you +1 was. If you arrange a second stone space in the same city, each of them gives +2 was and +3 for each with a third box, etc It is therefore interesting to ensure that your identical resources are used by the same city as much as possible. To note that the faith bonus is active even if the developed space is not worked by the city.

The faith bonus on trade routes is nice but not great, but the ability to buy Archaeological museums and Archaeologists is particularly powerful if you want to generate culture and tourism going out starting to create artefacts before your opponents.

Unique feature of Ethiopia: Cave Church

The Rock churches of Menelik II offer +1 was et +1 extra for each mountain square and adjacent hill. They also give +1 attraction and generate tourism equivalent to their faith once theAviation discovery. This facility can only be built on a hill space or on volcanic ground, can not be destroyed by natural disasters. It is not possible to have 2 adjacent Rock Churches.

It's worth trying to find Rock Churches with big Faith bonuses and avoid doing them if they only give a +1 or +2 for example, a mine then being generally more interesting as a development. Most of the time it is better favor those that are adjacent to hills for bonuses: huts surrounded by mountains will generally be more interesting to put a Campus or a Holy place for example.

Civilization 6: Menelik II's Ethiopia Guide on Civ VI

Since this facility cannot be destroyed by natural disasters, it makes sense to put it next to volcanoes rather than neighborhoods that can take a long time to repair. Additionally, tiles will benefit from bonus returns from blowouts.

In addition to the very important faith bonus, the Rock Churches generate tourism equivalent to their generation of faith once theAviation unlocked, making them very relevant if you're aiming for a culture victory. the attraction bonus that it gives to the adjacent squares can also make it possible to create Natural parks to Resorts, which generate even more tourism.

Ethiopia's unique unit: Oromo Cavalry (replaces Courser)

La Cavalerie Oromo replace the Courier and is therefore a unit of Light Cavalry. It has a slight combat strength bonus (46 instead of 44) and a augmented vision (3 boxes instead of 2). It also benefits from a increased mobility on hill tiles, being able to move there without malus.

Civilization 6: Menelik II's Ethiopia Guide on Civ VI

The Oromo Cavalry is not not a particularly powerful unit in combat, it does not have very significant bonuses compared to many unique units. However, it is very interesting to be used as scout thanks to that increased mobility and high vision. It allows you to observe the movements of the enemy troops, or to easily loot the facilities of your enemies.

Ideal victory type of Menelik II of Ethiopia

Menelik II has two types of victory which are the most obvious. First of all, he benefits enormously from the generation of faith, which makes him one of the best leaders to seek a religious victory thanks to its unique layouts and various leader bonuses.

He can also use his faith to move towards a cultural victory : in addition to its ability to purchase archaeological museums, it can create a lot of religious tourism with his shrines and relics if he builds the proper wonders, in addition to generating culture with his faith.

The best pantheons and creeds for Ethiopia

The best Pantheons

Overall, Menelik II mostly wants Pantheons that can increase his faith generation.

Earth Goddess : The +2 Faith bonus for squares that have an attraction of 4 or more synergizes very well with the Cave Churches, especially if you have a lot of mountains nearby.
Fire Goddess : If you have a lot of Geothermal Fissures and Volcanoes nearby, the +2 faith bonus on these spaces can be interesting.
religious idols : If you have a lot of Luxury and bonus resources to mine (Copper, Amber, Diamonds, Mercury and Silver), the +2 Faith is interesting.
stone circles : This pantheon is similar to the previous one but for Quarries (Gypsum, Marble, Stone)
god of craftsmanship : +1 faith and +1 production for strategic resources is interesting if you have a lot near your first cities.

The best beliefs

With Ethiopia, you will almost always want to create your religion so you can generate more faith or spend it.

Choral : If you are going for a cultural victory, the cultural contribution of Altars and Temples is interesting.
Reliquary : If you have Relics (especially if you do certain wonders that give you them), the faith and tourism bonus will be very powerful in the mid and late game.
Jesuit education : If you have good Campuses to do, the possibility of buying buildings there with faith is interesting. This is also used for the Theater Squares.
Itinerant preachers : If you want to make a religious victory, having more religious pressure is very interesting.
holy order : Same, if you want to make a religious victory you will want to buy your Apostles and your Missionaries at a lower cost.

As for the buildings of your holy place, each option can be interesting, with in priority the Synagogue Mosque or the Cathedral.

Most governments and doctrines for Ethiopia

The best governments

classical republic : At the start of the game, you will mainly want economic or Joker doctrines, unless you are going to war in which case the Oligarchy is more interesting. The housing bonus is also useful.
Theocracy : You will generally want to unlock Theocracy quickly for the wonders it unlocks, but also for the reduced cost of faith purchases and bonuses in theological combat.
Democracy : Democracy is useful if you play peacefully, but it can also be interesting to keep Theocracy longer if you want to buy cheaper Archaeologists for example.
Digital democracy : If your goal is to make a culture victory, this is the best endgame government.

The best doctrines

holy writings (Theology): The +100% ajdacency bonus for the Holy Places is interesting in order to boost your faith at the start of the game.
Serfdom (Feodality): The layout of your squares is always very interesting in the middle of the game. For this purpose, the additional charges on the Builders are very useful.
Aesthetic (Medieval Fairs): Similar to Ecriture but for your Theater Squares.
Simultaneous (Reformed Church): Always more faith to generate always more science and bonus culture!
grand opera (Opera and Ballet): Same as Simultaneum but for culture.
religious orders (Reformed Church): If you want to make a religious victory, the strength bonus in theological combat is interesting.

Of course, if your goal is to make a cultural victory, you'll also want any civics that increase your tourism (Satellite broadcasts, Heritage tourism, Online Communities...).

The best governors for Ethiopia

Pingala (Connoisseur/Researcher, Grants and Curator) : To make a cultural victory, Pingala will be very strong in your capital. Giving him Connoisseur or Researcher can help you overcome your lack of Culture or Science at the start of the game.
Liang (Parks and Activities) : City Parks are a great way to increase your appeal to land National Parks and Resorts in the late game.
Moksha (Citadel of God, Divine Architect/Patron Saint) : If you try to make a religious victory, aovir Moksha will be rather important for your holy wars. Buying quarters with faith is also interesting.

The best secret society for Ethiopia

With the Frontier pass, the game mode Secret societies brings an interesting new mechanic. Among the five secret societies that you can join, one is certainly more interesting than the others: the Void Singers. You can join them by collecting a tribal village, and they will give you gold, science and culture based on 20% of your faith generation from the medieval era, which synergizes perfectly with Ethiopia.

L'Obelisk of the Elder God which replaces the Monument is also very interesting for its generation of faith but above all his masterpiece location. If you make archaeological museums, you can then store the masterpieces of your illustrious artists in your city centers. Finally, later in the game, the ability to get relics for free will be very interesting for the was and tourism.

The best engagements for Ethiopia

The pen, the brush and the voice (golden age / normal age) : If you are in your golden age at the start of the game, this commitment will give you a lot of culture to get your dogmas more quickly.
Monumentality (golden age) : If you have a good faith generation, you can spend it on settlers and builders with Golden Age Monumentality.
Exodus of the Evangelists (Normal/Dark Ages) : If you are not in your golden age, you will generally prefer this engagement at the beginning of the game to score points easily by converting your cities.
Dream Vacation (Golden/Normal/Dark Age) : This engagement is the most important in the late game to increase your tourism generation.

The best buildings in Governance Square

ancestral hall : If you plan to make a lot of cities, the Builder offered by the Ancestral Hall for each one will be very useful to develop them quickly. The accelerated generation of settlers is also a big plus.
Courtroom : If you don't plan to do many towns, the dwellings and extra activity in the ones you have will be interesting.
intelligence agency : Having spies is always useful.
Grand Master's Chapel : If you want to go to war or you are attacked, the possibility of buying units with faith is very relevant for Ethiopia.
National History Museum : Indispensable at the end of the game to put masterpieces.

Best City-States for Ethiopia

Overall, all the cultural and religious city-states are interesting. A few others may also be relevant. Here are the best ones you can be overlord of.

Antananarivo (Cultural) : Having up to +30% culture is very powerful.
Nan Madol (Cultural) : If you are on a sea map with many cities on the coast, the suzerainty of this city-state gives you a lot of culture.
Jerusalem (Religious) : If you are attempting a religious victory, the additional religious pressure offered by Jerusalem is very relevant.
Kandy (Nun) : A +50% faith bonus from relics is very powerful if you have several.
Babylon (Scientific) : The science boost for your literary masterpieces, relics and artifacts is always nice.
Valletta (Military) : The ability to buy buildings in the city center with faith, especially Monuments and walls (which give tourism) is very interesting.
Brussels (Industrial) : A lot of wonders interest you whether you play religion or culture, the +15% production bonus speeds up this process.

The best wonders for Ethiopia

Oracle : The Oracle is very interesting with your generation of faith. In addition to the reduction in the price of patronage of illustrious people, its point generation bonus is very strong in a city that has many districts.
Coliseum : If you have a lot of towns nearby, the activity and culture offered by the Colosseum will be very strong in the early/mid game.
Hagia Sophia : Interesting for the additional load if you want to make a religious victory.
Machu Picchu : If you have a lot of mountains in your territory, it can be one of the best wonders in the game, allowing you to make very powerful theater squares for example.
Mont Saint-Michel : Whether you play culture or religion, the martyr bonus on your apostles (which gives you a relic when they die in theological combat) is very interesting.
Saint Basil's Cathedral : This is the most important wonder if you play a cultural win based on relics, doubling their tourism gain.
Forbidden City : An additional doctrine slot is always useful.
Bolshoi Theater : Interesting to recruit more famous musicians and writers.
Eiffel Tower : Very powerful if you have the Earth Goddess pantheon, and allows you to build national parks and resorts much easier.
Golden Gate Bridge : Similar to the Eiffel Tower, but affects only one city.
Broadway : Similar to the Bolshoi Theater but even more powerful, especially for its culture boost.
Christ the Redeemer : If you play religious tourism, it is essential to have it for the tourism bonus on the relics, but also the seaside resorts.
Sydney opera : Musical masterpieces are the ones that offer the most tourism in the late game, so the Sydney Opera House is a significant bonus.

The best illustrious people for Ethiopia

All in all, if you're doing a cultural win, any illustrious writer/artist/musician is interesting. Here are the other illustrious people of interest to Ethiopia.

Joan of Arc (General) : The Relic she creates is interesting.
Filippo Brunelleschi / Gustave Eiffel (Engineers) : The production bonus on wonders can speed up your gameplay.
Alvar Aalto / Charles Correa (Engineers) : If you do National Parks, the bonus attraction offered by these engineers will increase their tourism generation.
Sarah Breedlove / Melitta Bentz (Marchands) : The tourism bonus to the civilizations to which you have routes is useful if you achieve a cultural victory.
Hildegard of Bingen (Scholar) : Generating science with a Holy Site is always an interesting bonus.
Mary Leakey (Savant) : Perhaps the most important illustrious character if you are aiming for a cultural victory, science but especially the +300% tourism for Artifacts are extremely powerful if you play archaeologists.