Civilization VI: Gathering Storm’s Civilizations And Uniques

Gathering Storm, the second major expansion pack for Civilization VI, will be out soon. Coming along for the ride are nine additional civilizations, each with their own unique units and infrastructures. Here’s the basic rundown on the coming civilizations and their unique abilities, buildings, units, and leader abilities heading to Civilization VI when Gathering Storm launches on February 14. Ooh, so much for that Valentine’s date.

Hungary

• Ability: Pearl of the Danube – districts and buildings are created faster if they’re constructed across the river from a city center.
• Building: Thermal Bath – provides both Amenities from entertainment, as well as production to all city centers so long as they’re in its range. Its effects are boosted, however, if there is a geothermal fissure within the city border. Replaces the zoo.
• Unit: Huszár – a light cavalry unit. For every combat alliance, it receives a bonus to combat.
• Leader Ability: The Raven King – provides increased movement speed and combat strength to levied units. There is no cost to gold or resources to upgrade levied units under the ability. Using The Raven King also grants you the Black Army, a light cavalry unit strengthened by nearby levied units.

Maori

• Ability:  Mana – you begin the game with Sailing and Shipbuilding technologies already unlocked. Neat! Embarked units receive a bonus to combat and movement speed. Woods and Rainforest grant more Production, which increases after you get the Conservation civic. Finally, fishing boats provide more food and can plant a Culture Bomb to adjacent tiles.
• Building: The Marae – all tiles in your city that include a passable feature will be given more Culture and Faith, as well as Tourism once Flight is researched. Replaces the Amphitheater.
• Unit: Toa – a melee unit, the Toa can create a Pa improvement on hills. This will grant a defense bonus, as well as the ability to heal units so long as their turn ends on the Toa’s tile. You can also weaken adjacent enemy units by activating the Toa’s Haka War Dance ability.
• Leader Ability: Kupe’s Voyage – puts your starting units on the ocean. You receive Science and Culture at every turn until you settle. After settling, you gain a free builder as well as additional Population. The palace city center will also be granted more Housing and Amenities.

Canada

• Ability: Four Faces of Peace – you’re unable to declare war or surprise wars on other city-states as Canada, nor can surprise wars be declared on you. You also gain one Diplomatic Favor for every 100 in Tourism. Successfully completing an Emergency or Scored Competition gives 100% Diplomatic Favor.
• Building: Ice Hockey Rink – provides appeal and amenities, as well as culture if there are adjacent snow or tundra tiles, or a stadium building. It can be upgraded to provide tourism once flight is unlocked, or production and food once you get Professional Sports. Only one can be built per city, and it’s constructible on snow or tundra.
• Unit: The Mountie – light cavalry unit, can create a National Park. It receives a bonus to strength when fighting near a park, which is increased if the park is owned by Canada.
• Leader Ability: The Last Best West – allows you to build farms on tundra and tundra hills after researching Civil Engineering. Purchasing snow or tundra tiles is reduced, and you receive double extraction of consumable resources from said tiles. You can also ride moose into battle. Oh, wait, hang on, that last one doesn’t exist. Sorry.

Inca

• Ability: Mit’a – allows Citizens to work on mountain tiles, which offers Production, and also food for adjacent Terrace Farms.
• Building: Terrace Farm – placed only on hills, can provide Food and additional Food for adjacent mountains. Can also provide Production when adjacent to Fresh Water or Aqueducts.
• Unit: Warak’aq – a reconnaissance unit that can attack twice in a turn, so long as movement points remain.
• Leader Ability: Qhapaq Ñan – for every mountain in the origin city, extra food is gained for Domestic Trade Routes.

Mali

• Ability: Songs of the Jeli – City Centers receive more food and Faith if adjacent to Desert and Desert Hills tiles. Mines offer more gold, but less Production. Can use Faith to purchase Commercial Hub buildings.
• Building: Suguba – a district which replaces the Commercial District. The Suguba grants a discount to Faith and Gold purchases in the city it’s built.
• Unit: Mandekalu Cavalry – receives gold from kills, and can provide protection to Trader units nearby.
• Leader Ability: Sahel Merchants – International Trade Routes will gain extra gold depending on the number of desert tiles in your initial city. Every time you enter a Golden Age, you will receive more Trade Capacity.

Sweden

• Ability: Nobel Prize – civilizations are able to compete in three Nobel Prize competitions in the World Congress, so long as Sweden is in the game. Earning a Great Person offers points toward both Great Scientists and Great Engineers from Universities and Factories.
• Building: Open-Air Museum – provides loyalty. For each terrain type that houses a Swedish city, it provides Culture and Tourism.
• Unit: Carolean – an anti-cavalry unit unlockable during the Renaissance era. It’s faster than other units, and unused movement points become additional Strength.
• Leader Ability: Minerva of the North – buildings that have three or more work slots, and Wonders that have at least two work slots, become themed once said slots are filled.

Ottoman

• Ability: Grand Vizier – Ibrahim, a unique governor, is unlocked. Ibrahim is a major player in Diplomacy and can be established in another civilization. Also creates the Janissary, a cheaper, stronger musketman replacement. And it comes with a free promotion. The downside is that it consumes a population in the city the unit was created, unless the unit is made in a conquered city.
• Building: Grand Bazaar – replaces the bank in the Commercial Hub, while providing more Amenities and Strategic resources.
• Unit: Barbary Corsair – replaces the Privateer, but can be created earlier in the game. There are also no movement costs using the corsair in Coastal Raids.
• Leader Ability: Great Turkish Bombard – Siege unit construction is increased, and are granted more Combat Strength. In addition, a conquered city won’t lose its population. Under your control, conquered cities will gain bonuses to Amenity and Loyalty.

Phoenicia

• Ability: Mediterranean Colonies – this provides bonuses to Embarked Settlers. They gain more movement and sight, and the cities they found on the same continent as the capital will forever be fully loyal.
• Building: Cothon – a district that replaces the Harbor. The Cothon provides Production toward both naval units and Settlers in the city of its creation. In addition, it will completely heal all naval units in the city border within a turn.
• Unit: The Bireme – a faster and stronger naval unit than the Galley. Embarked trader units that are near the Bireme are granted extra protection.
• Leader Ability: Founder of Carthage – this ability allows you to move your capital to any city that houses a Cothon. All you need to do is to complete a unique city project, and you’re able to pack your bags.

Eleanor Of Aquitaine

• Ability: Court of Love – Eleanor can lead either France or England, and when playing either of those powers, you can reduce the loyalty of foreign cities within range by completing a Great Works. If the affected city loses enough loyalty to leave an empire, it pledges its full loyalty to Eleanor.
• Leading France: You gain a bonus toward wonders built mid-game, which helps create loyalty pressure.
• Leading England: You will gain more resources and power for your Workshop of the World with every city you convert.

We plan on delving even deeper into each civilization’s leaders and abilities soon. Watch for more of our coverage of Civilization VI: Gathering Storm.