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Sid Meier’s Civilization 6has introduced a lot of mechanics and features to themuch-lovedCivilizationseriesof turn-based, historically inspired strategy games. Thanks to its long-term developer support in the form of patches and paid DLCs, there are many leaders and civs to choose from, each with its own mechanics and specific advantages.
China is particularly lucky inCivilization 6as it has multiple rulers to choose from, including two variations of Qin Shi Huang - the very first Emperor of China. Qin Shi Huang gets two different abilities depending on the persona the player selects, each one providing different benefits to players of Qin Shi Huang’s Chinese Empire. Qin (Mandate of Heaven) has a powerful ability that rewards early-game Wonder stacking, providing all sorts of bonuses as the game marches on. So, let’s take a look at how to make the most out of Qin (Mandate of Heaven) inCivilization 6.
The Mandate of Heaven Leader Bonus in Civilization 6
Based on the historical concept used to legitimize imperial rule in China, inCivilization 6Qin Shi Huang’s Mandate of Heaven Leader Bonus is quite a powerful tool when used correctly. There are two versions of this leader bonus:
The Mandate of Heaven Leader Bonus for Qin Shi Huang is a powerful early-game leader bonus that rewards good opening moves for the entire rest of the game. By choosing the right Wonders to prioritize, Qin (Mandate of Heaven) players can build a powerful foundation for many different kinds of empire.
How to Use the Mandate of Heaven Leader Bonus to Boost Production in Civilization 6
Qin (Mandate of Heaven) Builderscan spend their build charges on speeding up Wonder production. This is achieved by moving the Builder to the tile where the Ancient or Classical era Wonder is being built and clicking on the ‘add Production’ button, which is a unique addition to the Builder UI for Qin (Mandate of Heaven).
The Dynastic Cycle Civilization Ability in Civilization 6
The next part of Qin’s unique approach is the shared Dynastic Cycle Ability, common to the Chinese Empire. This ability meshes extremely well with the Mandate of Heaven Leader Bonus because it rewards Eurekas and Inspirations whenever a Wonder is completed - so early on in the game it’s possible to get a lot of Inspirations and Eurekas from spending charges to complete Wonders.
Qin Shi Huang, Mandate of Heaven Persona, Civilization 6 Strategy
Qin Shi Huang with the Mandate of Heaven Leader Bonus inCivilization 6is extremely versatile as a leader and civ combo. Although the Mandate of Heaven bonus is most impactful during the Ancient and Classical eras, the extra build charge persists throughout the whole game. Nevertheless, even if it didn’t, the bonus is still extremely powerful, as it allows the player to build an extremely powerful foundation for their empire.
China pairs well with a cultural approach, butthe beauty of the Mandate of Heaven bonus is that it can be used to construct a wide variety of Wonders which can support a much broader range of play styles. For example, players looking to get an early religion can construct Stonehenge earlier than usual.
Early Research Options for Qin Shi Huang, Mandate of Heaven Persona, in Civilization 6
Right at the beginning of a game, it’s important to choose the research priorities well - this is even more important inhigher-tierCiv 6difficulties,which can be quite punishing for the player.
For players starting near a good source of Stone, it can be helpful to research Astrology as an opening move.
Astrology can be boosted by finding a Natural Wonder to gain a big Eureka.
An early religion can help Qin massively, especially if the player chooses to support a Faith-based economy later on by producing certain buildings that can allow the purchasing of military units or even civilian buildings with Faith.
Although Stonehenge is often considered a situational Wonder, in the hands of Qin (Mandate of Heaven) it can be much faster to construct than a Holy Site district. It also pairs well with an early Golden Age bonus of Monumentality, which allows the purchasing of civilian units such as Settlers and Builders with Faith.
Pottery is another good option for players looking for an early Wonder. As well as its usual benefits, Pottery provides access to the Great Bath Wonder, which is a nice source of Housing and Amenities. On top of that, it makes the city’s tiles along the river on which it’s builtimmune to Flood damage.So it can be a nice choice.
Early Civics Options for Qin Shi Huang, Mandate of Heaven Persona, in Civilization 6
Just like with Technologies, choosing a Civic can massively help or hinder Qin China. Some Civics unlock powerful Wonders while others unlock forms of government with their associated card policies.
Political Philosophy is the most obvious choice when it comes to Classical era Civics because it unlocks the first tier of governments inCivilization 6, which is great news for all Civs. But for Qin (Mandate of Heaven) China specifically, this Civic is really good because it grants access to the Apadana Wonder.
The Apadana Wonder grants 2 Envoys for use with City-States every time a Wonder is built in the same city - including the Apadana Wonder itself. This is great for Qin because the wider play style is Wonder-based, but by the point Apadana becomes available there should still be other Ancient and Classical Wonders still to build. This means that every time a player builds a Wonder in the same city as Apadana - using the Mandate of Heaven Bonus or otherwise - they get 2 free Envoys. This is massive for Diplomatic runs as it can mean unchallenged suzerainty over the City-States populating the world.
Mysticism is a good Ancient era Civic to choose, as it gives China access to The Oracle. The Oracle Wonder provides +1 Culture, +1 Faith, a 25 percent discount to purchasing Great People with Faith, and an additional +2 Great People Points from specialty districts in the city. This is a massive bonus and it makes sense for Mandate of Heaven China specifically to go for this, as it can support all kinds of play styles thanks to the Great People bonus.
This Civic, among other things, grants access to the Ilkum Economic Policy card. This card boosts the production of Builders quite a lot, so it can be a good choice of Civic early on, allowing gamers to push out as many Builders as possible in the least possible time.
Good Wonders to Prioritize as Qin Shi Huang, Mandate of Heaven Persona, in Civilization 6
Although it’s usually quite situational as to which Wonders a player should build and when, when it comes to Mandate of Heaven China, some good picks can support practically any play style in the game. Here’s a list of great Wonders that can support different play styles:
Use Golden Ages to Bolster Success
It can be quite helpful to win an early Golden Age and pick the Monumentality perk, as this allows purchasing of Settlers and Builders using Faith. This means that Gold can be spent on military units, Faith on civilians, and still allows for the production of Wonders.
Don’t Skimp on Military and Settler Production
It’s easy to get carried away building Builders and Wonders in a loop, but as always withCivilization 6,it isn’t that simple. Other Civs - as well as Barbarians - will take notice if military unit production isn’t up to snuff. As well as that, the value of expanding to new cities can’t be overstated either. So, it’s best to take a somewhat balanced approach to this - there’s no point at all in having Wonders if the city is razed by Barbarians or taken by another Civ before anything can really get going.
This doesn’t even incur as much of a risk as it would for other Civs, since Qin (Mandate of Heaven) can do in a handful of turns things which take other Civs 10 - 30, or even more on higher game speeds.
Use Inspirations and Eurekas to Fill Policy Gaps
Thanks to the Dynastic Cycle Ability, triggering Eurekas and Inspirations is even more helpful than it usually is, so it pays to trigger these. This pairs well with the Mandate of Heaven Ability because it grants free Eurekas and Inspirations on the completion of Wonders. Some of these even offer great military boosts such as powerful new Policy cards or even brand new unit types, which can be extremely helpful in defending all those lovely Wonders.
