Back to Challenge of the month (Civ6)
Terra Incognita is the eighth challenge of the month in Civilization VI, running from June 18 to July 16, 2024.
Contents
- 1 Intro
- 2 Game parameters
- 3 Strategy
- 3.1 João III
- 3.2 Matthias Corvinus
- 4 Gallery
- 5 External links
Intro[]
Lacking both strategic materials and the luxuries your people demand, you're compelled to explore beyond the shores of your resource-poor continent. Play on Prince difficulty to benefit from João III's boost to international trade, or leverage city-states as Matthias Corvinus on Emperor difficulty for a real challenge.
Can you reach the promised land and secure victory over leaders in the same predicament before July 16? It's time to set sail!
Game parameters[]
- Difficulty: Prince / Emperor
- Victory: Any
- Speed: Marathon
- Player Leader: João III or Matthias Corvinus
- Map Type: Custom
- Map Size: Large
- RuleSet: Gathering Storm
- Start Era: Renaissance
- Resources: Abundant (except starting continent)
- World Age: Standard
- Start Position: Standard
- Temperature: Standard
- Rainfall: Standard
- Sea Level: Standard
Strategy[]
Going clockwise and spiraling inward from the northwest corner of your starting continent, your opponents in this challenge are the English (under Victoria), the Japanese (under Tokugawa), the Spanish, the Romans (under Trajan), the Egyptians (under Cleopatra), the Norwegians (under Harald Hardrada), the Malians (under Mansa Musa), the Cree, and the Poles. While your strategy will largely depend on which difficulty level you're playing on (and thus which leader you're using), there are a few things that you should prioritize regardless:
- Research Cartography so your naval and embarked units can cross Ocean tiles.
- Build a Government Plaza and an Ancestral Hall in either your Capital or one of your first two cities.
- Appoint Magnus and give him the Provision title, then assign him to the city with the Government Plaza and train or purchase all your Settlers there.
- Start colonizing the new, resource-rich continent as soon as you can. The more resources you can claim, the fewer will be left for your opponents.
- Slot Colonial Offices and/or Colonial Taxes to help newly-founded cities grow.
- Try to build the Torre de Belém after founding some cities on the new continent.
- Build at least one Commercial Hub. The Monopolies and Corporations game mode is enabled in this challenge, so earning Great Merchant points gives you the opportunity to create Corporations if you control three or more copies of a luxury resource and have improved one of them with an Industry.
João III[]
Send your Skirmishers to scout your starting continent and meet the other civilizations, which will increase your Trade Route limit. Train or purchase Traders to start building up your economy; being able to buy Settlers with Gold will give you a leg up in the race to colonize the new continent. Build Harbors in every coastal city and focus on researching technologies that unlock new buildings for them (i.e., Mass Production and Electricity); building and developing Campuses should also be a high priority. As your economy grows stronger, appoint Reyna and get her Contractor title so you can spend Gold to buy Districts and develop new cities rapidly. Try to form Alliances with your neighbors and avoid getting involved in wars with them, then slot Wisselbanken to get additional Food and Production from your Trade Routes to their cities.
A Science Victory is the easiest path to pursue as João III, though you may accidentally win a Diplomatic Victory if you manage to befriend enough city-states and earn points through World Congress votes and strong performance in competitions. A Domination Victory is also a possibility if you militarize and steamroll your starting continent.
Matthias Corvinus[]
A Domination Victory is your best option here. Use your starting Settlers to found cities near the Geothermal Fissure and the lake to the east of your Capital, and send them Trade Routes to connect them with Roads. Focus on building your army and navy, earning Gold, and slotting policy cards that improve your Envoy economy - you want to meet and become Suzerain of as many city-states as possible so you can levy their units when it's time to start your conquest.
Form Alliances with 2-3 of your opponents so you have safe places to send Trade Routes. After establishing a foothold on the new continent and discovering Flight and/or Refining, pick an opponent to attack and get the ball rolling. Poundmaker is often a top competitor in the Science Victory game, though his leader ability gives you an incentive to keep him around and stay allied with him. Use the cities you founded early in the game as staging points for your attack, and sweep around the continent capturing Capitals. Use the units you levy from city-states to either defend your holdings on the new continent or reinforce your troops on your starting continent, depending on your current needs.
