Design your own Civ VI civ

[Txomin]

Started thinking about this today and figured I'd post it!
The Maya

Civ Icon: The day sign Ahau, a word that also means "lord" or "king."
Civ Ability: Ah Nab
Additional Diplomatic Policy Slot. Can purchase cultural buildings with faith.

Spoiler :

Ah Nab, meaning something like "Waterlily People," was a term referring to Maya nobility as a whole, particularly those lords of lower status than the king. They were the priests, artisans, and bureaucrats of the Maya city states and blood of city life. As for the ability itself, the Maya gain an extra diplomatic slot to deal with city states and the ability to use faith for building purchases similar to the Jesuit Education follower belief.

Unique District: Tun Witz
Replaces the Holy Site. +1 culture if adjacent to a Theater Square district. +1 science if adjacent to a Campus district.

Spoiler :

Tun Witz is the Classic Maya term for a temple, literally meaning "Stone Mountain." Stelae were sometimes placed in plazas near the temple as a metaphorical stone forest at the base of the stone mountain. I imagine these kinds of plazas would make for a visually interesting district. In terms of abilities, the Tun Witz represents the astronomical and cultural practices associated with Maya structures.

Unique Unit: Ahauob
Unique melee unit unlocked with Early Empire. 25 strength. 2 movement. Faith from kills. Extra strength vs. city state units.

Spoiler :

Ahauob is a word referring to a group of lesser nobles underneath the king, much like Ah Nab. Classic era Maya warfare was predominantly the realm of the nobility who would make war with nobility from other cities of the region. Nobles captured during such conflict were the primary victims of sacrifice, which is represented here by the faith bonus. The city state bonus refers to Maya warfare being practiced between different city states.

Leader: Siyah K'ak'
Capital: Tikal
Ability: Star Wars
Whenever you capture a city state you have not previously captured, you may choose to release the city state to gain 3 envoys with the city state and remove 1 envoy from every other civ.
Agenda: Ch'ul Ahau
Likes leaders who conquer city states. Dislikes leaders who are suzerain to city states.

Spoiler :

Not exactly the most Maya choice, but an interesting figure nonetheless. Siyah K'ak', sometimes called "Fire is Born," was a warlord in the late 4th century C.E. who conquered Tikal and proceeded to drastically expand Tikal's sphere of influence in what is now Guatemala. He likely originated from the Central Mexican city of Teotihuacan.
"Star Wars" refer to major wars between cities that often resulted in the replacement of dynasties. It also makes for a fun ability name! Siyah K'ak' performed such star wars against Tikal's enemies such as Uaxactun and Copan, installing dynasties under Tikal's control. Here that is reflected by the ability to reduce opponent civ's influence within a city state while greatly boosting your own, even becoming suzerain if unopposed. It only works on the first capture of a city state however and can not be repeated in the same city state.
"Ch'ul Ahau" meaning "holy lord" and referring to very powerful Maya kings with significant influence. Siyah K'ak' would ideally advocate aggression towards city states and dislike suzerains, unless those suzerains are him of course!
Appearance wise, Stela 32 from Tikal depicts a Teotihuacan-style person. Perhaps not Siyah K'ak' himself, but possible inspiration for his visuals.

The Maya were my favorite in civ 5 and I've become very interested in Maya history and archaeology, perhaps in some part from my time spent with civ5. As such, I eagerly await their inclusion into civ6 but just for fun I designed a Maya civ on my own. It was only later that I realized my agenda matched with Morningcalm's version of the Maya! I'm not too happy with the Civ Ability but I haven't yet thought of something more interesting for that part of the civ.

 

[AessaSH]

Pura Tirta is very specific, while Candi is basically the majority of ancient Hindu-Buddha structures that were unearthed in Indonesia. Many candis were religious in nature, like temples and shrine, but there are also graveyards, treasury room, baths, palace, archways, and many others that were lumped together under a catch all category of a "Candi". I just want an Indonesian blob civs whose Uniques are atleast are found in many place across the archipelago, not a regional one. Besides, if I am influenced by your designs, at least I can try to be different in some regards, not just changing your suggestion into mine.

I really like your Alun-Alun, as the Javanese themselves had spread their influence across almost all corners of Indonesia, and its not surprising that many kingdoms or sultanate from other islands adopt some degree of this structure, but again, I dont want to make it to look too closely to yours hahah

Aah.. Well, if that was the case, then Candi is the best choice..
Actually, because of your Candi improvement, I have a eureka moment right now. It's my turn to steal your design..

JAVA - INDONESIA​

---------- Civilization Ability ----------​

Ocean Trader
Trader units gain the ability to enter Coast and Ocean tiles after researching Sailing. Trade Routes provide +1 Gold for each Ocean tile it passed.
("The Javanese are all men very experienced in the art of navigation, to the point that they claim to be the most ancient of all, ... But it is certain that they formerly navigated to the Cape of Good Hope, and were in communication with the east coast of Madagascar" ... - Portuguese chronicler, Diego Couto, 1645)

---------- Leader Ability ----------​

Prophetic Books
(King Jayabaya of Kediri, Reign 1135 - 1179)
Earn Eurekas and Inspirations from all currently able to research Technologies and Civics when you create a Great Work of Writing. That Great Work of Writing yields additional +4 Faith in your City.
(Jayabaya is attributed as the author of the Prelambang Joyoboyo, a prophetic book that played an important role in the Japanese occupation, eight centuries after his reign. According to a selectively abridged set of stanzas within a Joyoboyo prophesy : "The Javanese would be ruled by whites (Dutch) for 3 centuries and by yellow dwarfs (Japan) for the life span of a maize plant prior to the return of the Just King (Indonesia)")

​

Sima Lands
(Queen Consort Pramodhawardhani of Medang, Reign 838-850)
Builders can make Candi improvements. Districts have no maintenance costs if adjacent to a religious Wonder or a Candi. Buildings worked by a Citizen also have no maintenance costs if adjacent to a religious Wonder.
(Pramodhawardhani was credited for the inauguration of Borobudur and the construction of several Buddhist temples or candis in Prambanan Plain. Several inscriptions mentioned about the sima (tax-free) lands awarded by her in return for the obligation of the inhabitants to take care of a sacred building near them, including Borobudur. Pramodhawardhani's likeness was the model for Durga's image in the Prambanan temple)

​

---------- Unique Unit ----------​

Borobudur Ship
Replaces Quadrireme. Movement: 4 instead of 3. Can enter Ocean. If ends on tiles passing through by a Trade Route, reveal all Cities involved with that Trade Route.
(A sailed vessel depicted in some bas reliefs of the Borobudur, used for naval campaigns by the Shailendra dynasty of Java and for transporting cassia, misnomer as cinnamon, and other spices directly by what was historically called the "Cinnamon shipping route" from Indonesian waters across the Indian Ocean to East Africa, where local traders then carried it north to Alexandria in Egypt)

---------- Unique Infrastructures ----------​

Alun-Alun
Replaces Monument. +2 Culture (Default yield). +1 Amenity from entertainment. Districts adjacent to this City Center provide +1 Great Person points of their type (for example, Great Writer points from the Theater Square district).
(A Javanese architectural term for the large central open lawn squares common to villages, towns and cities in Indonesia, functioned as centre for public spectacles, court celebrations and general non-court entertainment such as the Javanese festivals of Garebeganan, Sekaten great fairs, and entertainment spectacle of a tiger and buffalo fight)

Candi
Unique Improvement. Requires Astrology. +1 Faith. +2 Production when constructing a Holy Site, religious Building, or religious Wonder, or when performing Holy Site Prayers.
The ability to build this improvement is granted to the civilization with Pramodhawardhani as its leader.
(Refers to a structure based on the Indian type of single-celled shrine, with a pyramidal tower above it, and a portico. The term Candi is given as a prefix to the many temple-mountains in Indonesia, built as a representation of the Cosmic Mount Meru, an epitome of the universe)

----------- Agenda -----------​

Oracle King
(King Jayabaya of Kediri, Reign 1135 - 1179)
Respects civilization who earn more Eurekas and Inspirations than him. Does not like civilizations who neglect Eurekas and Inspirations.

Patroness of the Temples
(Queen Consort Pramodhawardhani of Medang, Reign 838-850)
Respects civilization who build more Holy Sites and religious Wonders than her. Does not like civilizations who neglect Holy Sites and religious Wonders.

==================================================

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Btw, I'm noticing a typo in your Hasannudin's Agenda:

Leader Agenda: Weatlh is God's Creation

 

[caiman0815]

Austria

Civ Ability: Bella gerant alii, tu felix austria nube - Extra diplomacy slot. Additional influence with city states for completed "listening post" spy action until the modern era; city states may be bought (like civ v) if suzerain and a spy present (but with a percent chance!). Free Envoy for ceding one ore more cities in a peace deal

Leader Name: Maria Theresia

Leader Ability: Theresian Reform - one-time boost in growth (all great persons), production (engineer), science (scienticst), culture (writer, artist,...) and money (merchant) in city where a great person is used

Agenda: Protector chastity and morality - loves civs with high faith output that dont spread religion to her, hates civs without any religion

Unique Unit: Hussar

Stronger Cav with one extra move

Unique Improvement: Ski Ressort

increases money and tourism based on appeal, additional money and tourism for each adjacent mountain, must be on hills next to a mountain

 

[Uberfrog]

Started thinking about this today and figured I'd post it!
The Maya

Civ Icon: The day sign Ahau, a word that also means "lord" or "king."
Civ Ability: Ah Nab
Additional Diplomatic Policy Slot. Can purchase cultural buildings with faith.

Spoiler :

Ah Nab, meaning something like "Waterlily People," was a term referring to Maya nobility as a whole, particularly those lords of lower status than the king. They were the priests, artisans, and bureaucrats of the Maya city states and blood of city life. As for the ability itself, the Maya gain an extra diplomatic slot to deal with city states and the ability to use faith for building purchases similar to the Jesuit Education follower belief.

Unique District: Tun Witz
Replaces the Holy Site. +1 culture if adjacent to a Theater Square district. +1 science if adjacent to a Campus district.

Spoiler :

Tun Witz is the Classic Maya term for a temple, literally meaning "Stone Mountain." Stelae were sometimes placed in plazas near the temple as a metaphorical stone forest at the base of the stone mountain. I imagine these kinds of plazas would make for a visually interesting district. In terms of abilities, the Tun Witz represents the astronomical and cultural practices associated with Maya structures.

Unique Unit: Ahauob
Unique melee unit unlocked with Early Empire. 25 strength. 2 movement. Faith from kills. Extra strength vs. city state units.

Spoiler :

Ahauob is a word referring to a group of lesser nobles underneath the king, much like Ah Nab. Classic era Maya warfare was predominantly the realm of the nobility who would make war with nobility from other cities of the region. Nobles captured during such conflict were the primary victims of sacrifice, which is represented here by the faith bonus. The city state bonus refers to Maya warfare being practiced between different city states.

Leader: Siyah K'ak'
Capital: Tikal
Ability: Star Wars
Whenever you capture a city state you have not previously captured, you may choose to release the city state to gain 3 envoys with the city state and remove 1 envoy from every other civ.
Agenda: Ch'ul Ahau
Likes leaders who conquer city states. Dislikes leaders who are suzerain to city states.

Spoiler :

Not exactly the most Maya choice, but an interesting figure nonetheless. Siyah K'ak', sometimes called "Fire is Born," was a warlord in the late 4th century C.E. who conquered Tikal and proceeded to drastically expand Tikal's sphere of influence in what is now Guatemala. He likely originated from the Central Mexican city of Teotihuacan.
"Star Wars" refer to major wars between cities that often resulted in the replacement of dynasties. It also makes for a fun ability name! Siyah K'ak' performed such star wars against Tikal's enemies such as Uaxactun and Copan, installing dynasties under Tikal's control. Here that is reflected by the ability to reduce opponent civ's influence within a city state while greatly boosting your own, even becoming suzerain if unopposed. It only works on the first capture of a city state however and can not be repeated in the same city state.
"Ch'ul Ahau" meaning "holy lord" and referring to very powerful Maya kings with significant influence. Siyah K'ak' would ideally advocate aggression towards city states and dislike suzerains, unless those suzerains are him of course!
Appearance wise, Stela 32 from Tikal depicts a Teotihuacan-style person. Perhaps not Siyah K'ak' himself, but possible inspiration for his visuals.

The Maya were my favorite in civ 5 and I've become very interested in Maya history and archaeology, perhaps in some part from my time spent with civ5. As such, I eagerly await their inclusion into civ6 but just for fun I designed a Maya civ on my own. It was only later that I realized my agenda matched with Morningcalm's version of the Maya! I'm not too happy with the Civ Ability but I haven't yet thought of something more interesting for that part of the civ.

This is a really nice concept. I like having the opportunity to follow a bunch of different routes, and Siyah K'ak' looks like he can pursues science and faith while conquering city states to get their bonuses too. Very fitting! I would love to see the Maya on the map with their temple complexes dotted about.

 

[TheSpaceCowboy]

Babylon
Leader: Hammurabi



Leader Ability: Code of Hammurabi

• Can substitute the Inherent Bonus and Legacy Bonus of his current government with those of any government he's already researched
• Can re-slot his policies or switch his government once a turn without paying gold to do so or receiving any penalties for returning to a previous government
• Founding his first city triggers an inspiration for Code of Laws

Unique Ability: Babylonian Captivity

• Builders or Military Engineers captured from foreign civilizations with at least one charge remaining can be expended at district where they will generate +1 of the associated Great Person points
• Whenever a warring civilization agrees to a peace treaty, Babylon receives half of its accumulated Great Person points per each Great Person type

Unique Unit: Bowmen

• Replaces Archer. Bonus to Attack when garrisoned in Babylonian cities, and bonus to defense against foreign cities' strikes.

Unique District: House of Wisdom

• Replaces the Campus. +2 Science adjacency from Rivers.

 

[TheSpaceCowboy]

Sioux
Leader: Sitting Bull



Leader Ability: Horse Culture

• +5 Attack against pre-Modern Cavalry units.
• Upon defeating a pre-Modern Calvary unit, receive a maintenance-free Light Cavalry at the nearest Stable

Unique Ability: Plains Indians

• Any undeveloped Plains hex can be worked by two citizens
• Additional Food from undeveloped Cattle, Deer, and Wheat
• Additional Faith from undeveloped or harvested Tobacco
• Additional Gold from undeveloped Furs

Unique Unit: Ghost Dance Warriors

• Replaces Cavalry. Requires Horses.
• +5 attack per era difference against units from Civilizations further along the tech tree
• Additional XP per era difference from kills against units from Civilizations further along the tech tree

Unique District: Teepee Village

• Must be built on Plains adjacent to Buffalo
• Provides +3 Housing and +1 Amenity
• Cavalry units fighting on Plains receive a bonus to Attack relative to their distance to the nearest Teepee (+10 when 1 hex away, +1 when 10 hexes away)
• Cavalry units fighting on Plains receive the same bonus to Defense relative to their distance to the second nearest nearest Teepee
• Cavalry units fighting on Plains receive the same bonus to Healing relative to their distance to the third nearest nearest Teepee

No Civilization can receive Buffalo, either via Improvements or Trade. However, harvesting Buffalo yields copious amounts of Food and Gold.
Military units on a hex with Buffalo can "pillage" the tile to harvest them.
As another Civilization, slaughtering Buffalo indiscriminately is an excellent tactic to limit the potential of the Sioux.

Agenda
Loathes Civilizations that kill Buffalo, and likes Civilizations that trade Horses to him

 

[Morningcalm]

Wow, great ideas all! I don't Machiavelli would be chosen as a leader since he was more an advisor/philosopher overall, but it's still cool to imagine such civs. Txomin, nice Mayan ideas. I note that we have some convergence on the Mayan terms they might use for the Civ ability and so on. It will be tricky to fit the Mayan city-states' focused ability with Greece and Barbarossa already in the game, but I suppose there's room for a city-state related ability that is somewhat different.

TheSpaceCowboy, nice idea for a Hammurabi-focused Babylon--what's the House of Wisdom based on?

For the Sioux, special buffalo resources would be kinda neat--reminds me a bit of the buffalo shipments in Age of Empires III (the Sioux could give their entire team buffalos ).

P.S. People have found in the xml indications that Genoa will be a future civ in Civ VI. So maybe they will be led by Andrea Doria after all? It wouldn't be unprecedented to have a civ led by a military leader (see Hannibal Barca/Joan of Arc), but I think it likely they might also just pick the first doge of Genoa instead (who was a doge for life, and didn't suffer quite the same military defeats as some other Genoese doges).

 

[Txomin]

I feel like there is room for more than two city state-centric abilities in the game, though I also was specifically trying to think up a Maya civ different from civ 5's portrayal for the sake of variety. I did like your use of Wac Chanil Ahau though. She would be a pretty good pick that most people aren't aware of.

 

[raen]

Add your civs and compare:
Add your Custom CIV(s)!
Import a file with this template: Template of Two new civs
PS: I dont save your data on server, only see on the fly.

Enjoy

 

[Revok]

Carthage​

Leader : Hannibal



Leader ability : Find a way or make one

May cross mountain, taking 50 HP damage if they end a turn on a mountain
Unique units : Numidian cavalry ,replace cavalry , quick and powerful javelin thrower cavalry

Civilization ability : Phenician trading post
Each costal city grants an additional trade routes

Unique district : Cothon
Replace harbour district
gives production bonus when building naval units
gets higher gold adjacency bonuses for being next to comercial hub

Unique units : Quinquereme
Replace quadrireme
One extra movement (4 instead of 3)
Higher range strengh



Agenda :
Hates civs with strong navy
Love civs which send a trade route to him

 

[steveg700]

Is there a vehicle for requesting a thread be made sticky?

 

[Atlas627]

"Report" it to the mods.

 

[TheSpaceCowboy]

TheSpaceCowboy, nice idea for a Hammurabi-focused Babylon--what's the House of Wisdom based on?

For the Sioux, special buffalo resources would be kinda neat--reminds me a bit of the buffalo shipments in Age of Empires III (the Sioux could give their entire team buffalos ).

It's based on the Library of Baghdad. It was arguably the most important ancient library after Alexandria. It's said that when the Mongols sacked the city, the Tigris flowed black from the ink of so many books.

 

[TheSpaceCowboy]

Hasmonean Empire
Leader: Judas Maccabeus



Leader Ability: The Hammer of God

• Any time a Hasmonean unit kills a missionary, apostle, or inquisitor of a foreign religion, it gains a free promotion.

Unique Ability: The Chosen People

• 50% discount on purchases of Great People with faith

Unique Unit: Zealot

• All extant Zealots gain a permanent +1 to attack (retained with upgrade) any time a foreign missionary spends a charge spreading its religion to a Hasmonean city (+2 for apostles).
• After a Hasmonean apostle has launched an inquisition, all newly trained Zealots have one "Remove Heresy" charge

Unique District: Temple Mount

• Replaces Holy site. Must be built on a hill. Takes less time to construct than Holy Sites and does not count against the city's district limit.
• Generates Great Prophet points equal to its adjacency bonus.
• Cities with a Temple Mount block half of the religious pressure emanating from foreign cities, missionaries, and apostles.

Agenda: Maccabean Revolt

• Like Civilizations that spend their Faith on Great Person patronage. Dislikes Civilizations that use their Faith to purchase missionaries and Apostles.

The Hasmoneans are the spoiler to other Civilizations that are pursuing a Religious victory. Other Civilizations have to expend far more missionaries and apostles to convert Hasmonean cities, which only makes Hasmonean units more formidable militarily.
The strategy with the Hasmoneans is to build plenty of cheap Temple Mounts, blocking foreign Religions and using the Faith to rush cheap Great People. In that way they're a counter to Brazil in addition to Spain.

 

[TheSpaceCowboy]

Portugal
Henry the Navigator

Leader Ability: The Navigator

• Eurekas and Inspirations along the naval branches of the Tech and Civic trees, respectively, contribute production to all naval units currently being build and experience to all naval units already completed.
• All naval units earn additional experience through reconnaissance (discovering Natural Wonders, Tribal Villages, etc.) of continents other than Lisbon's.

Unique Ability: Treaty of Tordesillas

• After founding a city on a different continent than Lisbon, no other Civilization can settle a new city within six tiles (1.5x the usual).
• When settling cities on different continents after founding its religion, all new cities automatically begin with Portugal’s religion without a need for missionaries.

Unique Unit: Carrack

• Renaissance era ranged naval unit. It is cheaper than the Frigate, which it replaces. The Carrack has one additional movement point and is immune to zone-of-control.
• On opposing factions’ turns, whenever Barbarian vessels or naval units belonging to a Civilization with which Portugal is at war enter within two hexes of the Carrack, it automatically volleys a ranged attack. This attack costs no movement and can occur multiple times per round.

Feitoria

• Requires both charges of a Military Engineer to complete. Must be built in a City-State on a different continent than Lisbon. Creates a permanent trade route between Lisbon and the City-State (not contributing to Portugal’s trade route limit). If Portugal is the suzerain, it receives a copy of every luxury recourse in that City-State.

Portugal is another defeater to Spain and other proselytizing civilizations, with numerous far-to-reach cities that opposing civilizations need to send their missionaries to but which Portugal does not.

 

[cjm81499]

Mali Empire: Mansa Musa I



Faction Ability: The Hungering Lion - All units get two promotions upon earning their first promotion. All units earn promotions 25% faster. +2 gold per trade route.

Leader Ability: Conquest of West Africa - Annexed cities provide +100% yields of everything for 15 turns after being annexed (does not continue if city is recaptured by original owner or another Civ). Earn three envoys upon capturing an enemy capital (once per capital).

Unique Unit: Mandekalu Cavalry - Replaces Horsemen. Has 1 extra movement point over standard Horsemen, in addition to 40 melee strength vs. Horsemen's 35. Heals 50% faster than Horsemen.

Unique Districts: Sudano-Sahelian Mosque/Sudano-Sahelian University- Replaces Holy District and Campus. They provide +2 of their respective yields for every city annexed. Each gains +20% yield if built on desert tiles, and 10% if built next to each other.

This is my idea for a Mali faction. I thought I would try to be unique by giving them two districts instead of one. PS I know Songhai got Mandekalu Cavalry in Civ V, but that made no sense since Mandekalu Horsemen were part of the Mali empire's military. So I gave them to Mali here.

 

[raen]

@TheSpaceCowboy: Nice ideas You just missed Agenda, looking at your suggestions I think of "New World Navigation" for Agenda, and also a unique building for Henry, School of Navigation

 

[FangoriousFae]

Can I just say how much I love OP's ideas? I've never even heard of these women before, but they seem like they'd be very interesting leaders; Zenobia seems like an especially good fit for Civ VI. What do you think about Zenobia sharing Assyria with Ashurbanipal like with Pericles and Gorgo?

 

[cjm81499]

New Spain: Hernan Cortes

Spoiler :

Unique Faction Ability: Gold, God, and Glory - Improved luxury resources within your borders provide +1 gold and +1 faith (adds +1 per era). Religious spreading units +50% more effective against civs behind you technologically.

Unique Leader Ability: New World Conquest - Every city in your empire receives +1 amenity whenever an enemy town is annexed (once per city). Gain the Galleon unique unit (stronger than frigate it replaces, +2 extra movement, earns gold for killing enemy units).

Unique Unit: Lather-Jacket - Replaces Cavalry. Stronger than cavalry, gets +1 movement points, movement unaffected by hill tiles.

Spoiler :

Unique District: Spanish Port - Replaces Harbor. Gives 25% production towards naval units. Every three Spanish Ports built gives an extra trade route slot (limit of five).

 

[EutyRaptor]

Byzantium:


Leader: Basil II the Porphyrogennitos a.k.a. the Bulgar-slayer

Spoiler :

Basil II leads the Byzantine empire in Sid Meier’s Civilization VI. Basil II is among the most popular Byzantine emperors and is considered to be one of if not the most gifted and prolific Byzantine emperor in history. During his reign, Basil II took an empire left in turmoil, constant harassment from foreign powers at their borders and constantly losing territory, yet managed to turn it into the most powerful state in its entire region.

He famously lead the Byzantine army to massive military victories, fully subjugating Bulgaria and defeating the Abbasids and other Muslim powers in the east convincingly. He was the first emperor to incorporate the famous Varangian guard, the personal guards of the Byzantine emperor that originated from Viking states in the north.

Basil is also known for his astounding political reforms. He dissolved the classic patrician class of the empire and gave its wealth back to the common peasants of Anatolia who were the backbone of his army. He kept low taxes and was highly tolerant of foreign incorporated territories.

Basil’s special ability is “Anatolian Tagmata”:
Byzantine military units cost less to produce and the more of them exist in defensive positions within the empire, the lower the production costs (taxes) and the higher the amenities produced in the adjacent cities.



Byzantium’s special ability is ”Legacy of Rome”:
Byzantine walls and city upgrades have extra combat resilience, as well as their units and cities extra resilience towards being converted into another religion. Byzantine themselves gain the opposite of the last bonus on their foes (they are more likely to convert an enemy unit or city to Byzantium’s religion).


Byzantium has 2 special units:
1) Fire Dromon:
A powerful type of galley that uses the infamous Greek fire as its weaponry. The unit has significantly higher combat ability than galleys, but has slightly less range. It also gains a defensive bonus if within water tiles that belong to the Byzantines.

2) Varangian Guard:
Powerful melee medieval units that excel in defence, gaining a remarkable defensive boost if they are attacked and an even bigger one if a city, city upgrade or great person is in a tile adjacent to them and within Byzantine territory. They are quite expensive and immobile, though.


Byzantium’s special building is the “Hippodrome” as an extra building in the “Entertainment” district:
The Hippodrome provides more amenities than other common buildings of this type, as well as producing 1 culture (representing the great Hippodrome race events) per a certain number of turns depending on the status of the Byzantine player in the game: the higher the overall score, the more frequent the culture bonus.




Possible quotes upon meeting/declaring war/defeating Basil II:

Spoiler :

Meeting:Χαίρε, ξένε! Είμαι ο Βασίλειος ο Πορφυρογέννητος των Μακεδόνων και Βασιλεύς των Ρωμαίων. Τις είσαι και ποιές οι βουλές σου;

English: Greetings, stranger! I am Basil the Porphyrogennitos of the Macedonian dynasty and Emperor of the Romans. Who are you and what are your intentions?

Declaring war: Βλάσφημε! Νουθετήσου αναλόγως: Αμαρτωλός και Άγιος ματώνουν ομοίως.

English: Blasphemer! Come to your senses accordingly: Sinner and Saint bleed alike.

Defeating: Πάτερ... Σώσον τον λαό Σου και ευλόγησον την κληρονομία Σου... Ρωμανία αιώνιος!

English: Father… Save Your people and bless Your inheritance… Roma aeterna!

Sidenote: Attaching a PDF file that shows more or less the same things, plus some pictures to illustrate.