Are Relics Worth The Effort?

[Entroputor]

My favorite Civ is Poland for a multitude of reasons; from the Culture Bombing using Forts and Encampments, to the Unique Building that replaces the Market. But the thing that keeps getting me tangled is that bonus to Relics.

Considering the amount of planning or sheer luck going into a game, are Relics worth chasing after if you're going for something other than a Tourism/Religious Victory?

I've tried several times to try and win a Tourism Victory using Relics and Appeal alone, but I just can't seem to generate enough Relics to make them work--either I haven't built St.Michelle, gotten unlucky with Apostle Promotions, or on the flip-side; built St.Michelle and there's not an enemy religious unit in sight...

Can Relics be unique in some way besides generating Tourism and Faith? Like some Relics might give Science or Amenities? Food or Housing?

 

[bengalryan9]

Khmer get awesome use out of relics.

But yeah, it seems to rely a lot on good fortune to pull off. I couldn't imagine playing a pure relic-based culture victory with anyone BUT the Khmer, so I usually just look at relics as a supplement to whatever I'm already doing.

I do wish getting relics was a lot more interactive/fun rather than just killing your own units. Things like getting one for converting a neighbor to your religion, having an apostle win X number of battles, or converting a holy city would be a lot more fun and intuitive IMO.

 

[iammaxhailme]

They can help a ton with religious victory if you get the belief that triples their tourism and a reliable way to get relics (yerevan, kandy, mt st michel...)

I think they're better for tourism victory than religious victory itself

 

[Kmart_Elvis]

Can Relics be unique in some way besides generating Tourism and Faith? Like some Relics might give Science or Amenities? Food or Housing?

Kongo puts a spin on relics. Even though you can't make your own religion, relics provide them with 2 food, 2 production, and 4 gold, on top of the normal culture and tourism. You can use those yields towards any non-religious victory condition.

 

[SammyKhalifa]

They can help a ton with religious victory if you get the belief that triples their tourism and a reliable way to get relics (yerevan, kandy, mt st michel...)

I think they're better for tourism victory than religious victory itself

Yeah, I lucked out and got Kandy nearby and decided to go this route with my current Persia game. Tourism based on Reliquary relics and National Parks (because Persia likes to make things beautiful).

 

[afeld]

Trick I learned is to specifically not build the Mahabodhi Temple. The AI will go for this one early and this way you know for a fact where to find at least two enemy Apostles

Relics can be incredibly powerful for the Khmer, Poland or Kongo, but if you are not playing one of those civs you really need to fully commit (Reliquaries, St. Basil, convert neightbors to stop 50% negative religious tourism modifier) to make them worthwhile when going for a culture victory.

 

[Loerwyn]

As another primarily Poland player, I think Relics totally are worth the effort. However, you need a mix of high Faith and very focused playing to get the most out of them. You want as many cities as you can manage, and you're going to need to spam Apostles. Why? Well, the one thing you seriously want as Poland is Mont St. Michel, which gives all Apostles the Martyr promotion. With a high Faith output and reductions to Apostle costs (I believe this is a Dedication option?), you can fill your cities with Relics. The more Relics you get, the faster you can get more Apostles, the faster you advance on the Civics tree, etc. - plus with Poland being a trade and Gold heavy civ, the bonus to Gold production is really going to help.

I would say, however, that you really need to focus on those aspects to get the most out of it. High Faith or Gold output isn't hard as Poland, and focusing on these allows you to make up for what you lack elsewhere. You don't need to worry as much about producing an army, because with the right Policies, Dedications and World Council choices, you can essentially buy your army when you need it for a low Faith or Gold cost.

 

[WillowBrook]

Can Relics be unique in some way besides generating Tourism and Faith? Like some Relics might give Science or Amenities? Food or Housing?

I'd love it if relics had unique bonuses like great people do. I'm thinking the bonus would benefit the city it's in only, and would be about as strong as a governor promotion or pantheon belief.

I'm finishing up a relic and wonder- based cultural victory with Khmer (no theater squares, resorts, national parks, or rock bands), really enjoying it, although not getting reliquaries has stretched the game out. And you do run out of relics eventually.

 

[Bitterman]

You can also look and trade for relics if that's your focus.

Relics are more valuable the sooner you get them and get more irrelevant as the game progresses, but overall I think they are ok. The most important wonder to keep them fresh and shiny is the Christo Redentor, since it eliminates the malus to religious tourism after enlightment civic. Reliquaries belief also helps, but getting it may be tricky.

 

[UWHabs]

I'd love it if relics had unique bonuses like great people do. I'm thinking the bonus would benefit the city it's in only, and would be about as strong as a governor promotion or pantheon belief.

I'm finishing up a relic and wonder- based cultural victory with Khmer (no theater squares, resorts, national parks, or rock bands), really enjoying it, although not getting reliquaries has stretched the game out. And you do run out of relics eventually.

That would be neat. Although I would assume that they would choose beliefs based on pop culture, like the Arc of the Covenant giving +50% production to archaeologists, or give them some weird bonus based on the relic, like the "Sandals of the Prophet" giving +1 movement to all units within the city radius.

 

[Victoria]

Relics give good faith early but meh later and the issue is you risk winning a culture victory by accident if you go after them but they are fun to play with. Realistically for culture and RV they are very handy, that is nearly half the victories... for others an early goody hut relic is priceless but beyond that just avoid them unless you are into selling them.

 

[megabearsfan]

If I'm playing religiously, I usually take the Martyr promotion whenever it's available and suicide the Apostle when it's down to 1 charge left. You have all the relic slots, might as well fill them. All the early tourism can also be a good insurance policy. If you just aren't able to get that last civ to convert to your religion, then you should be able to fall back onto a tourism victory.

I'm pretty sure that you can also steal relics from capturing enemy cities that have a relic. If you hover the mouse over the city, the tooltip will show you every great work and relic currently in the city. So if you see an enemy city with a Temple and/or Cathedral, highlight over the city and check the tooltip to see if it has any relics and steal them by force.

And yes, relics should definitely be a priority for you if you're playing as Poland, Kongo (http://www.megabearsfan.net/post/2017/08/08/Civ-VI-Mvemba-a-Nzinga-strategy.aspx), or Khmer (http://www.megabearsfan.net/post/20...-VI-strategy-Jayavarman-VII-of-the-Khmer.aspx).

 

[Scaramanga]

Martyrs can be a consolation prize if you invested in a couple holy sites but didn't get your own religion. Producing an apostle with martyr is pretty lucky but since you have no skin in the relgious game, losing it is fine. Two holy sites with temples will get you closer to Divine Right and Mont St. Michel so you can put the relic strategy into overdrive.

 

[ehecatzin]

I do wish getting relics was a lot more interactive/fun rather than just killing your own units. Things like getting one for converting a neighbor to your religion, having an apostle win X number of battles, or converting a holy city would be a lot more fun and intuitive IMO.

Or having them be awarded to the winner of a religious emergency. heck...1 for each party involved on the emergency could make it really interesting.

 

[Scaramanga]

Or having them be awarded to the winner of a religious emergency. heck...1 for each party involved on the emergency could make it really interesting.

You don't know that's already the case if the participants win a religious emergency? I think it's happened once for me.

 

[ehecatzin]

You don't know that's already the case if the participants win a religious emergency? I think it's happened once for me.

It does? really? haha man, long time since I've had one of those emergencies then.

 

[iammaxhailme]

Additionally I forgot to mention this before but finding a relic in a goody hut extremely early (like, 5th turn maybe) can be an absolute gamechanger. +4 faith that early is huge

 

[darkpigraph]

You must also check which other civs might have lucked into relics through a goodie hut. Most civs charge a kings ransom for them but I've had some domination oriented civs offer them for a lux.

 

[Bitterman]

Just to mention, in my actual MP game with friends I got +250 tourism coming only from relics playing with Poland and Reliquaries at turn 250.

So under certain circunstances yes, they absolutely worth the effort imo.