Nuclear Weapons.

[Tech Osen]

Do you use them? I rarely even bother to do the manhattan project because I can't really find a tactical use for WMDs. I also have never been attacked by the AI with WMDs. Seems they are very true to RL: you can't really use them because they are too devastating.
But do they work as a deterrent? Is the AI less likely to attack you if you have them? Do they even know you have them?

 

[Olleus]

I've never used them in Civ6, and only very very very rarely used them in previous civs.
The game is over (either actually finished or feels finished) by then. I can't remember the last time I played far enough into the game to even get the Manhattan project.

 

[Karpius]

I have seen the AI use Thermonuclear weapons on several occasions against my civ as well as AI civs. In one case, Indonesia seemed focused on obliterating two of my cities (England) but only made two strikes each (which seemed redundant.)

In another case, Egypt made two strikes that seemed more intent on destroying a concentration of Macedon units than destroying a city directly.

I have only used them once to reduce a city, but I always build several of each type just in case.

Unfortunately, I did not notice what sort of diplomatic effect my use had at the time.

The after effects can leave the surrounding area contaminated for many turns, though I have noticed no ill effects for units entering such areas.

I am unsure of their use as a deterrent because I have never figured out how to determine who, if anyone, has such weapons until they are used. I can only assume that once that stage of the game is reached that others will build at least a couple of them.

 

[Basileus Rhomaion]

I rarely go for the Manhattan Project, but when I do it's usually when I didn't focus on my victory condition enough and the AI is cruising towards culture or science victory. As far as I can tell, nuclear waste isn't a great tourist magnet. Also, not sure if it can be achieved in a war in any other way, but when the AI is a victim of a nuclear attack, they are willing to make enormous concessions to cease the conflict which is kinda useful. It's usually hard if not impossible to snatch a good amount of great works in a regular peace deal, but nuclear obliteration seems to do the trick.

Another use I have for it is blasting annoying AI back to the stone age. I keep a little "black list" every game with stuff each one did to me so I decide whom to nuke. Alexander and Tomyris seem to be consistently high on that list.

It definitely doesn't seem to work as a war deterrent though, the AI simply cannot process the state of the game or civ dynamics properly. So when you use the nukes on one and the rest find out, they might still declare war on you because they think you are a trigger-happy warmonger (which isn't terribly inaccurate).

Sidenote: I wonder whether the use of nuclear weapons will have a positive era score impact in the new expansion. That would be interesting to see.

 

[trev1972]

Last time i used nukes was civ 2 i think..so nope i dont use them

 

[Victoria]

Yep, its rare I play a game that long but you bet I will build them and often end up using them.

I have rarely used them on troops, I have probably hit more fleets than land units. But they are devastatingly good.

When I have had enough of a game or want to just sort out that cultural runaway they are quite frightening in power. Nuke, walk in clean up and off you go. Its not too bad, blessed are the workers, its quite easy to clean up after them.

 

[agonistes]

. It's usually hard if not impossible to snatch a good amount of great works in a regular peace deal, but nuclear obliteration seems to do the trick.
.

I can see that. I guess if I was Paris, and I was just nuked, I'd be willing to trade away the Mona Lisa too. Buyer beware and all that.

 

[iammaxhailme]

I must have 400 hours in civ 6 by now, and I don't think I've ever used or even seen a nuke. I don't think I've used airplanes either.

 

[rjg85]

I've only ever used them following victory. It's hard not to click "just one more turn" and then nuke Gandhi back to the stone age before exiting to desktop.

 

[empresskiova]

I’ve built them a couple times, but I don’t believe I’ve used them in Civ 6. I need to rectify that in my current game as Brazil.

Though I will say, sending an AI civ back to the stone age is good fun.

 

[Leyrann]

I've used them in one game where I had a runaway science victory and got bored at some point waiting for the science to build up for the last techs I needed, so I nuked... who was it, I nuked someone back to the stone age when he took my friend's city. Oh and I used one when I was conquering Brazil, but I really didn't care about those cities, as I said, I just needed something to do.

 

[Uberfrog]

They're mostly not necessary due to how late they come in the game, but I've used them for quickly demolishing wonders/improvements/theatre squares to oppose a strong Kongo getting a Cultural victory. I also used them to soften up the last capital city in a Domination Victory, but more out of novelty and not being bothered to bombard it the old fashioned way .

 

[Hans Castorp]

I think the only time I used them in Civ6 was to get the Seven Wonders of the Post-Apocalyptic World achievement. Generally, late-game combat seems a bit underwhelming in this iteration...

 

[Victoria]

To be fair, they are in the game as a deadlock breaker really. A well placed first strike, especially with 2-3 would decimate an opposition army and in retaliation spreading your troops out makes it hard to counter.