War and conflict frequently occur throughout gain a monopoly on the luxury, or protect their city state vassal from a hostile power, a strong military will always be needed. There are a plethora of combat units to choose, from infantry and cavalry to naval ships and airplanes. However, the most powerful unit in the game is without a doubt the Giant Death Robot.
Introduced in the Gathering Storm Expansion, Giant Death Robots are the apex of combat units in Civ 6. They can’t heal outside friendly territory and earn experience points to level up, but have immense combat power and can unlock a variety of strong ives that make them a force to be reckoned with. Players can build an army of them, send them across the ocean, and engage in Pacific Rim-styled battles against their foes. Civs that focus on military might and are seeking a domination victory will love the power this mecha brings to their army, so this guide will teach them and other players all there is to know about the GDR.
Unlocking the GDR and Its Promotions
As with every other military unit, the Giant Death Robot can only be built if the player’s civilization has researched the necessary technology. In this case, the required tech is Robotics, which is unlocked in the Information Era. Civs that specialize in science will have an easier time reaching this late-game technology, but culture Civs do have an ace up their sleeve. Researching the Globalization civic will trigger the eureka bonus for Robotics, shaving off several turns of research and revealing where it is on the tech tree if the tech and civic shuffle mode is enabled.
While GDRs cannot level up, they can still earn promotions to boost their capabilities in combat. By researching certain future-era techs, players can apply automatic promotion abilities to all current and future Giant Death Robots! Here’s a list of each one and its effects.
Drone Air Defense
- Unlocked with Advanced AI. Grants GDRs +130 anti-air strength, making them hard counter any aerial units trying to strike them down from afar. A strong airforce can be a good defense against GDRs, until this ive is unlocked.
Enhanced Mobility
- Unlocked with Cybernetics. Increases their movement by 3 and grant’s them a jump ability that can over mountains. An immensely useful skill for both offense and defense.
Particle Beam Siege Cannon
- Unlocked with Advanced Power Cells. When attacking cities and encampment districts with a ranged attack, gain +30 strength and increase its effectiveness by 100%. Players who wish to conquer cities fast will want to prioritize this powerful upgrade.
Reinforced Armor Plating
- Unlocked with Smart Materials. Increases combat strength by 10 if defending against a land or naval unit. Not the most powerful ive, but certainly useful.
Obtaining Uranium
Like many other military units, Giant Death Robots require a strategic resource to make and heal damage: in this case, uranium. Revealed on the map after researching the Combined Arms technology, uranium isn’t very common, but civs who have explored the majority of the map will have a higher chance of finding it. By using the magnifying glass above the minimap in the bottom left corner of the screen, players can type in any resource and search for it. Even if it’s found, the only way to truly acquire it is by settling a city nearby and improving it with a builder. In the event that there aren’t any tiles with uranium in the player’s territory, prepare a settler beforehand so it can be claimed before another civilization settles next to it. If another civilization has a uranium mine, try asking for it in a trade deal. It's possible to see what resources each civ has by clicking on the list of reports button on the upper right side of the screen.
Alternatively, there is one special way for civs to obtain a single Giant Death Robot. Those who reach a golden age can choose a dedication at the start of the era, which grants a powerful ive bonus that lasts until the era ends. One of the dedications available in the Information and Future era is called Automaton Warfare, which grants the civ who chooses a free GDR in their capital, as well as 3 uranium per turn to maintain it. The other dedications of the era are also incredibly useful, so Automaton Warfare should only be chosen if players need to get their hands on a Giant Death Robot as soon as possible. Will a civilization use their army of GDR to take cities from others, or to defend their own land from invaders? It's all up to how the player wants to use this amazing unit!
Civilization 6 is available for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One.
