Narrowing down what leader to play during a great strategy game on the Nintendo Switch and other modern platforms. Starting with the right leader matters, shaping the rest of the game for players.

Considering the strength of each leader, their diverse range of skills, and each kind of possible victory, there are ten leaders that stand out as the best for any Civilization 6 playthrough. Their range of abilities and traits gives each one a unique calling card, but they're all excellent choices for particular goals.

10 Basil II Rules With Force And The Divine

This King Finds Balance Between Religion and His Military

Basil II comes with the Byzantium and Gaul Pack, leading the Byzantine Empire using both military and religion. Religion is key to this leader, with leader and civilization abilities that both combine the spread of religion and military power and build the way to a stronger military. He leads with aggressive early gameplay to allow his religion to flourish, as each combat win enhances his religion spread. As the Divine Civic is discovered, it will provide the player with a Tagma, a unique heavy cavalry unit rooted in the Medieval Era that replaces knights.

All his light and heavy cavalry units have full damage when attacking cities following his religion, representing how the battle is swayed by his influence on religion. Other than this, playing as Basil II also grants access to naval units called Dromons that outperform Quadriremes and the Hippodrome as an entertainment district. With all his features, it’s important to focus on both religion and military during a playthrough to guarantee a victory. To be exact, this hybrid approach can warrant either a domination or religious victory, as both work together as Basil II.

9 Use Queen Seondeok For Science

Another Hybrid Angle To The Game

As one of the female leaders in Civilization 6, Seondeok was a ruler of Korea as the queen of Silla from the Three Kingdoms period. In-game, she is grounded in science and culture, with her governors in each city providing +3% to both areas with each promotion. Aligned with her period, mines also receive +1 science and farms receive +1 food for each adjacent district, helping the civilization while pushing for a science victory.

Unlike Basil II, she doesn’t just stick within those two fields, as in addition, she also has help from a unique military unit, Hwachas. They replace Field Cannons and are unlocked once Gunpowder is researched, providing both strong combat and ranged attacks at a cheaper production cost. The Hwacha isn't strong enough to place an emphasis on a military approach, however. Nonetheless, the scientific and cultural advantages combined make her quite strong, but she is only available in the Rise and Fall DLC and is only worth players’ time if they want a science victory.

8 Peter the Great For A Religious Victory

He Is Not Called The Great For No Reason

Peter the Great is a strong choice for a flexible approach in Civilization 6. High faith production can be a strong path to a religion victory, but opportunities for expansion and science and cultural generation make any victory viable. The Tsar provides civilizations with a unique building, the Lavra, which serves the same role as a holy site but generates additional Great People points.

Like Queen Seondeok, he has a focus on culture and science too. It allows for one of those victories as well, but he mainly finds strength in science and religion, adaptable to each. Further, with the spread of religion, he also allows for trade routes with more advanced civilizations and earns +1 for faith and production from Tundra too, opening every avenue for its success. Because of his flexibility, it can make it fun to play with him as a leader.

7 Military Strength From Abe Lincoln

For The Colonial Approach

Following the United States of America’s colonial history, Abe Lincoln models his power around the country's military and general industrialization, conquering the map with those strengths. As much as balance is important to secure a win, Lincoln makes it easy to focus fully on domination through military and industrial might.

Every time Lincoln constructs a new Industrial Zone or a building within one, it provides a new, free melee unit with +5 combat strength that requires no resources to maintain. The United States also has a unique air unit, the P-51 Mustangs. This Modern Era unit is unlocked far down the tech tree with Advanced Flight, but it is extremely strong and can go as far as 10 tiles each turn. Industrial zones provide +2 to amenities and +3 to Loyalty, also aiding with internal growth of the civilization, but Plantations will take -2 Loyalty.

6 Kupe Is Good For A Strategic Win

As Leader Of The Māori People

Kupe is a great choice for those looking for strength at sea, in of exploration and a strong start to Civilization 6, setting the tone for the whole playthrough. He will always start in the ocean, with also +2 for both science and culture until the first city is established, allowing his civilization to grow while finding its home. He is also great in of advocacy, as he pushes for sustainability.

Once settled, the first city will give the civilization a free builder with also +1 population. In addition, Kupe provides unlocked sailing and shipbuilding technologies, immediately increasing the Maori outreach, and all embarked units gain +2 movement. Embarked units also gain +5 combat strength. Furthermore, Kupe focuses on culture, with the Maori's unique Marae building, increasing both +1 faith and culture on each tile among other bonuses while replacing the Theater Square. This leader, though, is only available with the Gathering Storm DLC.

5 Production Is Key With Queen Victoria

Her Age of Steam Persona Is A Guaranteed Win

Queen Victoria has always been a beloved leader throughout the series, and this particular persona, the Age of Steam, is super powerful. Specifically, she focuses on industrialism with production, as cities receive +10% production for each Industrial Zone building and +2 production for all of civilization’s strategic resources.

Victoria's Age of Steam persona keeps the focus on production, while the Age of Empire version of the leader focuses on military expansion. Putting all her eggs in one basket allows Queen Victoria to fly through progress, allowing her to earn either a domination victory or a science one.

4 Eleanor Of Aquitaine Rules With Peace

Represent Both The English And The French

Unlike most leaders, Eleanor can take control of either two civilizations, the English or the French. England focuses on growth and reach while allows for the production of luxury goods. The English feature more advantages at sea, with specialties for her navy, such as a Royal District Dockyard and the Sea Dog naval unit. The Dockyard provides extra gold while producing naval units faster, while the Sea Dog has 40 strength for its melee attacks and 55 for ranged attacks.

provides a more peaceful path to victory. The unique building, the Chateau, provides a bonus to culture, and Medieval, Renaissance, and Industrial-era wonders add a +20% bonus to production.

In addition, without using any violence, Eleanor can sway other leaders by convincing other cities to switch to her side, specifically with loyalty pressure. Great works, though, take a toll on her loyalty, specifically -1 each turn on nearby foreign cities. Eleanor is also only available with the Gathering Storm DLC.

3 Lead The Babylonian Empire As Hammurabi

Speed Run A Science Victory With Technology

In exchange for -50% science per turn, Hammurabi can use Eurekas to immediately unlock technology in the tech tree. This can make scientific advancement much faster than in other civilizations. Eurekas are key for a Babylon victory.

The Palgum is his unique building, providing more production, and the first time the Government Plaza is built, he receives the lowest production cost for a building within the district. The early-game Sabum Kibittum unit can help push exploration, triggering more Eurekas with each new discovery. Combined with the Eurekas, Hammurabi can push players through to a science victory, but with any other victory, it can be a struggle.

2 Jayavarman Allows For A Flexible Victory

Choose What Path Suits The Civilization

As the leader of the Khmer empire, Jayavarman VII focuses on his people, with any holy sites granting a culture bomb and food equal to their adjacency bonus, and when built on rivers, they provide an additional +2 adjacency bonus and +2 housing. Connected to water, cities with an Aqueduct receive +1 amenity from entertainment buildings and +1 faith for every population.

Furthermore, he receives his own unique siege unit, the Domrey, and a building, the Prasat. The advanced mobility, strength, and zone of control of the Domrey make it useful for sieging enemy cities. The Prasat helps boost religion, with +6 faith and bonuses like additional tourism. The Khmer empire is ideally best for a faith or culture win, but it can easily accommodate any other kind of victory, which can be extremely helpful as a beginner player.

1 Queen Amanitore Is The Best

The Nubia Civilization Is Adaptable

Unquestionably, Amanitore is the best leader to play in Civilization 6. With a dash of experience, the Queen of Nubia racks up tile bonuses, allowing those with strategy a win. Generally speaking, the Nubian civilization receives +20% production for all districts. When based in a desert, it can especially aid with production, as production can go as high as +40% when a Nubian Pyramid is adjacent to the city center. All ranged units have +30% production automatically too, with +50% combat experience.

Mines are also key to Queen Amanitore, as with strategic resources, they provide an additional +1 production, while for luxury and bonus resources, they provide +2 gold. Together, they allow for any kind of victory, as long as carefully planned. The production bonus allows for faster progress, producing buildings and units more quickly than other competing civilizations. Nubia is also seen as a beginner-friendly civilization option, making Amanitore a great choice for Civilization 6 newcomers.

Sources: Sid Meier’s Civilization/YouTube (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)