Eh fuck it I'm gonna do my running tally again of who I like and don't like in Civ 6 like I did with 5. No ratings this time, just rankings. This game is way more balanced than Civ 5 so assume all of these are pretty close except the bottom.
1. Nubia - Man, Nubia's got so much going on. Fast ranged units, fast promotions so they can be siege substitutes, an early UU with great movement, a bonus to district production, the works. The Nubian Pyramid being kind of situational is honestly necessary; if it was able to be built everywhere, it'd be nuts. Nubia has the tools to take you to war, let you pay for it, and let you keep up your science and gold and culture all the way. #1 with a bullet.
2. Persia - Bumping down a Surprise War's penalty level and giving a bonus when declaring it is obscenely powerful, and giving you a good versatile UU is just icing on the cake. Persia is nuts and a lot of fun to take to early war, which is the easiest time to win a war in 6.
3. Rome - Rome is almost a tutorial-level civ; they just do a lot of the busy work of the game better. Free Monuments, roads, and Trading Posts are all amazing goodies that do wonders for your cities early on, and with Legions to help that head start can get you going in a hurry, and Baths get an amenity to help with your rapid expansion and keep those cities growing big. Rome is just really, really strong, even if their strengths taper off as the game goes on.
4. Germany - Germany has a late-game submarine replacement UU and a bonus to attacking cities that you only want to attack in certain specific situations. They also get what is, for my money, the best unique district in the game. The Hansa is absolutely bonkers. A cheap Industrial District is good on its own, but with careful planning you can have yours bordered by multiple Commercial Districts to get a monster hammer bonus. Cheap to get going (the big problem with Industrial Districts) and picks up big-time once it's up. And if that's not enough, they get an extra policy slot and an extra district slot. Germany's inclined towards military, but their bonuses can take them nearly anywhere.
5. Korea - Probably good they got patched because Korea's science bonuses are really nuts. I can see Seowon placement being a problem sometimes, but all it takes is some planning to keep it isolated. A science lead can pave the way to pretty much any victory condition except maybe religious, so Korea is really stellar.
6. Macedon - Holy shit Macedon is good at going to war. The Hypaspist/Hetairoi one-two punch is really powerful, the unique building is decent, and the amount of Eurekas/Inspirations you can get from conquest--plus HEALING--just keeps things turning on and on forever. The Macedon game was an absolute blast because it just kept rolling and rolling and escalating forever. So good.
7. Arabia - I played a science game as Arabia to reevaluate them and boy oh boy was I wrong. You can definitely go religion with their bonuses and your guarantee to get one (which fixes one of the biggest rough bits about other religious civs like Spain), but their bonuses synchronize well, too--your science game will be strong, and being able to buy your religious building for SUPER-cheap (under Theocracy it's free) can be an insane bonus if you manage the right one. I snagged Jesuit Education to buy Theater/Campus buildings with Faith and everything just took off, and they get a great UU on top of it. Arabia rules.
8. Ottomans - The Ottomans are slow out of the gate; you've got to survive to their uniques, and your only early advantage is cheap, strong siege (which is still a pretty nice advantage). Once they get rolling, though, they're next to unstoppable. It's so easy to leverage the cheap Janissary in a way that negates its penalty (just build Grand Master's Chapel, run Theocracy, and then buy then for very little faith in your conquered cities), Grand Bazaar helps you get your niter stores in order, and Ibrahim will sit on the edge of your conquests keeping your cities loyal and making your advancing armies even stronger. I had a great time with Suleiman!
9. Inca - I dunno, this almost feels like I got lucky, but the Inca seemed absolutely incredible in my playthrough. I had a ridiculous capital surrounded by mountains with insane food and production, growing quickly, fueling quick expansion and giving a leg up on everyone else. Even the Warak'aq--which I was prepared to think was marginal--ends up incredible, as it racks up experience quickly and can turn into a monster with the +20 combat bonus. Thus far the Inca seem like the powerhouse of Gathering Storm, even if their bonuses are kinda situational.
10. Japan - Excellent UU, powerful ability in Meiji Restoration, everything else is marginal. Those big ugly clumps of districts you'll build with Japan are super powerful, though, and they give you the versatility to win however you want.
11. Sweden - This was the most fun I had running a culture game--and I was on the map adjacent to Canada and France, two powerful culture civs. Automatic theming--even in places like the Great Library where theming doesn't normally happen--is such a powerful bonus and makes Art Museums actually worth building. Lining up all the ducks to get powerful Open-Air Museums was a fun little game, too, and I had to forward settle and fight like hell to keep my bonuses, which made the game feel more fun than the usual culture slog. I dunno, I may be overrating them, but I like Sweden a lot.
12. Indonesia - Kampungs are the key here. Being able to turn otherwise worthless water tiles into effective tiles can go a long way on a surprising number of maps (except Pangaea I guess). I did standard continents with them and still had a good time with big, powerful, productive coastal cities and a ridiculous navy. I guess they're situational but I had a lot of fun.
13. Sumeria - Sumeria is strong for the same reason Persia is: you can take them to war very early and have an edge. War Carts are very powerful and can be built early, so even if the pair of abilities aren't a lot to write home about, Sumeria can still get an early win.
14. Phoenicia - The only real problem with Phoenicia is their unique unit arrives at a time that can be inconvenient for naval warfare. Their bonuses are situational, but the cheap Cothon snowballs nicely into the cheap naval units into the unique unit into an easy naval victory, and you'll have an absolutely unreasonable amount of trade routes to fund the war effort. Phoenicia is super fun and just a shade below Indonesia as the best naval civ.
15. Mongolia - I had a total blast with Mongolia. If you can't tell from my top picks, I like military victories, and Mongolia is always fun in Civ in this respect. You'd be amazed how long a well-promoted horde of Keshigs can be viable at blasting down city walls (especially backed with Knights/Cavalry). Mongolia only does one thing well, but they're fun to do that one thing with.
16. Greece (Gorgo) - Gorgo was my favorite of the Greek leaders. Getting culture from kills is a great bonus that lets you forgo some culture buildings for a bit while your unbroken phalanx of Hoplites gets you some territory, and when you're done with that you can start plunking down cheap Acropolises to propel you through the midgame. And of course a free Wildcard slot is always great but especially early on, when it can net you pretty much anything you need.
17. Mali - The production penalty doesn't matter that much when 1. you get a mild production bonus anyway and 2. you get enough gold to buy. everything. As with all tile-based civs (Nubia, Egypt, Canada), their bonuses are a little situational, but you'll usually get at least some bonus going and you'll have the gold to accelerate what you want. Surprisingly good at religion since they don't have to muck about actually building their buildings and can just plunk down some cash, but they strike me as pretty versatile.
18. Australia - Australia has good things going for it, like Outback Stations and extra housing, but really what I like about them is how they sorta game Civ 6's sometimes ridiculous leader agendas. It's so easy to have someone declare a pointless war on you with no provocation in this game, and I basically built a spaceship off the extra production. Australia is another versatile civ that can do a lot.
19. Aztecs - Using builders to offset the sometimes horrible costs of district-building is a great bonus, especially when your Eagle Warriors are rounding up "helpers" for you. The Aztecs are another fun military civ; I ended up next door to Shaka and was really enjoying what his unit spam did to my workforce.
20. Zulu - The big problem with the Zulu is they're a little redundant. Corps and Armies are expensive to produce, and getting them by capturing cities is a lot easier. It really doesn't matter, though; the Ikanda is a cheap Encampment at a time when districts are expensive and at a premium. Getting Corps and Armies early is very powerful. Getting them after capturing a city is nuts. Not having to fuck around with Loyalty bullshit is amazing. I didn't think Shaka was the monster he was in Civ V, but he's really good nonetheless.
21. Russia - Man I love getting a big pile of new tiles when I found a new city. Man I love a cheap Holy Site that can give me more tiles. Man I love extra Great Person points for cultural victories. Russia is probably in the top five if you're playing on a high difficulty for Grand Embassy, but they're really great at any difficulty just for doing a whole slew of things well. The Lavra is super quick to get off the ground, and unlike a lot of other "quick start" things, the bonuses stay with you throughout the game. High Faith, in turn, meshes well with cultural victories, since you need loads of it to buy National Parks. Russia is really good.
22. England (Victoria) - The patch did wonders for Victoria. Redcoats are great. Free naval units are great. It's good that they're focused, but you are still at the behest of what you can find on other continents. On a small continents map (which I ran them with), Victoria's England will have ridiculous amounts of trade routes, huge quantities of coal and iron, and Redcoats galore. So you can play them like, well, like England. It's fun!
23. Greece (Pericles) - In user or AI hands, Greece is a powerhouse culture civ. Culture games are a little tricky in that it's difficult to guide your fate--most strategy guides suggest just going to war to take out another culture leader, which feels cheap. The good news is Pericles does it well and has a strong UU to keep you on a good early footing. I need to take Gorgo for a spin, too.
24. Scythia - The only problem with Scythia is the middle game. Saka Horse Archers are absolutely bonkers, getting two of them is absolutely bonkers-er, and their ability to just roll with light cavalry in the Classical Era can take you from zero to war in just a few short turns. Kurgan is good, too! But that stretch from Horsemen to Cavalry and Saka Horse Archers to Field Cannons is... really, really long, and full of Knights. If Sakas could upgrade to Crossbowmen, Scythia would jump up into the top ten or even the top five, easily.
25. Cree - I struggle with trade routes a lot, so getting a free one is nice. The bonuses the Cree get end up under the hood, so it's sometimes hard to take them in a direction, and I actually think getting a more expensive Scout for a UU is a bit of a detriment--I want my Scouts out good and early finding villages for me. Even so, the Cree are good at making money, which is a versatile resource you can take a lot of directions.
26. India (Chandragupta) - Ol' Goopy is a little better at doing India than Gandhi is. That bonus to an easy-to-declare war makes him sort of a Diet Persia, but with a worse UU and not a lot else on offer. Territorial Wars are a little harder to declare as the game goes on depending on the map, but early on you'll be rolling over the competition with your scary elephants, and you can parlay your huge Faith with Grandmaster's Chapel into buying more units later.
27. Egypt - Gold is versatile, and that and the river production bonuses are where Egypt's strongest. They can go several different directions, but the good news is that their tools are more varied and so it doesn't feel like lack of focus. I took them cultural, and Cleopatra can knock that out of the park, but their UU is great too and can get you off to a strong military start if you want.
28. India (Gandhi) - He's all right. He doesn't make getting a religion easier, which is unfortunate, but if you get one he's one of the best around with them. His two abilities sort of contradict each other, but Stepwells are good and Varus are a great defensive unit. Honestly he made me want to play as Chandragupta more--I'm curious what a military-driven India looks like.
29. Kongo - I got a good early culture victory as Kongo, but the big problem they have is production--it's easy to get a ton of great people, but without the production to build places to house them, you're kinda sunk. It was nice not having to play the religion game for once, but it does make you scratch your head about getting those damn relics (which I didn't bother with)
30. Māori - A better Norway, I guess. They miss chopping a lot, which forces new opening strategies. Being able to pick your own capital doesn't usually work out as well as one would expect, as you end up a hair behind and there seems to usually be a very obvious spot within range. Good uniques, but they take a little bit to get going.
31. Khmer - Khmer are great at faith and food. This was one of my favorite culture games; I parked my Prasat-educated Missionaries right next to Spain's premiere holy site and waited for the Apostles to show up and beat the shit out of them with BIBLE LOGIC while my Shards of the True Cross and Holy Grails rolled in, Reliquaries-boosted and ready to rock. The big Khmer advantage is their mega-monster-huge cities, which is a situational benefit, but they've got a lot of tools at their disposal even if they absolutely require a religious bent.
32. Spain - If you get a religion (for which Spain gets no help), Spain probably shoots up half the list--I beat the Khmer to a religion by about one turn, and I'd imagine it's almost impossible on high difficulties. Spain has a slow start, but Conquistadores are an incredible Musketman replacement, and earlier Fleets and Armadas can be killer on the right map. Spain is situational and takes a while to get going, but they're powerful and fun on the right map--I won by converting my continent and wiping out my religious rivals on the other continent at the end of a gun barrel.
33. Poland - I took Poland religious as well and didn't find that they had as much to offer as the Khmer. The problem is that the Polish are pulled in a lot of different directions--they want Encampments but have bonuses to Relics, they have a military-focused UU but an economic building. It feels less well-rounded and more scattershot (except the Wildcard slot for a Military civic card).
34. China - A couple of decent abilities--an extra Builder charge is always handy, and the ability to spend it on something like the Pyramids is always welcome. Crouching Tiger is... fine. Great Wall is just not all it's cracked up to be. I dunno, I was up against a cultural powerhouse (Greece) and felt like, by the end of the game, I was dismantling everything that made China China to get the improvements together for stuff like National Parks and Seaside Resorts. Not so hot.
35. America - The way I won with America could've been won with almost anyone. Beyond taking Rough Riders for a spin and enjoying the Wildcard slot, America just doesn't offer a lot until late-game, with a few situational bonuses that you can take a variety of directions.
36. Netherlands - If you're lucky with your Polders, you can get some ridiculously beneficial tiles going. That's... about all they have going for them, though. The Frigate is great for busting down coastal cities, but stuff like "culture bomb with a harbor" is just... really stupidly situational.
37. Mapuche - If you can't tell, my big gripes are with civs that just feel unfocused; the Mapuche are another one. Too much is out of your hands (attack bonus... when someone's in a Golden Age???? okay????) and what you get pulls you in too many separate directions. I did culture with them and did well enough, though, once the Chemamulls started turning into tourist attractions with Flight.
38. France (Eleanor) - Honestly, I had very little occasion to use Eleanor's ability even as France, and I'd imagine it's even worse on higher difficulties. Good synergy with what France is supposed to be but just... not very good.
39. Scotland - Man, I dunno. Bonuses to Liberation Wars are not great. Happiness bonus is fine. The bonus to science and production didn't really seem to hasten my victory much at all since it's not really small. And the game blares bagpipe music at you when you play as them.
40. Brazil - Brazil is very good at grabbing Great People (you'll often have more than you can handle) and building National Parks (which they're amazing at). That's... about it. The UU is apparently powerful, but I didn't have a chance to take it for a spin. I dunno, in my culture games I'm always strapped for the hammers to build things I need, so an Entertainment District that I need to put on a project in order to get its full use... doesn't really do much for me.
41. France (Catherine) - Diet Greece, and the only civ with an ability that actively annoyed me, as I had no idea what to do with the gigantic wall of information Catherine's ladies-in-waiting were learning off at the orgy in M'banza Kongo or whatever. The wonder bonus is nice, and it's nice that they're focused, but I just didn't have a lot of fun as France.
42. Norway - Man, I stacked the deck for this one too. Archipelago map and everything. Shitty unique building, mostly shitty unique unit by the time it shows up since Gunpowder is like a minute away, the only interesting things are their abilities, and they're 100% situational.
43. Canada - They're built around National Parks and are worse at it than a civ that isn't built around National Parks in Brazil. Their abilities are tied to a shitty terrain feature, and their unique improvement is so situational you'll be lucky to build more than a couple. It's Canada, baby. Being protected from Surprise Wars meant that I could do a peaceful culture game without intrusion, but yeah, Canada is a joke.
44. Georgia - If your fetish is chaining Golden Ages, Georgia is decent. Their ability pairs well with Exodus of the Evangelicals to help you win a religious game, since that's one of the easiest Era bonuses to get. That said... they have nothing else. They get no help in founding a religion, their UU sucks, they get faith bonuses in a war type I've never declared, and their unique building is a Renaissance Walls replacement, meaning you've got to invest as much to get it as the Mahabodhi Temple and Stonehenge combined. For three Faith. Georgia is just bad, bad, bad to the point of needing rebalanced.
