Firaxis Games' most recentCivilizationinstallment won over fans and critics alike with its expansive settings and city-stacking mechanics, in particular, being cited as new peaks for the series. As is customary in theCivilizationseries, the game sees players attempt to form a civilization from the ground up, growing it over time to become an empire in its own right.
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Boasting a variety of intriguing civilizations never before seen in the long-running franchise,the sixth iteration is chock-full of fascinating figures from multiple eras of history. Of the many historical figures players can activate and interact with, some offer much more potent bonuses than others. Of course, it’s not easy to get the best out of every figure the game has, as players often have to match with the Great Person in question’s requirements to get the very best out of them. Timing is also key, as some characters can prove to be a nightmare to successfully activate if the player is late to the party. Of the many Great People on offer, some have bonuses and rewards so good that players would live to regret passing them up.
6Stamford Raffles Is A Trusty Great Merchant
Arriving as a part of the Babylon pack, Stamford Raffles is a trusty Modern Era Great Merchant. For players looking to quickly expand their empire and acquire more loyalty, Raffles is an ideal figure to hit up.
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A British colonialist who served as the Lieutenant-Governor of both the Dutch East Indies and of Bencoolen, Raffles allows players to fully absorb a city-state into their empire while providing them a +10 in Loyalty. As quick and clean as this is in regards to expanding a player’s influence, there’s a key detail that must be kept in mind when dealing with Raffles. To activate him properly and cash in on his perks, players must make sure they have attained the status of Suzerain in whichever city-state they want to activate Raffles in. From there, the spoils of the Napoleonic Wars combatant can be enjoyed. Interestingly, the game predominantly focuses on Raffles' key years working in Singapore, mostly stepping over his impact on areas such as Malaysia and Indonesia.
5Adam Smith More Than Lives Up To His Capitalist Reputation
An Industrial Era Great Merchant, Adam Smith comes in handy for players looking to advance in government. In another exciting perk to working with the famed Scottish economist, players can pick up a whopping 500 in gold from him,making him one of the most lucrative figures in the game.
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Smith is an exciting figure in the Vanilla portion of Civilization 6 that can aid the player greatly in advancing politically with a +1 Economic policy slot that’s obtainable in any government. Coupled with the sizable amount of gold and the potential to either acquire a Governor title or hire an additional Governor, Smith is incredibly useful to players. Widely regarded as one of the pioneers of capitalist philosophy and strategy, the developers' decision to make Smith a lucrative figure with a potentially strong economic impact is perfectly well-fitting. The only drawback here is it’s actually easier to just go about picking up the Governor’s title separately than it is to go through his process. Otherwise, he’s easily the most worthwhile of the Vanilla figures.
4Hypatia Is One Of The Classical Era’s Finest
For playersworking through the Classical Era, there’s no better Great Scientist to hit up than Hypatia. A brilliant mathematician and philosopher in her day, Hypatia was the mastermind behind the astrolabe, a key utensil for successfully navigating ships.
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Within the game, Hypatia comes with the worthwhile perk of being able to provide an instant library for the player’s district with the added bonus of a +1 in Science. With a whopping 50% scientific spike for all of the player’s libraries on the table, she is easily the most important character to encounter for players most interested in focusing on the scientific aspects of their empire. As useful as Hypatia is, she can be relatively difficult to activate and work with, particularly for braver players operating onCivilization 6’s higher difficult levels. To ensure a quick and easy activation, players should time the interaction with a brand-new campus, as the activation will then spare them any production costs as well. Overall, Hypatia’s contributions to the Classical empires make her one of the absolute best Great Scientists on offer in the game.
3Isaac Newton Can Build A Lot For Players
This Renaissance Great Scientist has one of the most lucrative effects players can get. For players who can cash in, Isaac Newton can instantly build both a university and a library in the district.
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Unsurprisingly, universities provided by Newton tack on a +2 for Science. Considering the real Isaac Newton’s legendary status as the most important mathematician and physicist of his time, it’s fitting that he can have such an enormously positive impact on the player’s scientific education facilities. Similar to Hypatia in the preceding era and Albert Einstein in the next one, Newton functions as akey representative of scientific developmentin his era. What players need to keep in mind, however, is that for Newton’s abilities to work, the essential tech must be on hand and at the ready. While the player can still, in theory, get the university, it’s hardly worth the risk considering everything Newton has to offer.
2Abraham Lincoln Is The Finest Of The Great Negotiators Pack
The Great Negotiators Pack provided players with an immensely useful Great Personin the form of the 16th President of the United States. In order to gel neatly with Abe Lincoln, players must keep in mind his Preserver of the Union leader agenda, which requires governments to at least broadly match his own.
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When it comes to industry, Lincoln can provide players with two Amenities for the Industrial Zone, including a free Melee component. The Melee unit serves as an effective cost-cutter due to not needing any materials for either its production or general maintenance. In an even bigger plus, it hands players a sizable +5 in Combat Strength. Unsurprisingly, Lincoln is eager to utilize industry to hopefully foster and maintain peace and equality. In building Industrial Zones in each of his cities, ‘The Railsplitter’ hopes to acquire free Melee units everywhere. Overall, Lincoln’s impressive bonuses make him an incredibly useful Great Person for players who can get in line with his governmental ideas.
1Alexander Is A Military Master
When it comes to war inCivilization 6, Alexander’s kingdom is the most unflinching. Not only is Macedon always willing to do battle, but it’s also the only civilization on offer in the whole game that will stay locked at war for the whole time.
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Unsurprisingly, Alexander provides a leader bonus tailor-made for battle-minded players in the form of To The World’s End. Players who receive the bonus will get to enjoy the Macedonian city perk of never succumbing to battle fatigue. Better still, every time the player manages to conquer a city of Wonder, their armies will enjoy a full recovery from any battle damage they sustained. When it comes to pleasing Alexander, the main things to keep in mind are to avoid being at war with Macedon and, more eyebrow-raising, never be at peace. One of the grandest globe-trotting conquerors in history, Alexander tends to only admire other civilizations withmilitant ambitions like his own. Overall, considering the immense impact he can have on the player’s army and expanding empire, Alexander is one of the most important Great Leaders the player can encounter.
Civilization 6is currently available on PC, macOS, Linux, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and Mobile.
