Over the years,Civilization 6has received tons of leader packs and DLC, and the game’s leader pool has increased significantly. One of the first leaders to be part of the game when it was first released is none other thanCleopatraherself.
Related:Civilization 6: Best Leader For Beginners
Recently, the Leader Pass DLC added a new take on the classic Egyptian Civ with the release of the Ptolemaic Cleopatra leader. Nevertheless, the base gameCivilization 6version of this leader is just as fun to play and has its own quirks that are worth exploring. This guide will explainEgyptian Cleopatra’s abilities, and how they can be used to get a win.
Features And Abilities
Egyptian Cleopatra’s leader ability, theMediterranean’s Bridge, is what truly makes her stand out from other Civs. It is also what distinguishes the Egyptian version of Cleopatra from the Ptolemaic one. Her ability adds tremendous value to trading with other Civs and being allies with them; on top of that, it also makes it beneficial and worthwhile to trade with this leader sincesending Trade Routes to Egypt grants +2 Food to any other Civ.
The Mediterranean’s Bridge is unique to Egyptian Cleopatra, whereas her second ability, the Iteru, and her unique unit, and unique improvements, are all identical to otherLeaders of the Egyptian Empire inCivilization 6.
How it works
How To Use Egyptian Cleopatra
Egypt’s ability, Iteru, makes it the perfect Civ to settle near Floodplains tiles and rivers, especially since their buildings and units won’t take damage from any possible floods that may occur. They can build Districts and Wonders on Floodplains, and the workers will build faster if they’re placed next to a river. Players that own the New Frontier Pass or the Portugal Pack might want to consider setting up a game on theWetlands map; it will generate a considerable amount of rivers and Floodplains, which allows players to exploit the Iteru ability as much as possible, and get a head start on the race to build certain Wonders.
Related:Civilization 6: Which District to Get First and When to Build It
The Great Bath and Etemenanki aregreat Wonders to buildwhile playing Egyptsince they take advantage of Floodplains tiles - not only must they be built on Floodplains, but they also improve them. Here is why these Wonders are a plus for Egyptian Cleopatra:
When playing this leader, players will most likely be inclined to attempt to get a Cultural or Religious Victory. Of course, it is all up to how the player decides to play, and the conditions the generated map provides. Theiraccess tothe Sphinx improvementcan offer a generous boost to Culture and greatly increase the amount of Faith they earn per turn. On top of this, since the Sphinx adds +2 Appeal to its adjacent tiles, choosing the Earth Goddess pantheon can be a powerful choice for Egypt; this paired with the fact that if built next to a Wonder +2 Faith is yielded per Sphinx,planning the placement of these improvements is crucial. Even if not pursuing a religion or a Religious Victory,generating Faith is never a bad idea inCiv 6since it can be used to purchase Great People and certain units.
Even if Egyptian Cleopatra certainly has abilities that push her into pursuing specific victory conditions, she still is a versatile leader, nonetheless.The Mediterranean’s Bride ability incentive players to not play an aggressive game, as it is much more beneficial for them if they trade and make allies instead. It’s an ability that mostly allows this Civ to yield tons of Gold; paired with the right Civic Cards, Cleopatra’s empire can generate impressive amounts of Gold per turn.
It’s a great idea to establish as many Trade Routes as possible, especially early on in the game. The Foreign Trade Civic will give players access toCaravansaries, the first Trade Route Economic Policy Card, but later on,Triangular Trade and E-commerce will also become available. With a large Trade Route system, these Policy Cards can significantly increase the Gold generated by Egypt’s Trade Routes. This number will only increase if the player buildsCommercial HubsandHarbor Districtsin their cities.
Gold, just like Faith, opens many paths in the world ofCivilization 6. Players can use it to buy and maintain units to take down cities, they can use it to get a Great Person, or they can even use it to save Production by simply buying Districts and Buildings.Focusing on Culture, Religion, and Trade Routes is the right path to achieving a victory while controlling Egyptian Cleopatra.
Civilization 6is available for iOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
