Civilization 6: How to Win as Babylon (Tips, Tricks, & Strategies)

Sid Meier’s Civilization 6 New Frontier Pass continues to deliver exciting new content with the release of Babylon as a playable civilization. One of the world’s first civilizations, it rose to power between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. They’re led by Hammurabi, their most influential leader that created the famous Hammurabi’s Code, considered one of the world’s first systems of law. Ever heard of “eye for an eye”?

These Mesopotamian people have a rather unique playstyle in Civ 6 that allows them to unlock technologies at blinding fast speeds, should they play their cards right. With their ability to set up infrastructure quickly early on, they are a force to reckon with that can succeed in any victory path they put their mind to. For new players that want to try out Babylon, here’s a guide that explains all of their abilities, and how to use them.

Babylon’s Eureka Game in Civ 6

This a civilization with a high skill ceiling, meaning more experienced players will have better chances of winning because they know the game’s mechanics. This is because Babylon’s ability, Enuma Anu Enlil, completely alters how players progress through the technology tree. Civ 6 has a game mechanic called eurekas, which shave time off research if a civilization completes a certain objective. For instance, settling a city on a coast grants the eureka for the sailing technology. Enuma Anu Enlil makes eurekas unlock the entire technology, instead of a portion. This is compensated by reducing their overall science yields by half. Using this mechanic, Babylon can reliably advance through the tech tree on eurekas, but has to rely on it. When settling cities, players should do so in ways to further their eurekas. Here are some of the possible combos that are possible thanks to this ability.

Early Seafaring

• Is there an island across the bay that’s perfect for a city? Babylon’s bonuses will let them reach it quicker. Churn out two galleys using the maritime industries policy card to unlock the shipbuilding tech, allowing land units to embark to coastal tiles. It will also unlock quadriremes, ranged naval units, and the harbor district. Building two of those will complete the eureka for Astronomy, allowing Babylon to enter ocean tiles and navigate the world sooner than other civs (Except Norway and The Maori, of course).

Industrialization Rush

• After unlocking the mining technology, mines can be built. Building three mines on hills will unlock the apprenticeship tech, and in turn the industrial zone district. Making two of their workshop buildings will in turn unlock industrialization. Mines normally yield +1 production, but researching those two techs will boost it by +2 more. Having +3 production in the early game can give Babylon a huge advantage, allowing them to finish production on military units or wonders quickly.

Crossbow Dominance

• Ranged units are strong in Civ 6, as they can attack from a distance without being struck back. Why not go one step further and reach crossbowmen, their upgrade, earlier? Kill an enemy with a slinger to unlock archery, then train three archers to unlock the machinery tech needed for crossbowmen. Slingers are quicker to train and cost little gold to upgrade, so make three of them before unlocking archery to save some production time.

Steel Fortification

• Civs will have to build walls to defend their cities from attackers, but the Steel technology gives every single city instant fortification. With Babylon’s ability, this can be achieved much sooner than normal, so long as players can build a coal mine and an ironclad. Completing the techs for industrialization and machinery, listed above, will give players everything they need to start. Industrialization will reveal coal on the map, which can be mined with a builder. Machinery unlocks the lumber mill improvement, and building one on a forest completes the mass production tech. That will unlock shipyards, and building two grants the steam power civic. That allows players to build ironclads, and voila: an impenetrable defense that foes will have trouble piercing (for the time being).

The Babylonian Early Game in Civ 6

The eureka strategies players can employ depending on the resources available in their starting location, making this civ one with high replay value. Many eurekas in the early game are activated by improving certain resources, so try to settle the starting city in a place that meets one of the above criteria. However, most players should prioritize settling on rivers. Their unique water mill, the Palgum, is a miniature canal system they used to control the flow of the rivers in their territory. In Civ, it will grant +2 production in the city, and +1 food for every tile adjacent to a river. This will let river cities populate quickly, so the more river tiles in their territory the better. Try not to place districts on rivers, as they will eliminate the bountiful yields of the tiles they’re placed on.

Speaking of districts, Hammurabi’s ability, Ninu Ilu Sirum, grants the first building of each district instantly. Though it only works the first time each type of district is built, it can save the player several turns of production that can be spent making something else. This is particularly useful for founding a religion because Hammurabi’s first holy site will come with a free shrine. The quicker players can build up their great prophet points, the sooner they can get their religion.

Players should train builders as soon as they found their city, as they’re needed to make the improvements necessary for many of the eureka boosts.  Something else that should be trained early on are their unique Sabum Kibittum. These powerful spearmen are strong against cavalry and have additional movement. This lets them move quickly across the map and scout out the land, which is useful because many eurekas are earned through discovery. Astrology (needed for religion) is obtained after discovering a natural wonder, and Writing (needed for science) is unlocked after meeting another civilization.

Babylon’s Endgame in Civ 6

While getting the Babylonian empire established, be sure to build campuses and theatre squares. Campuses are needed to gain great scientists, who can give eurekas whenever they’re used; or in Babylon’s case, full technologies! There are several eurekas that require different civics to obtain, so don’t ignore culture. Also, be sure to build the intelligence agency in the government plaza. This will make spies complete their missions quicker, and because spies can steal the eurekas for technologies, Babylon completes new techs every time they spy on another civilization’s campus district.

Though their ability lets them breeze through the science tree, they’re not forced to go for a science victory. The techs needed to send a colony to Mars have more challenging eurekas to fulfill. Instead, domination is a viable option because of the edge they have in warfare; more advanced technologies means more advanced military. Religious victories are doable, as Hammurabi’s ability can make founding a religion much quicker. Even cultural and diplomatic routes are possible, thanks to all the options their tech tree warping can accomplish. It all depends on the player’s playstyle, and the environment they start the game in.

Civilization 6is available for PC, Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and mobile devices.

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