How to conquer cities in Civilization 6
Want to know how to conquer cities in Civilization 6? Conquering rival cities is an integral part of evolving your civilization and conquering the globe. Territorial expansion is key to progressing through the game, so you will need a specific strategy to lay siege to and capture rival cities.
Conquering cities is just one aspect of the turn-based strategy title; you’ll also need to manage resources, research new technology, and protect your borders. However, your defensive strategy will be put to the test when you attempt to capture a rival city. Strong defenses, a powerful army, and the right siege equipment are all essential to a successful attack. To win the game, you’ll need to conquer cities, so here is what you need to know about this key aspect of Civilization 6.
To conquer a city, you must lay siege to its center, storm the city, lay siege to the walls, and finally, occupy the city center. As with any military operation, you must scout the defenses of the city before launching your attack. This will give you an idea of the strategy you need to employ and any siege machinery you’ll need to breach city walls.
City walls are a major roadblock to your progress, so any army worth its salt will have a plentiful supply of siege equipment. Battering Rams and Siege Towers are useful in the early eras, but you’ll need more advanced siege technology, such as Trebuchets and Cannon Galleons, in later eras.
A well-balanced military force is essential for a successful attack, so ensure your army has a good mix of close-combat and long-range units. Keep your troops healed and bring more than you think you’ll need, just in case you come across any enemy units. Fledgling armies should focus on conquering one city at a time before expanding their borders.
Position your units strategically before attacking a city. Siege equipment should be first, with your close-range units surrounding the city center, and ranged units behind. Leave a small gap between your close-range and ranged units so that healing units can get to all of your troops.
You don’t want to be the general who loses all of your troops because you forgot to bring a healing unit. A defensive strategy is just as important when you are the one under attack, so keep your cities relatively close to each other so you can send troops to aid a besieged city.
Once a city has been conquered, you have the option to either keep or raze it. Keep the city if you have a use for it, such as a luxury resource or an important city on an important trade route. Razing a city is often the preferable option if the city isn’t worth keeping or if you have no use for the tiles it occupies.
That’s all you need to know about how to conquer cities in Civilization 6. Keep your armies strong, and you should be able to stop other players from attacking your cities and becoming the dominant force. Check out our guide to Civilization 6 diplomacy to learn how to leverage city-states to aid in your wars.
