Top 3 Science Civs in Civilization VI!

Taking a look at the three best leaders and civilizations for a science victory! These leaders are particularly strong at generating science yield to research technologies, as well as amassing production to be able to complete the space race projects!

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[ashokamaurya]

Also, if you Theocracy with Arabia, the holy buildings cost no faith

[ottovonbismarckboi]

I would say Germany still deserved a spot amongst the 3 top ones but that just might be me. Their crazy production and ability to build AN EXTRA DISTRICT OF THE F’ING BAT.

This combination allows you spread like wildfire and just build a hansa, commercial hub and campus. Repeat. Idk, for me they are the best, I have hit the 3000 science per turn by turn more than a few times.

[AnAngelineer]

You don't talk about the madrasa as if it wasn't that good, but Arabia getting its university at Theology is an INSANE science bonus. I would even argue it's the most significant one!
Think about it : You can get universities (the most important science building) in the classical era, instead of the late medieval era! That's like 40-50 extra turns in which your universities can churn science for you, aka 250 science per Madrasa, which is crazy good that early in the game.
I guess you get points for saying people are sleeping on Arabia as a science civ, but even you kinda slept on how good the madrasa actually is in your analysis. There is a reason the Arabia deity AI is (like Korea) impossible to beat in the early game, and that's pretty much the Madrasa. As the AI does a very poor job with optimizing its religion.

[banana-vdjm]

I wouldn't have put/thought about arabia in the top 3, but I do see your point and I agree that arabia is good and verry under rated.

[shinydavidhowell]

Australia's appeal adjacency bonus *is* great, but for me what really takes it to the next level is if you can use that as the basis for an Arabia-style religion-to-science game. Specifically, this involves getting an early religion with a Holy Site in a mountainous spot - next to two mountains is +5 if there's breathtaking appeal, and such spots usually have that - and then adding the Work Ethic belief to convert those massive bonuses into production. Throw in Hildegard and one of these god tier (ahem) Holy Site bonuses can be added to science too!

The early production bonus can be used to great effect for wonder-building - Mausoleum at Halicarnassus is especially good with the Great Engineer charges, and if you get the Apadana early then add a bunch of other wonders in that city you have an envoy machine that can be game-changing if paired with Kilwa Kisiwani. Plus, going hard on wonders raise the bar for opponents' cultural victories, and if anyone invades you they're only making your science victory even quicker.

[WombleWarlord]

Great vid! Agree with all 3, but Scotland would be close too.
You said the madrasa just gives 1 faith, but it actually gives that campus’ adjacency bonus as faith (and yours was +1). A +3 campus would give 3 faith, which can be good with policy cards, void singer bonuses etc…Minor tweak but still really sound explanations (Y)

[totalcoward]

I recently played an Arabia culture game where I literally didn’t build a single campus and still ended up with over 500 science per turn, with the science per suzerainty card giving another 150

[CptTachyon]

Scotland can really accelerate in the late game. Sources of amenities get easier with stadiums/aquatics centre/Estadio, which not only gives them a science and production boost, but also more great scientist/engineer points, which can really help them nab the ones that give direct bonuses to space projects. I have had a couple of notable "from behind" wins on deity with Scotland.

[ElLudicoloLoco]

No lie, I was just saying to myself last night on how I wish you remade some of these videos. I just started playing again since I took a break from civ v. Your videos have been really helpful, keep up the good work!

[martindevries]

Didn't even think of Arabia but gonna give Hojo a shot, more my play style. Thanks!

[flipneleanor]

I would argue that Scotland is the best in the game, he feels utterly broken. High science and production while actually able to get scientific great persons.

[bradstates]

Love to see these breakdown videos! Im not even playing civ ATM, but happy to show my support

[kermitenthusiast]

I got Saladin from a random pool on my second ever game, the first of which I never finished. Went for domination victory because "haha slightly better knights go brr"

[iammaxhailme]

Honestly I think either Spain or Portugal deserve to be up here. Spain may be a surprise, but their absolutely nuts amount of income and gold from trading, esecially early to get the snowball rolling, is really formidable

[jestersgamble]

Love your videos man. They are helping me learn the game better after getting my butt handed to me in my first 3 games. I now am running Montezuma and said screw this play nice crap with the AI I went to early war and eliminated 3 ai and one city state. The city state would have been fine if it did not attack me because of Zulu so I locked down a lot of land with lots of luxuries

[ulrichlehmann]

What about Portugal? There university replacement is so good on a nice coastline and the tradeboosts are super to geht production…
The Gold from Trade is nice to upgrade and buy some units/buildings for some boosts…

[remlapwastaken]

No Scotland? Scotland is THE science civ. On lower difficulty settings, you can generate 12 great scientist points per turn in the classical era with Oracle, Pingala, and happiness. That's a classical era great scientist every 5 turns! I remember that I passed on Hildegard of Bingen because I didn't found a religion and had no holy sites, and by the time that someone was able to claim her, I grabbed 4 renaissance era great scientists from overflow. I also had Hermetic Order active, and by the time I took the Magus promotion, my ley lines were generating 10 science and five production right off the bat. By the time that I finished the game, they were generating twenty science.

I also think they're super interesting because they're the only science civ that you go Digital Democracy on versus Synthetic Technocracy or Corporate Libertarianism.

[Abesstu]

Game has way more civs now, you should make at least top 5. 🤔

[umage]

You just inspired me to play Arabia. Thanks.

[MouseDestruction]

Civ developers said they wouldn't like science specialty districts as a leaders ability because would be too powerful. Hence the early science civs were like arabia or spain or japan, and also one reason why civ ability districts take a district slot now. Also same with merchant district, you can see these civs have things that limit them though to make up for it.