No war is won without soldiers, and Military units make up the core of any kind of conflict in a game of Civilization 6. To reflect their martial histories, many leaders in Civ 6 replace the generic units like Warrior and Swordsman with unique and powerful variants of their own. Some even add entirely new unit types into the roster, allowing for unusual strategies to be employed.
No matter which Era or civilization it comes from, each of these unique units is stronger than its generic counterparts. However, some are stronger than others, and for players who want to be ready to fight with or against the best in the game, here's our rundown of the strongest unique units in Civ 6.
Minas Geraes
The unique unit for Brazil, the Minas Geraes, is a replacement for the Battleship. While the Minas Geraes is stronger than the unit it replaces in every way, what really makes it powerful is when and how it becomes available. Unlike the vast majority of units in Civ 6, the Minas Geraes is actually unlocked through the Civics tree rather than the Tech tree, meaning a nation with a strong Culture output can reach it quickly.
To double-down on this advantage for culture-based Brazil, the Minas Geraes is available an entire era earlier than the Battleship. This means that a Brazilian player who has managed to keep their Culture equal to the Science of their opponents will be guaranteed to reach the Minas Geraes first, potentially giving them a huge advantage on the seas, and against coastal cities.
In terms of strength, the Battleship is already one of the units in Civ 6 that can completely change the balance of the game when deployed. The Minas Geraes is even stronger, exceeding the Battleship's Combat and Ranged Strength by 10, and Anti-Air Strength by 5, without any increase in Production cost.
Redcoat
The unique unit for England while led by Victoria, the Redcoat doesn't replace another unit, but instead fills the gap between the Musketman and Infantry. Although the Redcoat can't be upgraded from another unit, it does upgrade into the Mechanized Infantry in the Information Era. While this may seem like a long time to wait given the Redcoat first becomes available in the Industrial Era, the strength of the unit can carry it through.
Firstly, the Redcoat has 65Â Combat Strength, 10 more than the Musketman, and only 5 less than the Modern Era Infantry. The Redcoat also costs 10 less Niter than the Musketman, meaning it can be more easily produced. Finally, the Redcoat gets a +10 Combat Strength bonus when fighting on a different continent to the English Capital. These bonuses combine to make the Redcoat a fearsome unit that can last through many eras.
As if that wasn't enough, any city that England under Victoria settles on another continent after the Military Science Tech has been researched is gifted a free Redcoat. This, combined with the Redcoat's zero cost to disembark, makes the unit a powerful force for defending overseas territory or making naval invasions.
Warak'aq
The unique unit for the Inca, the Warak'aq, is a replacement for the Skirmisher. While replacement Recon units are fairly rare in Civ 6, and generally a bit underwhelming, the Warak'aq is anything but. Though it has a slightly higher Production cost than the Skirmisher it replaces, the Warak'aq makes up for it with +20 Ranged Strength and a powerful special ability.
Provided that it hasn't used too much movement, the Warak'aq can attack twice per turn. Although it only has a range of a single tile, two attacks per turn with the strength of a Crossbowman is extremely powerful. Using the Survey policy card, which boosts Recon Experience, the Warak'aq can earn Experience four times faster than a normal unit, allowing it to reach a high level of veterancy before war-weariness gets too high.
If the Warak'aq can survive long enough to reach the Ambush Promotion then it transforms from a glass cannon into a tough, maneuverable ranged unit capable of dishing out some truly astonishing levels of damage.
War-Cart
The unique unit for Sumeria, the War-Cart doesn't replace any other unit, but instead fills a unique role as an early-game rusher. Though comparable in use to the Heavy Chariot, the War-Cart is superior in every way. Its increased movement range allows it to cover ground fast, and deliver its high damage effectively.
The War-Cart also ignores one of the Heavy Chariot's major weaknesses: anti-cavalry units. With no penalty against these units the War-Cart can only be defeated in the early game by superior numbers or superior firepower, both of which are unlikely to be on the field in time.
The reason that the War-Cart makes such a great rush unit is that it's available right from the start of the game, meaning that Sumeria can begin amassing a formidable War-Cart army right from turn one. This army, with its superior speed and strength compared to any other starting unit, can then rush city-states and vulnerable neighbors before they can prepare a defense.
Eagle Warrior
The unique unit for the Aztecs, the Eagle Warrior replaces the Warrior, and as such is available from the beginning of the game. Just like Sumeria's War-Cart, the Eagle Warrior is an excellent rushing unit, capable of quickly overwhelming unprepared civilizations.
Although it has a higher Production cost, the Eagle Warrior is almost 30% more powerful than a basic Warrior, and not much weaker than the far more expensive Swordsman. This gives the Aztecs an undeniable early-game advantage, particularly when played aggressively.
While rushing other unique units comes at the cost of Production that could have been spent elsewhere, the Eagle Warrior can make up for that Production with its special ability. Units of City-States and other civilizations defeated by the Eagle Warrior have a chance to be turned into Builders under the Aztec's control. This, combined with the Builder bonuses that the Aztecs get, means that their empire can both wage war and develop simultaneously, without sacrificing progress in either area.
Toa
The unique unit for the Maori, the Toa replaces the Swordsman. The Toa bucks the trend of most unique units by not only costing more Production, but actually being weaker than the unit it replaces in raw Combat Strength. Fortunately, it comes with a set of bonuses that more than make up for this shortfall.
Able to be built after the Construction Tech has been researched, the Toa, unlike the Swordsman, has no Strategic Resource cost. This means that a Maori player can get an army of Toa onto the field far faster than a civilization that relies on the Swordsman, particularly if they upgrade from Warriors. In addition, the Toa costs no Gold to maintain, allowing it to be deployed in greater numbers.
In battle the Toa makes up for its lower Combat Strength with two different unique abilities. The first is a debuff that lowers the Combat Strength of adjacent enemy units by 5, leveling the playing field against anything but Ranged units. The second is the ability to construct the Pa, a defensive tile Improvement that grants heavy Fortification bonuses as well as a constant source of healing. These abilities combine to make the Toa nearly impossible to surpass on the defense, allowing the Maori to defend early settlements with ease.
While all the unique units on this list are extremely powerful in Civilization 6, it's worth remembering that they are bound by their Era as much as any other military unit. Players who want to get the most out of their chosen civilization should always look to make use of their unique unit in the few turns that it's at its most powerful. This can mean planning wars long in advance, and preparing to bring to bear the strength of these elites right at the crucial moment.
Civilization 6Â is available for iOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
