"Civilization VI" (PC): World Leaders 2 Quiz

Answer: Dido

Dido, also known as Elissa, probably never existed, but who doesn't like a good tragedy? Ancient sources like Virgil's 'Aeneid' say she was a Tyrian princess who fled her homeland after some unfortunate family problems (if you know, you know). She ended up founding Carthage in North Africa, pulling off the old exile-to-empire trick. Did she actually exist? Eh. But it's a good story.

In 'Civilization VI', Dido leads Phoenicia, and she's all into hugging the coastline like it's Aeneas before he gets called away by Jupiter. Her ability, 'Founder of Carthage', lets coastal cities on the same continent as her capital bask in full loyalty, making her empire unusually (and annoyingly) stable if you stick near the sea.

She can also move her capital by completing a special project, which is a cool party trick when things get crowded or inconvenient. Her unique unit, the Bireme, protects her coastline in the early game, while the Cothon district makes naval expansion faster and more efficient.

Answer: Suleiman

Suleiman the Magnificent ruled the Ottoman Empire during what is generally considered its peak. He did so magnificently, one presumes. He was seated in 1520 and didn't waste too much time expanding the empire deep into Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. A real go-getter. And yeah, he also oversaw a golden age of law, architecture, and culture. Hence, the unnecessary second name Suleiman the Lawgiver.

Suleiman shows up in the game ready to conquer cities and then actually keep them, a refreshing change of pace from the pillage/conquer/raze cycle. His leader ability is 'Grand Vizier' and gives him access to Ibrahim, a unique governor who can be assigned either to his own cities or, more sinisterly, to foreign capitals for diplomatic and military advantages.

The Ottomans also get the Janissary, a Musketman replacement that packs a bigger punch, making mid-game wars spicy, like a heaping plate of acem pilawi with a side of sivri peppers. Finally, a few bonuses to siege units and conquered cities make Suleiman look like a decent choice to expand your empire.

Answer: Ambiorix

Ambiorix was a chieftain of the Eburones. That's already more than I wanted to know, but apparently it was a Belgic tribe that gave Julius Caesar a serious headache during the Gallic Wars. Around 54 BCE, Ambiorix pulled a fast one against a Roman force, wiping out an entire legion as a polite reminder to Rome that conquest can go both ways. Then, because it was Caesar, the Eburones were destroyed. Win some, lose some.

In 'Civilization VI', Ambiorix leads Gaul with a pretty basic strategy: lots of troops close together make everyone else say 'ugh'. His ability, 'King of the Eburones', gives combat bonuses to units for each adjacent military unit, so keep those units in tight formations. Together they hit harder than they have any right to. It makes for a good brawl.

Add to that Gaul's industrial and defensive perks, plus the Gaesatae unit, and Ambiorix does all right as a leader of a naked mob.

Yep. Fun fact: historically, the Gaesatae fought completely naked. Despite some obvious drawbacks, you definitely get the element of surprise. (I was the kid who wore a swimsuit in the shower at Boy Scout camp.)

Answer: Simón Bolívar

Simón Bolívar was nicknamed 'El Libertador', and I suppose he earned it. At least if it means what I think. He played a big role in freeing large parts of South America from Spanish control in the early 19th century. That includes modern-day Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. The Spanish were not fans, and I can only imagine their snickering after that whole Gran Colombia thing collapsed shortly after Bolívar's death.

Meanwhile in 'Civilization VI', Bolívar is ready to go... wherever it is he wishes to go. His units all get extra movement, and promoting them does not end their turn. It's like giving an army a tanker truck full of coffee.

His agenda, 'Carabobo', makes him favor civilizations that go all out with well-promoted troops, so yeah. Respect to others with a good military résumé. The big standout, though, is the Comandante General, a unique type of Great Person only he can recruit and one he earns automatically each era. These guys boost nearby troops and come with special one-time abilities.

Fun fact: his full name was Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar Palacios Ponte y Blanco. (Clearly, his mom never read 'Tikki Tikki Tembo'.)

Answer: Wilfrid Laurier

Wilfrid Laurier was the first French-Canadian prime minister and had a knack for keeping a divided country from pulling itself apart. He served from 1896 to 1911, which as a dumb American, seems like an awfully long time. His term was marked by economic growth and westward expansion.

Development of all that land was also big on his list. He had to constantly balance the interests of English and French Canadians, which was often like walking a narrow tightrope... in a Canadian blizzard.

Our friend Laurier is the Canadian leader in 'Civilization VI'. I've always found him a bit pompous and stuffy. I mean, it IS just Canada after all. His superpower in the game allows him to build farms on tundra tiles, turning a frozen inconvenience into something actually kind of useful.

Canada also racks up Diplomatic Favor more easily, making Laurier a strong contender for diplomatic victories, assuming everyone else does not get tired of your success first. The Hockey Rink, because of course there's a Hockey Rink, provides culture and amenities while working its way nicely into later game play.

Answer: Basil II

Basil II earned the rather intense nickname 'Bulgar-Slayer' after a long and brutal campaign against the Bulgarian Empire. If you never heard of the Bulgarian Empire, it's at least in part thanks to the Bulgar-Slayer. He ruled from 976 to 1025, and by the time he was done, Byzantium was about as strong and secure as it had been in centuries.

Our Bulgar-slaying friend, Basil, combines cavalry with religious conversion in 'Civilization VI' to pester his neighbors. His special ability is 'Porphyrogennetos', which is a word nobody should have to learn. Essentially, it lets heavy and light cavalry units deal full damage to cities that follow his religion, avoiding one of the typical headaches of early conquest. It creates a very specific game plan where you spread your religion just enough, then send in the horses to finish the job.

Pair that with Byzantium's focus on converting cities through combat and unique units like the Tagma, and Basil ends up feeling less like a pious ruler and more like someone using religion as an excuse to stick pointy things in his opponents' soft parts.

Answer: Wilhemina

Wilhelmina of the Netherlands reigned from 1890 to 1948, seeing her country through both world wars. During World War II, the Netherlands was occupied by Nazi Germany, and she fled to London. There she became a symbol of resistance, broadcasting messages back home and helping to keep morale from totally collapsing.

What can we say about Wilhelmina in 'Civilization VI'? She'll tell you if you ask her. Or if you don't. Send her a trade route!

She wants your trade now, and she'll complain until she gets it. And that's because Wilhelmina turns trade routes into a cultural and political capital. Her ability, 'Radio Oranje', grants loyalty to her cities for outgoing trade routes and bonus culture for incoming ones, which means, for the love of God, send her a trade route!

The Dutch also benefit from river adjacency bonuses and their Polder improvement, which provides bonuses on coastal and lake tiles. But please. Send her a trade route!

Answer: Matthias Corvinus

Matthias Corvinus reigned in the 15th century and turned Hungary into a major Central European power. He created the famous Black Army, a professional (and paid) fighting force at a time when most armies were built more on feudal obligations to the landowner and a maybe few crossed fingers.

In the game, Matthias has an ability called 'Raven King', makes levying units from city-states cheaper and far more effective, giving them extra movement and combat strength, which is a pretty neat trick.

So, that cute ability allows him to transform regular units into super-units, making them outperform their own innate abilities. (It's a game, folks. Don't overthink it.)

His unique unit, the Black Army, gets even stronger when fighting alongside those levied troops. This leads to a different and aggressive playstyle if you're willing to take the reins. Throw in the Huszar for later-game cavalry punch, and Hungary under Matthias becomes a cool way of winning wars on the backs of someone else's soldiers.

Answer: Seondeok

If you like statecraft and observatories, have I got a Korean leader for you. She was queen of Silla from 632 to 647. During that time, she was all about big cultural and religious projects. We're talking temples, pagodas, the famous Cheomseongdae observatory, and lots more.

She's the science nerd of 'Civilization VI'. Her leader ability is Hwarang, which rewards having established governors. Each promotion a governor has grants +3% Science and +3% Culture to the city that the governor calls home. So those promotions actually matter and you want them everywhere.

Korea's signature district, the Seowon (a Campus replacement), is a tiny science factory with +4 base science and special synergies with farms and mines. Together with Seondeok's governor-boosts, Korea is all about the research. Just focus on placing governors, hoarding promotions, squeezing every last bit of science out of hills, and careful city placement, and you'll dominate the tech tree while everyone else is fighting over borders.

Answer: Pachacuti

Pachacuti inherited a kingdom and significantly upgraded it. His original name was Cusi Yupanqui, and he rose to power in the 15th century after defending Cusco from invasion. Then he proceeded to reorganize the Inca state into a full-blown empire. Under Pachacuti, the Incas expanded rapidly across the Andes, building administrative systems, terraces, and road networks, which is pretty impressive considering... well, it IS the Andes. His nickname literally translates into "World-Shaker", so there's that, too.

In everyone's favorite strategy game, Pachacuti turns mountains into grade A real estate. His civ ability allows the construction of the Qhapaq Nan, a network of mountain tunnels that lets units zip through otherwise impassable terrain. He also gets bonuses for settling near mountains, which means he actively seeks out the most inconvenient spots on the map and turns them into thriving cities. Add in terrace farms that stack food along hillsides, and playing as Pachacuti can seem like you're playing a different game than everyone else (at least if you squint your eyes a little).