Civilization 6 Crater Lake Wonder
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Best Build Order in CIV 6

Perfect your early game build order for the ultimate win!

It’s possible to ensure a total victory in Civ 6 if you play your cards right and learn how to position yourself using early-game strategies properly. For starters, here is the best build order in Civ 6!

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Your Early Game Build Order in Civ 6

Despite its aesthetic, Civilization 6 is a complex game in which every move counts, which is why you want to learn the best build order in the game. It’s an excellent way to position yourself to the win from the get-go.

Here, we’ll go over the units and buildings you should focus on first; that way, you can tackle anything thrown your way!

Related: How to Win as Ptolemaic Cleopatra in Civilization 6

Units to Build First

No matter the win condition you’re after, you’ll want to start with a strong force of varying units to help tackle Barbarians and, perhaps, even your neighbors in the early game. But first, exploration!

Civilization 6 Early Game
Screenshot by Gamer Journalist
  • Scout: You will want to start with a Scout, first and foremost, to help you uncover the immediate area surrounding your capital city. Until the Scout is up and running, use your starting Warrior to explore your surroundings, but then switch to the Scout to free up your Warrior for the inevitable combat against Barbarians.
  • Settler: Typically speaking, most players will build a second Warrior to bolster their armed forces against impending neighbors. I do not recommend that, however. Instead, I believe it’s best to recruit a Settler. That way, you can start to box in your opponents and take valuable land and resources from them. You wind up stronger and with a better path to expand.
  • Worker: Next, recruit a Worker. Once they’re live, improve the tiles surrounding your main city. You want to bolster your income and improve resource generation to help you field larger armies and construct unique buildings in the near term. A few farms and mines will suffice. Your goal is to acquire two food and two production tiles. Then, focus on approximately four hills for mines.
  • Slinger: A basic ranged unit, like the Slinger, can complement your current Warrior by offering back-up in the form of ranged attacks. If you position the Slinger directly behind the Warrior, you can strike incoming enemies and whittle away their health before they attack your main fighting unit.

These are, of course, just the first four units you should focus on in Civilization 6. Once you’ve set the basis of your economy and started to build a fighting expeditionary force, then it’s time to build up a sizable army to tackle your neighbors.

Related: Where to Build Great Bath in Civ 6

Buildings to Construct First

But before your army grows too large to manage, you require resources and additional benefits only available through building construction. Your build order in Civ 6, at least when it comes to buildings, should follow this path:

  • Granary: After you finish recruiting a Scout, Settler, and Worker, I recommend building a Granary in your capital city. It provides a nice buff to Food and Housing, making it a viable choice for those players who want to expand quickly.
  • Monument: A +2 to Culture is never a bad thing, as it will unlock useful buffs and research opportunities. After you’re done with your Granary, focus on your first Monument. It’ll make your citizens happy and help you toward one of the win conditions.
  • Campus: If you wish to progress through the ages and dominate your foes, you must improve your research capabilities to unlock new technologies. For that, you need to bolster your Science with a Campus. It should be the second or third building you construct, depending on the win condition you’re after. You will unlock early technologies that help bolster your cities.
  • Harbor: They say gold makes the world go round, and that’s completely correct in Civ 6. If you want to field a large fighting force, you need gold. A Harbor is vital, especially if you live near the coast, to bring in money and keep resources flowing to your forces.

That said, do not hesitate to tailor your build, both units and buildings, to suit the specific playstyle and win condition that you’re after. For instance, if your goal is a Science victory, then building the Campus before the Monument, once unlocked, makes the most sense. It’s your civilization, after all!

With your build order in Civ 6 locked down, you’ll have a better chance at winning against both AI and human opponents!


Civilization 6 is an exciting and expansive game with a lot to explore, so trust in Gamer Journalist to steer you in the right direction! For instance, learn how to trigger a heroic age!

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Author
Brandon Morgan
Brandon is a freelance writer with Gamer Journalist. After jumpstarting a professional writing career in 2012, Brandon went on to cover video games for Prima Games, OnlySP, MP1st, The Nerd Stash, and countless other online publications. For a short period, he worked in digital marketing, learning search engine optimization that helps improve his video game guides today.