Civilization 6: Secret Societies, Ranked (2024)

Firaxis Games, developers of the latest game in the Civilization series, have given fans huge amounts of content in each of their additional DLC packs. Whether it is new game mechanics, new leaders who oversee entirely different empires with varying faction effects, or exciting game modes, the content packs are bursting with extra options for players to try out.

The Ethiopia content pack introduced players to the Secret Societies game mode, which allows players to meet devious cults that work across multiple empires and can help to subtly influence diplomacy as well as provide incredible bonuses for the players who side with them. The DLC includes four Secret Societies, each with its own benefits and downfalls. Here are all of their pros and cons and strategies for taking on the burden of joining a cult.

4 The Owls Of Minerva

Trade & Espionage

• Unlocked by: Sending an envoy to any City-State
• When unlocked: +1 Economic policy slot, each trade route sent to a City-State grants 1 envoy there

The Owls Of Minerva is a mysterious cult that is made up of the wealthy elites of every civilization. If players join their ranks, they will immediately see economic benefits, with the ability to choose an additional economic policy, which should keep their income steady and powerful. On top of this, they can more easily increase their influence on City-States to gain small bonuses based on its type.

As players progress through the ages, they will gain the ability to build the Gilded Vault, an exclusive upgrade for the Bank building that provides extra Culture based on the district adjacency bonus, increases the number of Great Merchant points per turn, and can grant additional trade routes.

By the end game, the player will have additional spies and will be able to steal 50% of an enemy city's income every time a successful espionage project is completed. The Owls of Minerva are a Secret Society with high utility that can be used well by any empire that is struggling to sustain a positive Gold income or for players who wish to subtly influence the AI City-States and control trade and resources going into and out of opposing empires.

3 The Hermetic Order

Great People & Science

• Unlocked by: Discovering a Natural Wonder
• When unlocked: Immediately reveals Ley Lines as a resource on the map

The Hermetic Order is a sect of researchers that use unorthodox methods that border on the magical, using ley lines and alchemy to influence their technology. When players become a part of the ancient order, they will gain access to Ley Lines, which give extra bonuses to specialty districts in adjacent tiles. However, this can be somewhat unreliable, as Ley Lines cannot be predicted and may be placed in tiles that are not as beneficial to the player's cities.

When players reach the Medieval era, they will gain access to the exclusive replacement for the University, the Alchemical Society. This building boosts Science just as much as its predecessor but also gives extra Great People points of every kind and increases production for the city in which it is built.

By the end of the game, fans will have an opportunity to evolve their societies with extra Great People, and every time one of these is used, Ley Lines will become more effective for the rest of the game. Players will also be able to harvest Science yields from Ley Lines to sort ahead of other players in the Civ 6 Technology Tree.

2 The Sanguine Pact

Strong Military Power

• Unlocked by: Dispersing a Barbarian Camp
• When unlocked: Gain 1 Vampire Unit

The Sanguine Pact is the first truly supernatural Secret Society in Civilization 6. This cult is made up of a gathering of bloodthirsty vampires who make for incredibly powerful soldiers who only snowball as the game progresses.

Players who drink from the forbidden chalice will immediately gain a Vampire unit which cannot be killed but will instead retreat and heal when they are wounded. Vampire units get more powerful every time an adjacent enemy is defeated, allowing them to become supremely powerful by the late game. Throughout the game, those who are a part of the Sanguine Pact will be given more Vampire units to utilize all over the map and will gain the ability to build Vampire Castles which will serve as retreat positions to center advances around the bloodsucker units.

Castles produce additional resources if they are placed next to specialty districts. On top of this, Vampires will gain the ability to teleport between castles in the final age and will intimidate nearby enemies into being weaker opponents, meaning they can act as fast and unstoppable attackers. This cult is a no-brainer for players aiming for a domination victory in Civ 6.

1 The Voidsingers

Faith & Loyalty

• Unlocked by: Discovering a Tribal Village
• When unlocked: Allows construction of the Old God Obelisk

In a clear reference to H.P Lovecraft's mythos, the Voidsingers worship ancient long-sleeping gods. The members of this cult revel in madness and are the best choice for a wide variety of player empires. The Old God Obelisk, which is unlocked immediately, gives cities where it is built huge buffs to their Culture, Loyalty, and Faith output. This will allow players to gain maximum loyalty faster in all of their cities and solidify the religious stability in their civilization.

As players progress, they will first gain increased Gold, Culture, and Science, scaling alongside the amount of Gaith that they produce per turn. This can provide quick and easy benefits to all aspects of empire building, so long as players take the time to invest in their nation's Faith numbers. A unique unit, the Cultist, can be built using Faith points to venture into enemy cities and decrease their Loyalty by persuading foreign citizens to fall to the persuasive call of madness.

By the end of the game, players can spend time pursuing city projects that reward them with extra Faith. When this project is completed, all allied Cultists will do more Loyalty damage to enemy cities going forward, which can quickly spiral out of control and spur on rebellions in any uncertain enemy territory.

The Voidsingers are incredibly strong, giving players small bonuses early on that help with maintaining order and eventually allowing them to obliterate any status quo in enemy land and be a constant threat to surrounding players. For those aiming for a religious or cultural victory, the Voidsingers are the best option available, with some spooky flavor for added fun.

Sid Meier's Civilization 6

Systems

OpenCritic Reviews

Top Critic Rating:89/100 Critics Recommend:92%

Platform(s)

PS4 , Xbox One , Switch , PC , Android , iOS

Released

October 21, 2016

Developer(s)

Firaxis Games

Publisher(s)

2K Games