Civilization 6's Alexander of Macedon Breakdown | Game Rant
Like any great strategy game, Civilization 6 gives players plenty of options while playing. Not only are there multiple ways to achieve victory, but the game also comes with 45 leaders to pick from all with different abilities, strategies, and bonuses to change how the game is played.
Domination and conquest is only one path to victory but for some players it remains the most straightforward and fun way to play. As expected, it requires that players essentially conquer every other civilization in the match by taking over their capital. While the game tries to limit war mongering using various mechanics like war weariness, one faction in particular manages to rise above all of that and is the de facto choice for players who want to conquer their rivals.
Here's everything players need to know about Alexander III of Macedon including a few tips on how to stop his war machine in Civilization 6.
One of the greatest generals and conquerors in history was born to King Philip II of Macedon and his wife, Olympias. Philip had already established himself as one of the better Macedonian kings, having saved the country from the brink of extinction and then conquering his neighbors Athens, Illyria, and Thrace. Alexander had the best of everything including being educated by the scholar Aristotle. Having been raised to believe he descended from Hercules and Achilles, Alexander also developed a higher than normal self-confidence and ego.
After his father was assassinated during his planned conquest of Persia, Alexander assumed his position of King of Macedon at only age 20. In the next 12 years, Alexander would go on to conquer much of the known world at that time. He first completed his father's plans to conquer Persia, pushed south through the Levant, Syria, and into Egypt. After he rolled over Assyria and Babylonia, Alexander continued west through Persia and its ancient capital of Persepolis. From there he continued heading west through Scythia, Bactria, Parthia, and eventually broke through to India.
By this point, Alexander's army began suffering from endless war and many of his generals pleaded for him to return home. The remaining Macedonian army returned to Babylonia, though Alexander found governing his new empire a bit tedious and boring with little else to conquer. His decline resulted from heavy drinking, a rising paranoia, and fits of anger. He died at age 32 after developing some sort of illness that continued to worsen over time. Unfortunately, the empire didn't survive Alexander's death without a clear heir apparent in place. A power struggle formed with the remaining generals ultimately fighting each other over the territory.
As the leader of the Macedonian faction in Civilization 6, Alexander The Great has some truly excellent perks. His unique agenda is called Short Life of Glory meaning he likes nations that are at war with each other other than Macedon and doesn't care for peaceful civilizations. As added in Gathering Storm, any grievances against him actually decay at double the normal speed.
His leader ability known as To the World's End is extremely powerful by completely eliminating war weariness in his cities. In addition, his units heal whenever Macedonia captures a city with a wonder in it. This basically allows Macedon players to enter war early and stay there for much longer than other nations.
As hinted at above by his unique abilities, Alexander the Great becomes a massive threat in the early game as he gains access to a dangerous and powerful unique units called the Hetairoi and Hypaspist. The Hetairoi is a heavy cavalry unit that replaces the Horseman unit from other nations. They also cost 100 production compared to the standard 80. The Hypaspist replaces Swordmen, cost 10 production more, but pair extremely well with the Hetairoi. Having access to two unique units at a building called the Basilikoi Paides makes Macedonia a prime candidate for easy Domination victories.
While most would assume the focus on war would mean this nation lags behind in other areas like Science, that isn't the case with Alexander. Hellenistic Fusion gives Macedon players 1 eureka per Encampment or Campus district and 1 inspiration per Holy Site or Theater Square district when capturing a city. In addition, the Basilikoi Paides also gives science equal to 25% of the unit's production cost.
These bonuses allow Alexander to start waging wars early and often. Targeting specific nations may also benefit Macedon players like China which is a civilization that tends to invest in wonders earlier in the game. Egpyt is another prime target for Wonders, though this faction has strong units that can battle back even in the early game.
Even though the Hetairoi cost a bit more than a normal unit, they benefit twice as much from Great Generals and get a bonus to Great General points from kills. They also get one free promotion right at the start to either resist ranged damage or an almighty attacker.
Unfortunately, the great general doesn't have many counters, and once he really gets rolling, he's very hard to stop. Without war weariness to worry about, Alexander isn't going to typically surrender so opposing players will need to invest heavily in troops in order to push him back.
The best option would be to attempt to stall his march by investing in ranged units to fight from a distance as well as researching Masonry to upgrade structures to stone as early as possible. It's not easy to slow Alexander down, so players will need to stay on their toes once he gets going.
Civilization 6 is available for iOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
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