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Apocalypse (Civ6)

Apocalypse game mode icon

Apocalypse is the first game mode in Civilization VI, introduced in the Maya & Gran Colombia Pack. It is focused on disasters and climate change, and includes a new unit, two new disasters, a new Scored Competition and an end-game Apocalypse phase. It requires the Gathering Storm expansion to play.

Mechanics[]

The Apocalypse game mode turns up the heat of almost all changes introduced by the Gathering Storm expansion, forcing the player to really take disasters and climate into account, especially towards the end of the game. In this mode, the Disaster Intensity is set to 4 (Hyperreal), with all disasters even more intense and frequent than the Hyperreal setting of a normal game. This means more frequent disasters, which inflict greater damage.

Next, the mode introduces a new support unit, the Soothsayer, which can trigger disasters and comes with special Promotion Promotions. In order to earn additional promotions for the Soothsayers, players will compete in a new Appease the Gods Competition, which triggers randomly throughout the game independently of the World Congress. During the Competition, the Soothsayer will have a special ability to sacrifice nearby military units to an active Volcano! Using Soothsayer charges will add 50 units of carbon each time (the opposite of a Carbon Recapture project), damaging the climate even before Coal Coal is discovered.

Two additional types of disasters are also introduced: Solar Flares, a global disaster; and Comet Strikes, which signify the impending end of the world.

Climate Change will start at Phase I instead of None (10% Ice is lost and sea level starts at 0.5 meters), making it more likely to reach the more severe stages. The global temperature increase starts at 0° despite 2 Climate Change points being accumulated when the game begins, and will therefore max out at +3.0° instead of +4.0° compared to a regular game.

Phase Points Sea Level Rise Coastal Lowland Polar Ice Melt Fertility

(Storm or Flood)

Desertification

(Storm or Drought)

I 2 +0.5 m - 10% Yes No
II 3 +1.0 m 1 m tiles flooded 20% Yes No
III 4 +1.5 m 2 m tiles flooded 30% Yes No
IV 5 +2.0 m 1 m tiles submerged 40% No No
V 6 +2.5 m 3 m tiles flooded 55% No Yes
VI 7 +3.0 m 2 m tiles submerged 70% No Yes
VII 8 +3.5 m 3 m tiles submerged 85% No Yes

When Climate Change reaches Phase VII, the world will enter the Apocalypse phase, where Comet Strikes will happen every turn until the end of the game. The other disaster unique to this mode, Solar Flares, will also occur much more often; this is the only disaster that affects the entire world at once. At this point, all other kinds of disasters become extremely unlikely (all four types of Storm, Forest Fires, and Droughts stop completely, and Floods and Volcanic eruptions become overwhelmingly rare), giving way to only these two types of disasters to wreak havoc all over the map.

Strategy[]

This is one of the most extreme modes in the game, in which you run the very real risk of losing at the very brink of victory! The dynamics of the Apocalypse mode are different than other modes: in most of the game you will feel few, if any, effects. Yes, disasters are more frequent and destructive, but you can get this in a normal game as well by setting the Disaster Intensity to max. A more serious change is the introduction of the Soothsayer, with its ability to create disasters on-the-fly. Use this unit as an insidious way to attack your competition - just send it into their lands and start causing Disasters to wreak havoc on their economy. Note that the disasters caused by the unit are special: they only cause damage, without the usual fertility increase! The Soothsayer itself is immune to the destruction the Disasters cause to every other unit; however, it has limited charges.

The most challenging part of the mode comes when Climate Change Phase VII kicks in. The Comet Strikes act as supercharged nuclear strikes - not only wiping out whole cities, but literally poking holes in the land, leaving unworkable Impact Zones in their wake. The practical effect of all this is that the game sets a de facto time limit for your achieving victory. Depending on luck (the strikes aim randomly at land tiles), you may survive for a long time while your enemies get destroyed, or you may suffer the same fate as them. It's all chance, and there's little you can do apart from trying to achieve victory as quickly as possible.

One thing you may do is to try to slow down Climate Change as much as possible. Of course, this means little or no Power Power generation until you gain access to renewables. And you can never be sure that your competitors will have the same behavior, so you may end up hopelessly outmaneuvered just because you had no Power Power while everyone else did.

Maybe the most challenging type of victory under this mode is Domination Victory, because it requires you to exercise activity all over the map until the very last moment of the game. Also, the comets may wipe out the cities you need to conquer, which will alter the target(s) for the Domination Victory. Finally, the new Solar Flare disaster is particularly destructive to advanced military units.

Conversely, the easiest victory type is Scientific Victory. You should simply strive to launch your Exoplanet Expedition as early as possible, at which point you just need to hold out until the required number of turns pass.

Related achievements[]

I'll melt with you
I'll melt with you
Win any Victory with Apocalypse mode enabled.
A reference to the song 'I Melt with You' by Modern English.
The accursed share
The accursed share
Use a max-promotions Soothsayer to sacrifice a max-promotions GDR
A reference to the The Accursed Share, a treatise by French philosopher Georges Bataille.
The end of the world as we know it
The end of the world as we know it
Be the last person standing after comets begin falling.
A reference to the song 'It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)' by R.E.M.

See also[]

Civilization VI Game modes [edit]
Apocalypse1Barbarian ClansDramatic Ages1Heroes & Legends1Monopolies and Corporations1Secret Societies1Tech and Civic ShuffleZombie Defense1
1 Requires DLC
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