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The Great Prophet is a type of Great Person in Civilization VI. Great Prophets serve only one purpose: to Found a Religion. They may found their religion in a Holy Site district or on the Stonehenge wonder. Once a player recruits a Great Prophet, they may not claim another. The number of Prophets available in a given game depends on the size of the map, being equal to half the default number of players plus one.
Mvemba a Nzinga cannot claim Great Prophets.
Earning Great Prophets[]
Great Prophets may be claimed by any player who has earned enough Great Prophet points. Holy Sites generate +1 Great Prophet point per turn, and provide an additional point for each building completed in that district. (For example, a Holy Site with a Shrine and a Temple would generate +3 Great Prophet points per turn.) The Russian Lavra grants an additional Great Prophet point, as do Holy Sites built by Byzantium. Further points may also be earned by completing the Holy Site Prayers project in a city with a Holy Site. Players who do not have enough points may patronize a Prophet by paying the difference using Faith or Gold.
Players can also increase their Great Prophet point yields by using the Revelation policy card, which generates +2 Great Prophet points per turn.
The Divine Spark pantheon and the Stockholm Suzerain bonus (or Bologna in Gathering Storm) both increase the number of Great Prophet points generated from each Holy Site by +1. (Note that in Rise and Fall, Stockholm's bonus is only active if the Holy Site has a completed Shrine building.)
In Civilization VI: Rise and Fall, the Exodus of the Evangelists dedication, available from the Classical to Renaissance Eras, will also provide the player with +4 Great Prophet points per turn.
Other Methods[]
Great Prophets may be earned without using points or patronage. Completing the Stonehenge wonder grants the player a free Prophet, making the wonder an excellent method for founding an early religion.
Arabia receives a free Great Prophet once the next-to-last Great Prophet is claimed, even if they do not own a Holy Site. Note that if Arabia is eliminated before the next-to-last Great Prophet is claimed, the final Great Prophet is still reserved for Arabia in case one of their cities gets liberated.
Great Prophets cannot be captured. Even in the rare event an enemy civilization with an unused Prophet is defeated, the Prophet will simply be lost. The next Great Prophet in line will then become recruitable again.
Great Prophets[]
Name | Era |
---|---|
Confucius | Classical |
John the Baptist | Classical |
Laozi | Classical |
Siddhartha Gautama | Classical |
Simon Peter | Classical |
Zoroaster | Classical |
Adi Shankara | Medieval |
Bodhidharma | Medieval |
Irenaeus | Medieval |
O no Yasumaro | Medieval |
Songtsan Gampo | Medieval |
Haji Huud | Renaissance |
Madhva Acharya | Renaissance |
Martin Luther | Renaissance |
Thomas Aquinas | Renaissance |
Francis of Assisi | Renaissance |
Strategy[]
Great Prophets are the men whose lives inspire others to follow in their footsteps. The religions that they found can speed a civilization on its way to victory, or at least afford it some useful bonuses. Players who want to attract a Great Prophet early on should research Astrology first, then build either a Holy Site or Stonehenge near their Capital so they can activate the Great Prophet's ability when it appears. They can further expedite the process by discovering Mysticism and adding the Revelation policy card to their government. Players using Arabia, however, can simply build a Holy Site and wait, since they are guaranteed to receive a Great Prophet once all of the other possible religions have been founded.
Finally, Great Prophets cannot be recruited from the Industrial Era onward (though this is not usually relevant unless the game is started in a later era).
Bugs[]
Great Prophets are missing their land civilian unit classification. For this reason, they are unaffected by modifiers that affect land civilian units, such as the Norwegian and Māori civilization abilities.
Civilopedia entry[]
Holy men are common; “great” prophets somewhat less so. Some prophets have “visions”; others just have insights into life, the way it should be lived and how we might be better. Some wander and teach, while others build temples and churches. And some just have good public relations. Whatever the foundation, these are the ones who create religions, spread the faith, or challenge the beliefs of others … sometimes all three. They warn mankind about his hubris in thinking he can know everything or control anything. Every great religion has its great prophets, no matter how or what they worship, those who have been touched by the divine … and each one has altered the course of civilization as profoundly as any general, scientist, artist, or leader.
See also[]
- Great Prophet in other games