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The following page presents a list of all unit actions in Civilization VI and its expansions.

General actions[]

Icon Name Units Notes
Automate (Civ6) Automate Exploration Order the unit to explore uncharted regions of the map. This unit will continue to move every turn until you cancel its automation. Not available if there is a pending promotion.
Cancel (Civ6) Cancel Order Cancel the last order given to the unit. You may find this to be very useful if you accidentally queue up the wrong order or actions.
Delete (Civ6) Delete Unit Permanently delete the active unit and receive a small amount of Gold Gold in return. Unit must be at full HP.
Move To (Civ6) Move To Order the current unit to move to the selected tile.
Name Unit (Civ6) Name Unit
Promote (Civ6) Promote Unit Cannot be removed if no actual promotion available.
Skip Turn (Civ6) Skip Turn
Sleep (Civ6) Sleep Order the unit to remain inactive until the player provides it new orders. It will not become active again the next turn and must be manually selected.
Upgrade (Civ6) Unit Upgrade Must have enough Gold Gold in treasury. Must be in friendly territory.
Wake (Civ6) Wake Up Wake up the sleeping unit.

Military actions[]

Icon Name Units Notes
Alert (Civ6) Alert
Pillage (Civ6) Coastal Raid Naval Raider units Naval Melee units owned by Harald Hardrada can perform this action.
Condemn Heretic (Civ6) Condemn Heretic Must be at war with the owner of the religious unit.
Enter Formation (Civ6) Create Escort Formation Order 2 different unit types to “link” and move as one (military and civilian, military and support, etc.).
Exit Formation (Civ6) Exit Escort Formation Break apart an Escort Formation.
Form Army (Civ6) Form Army
Form Armada
Requires Mobilization (Nationalism when playing as Shaka, Mercantilism for naval units when playing as Spain). Permanently combines one land/naval military unit with a Corps/Fleet of the same type into an Army/Armada, creating a new unit with 17 more Strength Combat Strength and Ranged Strength Ranged Strength than a single unit.
Form Corps (Civ6) Form Corps
Form Fleet
Requires Nationalism (Mercenaries when playing as Shaka, Mercantilism for naval units when playing as Spain). Permanently combines two land/naval military units of the same type into a Corps/Fleet, creating a new unit with 10 more Strength Combat Strength and Ranged Strength Ranged Strength than a single unit.
Fortify (Civ6) Fortify The unit remains inactive until the player provides it new orders. The unit receives a defensive bonus.
Heal (Civ6) Fortify Until Healed The unit remains inactive until it heals back to full strength. The unit receives a defensive bonus and heals every turn.
Pillage (Civ6) Pillage
Pillage Road
Order the unit to destroy the improvement on the current tile. The improvement, road, or building must be repaired before it can be used again.
Plunder Trade Route (Civ6) Plunder Trade Route Trade Route Must be at war with Trade Route Trade Route owner.
Range Attack (Civ6) Ranged Attack Perform a ranged attack on the selected tile.
Heal (Civ6) Rest and Repair Any Naval unit
WMD Strike (Civ6) WMD Strike Bomber
Jet Bomber
Nuclear Submarine
Launches a Nuclear Device Nuclear Device or Thermonuclear Device Thermonuclear Device at the chosen tile. The target and all surrounding tiles in the blast radius will receive massive damage. The affected tiles will become irradiated, and units will quickly die if not moved out of the area of effect.

Specific actions[]

Icon Name Units Notes
Activate Great Person (Civ6) Activate Great Person Great Person Activating certain Great Person Great People activates the Great Person Great Person’s special ability which varies depending on the Great Person Great Person. This consumes the Great Person Great Person after one or more uses.
District Production (Civ6) Add production Builder Add Production Production to Building, District, Project or Wonder.
Spy Choose Mission (Civ6) Choose Mission Spy See Espionage Missions for details.
Spy Counterspy (Civ6) Counterspy Spy
Excavate (Civ6) Excavate Artifact Archaeologist
Found City (Civ6) Found City Settler Consumes the Settler and creates a city in the current tile.
Move Jump (Civ6) Jump GS-Only Giant Death Robot Must have Movement Movement remaining. Consumes all remaining Movement Movement and ends turn.
Make Trade Route (Civ6) Make Trade Route Trader
Tourism Bomb (Civ6) Perform Rock Concert GS-Only Rock Band Tourism Bomb. Must be on a tile owned by a different major civilization. The same tile is not allowed to be played multiple times.
Teleport To City (Civ6) Transfer to Another City Great Person
Spy
Trader
Hero (Heroes and Legends game mode only)

Terrain actions[]

Icon Name Units Notes
Build Improvement (Civ6) Build Improvement
Build Improvement Adjacent GS-Only
Builder
Military Engineer
Legion
Nau
Toa
See List of Tile Improvements for details.
Build Route (Civ6) Build Road Military Engineer See Roads for details.
Clear Contamination (Civ6) Clear Contamination Builder
Military Engineer
Legion
Nau
Toa
Nuclear contamination can be “cleaned” from affected tiles by Builder units. Builder units that are able to clean contaminated hexes will take less damage if they end their turn in such a hex.
Designate Park (Civ6) Designate National Park Mountie
Naturalist
Must be on a valid National Park tile.
Harvest Resource (Civ6) Harvest Resource Builder See Bonus Resources for details.
Plant Forest (Civ6) Plant Woods Builder See Woods for details.
Remove improvement (Civ6) Remove Feature
Remove Improvement
Builder
Military Engineer
Legion
Nau
Toa
Repair (Civ6) Repair
Repair Road
Builder
Military Engineer
Legion
Nau
Toa
Repair any damage caused by unit pillaging. The improvement and any resources on this tile cannot be utilized until it is repaired.

Religious actions[]

Icon Name Units Notes
Convert Barbarians (Civ6) Convert Barbarians Apostle Requires Heathen Conversion.

Great General Boudica also has this ability.

Evangelize Belief (Civ6) Evangelize Belief Apostle Must have a Religion.
Found Religion (Civ6) Found Religion Great Prophet Must found a Pantheon first. Must be on your Holy Site district or Stonehenge wonder.
Launch Inquisition (Civ6) Launch Inquisition Apostle Must have a Religion.
Heal (Civ6) Heal Religious Units Guru
Spread Religion (Civ6) Remove Heresy Inquisitor
Spread Religion (Civ6) Spread Religion Apostle
Missionary

Air actions[]

Icon Name Units Notes
Air Attack (Civ6) Air Attack Any Fighter or Bomber unit
Airlift (Civ6) Airlift Any land unit Requires Rapid Deployment.
Deploy (Civ6) Deploy Any Fighter unit
Paradrop (Civ6) Paradrop R&F-Only Spec Ops Must be in friendly territory or adjacent to a Airstrip or Aerodrome. Consumes all remaining Movement Movement and ends turn. Cannot be in enemy Zone of Control.
Priority Target (Civ6) Priority Target R&F-Only Spec Ops
Jet Bomber
Jet Fighter
Deals 65 damage to target support unit.
Airlift (Civ6) Re-Base Any Fighter or Bomber unit Order the air unit to re-base to a different city.

Scenarios actions[]

Black Death scenario actions[]

The Black Death scenario added in Civilization VI: Gathering Storm has some unique unit actions:

Icon Name Units Notes
Launch Inquisition (Civ6) Holy Fervor Can only be used after moving or taking an action. Can only be used once per turn.
Minister (Civ6) Minister to the Sick Plague Doctor Must be used on a plague-stricken tile.
Great Prophet Action (Civ6) Pacify Must be used in a city.
Purge (Civ6) Purge sins Flagellant Must be used in a plague-stricken city.
Study (Civ6) Study Plague Scholar Must be used in a plague-stricken city. Cannot be used in a city that has previously been Studied.

Red Death scenario actions[]

Red Death scenario added in June 2020 Update introduced some unique unit actions:

Icon Name Units Notes
Build Improvised Trap (Civ6) Build Improvised Trap Unique to Doomsday Preppers.
Burn Treasure Map (Civ6) Burn Treasure Map Unique to Pirates.
Defensive Inertial Shielding (Civ6) Defensive Inertial Shielding Unique to Mad Scientists.
Road Vision (Civ6) Road Vision Unique to Wanderers.
Sacrifice Adjacent Unit (Civ6) Sacrifice Unit Unique to Cultists.
Sacrifice Unit (Pirates) (Civ6) Sacrifice Unit Unique to Pirates.[1]
Send Grieving Gift (Civ6) Send Grieving Gift Unique to Borderlords.
Toggle Radiant Personalities (Civ6) Toggle Radiant Personalities Unique to Mutants.
WMD Strike Hail Mary (Civ6) WMD Strike Hail Mary Unique to Jocks.
Xenological Camouflage (Civ6) Xenological Camouflage Unique to Aliens.

Pirates scenario actions[]

Pirates scenario added in October 2020 Update introduced some unique unit actions:

Icon Name Units Notes
Bring Her Home (Civ6) Bring Her Home Unique to Privateers.
Bury Treasure (Civ6) Bury Treasure Shore Party Bury 600 Gold Gold to gain 30 Treasure Points.
Capture Boat (Civ6) Capture Boat Must have an available Crew member.
Careening (Civ6) Careening Must be on Shallow Water. Must have Movement Movement remaining.
Chain Shot (Civ6) Chain Shot Unique to Hoarders.
Embark (Civ6) Embark Used by the game engine in a standard game, but hidden in the unit panel.
Disembark (Civ6) Shore Party (Disembark) Used by the game engine in a standard game, but hidden in the unit panel.
Tack into the Wind (Civ6) Tack into the Wind Unique to Swashbucklers.
Visit Tavern (Civ6) Visit Tavern Must be adjacent to a Colonial City Center.
Walk the Plank (Civ6) Walk the Plank Unique to Dread Pirates.

Game Modes actions[]

Apocalypse mode actions[]

Apocalypse mode introduced in Maya & Gran Colombia Pack added new unit actions:

Icon Name Units Notes
Cause Disaster (Civ6) Cause Disaster Soothsayer
Sacrifice Adjacent Unit (Civ6) Sacrifice Adjacent Unit Soothsayer

Secret Societies mode actions[]

Secret Societies mode introduced in Ethiopia Pack added new unit actions:

Icon Name Units Notes
Recruit Followers (Civ6) Recruit Followers Cultist
Teleport (Civ6) Teleport Vampire

Heroes & Legends mode actions[]

Heroes & Legends mode introduced in Babylon Pack added new unit actions:

Icon Name Units Notes
Anansi's Tricks (Civ6) Anansi's Tricks Anansi
Arthur's Accolade (Civ6) Arthur's Accolade Arthur
Beowulf's Challenge (Civ6) Beowulf's Challenge Beowulf
Hercules' Labor (Civ6) Hercules' Labor Hercules
Hercules' Rage (Civ6) Hercules' Rage Hercules
Himiko's Charm (Civ6) Himiko's Charm Himiko
Himiko's Rule (Civ6) Himiko's Rule Himiko
Hippolyta's Command (Civ6) Hippolyta's Command Hippolyta
Maui's Inventions (Civ6) Maui's Inventions Maui
Oya's Storm (Civ6) Oya's Storm Oya
Sinbad's Fortunes (Civ6) Sinbad's Fortunes Sinbad

Barbarian Clans mode actions[]

Barbarian Clans mode introduced in February 2021 Update added new unit actions:

Icon Name Units Notes
Disperse Clan (Civ6) Disperse Clan
Raid Clan (Civ6) Raid Clan

Zombie Defense mode actions[]

Zombie Defense mode introduced in Portugal Pack added new unit actions:

Icon Name Units Notes
Release Levy (Civ6) Release Levy Zombie

Hidden and unused actions[]

Hidden actions[]

These actions are not visible in the UI, but they are being used by the game engine.

Icon Name Units Notes
Disembark (Civ6) Disembark
Embark (Civ6) Embark
Harvest Wonder (Civ6) Salvage Wonder
Swap Units (Civ6) Swap Units

Unused actions[]

These actions are unused in the current game version, but they exist in the game data files.

Icon Name Units Notes
Automate (Civ6) Automate
Stop Automation (Civ6) Cancel Order (Stop automation)
Gift (Civ6) Gift Unit (Needs verification)
Move To Unit (Civ6) Move To Unit (Needs verification)
Retrain (Civ6) Retrain (Needs verification)
Route To (Needs verification)
Wait For (Civ6) Wait For

Easter-egg actions[]

April 2021 Update introduced one easter-egg action:

Icon Name Units Notes
Pet (Civ6) Pet Scout

References[]

  1. Seems to be unused.
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