Sid Meier‘s seminal Civilization series has thrived on a proven formula of strategic empire building for over three decades. Yet even after numerous core title releases and reams of expansions, the developers at Firaxis Games still find fresh new ideas to reinvigorate their juggernaut franchise. Case in point – the upcoming additions in Civilization VI‘s New Frontier Pass concluding its year-long run of bimonthly DLC drops on March 25th. I‘ve led far-flung empires to victory hundreds of times across 30 years of Civilization games, so believe me when I say this new content looks to terrify and delight strategy veterans in equal measure!
Conquering Seas and Superstition as Swashbuckling Portugal
The first revealed nation making landfall is Portugal – a consistent community most-requested civ finally added to Civilization‘s roster. Historically, the small Atlantic-facing kingdom leveraged naval technology advances and intrepid explorers to establish trade networks across four continents, unlocking tremendous wealth through commerce and colonization.
In-game, Portugal‘s potent seafaring bonuses incentivize settling coastal cities and establishing far-reaching sea trade routes to amplify income. Their unique Renaissance Era unit – the Nau – nets +1 movement and extended attack range on ocean tiles, plus a combat boost when fighting naval foes. These durable explorers excel at charting distant continents early. Later on, fleets of Naus can blockade enemy ports or soften coastal defences for inland invasion.
The unique Mare Clausum ability also boosts Portugal‘s sea fairing strengths. Cities founded on new continents gain bonuses like extra gold or production, plus claim expansive swaths of control over surrounding ocean tiles. Settling more distant islands and shorelines rewards even more passive bonuses over time from the motherland. Combined with inherent coastal start bias, Portugal leans hard into island hopping and maritime ventures.
When leveraging all their naval bonuses in concert, Portugal effectively fills the "seafaring trader" nation niche long-requested by Civ fans. They compare well to similar maritime powers like England or Norway, trading raw naval power for greater economic bonuses from connecting far-flung trade empires across oceans highways.
Optimal Playstyle: Hyper-expansionist naval empire, overwhelming foes with superior sea force and wealth generation.
Difficulty Rating: 7/10 – Portugal ranks moderately challenging overall, requiring some finesse managing happiness levels when founding many new cities.
Best Victory Conditions
- Culture – Wonders, trade routes and alliances with distant civs.
- Diplomacy – Trading luxuries from widespread colonies.
- Domination – Naval blockade, siege and sacking coastal opponents.
Building Zombie Forts in Undead Apocalypse Mode
Trade fortunes made…or lives lost? Civilization is getting its first full-fledged survival mode in the incoming zombie defense scenario. It‘s every bit as chaotic as it sounds! The core rules remain unchanged, except any defeated land military units now revive as zombie hordes bent on converting more cities into shambling ruin.
These brain-hungryWalkin‘ corpses emerge at 33% strength but gain overwhelming force through numbers and persistence. Zombies relentlessly seek out nearby units to convert, ignoring zones of control and passing through rival borders unchecked. Each new "recruit" also revives with a movement point remaining, meaning zombies quickly reach critical masses if not actively culled.
Apocalyptic times call for apocalyptic measures, and a new series of encampment buildings enable just that. Fortified walls, guard towers, barriers and redoubts create garrisoned strongpoints for ranged units to safely thin zombie ranks. Clever builders can also utilize natural chokepoints along mountain ranges or isthmuses to further bolster defences.
New late-game civics also grant horde manipulation powers, like Oppugnatio Zombius allowing players to temporarily seize control and redirect masses of zombies against rivals lacking protections. Sit back and relax while they tear each other apart!
Optimal Playstyle: Rapid military expansion with ranged infantry core to destroy zombies from long range. Claim zombie buffs when available, weaponize against opponents.
Difficulty Rating: 9/10 – Survival tension remains high throughout. Mass zombie waves can emerge if you don‘t cull them quickly!
Suggested Game Settings
- Wetlands or island plates maps to utilize chokepoints
- Secret societies mode – Hermetic order for extra building charges
- Heroes mode – special units to tackle zombie hordes
Sowing Marshlands and Reaping Rewards with new Wetlands Map
Sid Meier and team also introduced more tactical considerations on a new Wetlands Map variant just teeming with bogs, marshes and soggy deltas. These mucky tiles inhibit conventional unit movement by 50%, prompting civs to re-evaluate military maneuvering and expansion routes. However, marshes don‘t constrain line of sight or ranged attack ranges, opening clever counterplay decisions with certain civs.
For example, English longbowmen can pepper foes freely from neighboring higher ground drylands or ships at sea. In contrast the Romanian unique unit gains +5 combat strength on marsh tiles, perhaps signifying surly conscripted peasants well-adapted to sodden homelands making perfect zombie fodder!
Interwoven with the marshes are networks of rivers and floodplains, feeding from higher elevation rainforests and mountains. These terrain types boost housing for large populations centers to develop. Floodplains in particular add extra food which stacks nicely with Netherlands and Egyptian bonuses.
The new map reshapes strategy in subtle but impactful ways. Marsh mobility penalties discourage early land wars and blitz offenses, while naval gameplay becomes more critical exploring inland zones separated by bog barriers.
Brave New Worlds or Game Over?
It‘s astounding the Civilization series‘ 33rd anniversary arrives just as developers pull back the curtain on one of its largest and most creative expansion packs to date. The long-awaited Portugal civ realizes the enduring appeal of peaceful maritime trade empires, while zombie outbreak mode certainly triggers more devious strategic thinking!
As potentially the final content drop before attention likely shifts to the inevitable Civilization 7, the Frontier Pass DLC certainly resembles a bloody-red sunset heralding the end times…of this iconic game edition, anyway! We‘ll raise a toast with port wine overlooking beautiful seaside vistas while the world lasts. Just be watchful on shorelines after nightfall, when ravenous pirate zombies launch their shore raids!
