Civilization VI · Domination Victory

Domination Victory: The Complete Guide

Domination is the most direct win in the game: capture the original capital of every other civilization still standing. No tourists, no votes, no faith — just an army that keeps moving.

What you actually need to win

The original capital of every remaining major civilization (not city-states)
A production base that can field and reinforce an army continuously
A plan for war weariness and the loyalty of cities you capture

How Domination Victory Works

Only original capitals count — losing and recapturing a capital, or capturing a civilization's later "second capital" after their first city falls, doesn't complete the requirement on its own. City-states don't count either; this is strictly about eliminating the other major civilizations from the game.

A declared, justified war (with a Casus Belli) carries a much smaller warmonger penalty than a surprise war — worth the wait almost every time, since a heavy penalty tanks your relationships with everyone else on the map, not just your target.

Strategy by Phase

Early Game

Pick a Fight You Can Win

Identify a weaker or geographically exposed neighbor early, and start building toward an early-era unique unit advantage.

Mid Game

Encampments and Great Generals

Build Encampment districts to keep unit production flowing, and invest in Great Generals to keep your army ahead of the curve.

Late Game

Manage Loyalty, Keep Moving

Newly captured cities can flip back without attention — garrison them, address amenities, and keep pushing before rivals can regroup.

Best Civs for a Domination Game

Mongolia, Gran Colombia, and Germany are all built for this path — see our Best Civs by Playstyle guide for the full breakdown.

MongoliaGran ColombiaGermany

Common Mistakes

Declaring surprise wars

The warmonger penalty from an unjustified war damages relationships across the whole map, not just with your target.

Ignoring captured city loyalty

A city can flip back to its original owner if you don't manage amenities and loyalty after capturing it.

Stopping to "consolidate" too long

Domination games are won on tempo — giving rivals time to build defenses usually costs you more than pushing through does.

Explore the other victory paths

See every way to win, or start with the fundamentals if you're new to the game.

All Victory Types Beginner's Guide