The first 10 turns in Civilization VI set the tone for your entire game. Making the right choices early can snowball into long-term success. This guide breaks down the best practices for every core decision—whether you’re a new player or a veteran looking to optimize your early game.

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1. Settling Your Capital

Your first major decision is where to place your capital. It affects everything that follows.

• Scout First: Use your starting warrior to reveal nearby tiles before committing.
• Settle Near Fresh Water: Rivers and lakes provide fresh water, increasing housing and growth.
• Prioritize Strong Tiles: Look for a mix of 2 food / 2 production tiles to ensure early balance.
• Don’t Rush: Moving your settler 1–2 tiles to a better location is often worth the delay.

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2. Choosing Early Technologies

Your tech path should reflect what you see around your start.

• Evaluate Nearby Resources: Identify which techs are needed to improve visible resources.
• Go for Practicality: Research what helps now, not what’s interesting later.
• Consider Writing Early: Mountains nearby? Set up for a high-adjacency campus.
• Archery Is Key: Barbarians are dangerous—unlock archers ASAP for defense.

Recommended Early Tech Path:

1. Animal Husbandry
2. Mining
3. Pottery (followed by Irrigation if needed)

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3. Early Civics to Prioritize

Your first civic is Code of Laws, but after that:

• Foreign Trade: Unlocks traders and helps with exploration.
• Early Empire: Grants 50% settler production boost—vital for expansion.
• State Workforce: Unlocks the Government Plaza, a powerful early district.

Pro Tip: Pause civic or tech research at ~50% if a boost (eureka/inspiration) is within reach.

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4. Build Order Recommendations

Your build order can make or break your momentum. Two reliable openers are:

Balanced Defense + Growth:

1. Slinger
2. Second Slinger (optional, for defense)
3. Monument
4. Settler

Fast Expansion:

1. Slinger
2. Monument
3. Settler

Important Note: Scouts are useful, but slingers often provide more utility by doubling as defense and potential archers.

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5. Exploration Tips

Early exploration sets up diplomacy, goody huts, and expansion planning.

• Circle Your Capital First: Reveal useful land and watch for threats.
• Visit Tribal Villages: Early bonuses can include units, gold, techs, or even settlers.
• Find City-States Quickly: Grants envoys and unique bonuses.
• Locate Nearby Civs: Knowing who’s near helps prepare for diplomacy—or war.

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6. Basic City Planning

Start planning your empire’s layout early.

• Adjacency Planning: Position future districts for maximum adjacency (e.g., campuses near mountains).
• Keep Cities Close: Within 4–6 tiles helps with loyalty, amenities, and trade routes.
• Secure Resources: Settle near strategic and luxury resources when possible.

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7. Barbarian Defense

Barbarians are your first real enemy—and they’re relentless.

• Hunt Their Scouts: Stop scouts from reporting your city to camps.
• Clear Camps Quickly: Gain gold and stop the flood of units.
• Use Terrain Smartly: Place units on hills and forests for better visibility and defense.

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Quick Recap: Your First 10 Turns

• Settle Wisely: Near fresh water, strong tiles, and resources.
• Tech for Utility: Animal Husbandry → Mining → Pottery/Irrigation.
• Follow Civic Path: Foreign Trade → Early Empire → State Workforce.
• Build Efficiently: Slinger → Monument → Settler.
• Scout Smart: Stay close early, grab huts, and meet city-states.
• Plan Ahead: Think about future districts and expansion.
• Stay Safe: Barbarians are deadly—don’t ignore defense.

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Final Thought
Mastering your first 10 turns gives you the edge to dominate the mid and late game. With proper scouting, smart techs, and strategic expansion, you’ll build a powerful empire that can outpace even the toughest AI.

Let me know if you’d like a guide for turns 10–30 next!