Now that the excitement over Civilization VI's latest expansion has died down a bit, we can finally offer an in-depth look at New Frontier Pass Civs! Much as we did with our Gather Storm Civ overview, we'll try to tell you about all the ins and outs of using Civ 6's newest factions - Maya and Gran Colombia - in practice.

Colors, insignia, tactics, early and late-game strategies - you'll find everything important to keep in mind in the following few paragraphs. Further, since New Frontier Pass promises a constant and consistent influx of content, we'll keep updating our articles along the way! Now that we've got that covered, let's get started with our analysis.

Learn about:

• The Maya Civ in Civilization 6
• The Gran Colombia Civ in Civilization 6
• Upcoming New Frontier Pass Civs

Which are the New Frontier Pass Civs?

As part of its first content release, the awesome New Frontier Pass expansion pack has brought forward two all-new Civs to the fold. These are the Maya and the Gran Colombia factions. Unique and powerful in their own right, both of them offer entirely new niches for players to excel in. Whereas Mayans might focus their efforts on building new trading frontiers with luxury resources, Gran Colombians might instead opt for high-mobility warfare afforded by their Civ ability. All sorts of interesting situations might arise!

Of course, there are more Civs coming down the line with future updates, as we mentioned in our previous article. If that's what you're most interested in, just scroll on down - we've got more info on what's coming in the future, too!

Civ 6 Maya Guide

The Civ 6 Maya faction is a highly specific and specialized Civilization that favors a centralized playstyle. In an interesting twist, Mayans will want to steer clear of lakes and rivers, as they do not gain additional Housing from being near them. Their Leader - Lady Six Sky - provides the Mayans with everything they need to create a close-knit empire based primarily on Farms and Plantations, leading to high end-game yields of Science.

Assorted Information

• Leader: Lady Six Sky
• Leader ability - Ix Mutal Ajaw: Non-capital Cities gain +10% to all yields if within six tiles of the Mayan Capital, and -15% to all yields if more than six tiles away. All Units receive +5 Combat Strenght when within six tiles of the Mayan Capital.
• Civ ability - Mayab: Cities receive no additional Housing from being adjacent to freshwater or coast. Cities gain +1 Amenity for each Luxury Resource adjacent to the City Center. Farms receive +1 Housing and +1 Gold.
• Unique unit(s):  Hul'che
• Unique building(s): Observatory
• Color: Light blue + Green

Early Game Strategy

Right off the bat, it should be clear that playing with the Mayan Civ means playing differently from most other Civs in the game. Whereas aggressive expansionism is ultimately favored by just about every other faction, the Civ 6 Maya is built with a different goal in mind. Players should look for a location with plenty of arable farmland to situate their Capital in. Hunt for flat grasslands and plains, as they triple the amount of housing you'll get in the long run.

Further, try to locate a spot where you'll be able to build satellite cities within six tiles of your Capital. This will allow you to make the most out of Mayan tactics early on. Thing is, since the Civ's Ability is highly dependant on level generation, you'll often need to go out of your way to find a good spot for long-term development. Of course, once you're happy with your Capital, your first order of business should be to send Settlers to desirable satellite locations. This will allow you to establish a safe area of influence to work within. Doing so will make things easier in the endgame!

Late Game Strategy

From what we've seen so far, Civ 6 Maya really wants to focus on getting the Science victory. This Civ's unique district - the Observatory - offers some truly massive endgame Science gains, provided that you manage to situate it properly. Naturally, this ties into your established Capital and its satellite Cities. The Observatory is far easier to produce than the more generally available Campus (which it replaces). Further, it gains +2 Science for every adjacent Plantation. On top of that, it gets +0.5 Science for every adjacent Farm you're working on. The Observatory will also grant you +1 Great Scientist point per turn, and each Specialist you assign to it will produce +2 Science on top of this District's usual accretion.

As you can see, focusing your efforts into the Observatory will ensure a fast Science victory, but your gains are heavily dependant on clever positioning and defensibility of the area.

Tips & Tricks

All of the above paints a clear picture: Civ 6 Maya is all about thinking ahead. Focus on getting Vertical Integration from Magnus as early as possible, and definitely try to develop the Observatory. This should mark an easy road towards Science victory, but make sure that you've got solid defenses to back your development. The last thing you want is for a marauder Civ to push through your satellite Cities and destroy the Observatory. Doing so would set you back a fair bit!

Civ 6 Gran Colombia Guide

Unlike the isolationist Maya, Civ 6 Gran Colombia offers a far more expansionist and aggressive playstyle, no matter the era you use them in. Focusing primarily on blitzing through the frontline using fast units that upgrade without ending their turn, Gran Colombia offers a fascinating new take on warfare in Civilization VI.

Assorted Information

• Leader: Simón Bolívar
• Leader ability - Campaña Admirable: Entering a new Era grants a Comandante General (unique Great Person)
• Civ ability - Ejército Patriota: +1 Movement for all units. Promoting a unit does not end that unit's turn.
• Unique unit(s):  Llanero
• Unique building(s): Hacienda
• Color: Dark blue + Gold

Early Game Strategy

As you can probably tell, Civ 6 Gran Colombia will lend itself very, very well to those who prefer aggressive hit 'n' run tactics in combat. Thing is, giving all of your units +1 Movement means huge improvements to general gameplay, too. You'll move your Settlers further and faster than others will, and you'll be able to repair destroyed tiles way faster with quick Worker deployment.

Since Bolivar ensures that you've got a steady supply of military Great Persons, you're going to want to start exerting combat influence on other nearby Civs early on. Focus on building up your offensive and defensive forces as soon as possible, and Gran Colombia will quickly become a force to be reckoned with.

Late Game Strategy

Since Civ 6 Gran Colombia can upgrade its units without ending their turn, playing aggressively and driving other, less well-developed Civs into combat is highly desirable. Smart players will have the opportunity to outmaneuver most other foes, and the constant supply of Comandante General Great Persons will further upgrade your combat might every once in a while.

The obvious course of action here is to aim for a Domination victory. Gran Colombia's unique Llanero unit replaces regular Cavalry. These capable combatants have far lower Gold maintenance costs and gain +4 Combat Strenght for each adjacent Llanero. On top of that, if your Llaneros really get beat up, you can use your Comandante General's 'Retire' ability to fully heal them. Gran Colombia players will, therefore, want to build their armies out of multiple Llaneros backed by a single Comandante General.

On the maintenance side of things, players should focus on establishing a number of Haciendas to drive more resources into their war engine. This unique Tile improvement can be built on a number of different Tiles, and it provides you with +2 Gold, +1 Production, +1 Housing, +1 Food from every 2 adjacent Plantations, and +1 additional Production from every 2 adjacent Haciendas. A complex formula, but one that will ensure that you've always got enough resources to keep fighting. Makes long warfare quite fun!

Tips & Tricks

Playing with Gran Colombia, you run the risk of becoming spoiled by their fast units. Make good use of this ability by expanding far and wide. But not too wide! Ensure that you've got good trade lines and solid defensive capabilities, and enjoy the fact that you can simply outrun your foes if push comes to shove. Literally!

What New Frontier Pass Civs are coming next?

As we said before, Maya and Gran Colombia are just the start. And what a start it is! Both of these Civs are fun, and offer entirely new ways to play. Sure, Gathering Storm added heaps of goodies to the mix, but we've got a good feeling about New Frontier Pass, too!

Now, if you'd like to know what the next Civ release will be, it's Ethiopia! This content pack is currently slated to launch come July. We'll have to wait a bit. If Firaxis keeps up with this quality of content, though, we won't mind! If you'd like to read more details on the how and why of Civilization VI's New Frontier Pass, you can find lots of info right here at 2Game! Release roadmap included!

If you're a proper newbie to the game, though, you might be lost a bit. That's where our Civ 6 Beginner's Guide might come in handy. You'll learn everything you need to know about starting your Civ 6 hobby there.

Now, if it's deals you're looking for, check out our full Civilization VI catalog! Whether it's base-game or DLCs you're looking for, it's all there. Plenty of discounts in-store, too. But hey, if you'd like something to sweeten the deal, use 'COMMUNITY2GAME' to get an additional 10% off. Happy gaming!