Kurgan (Civ6)

The Kurgan is a unique of the Scythian civilization in Civilization VI.
* Effects:
** +1 
** +3 
** +1  for each adjacent , increasing to +2 for each adjacent Pasture (with Stirrups)
** Provides equal to its output with Flight.
* Restrictions:
** Cannot be built on Hills tiles.
==Strategy==
For a long time, the Kurgan was, by a wide margin, one of the worst unique improvements in the entire game. Its pitiful yields made it a total waste of a citizen slot, and its only use was to secure an early pantheon. Thankfully, the April 2021 Update breathed new life into the Kurgan. Although at times the Kurgan may feel out of sync with other Scythian abilities, it adds extra dimension and versatility to a civilization that is otherwise very straightforward.
The chief purpose of the Kurgan stays the same: first, to found an early pantheon without forcing you to run God King, and second, to support your cavalry army. Fortunately, the improvement becomes significantly better at both tasks after the buffs received in the April 2021 Update. The first technology to research is always Animal Husbandry as Scythia, as it reveals and allows you to build Pastures. A Kurgan next to a Pasture has twice amount of Faith as God King, and it indirectly allows you to run Urban Planning instead! As a matter of fact, Kurgans provide more base than any other improvements up until Industrial Era when Polders earn 5 each (other improvements have the potential to surpass Kurgan's output, but they rely on luck with adjacencies to achieve that, most notably the Mekewap), but the Kurgan can be built in large numbers next to each other, since they have very loose restrictions. The Kurgan generates even more from Pastures with Stirrups, allowing Scythia to be even more competitive religiously. Later in the game, with Flight, Kurgans can generate from , adding an additional dimension to Scythia which didn't exist before. And like all tile improvements that provide based on yields, any bonus on the tile would add to the output of the tile improvement. Additional sources are Earth Goddess pantheon and being adjacent to Nazca Lines. With both a healthy generation, extra and a wide empire claimed in the early game from conquest, Scythia can push for a cultural victory. 
Unless you want to go for a religious victory or a cultural victory, don't go overboard with this improvement. Even though it is much better than before, working too many improvements that don't grant or stunts the growth and productivity of the city. Only pick out the best spots with multiple Pastures nearby for maximum output. After the Classical Era, if you want to pivot completely to a religious or a cultural game, you can always build more Kurgans, but for the sake of a domination game, you only need just enough to generate , and a bit of to purchase units with the Grand Master's Chapel. 
==Civilopedia entry==
==Gallery==
File:Civ 6 Kurgan.jpg|Kurgan in game
File:Historic Moment Kurgan (Civ6).png|Historic Moment for building the Kurgan
== Trivia ==
* The Kurgan of Civilization VI resembles an ovoo, a mound of stones built in Mongolia for prayers. Historical kurgans were most likely simple mound tombs.
* The Kurgan also has prayer flags attached around it, which were used in Tibet and Mongolia rather than the historical Scythians.
Category:Scythian