Fastest way to found a religion

[Mr.Chillinµt]

What is the fastest way to found a religion? I build shrines in my first cities but the AI players always found all the religions before I get enough religion points

[Jimmy McGill]

Get a faith pantheon.

[zxcvbob]

build Hagia Sophia guarantees you a GP. Just do that before all the religions are taken.

Or play as the Maya and beeline Theology, then take a GP when your first bak'tun rolls around (I think the 6th is the earliest one you can get) Bak'tuns occur rapid succession in the early game, so you want to hurry to Theology so you don't miss out.

Or build Stonehenge and take your chances.

[Emperor Of Mars]

Quickly build STONEHENGE!!!!!!

[Mr.Chillinµt]

But the AI players found religions without Hagia Sofia and Stonehenge, any idea how they do it?

[zxcvbob]

So can you, but not every game. It depends where you start and whether your civ gets any faith bonuses.

[Molten]

If you have any of the faith based natural wonders nearby (Uluru, Mt. Kailash, Sri Padra or Mt. Sinai), settle there asap and pick the pantheon "One with Nature". That is, if you don't have any good faith pantheon choices in your capital.
In my game as Rome I had Sri Padra near my second city. Thanks to One with Nature I had a very dominant religion.
But in any case youo should prioritize (=rush) a shrine in your capital.

[Damsteri]

Some ways to get a religion:

1. Select a Pantheon which gives faith
   
2. Become ally of religious city states
   
3. Build Stonehenge
   
4. Build Shrines and Temples and select Piety's Organized Religion
   
5. Settle your first/second city next to a Holy Mountain (natural wonder)
   
6. Fill the Piety policy tree for a free Great Prophet
   
7. Fill the Liberty policy tree and select Great Prophet as your free Great Person
   
8. Build Hagia Sophia world wonder
   
9. Get at least three times big faith instalments from ancient ruins (easiest with Shoshone or Polynesia)
   
10. Capture enemy Great Prophet and use it to found your own religion

My fastest religion was founded on turn 24 on standard speed with Spain. I wandered few turns with my warrior and settler and found Uluru close by. I founded my capital next to Uluru and chose One With Nature pantheon. I had religion before any other civilization had even a pantheon.

[Count_Dandyman]

You need to explore a lot to try and find religious ruins and city states first. Also the civ you pick can make a big difference with bonuses.

[KW17]

Keep in mind that with King and beyond the AI starts with free pottery, there is a mod that gets rid of this if you don't want that.

[baterism]

1. Settle on area with a lot of desert tiles.
2. Rush shrine
3. Get "Desert Folklore" pantheon (+1 for every desert tile).
4. Just wait until you get the religion.

[Malvastor]

Or play as Ethiopia/Celts/some other faith-oriented Civ. Granted, that may not otherwise fit your playstyle.

[zxcvbob]

Play as Sweden. Find a religious CS. Take the left side of the Honor policy tree (you want the faster XP anyway) and gift your great general to the CS for an instant ally.

[biogoo]

Get pantheon as fast as possible, because every successive one requires more faith, which slows down the religion and also helps the nations that already have their pantheon to reach religion before you.
Then it varies: either there is a religious city state nearby that you can get friends/ally with by killing some barbarians, or you find some faith in ruins, or you have to choose a faith pantheon as suggested,

Also: Different civilizations are going for religion at different speeds (priority). If you select some of the opponents as aggressive nations (huns, mongols, etc) you will reduce the amount of civilizations that are rushing for religion, giving you a better chance.

[Staryn]

There are several good ways. The easiers is play the Celts and settle on some forests. In a standard game, you could have a pantheon at turn 5, and probably first pick of religion.

When choosing a pantheon, choose one that gives a faith bonus. God of War isn't my favorite, but paired with Honor it makes you want barbarians to invade. Try to pick a pantheon that works with your terrain.

Get pottery asap if you are going to play religious. Build a shrine as soon as you can. If possible, get Stonehenge.

If playing the Iroquois, use a pathfinder to discover a great prophet. Any other civ, make sure you have scouts looking at ruins.

Doing quests for religious city-states is very helpful.

It can be a race, though. If you are playing against the Celts or Byzantine, you probably won't be first. Stonehenge can make or break a religion race as well.

[Staryn]

Originally posted by zxcvbob:

Play as Sweden. Find a religious CS. Take the left side of the Honor policy tree (you want the faster XP anyway) and gift your great general to the CS for an instant ally.

Nice...I didn't think of this. I will have to try that out.