While often celebrated for his cultural and diplomatic prowess, Teddy Roosevelt presents a unique and surprisingly potent option for achieving a Science Victory in Civilization 6. Analysis on forums shows that his abilities, while not as overtly science-focused as those of other leaders, can be strategically leveraged to create a powerful engine for technological advancement. This guide will provide a definitive, in-depth walkthrough for securing a Science Victory with Teddy Roosevelt, offering clear, actionable explanations and concrete examples for every stage of the game.
The Unconventional Scientist: Why Teddy Roosevelt?
Teddy Roosevelt’s two personas, “Bull Moose” and “Rough Rider,” offer distinct yet viable paths to a Science Victory. The player community suggests that the key to success lies in understanding how to adapt his unique strengths to the demands of a science-focused game.
- Bull Moose Teddy: His “Antiquities and Parks” ability, which grants science from tiles with Breathtaking appeal, can provide a significant early-game science boost. This allows for a rapid technological start, creating a snowball effect that can carry you through the entire game.
- Rough Rider Teddy: His “Roosevelt Corollary” ability, which provides a combat bonus on his home continent and extra envoys, can be used to secure a large, productive empire. More cities mean more campuses and more production, which are the cornerstones of a successful Science Victory.
Foundational Principles of a Science Victory
Before delving into Teddy-specific strategies, it’s crucial to understand the core principles of a Science Victory in Civilization 6. Many professional gamers suggest that a strong foundation in these areas is essential, regardless of your chosen leader.
The Primacy of Campuses
The Campus district is the heart of any Science Victory attempt. It is the primary source of science, and its buildings provide significant boosts to your technological progress.
- Early and Everywhere: Build a Campus in every city as early as possible. It should be the first or second district you build in most of your cities.
- Strategic Placement: Maximize adjacency bonuses. Place Campuses next to mountains, geothermal fissures, and reefs to increase their science output. A cluster of mountains can create a truly exceptional Campus location.
- Building Progression: Prioritize the construction of the Library, University, and Research Lab in each of your Campuses. These buildings are essential for keeping pace with the technology tree.
The Importance of Production
While science unlocks the technologies needed for a Science Victory, production is what turns those technologies into tangible progress. The late-game space race projects are incredibly production-intensive, so a strong industrial base is non-negotiable.
- Identify Production Hubs: Designate 3-4 of your cities as “production hubs.” These cities should have high production potential, ideally with access to hills, forests, and strategic resources.
- Industrial Zone Synergy: Build Industrial Zones in your production hubs and maximize their adjacency bonuses by placing them next to aqueducts, dams, and strategic resources.
- The Power of Chopping: Don’t be afraid to “chop” forests and rainforests for immediate production boosts, especially in the late game when you need to rush the space race projects.
The Role of Culture and Civics
A common mistake among players pursuing a Science Victory is neglecting culture. The Civics tree is just as important as the Technology tree, as it unlocks powerful governments, policy cards, and governors that can significantly boost your science and production.
- Key Governments: Aim for governments with multiple wildcard policy slots, such as Classical Republic and Communism. These allow you to tailor your policies to your specific needs at each stage of the game.
- Essential Policy Cards: Look for policy cards that boost Campus adjacency bonuses, provide extra science from buildings, or increase production towards space race projects.
- Powerful Governors: Governors like Pingala (with his “Grants” promotion) and Magnus (with his “Vertical Integration” promotion) can provide massive boosts to your science and production.
Bull Moose Teddy: The Appeal of Science
Bull Moose Teddy’s “Antiquities and Parks” ability is the key to his unique science-focused gameplay. By leveraging this ability, you can create a powerful early-game science engine that will propel you ahead of the competition.
Maximizing Appeal for Maximum Science
The core of the Bull Moose science strategy is to maximize the appeal of your tiles. Tiles with Breathtaking appeal (+4 or higher) that are adjacent to a mountain or Natural Wonder will generate +2 science per turn.
- City Placement is Paramount: Settle your cities in areas with high natural appeal. Look for locations with mountains, coasts, and natural wonders.
- The Power of Preserves: The Preserve district is a must-have for any Bull Moose player. It grants bonus appeal to adjacent tiles, making it easier to achieve Breathtaking status.
- Strategic Use of Woods: Planting woods (unlocked with the Conservation civic) is a powerful tool for increasing appeal. Use it to boost the appeal of tiles around your Campuses and city centers.
- Wonders of the World: Certain wonders, like the Eiffel Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge, provide global boosts to appeal, making them high-priority targets for a Bull Moose science game.
Balancing Appeal and Production
A popular strategy is to find a balance between the high appeal needed for science generation and the production needed for building districts and units. This can be a delicate balancing act, but it is essential for success.
- Industrial Zone Placement: Be mindful of where you place your Industrial Zones, as they have a negative impact on the appeal of nearby tiles. Place them in areas where appeal is less important, or in cities that are not focused on science generation.
- The “Chop and Re-plant” Strategy: A popular strategy on forums is to chop down forests for early-game production and then re-plant them later in the game to boost appeal. This allows you to get the best of both worlds, but it requires careful planning.
Rough Rider Teddy: The Science of Conquest
Rough Rider Teddy’s path to a Science Victory is more indirect, but no less effective. His military bonuses can be used to create a large, sprawling empire that can out-produce and out-research any opponent.
Building a Wide Empire
The core of the Rough Rider science strategy is to build a “wide” empire, with many cities. More cities mean more Campuses, more Industrial Zones, and more overall production.
- Early Expansion: Use your early-game military advantage to expand your empire. Settle new cities aggressively and consider conquering a nearby neighbor to gain a quick boost in territory and population.
- The Power of the Rough Rider: Your unique unit, the Rough Rider, is a powerful tool for early-game conquest. Use it to clear out barbarian camps and to wage war on your neighbors.
- City-State Diplomacy: Your bonus envoys can be used to gain suzerainty over scientific city-states, providing a significant boost to your science output.
Transitioning to a Science Focus
Once you have established a large empire, you can begin to transition to a more science-focused game.
- Campus Construction: Build Campuses in all of your cities. With a large empire, you will be able to generate a massive amount of science, even without the appeal-based bonuses of Bull Moose Teddy.
- Production Powerhouses: Your large empire will also be able to support a massive industrial base. Build Industrial Zones in your most productive cities and use them to power your late-game space race projects.
A Step-by-Step Guide to the Stars
This section will provide a detailed, step-by-step walkthrough for achieving a Science Victory with Teddy Roosevelt.
The Ancient Era: Laying the Foundation
- Technology: Pottery -> Writing -> Astrology -> Bronze Working
- Civics: Code of Laws -> Craftsmanship -> Foreign Trade
- Priorities:
- Scouting: Explore your surroundings to find good city locations, natural wonders, and city-states.
- Settling: Settle your first few cities in locations with good production and access to resources. If you are playing as Bull Moose Teddy, prioritize locations with high appeal.
- Campus Construction: Build your first Campus as soon as you research Writing.
The Classical and Medieval Eras: Building Momentum
- Technology: Celestial Navigation -> Horseback Riding -> Apprenticeship -> Education
- Civics: Political Philosophy -> Defensive Tactics -> Feudalism -> Civil Service
- Priorities:
- Campus Buildings: Build Libraries and Universities in all of your Campuses.
- Expansion: Continue to expand your empire, either through settling or conquest.
- Government: Unlock your first government and begin to use policy cards to boost your science and production.
The Renaissance and Industrial Eras: The Great Leap Forward
- Technology: Scientific Theory -> Ballistics -> Industrialization -> Rocketry
- Civics: The Enlightenment -> Nationalism -> Conservation -> Mobilization
- Priorities:
- Research Labs: Build Research Labs in all of your Campuses.
- Industrial Zones: Begin to build Industrial Zones in your production hubs.
- Great Scientists: Actively pursue Great Scientists. Use your faith and gold to recruit them.
The Modern, Atomic, and Information Eras: The Final Frontier
- Technology: Satellites -> Computers -> Robotics -> Nanotechnology -> Smart Materials
- Civics: Ideology -> Professional Sports -> Globalization -> Social Media
- Priorities:
- Spaceports: Build Spaceports in your production hubs.
- Space Race Projects: Begin to launch the space race projects.
- Production Focus: Shift your empire to a production focus. Use all of your resources to complete the space race projects as quickly as possible.
Advanced Strategies and Nuances
- The Power of Spies: Use spies to steal technologies from your opponents and to sabotage their spaceports.
- The Importance of Alliances: Form research alliances with other civilizations to boost your science output.
- The Late-Game Production Push: In the late game, you will need a massive amount of production to complete the space race projects. Use builders to chop down forests and rainforests for immediate production boosts.
Conclusion
Achieving a Science Victory with Teddy Roosevelt is a challenging but rewarding experience. By understanding his unique abilities and by following the strategies outlined in this guide, you can lead America to the stars and secure your place in the annals of history. Analysis of player community discussions reveals that while it may be an unconventional path, a Science Victory with Teddy Roosevelt is a testament to strategic thinking and a deep understanding of the game’s mechanics.