Civ 6 America Guide: Teddy Roosevelt Strategy (Culture & Domination)

Introduction: The Two Faces of American Exceptionalism

In the grand tapestry of Civilization VI, few leaders offer the sheer strategic duality of Teddy Roosevelt. Leading America, a civilization built on the pillars of continental dominance and cultural magnetism, Roosevelt presents players with two distinct, powerful personas: “Bull Moose” and “Rough Rider.” One is a steward of the land, a conservationist who transforms breathtaking landscapes into engines of cultural and scientific progress. The other is a warrior-diplomat, a proponent of “Big Stick” ideology who secures his home continent with overwhelming force before projecting power across the globe.

This guide moves beyond surface-level tips to provide a deep, analytical framework for mastering both facets of the American empire. We will dissect the civilization’s core abilities, then branch into two comprehensive strategic paths, one for each of Roosevelt’s leader variations. By synthesizing extensive community analysis, professional player insights, and forum-tested strategies, this document serves as a definitive manual for achieving victory with America, whether through the allure of its culture or the might of its armies. Prepare to explore the nuanced tactics required to leverage every bonus, from the earliest era wildcard slot to the late-game dominance of the P-51 Mustang and the Film Studio.

Understanding the American Toolkit: Civilization Abilities and Uniques

Before delving into leader-specific strategies, it is critical to understand the foundational mechanics shared by both Roosevelts. These abilities form the backbone of any American playthrough and influence decisions from the very first turn.

Civilization Ability: Founding Fathers

America’s core civilization ability is “Founding Fathers,” which grants a +1 Diplomatic Favor per turn for every Wildcard slot in its current government. More critically, it halves the time and Production cost required to earn Government Legacy bonuses.

• The Wildcard Advantage: The immediate benefit is the extra Diplomatic Favor, which is useful for trading, emergency resolutions, and winning World Congress votes. However, expert players highlight the true strength: the accelerated accrual of Government Legacy bonuses. These are powerful, permanent bonuses that build up the longer you stay in a specific government type (e.g., Autocracy’s +1 Production to the Capital, Classical Republic’s +1 Great Person Point in all cities).
• Actionable Strategy: Because these bonuses accrue twice as fast, an American player can gain significant, permanent yields early on. Many professional gamers suggest an early switch into a government like Classical Republic, not just for its policy slots, but to quickly bank the +15% Wonder Production bonus and extra Great Person points. This ability encourages players to choose a government and commit to it for a period to maximize the legacy bonus before advancing to the next tier.

Unique Unit: P-51 Mustang

Unlocked in the Modern Era with the Synthetic Materials technology, the P-51 Mustang replaces the standard Fighter. Its statistics are formidable:

• +2 Combat Strength over the base Fighter.
• +5 Combat Strength against other fighter aircraft.
• +2 Aircraft Range.
• Gains 50% more experience from combat.

The P-51 is not merely an upgrade; it is an air superiority weapon. In the hands of a skilled player, it can completely shut down an opponent’s air force.

• Strategic Application: The extended range allows P-51s to be based further from the front lines, protecting valuable Aerodromes while still projecting power deep into enemy territory. The combat bonus against fighters makes it the ultimate counter-air unit, ensuring your Bombers can operate with impunity. The experience gain is the most overlooked bonus; a squadron of P-51s can rapidly achieve high-level promotions, turning them into devastatingly effective assets for both offense and defense. Analysis on forums shows that players who pre-build Aerodromes in the Industrial Era are best positioned to deploy a game-changing wave of Mustangs the moment they are unlocked.

Unique Building: Film Studio

Replacing the Broadcast Center in the Theater Square, the Film Studio is America’s late-game cultural weapon. It provides +100% Tourism pressure from that city to all other civilizations in the Modern Era or later.

• The Tourism Multiplier: This is a monumental bonus for a Culture Victory. While a Broadcast Center provides raw Culture and slots for Great Works, the Film Studio transforms a city into a global tourism hub. The effect is multiplicative, meaning it doubles all tourism generated from that city—from Wonders, Great Works, National Parks, Seaside Resorts, and even Rock Bands.
• Actionable Strategy: To maximize the Film Studio, players must plan their “tourism cities” well in advance. These cities should be home to multiple Wonders, a fully themed museum, and ideally be located on the coast to support Seaside Resorts. A popular strategy is to build the Film Studio in the same city that houses Cristo Redentor and the Eiffel Tower, creating an exponential explosion of tourism that can clinch a Culture Victory in a matter of turns.

Path of the Naturalist: Bull Moose Teddy’s Culture Victory

The Bull Moose incarnation of Teddy Roosevelt is a specialist, designed to pursue one of the game’s most elegant and visually rewarding victories: Culture. His entire kit is built around a single, powerful concept: Appeal.

The Core Mechanic: Bull Moose and the Power of Appeal

Bull Moose Teddy’s leader ability, “Antiquities and Parks,” is deceptively simple:

• Tiles with Breathtaking Appeal gain +2 Science if adjacent to a Mountain or Natural Wonder.
• Tiles with Breathtaking Appeal gain +2 Culture if adjacent to a Woods or a Wonder.

Jargon Explained: Appeal

Appeal is a rating assigned to every tile in the game, ranging from Disgusting (-5) to Breathtaking (+4). It is the primary factor in determining the Tourism output of National Parks and the viability of Seaside Resorts. High appeal is generated by proximity to coastlines, mountains, woods, rivers, Natural Wonders, and certain regular Wonders. It is damaged by proximity to rainforests, marshes, floodplains, and industrial-style districts or improvements.

The Bull Moose ability turns Appeal from a passive tourism metric into an active source of early-game yield. A single tile with Breathtaking appeal adjacent to both a mountain and a patch of woods can yield +2 Science and +2 Culture per turn before a single district is even built.

Early Game Strategy (Ancient to Classical Era)

Objective: Identify and settle high-appeal locations to generate massive early-game Science and Culture, creating a snowball effect.

• Scouting and Settling: Your initial Scout and Warrior are not just for finding tribal villages; they are for identifying future National Park locations and Bull Moose “super-yield” spots. Look for clusters of mountains, coastlines, and large forests. A starting location near a Natural Wonder is a jackpot. Community analysis consistently shows that a Bull Moose player’s second and third cities are more important than their capital; prioritize settling locations with immense appeal potential over immediate luxury resources.
• Tech and Civic Path:
  • Technology: Prioritize Astrology to secure a Holy Site. The Faith generation is not for a Religious Victory but to purchase Naturalists in the mid-game. Follow with Writing for Libraries and Masonry for early Wonders and walls (which improve appeal).
  • Civics: Code of Laws into Foreign Trade is standard. Your primary goal is rushing Mysticism for the Revelation policy card (+2 Great Prophet points) and an early Pantheon.
• Pantheon Choice: The player community overwhelmingly recommends Earth Goddess. Gaining +1 Faith from tiles with Breathtaking Appeal is a direct and powerful synergy. Every tile that gives you Science and Culture from your leader ability will also give you Faith, accelerating your ability to build your park-making army of Naturalists.
• Early Build Order: A typical build order might be Scout -> Slinger -> Settler -> Holy Site -> Monument. Secure land, establish your Faith engine, and start generating Culture to expand your borders naturally and unlock key civics.

Mid-Game Pivot (Medieval to Industrial Era)

Objective: Translate your yield advantage into the infrastructure needed for a Culture Victory, with a singular focus on unlocking National Parks.

• The National Park Rush: A National Park is a special improvement created by a Naturalist unit (purchasable with Faith). It must be placed on a vertical diamond of four tiles that all belong to the same city, have an Appeal of Charming or better, and contain no improvements or districts. This is your primary weapon.
• Key Tech and Civic:
  • Technology: Flight. This is the single most important technology for any Culture Victory aspirant. Upon unlocking it, all improvements that generate Culture also begin to generate Tourism. This is the turn your game transforms.
  • Civics: Conservation. This civic unlocks the Naturalist unit and the ability to plant new Woods, which is crucial for manipulating Appeal.
• Wonder Construction:
  • Eiffel Tower (Industrial Era): This is non-negotiable. The +2 Appeal to every tile in your empire will turn many Charming tiles into Breathtaking, activating your leader ability and dramatically increasing the Tourism from future National Parks.
  • Cristo Redentor (Modern Era): Removes the restriction against building Seaside Resorts on tiles with Rainforests and Marshes and doubles the Tourism from all Seaside Resorts. This is a game-ender when combined with the Film Studio.
• Governor Management:
  • Reyna (the Financier): Her Forestry Management promotion allows you to purchase districts with Gold, but more importantly, it causes unimproved features (like those in your future National Parks) to generate more Gold.
  • Pingala (the Educator): Place him in your highest population city (likely your capital) and give him the Grants and Connoisseur promotions to boost Science, Culture, and Tourism from Great Works.

Late Game Tourism Dominance (Modern to Future Era)

Objective: Activate the final multipliers and overwhelm all other civilizations with Tourism.

• Deploying National Parks and Resorts: With the Eiffel Tower built and Conservation unlocked, your Faith stockpile should be used to purchase and deploy a wave of Naturalists. Identify all valid park locations and begin creating them. On coastal cities, simultaneously build Seaside Resorts on every available Charming or Breathtaking coastal tile.
• The Film Studio and Rock Band Synergy: This is the final one-two punch. Build Film Studios in your highest-potential tourism cities—those with Wonders and Parks. Then, begin purchasing Rock Bands with Faith.
  • Rock Band Strategy: Send Rock Bands to the civilization with the highest Culture output (your primary rival). Many professional gamers suggest choosing promotions like Indie (performs in Theater Squares) or Goes to 11 (performs at Wonders) to maximize the Tourism generated per concert. A successful concert in a city with your Film Studio’s influence can generate tens of thousands of Tourism.
• Policy Cards: Slot in Heritage Tourism (+50% Tourism from Great Works of Art & Artifacts), Satellite Broadcasts (+200% Tourism from Great Works of Music and all Rock Band performances), and Environmentalism (+100% Tourism from National Parks and Seaside Resorts) to achieve victory.

Path of the Warlord: Rough Rider Teddy’s Domination Victory

The Rough Rider persona of Teddy Roosevelt is a classic “speak softly and carry a big stick” leader. This playstyle is focused on aggressive expansion, continental dominance, and leveraging a powerful mid-game unique unit to cripple opponents.

The Core Mechanic: Roosevelt Corollary and Big Stick Ideology

Rough Rider Teddy’s abilities create a fearsome military advantage, particularly on his home turf.

• Roosevelt Corollary (Leader Ability):
  • Units gain +5 Combat Strength on their home continent.
  • A free Envoy when you send a Trade Route to a City-State for the first time.
  • Unlocks the Rough Rider unique unit with Rifling technology.
• Big Stick Ideology (Agenda):
  • Likes peaceful civilizations that have a city on his home continent.
  • Dislikes civilizations who start wars on his continent.
  • Grants an additional +5 Combat Strength to all units against major civilizations and City-States that have a city on your capital’s continent.

The Combined Effect: When fighting another civilization on your starting continent, your units gain a staggering +10 Combat Strength. This is a massive, game-changing bonus that makes early- and mid-game wars highly favorable.

Early Game Strategy (Ancient to Classical Era)

Objective: Build a strong military and production base to conquer your nearest neighbor and secure your home continent.

• Scouting and Target Identification: Your first priority is to explore your home continent and identify your neighbors. Determine which one is the most vulnerable or has the most valuable land. Unlike Bull Moose, you are not looking for Appeal; you are looking for strategic resources (Horses, Iron), production-rich terrain (Hills), and a clear path for your armies.
• Tech and Civic Path:
  • Technology: The path is purely military. Archery -> Bronze Working -> Horseback Riding -> Iron Working. Secure the ability to build a diverse and powerful early army.
  • Civics: Code of Laws -> Craftsmanship (for the Agoge policy card: +50% production toward ancient and classical melee and ranged units) -> Military Tradition (for flanking and support bonuses, and Great General points).
• Build Order and First War:
  • A common build order on forums is Slinger -> Slinger -> Warrior -> Settler. Once you have a few ranged units, upgrade them to Archers. With the +10 Combat Strength bonus, an army of 3-4 Archers and 2-3 Warriors can conquer a neighboring capital in the Ancient or Classical era.
  • Use the Founding Fathers ability to your advantage. Rush the Oligarchy government. The legacy bonus is +20% unit combat experience, and it provides a +4 Combat Strength bonus to your melee units, stacking with your other bonuses to create incredibly powerful early soldiers.
• Leveraging Envoys: The free Envoy from a trade route is a significant diplomatic tool. Send your first trader to a military or industrial City-State (like Preslav or Brussels) to gain early suzerainty. This provides you with extra units or a production bonus to your wonders and military buildings, further fueling your war machine.

Mid-Game Continental Conquest (Medieval to Industrial Era)

Objective: Press your advantage with the arrival of the Rough Rider and complete the subjugation of your home continent.

• The Rough Rider Power Spike: The Rough Rider is a unique Industrial Era cavalry unit. Its abilities are exceptional:
  • +10 Combat Strength when fighting on Hills.
  • Generates Culture equal to 50% of the defeated unit’s Combat Strength when it gets a kill on a foreign continent.
  • Low maintenance cost.
• Synergistic Warfare: The true power emerges when these abilities combine. A Rough Rider fighting on a hill on your home continent against another civ from that continent will have: Base Strength + 10 (Home Continent) + 10 (Hills). This allows them to trade blows with units from a full era ahead. Veteran players suggest using them as fast, hard-hitting “shock troops” to eliminate enemy ranged and siege units.
• Building Your War Machine: Focus on production. Build Industrial Zones with Workshops and Factories. Use policy cards like Chivalry (+100% production toward cavalry units) and later Logistics (doubles strategic resource stockpiles) to field a large army. Establish Encampments in every city to generate Great Generals, who will further boost your Rough Riders.
• Governors:
  • Victor (the Castellan): Plant him in a newly conquered city or a forward base to increase its loyalty, defensibility, and provide a Combat Strength bonus to units trained there.
  • Amani (the Diplomat): Use her to instantly become Suzerain of key City-States just before a war, either to gain their unique bonus or to levy their military for a surprise attack.

Late Game Global Projection (Modern to Future Era)

Objective: Transition from a continental power to a global hegemon, using your superior technology and unique units to achieve a Domination Victory.

• From Land to Air and Sea: Once your home continent is secure, your +10 Combat Strength bonus vanishes for offensive wars abroad. This is where your other uniques take over. You must pivot to building a powerful Navy and Air Force.
  • P-51 Mustang Dominance: Your late-game military advantage shifts to the skies. As detailed earlier, the P-51 Mustang will establish air superiority, allowing your Bombers to decimate enemy cities and armies.
  • The American Navy: Build a fleet of Battleships and Aircraft Carriers. A Carrier loaded with P-51s and Bombers is the ultimate power projection tool, capable of striking anywhere on the map.
• Managing a Global Empire: Conquering the world creates logistical challenges, primarily with Amenities and loyalty. This is where America’s other uniques provide surprising utility.
  • Film Studios for Amenities: Even in a Domination game, a Film Studio can be useful. The Tourism it generates provides a small but noticeable boost to Amenities in cities with high culture, helping to keep your sprawling empire happy and productive.
  • Culture from Kills: The Rough Rider’s ability to generate Culture from kills on foreign continents helps you keep pace in the Civics tree, unlocking powerful late-game governments like Fascism or Communism and crucial policy cards without needing to build many Theater Squares.
• Final Push: Combine your land armies (now upgraded to Tanks and Modern Armor), your navy, and your unrivaled air force to systematically eliminate the remaining capitals for a decisive Domination Victory.

Advanced Strategies and Synergies

Beyond the two primary paths, America’s toolkit allows for flexibility and powerful cross-synergies.

The Science Victory Pivot

America is a top-tier Science Victory civilization, and both leaders can pursue it effectively.

• Bull Moose Science: The +2 Science from Breathtaking tiles near mountains can provide a massive early boost, rivaling dedicated science civs like Korea. This early lead can be used to rush key technologies like Education for Universities and then pivot towards the Space Race techs. The high culture output also helps unlock powerful science-boosting policy cards faster.
• Rough Rider Science: A Domination-focused game naturally leads to a large empire with many cities. Once the home continent is conquered, these cities can be repurposed to build Campuses and Spaceports. The production base built for war is easily converted to building spaceship parts. The P-51 Mustang is crucial for defending your Spaceports from late-game aggression while you launch your mission to Mars.

Wonder Selection and Placement

Strategic Wonder choice is paramount. Player communities have identified key Wonders for each playstyle:

• For Bull Moose (Culture):
  • Oracle: The bonus Great Person Points are invaluable for recruiting Great Writers, Artists, and Musicians.
  • Apadana: Generates Envoys when you build Wonders, helping you become suzerain of cultural City-States.
  • Bolshoi Theatre / Broadway: Provide free Great Works and slots to house them, directly fueling your Tourism.
• For Rough Rider (Domination):
  • Terracotta Army: Grants a promotion level to all of your current units, an incredible boost for an early conquering army.
  • Alhambra: Provides an extra military policy slot and Great General points, enhancing your military flexibility and leadership.
  • Forbidden City: The extra Wildcard slot synergizes perfectly with the “Founding Fathers” ability, granting more Diplomatic Favor and accelerating legacy bonuses.

The Diplomatic Game: Kilwa Kisiwani and Founding Fathers

The Wonder Kilwa Kisiwani is exceptionally powerful for America. It provides a +15% yield bonus of a specific type (e.g., Science, Culture, Gold) to all cities in your empire for each City-State of that type you are the Suzerain of. Because Rough Rider Teddy gains free Envoys from trade routes, he can easily become the Suzerain of two scientific City-States, which Kilwa then translates into a permanent +30% science boost across his entire empire. The wildcard slot from “Founding Fathers” can be used for the Diplomatic League policy card, granting even more influence and making it easier to maintain suzerainty.

Conclusion: The Versatile Superpower

America in Civilization VI, under either guise of Teddy Roosevelt, is a powerhouse of versatility and focused strength. The civilization’s design rewards strategic planning and a deep understanding of its interconnected abilities. The Bull Moose path offers a masterclass in peaceful expansion, turning the very beauty of the world into a weapon of cultural influence. It demands foresight in city planning and a keen eye for terrain, culminating in a satisfying and potent late-game tourism avalanche. Conversely, the Rough Rider path is a study in calculated aggression and overwhelming force. It teaches players the art of the power spike, leveraging a massive home-continent advantage to build an unstoppable military machine that first secures its borders, then projects its might across the globe.

Whether you choose to inspire the world with National Parks and Film Studios or command it with Rough Riders and P-51 Mustangs, America provides the tools for victory. Success lies in recognizing the distinct demands of each leader, committing to a coherent strategy from the outset, and executing it with analytical precision.