The Roosevelt Corollary to Cultural Dominance
In the grand strategy of Civilization 6, a Culture Victory is often seen as a delicate dance of diplomacy, art, and influence. It requires a leader who can not only inspire their own people but also project their nation’s values across the globe. Enter Teddy Roosevelt, a leader whose unique abilities make him a powerhouse for achieving cultural hegemony. While other leaders may dabble in tourism, Roosevelt’s entire design is geared towards a tidal wave of cultural influence, making him one of the most satisfying and effective choices for a Culture Victory. This guide will provide a definitive, in-depth strategy for leveraging Teddy Roosevelt’s strengths to their fullest potential, transforming your civilization into a global cultural icon.
Understanding Teddy’s Toolkit: The Path to Victory
Before diving into the specifics of strategy, it’s crucial to understand the tools at your disposal. Teddy Roosevelt’s abilities are not just a collection of disparate bonuses; they are a synergistic set of advantages that, when used in concert, create an unstoppable engine of tourism.
- Roosevelt Corollary: This leader bonus is the cornerstone of Teddy’s cultural strategy. It provides a +1 Appeal to all tiles in a city with a National Park. This seemingly small bonus has a cascading effect, making it easier to create more National Parks and boosting the tourism output of Seaside Resorts. Analysis on forums shows that this ability is what elevates Roosevelt from a good cultural leader to a great one.
- Founding Fathers: This civilization ability allows you to earn Government Legacy bonuses in half the time. This means you can quickly stack powerful, permanent bonuses to your civilization, from extra influence points to increased production. Many professional gamers suggest that this ability is often underestimated, but it provides a significant and sustained advantage throughout the game.
- Film Studio: This unique building, which replaces the Broadcast Center, is the late-game powerhouse of your cultural machine. It doubles the tourism generated in its city. When placed in a city already brimming with National Parks, Wonders, and Great Works, the Film Studio can single-handedly generate enormous amounts of tourism.
- Rough Rider: While primarily a military unit, the Rough Rider’s ability to generate Culture when defeating units on your home continent should not be overlooked. This can provide a valuable cultural boost in the early to mid-game, especially if you need to defend against aggressive neighbors.
The Early Game: Laying the Foundation for a Cultural Empire (Ancient to Classical Era)
The early game is not about generating tourism; it’s about creating the conditions for a tourism explosion in the later eras. Your primary focus should be on expansion, city placement, and building a solid cultural and faith-based infrastructure.
Expansion and City Placement: The Art of the Land Grab
A popular strategy is to leverage Roosevelt’s +5 combat strength on his home continent to secure a large and contiguous territory. Don’t be afraid to be aggressive in your expansion, settling new cities and claiming as much land as possible. The more land you have, the more opportunities you’ll have to create National Parks later in the game.
When settling new cities, prioritize locations with high natural Appeal. Settle near mountains, rivers, coasts, and natural wonders. Avoid settling near tiles that have negative Appeal, such as rainforests, marshes, and floodplains. Use the Appeal lens to identify the most promising locations. According to the player community, a common mistake is to focus too much on immediate resource yields and not enough on long-term Appeal.
Building Your Cultural and Faith Infrastructure
Once you have a solid territorial base, it’s time to start building the districts that will fuel your cultural victory.
- Theater Squares: Every city should have a Theater Square. This is non-negotiable. Theater Squares are your primary source of Culture and Great Writer, Artist, and Musician points. Place them adjacent to Wonders and Entertainment Complexes to maximize their adjacency bonuses.
- Holy Sites: While you don’t need to found a religion, you absolutely need to generate Faith. Faith is the currency you’ll use to purchase Naturalists, the units that create National Parks. Build Holy Sites in several of your cities, and prioritize buildings that increase Faith output, such as Shrines and Temples.
Choosing Your Government and Pantheon
For your first government, the Classical Republic is the ideal choice. Its bonuses to Great Person generation and amenities will give you a strong start. Thanks to the Founding Fathers ability, you’ll quickly earn its powerful legacy bonus.
For your Pantheon, there are a few strong choices. Earth Goddess provides +1 Faith from tiles with Breathtaking Appeal, which synergizes perfectly with your high-Appeal strategy. Religious Settlements provides a free Settler and increased border expansion, which can be invaluable for early expansion.
The Mid-Game: The National Park Rush (Medieval to Industrial Era)
The mid-game is where your strategy begins to pivot from preparation to active tourism generation. Your primary goal is to unlock the Conservation civic and begin creating National Parks.
The Road to Conservation
The Conservation civic, which unlocks the Naturalist unit, should be your primary focus in the mid-game. Prioritize the civics that lead to it. At the same time, you should be researching the Flight technology. Flight is a game-changer for a Culture Victory, as it grants tourism from any improvement that generates Culture.
The Art of the National Park
National Parks are the heart of your tourism strategy. A National Park is a special tile improvement that can be created by a Naturalist on a vertical diamond of four tiles that meet the following criteria:
- All four tiles must belong to the same city.
- All four tiles must have an Appeal of “Charming” or better.
- The tiles must be unimproved (no farms, mines, etc.).
- The tiles must be owned by your civilization.
Thanks to the Roosevelt Corollary, your cities with National Parks will have a +1 Appeal bonus on all their tiles, making it even easier to create more National Parks.
Maximizing Your National Park Output
- Identify Potential Locations Early: Use the Appeal lens and map pins to identify potential National Park locations long before you unlock the Conservation civic. This will help you avoid placing districts or improvements on those tiles.
- Boost Appeal: If a tile’s Appeal is not high enough, you can plant woods (with the Medieval Faires civic) to increase it. Removing improvements that lower Appeal, such as mines and quarries, can also help.
- The Eiffel Tower: The Eiffel Tower is a must-build Wonder for a Teddy Roosevelt Culture Victory. It provides +2 Appeal to every tile in your empire, which is a massive boost to your National Park and Seaside Resort tourism.
Seaside Resorts: Your Coastal Tourism Engine
Once you research the Radio technology, you can build Seaside Resorts on coastal tiles with an Appeal of “Breathtaking.” These improvements generate tourism based on the Appeal of the tile. With the Eiffel Tower and the Roosevelt Corollary, your coastal tiles can become incredibly valuable sources of tourism.
The Late Game: Achieving Cultural Dominance (Modern to Atomic Era and Beyond)
The late game is where all your careful planning and preparation pay off. With a network of National Parks, Seaside Resorts, and a steady stream of Great Works, you’ll be well on your way to a Culture Victory. But to secure your win, you’ll need to leverage your unique abilities and make a final push for tourism dominance.
The Film Studio: Your Tourism Multiplier
The Film Studio is the final piece of your cultural puzzle. Build it in your cities with the highest tourism output, especially those with multiple National Parks and Wonders. The 100% tourism bonus it provides is simply unmatched. A popular strategy is to focus your late-game production on building Film Studios in all of your major cultural centers.
Rock Bands: Your Tourism Shock Troops
Rock Bands, which can be purchased with Faith, are a powerful tool for generating massive bursts of tourism in a short amount of time. Send them to the civilizations with the highest Culture output (your main rivals for a Culture Victory). Choose promotions that increase their tourism output, such as “Indie” (performs in Theater Squares) and “Album Cover Art” (generates a Great Work of Art).
Wonders of the World: Your Cultural Landmarks
While you shouldn’t neglect your core infrastructure to chase every Wonder, there are a few that are particularly valuable for a Teddy Roosevelt Culture Victory.
- Eiffel Tower: As mentioned earlier, this is a must-build.
- Cristo Redentor: This Wonder doubles the tourism from your Seaside Resorts and removes the tourism penalty from the Enlightenment civic.
- Sydney Opera House: A late-game Wonder that provides a significant boost to your Great Musician point generation and provides slots for their Great Works.
- Bolshoi Theatre: An excellent mid-game wonder for generating Great Writer and Musician points.
Theming Your Museums: The Final Touch
Don’t forget to theme your Museums and Art Galleries. A themed museum (three Great Works of the same type from different artists) receives a significant tourism bonus. Use the trade screen to swap Great Works with other civilizations to complete your themes.
Conclusion: A New Manifest Destiny
A Culture Victory with Teddy Roosevelt is a deeply rewarding experience. It’s a victory that is not won through conquest or technological superiority, but through the power of ideas, art, and natural beauty. By following this guide, you’ll be able to transform your civilization into a cultural beacon, a nation whose influence is felt in every corner of the globe. From the majestic beauty of your National Parks to the silver screen glamour of your Film Studios, your civilization will be a testament to the enduring power of culture. The world will be your audience, and they will be captivated.