A cultural victory in Civilization 6 is a testament to a civilization’s global influence, and few leaders can achieve it with the sheer thematic and mechanical elegance of Bull Moose Teddy Roosevelt. While his early game might seem unassuming, his unique abilities synergize to create a late-game tourism powerhouse, with the Film Studio unique building as the capstone of this strategy. This guide will provide a comprehensive, in-depth analysis of how to leverage Teddy’s strengths to their fullest, transforming your civilization into a global cultural icon.
The Bull Moose Advantage: Understanding Teddy’s Unique Abilities
Success with Teddy begins with a deep understanding of his unique abilities. While the Rough Rider persona offers military advantages, the Bull Moose persona is tailor-made for a cultural victory, and will be the focus of this guide.
Roosevelt Corollary: Painting the Landscape with Yields
The cornerstone of Bull Moose Teddy’s strategy is his “Roosevelt Corollary” ability. This ability provides +2 Science to tiles with Breathtaking Appeal if they are adjacent to a Mountain or Natural Wonder, and +2 Culture if they are adjacent to Woods or a Wonder. Furthermore, cities with a National Park gain +1 Appeal to all their tiles. This ability is not just a passive bonus; it should dictate your entire expansion and city development strategy.
From the very first settler, you should be actively seeking out locations with high potential for Appeal. Analysis on forums shows that players who prioritize high-Appeal locations from the start of the game have a significantly higher success rate with Bull Moose Teddy.
Founding Fathers: Accelerating Your Government
Teddy’s “Founding Fathers” ability allows you to earn all government legacy bonuses in half the usual time. This provides a significant advantage in the mid to late game, allowing you to quickly unlock powerful policy card slots and bonuses. This flexibility is crucial for adapting your government to the needs of a cultural victory, allowing you to slot in tourism-boosting policies as soon as they become available.
The Film Studio: America’s Cultural Weapon
The Film Studio is the unique building that replaces the Broadcast Center in the Theater Square. Its primary benefit is a staggering +100% tourism pressure from the city in which it is built towards other civilizations in the Modern Era. This is not a small bonus; it effectively doubles the entire tourism output of that city. A popular strategy is to build Film Studios in every city with a Theater Square, creating a wave of cultural influence that is difficult for other civilizations to resist.
In addition to its tourism bonus, the Film Studio also provides +4 Culture, +1 Citizen slot, +1 Great Artist point per turn, and +2 Great Musician points per turn, and +1 Great Work of Music slot. This makes it a powerful building in its own right, further accelerating your cultural output and Great Person generation.
Early Game Strategy: Laying the Foundation for a Cultural Empire
The early game with Bull Moose Teddy is a delicate balancing act. You need to expand your empire, defend against early aggression, and lay the groundwork for your late-game tourism engine.
Settling for Success: The Art of City Placement
Your initial city placement is critical. You should be looking for locations with a high concentration of tiles with Breathtaking Appeal. According to the player community, the ideal starting location for Bull Moose Teddy is near a mountain range with plenty of woods. This will allow you to maximize the science and culture yields from the Roosevelt Corollary.
When expanding, continue to prioritize high-Appeal locations. Settle near Natural Wonders whenever possible, as they provide a significant boost to Appeal and can be powerful sources of tourism in their own right. Many professional gamers suggest settling cities 5-6 tiles apart to maximize the potential for National Parks later in the game.
Early Wonders and Districts: Building for the Future
In the early game, you should prioritize building Theater Squares in all of your cities. These are the foundation for your late-game Film Studios. You should also focus on generating Great Writers, Artists, and Musicians to fill your museums and create Great Works. The Oracle is a powerful early-game wonder that can significantly boost your Great Person generation.
While it may be tempting to focus solely on cultural districts, it is important to also build up your faith generation. A popular strategy is to build an early Holy Site and choose the Earth Goddess pantheon, which provides +1 Faith from tiles with Breathtaking Appeal. This faith will be crucial for purchasing Naturalists in the mid to late game.
Mid Game Strategy: The Rise of National Parks
The mid-game is where Bull Moose Teddy’s strategy really starts to come together. This is the era of National Parks, and you should be prepared to take full advantage of them.
The Conservation Civic: Unlocking Your Tourism Potential
The Conservation civic is a key turning point for Bull Moose Teddy. It unlocks the ability to purchase Naturalists with Faith, which are used to create National Parks. It also allows you to plant forests, which can be used to increase the Appeal of tiles.
Before you unlock Conservation, you should be actively identifying potential locations for National Parks. A National Park must be a diamond shape of four unimproved tiles, all with at least Charming Appeal. You should avoid placing districts or improvements that reduce Appeal, such as Industrial Zones and Mines, near potential National Park sites.
The Power of National Parks: Your Primary Tourism Engine
Each National Park generates tourism equal to the total Appeal of its four tiles. With Bull Moose Teddy’s +1 Appeal bonus to all tiles in a city with a National Park, it is possible to create National Parks that generate 20 or more tourism per turn.
A popular strategy is to “spam” National Parks across your empire. The more National Parks you have, the more tourism you will generate. You should use your accumulated Faith to purchase as many Naturalists as you can and create as many National Parks as possible.
Late Game Strategy: Lights, Camera, Action!
The late game is where Bull Moose Teddy truly shines. With a network of National Parks and the powerful Film Studio unique building, you will be able to generate a massive amount of tourism and secure a cultural victory.
Rushing Radio: Unlocking the Film Studio
Your top priority in the late game should be to research the Radio technology. This unlocks the Film Studio, which is the key to your cultural victory. Once you have researched Radio, you should immediately begin building Film Studios in all of your cities with Theater Squares.
If you have a large treasury, many professional gamers suggest purchasing Film Studios outright in your highest-tourism cities. This will allow you to get their powerful tourism bonus online as quickly as possible.
Maximizing Your Tourism Output: The Final Push
With your Film Studios in place, your tourism output will skyrocket. However, there are still a few things you can do to maximize your cultural influence and secure your victory.
- Seaside Resorts: Build Seaside Resorts on high-Appeal coastal tiles for additional tourism.
- Tourism Policy Cards: Implement powerful policy cards like “Heritage Tourism” (+100% tourism from Great Works of Art and Artifacts) and “Satellite Broadcasts” (doubles tourism from Great Works of Music).
- Great Musicians: Use Great Musicians to perform concerts in other civilizations. This provides a significant one-time burst of tourism. Target the civilization with the highest number of domestic tourists to outpace them.
- Open Borders: Maintain open borders with all other civilizations to gain a tourism bonus.
Advanced Strategies and Synergies
For players looking to take their Bull Moose Teddy game to the next level, there are a number of advanced strategies and synergies to consider.
The Eiffel Tower: A Global Appeal Boost
The Eiffel Tower is a must-build wonder for Bull Moose Teddy. It provides a global +2 Appeal to all tiles in your empire, which can significantly increase the tourism output of your National Parks and Seaside Resorts. Analysis on forums shows that players who build the Eiffel Tower are significantly more likely to win a cultural victory with Bull Moose Teddy.
Voidsingers: The Power of Relics
If you are playing with the Secret Societies game mode, the Voidsingers are an incredibly powerful choice for Bull Moose Teddy. The Voidsingers allow you to generate Relics, which provide a significant amount of faith and tourism. This tourism is then doubled by your Film Studios, creating an unstoppable engine of cultural influence.
Preserves: Supercharging Your Yields
The Preserve district is another powerful tool for Bull Moose Teddy. Preserves significantly boost the Appeal of adjacent tiles and provide strong yields based on Appeal. A popular strategy is to place Preserves in locations that will boost the Appeal of potential National Park sites.
Conclusion
A cultural victory with Bull Moose Teddy Roosevelt is one of the most satisfying experiences in Civilization 6. By understanding his unique abilities, leveraging the power of the Film Studio, and carefully planning your expansion and city development, you can create a cultural empire that will stand the test of time. From the early game focus on high-Appeal tiles to the late-game explosion of tourism from National Parks and Film Studios, every stage of the game is a step towards a glorious cultural victory. By following the strategies outlined in this guide, you will be well on your way to achieving your own cultural masterpiece.