Civ 6 Scotland Guide: Robert the Bruce Strategy (Science & Production)

The Scottish Enlightenment: Your Engine of Progress

At the heart of Scotland’s strategic identity lies the Scottish Enlightenment ability. This unique trait is the central pillar upon which your entire strategy will be built. It dictates that happy cities gain a +5% bonus to both Science and Production, and ecstatic cities double that bonus to a staggering +10%. Furthermore, happy cities generate an additional Great Scientist point from each Campus and a Great Engineer point from each Industrial Zone. In ecstatic cities, these Great Person points are also doubled.

Understanding and mastering this mechanic is non-negotiable for a successful Scottish game. It creates a powerful feedback loop: happy citizens lead to faster scientific advancement and industrial output, which in turn provides the means to further increase happiness and expand your empire’s capabilities. Many professional gamers suggest that a player’s primary focus, from the first turn to the last, should be the acquisition and management of Amenities, the resource that fuels citizen happiness.

Mastering Amenities: The Pursuit of Ecstasy

To unlock the full potential of the Scottish Enlightenment, achieving and maintaining ecstatic status in your cities is paramount. This requires a multi-pronged approach to amenity management:

• Luxury Resources: From the outset, your exploration should be geared towards discovering and acquiring a diverse range of luxury resources. Each unique luxury provides amenities to a set number of cities. It is a common strategy to trade duplicate luxury resources with other civilizations to obtain those you lack, ensuring a wider variety and thus more amenities for your growing empire.
• Entertainment Complexes and Water Parks: These districts are not optional for Scotland; they are essential infrastructure. An early Entertainment Complex in your capital or a strategically placed one covering multiple cities can be a game-changer. The Zoo and Stadium buildings within the Entertainment Complex, and the buildings in the Water Park, provide area-of-effect amenities, making them incredibly efficient for keeping your populace content.
• The Golf Course: Scotland’s unique improvement, the Golf Course, is a cornerstone of its amenity strategy. Unlocked at the Reformed Church civic, each Golf Course provides a crucial +2 amenities, in addition to gold and culture. A popular strategy is to build a Golf Course in every city, as the amenity bonus is a direct and reliable way to push your cities from happy to ecstatic.
• Wonders and Policies: Certain Wonders, like the Colosseum, are exceptionally powerful for Scotland, providing a significant boost to amenities in multiple cities. Later in the game, the Estádio do Maracanã can provide a global amenity bonus. Policy cards that increase amenities from various sources should also be prioritized throughout the game.

Bannockburn: The Double-Edged Sword of Liberation

Robert the Bruce’s leader ability, Bannockburn, offers a tantalizingly powerful, yet situational, bonus. It allows you to declare a War of Liberation much earlier than other civilizations and, for the 10 turns following the declaration, your cities gain an incredible +100% production bonus and your units gain +2 movement.

While the prospect of doubling your production is alluring, the player community generally advises against building your entire strategy around Bannockburn. The conditions for a War of Liberation are specific: an enemy must have captured a city from a civilization with whom you are friends or allies. Instead, it is more prudent to view Bannockburn as a powerful opportunistic tool. To increase the likelihood of its availability, cultivate friendships with your neighbors and keep a close watch on global conflicts. When the opportunity arises, a well-timed War of Liberation can be used to:

• Rapidly build districts and wonders.
• Churn out a formidable army in a short period.
• Accelerate the construction of late-game space race projects.

A popular strategy is to prepare for a potential Bannockburn by pre-planning production queues in your cities. When you declare the War of Liberation, you can then switch your cities to producing high-cost items, effectively getting 10 turns of double output.

Early Game (Ancient to Classical Era): Laying the Foundation

The early game for Scotland is a delicate balancing act between expansion and ensuring the happiness of your fledgling cities. Your primary objective is to establish a solid economic and scientific foundation.

• Initial Build Order and Exploration: A common opening is to build a Scout, followed by a Slinger, and then a Settler. Aggressive exploration is key to finding tribal villages, discovering new civilizations for trade, and, most importantly, locating luxury resources.
• Early Research and Civics: Your first research priority should be Writing, to unlock the Campus district. Following that, focus on technologies that allow you to improve the luxury resources you have discovered. For civics, a rush to Political Philosophy to establish your first government is a widely recommended strategy.
• District Placement: Prioritize the construction of Campuses in all of your cities, ideally with adjacency bonuses from mountains or geothermal fissures. An early Entertainment Complex can also be a wise investment to secure ecstatic status in your core cities as soon as possible.

Mid Game (Medieval to Industrial Era): The Engine of Progress

The mid-game is where Scotland truly begins to come into its own. Your early investments in happiness and infrastructure will start to pay significant dividends.

• Consolidation and Expansion: Aim for an empire of around 8-12 well-developed cities. This “tall” approach is often more effective for Scotland than a sprawling “wide” empire, as it is easier to maintain high amenity levels across a smaller number of cities.
• District Focus: Continue to prioritize the construction of Campuses and Industrial Zones. The synergy between these two districts, amplified by the Scottish Enlightenment, will create a powerful engine of scientific and industrial progress.
• The Highlander and the Golf Course: The Highlander, Scotland’s unique Industrial Era recon unit, is a capable defender, especially in hills and forests. While not a game-changing offensive unit, it can be useful for protecting your borders. The Golf Course, unlocked in this era, is a critical component of your strategy and should be built in every city to maximize amenities.
• Key Wonders: The University of Sankore and Oxford University are excellent wonders to further boost your scientific output. The Ruhr Valley, which provides a significant production bonus, is also a prime target for a production-focused Scottish empire.

Late Game (Modern to Future Era): The Path to Victory

By the late game, your scientific and production advantages should be substantial, placing you in a prime position to secure victory.

• The Science Victory: This is Scotland’s most natural and powerful victory path. Your high science output will allow you to race through the technology tree, while your immense production capacity, fueled by ecstatic cities and potentially a late-game Bannockburn, will enable you to complete the space race projects with unparalleled speed. Many professional gamers suggest saving a War of Liberation opportunity for the late game, as the production bonus can be used to complete multiple space projects in a single 10-turn burst.
• Production-Focused Domination: While a full-scale domination victory can be challenging due to the war weariness mechanic negatively impacting your amenities, a late-game production-focused military push is a viable option. Your technological superiority should allow you to field advanced units that can overwhelm your opponents.
• Late-Game Governance: Your choice of government in the late game should align with your victory condition. Democracy is a strong choice for a science victory, offering valuable economic policy slots. For a more production-heavy approach, Communism provides a significant production bonus that stacks with your other advantages.

The Power of a Happy and Productive People

Leading Scotland to victory in Civilization VI is a testament to the power of a happy and productive populace. By meticulously managing your amenities and leveraging the potent synergy of the Scottish Enlightenment, you can create an unstoppable engine of science and industry. While the allure of military conquest may tempt other leaders, Robert the Bruce’s true strength lies in his ability to cultivate a thriving, ecstatic civilization that out-thinks and out-builds all rivals. The path of the Scottish Enlightenment is a patient one, requiring careful planning and a long-term vision, but the rewards are a victory that is both intellectually satisfying and demonstrative of a truly advanced and prosperous empire.