The late-game in Civilization 6 is a tense and exhilarating race to one of several victory conditions. For players leading the American civilization under Teddy Roosevelt, the path to victory is often paved with culture, national parks, and a strong sense of continental identity. This guide provides an in-depth analysis of how to leverage Teddy Roosevelt’s unique abilities to secure a decisive late-game victory.
The Two Faces of Teddy: Bull Moose vs. Rough Rider
Before delving into late-game specifics, it’s crucial to understand the two distinct versions of Teddy Roosevelt, as your strategy will diverge significantly based on which one you’re playing.
- Rough Rider Teddy: This is the original version of the leader. His “Roosevelt Corollary” ability grants a +5 combat strength bonus to all units on your home continent. This version of Teddy is geared towards a more defensive and continental-focused playstyle, with a strong mid-game military advantage.
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Bull Moose Teddy: This version, introduced in the Gathering Storm expansion, possesses the “Antiquities and Parks” ability. This ability grants +2 Science to tiles with Breathtaking appeal adjacent to a Natural Wonder or Mountain, and +2 Culture to tiles with Breathtaking appeal adjacent to a Wonder or Woods. This makes Bull Moose Teddy a powerhouse of passive yield generation, heavily favoring a Cultural Victory.
This guide will primarily focus on the Bull Moose Teddy’s path to a Cultural Victory, as it is the more nuanced and powerful late-game strategy. However, we will also explore the Rough Rider’s potential for a Domination Victory.
The Cultural Victory Path: A Symphony of Appeal and Tourism
A Cultural Victory with Bull Moose Teddy is a game of meticulous planning and maximizing tile appeal. Your goal is to generate more tourism than any other civilization has domestic tourists. Here’s how to do it.
Mastering the Art of Appeal
Appeal is the cornerstone of a Bull Moose Teddy playthrough. The “Antiquities and Parks” ability transforms high-appeal tiles into yield-generating powerhouses. The key is to identify and create tiles with “Breathtaking” appeal (an appeal value of 4 or higher).
Factors Influencing Appeal:
- Positive Modifiers:
- Natural Wonders, Mountains, Coasts, Rivers, Lakes, and Woods: These natural features are your best friends. Settling near them is paramount.
- Holy Sites, Theater Squares, Entertainment Complexes, and Water Parks: These districts increase the appeal of adjacent tiles.
- Wonders: Most wonders provide a bonus to adjacent tile appeal.
- Preserves: This district is a game-changer for Bull Moose Teddy. It grants +1 appeal to adjacent tiles and its buildings (the Grove and Sanctuary) provide bonus yields to adjacent unimproved tiles.
- Eiffel Tower: This wonder is a must-build. It provides +2 appeal to every tile in your empire.
- Negative Modifiers:
- Industrial Zones, Encampments, Aerodromes, and Spaceports: These districts reduce the appeal of adjacent tiles. Plan their placement carefully, away from your planned National Parks and high-appeal areas.
- Mines, Quarries, and Oil Wells: These improvements also reduce appeal.
- Rainforests and Marshes: These features have a negative impact on appeal. It’s often wise to clear them.
Community-Endorsed Appeal Stacking Strategies:
- The Preserve Triangle: A popular strategy is to place three Preserves in a triangular formation, creating a cluster of high-appeal tiles in the center. This allows you to maximize the number of tiles benefiting from the Preserve’s bonus.
- The “Green Wall” Technique: Analysis on forums shows that planting forests with the Conservation civic is a powerful way to boost appeal across your empire. A common tactic is to create “green walls” of forests around your cities and National Parks.
- City Park Spam: Many professional gamers suggest using City Parks, which provide a significant +2 appeal bonus to adjacent tiles, to quickly boost the appeal of key areas.
The National Park Engine
National Parks are your primary engine of tourism generation. They are created by a Naturalist unit (purchased with Faith) on a diamond-shaped cluster of four contiguous tiles that meet the following criteria:
- All four tiles must be owned by the same city.
- All four tiles must have an appeal of “Charming” (+2) or better.
- None of the tiles can have an improvement or district on them.
Optimizing National Park Placement:
- Plan Ahead: From the moment you settle a city, you should be identifying potential National Park locations. Use the appeal lens to visualize tile appeal and plan your district and improvement placement accordingly.
- The “Tile Swap” Maneuver: A crucial technique highlighted by the player community is the ability to swap tiles between cities. If you have a perfect diamond of tiles for a National Park, but they are owned by different cities, you can swap them to a single city to make the park eligible.
- Forcing the Naturalist’s Hand: Sometimes, a Naturalist will highlight a less-than-ideal location for a National Park. A clever trick is to temporarily build an improvement on one of the tiles in the undesirable diamond. This will invalidate that location and force the Naturalist to suggest an alternative.
The Faith-Fueled Tourism Machine
Faith is the fuel for your tourism machine. You’ll need a steady and substantial income of Faith to purchase the Naturalists and Rock Bands that are essential for a late-game Cultural Victory.
- Holy Sites: Build Holy Sites in as many cities as possible. Prioritize adjacency bonuses from mountains and natural wonders.
- The Earth Goddess Pantheon: This pantheon is a top-tier choice for Bull Moose Teddy, providing +1 Faith from tiles with Breathtaking appeal.
- Religious Wonders: Wonders like the Hagia Sophia and the Mahabodhi Temple can provide significant boosts to your Faith generation.
The Late-Game Tourism Blitz
Once you have a solid foundation of high appeal, National Parks, and Faith generation, it’s time to unleash the late-game tourism blitz.
- Film Studios: This unique American building replaces the Broadcast Center and doubles the tourism output of the city it’s in. Build them in every city, especially those with National Parks.
- Rock Bands: These Faith-purchased units are your late-game tourism shock troops. They can perform concerts in other civilizations’ cities, generating massive bursts of tourism.
- The Computer Technology: Researching the Computer technology is a critical late-game milestone, as it doubles your civilization’s overall tourism output.
- Seaside Resorts: Build these improvements on high-appeal coastal tiles to further boost your tourism.
The Domination Victory Path: A Continental Conquest
While the Cultural Victory is Teddy’s forte, the Rough Rider version of the leader is a formidable force on his home continent, making a Domination Victory a viable alternative.
The Roosevelt Corollary in Action
The +5 combat strength bonus on your home continent is a significant advantage. It makes your units tougher to kill and more effective in combat. This allows you to play a more aggressive early and mid-game, with the goal of consolidating control of your continent.
The Rough Rider and P-51 Mustang Onslaught
- Rough Riders: This unique cavalry unit is a powerhouse on your home continent. With a +10 combat bonus on hills and the ability to generate culture from kills, they are perfect for overwhelming your continental rivals.
- P-51 Mustangs: This unique air unit replaces the Fighter and has a higher combat strength and an extended range. A popular strategy is to use them in conjunction with Rough Riders for a combined arms assault that can devastate enemy forces.
The Continental Fortress
Once you have secured your home continent, you can pivot to a different victory condition or continue your global conquest. Your continent becomes a fortress, with the Roosevelt Corollary providing a powerful defensive bonus.
The Science Victory: A Secondary Path
A Science Victory is not Teddy’s primary strength, but it is achievable. The key is to leverage his defensive abilities to protect your scientific endeavors.
- The Defensive Advantage: The Roosevelt Corollary can be used to deter would-be aggressors, allowing you to focus on building Campuses and Spaceports without fear of invasion.
- Production is Key: A Science Victory requires a massive amount of production to complete the Space Race projects. Focus on building Industrial Zones and maximizing your production output.
A Legacy of Parks and Power
Finishing strong with Teddy Roosevelt requires a clear understanding of his unique abilities and a well-executed plan. Whether you choose the path of cultural enlightenment with Bull Moose Teddy or the path of continental conquest with Rough Rider Teddy, the late-game is where America truly shines. By mastering the art of appeal, leveraging your unique units and buildings, and maintaining a strong sense of national identity, you can lead the American civilization to a glorious and decisive victory.