Analysis of player communities and strategy forums reveals a consensus: dominating your home continent in Civilization 6 requires a leader whose abilities are geared towards early and sustained military pressure. Teddy Roosevelt, particularly in his “Rough Rider” persona, is a premier choice for this playstyle. His unique abilities provide a powerful military advantage on his home continent, allowing for aggressive expansion and the establishment of an unassailable heartland. This guide synthesizes the most effective strategies, offering a detailed roadmap to continental supremacy.
The Tale of Two Teddys: Choosing Your Path
Before delving into strategy, it’s crucial to understand the two distinct versions of Teddy Roosevelt available in the game: “Bull Moose” and “Rough Rider.”
- Bull Moose Teddy: This persona is a cultural powerhouse. His abilities are centered around generating massive amounts of Culture and Science from high-appeal tiles, particularly those adjacent to mountains, wonders, and woods. The player community suggests that Bull Moose Teddy is best suited for a peaceful, isolationist playstyle, culminating in a Cultural Victory.
- Rough Rider Teddy: This is the Teddy of continental conquest. His “Roosevelt Corollary” ability grants a +5 combat bonus to all units on his home continent. This, combined with his unique Rough Rider unit, makes him a formidable military force in the early to mid-game. This guide will focus on the Rough Rider persona, as his abilities are perfectly aligned with the goal of continental domination.
Early Game Strategy: Manifest Destiny
The first 100 turns are critical. Your primary objective is to expand rapidly, leveraging your combat bonus to secure a strong territorial base.
Settling Your Capital and Early Cities
- Initial Settler Placement: Your starting location is a significant variable. According to the player community, an ideal start for Rough Rider Teddy includes access to hills, strategic resources (especially horses), and a few high-yield tiles to fuel early growth. Don’t be afraid to move your initial settler a turn or two to secure a better position.
- Expansion Focus: Your first few cities should be placed strategically to claim valuable territory and resources. A popular strategy is to forward-settle towards weaker neighbors, cutting off their expansion and setting the stage for future conquest. Prioritize locations with good production potential, as you’ll need to field a sizable army.
Early Military Operations
- Barbarians and Early Skirmishes: The +5 combat bonus is active from the very beginning of the game. This makes your starting warriors incredibly effective at clearing barbarian camps and dealing with early aggression from other civilizations. Many professional gamers suggest using this advantage to be proactive, hunting down barbarian scouts before they can report back to their camps.
- The Power of Archers: Rushing the Archery technology is a cornerstone of early-game military strategy. A contingent of archers, protected by a few warriors or spearmen, can project significant power. With the combat bonus, your archers will be able to trade favorably with almost any unit from autre civilizations.
Civics and Government
- Code of Laws and Early Policies: Your first civic, Code of Laws, unlocks your first policy cards. Analysis on forums shows that the most effective early choices are Agoge (for faster unit production) and Discipline (for a bonus against barbarians).
- Oligarchy for the Win: The tier 2 government, Oligarchy, is the consensus choice for an early-game military campaign. It provides another +4 combat strength to your land units, which stacks with your Roosevelt Corollary bonus. This means your units will have a staggering +9 combat bonus on your home continent, making them almost unstoppable.
Mid-Game: The Rough Rider Power Spike
The mid-game is where Teddy’s continental domination strategy truly comes online. The combination of your combat bonus, the Oligarchy government, and the unique Rough Rider unit creates a window of opportunity for decisive military action.
Unleashing the Rough Riders
- Unlocking the Rough Rider: The Rough Rider is a unique Industrial-era cavalry unit that replaces the Cuirassier. It is unlocked with the Rifling technology. A popular strategy is to pre-build a number of cavalry units and then upgrade them to Rough Riders as soon as the technology is complete.
- Rough Rider Advantages:
- No Strategic Resource Requirement: Unlike the Cuirassier, the Rough Rider does not require horses. This allows you to field a large number of them without being constrained by resource availability.
- Hill Combat Bonus: Rough Riders gain an additional +10 combat strength when fighting on hills. This, combined with your other bonuses, can result in a truly overwhelming combat advantage.
- Culture from Kills: Rough Riders generate culture from kills on your home continent. This helps you to accelerate your progress through the civics tree, unlocking even more powerful policies.
Continental Conquest
- Identifying Your Targets: By the mid-game, you should have a clear idea of which civilizations on your continent are the most vulnerable. Look for civilizations with smaller armies, less advanced technology, or exposed cities.
- The Art of the Blitz: The Rough Rider’s high movement speed and combat strength make them ideal for a blitzkrieg-style attack. A popular strategy is to use a large force of Rough Riders to quickly overwhelm your opponent’s defenses, capturing their cities before they have a chance to mount an effective response.
- Siege and Support: While Rough Riders are excellent in the open field, they are less effective at taking down city walls. It is essential to support your Rough Rider corps with siege units like catapults and bombards.
Late Game: Consolidating Your Gains and Securing Victory
After you have successfully dominated your home continent, you will be in a commanding position. Your vast territory and consolidated power base will provide you with the resources and production necessary to pursue any victory condition you choose.
From Continental to Global Power
- Building a Navy: To project your power beyond your home continent, you will need to build a powerful navy. The Venetian Arsenal wonder can be a game-changer in this regard, as it allows you to build two naval units for the price of one.
- The P-51 Mustang: America’s unique Atomic-era air unit, the P-51 Mustang, is a powerful tool for late-game warfare. It has an extended range and a combat bonus against other fighters, making it ideal for establishing air superiority over enemy territory.
Choosing Your Victory Path
- Domination Victory: The most straightforward path from this position is a Domination Victory. Your continental power base will provide you with the production capacity to build a massive army and navy, which you can then use to conquer the remaining capitals.
- Science Victory: Your large number of cities will also make a Science Victory a viable option. You can dedicate your most productive cities to building campuses and spaceports, while your other cities provide the necessary resources and support.
- Cultural Victory: While Rough Rider Teddy is not as culturally focused as his Bull Moose counterpart, a Cultural Victory is still achievable. Your large empire will have plenty of space for national parks and seaside resorts. The Film Studio, America’s unique building, provides a significant tourism bonus, which can help you to close the gap with the cultural leaders.
Synergies and Wonders
- City-State Alliances: The Roosevelt Corollary also provides a bonus to envoy generation with city-states you have a trade route with. This makes it easier to become the suzerain of key city-states, which can provide valuable bonuses to your military, economy, and culture.
- Wonders of the World: Several wonders are particularly synergistic with this strategy.
- The Alhambra: Provides an additional military policy slot, which is incredibly valuable for a military-focused civilization.
- The Terracotta Army: Grants a promotion level to all of your existing military units.
- The Venetian Arsenal: As mentioned earlier, this is a must-have for any player planning to build a large navy.
By following this guide, you will be well on your way to dominating your continent with Teddy Roosevelt. His powerful military bonuses and unique units provide a clear and effective path to victory. The key is to be aggressive in the early and mid-game, leveraging your advantages to their fullest extent. Once you have secured your home continent, the world is your oyster.
