Achieving a Culture Victory in Civilization 6 requires a nuanced understanding of tourism, appeal, and strategic land management. While many leaders can pursue this path, none are as uniquely equipped to leverage the natural beauty of the world as Teddy Roosevelt (Bull Moose). His abilities transform breathtaking landscapes into powerful engines of cultural dominance. This guide provides a definitive roadmap for harnessing the power of National Parks to secure a decisive Culture Win with Teddy Roosevelt.
The Bull Moose Advantage: Understanding Teddy’s Unique Abilities
Success with this strategy hinges on a deep appreciation for Teddy Roosevelt’s specific leader abilities. Analysis on forums shows that many players underestimate the synergistic power of his kit.
Antiquities and Parks
This is the cornerstone of the Bull Moose strategy. It provides two critical bonuses:
- Yields from Appeal: Tiles with Breathtaking appeal (+4 or higher) gain +2 Science if adjacent to a Mountain or Natural Wonder, and +2 Culture if adjacent to a Wonder or Woods. This ability is what makes preserving and enhancing the natural landscape not just a prerequisite for National Parks, but a source of significant yields throughout the game.
- National Park Appeal Bonus: Upon creating a National Park, every tile in that city gains +1 Appeal. This creates a powerful feedback loop, where creating one National Park makes it easier to create another in the same city, and boosts the tourism of existing ones.
Roosevelt Corollary
While the Rough Rider persona focuses on military might, the Bull Moose’s version of this ability provides a crucial bonus for a culture game: +5 Combat Strength on your home continent. This is a defensive bonus that should not be overlooked. It allows you to deter early aggression and focus on your cultural development.
Film Studio
America’s unique replacement for the Broadcast Center is the Film Studio. It provides a staggering +100% Tourism pressure from that city to other civilizations in the Modern era. This is a game-changing bonus that turns your high-tourism cities into cultural powerhouses.
The Foundation of Victory: National Parks Explained
National Parks are the primary tool for generating the massive amounts of tourism needed for a Culture Victory. They are created by a Naturalist unit, which is purchased with Faith.
National Park Requirements
According to the player community, understanding these requirements is non-negotiable:
- The Diamond Shape: A National Park must be formed on a diamond of four adjacent land tiles.
- Single City Ownership: All four tiles must be owned by the same city.
- Charming or Breathtaking Appeal: Every single one of the four tiles must have an Appeal of at least “Charming” (+2).
- Unimproved Land: The tiles must be free of any improvements, districts, or features (except for roads).
- Passable Terrain: At least one of the four tiles must be passable for the Naturalist to stand on.
The tourism generated by a National Park is equal to the sum of the Appeal of its four tiles. With Teddy’s +1 Appeal bonus, and other appeal-boosting strategies, it’s possible to have National Parks generating upwards of 20-30 tourism each.
Phase 1: The Early Game – Laying the Groundwork
The early game is all about scouting, strategic settlement, and setting up the economic and faith-based infrastructure for the mid-game explosion.
Scouting and Settlement
Your initial Settler and Warrior should be on a mission to find the most promising locations for your first few cities. Look for:
- Mountains and Natural Wonders: These are the highest-appeal features in the game and will be the heart of your future National Parks.
- Rivers and Coastlines: These provide a +1 Appeal bonus to adjacent tiles.
- Dense Forests and Woods: These also provide a +1 Appeal bonus.
A popular strategy is to settle your capital in a location with a mix of these features, even if it means sacrificing some initial production.
Early Civics and Technologies
Your research path should be laser-focused on unlocking the key components of this strategy:
- Civics: Rush for Political Philosophy to get your first government, then make a beeline for Conservation. This Modern-era civic unlocks the Naturalist and the ability for Builders to plant Woods.
- Technologies: Prioritize technologies that improve your ability to manage the land and generate Faith, such as Astrology (for Holy Sites) and Irrigation.
Faith Generation: The Unsung Hero
Many professional gamers suggest that new players often neglect Faith generation in a Culture Victory. This is a fatal mistake. Naturalists are purchased with Faith, and you will need a lot of it.
- Holy Sites: Build a Holy Site in your capital early. The adjacency bonuses from Mountains and Woods will be a significant boon.
- Pantheon: The Earth Goddess pantheon, which provides +1 Faith from tiles with Breathtaking appeal, is tailor-made for this strategy. If it’s taken, Fire Goddess (for volcanic soil) or Religious Idols (for mines over luxury and bonus resources) can be decent alternatives.
Phase 2: The Mid-Game – Sculpting the Land
With the Conservation civic unlocked, the mid-game is about actively shaping your empire’s landscape to maximize appeal and prepare for the creation of National Parks.
The Power of the Preserve
The Preserve district is a game-changer for this strategy. Its buildings, the Grove and the Sanctuary, provide bonus yields to adjacent unimproved tiles with Charming or Breathtaking appeal. A well-placed Preserve can turn a cluster of high-appeal tiles into a powerhouse of Food, Faith, Culture, and Science.
Mastering Appeal Manipulation
This is where the true artistry of the Bull Moose strategy comes into play. You must become a master of increasing tile appeal.
- Planting Woods: Your Builders should be constantly planting Woods on any available tile. This is the most direct way to increase the appeal of adjacent tiles.
- Removing Negative Features: Chop down Rainforests and clear Marshes. These features have a negative impact on appeal.
- Strategic District Placement: Be mindful of where you place your districts. Industrial Zones and Encampments have a negative impact on appeal, so place them away from your future National Park sites. Conversely, Holy Sites, Theater Squares, and Entertainment Complexes provide a positive appeal bonus.
- The Eiffel Tower: This World Wonder is a must-build. It provides +2 Appeal to every tile in your empire, making it significantly easier to create National Parks and boosting the tourism of existing ones.
The First National Parks
Once you have a steady stream of Faith and have identified suitable locations, it’s time to start creating National Parks. The first one will grant you a significant era score boost. Prioritize locations with the highest appeal to maximize your initial tourism generation.
Phase 3: The Late Game – The Tourism Avalanche
The late game is about amplifying your tourism output and closing out the game.
The Film Studio and Tourism Modifiers
As you enter the Modern era, upgrade your Broadcast Centers to Film Studios. This will double the tourism from your highest-yielding cities. Additionally, research the Computers technology and the Environmentalism civic as soon as possible. These provide a 25% boost to all tourism generation.
Seaside Resorts and Ski Resorts
Don’t forget about these improvements. Seaside Resorts can be built on coastal tiles with Breathtaking appeal, and Ski Resorts on mountains. They provide an additional source of tourism that complements your National Parks.
Policy Cards for Cultural Dominance
Your government and policy cards should be geared towards maximizing tourism and Great Person generation.
- Government: The Democracy government is ideal for a Culture Victory, with its bonuses to trade routes and Great Person points.
- Policy Cards:
- Satellite Broadcasts: Doubles tourism from Great Works of Music.
- Online Communities: +50% tourism to civilizations you have a trade route to.
- Heritage Tourism: +100% tourism from Great Works of Art and Artifacts.
Managing Your Great People
Great Writers, Artists, and Musicians are all valuable for a Culture Victory. However, with this strategy, you should also pay attention to Great Engineers. Several Great Engineers can help with wonder construction or provide other useful bonuses.
A Symphony of Scenery: A Sample City Plan
To illustrate these concepts, let’s consider an example. Imagine a city settled near a mountain range and a river.
- Early Game: Settle the city to maximize the number of tiles adjacent to the mountains and river. Build a Holy Site next to the mountains for the adjacency bonus.
- Mid-Game: Build a Preserve in a location where it can boost the appeal of several unimproved tiles. Rush the Eiffel Tower. Use Builders to plant Woods on the tiles between the river and the mountains.
- Late Game: Once the tiles have reached Breathtaking appeal, use a Naturalist to create a National Park over the diamond of tiles you’ve so carefully cultivated. Build a Film Studio in the city. The combination of the National Park, the Film Studio, and the various other tourism modifiers will result in a massive amount of tourism, propelling you towards a Culture Victory.
Conclusion: The Naturalist President
A Teddy Roosevelt (Bull Moose) Culture Victory is one of the most satisfying and thematic victories in Civilization 6. It requires careful planning, a deep understanding of the game’s mechanics, and a bit of artistry. By following the strategies outlined in this guide, you can transform the natural world into your greatest weapon, painting the map with your culture and achieving a victory that is both decisive and beautiful. The key is to see the potential in every mountain, every forest, and every river, and to have the vision to sculpt the land into a masterpiece of cultural power.