Teddy Roosevelt, in both his Bull Moose and Rough Rider personas, stands as one of the most versatile and powerful leaders in Civilization 6. His abilities offer a clear path to a Culture Victory, but also provide significant advantages for a Domination Victory on his home continent. The key to unlocking his full potential lies in a carefully planned city settlement strategy. This guide will provide a comprehensive, in-depth analysis of how to settle cities to maximize Teddy’s leader ability, drawing on the collective wisdom of the player community and professional gamers.
The Roosevelt Corollary: Your Home Continent Advantage
Teddy’s “Roosevelt Corollary” ability is the cornerstone of his strength. It provides a +5 Combat Strength bonus to all of your units on your home continent. This is a significant advantage in the early to mid-game, and it should be the primary factor guiding your initial settlement strategy.
Continental Domination
Analysis on forums shows that the most successful Teddy players prioritize consolidating their power on their home continent before expanding overseas. This means you should be aggressive in your early expansion, settling as many cities as possible on your starting continent. The +5 Combat Strength bonus makes your early military units formidable, allowing you to both defend against aggressive neighbors and conquer nearby city-states or even other civilizations.
A popular strategy is to build a strong early army of Archers and Warriors (or your unique P-51 Mustang unit later in the game) and use them to clear out barbarian encampments and secure strategic locations. This will not only protect your fledgling empire but also provide valuable experience for your units.
The “Wide” Empire Approach
Many professional gamers suggest that Teddy is best played with a “wide” empire, meaning you should aim to have a large number of cities rather than a few highly developed ones. This is for several reasons:
- More National Parks: Each city can have one National Park, and National Parks are a key source of Tourism for a Culture Victory. The more cities you have, the more National Parks you can create.
- More Districts: A wide empire allows you to build more districts, which are essential for generating the Science, Culture, and Faith needed to win the game.
- More Resources: More cities mean more access to strategic and luxury resources, which are crucial for building a strong military and keeping your citizens happy.
When settling your cities, it’s important to strike a balance between density and space. You want your cities to be close enough to support each other, but you also need to leave enough room for future National Parks. A good rule of thumb is to settle your cities at least four tiles apart.
Bull Moose and the Power of Appeal
Teddy’s “Bull Moose” persona takes his synergy with high-appeal tiles to the next level. This ability provides +2 Science to tiles with Breathtaking appeal adjacent to a Natural Wonder or a Mountain, and +2 Culture to tiles with Breathtaking appeal adjacent to a Wonder or a Woods. This makes it crucial to identify and settle near high-appeal tiles.
The All-Important Appeal Mechanic
Appeal is a tile mechanic that determines how desirable a tile is for certain improvements, most notably National Parks and Seaside Resorts. A tile’s appeal is rated on a scale from -5 (Disgusting) to +4 (Breathtaking). The higher the appeal, the more Tourism these improvements will generate.
Several factors influence a tile’s appeal:
- Natural Features: Mountains, Natural Wonders, Coasts, Rivers, and Woods all increase the appeal of adjacent tiles.
- Districts and Improvements: Some districts, like the Holy Site and Theater Square, increase appeal, while others, like the Industrial Zone and Encampment, decrease it. Certain improvements, like the Eiffel Tower and some Governor promotions, can also boost appeal.
Settling for Breathtaking Views
When playing as Bull Moose Teddy, your settlement strategy should be laser-focused on maximizing the number of high-appeal tiles in your empire. This means you should prioritize settling near:
- Mountains: Mountains provide a significant boost to the appeal of adjacent tiles. Settling in a mountainous region will give you a head start on creating high-appeal tiles for your National Parks.
- Natural Wonders: Natural Wonders provide a massive appeal bonus to adjacent tiles. If you are lucky enough to have a Natural Wonder on your continent, you should make it a top priority to settle near it.
- Coasts and Rivers: Coasts and rivers also provide a smaller, but still significant, appeal bonus. Settling along a coastline or a river system can help you create a network of high-appeal tiles.
A popular strategy is to use the “Appeal” lens to identify high-appeal locations before settling a new city. This will help you make informed decisions about where to place your cities to maximize their potential for generating Science, Culture, and Tourism.
National Parks: Your Path to a Culture Victory
National Parks are the key to winning a Culture Victory as Teddy Roosevelt. They are created by a Naturalist unit on a vertical diamond of four land tiles that are all owned by the same city, have an appeal of Charming or better, and have no improvements or districts on them. Once created, a National Park provides a significant amount of Tourism based on the total appeal of its tiles.
Planning for National Parks
According to the player community, planning for National Parks should begin in the early game. When you are settling your cities, you should be looking for potential National Park locations. These are areas with a high concentration of high-appeal tiles, such as mountains, forests, and natural wonders.
It’s important to avoid building districts or improvements in these areas, as this will prevent you from creating a National Park there later in the game. A popular strategy is to use map tacks to mark potential National Park locations so you don’t forget about them.
The Role of Faith
Naturalists are purchased with Faith, so you will need to have a strong Faith income to create a large number of National Parks. This means you should prioritize building Holy Sites and their associated buildings in your cities. The “Religious Settlements” Pantheon is a popular choice for Teddy players, as it provides a free Settler and increases the rate of border expansion, making it easier to claim land for your National Parks.
Wonders and Governors: Fine-Tuning Your Strategy
Several Wonders and Governor promotions can further enhance Teddy’s abilities and help you achieve your victory goals.
Must-Have Wonders
Analysis on forums shows that the following Wonders are particularly powerful for Teddy Roosevelt:
- Eiffel Tower: This Wonder provides +2 Appeal to all tiles in your empire, making it an absolute must-have for any Teddy player going for a Culture Victory.
- Christo Redentor: This Wonder provides a significant boost to the Tourism output of your Seaside Resorts and prevents the Culture penalty for Rock Bands of other civilizations.
- Bolshoi Theatre: This Wonder provides a large amount of Culture and a free Great Work of Music, helping you to attract more Great Artists and Musicians.
The Best Governors for Teddy
Many professional gamers suggest that the following Governors are the best choices for Teddy Roosevelt:
- Liang: Her “Parks and Recreation” promotion provides a significant boost to the Tourism output of your National Parks.
- Reyna: Her “Forestry Management” promotion allows you to purchase districts with Gold, which can be a huge help in the early game.
- Pingala: His “Grants” promotion provides a significant boost to your Science and Culture output, helping you to unlock new technologies and civics more quickly.
By carefully planning your city settlements, prioritizing the right districts and wonders, and making smart use of your unique abilities, you can lead Teddy Roosevelt to a glorious victory. Whether you choose to dominate your home continent with the Rough Riders or charm the world with the Bull Moose’s love of nature, a well-executed settlement strategy is the key to success.