A deep analysis of Civilization 6 strategies often centers on optimizing a leader’s unique abilities to achieve the most efficient path to victory. When considering Teddy Roosevelt, the charismatic and powerful leader of the American civilization, the conversation naturally gravitates towards Culture and Domination victories. His abilities, particularly the Roosevelt Corollary and the Rough Rider unique unit, are tailor-made for asserting dominance on his home continent and leveraging National Parks for a tourism boom. This raises a critical question for strategists and theorists alike: Is a Religious Victory even possible with Teddy Roosevelt?
The player community and expert analyses suggest that while it is an unconventional and challenging path, a Religious Victory with Teddy Roosevelt is indeed achievable. It requires a deliberate and focused strategy that compensates for America’s lack of inherent religious bonuses by mastering the fundamental mechanics of faith-based gameplay. This guide will provide a comprehensive, in-depth analysis of the strategies, beliefs, and wonders required to lead America to a holy triumph, transforming the cultural icon into an unexpected prophet.
The Challenge: Why Teddy Isn’t a Natural Prophet
Before delving into the strategy, it’s crucial to understand the inherent challenges. Teddy Roosevelt’s leader abilities do not, in any direct way, support a Religious Victory. The Roosevelt Corollary provides +5 Combat Strength to units on their home continent, an ability geared towards early defense and expansion, not theological debate. The Rough Rider is a powerful unique unit, but its strengths lie in combat, not conversion. Furthermore, the “Bull Moose” Teddy persona, with its focus on tile appeal and culture, further pulls the player towards a Culture Victory.
This lack of synergy means that, unlike leaders such as Saladin of Arabia or Tamar of Georgia, an American player pursuing a Religious Victory starts at a significant disadvantage. You will not have inherent bonuses to Faith generation, cheaper religious units, or extra Great Prophet points. Success, therefore, hinges on a player’s ability to execute a flawless early game and make astute strategic choices to build a religious engine from the ground up.
Laying the Foundation: The Early Game
The early game is the most critical phase of a Religious Victory attempt with Teddy Roosevelt. Failure to secure a religion and establish a solid foundation of Faith generation will make it nearly impossible to compete with more religiously-inclined civilizations.
Securing a Great Prophet
Your first and most immediate goal is to found a religion. This requires earning a Great Prophet, and with no inherent bonuses, you must be proactive.
- Prioritize Astrology: The Astrology technology is non-negotiable and should be your first or second research choice. It unlocks the Holy Site district and the ability to build Stonehenge.
- Build a Holy Site Immediately: As soon as your first city is founded, your production priority should be a Scout, a Slinger for defense, and then your first Holy Site. Place it adjacent to a Natural Wonder if possible for a significant adjacency bonus. If not, mountains are your next best option.
- The Power of Projects: Once the Holy Site is built, immediately begin running the “Holy Site Prayers” project. This project provides a significant boost to Great Prophet points and is your most reliable way to secure a prophet without bonuses.
- Consider Stonehenge: While a risky strategy due to its high production cost, building Stonehenge guarantees a Great Prophet. If you have a high-production starting location and can afford the risk, it can be a viable option. However, in most cases, focusing on Holy Site Prayers is the more reliable path.
Choosing Your Pantheon and Beliefs
The beliefs you choose will define your religious strategy for the rest of the game. As Teddy, you need to select beliefs that directly address your weaknesses and amplify your strengths.
- Pantheon:
- Divine Spark: This is often the best choice for a non-religious leader. The +1 Great Person point from Holy Sites (Prophet, Scientist, and Writer) will help you secure your religion and keep up in other areas.
- Religious Settlements: A free Settler can be a game-changer in the early game, allowing you to expand your empire and build more Holy Sites.
- God of the Forge: The +25% production towards Ancient and Classical era military units can be a surprisingly effective choice. It synergizes with the Roosevelt Corollary, allowing you to build a strong early military to defend your burgeoning faith.
- Founder Beliefs:
- Pilgrimage: This is a top-tier choice. The +2 Faith for every city following your religion in other civilizations will create a powerful feedback loop, accelerating your Faith generation as you spread your religion.
- Tithe: The +1 Gold for every 4 followers provides a much-needed economic boost, helping you to fund your religious and military endeavors.
- Follower Beliefs:
- Work Ethic: This belief is a game-changer. It grants your Holy Sites adjacency bonus as production. With careful planning, you can create high-production cities that can churn out wonders and units.
- Reliquaries: If you manage to acquire relics through heroic deeds or the Mont St. Michel wonder, this belief triples their Faith and Tourism output.
- Worship Beliefs:
- Mosque: The +3 Faith and +1 spread for Missionaries and Apostles is a powerful combination, making your religious units more effective.
- Stupa: The +1 Amenity can help to keep your growing cities happy and productive.
- Enhancer Beliefs:
- Holy Order: A 30% discount on the Faith cost of Missionaries and Apostles is essential for a leader with no inherent cost reductions. This belief is a cornerstone of any successful religious strategy.
- Missionary Zeal: Your religious units will be able to move faster, allowing you to spread your faith across the map more efficiently.
The Mid-Game: Spreading the Word
With your religion founded and your core beliefs in place, the mid-game is about aggressive proselytization and strategic use of your religious units.
Theological Combat: The Art of the Apostle
Theological combat is the heart of a Religious Victory. You must be prepared to engage in spiritual warfare with other civilizations.
- Apostles are Key: While Missionaries are useful for converting your own cities and those without a religion, Apostles are your primary offensive unit. They are the only units that can engage in theological combat.
- Promotions Matter: When you create an Apostle, they receive a random promotion. Some are more valuable than others.
- Debater: Provides +20 Theological Combat Strength. This is essential for winning spiritual battles.
- Translator: Triples the strength of your religion in foreign cities.
- Proselytizer: Removes 75% of other religions’ presence in a city.
- The Guru’s Role: Gurus are non-combat religious units that can heal your Apostles. Always send a Guru with your Apostle armies to keep them healthy and effective.
- Focus on Holy Cities: When you convert a majority of a civilization’s cities to your religion, you are one step closer to victory. However, converting their Holy City deals a significant blow to their religious pressure and makes it easier to convert the rest of their empire.
Leveraging Teddy’s Strengths
While Teddy’s abilities don’t directly aid in religious victory, they can be used to create opportunities.
- Home Continent Advantage: The +5 Combat Strength on your home continent makes your lands a fortress. This allows you to focus your resources on Faith generation and religious units, knowing that you are safe from early aggression.
- The Rough Rider’s Surprise: The Rough Rider’s ability to generate Culture from kills on your home continent can be a useful side benefit, helping you to progress through the civics tree and unlock powerful religious policies faster.
- The “Crusade” Belief: This enhancer belief grants +10 Combat Strength to your military units near foreign cities that follow your religion. This creates a powerful synergy with Teddy’s military prowess. You can use your Apostles to convert a city, and then follow up with your military to conquer it.
The Late Game: Securing a Global Faith
The late game is a race against time. You must convert the remaining civilizations before they can achieve their own victory conditions.
Key Wonders and City-States
- Hagia Sophia: This wonder gives your Missionaries and Apostles an extra spread. It is a must-build for any religious game.
- Mahabodhi Temple: Grants two free Apostles, giving you a mid-game power spike.
- Mont St. Michel: All of your Apostles gain the Martyr promotion, which grants a Relic if they are defeated in theological combat. This can be a powerful source of Faith if you have the Reliquaries belief.
- Yerevan (City-State): Becoming the suzerain of Yerevan is a game-changer. It allows you to choose any promotion for your Apostles, eliminating the randomness and allowing you to create a perfect holy army.
The Theocracy Government
The Theocracy government is the ideal choice for a religious victory. It provides a discount on all Faith purchases and gives you access to powerful policy cards that boost your religious strength.
The “Bull Moose” Alternative: A Faith-Fueled Culture Victory
It is worth noting that the “Bull Moose” Teddy persona offers a different, yet equally viable, faith-based strategy. This path does not lead to a Religious Victory, but rather uses Faith as a means to achieve a Culture Victory.
- Earth Goddess Pantheon: This pantheon provides +1 Faith from tiles with Breathtaking appeal. For Bull Moose Teddy, who gains Science and Culture from high-appeal tiles, this creates a powerful synergy.
- National Parks and Naturalists: The primary use of Faith in this strategy is to purchase Naturalists, who can create National Parks on breathtaking tiles. National Parks are a huge source of Tourism, the primary resource for a Culture Victory.
- Preserves: The Preserve district increases the appeal of adjacent tiles, further boosting the yields from Bull Moose Teddy’s ability and the Earth Goddess pantheon.
This strategy is often considered more optimal for Teddy Roosevelt, as it plays to his strengths. However, it is a different path entirely from the pure Religious Victory discussed in this guide.
Conclusion: A Testament to Strategic Flexibility
A Religious Victory with Teddy Roosevelt is not for the faint of heart. It is a challenging, unconventional path that requires a deep understanding of the game’s mechanics and a willingness to adapt your strategy. You must overcome a lack of inherent bonuses by executing a flawless early game, making astute choices in your beliefs and wonders, and mastering the art of theological combat.
Success in this endeavor is a testament to a player’s strategic flexibility and a deep appreciation for the nuances of Civilization 6. It proves that with the right strategy, any leader can be guided to any victory, even one that seems to go against their very nature. By following the principles outlined in this guide, you can lead Teddy Roosevelt, the great American conservationist and warrior, to an unexpected and glorious Religious Victory, carving a new and unexpected path into the annals of history.