The early game in Civilization 6 is a delicate dance of exploration, expansion, and calculated aggression. For America, led by the indomitable Teddy Roosevelt, this phase is not just about survival; it’s about laying the groundwork for an inevitable victory. Whether you’re harnessing the raw power of the Rough Rider or the cultural magnetism of the Bull Moose, America’s early game is a dynamic and potent force. This guide will dissect the critical first 100 turns, providing a clear roadmap to mastering America’s opening moves and setting the stage for a dominant performance.
The Two Faces of Roosevelt: Choosing Your Path
Before your first settler even breaks ground, it’s crucial to understand the two distinct personas of Teddy Roosevelt, as they dictate your strategic priorities.
- Rough Rider Teddy: This persona is a powerhouse on his home continent. With a +5 combat strength bonus for all units on home turf, Rough Rider Teddy is geared for early expansion and continental dominance. His unique unit, the Rough Rider, which arrives in the Modern Era, further solidifies this military advantage. If you find yourself in a crowded, contentious starting location, Rough Rider Teddy provides the military might to secure your borders and expand your empire.
-
Bull Moose Teddy: A cultural titan, Bull Moose Teddy thrives on breathtaking landscapes. His ability grants +2 Science to tiles with Breathtaking appeal adjacent to Natural Wonders or Mountains, and +2 Culture to tiles with Breathtaking appeal adjacent to Wonders or Woods. This creates a powerful engine for science and culture generation, making a Cultural Victory the most natural path. If your starting position is rich in mountains, forests, and natural wonders, Bull Moose Teddy can transform that beauty into a tangible advantage.
For the purposes of this guide, we will focus on a versatile early game strategy that can be adapted for either persona, with specific notes on how to leverage each of their unique strengths.
The First 50 Turns: A Symphony of Expansion and Development
The first 50 turns are the most critical in any Civilization 6 game. Your decisions here will echo throughout the ages. Here is a step-by-step guide to navigating this crucial period.
Turn 1-10: The Opening Gambit
Your first move is to settle your capital. Ideally, you want a location with access to fresh water, good production (hills and woods), and food (resources like wheat, rice, or cattle). For Bull Moose Teddy, proximity to mountains or a natural wonder is a significant bonus.
Your initial build order should be:
- Scout: Your first priority is to explore your surroundings. Information is the most valuable resource in the early game. You need to find tribal villages (goody huts), other civilizations, city-states, and prime locations for future cities.
- Slinger: Barbarians are an ever-present threat in the early game. A slinger is your first line of defense and can be upgraded to a powerful Archer after you research Archery.
- Settler: Your third production choice should be a settler. Early expansion is paramount. The more cities you have, the more science, culture, and production you can generate.
While your first units are being produced, your research should focus on technologies that unlock early game essentials. A common and effective research path is:
- Animal Husbandry: This reveals horses, a valuable strategic resource, and allows you to build pastures.
- Archery: Upgrading your slingers to archers is a massive power spike and will make dealing with barbarians and aggressive neighbors much easier.
- Mining: This allows you to chop down woods for a quick infusion of production and to build mines on hills, further boosting your production.
Turn 11-25: Expansion and Consolidation
By turn 25, you should have your second city settled. Where you place this city is a critical decision. Look for a location that:
- Secures a valuable resource: Luxury resources are essential for keeping your citizens happy, while strategic resources like horses or iron are vital for your military.
- Blocks off an opponent: Settling a city in a strategic chokepoint can prevent a rival civilization from expanding into your territory.
- Has high potential: For Bull Moose Teddy, this means a location with high appeal. For Rough Rider Teddy, a defensible position on a hill is ideal.
Your build order in your new city should mirror your capital’s: a monument to expand your borders and generate culture, followed by a slinger for defense.
During this period, you should also be actively exploring with your scout. Prioritize uncovering the map, meeting city-states, and discovering natural wonders. The first civilization to meet a city-state becomes its suzerain, granting a valuable bonus.
Turn 26-50: Laying the Foundations of an Empire
By turn 50, you should aim to have three cities and a solid military force of at least three archers and a warrior. This is the point where you begin to specialize your cities and lay the groundwork for your long-term strategy.
Civic and Government:
Your first civic should be Code of Laws, which unlocks your first policy cards. The best initial policies are:
- Discipline: +5 combat strength against barbarians. This is essential for dealing with the early game barbarian threat.
- God-King: +1 faith and +1 gold in your capital. This will help you secure an early pantheon.
Once you have researched Craftsmanship, you will unlock the Agoge policy, which gives a +50% production bonus towards ancient and classical era melee and ranged units. This is incredibly powerful for building up your early military.
Your first government will be Chiefdom. As soon as you can, you should aim to unlock Political Philosophy and transition to either Autocracy for a military focus or Classical Republic for a more balanced approach.
Pantheon:
The faith generated from the God-King policy will allow you to choose a pantheon. The best pantheons for America are:
- Religious Settlements: A free settler and faster border expansion. This is arguably the strongest pantheon in the game and will supercharge your early expansion.
- God of the Forge: +25% production towards ancient and classical era military units. This is a great choice for a domination-focused game with Rough Rider Teddy.
- Earth Goddess: +1 faith from tiles with Breathtaking appeal. This is a must-have for a Bull Moose Teddy game, as it will generate a massive amount of faith that can be used to purchase naturalists later in the game.
The Art of the Deal: Early Game Diplomacy
Your interactions with other civilizations in the early game can set the tone for the rest of the match. As America, you have a unique advantage in this regard.
- Meet Everyone: The sooner you meet other civilizations, the sooner you can begin to build relationships. Send a delegation on the turn you meet them to establish a positive first impression.
- Identify Your Neighbors: Pay close attention to your immediate neighbors. Are they aggressive expansionists like Gilgamesh or peaceful builders like Seondeok? This will inform your defensive and diplomatic strategy.
- Leverage Your Combat Bonus: As Rough Rider Teddy, other civilizations will be wary of your +5 combat strength bonus on your home continent. Use this to your advantage. A well-placed military can deter a potential invasion and give you leverage in negotiations.
- The Power of Friendship: For Bull Moose Teddy, a peaceful early game is crucial. Focus on building friendships and alliances. This will not only protect you from invasion but also generate tourism bonuses later in the game.
The Barbarian Menace: A Training Ground for Your Army
Barbarians are a constant nuisance in the early game, but for America, they are also an opportunity. The +5 combat strength against barbarians from the Discipline policy, combined with Rough Rider Teddy’s home continent advantage, turns your units into barbarian-slaying machines.
- Hunt Them Down: Don’t wait for barbarians to come to you. Actively hunt down barbarian encampments with your warriors and archers. This will not only protect your cities but also provide your units with valuable experience.
- The Archer Rush: A popular and effective strategy is the “archer rush.” By researching Archery early and using the Agoge policy, you can quickly produce a large force of archers. This army can easily clear out barbarian encampments and even be used to capture a rival city-state or an undefended city from another civilization.
Building Your Empire: City Placement and District Strategy
Where you place your cities and what districts you build in them will have a profound impact on your game.
City Placement:
- The Golden Rule of Three: Your first three cities should form a tight, defensible triangle. This will allow them to support each other in case of an attack.
- Fresh Water is King: Always settle on or next to a source of fresh water (rivers, lakes, or oases). This will give your city a significant housing bonus, allowing it to grow larger.
- Think Long-Term: When settling a new city, don’t just think about the immediate yields. Look at the surrounding tiles and consider their potential for districts, wonders, and, for Bull Moose Teddy, national parks.
District Strategy:
Your first district should be a Holy Site if you are pursuing a religious or cultural victory, or a Campus if you are focused on science.
- Holy Sites: For Bull Moose Teddy, Holy Sites are essential. They generate the faith needed to purchase naturalists, which are used to create national parks. The adjacency bonus from mountains and woods makes them even more powerful.
- Campuses: A strong science output is crucial for any victory type. Placing your campuses next to mountains will provide a significant adjacency bonus.
- Encampments: For Rough Rider Teddy, an early Encampment can be a powerful tool. It provides an additional layer of defense and allows you to build a barracks, which gives your units a production bonus and extra experience.
The First Governor: A Critical Choice
Your first governor title should be spent on Pingala. His Librarian promotion, which grants +15% science and culture in the city he is established in, is incredibly powerful in the early game. Place him in your capital to maximize his effect.
After Pingala, your next governor choice will depend on your strategy.
- Magnus: If you are focused on expansion, Magnus is an excellent choice. His Provision promotion allows you to produce settlers without losing a population in the city, which is a massive boost to your expansion efforts.
- Liang: For a builder-focused game, Liang is a great choice. Her Guildmaster promotion gives your builders an extra charge, allowing you to improve your tiles more quickly.
The Dawn of an American Century
Mastering America’s early game is about more than just following a build order; it’s about understanding the unique strengths of your leader and adapting your strategy to the world around you. By focusing on early expansion, building a strong military, and making smart diplomatic choices, you can lay the foundation for an American empire that will stand the test of time. Whether you choose the path of the Rough Rider or the Bull Moose, a well-executed early game will set you on the path to victory and ensure that the dawn of the American century is a bright one indeed.