In the grand strategy of Civilization VI, achieving a Score Victory on Deity difficulty is often seen as the last resort—a battle of attrition against hyper-aggressive and efficient AI. However, with the right leader and a meticulous plan, it can be a calculated and dominant path to triumph. Analysis on forums shows that many players underestimate the Score Victory, viewing it as passive. This guide will demonstrate that it is anything but. We will delve into a definitive strategy for securing a Score Victory with one of the most versatile leaders in the game: Teddy Roosevelt. This is not about scraping by; it is about building an empire so robust, culturally vibrant, and technologically advanced that your final score is a testament to your strategic superiority.
Understanding the Score Victory: A Game of Numbers
Before diving into strategy, it’s crucial to understand the mechanics of the Score Victory. The game ends at a predetermined turn (by default, Turn 500 on Standard speed, year 2050 AD), and the civilization with the highest score wins if no other victory condition has been met. Your score is a cumulative total derived from several key metrics throughout the game. According to the player community, a successful Score Victory strategy requires a holistic approach to empire management, as nearly every action contributes to your final tally.
Here’s a breakdown of how points are awarded:
- Civics and Technologies: Each Civic and Technology you research contributes points to your score. This makes consistent Culture and Science generation paramount. The repeatable “Future Civic” and “Future Tech” in the late game are primary sources for score accumulation.
- Cities and Population: Every city you found and each citizen within your empire adds to your total. A wide, populous empire is inherently a high-scoring one.
- Great People: Recruiting a Great Person provides a significant injection of points.
- Wonders: Each Wonder of the World you construct adds a substantial amount to your score.
- Districts and Buildings: Every District and the buildings within them contribute points.
- Beliefs: Founding a Religion and spreading its beliefs will also grant you points.
A common misconception is that a Score Victory is a “do nothing” victory. On Deity, this is a recipe for failure. The AI receives massive bonuses and will aggressively pursue its own victory conditions. Therefore, a proactive, multi-faceted strategy is essential. You must not only build a high-scoring empire but also actively hinder your opponents’ progress towards their own goals.
The Bull Moose Advantage: Painting the World with Culture and Science
While Teddy Roosevelt has two leader personas, for a Score Victory, the “Bull Moose” is the undisputed champion. His abilities are tailor-made for generating the massive yields of Culture and Science needed to surge ahead in points.
Antiquities and Parks: This is the cornerstone of the Bull Moose strategy.
* Tiles with Breathtaking Appeal gain +2 Science for every adjacent Mountain or Natural Wonder.
* Tiles with Breathtaking Appeal gain +2 Culture for every adjacent Wood or Wonder.
* Crucially, all tiles in a city with a National Park gain +1 Appeal.
This ability transforms the very landscape into a source of immense power. A well-placed city near mountains and forests can generate staggering yields, catapulting you through the Civic and Technology trees.
Founding Fathers: America’s civilization ability grants +1 Diplomatic Favor per turn for every wildcard slot in your government. More importantly, it converts all Diplomatic policy slots into Wildcard slots. This flexibility is invaluable, allowing you to slot in whatever policies are most needed at any given moment, whether for growth, production, or defense.
The “Rough Rider” persona, with its combat bonuses on the home continent, is a formidable military leader. However, for the nuanced game of accumulating score, the explosive potential of Bull Moose Teddy’s yield generation is far superior.
Early Game Strategy (Turns 1-100): Laying a Breathtaking Foundation
The first 100 turns are critical. On Deity, you are in a race against time to establish a defensible and productive core of cities before the AI’s bonuses allow them to snowball.
Settling for Success
Your initial Settler placement is more important with Bull Moose Teddy than with almost any other leader. You are not just looking for resources; you are looking for Appeal. Scan the map for locations with a high concentration of mountains and forests. A city nestled in a valley surrounded by woods is a future powerhouse. Natural Wonders are a top priority, as they provide both high Appeal and adjacency bonuses for your Bull Moose ability. Don’t be afraid to move your initial settler a few turns to secure a prime location.
Early Tech and Civic Path
Your research should be focused on unlocking key components for growth and culture.
* Techs: Prioritize Pottery (for Granaries), Animal Husbandry (to reveal Horses and improve tiles), and Mining. Then, beeline for Archery. A few well-placed Archers are the most efficient way to deter early AI aggression.
* Civics: Rush Foreign Trade to unlock the trade route and the crucial economic policy cards. Follow this with Craftsmanship for the +100% production towards Ancient and Classical era wonders policy card.
Pantheon and Religion
While a full Religious Victory is not the goal, a strong faith economy is non-negotiable. You will need Faith to purchase Naturalists for National Parks in the mid-game.
* Pantheon: “Religious Settlements” is a top-tier choice, providing a free Settler and faster border expansion. If that’s taken, “God of the Open Sky” (+1 Culture from Pastures) or “Earth Goddess” (+1 Faith from tiles with Breathtaking Appeal) are excellent alternatives that synergize with your strategy.
* Religion: If you can secure a Great Prophet, found a religion. Focus on beliefs that enhance your core strategy, such as “Work Ethic” (Holy Site district’s adjacency bonus also provides production) or “Jesuit Education” (allows purchasing Campus and Theater Square district buildings with Faith).
Defensive Posture
On Deity, your neighbors will see you as an easy target. Do not neglect your military. Build a handful of Slingers and upgrade them to Archers as soon as possible. Station them strategically on hills or behind rivers. The goal is not to conquer but to make yourself a porcupine—too painful for the AI to attack.
Mid-Game Strategy (Turns 101-200): The National Park Rush
The mid-game is where the Bull Moose strategy truly comes alive. Your focus will shift to expansion, specialization, and the creation of National Parks.
The Power of National Parks
National Parks are the engine of your Culture and Score machine. A National Park is a special tile improvement created by a Naturalist unit. It must be placed on a 4-tile diamond-shaped area of land that meets the following criteria:
* All four tiles must be owned by the same city.
* All four tiles must have an Appeal of Charming or better.
* The tiles must be on land.
* There can be no improvements or districts on the tiles.
When you create a National Park, you gain a massive amount of Tourism. For Teddy, the effect is even more profound: the city that owns the National Park gets +1 Appeal on all its tiles. This creates a feedback loop: you build a National Park, which increases the Appeal of surrounding tiles, making it easier to build more National Parks.
Fueling the Machine: Faith and City Planning
Naturalists are purchased with Faith. Therefore, you must build Holy Sites in many of your cities. The goal is to have a steady stream of Faith income to continuously purchase Naturalists.
Your city planning should revolve around creating future National Park locations. Identify potential 4-tile diamonds and protect their Appeal. Avoid placing Industrial Zones, Encampments, or other appeal-reducing districts nearby. Plant forests (once you unlock the Conservation civic) to boost the Appeal of adjacent tiles.
Key Districts and Wonders
- Theater Squares: Build a Theater Square in every city. The Culture they provide is essential for racing through the Civic tree to unlock key policies and governments.
- Commercial Hubs: Trade routes are vital for gold and establishing diplomatic ties.
- Wonders: Be selective with your Wonder construction. The Oracle is a fantastic early-game wonder that provides extra Great Person points. In the mid-game, focus on wonders that provide Culture, Great Person points, or policy slots, such as the Forbidden City or Alhambra.
Government and Policies
Aim for a government with plenty of economic and wildcard policy slots. The Classical Republic is an excellent early choice. As you progress, the Merchant Republic offers even more flexibility. Key policy cards include those that boost wonder production, Great Person points, and the yields of your districts.
Late Game Strategy (Turns 201-End): Maximizing Every Point
The late game is a sprint to the finish line. Your empire should be a well-oiled machine, churning out Culture, Science, and Faith. Now, you must focus on maximizing your score while preventing your opponents from snatching victory.
The Endless March of Progress
Once you have completed the regular Technology and Civic trees, you will unlock “Future Tech” and “Future Civic.” Each time you research these, you gain a significant number of points. Your high Science and Culture output should allow you to complete these repeatable techs and civics many times before the game ends, adding hundreds of points to your final score.
Late-Game Wonder Rush
The late game features some of the most powerful wonders for a Score Victory.
* Eiffel Tower: Provides +2 Appeal to every tile in your empire. This is a game-changer for a Bull Moose strategy, making it incredibly easy to create National Parks and boost the yields of your tiles.
* Cristo Redentor: Boosts the Tourism output of your Seaside Resorts and prevents other civilizations from winning a Culture Victory.
* Sydney Opera House: A massive source of Culture and Great Musician points.
The Great Person Parade
Continue to generate as many Great People as possible. Fill your Museums with Great Works of Art and Writing. Activate your Great Musicians. Each Great Person not only adds to your score but also enhances your empire’s output.
Managing the AI Threat
By the late game, one or more AI civilizations will likely be close to winning. You must be prepared to intervene.
* Science Victory: If an opponent is close to completing the space race, use Spies to sabotage their Industrial Zones and Spaceports. If necessary, declare a targeted war to pillage their key districts.
* Domination Victory: The AI is less likely to achieve this on a large map, but if one leader becomes a runaway threat, use your diplomatic influence to form alliances and declare joint wars against them.
* Religious Victory: Use your own Apostles and Inquisitors to defend your empire from religious conversion.
Teddy’s Unique Arsenal
America’s unique unit and building provide powerful support for this strategy.
- P-51 Mustang: This unique Atomic era air unit has an extended range and gains +5 attack against fighter aircraft. It is the perfect tool for establishing air superiority and protecting your valuable National Parks and wonders from enemy bombers.
- Film Studio: This unique building replaces the Broadcast Center and provides a massive +100% Tourism pressure from this city. This directly contributes to a Culture Victory but also indirectly helps your Score Victory by putting pressure on other civilizations and making them less likely to achieve their own goals.
A Legacy Etched in Score
Winning a Score Victory on Deity with Teddy Roosevelt is a masterclass in empire building. It requires foresight, meticulous planning, and a deep understanding of the game’s mechanics. By leveraging the incredible power of the Bull Moose’s appeal-based yields, focusing on a synergistic Culture and Faith economy, and proactively managing the threats posed by the AI, you can construct an empire that is not only a cultural and scientific marvel but also an unstoppable force on the scoreboard. When the dust settles in 2050 AD, your victory will not be a matter of chance, but a testament to a superior strategy, a legacy of a civilization that truly stood the test of time.