The path to a Domination Victory in Civilization 6 is a perilous one, demanding a keen understanding of military strategy, economic management, and diplomatic cunning. While many leaders are capable of leading their armies to global conquest, few are as uniquely suited to continental warfare as Teddy Roosevelt, particularly in his “Rough Rider” persona. This guide will provide a comprehensive, in-depth analysis of the strategies and tactics required to achieve a decisive Domination Victory with Teddy Roosevelt, drawing upon the collective wisdom of the player community and the insights of professional gamers.
The Rough Rider Advantage: Understanding Teddy’s Strengths
To achieve a Domination Victory with Teddy Roosevelt, it is essential to first understand the powerful advantages his “Rough Rider” persona brings to the table. These abilities are the bedrock of his military might and will form the foundation of your strategy.
The Roosevelt Corollary: Continental Dominance
The cornerstone of Teddy’s military prowess is the Roosevelt Corollary, which grants a +5 Combat Strength bonus to all units on their home continent. This seemingly simple bonus is, in fact, a game-changing advantage, particularly in the early to mid-game. It transforms your military into a formidable force, capable of both aggressive expansion and staunch defense. Analysis on forums shows that this bonus allows players to engage and defeat technologically superior units, turning the tide of battles and securing early territorial gains.
Founding Fathers: A Legacy of Power
America’s civilization ability, Founding Fathers, provides a significant boost to your government’s power. It halves the time required to earn Government Legacy bonuses, allowing you to quickly accumulate powerful passive benefits. Furthermore, it grants +1 Diplomatic Favor per turn for every Wildcard slot in your government, providing a steady stream of diplomatic currency that can be used to influence the World Congress.
The Rough Rider: A Unique and Powerful Unit
The Rough Rider is Teddy’s unique Industrial-era cavalry unit, replacing the Cuirassier. This unit is a true game-changer and the centerpiece of your mid-game military strategy. The Rough Rider boasts several key advantages:
- No Strategic Resource Requirement: Unlike the Cuirassier it replaces, the Rough Rider does not require horses to produce. This frees you from the constraints of strategic resource availability and allows you to field a large and powerful cavalry force.
- Hill Fighter: The Rough Rider gains an additional +10 Combat Strength when fighting on hills. This bonus, combined with the Roosevelt Corollary, can result in a staggering +15 Combat Strength bonus on your home continent, making them one of the most powerful units of their era.
- Culture from Kills: When a Rough Rider defeats an enemy unit on a foreign continent, it generates Culture. This unique ability helps to accelerate your progress through the Civics tree, unlocking powerful late-game governments and policies.
The Early Game: Forging an Empire (Turns 1-100)
The first 100 turns of the game are critical for establishing a strong foundation for your future conquests. A popular strategy is to focus on rapid expansion and early military aggression on your home continent.
Initial Build Order and Exploration
Many professional gamers suggest a build order that prioritizes exploration and early military strength:
- Scout: Your first production should be a Scout. Exploration is paramount in the early game, as it allows you to discover tribal villages (goody huts), other civilizations, city-states, and prime locations for new cities.
- Slinger: Your second production should be a Slinger. This unit provides essential early defense against barbarians and can be upgraded to the powerful Archer unit after researching Archery.
- Warrior: A Warrior will supplement your early military, providing a melee presence to protect your Slingers and engage enemy units.
- Settler: Your fourth production should be a Settler. Early expansion is key to securing valuable territory and resources, and a second city will significantly boost your overall yields.
Technology and Civics Path
Your early research should be focused on unlocking key military and economic technologies:
- Technology:
- Archery: This should be your first priority. Archers are the backbone of your early army, and their ranged attack is invaluable for both offense and defense.
- Bronze Working: This technology reveals Iron on the map, a crucial strategic resource for producing Swordsmen.
- Horseback Riding: This unlocks the Horseman, a fast and powerful early cavalry unit that can be used for flanking maneuvers and harassing enemy units.
- Civics:
- Code of Laws: This is your first civic and unlocks your initial policy cards.
- Craftsmanship: This unlocks the Agoge policy card, which provides a +50% production bonus towards ancient and classical melee and ranged units. This is an essential policy for building your early army.
- Military Tradition: This provides flanking and support bonuses to your units and generates Great General points, further enhancing your military’s effectiveness.
Pantheon and Government
Your choice of Pantheon and early government will have a significant impact on your early game progress:
- Pantheon:
- God of the Forge: This pantheon provides a +25% production bonus towards ancient and classical military units. This is an excellent choice for a domination-focused game, as it allows you to quickly build a large and powerful army.
- Religious Settlements: This pantheon provides a free Settler and a 15% increase to border expansion. This is a strong choice for rapid expansion and securing valuable territory.
- Government:
- Oligarchy: This should be your first government. It provides a +4 Combat Strength bonus to all land melee units and a +20% combat experience bonus for all units. The legacy bonus, which you will earn faster due to the Founding Fathers ability, provides an additional +4 Combat Strength to your melee units.
The Mid-Game: The Rough Rider Timing Push (Turns 100-200)
The mid-game is where Teddy Roosevelt truly shines. This is the era of the Rough Rider, and your strategy should be focused on a powerful timing push to conquer your home continent.
Preparing for the Push
Before you can unleash your Rough Riders, you need to lay the groundwork for their arrival:
- Technology: Your primary technology goal is to reach Rifling as quickly as possible. This unlocks the Rough Rider unit. Along the way, you should also research Machinery for Crossbowmen and Ballistics for Field Cannons to provide ranged support for your army.
- Production: You need to build a strong production base to field a large army of Rough Riders. Focus on building Industrial Zones with Workshops and Factories in your cities. The Venetian Arsenal is a powerful wonder that creates a second naval unit each time you train one, which can be a significant advantage if you are fighting on a coastal map.
- Pre-building Units: A popular strategy is to pre-build a large number of Horsemen and Knights before you research Rifling. Once the technology is complete, you can upgrade them all to Rough Riders at once, creating an instant and powerful army.
Executing the Rough Rider Timing Push
With your army of Rough Riders at the ready, it’s time to launch your assault. Here are some key tactics to keep in mind:
- Target Prioritization: Your Rough Riders are excellent at taking out enemy ranged and siege units. Focus on eliminating these high-value targets first, as they pose the biggest threat to your army.
- Leveraging Hills: Always try to engage the enemy on hills. The +10 Combat Strength bonus will make your Rough Riders nearly unstoppable.
- Countering Anti-Cavalry Units: Pikemen and their upgrades are the primary counter to your Rough Riders. Avoid engaging them directly. Instead, use your ranged units (Crossbowmen and Field Cannons) to weaken them from a distance before finishing them off with your cavalry.
- Flanking and Support: Remember to use flanking and support bonuses to your advantage. Attacking an enemy unit from multiple sides will significantly increase your damage output.
The Late Game: Closing Out the Victory (Turns 200+)
After conquering your home continent, you will be in a strong position to close out the game. However, the late game presents its own set of challenges, including war weariness, managing a large empire, and dealing with advanced enemy units.
Managing War Weariness
War weariness can be a significant problem in the late game, leading to reduced amenities and loyalty in your cities. Here are some strategies for managing it:
- Policy Cards: Use policy cards that reduce war weariness, such as Propaganda and Martial Law.
- Entertainment Complexes: Build Entertainment Complexes and Water Parks in your cities to provide amenities and counter the effects of war weariness.
- Swift and Decisive Wars: The longer a war drags on, the more war weariness you will accumulate. Aim for swift and decisive wars, focusing on capturing enemy capitals as quickly as possible.
Upgrading Your Army
As you progress into the Modern and Atomic eras, you will need to upgrade your army to keep pace with the enemy. Your Rough Riders can be upgraded to Modern Armor, a powerful late-game unit. You should also make use of America’s other unique unit, the P-51 Mustang, which is a powerful fighter that can help you achieve air superiority.
The Final Push
With your advanced army and a well-managed empire, you are ready for the final push to victory. Identify the remaining enemy capitals and launch a coordinated assault. Use your air power to soften up enemy defenses before sending in your Modern Armor to capture the cities.
City-State and Diplomacy Strategy
While a Domination Victory is primarily a military endeavor, diplomacy and city-states can play a crucial role in your success.
Key City-States for Domination
Becoming the suzerain of certain city-states can provide powerful bonuses that will aid your war effort:
- Kabul: Your units receive double experience from battles they initiate. This is an incredibly powerful bonus that will allow you to quickly promote your units and make them even more effective in combat.
- Akkad: Your melee units can attack city walls without a siege tower. This is a huge advantage in the early game, allowing you to capture cities much more easily.
- Hattusa: Provides you with a copy of every strategic resource you have revealed but do not own. This can be a lifesaver if you are struggling to find a particular resource.
Using Diplomatic Favor
While you won’t be pursuing a Diplomatic Victory, you can still use your Diplomatic Favor to your advantage:
- World Congress: Use your Diplomatic Favor to vote on resolutions that will benefit your war effort, such as those that grant combat bonuses or penalize your enemies.
- Preventing Other Victories: As you get closer to a Domination Victory, other civilizations may try to win through other means. You can use your Diplomatic Favor to vote against them in the World Congress and prevent them from achieving their goals.
By following the strategies outlined in this guide, you will be well on your way to achieving a decisive Domination Victory with Teddy Roosevelt. His powerful unique abilities and units, combined with a sound strategic plan, make him one of the most formidable military leaders in Civilization 6. The world will tremble before the might of the Rough Riders, and your empire will stand as a testament to your strategic genius.