The Untapped Potential of a Presidential Science Push
In the grand strategy of Civilization 6, Teddy Roosevelt, particularly in his Bull Moose incarnation, is most often associated with a dominant Culture Victory. His abilities are intrinsically tied to the appeal of his tiles, generating a tidal wave of tourism that can overwhelm the globe. However, a deeper analysis of his kit, supported by extensive community discussion, reveals a potent and often overlooked path to a Science Victory. This guide will lay out a comprehensive, step-by-step strategy to achieve a fast and decisive science victory with Bull Moose Teddy Roosevelt, transforming America’s natural beauty into a launchpad for the stars.
This strategy is not for the faint of heart. It requires a different mindset than a traditional science victory, one that prioritizes the preservation of nature over the relentless march of industry. But for those who can master the delicate balance of appeal, faith, and science, the rewards are immense. Analysis on forums shows that a well-executed Bull Moose science game can be one of the most satisfying and powerful experiences in Civilization 6.
The Core Strategy: From Breathtaking to Breakthrough
The foundation of this strategy lies in Teddy’s “Antiquities and Parks” leader ability. This ability grants +2 Science to tiles with Breathtaking appeal that are adjacent to a Natural Wonder or a Mountain. It also provides +2 Culture to Breathtaking tiles adjacent to a Wonder or Woods. This is the engine that will power your scientific advancement, and your entire game should revolve around maximizing its output.
A popular strategy is to combine this with the Preserve district. Preserves are the cornerstone of this build, as they increase the appeal of adjacent tiles. Their buildings, the Grove and especially the Sanctuary, provide substantial yields to adjacent unimproved tiles, including science. This creates a powerful feedback loop: Preserves increase appeal, which in turn activates Teddy’s ability, which generates more science, which allows you to unlock more technologies to further enhance your empire.
Early Game (Ancient to Classical Era): Laying the Foundation
The early game is the most critical phase of this strategy. Your decisions in the first 50 turns will determine whether you can build the necessary momentum for a successful science victory.
Starting Location: The Pursuit of Natural Beauty
Your first priority is to find a starting location with high appeal. Look for a spot with plenty of mountains and woods, as these will be the primary sources of your appeal-based science. A start near a Natural Wonder is a god-tier scenario, as it will provide an immediate and substantial science boost. Many professional gamers suggest re-rolling your start if you find yourself in a flat, featureless landscape.
When you do settle, consider settling on a plains-hills tile for the extra production. This will help you get your first few buildings and units out a little faster.
Initial Build Order: Scout, Slinger, Settler
Your initial build order should be focused on exploration and expansion.
- Scout: Your first build should always be a Scout. You need to explore your surroundings as quickly as possible to identify high-appeal locations for future cities, find tribal villages, and meet other civilizations and city-states.
- Slinger: A Slinger is essential for early defense against barbarians. You can’t afford to have your early development disrupted by barbarian raids.
- Settler: Your third build should be a Settler. You need to expand quickly to claim the best city locations before your opponents do.
Pantheon: The Earth Goddess Reigns Supreme
There is one pantheon that is almost universally recommended for this strategy: Earth Goddess. This pantheon provides +1 Faith for every tile with Breathtaking appeal. This is an incredibly powerful pantheon for Bull Moose Teddy, as it will provide you with a steady stream of faith that you can use to purchase Naturalists for National Parks in the mid-game.
Early Exploration and Expansion: Claiming the Vistas
As you explore the map with your Scout, you should be looking for future city locations. Prioritize locations with high appeal, especially those with mountains and woods. Don’t be afraid to settle your cities relatively close together to maximize the number of high-appeal tiles you can work.
According to the player community, a key to this strategy is to resist the urge to improve every tile. A Breathtaking tile with a forest next to a mountain is already providing you with +2 Science and +2 Culture. Chopping down that forest for a mine would not only remove those yields but also reduce the appeal of adjacent tiles.
Mid-Game (Medieval to Industrial Era): Building the Science Engine
The mid-game is where your strategy really starts to come online. You should be focused on building up your infrastructure, expanding your empire, and leveraging your unique abilities to pull ahead in science.
The Preserve and National Park Engine: Your Path to Victory
The Preserve district is the heart of your science engine. You should aim to build a Preserve in every one of your cities. The key is to place them strategically to maximize their impact on the appeal of your tiles. Look for locations where a Preserve can boost the appeal of multiple workable tiles, especially those adjacent to mountains.
The Sanctuary building within the Preserve is a game-changer. It provides +2 Science, +2 Production, and +2 Gold to adjacent Breathtaking tiles. This is a massive boost to your yields and will allow you to keep pace with more traditional science-focused civilizations.
Once you have a network of Preserves in place, you can start to build National Parks. National Parks are created by Naturalists, which are purchased with Faith. This is where your Earth Goddess pantheon really pays off. National Parks provide a huge boost to the appeal of all tiles in the city they are in, which in turn will generate even more science from Teddy’s ability.
Wonder Prioritization: Engineering an Advantage
While your appeal-based science is powerful, you shouldn’t neglect wonders. There are several wonders that are particularly well-suited to this strategy.
- Eiffel Tower: This is the most important wonder for this strategy. The Eiffel Tower provides +2 appeal to every tile in your empire. This is a massive boost to your science and culture output and should be a top priority.
- Oracle: The Oracle provides a discount on purchasing Great People with Faith and provides extra Great Person points. This will help you secure key Great Scientists and Engineers.
- Mausoleum at Halicarnassus: This wonder provides an additional charge for all Great Engineers. This is incredibly powerful in the late game, as it will allow you to rush the production of space race projects.
- Ruhr Valley: The Ruhr Valley provides a significant production boost to the city it is built in. This is a great wonder to build in your primary spaceport city.
Governor and City-State Strategy: The Power of Diplomacy
Your choice of governors and city-states can have a significant impact on your success.
- Governors:
- Pingala (The Educator): Pingala is an excellent choice for your highest science-producing city. His “Researcher” promotion provides a +15% science bonus, which will further amplify your appeal-based science.
- Magnus (The Steward): Magnus is the ideal governor for your primary production city. His “Vertical Integration” promotion provides a significant production boost, which will be crucial for building your spaceport and space race projects.
- City-States:
- Scientific City-States: You should prioritize sending envoys to scientific city-states to gain their suzerainty bonuses. Geneva (+15% science in all cities) and Bologna (extra Great Person points) are particularly powerful.
- Industrial City-States: Industrial city-states like Hong Kong (+20% production towards city projects) and Singapore (increased production from trade routes) can provide a much-needed production boost in the late game.
Economic Management: Funding the Frontier
One of the challenges of this strategy is managing your economy with a large number of unimproved tiles. You will need to be smart about your trade routes and city-state relationships to maintain a positive gold income.
A popular strategy is to focus on international trade routes, as they provide more gold than domestic routes. You should also prioritize sending envoys to commercial city-states to gain their suzerainty bonuses.
Late Game (Modern to Future Era): The Sprint to the Stars
The late game is a mad dash to the finish line. You need to pivot from a balanced approach to a hard focus on science and production to complete the space race projects before your opponents.
The Space Race: A Step-by-Step Guide
The science victory requires you to complete a series of space race projects in a specific order:
- Launch Earth Satellite: This is the first project and requires a spaceport.
- Launch Moon Landing: This is the second project and also requires a spaceport.
- Launch Mars Colony: This is a multi-stage project that requires you to launch a Mars Reactor, a Mars Habitation, and a Mars Hydroponics module.
- Launch Exoplanet Expedition: This is the final project. To speed up the expedition, you can build the Terrestrial Laser Station and Lagrange Laser Station projects.
Production Optimization: The Final Push
Production becomes the most important yield in the late game. You need to do everything you can to maximize the production of your spaceport city.
- Policy Cards: Use policy cards like “Rationalism” (+100% science from Campus buildings) and “International Space Agency” (+10% science per suzerain city-state) to boost your science and production.
- Great People: Use your Great Scientists to rush key technologies and your Great Engineers to rush the production of space race projects.
- Spies: Use your spies to sabotage the spaceports of your opponents and steal their technologies.
Contingency Planning: Adapting to the Unexpected
No plan survives contact with the enemy, and the same is true in Civilization 6. You need to be prepared to adapt your strategy if things don’t go as planned.
- Bad Start: If you get a bad start with low appeal, don’t despair. You can still win a science victory, but you will need to focus more on traditional science generation through Campus districts.
- Runaway Opponent: If another civilization is running away with a different victory type, you may need to pivot to a more aggressive military strategy to slow them down. A few well-placed spies can also do a lot of damage.
Conclusion: A New Manifest Destiny
A science victory with Bull Moose Teddy Roosevelt is a challenging but incredibly rewarding experience. It requires a different way of thinking about the game, one that values the natural world as much as industrial progress. By mastering the art of appeal, you can transform America’s breathtaking landscapes into a scientific powerhouse and lead your civilization to the stars. This strategy, favored by many top players for its unique and engaging gameplay, proves that the path to the future is not always paved with concrete and steel, but can also be found in the quiet majesty of an untouched forest or the awe-inspiring vista of a mountain range.