In the intricate tapestry of Civilization 6, every decision, from the placement of your first city to the choice of a late-game policy card, can ripple through the ages, defining the destiny of your empire. Among the most pivotal of these decisions is the art of district placement. A well-placed district can be the engine of your civilization, while a poorly placed one can be a drain on your resources. But what if we could amplify this engine? What if the carefully planned adjacency bonuses of every district were suddenly doubled? This is not a mere hypothetical; it is a strategic reality that, when mastered, can unlock explosive growth and propel your civilization to unprecedented heights. This guide delves into the profound strategic implications of doubling district adjacency bonuses, a mechanic that transforms the very landscape of the game and separates the masters from the novices.
The Foundation of Power: The +100% Adjacency Bonus
The concept of doubling adjacency bonuses is not a hidden cheat code but a core mechanic accessible through specific policy cards. Analysis on forums shows that many players, especially those new to the game, often underestimate the sheer power of these cards. They are not just a minor boost; they are a fundamental shift in the output of your cities. Each of the key yield-generating districts—Campus, Holy Site, Commercial Hub, Harbor, and Industrial Zone—has a corresponding policy card that provides a +100% bonus to its adjacency yields.
- Natural Philosophy: Doubles the adjacency bonus of Campuses.
- Scripture: Doubles the adjacency bonus of Holy Sites.
- Town Charters: Doubles the adjacency bonus of Commercial Hubs.
- Naval Infrastructure: Doubles the adjacency bonus of Harbors.
- Craftsmen: Doubles the adjacency bonus of Industrial Zones.
Understanding when and how to use these cards is the first step toward harnessing their immense potential. It’s a game of timing, of recognizing the moment when a policy shift can catapult your civilization ahead of the competition.
The Art of the “Mega-District”: Strategic Placement is Paramount
According to the player community, the key to leveraging these doubling policy cards is meticulous planning from the very beginning of the game. You cannot simply place districts haphazardly and expect to benefit. You must become an urban planner, an architect of empire, seeing not just the immediate yields but the potential for future amplification.
Identifying High-Potential Locations
Before you even found a city, you should be scouting for locations that offer the potential for high adjacency bonuses. Look for clusters of mountains for your Campus and Holy Site, floodplains for your Dam and Aqueduct to boost your Industrial Zone, and coastlines rich with sea resources for your Harbor. A popular strategy is to use map tacks to plan out your city and its districts long before you even have the technology to build them. This foresight is crucial.
The Power of Triangles and Diamonds
Many professional gamers suggest thinking in terms of “triangles” and “diamonds” of districts. By placing three or four districts adjacent to each other, you can create a core of high-yield infrastructure. For example, a Government Plaza, which provides a +1 adjacency bonus to all adjacent districts, can be the heart of a powerful district cluster. Imagine a Government Plaza surrounded by a Campus, a Commercial Hub, and a Theater Square. Each of these districts would start with a +1 bonus, which can then be further enhanced by other adjacencies.
The Science Victory: The “Natural Philosophy” Power Play
For those seeking a Science Victory, the Campus is the most important district in the game. The Natural Philosophy policy card, available in the Classical Era, is the key to unlocking its full potential.
Maximizing Campus Adjacency
The primary sources of adjacency for a Campus are mountains and geothermal fissures. Each mountain tile provides a +1 bonus, while each geothermal fissure provides a +2 bonus. Therefore, a city nestled in a mountain range is a prime candidate for a science powerhouse. A popular strategy is to look for a location with at least three or four adjacent mountain tiles. This would give you a base adjacency of +3 or +4. Add a Government Plaza and another district, and you could easily have a +5 or +6 Campus.
The Doubling Effect in Action
Now, let’s apply the Natural Philosophy card. That +6 Campus suddenly becomes a +12 Campus. That’s 12 science per turn from a single district, before any buildings are even constructed. With a Library, University, and Research Lab, this single Campus can generate more science than entire civilizations in the early to mid-game. Analysis on forums shows that this strategy is a cornerstone of high-level science victories.
Faith and Production: The “Work Ethic” and “Scripture” Synergy
The Holy Site is not just for religious victories. With the right combination of beliefs and policy cards, it can become a production powerhouse that rivals the Industrial Zone.
The “Work Ethic” Belief
The “Work Ethic” belief is a game-changer. It allows your Holy Sites to gain a production bonus equal to their adjacency bonus. This means that a Holy Site with a +4 adjacency bonus will provide not only +4 faith but also +4 production. This is a massive boost in the early game when production is scarce.
Doubling Down with “Scripture”
Now, enter the “Scripture” policy card. This card doubles the adjacency bonus of your Holy Sites. So, that +4 Holy Site becomes a +8 Holy Site. With Work Ethic, that’s +8 faith and +8 production per turn. This combination is so powerful that many professional gamers consider it one of the strongest synergies in the game. It allows you to build wonders, units, and other districts at a blistering pace, all while fueling your faith output for a potential religious victory.
Fueling the Engine of Industry: The “Craftsmen” Policy Card
Production is the lifeblood of any empire. It determines how quickly you can build units, districts, and wonders. The Industrial Zone is the heart of your production, and the “Craftsmen” policy card is the key to making it beat faster.
Maximizing Industrial Zone Adjacency
The Industrial Zone gains adjacency bonuses from several sources:
* +2 from an adjacent Aqueduct
* +2 from an adjacent Dam
* +2 from an adjacent Canal
* +1 from an adjacent strategic resource
* +0.5 from each adjacent mine or quarry
A popular strategy is to plan your Industrial Zone around a river, allowing you to build both an Aqueduct and a Dam adjacent to it. This alone provides a +4 bonus. Add a few mines and a strategic resource, and you can easily have a +6 or +7 Industrial Zone.
The Industrial Revolution
With the “Craftsmen” policy card, that +7 Industrial Zone becomes a +14 Industrial Zone. But it doesn’t stop there. The Coal Power Plant, a building within the Industrial Zone, provides a bonus equal to the adjacency bonus of the district. So, your +14 Industrial Zone now gets an additional +14 production from the Coal Power Plant, for a total of +28 production from that one district. This is how you create cities that can build wonders in just a few turns and churn out an endless stream of military units.
Golden Coasts: Maximizing Commercial Hubs and Harbors
A strong economy is essential for any victory type. The Commercial Hub and the Harbor are your primary tools for generating wealth, and their corresponding doubling policy cards, “Town Charters” and “Naval Infrastructure,” can make you rich beyond measure.
The Merchant Republic
The Commercial Hub gains a +2 bonus from an adjacent Harbor and a +2 bonus from an adjacent river. A popular strategy is to place your Commercial Hub on a river, adjacent to a Harbor. This gives you a base of +4 gold. With the “Town Charters” policy card, that becomes +8 gold per turn. This, combined with the trade routes from the Commercial Hub, can create a massive income stream.
The Thalassocracy
The Harbor gains a +2 bonus from being adjacent to the City Center and a +1 bonus from each adjacent sea resource. A well-placed Harbor on a coastline rich with fish, crabs, and whales can easily have a +4 or +5 adjacency bonus. The “Naval Infrastructure” card doubles this to +8 or +10. Furthermore, the Shipyard building provides production equal to the Harbor’s adjacency bonus. So, a +10 Harbor with a Shipyard will provide not only a huge amount of gold but also +10 production. This makes coastal cities with well-placed Harbors some of the most versatile and powerful cities in the game.
Adjacency vs. Building Yields: A Strategic Dilemma
While doubling adjacency bonuses is incredibly powerful, it’s not always the best choice. In the late game, policy cards that double the yields of buildings within a district can sometimes be more effective.
The Tipping Point
Analysis on forums shows that the tipping point usually occurs when a district is fully developed with all its buildings. For example, a Campus with a Library, University, and Research Lab will generate a significant amount of science from its buildings. A policy card that doubles these building yields might provide more science than a card that doubles a modest adjacency bonus.
The Hybrid Approach
Many professional gamers suggest a hybrid approach. In the early and mid-game, focus on maximizing adjacency bonuses and using the doubling policy cards to accelerate your growth. In the late game, as your districts become more developed, you can switch to the building yield policy cards to squeeze every last drop of potential out of your cities.
Civilizations That Excel with Doubled Adjacency
Certain civilizations are uniquely suited to a strategy of doubling adjacency bonuses. Their unique abilities and units can amplify the effects of these policy cards, leading to truly staggering results.
- Japan (Meiji Restoration): Japan’s “Meiji Restoration” ability gives them a +1 bonus for every adjacent district, instead of the usual +0.5. This makes Japan a powerhouse of district adjacency and allows them to create incredibly high-yield district clusters.
- Germany (Free Imperial Cities): Germany can build one more district than its population would normally allow. This, combined with their cheaper Industrial Zones, makes them a natural fit for a production-focused strategy that leverages the “Craftsmen” policy card.
- Australia (Land Down Under): Australia gets +3 housing in all coastal cities. More importantly, their districts get +1 yield in Charming terrain and +3 in Breathtaking terrain. This allows them to build high-yield districts even in locations that lack traditional adjacency sources like mountains or rivers.
The Ripple Effect: How Doubled Adjacency Transforms Your Strategy
A strategy focused on doubling adjacency bonuses is not just about generating high yields; it’s about fundamentally changing the pace and direction of your game.
Accelerating Your Victory Path
By generating massive amounts of science, culture, faith, or production, you can accelerate your progress toward your chosen victory condition. A science victory becomes much faster when your Campuses are generating double the science. A domination victory is easier when your Industrial Zones are churning out units at an unprecedented rate.
The Opportunity Cost
However, it’s important to remember the opportunity cost. Using a policy card slot for an adjacency bonus means you’re not using it for something else, like a military production bonus or an amenity bonus. You must constantly evaluate whether the doubled adjacency is worth the trade-off.
The Architect of Victory
The ability to double district adjacency bonuses is one of the most powerful, yet often overlooked, mechanics in Civilization 6. It is a strategy that rewards foresight, planning, and a deep understanding of the game’s systems. By mastering the art of district placement and the timely use of the +100% adjacency policy cards, you can transform your cities from mere settlements into engines of progress, capable of achieving any victory you desire. The path to greatness is paved with well-placed districts, and the architect of that path is you.