In the grand tapestry of Civilization 6, every decision, from the placement of your first city to the choice of your first governor, can echo through the ages, shaping the destiny of your empire. For players taking the helm of the American civilization under the leadership of Teddy Roosevelt, this initial governor choice is a pivotal moment. A decision that, according to extensive community analysis, can dramatically accelerate your path to victory or leave you struggling to keep pace with your rivals. The question of which governor to appoint first is not one with a single, simple answer; it is a strategic puzzle that depends on your starting conditions, your long-term ambitions, and which of Teddy’s personae you are leading.
This guide delves deep into the strategic considerations behind Teddy Roosevelt’s first governor choice. Drawing upon countless hours of gameplay analysis from seasoned players and discussions on community forums, we will dissect the strengths and weaknesses of the most popular choices, providing a clear, actionable framework for your own games. Whether you are playing as the culture-oriented Bull Moose Teddy or the continent-dominating Rough Rider Teddy, this guide will equip you with the knowledge to make an informed, game-winning decision.
Understanding Teddy Roosevelt’s Unique Strengths
Before we can effectively analyze the governor choices, we must first understand the tools at our disposal. Teddy Roosevelt is a versatile leader with two distinct variations, each with a unique set of abilities that favor different playstyles.
Bull Moose Teddy: The Conservationist
Bull Moose Teddy is a cultural powerhouse, with abilities that synergize beautifully with high-appeal tiles.
- Antiquities and Parks: This ability grants +1 Appeal to all tiles in a city with a National Park. More importantly, it provides +2 Science to Breathtaking tiles adjacent to Mountains and Natural Wonders, and +2 Culture to Breathtaking tiles adjacent to Woods and Wonders. This makes tile placement and city planning absolutely critical.
- Founding Fathers: America gains Government Legacy bonuses in half the usual time, allowing for rapid accumulation of powerful bonuses.
Rough Rider Teddy: The Continental Conqueror
Rough Rider Teddy, on the other hand, is a more militaristic leader, focused on dominating his home continent.
- Roosevelt Corollary: This ability gives a +5 Combat Strength bonus to all units on your home continent. This is a significant advantage in the early to mid-game, making both offense and defense more effective.
- Rough Rider: A unique Industrial Era unit that gains Culture from kills on its home continent and has a +10 Combat Strength bonus on Hills.
Both versions of Teddy also have access to the P-51 Mustang unique unit and the Film Studio unique building, further bolstering their potential for a Cultural Victory. The choice of your first governor should amplify these inherent strengths.
The Two Primary Candidates: Pingala vs. Magnus
The consensus among the Civilization 6 community is that the choice for Teddy’s first governor almost always comes down to two individuals: Pingala, the Educator, and Magnus, the Steward. These two governors offer powerful, but very different, early-game advantages.
Pingala: The Educator – For a Fast-Track to a Cultural Victory
Pingala is often hailed as the “default” first governor for a reason. His abilities provide a direct and immediate boost to your empire’s scientific and cultural output, the two most critical resources for long-term success.
In-Depth Analysis of Pingala’s Promotions
- Librarian (Default): +15% Science and Culture in the city. This is a powerful starting bonus that immediately accelerates your progress through the tech and civic trees. For Bull Moose Teddy, this is especially potent, as it amplifies the already impressive culture yields from his ability.
- Connoisseur: +1 Culture per citizen. This promotion turns your high-population cities into cultural powerhouses. A city with 10 population, for example, will generate an additional 10 Culture per turn.
- Researcher: +1 Science per citizen. Similar to Connoisseur, this promotion provides a significant boost to your scientific output, allowing you to unlock key technologies faster.
- Grants: Doubles Great Person points generated in the city. This is a game-changer for a Cultural Victory, as it allows you to snatch up Great Writers, Artists, and Musicians at an accelerated rate.
- Space Initiative: +30% Production towards Space Race projects. While this is a late-game ability, establishing Pingala early and promoting him down this path can set you up for a late-game pivot to a Science Victory if your cultural ambitions are thwarted.
Strategic Synergy with Teddy Roosevelt
For Bull Moose Teddy, Pingala is almost always the optimal first choice. The synergy between Pingala’s culture-boosting abilities and Teddy’s own is undeniable. By placing Pingala in your capital, you can create a cultural juggernaut that will propel you through the civic tree, unlocking key wonders and policies that are essential for a Cultural Victory.
Many professional gamers suggest a strategy of settling your capital in a location with high appeal and potential for breathtaking tiles, and then immediately appointing Pingala. This creates a “super city” that will be the engine of your cultural empire.
Magnus: The Steward – For Rapid Expansion and Production
While Pingala offers a more passive, long-term advantage, Magnus is all about immediate, tangible benefits. He is the governor of choice for players who want to expand quickly and build a wide empire.
In-Depth Analysis of Magnus’s Promotions
- Groundbreaker (Default): +20% Production towards Industrial Zone and Harbor buildings. More importantly, it allows you to harvest or remove features at no cost. This is a powerful ability for clearing land for districts and wonders.
- Provision: Settlers trained in the city do not consume a Population. This is arguably one of the most powerful promotions in the game, especially in the early game. It allows you to churn out settlers at an incredible rate, without stunting the growth of your cities.
- Surplus Logistics: +2 Food to internal trade routes from the city. This helps to quickly grow your new cities, making your wide empire more productive.
- Industrialist: +20% Production towards all projects in the city. This is useful for a variety of projects, from building wonders to completing city projects for Great Person points.
- Black Market: Strategic resources are not required to build units that require them. This is a more situational ability, but it can be incredibly powerful if you find yourself lacking a key strategic resource.
Strategic Synergy with Teddy Roosevelt
For Rough Rider Teddy, Magnus is an extremely compelling first choice. The ability to rapidly expand your empire with the Provision promotion allows you to claim a large portion of your home continent, maximizing the effectiveness of your Roosevelt Corollary combat bonus.
A popular strategy is to use Magnus to “chop” out settlers and wonders. By moving Magnus to a city with a lot of woods or rainforests, you can use his Groundbreaker ability to quickly clear the land and use the production bonus to build settlers or a key early wonder like the Pyramids or Stonehenge.
Are There Other Viable First Governors?
While Pingala and Magnus are the clear frontrunners, there are a few other governors who can be viable first choices in specific situations.
Amani: The Diplomat
Amani’s primary strength is her ability to be assigned to city-states, where she acts as two free envoys. This can be incredibly powerful for securing an early suzerainty, which can provide you with a unique bonus and a powerful ally. For Teddy, securing suzerainty of a cultural or scientific city-state can provide a significant early-game boost.
Liang: The Surveyor
Liang’s main appeal is her Guildmaster promotion, which gives an extra charge to all Builders trained in her city. This can be very useful for improving your tiles and increasing their appeal, which is especially important for Bull Moose Teddy. Her Zoning Commissioner promotion, which provides a production bonus towards districts, is also a solid choice for any playstyle.
How to Adapt Your Choice Mid-Game
The choice of your first governor is not set in stone. As the game progresses, you will earn more governor titles, allowing you to appoint new governors or promote your existing ones. A common strategy is to start with Magnus to facilitate early expansion, and then appoint Pingala as your second governor to boost the culture and science of your growing empire.
Analysis on forums shows that many experienced players will even move their governors around to maximize their effectiveness. For example, you might move Magnus to a new city to help it get established, and then move him back to your capital to help with wonder production.
A Strategic Decision
The choice of which governor to appoint first as Teddy Roosevelt is a microcosm of the larger strategic decisions you will face in Civilization 6. There is no single “best” choice, but rather a series of trade-offs and considerations.
For the player who wishes to pursue a Cultural Victory with Bull Moose Teddy, Pingala is the clear and obvious choice. His ability to accelerate your culture and science output is simply too valuable to pass up. For the player who wants to build a wide, sprawling empire with Rough Rider Teddy, Magnus offers an unparalleled advantage in early-game expansion.
Ultimately, the most important thing is to have a plan. Understand the strengths of your chosen leader, analyze your starting position, and then choose the governor that will best help you to achieve your goals. By thinking strategically and adapting to the changing circumstances of the game, you can turn this crucial early-game decision into a stepping stone on your path to victory.