Part 8

Dive into Civilization VI's terrain types! Learn how Plains, Rivers, Forests, and more impact your city's growth, resource production, and strategic advantage.

Alright, let's break down the different types of land you'll encounter in Civilization VI. Understanding these terrains is key to knowing where to settle your cities and what resources you can expect to get out of them. Each one has its own pros and cons, affecting everything from food production to defensive strength.

Tobacco Production: You'll want to aim for tobacco production if you're looking to sell goods back to Europe for a high price. Sometimes, you might need to choose a tile for its food value first, then switch to tobacco later. It's a trade-off you'll have to make based on your needs.

Terrain Types

Ice

• Bonus: +2 Fur
• Effect: Improvements take +50% time to build.

This type of ice is land-based, unlike the ice found on water. It's more common as you head north and is a prime spot for setting up colonies focused on fur and coats.

Marsh

• Bonus: +2 Food, +3 Sugar
• Effect: Improvements take +25% time to build.

Marshes are great if you're planning to produce Rum, especially if the tile has a Sugar bonus. However, they don't provide as much food as Plains or Grassland, making them a bit trickier to manage for general city growth.

Ocean

• Effect: Cannot build settlements here.

This is the water your units will use to travel to and from Europe. You generally shouldn't see this within your colonies unless you've used WorldBuilder, which is considered cheating.

Plains

• Bonus: +3 Food, +3 Cotton

Plains offer a classic choice between food for growth or Cotton for production. Even though they might look a bit arid, they're excellent for crops. You can switch between food and cotton production, building up a surplus of food before farming cotton.

River

• Bonus: +2 to ANY Resource

Rivers are fantastic! They provide a +2 bonus to whatever resource you're gathering on that tile, whether it's food from farmland or Silver from a mountain. Having a river, especially near a mountain range, can be a huge economic boon.

Tundra

• Bonus: +2 Food, +2 Fur

Similar to Ice, Tundra is found in northern areas and is good for both fur and food production. It makes you wonder what kind of crops can actually grow in such cold conditions!

Forest

• Bonuses: +6 Lumber, +3 Fur
• Penalties: -2 Food, -2 Cotton, -3 Sugar, -2 Tobacco
• Movement Cost: -2
• Defense Bonus: Defending Units get +50% Strength

Forests are great for producing lumber, which in turn fuels the production of buildings, units, and Founding Father points. They're also good for fur. If you're focused on farming, you'll likely want to clear these out.

Ice (Impassable)

• Effect: Impassable, cannot be passed.

This type of Ice is found near the poles and is completely impassable. It's not very useful, and you generally shouldn't find yourself this far north anyway.

Jungle

• Bonuses: +4 Lumber
• Penalties: -2 Sugar, -2 Cotton, -2 Tobacco
• Movement Cost: -2
• Defense Bonus: Defending Units get +50% Strength

Unlike in some other games, Civ VI jungles don't negatively impact your population's food. If you find jungle tiles, you might also discover a source of Bananas, which is a nice bonus!

Light Forest

• Bonuses: +2 Lumber, +2 Fur
• Penalties: -1 Food, -1 Cotton, -1 Tobacco
• Movement Cost: -2
• Defense Bonus: Defending Units get +25% Strength

Light Forests offer less lumber than regular forests but provide a nice fur bonus. If you're focused on farming, chopping these down might be beneficial in the long run.

Manufactured Goods

Cigars

• Production: Tobacconist's House = 3 Cigars/Citizen, Tobacconist's Shop = 6 Cigars/Citizen, Cigar Factory = 6 Cigars/Citizen (+50% Production).

Cigars are produced at a 1:1 ratio with Tobacco. They are a stable good in Europe, generally selling for more than other manufactured goods, even with high supply.

Cloth

• Production: Weaver's House = 3 Cloth/Citizen, Weaver's Shop = 6 Cloth/Citizen, Textile Mill = 6 Cloth/Citizen (+50% Production).

Cloth requires Cotton to produce. While it sells for a decent price, its value can drop significantly if supply exceeds demand. Focusing on Cigars is often a more profitable strategy than Cloth.