Does anyone have a good Germany guide? Civ 6

[PancakePuppy]

I've always been fond of Germany and have decided to make it my main Civ. What strategy should I use when playing as Germany? Do I start off by making warriors and absorbing city states into my empire or do I make settlers? How should I place my Hansas and what districts should I focus on? What does it mean when it says "The bonus extends X Tiles" for Factories and other Industrial Zone district buildings?

 

[joncnunn]

Actually the best way to capture a city is pre-build 3 archers as skirmishers; upgrade those to archers and use those to bombard the city to close to zero strength and just use the starting warrior to finish the city off.
With Germany's strength vs city states plus extra military slot it can sometimes get away with one fewer ranged unit if its early enough especally if while building up you encountered some barbarians and got some XP that way.

And as Germany you want to both conquer a few city states and self found new cities; but the military comes first; both to get it started for the city states, but also because you'd also want 3+ archers in your army even playing entirely peaceful to ensure you can deal with barbarians.

One of the city state's bonuses increases range of the IZ from 6 to 9 (and similarly increases the Zoos range by 3). But an earlier patch removed stacking of these bonuses and so that city state went from best in the game to make an ally to the weakest unique ability (but still above average simply due to the production bonuses shared by all industrial city states being good.)

 

[stormerne]

One of the city state's bonuses increases range of the IZ from 6 to 9 (and similarly increases the Zoos range by 3).

Specifically, this is only for the Toronto city state, and only when you are suzerain, not for all city states. (The IZ/Hansa and EC building effect, which is normally to city centers within a 6 tile radius of the district, increases to a 9 tile radius.) Therefore it can be useful to keep this particular city state intact!

 

[Japper007]

What does it mean when it says "The bonus extends X Tiles" for Factories and other Industrial Zone district buildings?

A factory extends it's production yield (the cogs) to every city center in a radius of 6 tiles (9 tiles with Toronto suzerain) from the industrial zone. It no longer stacks unfortunetly so a city can only ever get the hammers from one factory and power plant within range.

The big thing with Germany is it's district cap bonus. Any city can get 2 districts (Commercial or Harbor+Victory District*) up immediatly without first having to grow to 3 pop. The key to playing them is getting a lot of cities (the key to any civ but even more so for Germany). Don't be afraid to settle very marginal terrain and have lots of overlap in your empire, a city doesn't have to get over just a few pop to be useful to a German empire.

Their other solid bonus is the Hansa, a half price IZ. I'd put one in every city, despite the Factory/Power Plant overlap nerf. If you zone it right it can net your city a ton of hammers with just good adjacency and a workshop, it'll usually pay itself back in a dozen turns or so. Then build factories were they get the maximum coverage, the most city centers within 6 tiles from the Hansa.

If played properly, Germany is a monster civ, IMHO the most powerful.

*Victory District means either a Campus, Theatre Square or Holy Site, depending on the victory you pursue

 

[Canadian Bluebeer]

Hansa in pretty much every city for me, it's usually the first thing I build once avail.
However, on a coastal city with lotsa sea resources, I my do a Harbor first (shipyards are crazy now)
Even I do harbor first, hansa is always next. Then I decide what else once the city grows.

Of course if you got the +2 production to factories, then yep them everywhere. (same for a +2 culture for factories, that one surprised me)

I'll take a CS I don't need/want (or to take away from the AI).

With all that production, dom is rather easy. (you can also then spam theater districts, and then send waves of archeologists and go for culture)
Science not too bad either.

Production up fast, means you can do whatever you feel like afterwards.

I try to get 3 slingers/archers fast, at least 1 scout (first thing I build)
Second city up once I'm pop 3, but timed so that pop 4 happens just before the settler drops.

After that, depends what the AI does. One game, all I did was spam archers since everyone was DoW me.
After wiping out everyone on my continent (DoW that early, yer gonna die), it was stupid.
Got extra campus and holy sites for free basically.

 

[chazzycat]

1. Build/acquire cities in pairs close together (depends on map, CS are typically more useful as allies but sometimes conquering them makes sense)
2. Beeline currency then apprenticeship (get eurekas)
3. In each pair of cities, build 2 commercial hubs/2 hansas in a diamond shape with the hansas touching 2 CH each plus as many resources as possible.
4. This should get you 6-7 in adjacency bonuses for each hansa (5 each from just the Commercial Hubs plus 1-2 resources)
5. Go for "craftsmen" ASAP to double that
6. Win the game however you like