Although there has been no new DLC for Civilization 6 since the end of the New Frontier Pass earlier this year, Firaxis' grand strategy remains one of the most played titles in the genre. The many additions to Civilization 6 over the course of the year-long season pass really changed the game, not only providing new content, but balancing and refining the classic gameplay.
One of the most important changes was the addition of the Preserve District in the Vietnam and Kublai Khan Pack. The Preserve joined 18 other Districts that players can construct on tiles around their cities, each one providing its own features and bonuses. Focused on unimproved tiles, the Preserve is an Ancient Era District designed for players that want to find harmony with nature.
What a Preserve Does in Civilization 6
Before players can construct a Preserve, they'll first need to research it in Civilization 6's Civic Tree. The Preserve is unlocked upon completion of the Mysticism Civic, which can be found toward the end of the Ancient Era. As an early-game District, the Preserve has several useful features, but it can also be quite situational.
The Preserve will provide up to three Housing based on the Appeal of the tile it's placed on, a powerful bonus if there are Breathtaking tiles in the city's territory. Once built, the Preserve will Culture Bomb all adjacent tiles, adding them to the city, and also raise their Appeal by one. This last bonus is particularly important because of the two buildings that can be constructed in the Preserve, the Grove and Sanctuary.
The Grove is available immediately and will add +1 Food and Faith to adjacent unimproved tiles that have at least Charming Appeal, and +2 Food, Faith, and Culture to those that are Breathtaking. The Sanctuary is unlocked in the Modern Era and improves Charming tiles with +1 Science and Gold, and Breathtaking tiles with +2 Science, Gold, and Production.
Where to Build a Preserve in Civilization 6
The Preserve is one of the trickiest Districts to use in Civilization 6, and its strengths may not be immediately apparent to new players. The first thing before building one is to make sure that the city already has an area of high Appeal -- a Preserve will be almost useless otherwise. Additionally, it's best to build the Preserve a single tile away from the City Center. This positioning allows the Preserve to maximize the tiles it buffs, as placing it two away from the City Center would result in it enhancing tiles that can't be worked.
National Parks, Seaside Resorts, and Neighborhoods can all benefit from the Appeal of a Preserve, but players will need to balance these bonuses with the loss of an unimproved tile. Any Civilization that buffs unimproved tiles will obviously want to consider using Preserves, in order to maximize their advantage.
Ultimately, the Preserve can be one of the strongest early-game growth Districts in Civilization 6, as well as providing serious Gold and Science in the Modern Era. However, these bonuses are dependent on having an ideal spot with high Appeal and few natural resources, meaning some cities won't want to build a Preserve at all.
Civilization 6 is available for iOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
