Civilization 6: Improvements - benefits, tips Civilization VI Game Guide
Last update: 18 March 2022
The following chapter of Civilization 6 game guide contains useful pieces of information and tips about basic and unique improvements that can be found in the game. Their specific aspects have been described in separate sections.
General information about improvements
The main purpose of improvements is gaining access to strategic, luxury and bonus resources, and improving production potential of a terrain. Some of the improvements are available from the very beginning, while others require developing certain technologies. Keep in mind that some improvements can give you an income bonus if they are placed on a specific terrain or adjacent to it.
Improvements are constructed by builders and you only have to build them once. If you do not need an improvement because you want to place another building in its spot, you can order your builders to remove it. In case of an invasion, the improvements will be destroyed. As you make technological progress, the improvements will be automatically upgraded, giving you increasingly more income. Unlike units, you don't have to upgrade them manually.
Remember that food, production and other bonuses you get are calculated in the following way: terrain points + improvement points + resource points (if it is a resource that has some other points). It is highly important in the game, since improvements are the only way to use the resources. If they are destroyed, you will lose access to the resource and improvement bonuses, keeping only the tile bonus.
Improvements can be built on specific resources, as long as the terrain allows it. Luckily, the game only places resources on tiles that allow it, but if you do not need a resource (any type), it is the terrain that determines whether you can build an improvement.
Basic improvements
This section contains all improvements available for every nation.
Farm
Icon | Bonus | Terrain |
 | +1 Food +0,5 Housing Neighborhood Feudalism: +1 Food for every 2 adjacent Farm tiles Replaceable Parts: +1 Food for every adjacent Farm tiles. |
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The most basic improvement, available from the very beginning of the game. Note that as you develop your technology, it does not evolve, but the neighborhood bonus increases. One of the main properties of a Farm is increasing the amount of Housing in the city, which, along with food and amenities, can cause an unstoppable development. It is a good idea to place them close to each other, because the food bonus will be much higher. Keep in mind that you can build a farm on any tile that meets the requirements, but if you build it on a deposit of resources listed in the table above, you will get a bonus for each of them. Planning their placement is a good idea. The game won't help you do that, but you should find 3 to 5 neighboring tiles that will serve as your working space.
Fort
Icon | Bonus | Prerequisite | Terrain |
 | Units inside the fort get +4 defense. | Siege tactics |
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Forts' obvious purpose is defending your territory. Try to place them in strategic points such as narrow passages, and build a lot. You need to make the enemy attack your fort, if it's not possible, remember to have some ranged units that are able to weaken an enemy. This improvement does not evolve, and it has to be built by a military engineer. Keep in mind that you can build this improvement on various terrains, so it's easier to defend your territory. A unit inside the fort will get a minor defense bonus that may decide the fate of a battle if you're lucky. Try to place strong units in forts and upgrade them.
Quarry
Icon | Bonus | Prerequisite | Terrain |
 | +1 Production Research Banking: +1 Gold +1 Production | Mining |
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A basic improvement that becomes available after unlocking the first tier of technology. You can only build them on deposits of certain resources, so try to acquire several deposits. Building the capital city in a place that would let you quickly build a quarry seems to be a good idea - having it will increase your production potential. As you progress, a quarry will give you more benefits, but they become available in later eras.
Mine
Icon | Bonus | Prerequisite | Terrain |
 | +1 Production Research Apprenticeship: +1 Gold Industrialization: +1 Production | Mining |
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This improvement allows you to mine more resources. Similarly to the Quarry (see above), it provides your city with a Production bonus, but what also matters is the range of resources that allow you to build it. Their abundance makes it easy to build many mines and get major bonuses. Note that technological advancements related to its upgrade are earlier on the tree than in the case of a Quarry. Don't forget about other upgrades, but in the beginning and middle of the game, the mines can greatly improve your cities' productivity.
Airstrip
Icon | Bonus | Prerequisite | Terrain |
 | Supports up to 3 air units | Flight |
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Its sole purpose is to increase the potential of your aviation. Note the era in which it becomes available and types of terrain that allow building it. Each airstrip lets you have three air units, so you will need to invest in more of them.
Fishing boats
Icon | Bonus | Prerequisite | Resources |
 | +1 Food +0,5 Housing Research Cartography: +1 Gold Plastics: +1 Food | Sailing |
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Another improvement from the first tier. Useful if you're going to build your city on a coast. If you do, you will receive a eureka that will reduce the time you will need for research. Settling on the coast will make you lose the possibility of occupying some land tiles, so your fishing boats must provide housing. Remember that you can only build them on resource deposits, so learn their location before you settle. Fishing boats work similarly to farms, but they do not receive a neighborhood bonus, being upgraded like other improvements instead. The first advancement can be obtained fairly quickly, but the second one is much farther on the tree. The coastline is finite, so you cannot build as many fishing boats as farms, but remember that population growth is higher because of access to water.
Offshore Oil Rig
Icon | Bonus | Prerequisite | Terrain |
 | +2 Production | Plastics |
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If you control the coast, you will be able to acquire the oil deposits after developing some technology. Building an oil rig will give you a production bonus, but note that you need the same technology to build oil rigs and fishing boats, so the bonuses add up. The rig will also let you use oil - a strategic resource.
Resort
Icon | Bonus | Prerequisite | Terrain |
 | Tourism | Radio |
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This improvement increases the hex's appeal, which in turn increases the chance of tourists coming to your city. A resort can only be build on a coastline, on tiles mentioned in the table. Remember not to surround it with other buildings, especially if you're going for a culture victory. They become available in the Modern Era, so don't worry about placing other improvements on tiles.
Camp
Icon | Bonus | Prerequisite | Resources |
 | +1 Gold +0,5 Housing Research Mercantilism: +1 Production Synthetic materials: +1 Gold | Animal husbandry |
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Its usefulness in the early parts of the game depends on its placement and availability of resources. Note that you will receive gold as a bonus, so you will have to build farms or fishing boats anyway. Its upgrades can be made rather late, but in the long shot, you will receive a lot of bonuses if you keep this improvement long enough.
Pasture
Icon | Bonus | Technology | Resources |
 | +1 Production +0,5 Housing Research Exploration : +1 Food Robotics: +1 Production | Animal husbandry |
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Similarly to the previous improvement, your possibilities depend on your initial location. Both pasture and camp use the same technology from the first tier. Research takes more time, but it will give you another food point. Note that, similarly to farms and fishing boats, these improvements give you more housing.
Plantation
Icon | Bonus | Prerequisite | Resources |
 | +1 Gold +0,5 Housing Research Scientific Theory: +1 Food Globalization: +1 Gold | Irrigation |
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Plantation is an equivalent of a mine for plant-related resources. A wide spectrum of resources it unlocks makes many upgrades appear in your territory. Plantations provide extra housing and gold, so try to keep them as long as you can. Its technology is a bit farther on the tree, but it still belongs to the Ancient Era. Plantation will give you more bonuses after some time, but it won't happen until the Industrial Era, so don't count on a quick increase of food supply.
Missile silo
Icon | Bonus | Prerequisite | Terrain |
 | Nuclear and thermonuclear weapon launcher. Limit per civilization: 1 | Rocketry |
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You can only have one of them in each campaign. It allows you to use weapons of mass destruction. The silo becomes available in the final part of the game. Try to build it before others and don't hesitate to use it if it's necessary.
Oil well
Icon | Bonus | Prerequisite | Terrain |
 | +2 Production | Combustion |
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Inland equivalent of an oil rig. Note that it appears on the tree earlier than the offshore rig, so you will have a higher chance of acquiring this strategic resource if you choose to stay on land. Every oil well increases production by 2 points, but it won't matter at this point as much as having the resource.
Lumber mill
Icon | Bonus | Prerequisite | Terrain |
 | +1 Production +1 Production (if placed on a hex adjacent to a river) Research Steel: +1 Production | Machinery | Any tile with Woods |
One of the reasons why you shouldn't get rid of all Woods hexes on your territory. You can start building lumber mills in the Medieval Era, so decide which tiles you want to place them on early enough. Keep in mind that this improvement generates more profit if you place it on a tile next to a river. Don't forget that, unlike the lumber mills, other improvements generate other types of profit, so sometimes they are worth keeping if you have enough room to build districts and wonders. The improvement becomes available early in the game, but it only has one upgrade, available much later, so build the lumber mills by the river at all cost.
Unique improvements
The following section contains detailed description and tips concerning improvements that are available to only one specific nation.
Ziggurat - Sumeria
Bonus | Terrain |
+2 Science Research Natural history: +1 Culture (if built by a river) |
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Playing as Sumeria gives you a higher chance of a technological victory. Remember to build this improvement on hexes adjacent to rivers to gain more Culture points. Scientific advancement is tempting, but remember to build improvements that will give you basic sources of income. You can build one Ziggurat right after getting builders, which will have a positive impact on the town's development. Pay attention to their placement and be ready to restart the campaign if you can't place the capital by a river in two moves.
Roman Fort - Rome
Bonus | Terrain (regular or hills) |
Units in the fort get +4 Defense. Built by the Legion |
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It works just like any other fort, except you don't need builders to build it. The Legion is responsible for its construction. These units will also use the forts which will make it easier for them to conquer new lands. Building a fort before taking any offensive actions will help you protect your units from a counterattack.
Kurgan - Scythia
Bonus | Research | Prerequisites |
+1 Gold +1 Faith Neighborhood +1 Faith for each adjacent Pasture | Civics Guilds: +1 Gold Capitalism: +1 Gold | Technology: Animal breeding Terrain: Grasslands, Desert, Plains Snow, Tundra |
Scythia can create vast Kurgan areas that will, in a long shot, return a lot of profit - gold and faith. It's crucial to build this improvement on a hex adjacent to a pasture. Place pastures around it to maximize profits. Do not forget to take care of other basic sources of income. Upgrades for the Kurgans are unlock rather late in the game. Note that it happens in the Ideology tree, not the technological one. Kurgans can be built from the very beginning of the game and might be a starting point for a Domination or Religious victory.
Mission - Spain
Bonus | Research and Neighborhood | Prerequisites |
+1 Faith +2 Faith if it's on a different continent than the capital. | Cultural heritage: +2 Science +1 Science for a Campus District | Technology: Exploration Terrain (regular and hills): Grasslands, Desert, Plains Snow, Tundra |
In the case of this improvement, remember about the terrain properties in Civilization VI. You will receive extra Faith points for building each city on a separate continent, but remember that the in-game continents are not always separated with a large body of water. You can toggle a continent filter near the minimap. It will let you control the terrain while exploring and build an improvement in a place where it will make profit. Remember that after some time, you will be able to get a Science bonus aside from getting extra Faith points. Try to build improvements around a hex that contains a Campus District.
Colossal Head - La Venta suzerain
Bonus | Neighborhood | Terrain (regular or hills) |
+2 Faith Research Humanism: +1 Culture | +1 Faith for every 2 adjacent Woods tiles +1 Faith for every 2 adjacent Rainforest tiles |
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An improvement that's available only for a country that's currently a suzerain of La Venta. First, check if this city-state has been generated in your campaign, then control the number of other nations' emissaries. The colossal head will help you acquire a Religious Victory, so if you use this improvement to get more Faith, watch your position in La Venta. Note that you will get extra bonuses if you control tiles that contain forests. Use these conditions and consider the Culture bonus for the Humanism civic.
The suzerain position is essential here, since if you upgrade the improvements in your cities and lose the position, the improvements will disappear. Do not build your strategy around this source of Faith points, because it is unusually unstable.
Sphinx - Egypt
Bonus | Neighborhood | Prerequisites |
+1 Faith +1 Culture Research Natural History: +1 Culture | +2 Faith if adjacent to a wonder Two can't be placed next to each other. | Technology: Craftsmanship Terrain (regular or hills): Grasslands, Desert, Plains Snow, Tundra, Floodplains |
The Sphinx can be built rather late, compared to other unique improvements. They are worth using a couple of hexes, because each of them generates a steady Faith and Culture bonus. It is a good starting point to make a decision about the type of victory that you would like. If you have a wonder within your city, build at least two improvements next to it. The bonuses are significant, so the only thing that stops you from victory is the requirement to leave an empty tile between each of the Sphinxes. Similarly to other unique improvements, it is upgraded with Ideology, but it happens rather late.
Stepwell - India
Bonus | Neighborhood | Prerequisites |
+1 Food +1 Housing Research Feudalism: +1 Faith | +1 Faith if adjacent to a Holy Site +1 Food if adjacent to a Farm Two cannot be place next to each other. | Technology: Irrigation Terrain: Grasslands, Desert, Plains, Snow, Tundra |
This improvement can be much more of an advantage to your population than Farms, because it provides the same amount of Food, while increasing Housing. Considering that the technology required for building it belongs to the second tier, you might need one or two Farms in an early part of the campaign, but after you acquire the right technology, you can abandon them. However, the best option is to build the improvements on tiles adjacent to the Farms so they can generate more profit. You can also get a Faith bonus if the Stepwell is build on a hex adjacent to a Holy Site. Try to build Farms in such a way that they give you their own bonus, then build Stairwells next to them. You will quickly develop your Housing, while Food will increase your population.
Great Wall - China
Neighborhood | Research | Prerequisites |
+1 Gold per adjacent Great Wall | Castles: +1 Culture per adjacent Great Wall Can only be built along the borders of your empire. | Technology: Masonry Terrain (regular or hills): Grasslands, Desert, Plains Snow, Tundra, |
Defense Strength and Gold bonuses are the basic factors that determine the development of the Great Wall and allow you to build it. After you develop a specific technology, you will generate more income which will be useful for building more segments of the wall. Your country will grow and you cannot do anything about it - the only place where the wall can be build is your border, so sometimes you will have to buy an extra hex to connect parts of the wall. The Great Wall becomes available after developing a technology from the third tier of the Ancient Era, but because of that you will be able to build a strong foundation for your country instead of just generating gold from the beginning.
Chateau - France
Bonus | Neighborhood | Prerequisites |
+1 Culture Can only be built on hexes adjacent to rivers. | +2 Culture if adjacent to a wonder +1 Gold if adjacent to a luxury resource | Civic: Humanism Terrain (regular or hills): Grasslands, Desert, Plains Snow, Tundra |
The Chateau is one of the improvements that can only be built on specific tiles. In this case, it has to be on a hex adjacent to a river. It limits the possibilities of building them, but getting a good territory is worth restarting the campaign a couple of times. The Chateau might not be the most important or the best of improvements, but it will increase your chances of a Cultural Victory drastically, especially if you place it near a wonder. With a bit of luck, you will be able to gain more gold for having luxury resources close by, but remember that a civic from the Renaissance Era is required to build it, so out of all the unique improvements, this one requires the longest wait.