Napoleon France Guide

Are you looking for a culture based Civ? How about a Civ that balances culture and war? Well, then France is the right Civ for you. Led by the stubby Napoleon, France is a cultural based Civ. Frances unique ability, Ancien Regime, gives cities +2 Culture before discovering the tech Steam Power. Not only is France a cultural Civ, it is also a conquering Civ with 2 unique units, the Foreign Legion, which replaces Great War Infantry and the Musketeer, which replaces the Musketman. Also France has a unique tile improvement, the Chateau, that gives gold, culture, and a defensive bonas for any unit on it. (NOTE: THE TILE IMRPOVEMENT IS ONLY FOR BRAVE NEW WORLD EXPANSION) With France, you will be able to defend your lands, while creating a dominate culture. This guide will show you how to play, expand, and conquer as France.

France's Misconceptions

Let's face it, every Civ has misconceptions. France is automatically viewed by players as conquering Civ due to France's unique miltary units. First of all, these units can't be used until mid-late game, Second of all, France is cultural Civ. It doesn't matter which Victory you go for, becuase all Civs can go for any Victory of the players own personal choice.

France is a good Civ to play as if you are going for a Cultural Victory. France can also go for a Domination Victory, if the player decides for another Victory condition. This guide will help you overcome the misconceptions.

France, a Split Civ (Cultural Victory)

I have no recommendations for starting out as France, follow what your heart desires. France is the only Civ that you will run into that, as I call it, a 'Split Civ'. This means that France can balance out two different types of Victories in Civ 5. Since France is a 'Split Civ', it can go for any two Victories or any two Victories that the player chooses. The preferred two Victories are Domination and Cultural. (NOTE: I WILL ONLY USE THESE TWO VICTORIES AS EXAMPLES, BECAUSE FRANCE CAN PROSPER IN BOTH DOMINATION AND CULTURAL)

France is mostly a Cultural based Civ and its Unique Ability, Ancien Regime, gives cities +2 Culture per turn before discovering the tech Steam Power. Your first city starts out with +1 Culture but the +2 Culture is added, giving your first city +3 Culture. The Culture increase is multiplied by the number of cities that you have. Here is the list below:

1st City: 3x1 = +3 Culture
2nd City: 3x2= +6 Culture
3rd City: 3x3= +9 Culture
4th City: 3x4= +12 Culture
5th City: 3x5= +15 Culture
6th City: 3x6= +18 Culture
7th City: 3x7= +21 Culture
8th City: 3x8= +24 Culture
9th City: 3x9= +27 Culture
10th City: 3x10= +30 Culture

(NOTE: I ONLY MADE THE LIST UP TO TEN CITIES. IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN TEN, THEN YOU CAN DO THE MATH IF YOU KNOW YOUR 3'S TABLE)

France also has a Unique Tile Improvement, the Chateau. (NOTE: TILE IMPROVEMENT NOT IN VANILLA CIV 5 AND REQIURES THE BRAVE NEW WORLD EXPANSION. I AM STILL GOING TO COVER IT ANYWAY)
The Chateau is France's special Tile Improvement that gives +1 Gold, +2 Culture, and 50% Defensive bonas for any unit that is on the tile. And the Chateau is improved even further after when the tech Flight is researched, the Chateau gets an additional +2 Gold and +1 Culture on top of the previous Tile Improvement bonas. Also the Chateau must be built next to a Luxuray Resource and can't be next to any other Chateau.

Now onward to the second half of Frances Split Personality.

France, a Split Civ (Domination Victory)

France has a peaceful, cultural side. But every Civ has the military capability to run thier enemies into the ground. France, even though has only 2 Unique Units, can't use them until mid-late game. So the French military is going to be the basic military units found in other Civs.

France has two unique units, the Musketeer and the Foriegn Legion. These two great and powerful late game units, give France the capability to do last miniute conquering or defending your lands.

The Musketeer is one of France's Unique Units. The Musketeer replaces the Musketman and is the mid game front line infantry. The required tech to train this unit is Gunpowder and also upgrades to the Rifleman. Recruit this Unique Unit before you advance too quickly and loose the unit for good.

The Foreign Legion is the other Unique French Unit that is only in Vanilla and Gods/Kings Expansion. In the Brave New World Expansion, the Foreign Legion is only avaliable in the Freedom Ideology, under the Volunteer Tenet and is slighly less powerfull than the Great War Infantry, but still has the 20% Combat Bonas in foreign lands. The Foreign Legion replaces the Great War Infantry. Not only is this unit powerful, but it has a 20% Combat bonas in 'Foreign' lands, hence the name of the unit, the Foreign Legion. The required technology to recruit this unit is Replaceable parts and this unit upgrade to the Infantry. Recruit this Unique Unit before you advance too quickly and loose the unit for good. Now we are done with France's Split Personallity. Onwards to Policies!

Social Policies

France can choose from a number of Social Policies just like any other Civ. If you are going for a Cultural Victoy, then choose Tradition and Liberty to get early cultural bonas. If you are going for a Domination Victory, I recommend going down Honor and Autocarcy to get bonas for your military units to make them more powerful.

Questions?

Thanks for reading this guide on France. If you have any questions/comments post them below. Also I plan to make more guides, so if you could rate this guide, I can make more in the future. Tell me which Civ to do next!

[OwlRaider]

Not much of a guide to be honest, and a complete mess as BNW completely altered France and culture victory itself, yet you made no mention of it. All you mentioned was BNW removed Foreign Legion as a UU since it was given to the freedom ideology instead, you didn't say anything about BNW's new culture victory nor France's new UA: double theme bonus... Moreover France isn't a split civ at all, even though they have 2 UUs(non BNW) they're both from the infantry line so hardly offensive units to go domination with. Don't get me wrong, any civ can win any victory, especially domination, but if you're discussing the civ's strength than for France it's strictly culture, whether BNW or Vanilla/G&K.

[Napraznicul]

The "Land of white flags" being the country with the most military victories ever........ But aight i guess

[Softcakes]

The land of white flags and wine.

[Is there a future?]

But Ancien Régime was not existing anymore when Napoleon took the power in France.

[Ergo Regulus]

ric20052000 17 сер 2014 о 22:20
How do you achieve the 16 themed bonus for the Louvre to unlock the achievement? I can only get to 8

try to end aestetics branch, it gaves same bonuse as frecnh uniq ability

[Ergo Regulus]

lmao dude buy bnw pls, France still a cultural civ, but it became more interesting. Once i won while i had only 2 cities, cultural win at BNW based on tourism, so my touristic points were very high, also it was a lan game on 5th difficulty, i won before researching cryogenics with hotels or aircraft with airports that give additional tourism points.

[Quimar]

Bien dit !

[TOUFIK XHIKI]

VIVE LA FRANCE NIQUE TOUT LES AUTRES EMPIRES LA REPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE VAINCRA

[Slow Doberman]

Helped me a lot. Thanl you very much.

[Hattori]

Thank you . Now i know how to build my empire.