Choosing the right placement for your first settlement will determine how well you do in a match, but choosing right is no easy feat. The type of resources you’ll want to build your first settlement around in Civ6 completely depend on the type of victory you’re going for. I know how difficult it can be for a beginner to get a good idea of where to start, given that the game is rather dense and has a ton of mechanics. I don’t want you to feel lost when you get started, so I’ve compiled a list of the most useful resources that you can get in a Civ6 match. This ranking should help you from the early game to the late game, and these are by far the best starting resources across the board. I’ve kept the number of luxury resources to a minimum, and I’ve made sure to exclude Strategic resources (bar horses, of courses) as it’s impossible to tell where they are in the early game. I’m sure we’d all love to start near oil and uranium, but we’d need a lot of luck for that to happen.
10. Horses
Horses are going to be your best friends if you’re going for a military rush in the early game. You’re going to need this resource if you wish to train the powerful cavalry units that become available after the first handful of turns. You’ll want to get that Horseback Riding tech as soon as you can, too. In any case, Horses are the only strategic resource that you’ll be able to see in the early game. They’re a must if you’re going for a military win, and they will even help you with some aspects of a cultural victory.
9. Whales
If you’re willing to build a coastal city to start off your game, then you’re going to want to look for two resources: Whales and Crabs. Whales allow you to get an early-game production boost that will help your cities grow extremely quickly. But that’s not all: they also provide you with one extra gold. You can also use your fishing vessels to build upon these tiles and improve the resources they yield, with some late-game technologies being able to boost them even further. Whales are the best water-based luxury resource and one that you’ll want to get if you have the chance.
8. Copper
You can make the best of Copper in one of two ways: you can either harvest the resource as soon as you get that Mining tech going for you, or you can actually build a mine upon it and you’ll get a constant influx of gold for your civilization. Regardless of what you choose to do with copper, it’s a must-have resource in the early game. Be sure to build your first settlement near a copper tile, or peel your eyes to mine it as soon as you can.
7. Stone
Even though stone might help you boost some chance for a religious victory, the one main reason why you need stone is that this thing boosts your production in the early game. It might not seem like much. But in times where building takes a fair few turns, stone proves to be one of the most useful starting resources in the game. You can also build quarries on it, which helps you boost production even further, whenever you can afford to invest in a builder to get it done.
6. Sheep
Sheep offer another brilliant starting resource to get, for the sheer fact that Animal Husbandry is one of the first technologies you’re going for anyway. This allows you to take full advantage of the sheep’s +1 Food boost, which will prove to be extremely useful throughout the entire playthrough. Getting your hands on food-related resources is a sound strategy for the early game. It will help you develop your cities much faster than others.
5. Fish
You might not be one to research sailing technologies in the early game. But if you happen to have a near-water start, you’re going to need to take advantage of the sea and its vast “ocean” of resources. Fish is the one resource that you’ll find on most coastal tides. Which means you’ll be able to harness it from the very early stages of the game. Get Celestial Navigation quickly and use those fishing boats to multiply its food yield!
4. Furs
If you’re lucky enough to start your game near a fox-controlled field, you’re going to need to get those Furs as quickly as you can. Furs provide you with +1 food and +1 gold, with the potential for it to be much more as the game goes on and you research new technologies.
3. Sugar
Sugar allows you to get +2 food, but the real reason why it’s so useful to have on one of your tiles is that you get to build a plantation on it. This boosts your gold arks as well. The game mentions nothing about slavery, so you don’t need to feel bad about it, either.
2. Wine
Now wine is another amazing and very versatile luxury resource. It lets you collect food and gold from the early stages of the game. Plus, who doesn’t want their own winery?
1. Cattle
Let’s face it – cattle are the easiest resource to find in the early game. And the one go-to resource that we all look for when a new game begins. As such, it takes the first spot on my list. If you’re surrounded by the vastness of solitude when you first begin a match, you can almost always count of cattle to get your feet out of the mud.
