Hello friends! Today, I’m going to talk to you about two important buildings in Civilization VI, which many players use to boost their cities: Town Charters vs Caravansaries. We’ll be comparing them and exploring how they affect your cities and economy in the game. If you’ve ever wondered which one is better or when to use each one, then stick around!
What are Town Charters and Caravansaries in Civ 6?
First, let’s break down what these two things actually are. In Civilization VI, you build and manage cities to grow your empire, and part of that involves making decisions that will shape how your cities develop.
- Town Charters: This is an economic policy card that boosts the gold output of your cities. When you use it, it increases the gold yield from your cities with commercial hubs by a massive 100%! Basically, if you have a commercial hub district in your city (where you manage trade and business), Town Charters can make it twice as valuable by giving you twice the gold.
- Caravansaries: This is another economic policy card, but it works differently. Caravansaries increase the amount of gold you earn from trade routes by 2. So, if you’re sending out trade routes between your cities or with other civilizations, Caravansaries will give you bonus gold for each route.
Both are great for growing your gold, but they do it in different ways.
Why Town Charters are a Game-Changer!
Let’s first dive into why Town Charters can be so powerful! Like I said earlier, Town Charters boost your gold output from commercial hubs by a massive 100%. What this means is that for every city with a commercial hub, you will get double the gold.
Imagine you have three cities, and each has a commercial hub that brings in 10 gold. Without Town Charters, you’d get 30 gold in total from those cities. But with Town Charters, it doubles to 60 gold! This can give you an incredible advantage because you’ll be able to build things faster, support larger armies, and even purchase more land tiles to expand your empire.
Also, having extra gold means you’ll have more flexibility to respond to things that happen in the game. For example, if another civilization suddenly attacks you, you can quickly buy units to defend yourself without waiting to build them. Town Charters essentially turn your cities into gold-generating machines if you have enough commercial hubs!
When to Use Town Charters
You should use Town Charters when:
- You have a lot of cities with commercial hubs.
- You want to build up a huge gold reserve.
- You’re focusing on growing your economy more than your military.
But be careful! Town Charters only work if you have a commercial hub. If you don’t have a lot of commercial hubs in your cities, you might not see much benefit from this policy. This means it’s most useful if you’ve made a deliberate choice to build those hubs.
Caravansaries: The Trade Route Booster!
Now, let’s talk about Caravansaries. Caravansaries give you +2 gold for each trade route you have. If you love using trade routes in the game, this is a fantastic way to boost your economy because you’ll be earning extra gold each turn, simply by doing what you’re already doing—sending out trade routes!
Let’s say you have five trade routes running from different cities. With Caravansaries, each route will give you an extra 2 gold, so that’s an additional 10 gold per turn! Over the course of many turns, this can really add up and help you support your empire’s growth. What’s cool about Caravansaries is that you don’t need any special buildings for it to work—just trade routes. So, even if you don’t have a lot of commercial hubs, this card can still be useful.
When to Use Caravansaries
You should use Caravansaries when:
- You have a lot of trade routes.
- You are focusing on building a wide empire, with many cities.
- You want a steady source of gold without needing too many buildings.
Caravansaries work especially well if you’re playing a trading-focused game, where you send out a lot of trade routes to other civilizations or city-states. It’s also useful if you don’t have time to build a bunch of commercial hubs but still need to boost your economy.
Town Charters vs. Caravansaries: Which is Better?
Alright, now comes the big question! Which is better: Town Charters or Caravansaries? This depends on your strategy and the situation you’re in. Let’s compare them in different aspects to help you decide which to choose in your game.
| Aspect | Town Charters | Caravansaries |
|---|---|---|
| Gold Boost Source | Commercial Hubs | Trade Routes |
| Gold Increase | 100% more gold from Commercial Hubs | +2 gold per trade route |
| Best For | Players with many commercial hubs | Players with lots of trade routes |
| Flexibility | Requires specific buildings | Works with any trade routes |
| Long-Term Benefit | Increases rapidly with more hubs | Consistent gold boost from trade |
When Should You Choose Town Charters?
Town Charters are the best option if you’ve built a lot of commercial hubs. The more hubs you have, the bigger your gold income will be, and the more it will grow over time. This is great if you’ve been focusing on developing the economic powerhouses in your cities.
Let’s say you’ve already placed commercial hubs in your key cities, and they’re bringing in good gold. Using Town Charters will make those cities even stronger. Plus, the extra gold can help you pivot towards other goals, like upgrading your army or winning the game through diplomacy!
However, keep in mind that commercial hubs take time to build. If your cities are too young, or you’re in the middle of a war and don’t have the time to develop, Town Charters might not be the best choice right now.
When Should You Choose Caravansaries?
On the other hand, Caravansaries work well even if your cities are small or don’t have any commercial hubs. As long as you have trade routes—even just a few—Caravansaries will give you steady income.
If you’re playing as a civilization that’s good at trading, like Arabia or Mali, or if you’ve focused on building trade routes from the start, this is a great policy card. It’s especially useful if you’ve been sending trade routes to other civilizations, because those routes tend to give more gold than internal ones.
In the late game, when you have many trade routes, Caravansaries can become a gold powerhouse. Even if you only get +2 gold per route, having 10 or more trade routes can lead to a huge boost in income, which helps maintain a big army, bribe city-states, or even purchase new districts and buildings!
Which Card Works Best For Your Playstyle?
If You Like Building Strong Cities:
Go for Town Charters if you prefer building up your cities and focusing on their internal growth. This card shines when you’re focused on maximizing the productivity of each city by developing them with districts like the commercial hub. Plus, this strategy works well with civilizations like England or Rome, which have bonuses to districts and internal development.
If You Love Trade Routes:
Choose Caravansaries if you love managing trade routes and sending them out all over the map! If you’re playing a game where you’re trading with allies, other civilizations, or city-states, Caravansaries will give you consistent income every turn, without needing to build anything special in your cities. Civs like Mali, which gets extra gold from trade routes, or Phoenicia, which is focused on naval trade, can benefit greatly from this card.
How to Choose Between Town Charters and Caravansaries
Both Town Charters and Caravansaries are excellent options for boosting your economy in Civilization VI, but they cater to different strategies. If you’ve built up your cities with commercial hubs and are focusing on gold generation through districts, Town Charters will double that income and make your cities richer than ever.
But if you’re more focused on trading, or you don’t have the time or resources to build commercial hubs, then Caravansaries are a safe bet for generating gold. It’s simple, reliable, and works with just about any empire that has trade routes going.
In short, you’ll need to look at your empire, decide how you’ve built your cities, and think about what kind of game you’re playing. Both cards are powerful tools for boosting your economy, so use the one that fits your strategy the best!