Civilization 5 – France Guide

France as led by Napoleon

City of Light: Theming bonuses from world wonders and museums are doubled in the capital.

Start bias: None.

Musketeer: Replaces Musketman, requires Gunpowder

Very little to discuss here, the musketeer is n uninteresting yet effective unit, acting as a simple upgrade for the musketman. They boast a combat strength of 28 (compared to the 24 of the regular unit), meaning they can be utilised effectively for both offensive and defensive purposes.

Chateau: Unique improvement, requires Chivalry

These can only be constructed on tiles next to a luxury resource, meaning settling in areas with an abundance of these is arguably even more important for the French! When first built, these act as a fort (+50% defensive strength for units occupying the fort) and offer +1 gold and +2 culture. Once Flight is researched, these bonuses are upgraded so the chateau offers +3 gold and +3 culture.

The real strength of the chateau, however, is when Hotels, Airports and the National Visitor Centre become available, as these convert culture from tiles into a tourism boost for your city – which can greatly accelerate your efforts towards a cultural victory! Between the chateau and the UA, France is one of few civs which are designed for the new cultural victory, which also means they’re one of the best for a fast one!

Strategy

For this section, I’m going to refer you to the excellent Steam guide regarding France by /u/Zigzagzigal – a guide which includes things to avoid, advice regarding policies, how to get the best from the uniques and even ways to counter France! It’s a guide which I would highly recommend for anyone wanting to learn more about and optimise strategy when playing as France!

Original Link – Continuation of discussion