Civ 6 | I Played A Map With Nothing But Desert & New Civs - (#1 Deity Sundiata Mali Civilization VI)

In this game of Civ 6, we’ll be playing as Sundiata Keita, the newest leader of Mali from the Leader Pass. The mission? To play a game where there is nothing but desert. Everywhere. Huzzah! This is a similar game to the one we played with the original Mali and I’m interested to see where we go with it - how will we fair compared to Mali version #1?
Also we added every new leader + old Mali & Nubia to the map for a little fun. And fun it was!
All maps, mods and tech support on getting these games to work are available on my discord, so swing by! If you want to help plan this series, consider becoming a channel supporter using the links below.
Find the full playlist here:
00:00 - Hello & Welcome!
01:14 - Important Announcement
01:56 - Game Explain
05:59 - Turn 1
08:30 - Pantheon Choice
12:17 - District Placement
16:01 - The Race For A Prophet
20:17 - Is There Life Out There?
25:10 - This Oracle Thought Shapes My Game
29:40 - Golden Boy!
33:56 - Deserts Have No Production, Who Knew??
38:34 - Temples Mean Relics
43:09 - Check Out These Numbers
Make sure you subscribe below so you don't miss more Deity Civilization VI fun!
Ko-fi - ko-fi.com/ursaryan
Patreon - / ursaryan
Discord - / discord
Subscribe - / @ursaryan

[@UrsaRyan]

Hello all - in case you missed it, Portugal WILL RETURN after this series! Enjoy this new DLC, we'll be back with Joao before you know it..!!

[@hatebagel8081]

'Ursa' means bear so canonically Ursa Bear's name is Bear Bear

[@atoucangirl]

Ursa: "you might say that this is too easy, a full desert map as Mali" me: so you installed a crazy mod that makrs the game harder? only the most OP AI? one city challenge? Ursa: "I put 3 versions of Egypt" me: how does that not makes things easier? hot take: the real desert civ is the Inca because Terasse Farms can be built on desert hills and mountains have the same yield regardless of terrain type, plus the food trade route bonus still works

[@UrsaRyan]

Inca would have been great, fair play - although the game might not have been able to take more orange civs!!

[@Ottocide]

I think adding Zulu and Ethiopia would have been cool too!

[@JacksonOwex]

@@UrsaRyan You can always mess with the colors though

[@luukvst1032]

Normal people watching ursa not go feed the world the first damn time in a century its available on an extremely food scarce map💀

[@akaviral5476]

:(

[@58209]

your original mali 100% desert game is always lurking in my recommendations, and i think i've watched it three or four times to help me sleep. time for the sequel!

[@UrsaRyan]

I literally couldn't help myself = )

[@SylkaChan]

Pretend the snow plains are Saltlands! 🧂❄

[@RiverHolySitesGoBRRRRRRR]

So much Ivory and Elephantbois, could you imagine Temple of Artemis? So good!! I'd say this is the one game where you not going for an elephant religion is almost scandalous.

[@UrsaRyan]

Haha - it's true! I kept seeing the ivory coming in after I founded the pantheon and even I started to go, huh, might have missed a trick there!!!

[@yurisoares2596]

Hunt Pantheon was totally the call.

[@SweenyMarc]

That Marley and Marley joke at the start cracked me up. Sundiata looks crazily good. Looking forward to the Egypt play throughs.

[@KArchine]

Glad someone else caught it!

[@drjonritz]

woosh over my head

[@UrsaRyan]

Our hearts were painted black

[@wiselioness322]

@@UrsaRyanIts good to be heckling again, it’s good to be doing anything again! Dohohohohoho!

[@Synfear]

It's 3:01 AM EST and I stayed up just for this.

[@mrbullmrbull]

You shouldn't do this.

[@Necronomiconic]

Yeah this was probably not the best choice, but it is one I do respect.

[@NikolaHoward]

Oh my, what a lovely! I've woken up to this. 😁 And I thought I wouldn't get to be an early bear! Looks like it will be fun!

[@UrsaRyan]

Surprise late video!

[@drjonritz]

I'm here for the uncertainty and surprise of what Ursa will pick for pantheons and religious beliefs. He didn't disappoint.

[@UrsaRyan]

I need to get the roulette wheel back!

[@Voicelet]

I'd pick camp pantheon even if there aren't this many ivories nearby simply because food is a much better yield than production in this desert only map.

[@sanogoadamagyram8166]

I've been waiting for this!!! Let's go!!!!!!

[@maxwombwell-povey6558]

Missed out on about 24 yields from camps... but the plus 2 production for Lady of the Reed and Marshes was the right choice 👌

[@UrsaRyan]

I like to keep you all guessing on pantheons = )

[@drjonritz]

chef's kiss perfectly chosen pantheon

[@whateverfloatsyourboat4586]

As a novice deity player I learn so much from your videos. Looking forward to pick up the save file in discord this weekend so I can play along...

[@drjonritz]

you can learn a thing or two from the comments section, too. Keep your eye out for @Sourceofbeing

[@UrsaRyan]

Hopefully you enjoy it!

[@bumbleguppy]

I think what makes your playthroughs so enjoyable is that you opt for fun over rigid optimization! Still, it doesn't spare the OOFs to do it. :)

[@UrsaRyan]

Haha - when you've played as many games as I have you have to mix it up a bit every now and then = )

[@angrycat7048]

1:32 it still bug me heavily that the Ursa Bear cut the curve on the railway

[@chrizzie1]

Given the kind of disjoint spaghetti nonsense that railways in civ often become, I'm just pleased that the line is actually continuous.

[@UrsaRyan]

Haha - Ursa Bear owns the railways, he transends them

[@VaporeonEnjoyer1]

Ursa doesn't choose Feed the World on a low food map. Ursa takes 2 production on his 2 oasis tiles instead of 1 food 1 production on his 12 elephant tiles. Ursa is trolling.

[@UrsaRyan]

Thing is it worked out really well so I'm not complaining XD

[@widgetb]

Oh this is going to be good! (Oooo and with snazzy new Ursa!!)

[@yubakaskudblaze2311]

when you said Suguba i heard Sugar Bear, and now i cannot hear anything else but this

[@UrsaRyan]

Sugar bears are here!

[@MrTrees]

Your plea reached my heart. Yes, I will subscribe sir.

[@UrsaRyan]

Wahoo!

[@isaachilburn5515]

Late Bear, crawling out of hibernation to the joy of an unexpected Ursa video! Huzz zah!!

[@UrsaRyan]

Huzzah!

[@SourceOfBeing]

£296 - Sundiata Keita - also known as Manding Diara, Lion of Mali, Sogolon Djata, son of Sogolon, Nare Maghan and Sogo Sogo Simbon Salaba - was a prince and founder of the Mali Empire. He is also the great-uncle of the Malian ruler Mansa Musa, known for being the wealthiest person of all time. The semi-historical but legendary Epic of Sundiata by the University of Sankore people centers on his life.

[@drake5518]

I am now convinced you pick the wrong pantheons on purpose 😄

[@Maren617]

It‘s a nefarious plan for generating more comments! 😂

[@UrsaRyan]

If I could have gone for the desert one I would have done = )

[@arvidpetersson2252]

30k special should be a new best civ tier list URSA MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!! I love when you just describe the strengths and weaknesses of each civ

[@aidanabregov1412]

I think, conceptually, Sundiata is weaker bc you need 3 districts to build up your empire as opposed to 2 for Mansa Musa, but the Snowball effect on Sundiata is waaaayyyy more powerful. Sundiata can move production around your empire. Let me repeat: HE CAN MOVE PRODUCTION AROUND YOUR EMPIRE!

[@insaeculasaeculorum]

I think you should have chosen Free Inquiry,your sugubas had HUGE adjacency bonuses and that science would be really useful

[@UrsaRyan]

I needed culture more than science at that point. People get blinded by big numbers sometimes - focus on the win condition (culture for relic generation and great work slots) - I went free inquiry later in the game when it gave me more = )

[@insaeculasaeculorum]

@@UrsaRyan Ohhh yeah of course,I watched your new video... Makes sense!!

[@Cyrikyty]

I was just thinking earlier today of wanting to try the new Mali, and whether to do it on exactly this map or on a more normal one. Regardless, looking forward to the literal mountains of gold that are about to be made.

[@paulgaofei]

Hello new Ursa Ryan logo, it’s a cool look 👍👍

[@UrsaRyan]

Cheers! We really like it = )

[@TheAntoine185]

32:00 I always convert my production into projects. Also I'd have gotten a builder to build some mine to buy more stuff, espacially because you'll have your sugubas soon. Projects makes you get great people and it makes you get era score and since you can buy them with faith and gold, it's always nice to stock a lot of currencies from any sources :p

[@ezz625]

“If you don’t get a wonder early on, you can always steal it later” Ursa showing he’s a true Englishman.

[@UrsaRyan]

My museums are feeling rather empty come to think of it

[@projadcthespud9105]

just a quick note having 5 or 6 faith per turn doesn't change the outcome either way you will hit 25 faith for pantheon after 5 turns xD

[@UrsaRyan]

in theory yes - it's about draws though - if I get a pantheon at the same time as the ai, whoever has the most faith gets the pantheon first (only one civ can get one every turn) - so it sometimes matters, even if it's a rare case!! plus it was also one extra food = )

[@projadcthespud9105]

@@UrsaRyan thank you for teaching me the ways of the ursa

[@anglo-aspidmapping8870]

Early bears assemble!

[@Krishnath.Dragon]

New Cleo looks like she is going to be very fun.

[@portland573]

Nice little literary reference in there...

[@apacheman3131]

3:06 AM EST EARLY BEARSSSS

[@UrsaRyan]

Truely the earliest!

[@xcenturioox]

there are many more modded civilizations that are really good in the desert, for example many versions of berbers. try it, they are fantastic on this map

[@SarahSmith-jn9ew]

So know I need to go watch muppets christmas carol as I've got that song stuck in my head

[@UrsaRyan]

DOOMED SCROOGE

[@grubbinvgm]

New logo!!!!! very cool :)

[@UrsaRyan]

Cheers = ) We like it!

[@theblackdragon7321]

desserts, desserts everywhere and not a drop to drink :)

[@aaronhedgesmusic]

Ursa says: “writers write right now” 😂😂😂

[@robmartin525]

That Mali and Mali woooah joke.... Get your coat UR!!!

[@epicsoupgamer3989]

What do we have here? Looks epig 👍

[@Thefrostedslime]

Can’t wait for new Cleo gameplay

[@UrsaRyan]

Just started my cleo game, a lot of fun!

[@cringestudios6295]

I subscribed for Ursa bear!

[@djsumik8026]

As far as I'm concerned, desert mountains don't count as a desert tile (even tho they're labeled to be), at least as adjacency bonus (logically, with desert pantheon holy sites should get +2 for desert mount, one from desert and one from mountain, but they get only one for mountain) so you probably did the right thing to move your capital city

[@UrsaRyan]

yeah we confirmed later that it did not count as a desert for these purposes = (

[@paulstelmack4354]

Silly Bear, I think that tribal huts are the only source of horses on an all desert map.

[@UrsaRyan]

My only horse sauce! I'll have no glue!

[@Osma777]

Am I the only one that finds it kinda funny that Cleopatra, with her history, is "wearing" the Roman colors?

[@magtheidio]

Nice new logo

[@UrsaRyan]

Glad you like it! We really do = )

[@sagaragrawal6025]

Could you play a game with only desert and the crazy barbarian spawn mod I just wanna watch how you'd cope with it? 😂

[@RockiesSweden]

hype

[@xXAlchemist]

Best civ KZbinr 100%

[@UrsaRyan]

Cheers = )

[@lylaeburmeister]

I'm so happy to finally see my name on the list of Patreon supporters. I've wanted to support your content for over a year now, so it's like a mini dream come true.

[@drjonritz]

the list keeps growing!

[@UrsaRyan]

A pleasure having you there, thank you so much XD

[@panose6542]

tundra IS arguably very cold desert anyway

[@brinaldi81]

2x dose of Molly... yes please:)

[@17Se7enteen]

I wanted to do this too!

[@oscardilling1031]

Ursa I really want to play with you sometime BTW mali is my favorite Civ👍👍

[@sergiofasano92]

I would have played with holy sites adjacency and work ethic, super good combo!

[@UrsaRyan]

If I was able to get the pantheon I would have been tempted!

[@sleepysofabear]

Wahooo!!!

[@UrsaRyan]

Huzzah!

[@jacobdhall]

It's early in the morning for me so that counts as an early bear

[@iptf]

Did not know that works by Valmiki, Rumi, Potter & Mistral gave extra culture!

[@UrsaRyan]

Yeah! Very good for synergy with Pingala if you find them

[@deitus1375]

Ursa you pick lady of the reeds and marches to often :)

[@UrsaRyan]

It's too much fun!

[@TheBlackBantha]

Was that a Muppet Christmas Carol reference?? 😂😂😂

[@UrsaRyan]

YOUR FUTURE IS A HORROR STORY WRITTEN BY YOUR CRIMES Out of context that seems harsh but I'm sure you get it XD

[@17Se7enteen]

I mean the Inca could have been added too; terrace farms can be built on desert hills for some reason

[@gumballz.9259]

DOPER~!

[@jiiaga5017]

its a hot tomali start folks

[@Maren617]

So sad I can’t subscribe twice! 😂

[@smileybone5914]

Ursa bear!!

[@yurisoares2596]

Wouldn't be interesting a mod where Pantheons would have a synergy bonus with Temples of each god ?

[@TheMogard]

How would you theme great work of writings? 5.23

[@cabbage2241]

Never thought I'd laugh so hard at a Christmas Carol joke.

[@drjonritz]

Ah hah, I thought that was a Dickens reference but it otherwise went over my head.

[@UrsaRyan]

XD

[@TheStormfam]

@@drjonritz Dickens via the Muppets

[@peterk7428]

Does Mexico city amplify wonder range for ToA and otheres?

[@UrsaRyan]

Alas no - just the things listed in the city state description. Would be awesome if it did though!

[@kassuhei]

I think you need to set the temperatute on that map to Hot so it doesnt spawn tundra If im not wrong

[@mirandabee2323]

I'll also investigate this on the Discord server, but: would I need a mod to play this all-desert map, or would having the map seed be enough?

[@UrsaRyan]

You'll need alternate cartography, I believe - but I might be wrong!

[@ClarkPotter]

"From a theming point of view." Ursa doesn't care about playing optimally.

[@ldiez10z]

just started this game and ofc amantori builds Toa turn 37 in my game

[@UrsaRyan]

Typical!

[@ldiez10z]

this map aint for me :/ nubia captured Kandy early and mansa has taken out jerusalem and Ayutthaya not cool and not fun :/

[@tallytrev1496]

Where do I get the all desert map from? Tried to play this last time and couldn’t get it figured out

[@UrsaRyan]

alternate cartography

[@tallytrev1496]

@@UrsaRyan thank you! I’m abroad in Japan so I can’t check right now, do you mind if I ask - is that mod on steam? Or do I need to manually install from live civfanatics? Thanks in advance. Very cool series this one!

[@lexhorton]

Missed out on the Mali and me joke

[@UrsaRyan]

Went straight for Marley and Marley

[@michaeldalton2085]

Was "Mali & Mali *ghost sound*" a reference to a Muppet's Christmas Carol?

[@UrsaRyan]

WE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE POOR

[@yurisoares2596]

It's been ages since I saw Nazca City-State, I thought it got axed.

[@UrsaRyan]

So disapointed to not get the roll on it = (

[@Jusdro]

I don’t think I ever invest more than 3 Moksha promotions, even in Religious Victory games. I like how much this game is set up to be different from the others with Pantheon/Religion and Governor choices!

[@UrsaRyan]

Moksha is a sleeper Governor - so useful but not at first glance! I would always recommend using him in any war game

[@huwinner2428]

Is there a reason you didn’t go Free Inquiry? That Suguba triangle would have given you like 20+ science which would have increased your current out put by like 7x

[@UrsaRyan]

I needed culture more than science at that point. People get blinded by big numbers sometimes - focus on the win condition (culture for relic generation and great work slots) - I went free inquiry later in the game when it gave me more = )

[@adolfoTH]

31:09 shouldn't you have bought the tile with/from Jenne?

[@Reaper8869]

Urea I got Civ 6 on Steam Finally 🐻

[@UrsaRyan]

Huzzah!

[@Reaper8869]

I’m still a noob but I’ve learn lot from you

[@rommayo]

Algorithm 106

[@UrsaRyan]

Huzzah!!!

[@Jonnysh]

Legacy tithe joke! Classic.

[@UrsaRyan]

I'm looking forward to seeing how many people go wooosh with it XD

[@BenvanAssema]

🖖

[@froggygaymer]

Day 6 of posting why I am a late bear: The video released at 3am, and I am also sleeping off the funny 19 sickness

[@drjonritz]

get better quick, sleep is good.

[@grades6831]

Civ 7 confirmed

[@UrsaRyan]

Excited for it!

[@kassandraofodyssey6475]

He looks a LOT like Shaun Gilmore from Vox Machina!

[@lolwhatidk]

ursa bear nooo!

[@theoreticalpotato4290]

Hiiiiiii ursa

[@UrsaRyan]

hello!

[@regalroyn1011]

No feed the world in desserts map, picking relic bonus without void singer, no camp pantheon with that many Ivory, no rushing temple of Artemis too, not getting monumentality to spam trader. Isn't it an interesting play

[@griffydz1789]

44:45, why the relic gives less yield in Nioro temple then Jenn's?

[@TheCreeperWorld]

It's because the religion hadnt spread to Nioro yet, and its the religion that gives bonuses to relics 😊

[@chrizzie1]

The reliquaries (triple faith and tourism from relics) religion had spread to Jenne, but not yet to Nioro.

[@griffydz1789]

@@chrizzie1 makes so much sens, thanks! Was not aware the chose that belief (its a belief right)

[@mortuos557]

5:25 wait... you can theme great works of writing? how?

[@StenbockGaming]

Should’ve 100% gone for the camps 😢

[@kundbalint4091]

Can I download this map somewhere?

[@UrsaRyan]

Discord! XD

[@TheAntoine185]

41:00 Guess what's the current problem you have with Mont Saint-Michel? :D Any marsh or floodplain on this map in your territory? xD

[@UrsaRyan]

Well we better go find some then! XD

[@talosisoursavior3061]

the one game where I actually think that feed the world is as good as you usually treat it and you don't go for it... :( not even mentioning you going for reeds and marshes instead of camp pantheon

[@UrsaRyan]

Hahaha - welcome to the chaos

[@grotius912]

What happened to the rest of the Portugal TSL?

[@mechaboydx]

It'll be back tomorrow.

[@UrsaRyan]

See my pinned comment - after this series it will return!

[@harjutapa]

That was the best subscription ask I've ever seen. I unsubscribed just so I could resubscribe.

[@UrsaRyan]

Haha - thank you?!?

[@firefiy8789]

That 1 extra faith wouldn't actually do anything. 4 turns of 5 faith is 20, 4 turns of 6 faith is 24. It takes 5 turns for each option to reach or surpass 25 faith, so it didn't affect your pantheon chances at all

[@UrsaRyan]

in theory yes - it's about draws though - if I get a pantheon at the same time as the ai, whoever has the most faith gets the pantheon first (only one civ can get one every turn) - so it sometimes matters, even if it's a rare case!! plus it was also one extra food = )