Reading the map: archipelagos, loops and mirror maps

Why the links matter more than the islands

Forces move five times faster along a link than across open space, so the links are the real shape of a match. Two islands that sit side by side but have no link between them are far apart in practice: a force can fly straight across, but slowly, and going around through linked islands is often quicker.

Count the links on an island before you claim it. An island with one link has a single way in and a single way out. An island with four links can strike in four directions, but it can also be hit from four directions. Most of what follows comes down to that trade.

Archipelago maps (Verdant Expanse)

On archipelago maps every island is linked to its nearest neighbours, and a few longer links join the groups that would otherwise be cut off. The result looks like a tree: clusters of islands, branches leading out of them and many dead ends.

Dead ends are the safest islands on the map. A rival can reach them quickly along one link only, so a modest army there holds for a long time. Branch points, where several paths meet, are the opposite: whoever holds them controls the traffic, and everyone wants them.

A good opening is to claim a cluster with one entrance, fill it quickly, then guard that entrance. When you attack, aim for the branch point that cuts a rival's islands off from each other: islands that cannot reinforce each other fall one at a time.

Loop maps (Crimson Wastes)

Loop maps are built so that every island has at least two links, and many links close a circle back to where they started. There are no dead ends, which means there are no truly safe islands either: every island can be attacked from more than one side.

Loops reward speed and a spread-out defence. Instead of stacking one large army, keep moderate armies on islands that share a loop, so that each can reinforce the other along two routes. If a rival attacks one side of the loop, you can answer from the other.

Loops also make surprise attacks possible. When a rival sends a big force along one side of a loop, the islands behind it are thin for a while. Strike there, along the other side, before the force returns.

Mirror maps (Frozen Reach)

Mirror maps are symmetric: each island has a twin on the opposite side of the map with the same production, and the links are mirrored too. Whatever route leads out of your corner, the same route leads out of the corner across from you.

Because both halves are equal, the map itself gives nobody an advantage. Matches are decided by timing and choices, which makes mirror maps the fairest test of skill and the hardest world to win.

Use the symmetry to read your rivals. If you know which island you took, you know its twin, and you can guess what the commander on the other side will want next. The links that cross the middle of the map join the two halves, and they are usually where the first big fight of the match happens.

Choosing a plan by map

On an archipelago, play for shape: hold dead ends, take branch points and cut rivals apart. On loops, play for tempo: keep armies spread along circles and punish over-extended attacks. On a mirror map, play for timing: take the islands that matter one moment before your twin does.

Quick matches from the play page pick a map from any of the three worlds, so check the links in the first seconds of the picking phase and choose your plan before the competition starts.