The maps
Each map has its own territories, bonus regions, sea links and rival Houses. Rules and units are the same everywhere.
Which one to choose?
France is the game's original map and the best one to learn on. Departments are similar in size, each yields the same income, distances are short and the 13 regions fill up fairly quickly. A standard game lasts 10 minutes.
Europe is larger and more strategic. Territories are not all worth the same: the great plains of Russia or Scandinavia yield up to 1.6 times more gold than a small German state. 27 territories, from Portugal to Greece, belong to no kingdom and give no region bonus. Seas separate the islands from the mainland, but 15 sea links let armies cross. A standard game lasts 15 minutes.
What both maps share
- Up to 5 Houses: you and up to four rivals, AI or online players.
- About 13% of territories are barbarian camps at the start of the game.
- A complete region yields three quarters of its number of territories (rounded up) in gold per second, plus +25% defense.
- The duration remains adjustable: 5, 10 or 15 minutes.
- Some isolated territories (mostly islands) cannot be picked as a start.
Each map page details its regions, its quirks and the starts that work best.