Migration

Migration places each player on a small island with limited resources — one gold and one stone patch, berries, sheep, and forest — that runs dry relatively quickly. The large central continent holds abundant resources, especially wood. The map forces a transition: build a fleet, fish to sustain economy, then migrate to the mainland before island resources exhaust. Naval skirmishing and landing timing are the central skills this map tests.

Opening

Build a Dock in Dark Age and queue 8–12 Fishing Ships across 1–2 Docks. Deep fish last longer than shore fish — prioritize them. Build Galleys simultaneously to protect the fishing fleet. Prioritize migrating to the mainland early: Cumans can build a second TC in Feudal Age and land on the continent while still Feudal, giving a significant tempo advantage. Most other civs migrate in Castle Age after securing water control. When migrating, land near the mainland coast and establish a TC in a defensible position with access to inland gold and stone.

Mid game

Once established on the mainland, the game transitions to a land-focused mid-game. Civs with strong land bonuses for food (Franks with forager bonus, Maya with lasting resources, Tatars with herd animals) gain advantages after migration. The central continent is contested — players who arrive early establish better interior positions. Castle Age is typically reached on the mainland, with knights or archer-line armies defining the primary engagements.

Watch out for

• Fishing ship vulnerability — losing your fishing fleet is the single most common early economic collapse on this map.
• Migrating too late — island resources run out before you land, stalling your economy at a critical moment.
• Migrating too early without water control — transport ships destroyed in transit before reaching mainland.
• Poor mainland TC location — landing far from gold or too close to an enemy creates a permanent positional disadvantage.
• Playing weak-navy civs without adaptation — Aztecs need specific tactics such as an early aggressive land rush via transport before enemy navy completes to compensate for naval weakness.