Age of Merchants Map by
DiM and
yeti Guide by
laughingcavalier Click image to enlarge. Introduction Age of Merchants (AoM) is set in a fictitious trading and piratical past. It employs two overlapping bonus structures: resource pairs held together with markets and/or factories; and ports held in conjunction with Pirate Cove. It is a very open map: there are few impassable borders and the ports each connect with over 20 regions, so it is easy to move around the map.
AoM was one of the first maps on Conquer Club to use developed thematic graphics and special features (such as bonuses based on strategic resources rather than bonus zones of contiguous regions). It is a good map to choose if you want to move on beyond Classic-style maps for the first time because you can learn the principles of its gameplay fairly quickly. And there are experts who play it frequently because the range of tactical choices gives fresh and interesting challenges in each game. The map’s flexibility makes it suitable for all game-types, with all spoils.
show: Classification
Size: Large (58 regions)Features
How to play Age of Merchants (AoM) show: Gameplay, Bonuses and Tactics
Gameplay is determined by the open nature of the map and the bonus structure. This is a very open map. Few regions are more than 5 regions away from any other region. There are no impassable borders; instead there are port regions with long reach. Each port (named Puerto…) can assault all the other ports and docks as well as the regions immediately adjacent to it. So each port assaults between 19 and 21 other regions, making them powerful regions. From a port you can assault or reinforce easily to most anywhere on the map. It is often good to stack troops on or near a port in order to create a range of threats for yourself and to break any developing threat from your opponent (for example Pirate Cove). Bonuses are difficult to defend because they are based on holding multiple separate regions rather than a specific bonus zone of contiguous regions. But because bonuses are cumulative, a player who gains a small advantage can quickly grow that into an overwhelming bonus advantage.The resource pair bonus: Hold two resources (the pairs which give you a bonus are located on the same island or landmass as each other) along with a market/or factory on the same landmass to earn one additional troop to deploy. Hold both market and factory to earn two troops. Hold a bonus pair, a market on another island, and a port on each land mass to connect the two to earn two troops. Bonuses are cumulative – for example if you hold one resource pair with a market and factory on the same land mass and a market on another land mass, then you will earn 4 troops. You can earn an enormous total from these bonuses – up to 72 in total. The port bonus: a player who holds Pirate Cove earns one additional troop to deploy for each port held – this gives a maximum of 10 troops. routes to victory : Region count advantage : This map may be played as a Classic-style map, seeking to maximise your bonus by accumulating more regions than your opponent/s, while keeping your opponent/s out of bonuses. Resource pair bonuses. These can often be taken with less risk than Pirate Cove, and the bonus works well with fighting for a region count advantage. In addition, bonus totals can be built cumulatively by connecting resource pairs to markets on other islands. To cove or not to cove? A player who can take and hold Pirate Cove and ports can build a significant bonus advantage – and at the same time take the important port regions which control movement around the map. The risk is that you must assault the three neutral troops on Pirate Cove, and then survive potential assaults by your opponent. The threat and potential hanging over the Cove throughout a game makes AoM intensely exciting. Flexibility : To be successful on this map, you must choose wisely between these options. Better still, keep a number of routes to victory open and be ready to change between them.
show: Two Player
Each player starts with 19 regions, so there are 20 neutral regions including Pirate Cove. Uneven drops are possible, especially where one player holds a bonus on the initial deploy or has troops trapped behind neutrals. There is a first turn advantage as the first player may be able to reduce the second player’s bonus and force the second player into breaking a bonus. However, in general , this is a fair and interesting 2 player map. Each player is likely to have a range of bonuses to go for and an even wider range of assault options. This usually makes for an interesting game where skill is important.
show: Escalating
Escalating gameplay is chiefly dictated by the open nature of the map: there are few obstacles to prevent a player with a large cash from sweeping the board.
show: Flat Rate, Nuclear and No Spoils
This is a good map to play with flat rate spoils as there are enough regions that one or a few lucky (ie high value) spoils sets have less impact on the game than they would on a smaller map. flat rate and no spoils games, the best way to obtain an edge is through building a bonus advantage. Identify which resource pair bonus/es are easiest to take, and be prepared to change target if necessary. If you hold a resource pair bonus, try to take the rest of the land mass on which the bonus sits – this increases your region count, and you can defend the bonus with troop stacks on the ports and docks which are the only entry points to the island - and you can use the stacks on ports offensively too. With an island in your possession, you may then attempt to take a market on another land mass – holding that and two ports to connect it to your resource pair will give you an additional +2 bonus. nuclear spoils the biggest difference is that it is not advisable to place large stacks to defend bonuses in case those regions are nuked. (Unless you hold the spoil for the region you have stacked, in which case you can keep your stack there until there is a danger you must play that spoil). This particularly affects the Pirate Cove bonus as an opponent can deprive you of the whole bonus by nuking the Cove itself, with a single spoil, or can nuke Puerto Modesto, the region which is usually stacked to protect the bonus. It is best to concentrate on region count advantage and to hold bonuses lightly, giving yourself the chance to re-take them if they are nuked.
show: Team Games
Starting with 14 regions per player, AoM is an ideal size for doubles games as each team receives enough troops for successful assaults and it is difficult to reduce an opponent to 11 regions on the first turn (though it may be an objective to reduce your opponents’ second player to 11).
show: Additional Notes
With manual deployment, as so many regions on the map have a long reach, the player to go first is likely to be able to stack in a region where they can reduce an opponent’s region count, take bonuses and/or reduce opponents’ stacks as they wish. Early possession of Pirate Cove is possible and may be decisive.fog of war gives a good advantage to more skilled players. There is the possibility that an opponent may hold a bonus without your being aware of it, but in larger games, with bonuses spread out over multiple territories, this is unlikely at initial deployment. More often fog can be used to disguise the accumulation of a troop stack. Pirate Cove can be especially advantageous to hold in fog: if you hold Puerto Modesto your opponents will be unable to see how many troops you have in Dorata or the Cove, so they don’t know whether to attempt an assault.
Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 10:10 am