GUIDE · BATTLE STRATEGY
In the Shadow of the Throne safe opening
In the Shadow of the Throne starts with a timed Trade Cart ransom, then asks you to choose between Trakai and Kreva. A low-resistance route preserves the Cart, while Kreva offers a more defensible base and safer expansion.
Overview
In the Shadow of the Throne starts with a timed Trade Cart ransom, then asks you to choose between Trakai and Kreva. A low-resistance route preserves the Cart, while Kreva offers a more defensible base and safer expansion.
Plan and execution
Send the escort east along the woodline and then south, avoiding the patrols around the direct approach. Keep the Trade Cart behind the cleared force and enter the outpost without drawing units from the valley. After the ransom is delivered, favor Kreva when a secure economy matters: its southern forest supports an easier wall, back resources make early Town Centers practical, and nearby Relics can be gathered from safer approaches. Choose Trakai only when the exposed center and proximity to the Grey ally better support your diplomatic plan.
Risks and adaptation
The opening clock is short, so do not detour for Relics before delivering the Cart. Trakai’s openness and external resource sites create several raid angles, while Kreva’s river has limited fish and still needs scouting. Confirm which ally you intend to support before settling, since the base location changes the fronts you must defend.
- Focus
- Ransom delivery and base-site selection
- Signature / category
- Plan and execution
- Release / context
- Age of Empires II system
- Region
- Battle strategy
- Classification
- Battle strategies