Andes - Upper
Andes - Upper includes four Quechua settlements in the northeast. Their grouped location creates a potential Native alliance objective, but reaching and holding the area requires a deliberate route from the starting position.
Map character
Scout the northeast early and determine whether a Trading Post there can be supported from the base. Check mountain approaches before moving the Explorer or army away from the economy. Identify whether all four settlements can be reached safely or whether one route exposes the force.
What to scout
Claim the settlements when the alliance supports the army plan and there are enough units to protect the approach. Do not divide a small early force among every site if doing so leaves the Town Center or workers open to attack. Keep a route available for reinforcements.
Close starts around a central route
Andes - Upper is a Definitive Edition variant of Andes. Teams start exceptionally close together, with abundant resources and no rivers. Three Trading Posts line a central Trade Route, and four Quechua settlements sit in the northeast. Treasure guardians appear near the route in the southern part of the map. Wide-open mountain terrain contains chokepoints occupied by Inca settlements.
Treaty openings and central access
The close starts make early attacks possible, while the resources and chokepoints can support defensive play. Scout the central route and southern guardians before sending the main army away from the base. The map description highlights Treaty play, but the starting distances also make pressure in other modes immediate. Claim Quechua access when it supports the composition and can be protected.