Dunes
Dunes is an open Sahara map from The African Royals. Gold Mines are plentiful, but Hunts are relatively sparse and workers must cross exposed ground to gather Food. There is no passing Trade Route; a single Berber settlement occupies the center and is likely to draw both players toward it.
Map character
Scout the central Berber site, nearby Mines and the available Hunts before moving the economy away from the Town Center. The open terrain offers few protected gathering routes, so identify where Outposts or an army can cover the workers. Compare a central alliance attempt with safer resource positions along your side of the map.
What to scout
The center can be valuable, but the settlement is only useful if the army can hold its Trading Post site. Secure a reliable Food line and Coin access first, then expand toward the Berbers when reinforcement is possible. Because no Trade Route exists, plan around local resources and Native access rather than route income.
Open Sahara terrain with a contested center
Dunes is a land map added with The African Royals and represents a stretch of the Sahara across Mauritania, Morocco, Western Sahara and Algeria. The generated landscape is open, with scattered trees and animal herds; Mines are plentiful while Food is available in fewer, exposed locations. There is no Trade Route crossing the map. A single Berber settlement sits at the center, making Native access a direct contest rather than a choice among several evenly placed villages.
Protect gathering routes before fighting for Berber access
Scout the nearest Hunts, Coin and Wood before moving workers far from the Town Center. Open ground makes distant gathering lines easy to raid, so choose a route your army can cover and use buildings or patrols to protect workers. A central Trading Post can secure Berber access, but rushing it without enough Food or support may expose the economy and lose the investment. Since no Trade Route provides an alternative stream, weigh local resources and the Berber alliance against the safety of the starting side.