Karelian Lakes
Karelian Lakes is a Random Map themed around the freshwater lakes of Karelia in northern Europe between Lapland (Finland) and Russia. Its in-game starts and resource placements are generated for each match.
Map character
Scout the frozen lakes, route stations and nearby Hunts or Coin before sending workers into open ground. The Trade Route winds among the lakes, so identify crossings that allow a quick response to raids. Locate Jagiellon, Oldenburg, Vasa and Sámi sites only after checking whether their approaches can be defended.
What to scout
Contest the route when the army can watch the gaps between stations; plentiful resources offer alternatives if a station is too exposed. Frozen openings shape movement but do not protect workers like a wall. Choose a defensible resource path first, then extend to route control when reinforcements can cover nearby approaches.
Frozen lakes and an exposed Trade Route
Karelian Lakes is an open northern map between Lapland and Russia. Frozen lakes interrupt the landscape while a lucrative Trade Route winds between them. Natural resources are plentiful, but wide stretches of ice leave settlements and workers open to raids. The route can become an early objective; sending the army there without scouting the gaps can expose several approaches at once.
Choose a defensible resource path
Jagiellon, Oldenburg, Vasa and Sámi settlements are possible. Cossack Daredevils and Highwaymen are the outlaws. Check which side of the lakes contains safe Hunts and Coin, and identify crossings that allow a quick response. Frozen openings shape movement but do not protect the base like walls. Secure route stations only when the army can watch nearby approaches; otherwise prioritize resources that keep production active.