Mexico
Mexico is a land-only map with a large central mesa that blocks direct movement between opposing sides. The terrain creates alternate approaches and makes a route that appears short on the minimap difficult to use for reinforcements.
Map character
Scout both sides of the mesa and identify a passage wide enough for the army and siege units. Locate nearby resources and route sites before sending workers toward a contested corridor. The obstruction can hide movement, so use scouts to track which side the opponent is choosing.
What to scout
Use the mesa to protect a flank or establish a defensible forward position, but keep mobile units ready to respond through the alternate route. Do not place all production behind a narrow passage that can be blocked. Expand in a direction the army can reinforce and retreat from.
Four Trading Posts and scarce Wood
A Trade Route cuts across Mexico and has four Trading Post sites. In a one-versus-one layout, each half of the map has two Native settlements at a similar distance from its player; Apache, Maya, Navajo or Zapotec may appear. Wood is scarcer than on many maps, while Pronghorn, Bison and Copper Mines supply the main natural Food and Coin sources. The central mesa blocks direct access, so scout both the route and its passages before committing builders or an army to one side.