Northwest Passage
Northwest Passage divides teams with Arctic ice and a dangerous naval passage. Cree, Inuit and Tengri settlements can appear, along with Qivittoq and Sailor outlaws. Unlike a direct land approach, a crossing depends on the generated ice and shoreline, making route reconnaissance part of the military plan.
Terrain, routes and neutral sites
- Terrain
- Arctic ice and dangerous naval passage
- Settlements
- Cree · Inuit · Tengri
- Route choice
- Cross on foot where ice connects, or use a defended landing/transport
Map character
Reveal where ice connects islands or reaches a shore, where open water interrupts the route and which landing areas are defensible. Decide whether the army can cross on foot, needs a transport or should hold its side while establishing production. Check neutral sites only after the main path is understood.
What to scout
Coordinate land units with naval access. A fleet without a landing force has limited reach, while an army without a route can be stranded on its bank. Keep the local economy protected while the crossing is prepared.
Practical direction
The map’s three settlement options and two outlaw types may lie across difficult terrain. Confirm that any neutral investment can be reinforced before sending builders or a small force away from the base.
Find a passable route through the ice
The Arctic divide can separate the teams even when their starting positions appear close. Send the Explorer to distinguish walkable ice from water that units cannot cross, and note whether the route reaches a useful landing or only a narrow island. A crossing that can be used by the first wave must also support reinforcements. If ships are necessary, scout the shoreline and escort the transport; do not assume a Dock can influence the passage before confirming where naval units can move.
Compare neutral sites by distance and roster need
Cree, Inuit and Tengri settlements offer alliance options, while Qivittoq and Sailor outlaws can provide another recruitment route. Their value depends on which side they spawn on, the cost of reaching them and the units the army still needs. A Trading Post across the divide may be strategically useful but difficult to defend. Claim a nearer site or build ordinary production first when the approach cannot be held. Neutral investment should support the crossing force, not draw it apart.
Keep the landing and the home side supplied
A successful landing needs a force ready to defend it, with additional units able to follow before the first group is overwhelmed. Assemble troops before departure, protect transports or ice approaches and maintain a reserve on the home bank. The same route can support a raid or a retreat, so watch the opposite shore after taking a neutral site. If the crossing is not safe, improve local resources and production rather than repeatedly sacrificing small groups.
Compare Cree and Inuit units with the force you need
Cree and Inuit settlements can offer different answers to the map’s difficult approach. The Commerce Age Cree Tracker costs 40 Food and 80 Wood, trains in 20 seconds and has 260 hit points, 10% ranged resistance and 18 line of sight. Its ranged bonuses make it useful against light ranged cavalry, ranged shock troops and heavy infantry, but its lower effectiveness against cavalry calls for a screen. The Inuit Hunter costs 60 Food and 50 Wood, takes 30 seconds and has 130 hit points with 20% ranged resistance; its strong bonuses apply to Pets, Mercenaries, Outlaws and Native warriors. Pick based on the opponents and neutral units expected, not on a broad assumption that one roster is always stronger. Check each entry for full attack tables and its release applicability.
Use economic specialists only when their route is protected
The Cree Coureur des Bois and Sámi Noaidi are unusual alliance units because they gather, construct buildings and claim Treasures. A Cree Coureur des Bois costs 120 Food and trains in 29 seconds; a Sámi Noaidi costs 50 Food and 100 Coin and trains in 35 seconds. They can help a force maintain an exposed position, but their resource costs and worker abilities make losing one expensive. On a map divided by ice and water, send them only after scouting a return path and deciding what they will gather or build. A Trading Post on the far side should have troops nearby before its economic unit is asked to operate away from support.
Prepare a landing that can receive reinforcements
Ice, islands and open water can separate the first landing party from the units needed to keep it alive. Identify whether the route is walkable or requires a Transport Ship, then stage a formed army on the bank before crossing. If using ships, protect the transport and choose a landing area where units can gather before meeting defenders. Keep a reserve at home and reveal alternate channels so the opponent cannot attack the rear while the main force is committed. When no safe route is available, improve the economy and secure nearby resources rather than repeatedly sacrificing isolated units.