First Orders

A new shore feels small because it is small. The first session is about making it less fragile: income first, storage before waste, shelter before soldiers, and defence before sanctuary ends.

Resources & Economy

How production, storage, and coins keep the island moving.

Buildings

Every structure, its costs, and what it unlocks.

Units

Troops, ships, and what they need to muster.

Second Orders

The path from a stable first island to the first colony ship.

Raise income before ambition

Start with the Gold Mine, then bring the Stone Quarry and Lumber Mill upward. Resources are the bottleneck behind almost every early order: buildings, research, walls, ships, and the first serious garrison.

Treasurer Mora: Spend the starter chest unevenly

Do not divide early spending as if every shortage is equal. Coin pressure arrives first, storage pressure follows, and lumber becomes painful once the Harbour enters view.

Make the Main House useful

Upgrade the Main House early. Level 2 speeds construction and opens core offices such as the Barracks, Housing, and Stone Wall. Level 3 points the island toward the Laboratory and the Watch Tower.

Protect what the mines produce

Build a Storehouse before production starts spilling over. Mines and farms keep working while the Governor is away, but full storage wastes output and makes plunder more painful.

Build shelter before mustering troops

Housing turns population into room for soldiers. If settlement life is active, Farms matter too, because a growing population needs food before it can hold a line for long.

Use sanctuary to prepare, not to wait

New Governors receive 72 hours of sanctuary after joining a world. Build walls, train a first garrison, read the chart, and find neighbours before that shield falls.

Reference

What is the first build order?opening path

Gold Mine first. Coin pressure arrives early and never fully leaves.
Stone Quarry and Lumber Mill next. Keep all three resource streams moving.
Main House to Level 2. Faster construction and key offices make later choices easier.
Storehouse before overflow. Capacity matters once production starts compounding.
Housing, then Barracks. Population makes the first garrison possible.
Farm before the settlement strains. Food keeps a growing island from turning its own people sour.

What does sanctuary prevent?72 hours

During sanctuary, the settlement cannot be attacked, raided, colonised, or spied upon by foreign Governors. You may still build, trade, form alliances, explore, and prepare.

Launching an attack or spy mission against another Governor ends the shield immediately. The Council treats aggression as a waiver.

What should come after the first garrison?next steps

Keep the mines climbing, found a Laboratory, start permanent research, and raise Stone Walls. When Spear research is ready, Spearfighters become a stronger garrison backbone than Stone Throwers.

The world chart reveals nearby islands and rivals. Island prestige shows how far a holding has advanced, while rankings reward durable development more than cheap bodies. When the first island is steady, follow Second Orders toward the sea.

Marshal Voss: Before sanctuary falls

Walls, garrison, and allies. Have all three before the sanctuary banner falls, or the first lesson may be taught by someone else.

Common questions

Should I train soldiers before building stores?

Not usually. A tiny garrison matters, but early overflow and weak income hurt every later order. Build the Storehouse before production starts spilling away.

What breaks sanctuary?

Starting an attack or spy mission against another Governor ends the shield immediately. Building, trading, scouting the map, and joining an alliance do not.

When should I leave this playbook?

Once income, storage, housing, walls, and a first garrison are steady, move to Second Orders and start preparing for the Harbour.