Stronghold

Stronghold is a hostile sector map featuring multiple fortified enemy bases and limited local resources that force players to rely on imports and careful map control. The player spawns on the southern edge with a modest initial escort of copper Salvos, graphite Spectres, and titanium Fuses and can make use of nearby derelict ruins and prebuilt defenses, including three Meltdowns and a Landing Pad, to establish an early foothold. Native thorium ore is locked behind enemy fortifications and is not available until those strongholds are destroyed, which makes imports essential for mid- and late-game progression.

Enemy forces are organized into several distinct bases with predictable production patterns and timed release systems. The left-side enemy base contains a single Foundation core that manufactures Arkyids; this base has a narrow cranny accessible to insectoid units or dropships, and a Corvus can be flown into that opening without being targeted by turrets. The right-side base houses two Foundation cores that continuously produce Zeniths, supported by three Multiplicative Reconstructors for sustained output; both cores are insulated with Plastanium Walls and covered by a Foreshadow. A central core-less base spawns a mixed force of Maces, Pulsars, Fortresses, and Quasars and uses a logic-driven Door system that opens every six minutes to release a large group at once. Payload Conveyors in the surrounding complexes accelerate approaching threats from the northern main base, increasing their tempo.

The northern complex is the most elaborate: its western sector contains a Foundation core producing both Quasars and Velas behind two Foreshadows, with Vela factory doors opening every four minutes. The eastern sector contains a Nucleus core and is heavily defended by nine Foreshadows—three positioned near the perimeter—and a Reign factory that is gate-controlled; those gates open every 17 minutes to send out a line of roughly ten units. Much of the northern complex benefits from constant stat boosting, making direct assaults costly without proper preparation.

Map rules and pacing are fixed: the full map is 470×470 tiles, wave spacing is 120 seconds (with the initial wave delay at 180 seconds), the drop zone radius is 37.5 tiles, and cores impose a no-build radius of 100 tiles. These parameters give players a predictable rhythm for expanding, importing resources, and timing assaults on enemy infrastructure.

• Prioritize securing the derelict Meltdowns and Landing Pad for early power and deployment options; use prebuilt positions to conserve resources.
• Since thorium is inaccessible until nearby fortifications fall, plan a robust import pipeline (ores and fuel) and tech progression that does not depend on local thorium early on.
• Exploit the small cranny in the left base with a dropship or insectoid assault to disrupt Arkyid production with minimal turret exposure.
• Time attacks to coincide with enemy factory door openings (every 4, 6, or 17 minutes depending on the site) to either ambush released forces or strike while units are mobilizing.
• Watch conveyor-accelerated lanes from the north; chokepoints with blast walls and long-range defenses work well to blunt high-speed waves.