The second predefined map on the last, aside from the tutorial, Cursed Coast kicks the difficulty up a few notches compared to the introductory stages in Pioneers of Pagonia. This is the first map where you'll run into enemies, and they're eager to attack your settlement and do away from your friendly little Pioneers. You'll have to do something about that.
Getting Started
Your starting spot in Cursed Coast is, well, a coastline. There's ample space to set up your first bundle of buildings, as lots of Wood to harvest. You'll need to branch out to the north to find any significant sources of Stone, so make Guard Towers a priority. They will come in handy when you start running into the bad guys of this map, as well.
The Objectives related to base construction are pretty straightforward: Build an Explorer's Hut, build Guard Towers, build a Quarry, etc. It's all standard fare, and you'll probably achieve these goals without even consulting the Objectives menu. (Check it out occasionally, though, just to make sure you didn't miss anything important.)
Bandit and Thief Camps
New to this map are enemy camps. Located to the north / northwest of your settlement, the first Bandit Camp you meet churns out Bandits who will encroach upon your borders and attack anyone who gets too close. You'll probably find them as your Guards begin expanding your borders on the west side of the mountains that encircle the map's first big Stone deposit.
Bandits are not a huge deal, so long as you have Guards on hand. They won't survive in battle against your Guards. To be safe, though, you should probably set up a Military Academy early, so you can resupply Guards if any of them lose in battle. You can also prioritize expanding in this direction and force your Guards into a battle with the Bandits, which will likely result in their defeat. There are more Bandit Camps spread throughout the map, though once you've handled one you should be capable of handling them all.
For the most part your Guards can deal with Bandits. That said, there are a few Veteran Bandits who are more than normal Guards can handle, and a single one of these guys will carve a steady path of destruction through your Guards. To deal with Veteran Bandits you'll either want to train Veteran Guards, who are better-equipped, or start bringing in some Soldiers. A Veteran Bandit loose in your settlement will wreak havoc with everyone's work, so try to intercept them before they come too close to your buildings.
The main thing here is to keep your non-combat units well away from the Bandit Camp. Do not build anything near the camp until you've expunged the Bandits, or you'll probably lose some precious Builders / Carriers. Bandits can cause a lot of trouble if left unchecked.
In addition to the Bandits you'll run into another, less-dangerous problem: Thieves. These units appear as normal Carriers, but they have the 'Thief' name if you highlight them with your mouse cursor. Thieves will wander into your settlement, pick up resources, and leave again. The only way to catch them in the act is to add Rangers to your ranks, via an Adventurer's Guild. If employed at a Guard Tower or Garrison Rangers will unmask Thieves, giving your Guards and Soldiers room to attack.
There are a ton of Thieves living in the north of the map, so be prepared to lose a lot of items if you don't work on your defenses. They get very annoying after a while.
Befriend All Factions
If you send your Explorers off to the northwest of your settlement's starting point - or just let them wander around on their own - you'll come across a village belonging to a faction known as the Amber Wardens.
Make your way far enough into the Amber Wardens village - look in the northwest, if you want a more specific direction - and you'll come across the Trading Post. This will unlock four new Objectives that you'll need to complete in order to befriend the Amber Wardens, which completes the mission for this map. We'll explore these Objectives next. You don't need to complete all of them to befriend the Amber Wardens... but we'll check them all out anyway.
Gain Wealth (+20% Friendship)
Your first potential Objective is gaining wealth. To do this you need to produce items that can be stored inside a Treasury. Treasuries can hold the following items:
- Treasures
- Coins
- Valuables
- Cut Gems
Each Treasury can hold seven different types of items, and sixteen of each type. Arguably the easiest way to fulfill this requirement is to build a mearby Mint, then have Miners work out of Copper Huts and Silver Huts to mine mental. The Mint will turn these resources into coins that go straight into the Treasury. Note that you also need Coal in order to turn the metals into coins.
Complete Boar's Statue (+40% Friendship)
Your third potential Objective is completing the Grand Boar of Fortitude, a statue located somewhere on the island. Send your explorers to the far north, almost directly north of the two Guard Towers that constitute the front gates of the Amber Wardens' settlement, and you'll find the construction site. It's a ways east of the Expedition Camp, noted below.
Once you've found the Grand Boar of Fortitude - or what little work has been done on it - you'll need to use a Guard Tower or Garrison to extend your borders up and capture it for yourself. Connect it to your settlement with a road to begin work. The 'entry' point to the statue is on its north side, so you'll need to claim a far amount of nearby land to get at it.
Once you've connected the Grand Boar of Fortitude you'll need to complete it. Your Builders need the following materials to finish the work:
- 40 Stone, which you can gather via a Quarry
- 40 Iron Bars, which require an Iron Hut (to gather the Iron Ore) and a Smelting Works (to refine the Iron Bars)
Once your Builders have what they need they will finish up the Grand Boar of Fortitude on their own.
Supply Expedition Camp (+30% Friendship)
Your third potential Objective is supplying items to an Expedition Camp. The camp is located in the northwest of the map, to the north of the Amber Wardens' settlement. They want the following goods:
- 12 Ropes, made at a Weaving Shed
- 8 Hammers, made at a Tool Smith
Making the items is the easy part. Tougher is extending your reach all the way to the northwest. You'll run into several Bandit / Thief Camps along the way, necessitating a Garrison and plenty of Guards / Veteran Guards to expand your borders and defeat any hostiles along the way. Set your Claim Focus Point to the Expedition Camp and carve a path straight to it, then connect the camp to your settlement with a road. Your Carriers will take the goods and complete the quest for you.
Deliver Goods (up to +60% Friendship)
Your final potential Objective is trading goods to the Amber Wardens directly, via a Trading Post. The Amber Wardens want up to twelve Axes, which you can make at a Tool Smith with Hardwood Boards and Coal. This is probably the easiest of the requests to complete, and you'll earn 5% towards the friendship total whenever you deliver an Axe via your Trading Post. Remember, you need to train Trade Carriers at a Guild Hall (they need Backpacks) before you can send anything to the Amber Wardens!
Regardless of how you satisfy their demands, the Amber Wardens will happily join you in friendship once you've reached 100% friendship. That will end the map. Congrats! You completed Cursed Coast!