Zone Control
The galaxy is divided into 7 zones, each containing 4 planets. Controlling a zone earns score every tick for as long as you hold it, making zone control one of the more valuable long-term scoring objectives in the game.
How Zone Control Works
A player controls a zone if they have the highest-level colony across any planet within that zone. You do not need a colony on every planet in the zone - just the strongest single colony among all players competing for that zone.
If two players have colonies at the same level within a zone, control goes to the player with the higher net worth as a tiebreaker.
Zone control is reassessed every tick. If a rival levels up their colony above yours or attacks it down, control can change hands. There is no guarantee a zone stays yours once taken.
Zone Score
Each tick you control a zone, you earn score equal to the current game tick number multiplied by 500.
This means zone score accumulates significantly over a full round. Holding a zone from early in the round captures many ticks of compounding value. Losing a zone - even temporarily - loses ticks you cannot recover.
The practical implication: once you secure a zone, defend it. The cost of losing control and clawing it back is higher than it might appear.
Claiming a Zone
To contest a zone you need a colony on a planet within it. Check the Galaxy Map to see which zones contain planets where you already have or plan to build colonies. The map shows current zone ownership, so you can identify where competition is light.
Levelling your colony is the primary way to maintain zone dominance. A level 5 colony in a zone beats any number of level 1 colonies from other players.
Zone Control and Colony Strategy
Zone control rewards players who invest in their colonies rather than leaving them at low levels. A kingdom that actively levels all three colonies and places them on separate planets across different zones can hold multiple zones simultaneously, stacking the score bonus from each.
Zones that contain only one or two planets with active colonies tend to be less contested. Less popular planets can be an opportunity to quietly claim a zone without direct competition.
Tips
- Check the Galaxy Map at the start of the round to identify zones where you can establish early dominance.
- Level your colonies consistently - colony level is what determines zone control, not just colony count.
- If a rival is threatening your zone control, deploying a fleet to defend the relevant colony can deter or defeat their attack before it costs you the zone.
- Multiple zone holdings stack. If you can manage colonies across three different zones, you earn zone score from all three simultaneously.
