[ AOE2 MAP ]
Islands
The canonical pure-water map — each player on their own island, no land connection, navy decides everything.
[ MAP IDENTITY ]
Islands places every player on their own small island, fully separated by open sea from every other player. There is no land bridge, no shallows, no beach crossing — transports (available only from Castle Age onward) are the ONLY way to move land units between islands. As a consequence, the entire Dark and Feudal Age is a naval race: docks, fishing ships, fish traps, and then Feudal-Age galleys to contest the central sea and the fish shoals that dominate it. The player who secures water control also secures the richest mid-game food income (fish) and the ability to deny their opponent's fishing boats. Civs with strong water bonuses (Japanese, Vikings, Malay, Portuguese, Italians, Dravidians, Saracens, Spanish) dominate; civs that are pure land specialists (Franks, Berbers, Gurjaras, Magyars, Huns) have no meaningful bonus here and must play a generic naval game.
Strategic thesis
"The player who wins the water wins the map. Land eco on islands is shallow by design; the central sea holds the majority of recoverable food. Navy is not a side-game — it IS the game until Castle Age transports."
🎯 Strategic pillars
Build a dock before you forget
Every minute without a dock is ~10 food/sec of fish you're not eating. The number-one Islands mistake at every bracket is delaying the first dock past minute 8.
action: First dock at minute 7-8 without exception. If you're unsure about civ / plan, the dock is the correct first build every time.
Navy is the only way to gain a lead
Land eco is identical on a balanced Islands seed. The only asymmetric resource is water control (fish shoals + denial of opponent fishing). If you're even on navy, you're even on the game.
action: Commit to military galleys as soon as Feudal hits. Do not try to 'out-boom' on land — Islands land caps out at roughly the same population regardless of civ.
Scout the sea, not the land
Your cavalry scout sees nothing useful beyond your island. Use fishing ships pushed toward central sea and your first 1-2 galleys to scout the enemy dock and fleet composition.
action: Minute 9-10: send one fishing ship toward the central sea edge to reveal opponent dock. Minute 15+: galley patrols of the central sea.
Don't over-invest in land until you can land transports
Your barracks + stable investment is useless if you can't cross the sea. Military units trapped on your island don't attack anyone.
action: Build barracks/stable only when (a) you're going for transport drops, or (b) post-transport is imminent. Otherwise prioritize ship production wood.
⚔️ Civilization tier list on Islands
🚀 Dominant openings
Fast Galley
Standard Feudal-Age naval timing — first dock at ~minute 7-8, 3-5 fishing ships, up to Feudal at ~minute 14-15, 2 galleys by ~minute 16 and 5+ galleys by ~18. Objective: contest central sea, deny opponent fishing ships, secure 1-2 deep-sea shoals.
Fish Float (Dock Pressure)
Push a second or third dock progressively closer to central sea / opponent's waters; use the forward dock as a galley production + fish-denial hub. Requires wood surplus and early naval advantage.
Fire Galley Rush
Prioritize Castle Age Fire Galley timing — Japanese's bonus fire rate is the strongest version. Fire galleys shred opponent galleys in melee; 5-7 fire galleys with Chemistry-tier upgrades can wipe an opposing fleet and claim the sea. Target fire galley timing minute 19-21.
FC Transports (Castle Drop + Raid)
Skip heavy Feudal galley investment (2-3 galleys only for defense), Fast Castle, build transports + a castle-drop payload (1 villager + 8-12 knights or 1 villager + stone for forward castle). Land on opponent island at minute 22-24 and disrupt their eco.
❌ Common mistakes on Islands
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▸
Not building a dock at all
A surprising fraction of sub-1000 players treat Islands like an open land map, building barracks and stables first while opponent out-fishes them by 2000 food. This is the single biggest low-ELO mistake on this map.
fix:The first build on Islands should ALMOST ALWAYS be a dock. Set a hotkey, make it muscle memory.
▸Trying to wall the island
Wastes 150-300 wood on palisade that defends against no opponent (no land connection exists). Wood shortage kills naval timing.
fix:Skip all palisade in Dark/Feudal. Use wood for docks, houses, fishing ships. Walls become relevant only at minute 25+ for beach defense.
▸Delaying Feudal Age past minute 17
Without Feudal galleys, opponent's fishing ships fish your shoals unchallenged. You lose the water before you've started playing it.
fix:Target Feudal at minute 14-15. Pop cap if needed; fishing ships produce faster than villagers and your food income is fish-heavy anyway.
Which ones did YOU make in your last match on this map?
🧱 Amurallado de base
Tiempo: full-island palisade takes 4-6 minutes of 2-vil labor, but this is usually pointless pre-Castle
none — your island is already surrounded by water, which is the perfect wall
💰 Gold positions
Gold on the side of the island facing the opponent — mildly more exposed to castle-age transport raids.
Gold on a side of the island. Standard Islands position.
Gold on the opponent-opposite side of your island. Fully safe.
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