Rise of Kingdoms March of the Ages Guide: Features and Strategy

March of the Ages is a Season of Conquest story introduced through Rise of Kingdoms Update 1.0.48 in July 2021. Unlike standard Lost Kingdom formats, this story limits free city relocation and places greater importance on supply lines, Forward Camps, Ancient Pagodas, and long-term alliance positioning.

The update also introduced VIP 18, the Alliance Log, the Exile King Skill, Champions of Olympia improvements, and several quality-of-life changes. However, the main March of the Ages mechanics apply specifically to its Season of Conquest map rather than every part of the game.

This guide explains the update’s original features, how the March of the Ages map works, and which strategic lessons remain useful for alliances entering the story.

What Is March of the Ages in Rise of Kingdoms?

March of the Ages is a Season of Conquest Lost Kingdom story that emphasizes campaign planning over unrestricted teleporting. Its map is significantly larger than earlier story maps, while several impassable routes force alliances to plan their expansion more carefully.

Instead of teleporting freely to any connected alliance territory, governors must use Ancient Pagodas and Foundation Stones to establish new city positions. Forward Camps then help players maintain troops closer to the battlefield.

As a result, an alliance cannot rely only on powerful commanders or high troop numbers. It must also manage:

• Ancient Pagoda control
• Foundation Stone construction
• Forward Camp locations
• Marching Orders
• Supply Radius coverage
• Coalition territory
• Reinforcement distance
• Alternative routes around Derelict Passes

March of the Ages Quick Overview

Super-Large March of the Ages Map

The March of the Ages map was introduced as approximately twice the size of earlier story maps. Consequently, long-distance movement carries a much larger strategic cost.

A march sent too far from its city or Forward Camp takes longer to reinforce, retreat, and recover. Furthermore, a poorly positioned alliance may spend more time moving than fighting.

How the Larger Map Changes Strategy

• Frontline deployment must be planned before major passes open.
• Reinforcement routes should be protected.
• Players should avoid sending every march to distant fights.
• Forward Camps must follow the alliance’s actual war direction.
• Leadership should assign players to different regions.
• Pagodas near future objectives become early priorities.

Although individual battles remain important, territory and reinforcement speed often determine whether an alliance can hold its gains.

Ancient Pagodas and Foundation Stones

Ancient Pagodas control city relocation in March of the Ages. Once a coalition controls a Pagoda, eligible governors can construct Foundation Stones inside the permitted area.

After construction finishes, the Foundation Stone creates a valid location for city relocation. Therefore, the coalition must secure the structure before large groups can move closer to the next objective.

Why Ancient Pagodas Matter

• They unlock controlled teleport locations.
• Nearby cities can support Forward Camps more efficiently.
• They help reduce reinforcement distance.
• They establish staging areas for future objectives.
• Controlling them can limit enemy movement.
• Some Pagodas provide benefits to nearby cities.

A Pagoda is not merely another structure reward. Instead, it functions as part of the coalition’s transportation and supply network.

Ancient Pagoda Strategy

1. Scout Pagoda locations early. Leadership should identify which structures support the planned route.
2. Prioritize strategic Pagodas. Not every structure has equal long-term value.
3. Secure surrounding territory. Coalition territory is required for related construction and movement.
4. Coordinate Foundation Stones. Unplanned construction can create inefficient city placement.
5. Protect the relocation window. Enemies may attack while players are still moving into position.
6. Keep room for essential accounts. Rally leaders, garrison captains, and active field fighters should receive practical locations.

How Forward Camps Work

Forward Camps act as secondary troop bases inside coalition territory. A governor can station a limited number of troops in these camps and use them for fighting, gathering, or attacking Barbarians.

In addition, wounded troops can return to the Forward Camp while reserve troops replace losses. This system allows players to sustain a distant frontline without repeatedly marching from their main city.

Forward Camp Limits

Each governor can construct a limited number of Forward Camps, historically up to five. Camps can also be upgraded, although their troop and reserve capacities remain limited by the current story rules.

Because every camp consumes time and resources, players should not place them randomly. Instead, their locations should support a specific objective, pass, Pagoda, resource zone, or reinforcement route.

Best Forward Camp Placement

• Inside secure coalition territory
• Near an expected frontline
• Within practical distance of an Ancient Pagoda
• Behind the main rally and garrison staging area
• Away from positions that can be easily surrounded
• Near routes that remain usable after pass openings

For example, placing all five camps in one area can maximize local troop availability. Alternatively, spreading them across several regions can improve flexibility. The better choice depends on the alliance’s strategy and the expected direction of combat.

Marching Orders and Camp Reserves

Marching Orders are used to send troops from the city to a Forward Camp. Unlike ordinary speedups, these Orders accumulate over time and traditionally cannot be accelerated.

Consequently, players who exhaust their Orders may be unable to replace distant camp troops quickly. Alliance leadership should account for this limitation before calling repeated long-range engagements.

How to Manage Marching Orders

1. Avoid sending unnecessary troop types to a camp.
2. Match camp reserves to the commanders you expect to use.
3. Preserve Orders before pass openings and scheduled wars.
4. Withdraw inefficient marches before they lose too many troops.
5. Do not empty every camp for a low-value skirmish.
6. Coordinate troop use across different time zones.

Moreover, camp reserves should support the alliance’s actual field plan. A player using Infantry marches gains little value from filling every camp with troops intended for unused Cavalry presets.

Supply Radius Explained

The Supply Radius is the combat area centered around a governor’s city or Forward Camps containing garrisoned troops. Green circles on the map represent the approximate supply coverage.

Troops remain most effective when they fight close to the center of this radius. As they move farther away, their damage output falls. Therefore, chasing enemies deep beyond the supply area can produce poor trades even when the march appears stronger on paper.

Practical Supply Radius Rules

• Fight close to cities or active Forward Camps.
• Avoid chasing retreating enemies too far.
• Move camps before committing to a distant objective.
• Check supply coverage before launching a rally.
• Keep reinforcements inside effective routes.
• Use map markers to communicate the safe combat area.

Derelict Passes and Route Planning

Derelict Passes are abandoned structures that cannot be controlled or crossed. Instead of opening another route, they permanently block movement through that part of the map.

As a result, each camp may face a different strategic map. One coalition may have a direct approach to an objective, while another must travel around a large obstacle.

How to Plan Around Derelict Passes

• Clear fog as early as possible.
• Mark every usable and blocked route.
• Identify alternative Pagodas before committing territory.
• Avoid building camps inside routes with no future access.
• Protect narrow paths that become natural chokepoints.
• Update alliance markers after every major map discovery.

Early scouting can save days of inefficient construction. Conversely, ignoring a blocked route may leave an entire group of players far from the actual frontline.

Best March of the Ages Alliance Strategy

March of the Ages rewards disciplined alliances more than disconnected individual marches. Before major objectives open, leadership should assign clear responsibilities for scouting, construction, Pagoda occupation, camp placement, rallying, and field control.

Prepare Before Pass Openings

Players should not wait until the pass opens to build the surrounding supply network. Instead, Forward Camps, reserves, city positions, and Pagoda control should be prepared in advance.

Meanwhile, rally and garrison leaders need clear access to the frontline. Poor placement can delay essential commanders even when enough troops are available.

Keep Some Troops in Reserve

Sending every troop into one engagement can leave the camp unable to respond to a counterattack. Therefore, active players should retain enough reserves to reinforce rallies, defend camps, or replace a damaged field march.

Furthermore, players in different time zones should not consume all available camp capacity before another group becomes active.

Avoid Unnecessary Long-Distance Fighting

March of the Ages intentionally discourages endless fighting far from home. Even when an enemy looks vulnerable, chasing beyond the Supply Radius can lower damage and make retreating much harder.

Instead, alliances should pull enemies toward prepared camps, city clusters, and reinforcement routes.

Champions of Olympia Changes in Update 1.0.48

Update 1.0.48 also introduced several improvements to Champions of Olympia. These changes were separate from the March of the Ages Lost Kingdom story.

Battlefield Color Improvements

Troop markers were updated to use a clearer color system:

• Red for enemy troops
• Blue for allied troops
• Green for the player’s own troops

Consequently, players could identify battlefield positions more quickly during crowded engagements.

Movement and Map Commands

Players gained the ability to tap and hold an empty battlefield location to command troops to move there. In addition, the minimap could be used to issue Mark orders.

These controls improved coordination, especially when teams needed to defend a route or focus on a specific objective.

Spawn and Skill Adjustments

Spawn Zones received shorter recovery times than Replenishment Points. Damaging skills also began scaling with the strength of the troops casting them.

Finally, governors could like and add other players from the match-results screen, which made it easier to connect with effective teammates.

Other Features Added in Update 1.0.48

Troop Return After Earlier Lost Kingdom Seasons

The update added the return of a proportion of units killed during Lost Kingdom events before Season of Conquest. The troop return occurred after the event ended.

However, this did not remove the cost of poor fighting. Hospital capacity, healing resources, training speedups, and event rules still affected the final result.

Alliance Log

The Alliance Log was added to help members review alliance events, member activity, and battle information. As a result, leadership gained a clearer record of important alliance actions.

VIP 18

VIP 18 was officially introduced with new buffs and VIP Special Bundles. Reaching it required a substantial number of VIP Points beyond the previous maximum level.

Osiris League Finals Format

The Osiris League Grand Finals format changed to four participating teams. Semifinal winners were decided through one match, while the final used a best-of-three format.

Beginner’s Teleport Limits

Numerical limits were added to the number of governors who could enter a new kingdom with Beginner’s Teleports. This change aimed to improve population balance and the early-kingdom experience.

Harald Sigurdsson Skill Correction

Harald Sigurdsson’s Stamford Bridge skill was corrected to match its description. According to the patch notes, the correction did not change his actual combat strength.

Bastion Quest Clarity

Bastion quest descriptions and rules received readability improvements. Therefore, players could understand the requirements and rewards more easily.

Exile King Skill

The Exile King Skill introduced two different effects:

• A city protected by an active Peace Shield could be forced to teleport randomly to its initial province.
• A city without a Peace Shield would take 5% more damage for 30 minutes.

Therefore, the skill did not simply teleport every targeted city. Its result depended on whether the target had an active Peace Shield.

Common March of the Ages Mistakes

• Calling it a current update: March of the Ages was introduced in Update 1.0.48 in 2021.
• Assuming the mechanics apply everywhere: Pagodas, Foundation Stones, and Supply Radius belong to this Lost Kingdom story.
• Teleporting without a plan: Relocation depends on controlled Pagodas and Foundation Stones.
• Building camps randomly: Forward Camps should support a defined objective.
• Ignoring Marching Orders: Camp reinforcement is limited by a time-based resource.
• Chasing beyond Supply Radius: Troops can lose substantial damage effectiveness.
• Overcommitting camp troops: Empty camps cannot respond to a counterattack.
• Discovering Derelict Passes too late: Early scouting prevents wasted construction.
• Moving every player to one Pagoda: City placement should account for roles and time zones.
• Confusing Forward Camps with normal alliance structures: They belong to individual governors and have specific troop limits.
• Misreading Exile: Shielded and unshielded cities receive different effects.
• Focusing only on raw power: Logistics and alliance discipline are central to this story.

FAQ

What is March of the Ages in ROK?

March of the Ages is a Season of Conquest Lost Kingdom story introduced through Update 1.0.48. It focuses on large maps, controlled city relocation, Forward Camps, Supply Radius, and strategic route planning.

When was the March of the Ages update released?

Update 1.0.48 was released after maintenance on July 7, 2021. Therefore, it should be treated as a historical update rather than a new 2026 patch.

How do Ancient Pagodas work?

Once a coalition controls an Ancient Pagoda, eligible governors can construct Foundation Stones in its permitted area. These Stones create locations where cities can relocate.

How many Forward Camps can you build?

The original March of the Ages rules allowed each governor to build up to five Forward Camps. Check the current story interface in case the limit has changed.

What are Marching Orders?

Marching Orders are used to send troops from a city to a Forward Camp. They accumulate over time and traditionally cannot be accelerated with normal speedups.

How does Supply Radius affect damage?

Troops deal their best damage closer to the center of their Supply Radius. Damage effectiveness falls as they move farther from the supplying city or Forward Camp.

Can you cross a Derelict Pass?

No. Derelict Passes cannot be occupied, attacked, or crossed. Alliances must scout alternative routes around them.

Is March of the Ages still relevant?

Its exact availability depends on the current Season of Conquest story rotation. Nevertheless, its core lessons about supply lines, staging areas, scouting, and alliance coordination remain useful.

Conclusion

March of the Ages introduced one of the most logistics-focused Season of Conquest formats in Rise of Kingdoms. Ancient Pagodas control relocation, Forward Camps support distant armies, and Supply Radius determines where troops can fight effectively.

Consequently, alliances must prepare their movement network before major objectives open. Early scouting, practical Foundation Stone placement, reserved Marching Orders, and disciplined camp management can provide a larger advantage than winning one isolated field battle.

Although Update 1.0.48 was released in 2021, the March of the Ages story remains an important example of campaign-focused gameplay. Its systems reward alliances that communicate clearly, protect supply lines, and avoid fighting too far from prepared positions.

Players entering the story should confirm all current limits and descriptions through the in-game Season interface. Balance values, structure limits, event availability, and supporting systems may have changed since the original update.

Explore more commander guides, KvK strategies, alliance advice, and progression content in the Rise of Kingdoms guide collection.