Border Stones

Border Stones is a special random map introduced in Age of Empires II HD: Rise of the Rajas. The map is exactly what it is named with large numbers of Stone Mines marking as border lines.

Overview
Unlike other maps featured in the expansion, Border Stones does not feature any bodies of water and therefore does not contain amphibious terrain.

Players start out in their own portion of land isolated by large walls of Stone Mines. In team matches, players share either vertical portion of the map yet are separated by Stone Mines and will have to mine through to access each other.

Due to the extremely large bounty of Stone, the map will allow massive amounts of Castles and Walls built along the borders of Stone. This will turn the borders as a "No man's land" where large amounts military units and Villager corpses will lie. Gathering Stone will be very risky after the Feudal Age with enemy attacks from Archer Units and Castles being lethal to vulnerable Villagers.

Taking control of the center of the map where the Stone Mines border lay will be crucial for victory. One the central border is controlled, the player can slowly mass troops deeper into the enemy lands and invade their settlements.

Environment
Player will start out with an extremely generous array of huntable animals, much more than other maps in the expansion. Water Buffalo and Rhinoceros will be grazing very close to the Town Center providing a close source of food while Deer will be slightly farther out near the forest cautiously moving about.

Stones mines will be found in very large amounts where the borders form; they will be found no where else. Gold Mines will be much scarcer in the map and will be found not too far from the borders of Stone.

A stand of 4-5 Rainforest Trees will be nearby the players Town Center while a ginormous amount of the trees will be found on the edges of the map forming a very large rain forest and providing a bounty of Wood to chop down.