The Astral

So, here's the deal. The object of the game is to unite all of the shards in The Astral under one banner -- yours. So the overarching philosophy you need to take when playing this game is always to be thinking about which shard you're going to go to next after you finish with the one you are on.

Of course, you have to be prepared to defend the provinces of the shards you already lay claim to -- both from without and within.

The Astral is a mysterious place, and you're not really quite sure what it's all about. However, as you go along, the secrets of the Astral begin to be revealed.

In Game

You can pull up the Astral and select a shard by clicking on it and selecting "Attack" when prompted. All of the shards that you already own will have a little icon (looks like a dude on fire) above them.

Before you sign off on the attack, however, you will be informed of the benefits and risks associated with the move. Clearly, some shards are better equipped to repeal your attacks, so it's best to focus on the weak shards first and then work your way up to the bad boys later.

Conquering a shard will grant benefits like new units (think crossbowmen), resources, or straight up cash.