Where should I spawn?

Conqora FAQ · updated 2026-10-16

The spawn phase lasts a few seconds, and the choice you make in it shapes your whole game. Here is how strong players read the map.

What the pings tell you

During the spawn phase every player's chosen spot pings on the map:

• Your ping is the biggest one, in white.
• Teammates ping in their team colour.
• Everyone else pings in red.
• Territories have no ping.

You can move your spawn until the countdown ends, so watch the red pings and slide away from crowded areas.

The checklist

1. Empty land around you. Territories are cheap to take; players and big nations are not.
2. A coast within reach. Your first Port is your best income; a spawn ten tiles from the sea is ideal.
3. Distance from red pings. Two players spawning next to each other both lose the first five minutes.
4. A natural wall. A mountain range, a strait or a peninsula behind you means one border to defend.
5. Hotspots nearby (hotspots mode only). A gold mine in minute one is worth more than ten tiles.

Map by map

Fog of war

With fog of war on, you can't see other players' pings outside your view, only your own and your team's. Spawn conservatively near a coast and scout with your first expansion.

After you spawn

Expand toward empty land first, never toward a player, and build a City as soon as you can afford it. The beginner's guide covers the next five minutes.

Three spawns, worked through

A quiet coast on the World map

You spawn on the coast of northern Australia. Around you is grey territory land; the nearest red ping is across the sea. For the first two minutes nobody can reach you except by boat, so you expand at a 30–50% ratio, buy a City at 125K and a Port right on the coast. Your first real border comes late, and when it does you can put a Defense Post on it and keep growing on the other side.

A crowded spot in Europe

You spawn in the middle of the continent. Europe has 49 nations in a small space, and two red pings sit within a short walk. Within a minute you have three borders. Every click costs more because you're taking land from nations and players, not territories. The fix is during the spawn phase: slide your ping toward Scandinavia or Iberia, where one side is sea.

A gold mine in hotspots mode

On a hotspots game you spot a gold mine near a coast with no red pings. A gold mine pays 7,500 gold every five seconds, which is 90,000 a minute. That's more than a City's worth of gold every minute and a half. Spawn right next to it, take its tile first and put a Defense Post (50K) on it.

Spawning in team games

Teammates ping in their team colour, and teams are permanent allies who can't attack each other. Spawning next to a teammate gives each of you a border that never needs defending, so you can both point your armies outward. Don't spawn right on top of each other, though: you'll compete for the same empty land. A few dozen tiles apart, sharing one flank, is ideal.

Random spawn and fog of war

• Random spawn places you for you. Spend your first seconds reading the map instead: find the nearest coast for your Port and the direction with the most grey land.
• Fog of war hides other players' pings outside your view. Spawn near a coast, expand quickly, and treat any unknown border as hostile until you've seen it.

Common spawn mistakes

1. Not choosing at all. If you don't click, the game picks a spot for you, rarely a good one.
2. Spawning next to a big nation. Nations start with land and troops and defend themselves; every tile costs more.
3. Chasing the biggest empty area deep inland. A spawn far from the sea delays your first Port, and trade is the biggest income in a normal game.
4. A tiny island. It's safe for a minute, then it runs out of land.
5. Ignoring the countdown. You can move your spawn until it ends; if a red ping lands next to you, move.

Tips by skill level

Beginner

Look for three things: grey land, a coast within about ten tiles, and no red pings nearby. If you find two of the three, take it.

Intermediate

Hold Space for the terrain view while choosing. A mountain range or a strait behind you means one fewer border to defend. Think about your first ally: a nation on one side and empty land on the other is a good start.

Advanced

Plan the first five minutes before you click. Where will your City go? Your Port? Which border gets the Defense Post? Where will your first trade ships sail? On island maps, pick a coast that faces several other ports, since a ship's payout grows with the distance travelled.

More maps

Ranked spawns

Ranked maps are small fictional maps built for 1v1, 2v2 or 3v3, with no nations, so you meet your opponent within a couple of minutes. In duo and trio, spawn so you and your teammates share a flank. In 1v1, plan your first Defense Post facing your opponent. See how ranked works and the maps guide.

More questions

Can I change my spawn after the match starts?

No. You can move your spawn as often as you like during the spawn phase, but once the countdown ends your spot is fixed and the pings vanish. Make your last adjustment in the final seconds, after you've seen where the red pings settled.

Is it worth spawning next to a nation?

Only if it gives you something in return, such as a coast or a hotspot. Nations defend themselves and attack weak neighbours, so expect a fight, or offer an alliance early.

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More answers in the Conqora FAQ and the guides. Updated 2026-10-16.