Razing castles in HexCrest: the biggest capture in the game

Your castle is where you start, and a rival’s castle is the richest target on the island.

How razing works

You raze a castle by capturing the tile it stands on, the same way you capture anything: draw a trail around it and get back to your land. When the loop closes:

1. The castle is destroyed.
2. You also take all of that rival’s land within three tiles of the castle, on top of what your loop enclosed.
3. A banner shows CASTLE RAZED! with the extra land you gained.

When to go for it

• Rival far from home. If the owner is out drawing a trail elsewhere, their castle is unguarded.
• No towers nearby. Towers within three tiles will shoot your trail. Check before committing, or take the time between shots (a tower waits 4.5 seconds after firing). See towers.
• Use walls. A castle near a river or mountain needs less trail to surround.

Protecting your own castle

• Grow land around it in every direction, so rivals need a long, exposed trail to reach it.
• Your towers shoot any rival trail that comes within three tiles of them, wherever they stand.
• Don’t leave the area for long when a rival is drawing close.

If your castle falls but you still have land, a new castle is placed for you first, before any other building returns.