Artwork is still in development and may change.

Something Stirs Beyond the Horizon

An open beta of Beyond the Horizon: The Jade Empire is on its way, and you can be among the first to set foot in a brand-new desert battlefield. From Tuesday, 17 November, every player in Empire can join the beta with their own castle, explore the event for seven days and help us shape it with their feedback.
Far beyond the borders of the known kingdoms, across the sands of a vast desert, lie the ruins of a forgotten empire. The Jade Emperors are long gone, but their treasures remain. Countless Jade Statuettes still rest in ancient Palace Fortresses, guarded by stone warriors who never broke their oath. Along the old caravan routes, the Oasis Settlements wait for traders brave enough to cross the sands. Now the gates to this land are about to open. Welcome to Beyond the Horizon: The Jade Empire, a new battle between alliances where territory, trade and treasure decide who claims victory.

The Faces of the Desert
You will not cross the sands alone. Bram, the Gatebreaker led the first expedition into the desert and lost half his column to the stone warriors at the very first fortress. He has not forgotten it. Mira, Keeper of the Waters once led her village through years of hardship and battle. Today she watches over the Oasis Settlements, where she welcomes every trader who reaches her. Standing against you all is the Jade Sentinel, commander of the stone warriors. Sworn by the Jade Emperors to guard their treasures, he still keeps his oath long after the empire has fallen. To him, every expedition is a band of thieves.

Setting Out
Your alliance travels to the Jade Empire together through the Misty Castle, at no cost. Your castle makes the journey with all of its buildings, along with your Construction Items and Hall of Legends skills. Your troops, resources and equipment stay at home. Every commander starts with a fresh army, helped along by a start package. Everything you build in the desert stays in the desert, while the rewards you earn are sent to your main account.

Your Citadel and the Fog of War
Every alliance raises its own Alliance Citadel in the desert. It claims a circle of land around it, and this is your territory. Inside it, the Palace Fortresses and Oasis Settlements are yours to raid and trade with. Just beyond your borders lies a veil of mist. You can see what waits there, from the targets your next Citadel level will unlock to rival alliances camped closer than you might like, but you cannot reach it yet. Further out, the rest of the desert lies under a deeper shroud: visible, yet far out of reach.
Every Citadel upgrade pushes your borders further into the sands. But your rivals are growing too. Territories can overlap, and when an enemy’s land reaches into yours, your castles may be in danger. Threatened targets glow red on the map, so keep a watchful eye on your borders.

From Raw Jadeite to Restored Statuettes
Everything in the Jade Empire starts at the Palace Fortresses. Three kinds of fortress guard three precious materials: Raw Jadeite, Varnish and Raw Silk. They also hold the treasure everyone is after: Ancient Jade Statuettes. But their riches are not endless. Every fortress shares its treasures with everyone who can reach it. Once it has been emptied, it closes its gates for a while before its treasures return.
At your Toolsmith, you refine the raw materials with Varnish into Jade Arrowheads, Jade Blades, Silk Veils and Silk Coats. Raw or refined, bring your goods to the Oasis Settlements, where you trade rather than fight. Your troops set out carrying your goods and return with fresh, stronger units at their side, along with Restored Jade Statuettes. The more your army can carry, the more you bring back.
Your score rests on two kinds of statuettes:

• Restored Jade Statuettes count for victory and can never be stolen.
• Ancient Jade Statuettes are kept in your castles, where rivals can plunder them. Your alliance invests them to upgrade the Citadel. These statuettes are not lost: as long as your Citadel holds its level, they count in full at the end of the event. Any Ancient Jade Statuettes still in your castles when the event ends are restored in full as well. If the risk grows too great, they can be restored early at a lower rate to keep them safe.

Two Phases of War
The expedition unfolds in two phases. The first is the Build-up. Alliances establish themselves in the desert, raid the Palace Fortresses, trade at the Oasis Settlements and grow their Citadel. During this phase, every march stays within your own territory. Battles with other alliances are only possible where your territory reaches theirs.
When the Build-up ends, the Free for All begins. The deeper shroud lifts and every castle and Citadel on the map becomes a target, no matter how far away. Palace Fortresses and Oasis Settlements remain within your own territory, but your rivals’ Ancient Jade Statuettes are now within reach of your armies, just as yours are within reach of theirs. A Citadel can never be conquered, only weakened, so make sure it is well defended. You will be warned before the Free for All begins, so use the time wisely.

Victory
When the sands settle, the alliance with the most Jade Statuettes claims victory. Rankings for both alliances and individual commanders decide the rewards, so every statuette you bring home counts for your alliance and for yourself.

Be the First to Explore
Before the expedition departs for good, we are opening the gates early. On Tuesday, 17 November at around 11:00 CET, the open beta begins, exclusively on the browser version. It is not available in the mobile app. Every browser player from every server can join with their own castle.The beta runs for seven days and closes on Tuesday, 24 November at around 11:00 CET.
The beta is a test run, so a few things work differently from the full event. All rewards are placeholders, nothing can be purchased and neither your progress nor your ranking carries over. What does carry over is your feedback, which helps us shape the event before it opens for good. Until then, gather your alliance and keep your eyes on the horizon.