STAR WARS Empire at War - Gold Pack Maps & Locations Guide: Every Area Covered

Q: What does the Empire at War Gold Pack include?

The 2006 base game and the Forces of Corruption expansion in one purchase. Forces of Corruption adds the Zann Consortium, corruption missions, and units such as the Executor Super Star Destroyer, the Eclipse, B-wings, Dark Troopers and TIE Interceptors.

Q: How many factions can you play?

Three: the Galactic Empire, the Rebel Alliance, and the Zann Consortium from Forces of Corruption. Pirates and the Hutts exist on the galactic map as non playable presences rather than sides you can command.

Q: How do you beat AT-ATs?

Airspeeder tow cables, which trip them, or heavy tanks. Standard infantry blaster fire barely scratches them, which is why an Imperial column without anti air support is far more fragile than it looks.

Q: What is corruption in Forces of Corruption?

The Zann Consortium's alternative to conquest. A Defiler corrupts a planet you do not own, after which you can run Racketeering, Piracy, Kidnapping, Intimidation, Bribery, Corrupt Militia, Black Market or Slavery missions on it for credits, upgrades or to strip the owner's planet bonus.

Q: Is Empire at War still worth playing in 2026?

Yes, largely because of mods. Steam reviews sit at 97 percent positive across roughly 26,600 ratings, and projects such as Thrawn's Revenge, Awakening of the Rebellion and Empire at War Remake rebuild the rosters and galactic map through the Workshop.

Complete STAR WARS Empire at War - Gold Pack maps and locations guide. Every area with difficulty, rewards, progression order, and what to do in each zone.

EarlyGuides Editorial Team

Researched and editorially reviewed. Updated August 12, 2026.

Petroglyph shipped Empire at War on 16 February 2006 and the Forces of Corruption expansion the following October, and the Gold Pack on Steam bundles both. You run a galactic map of planets, income and fleets, then drop into real time battles in space and on the ground across more than 80 locations. Two decades later Steam sits at 97 percent positive over roughly 26,600 reviews, and the mod scene is most of the reason.

STAR WARS Empire at War - Gold Pack features distinct areas with increasing difficulty. This guide covers every major location in progression order: what to do, what to get, and when to move on. For the step-by-step path, see our walkthrough.

Area Progression Order

Order	Location	Difficulty	Key Rewards	Recommended Build
1	Kuat	Mid to late galactic conquest	Star Destroyer cost reduction, capital ship construction	Rebel Alliance
2	Mon Calamari	Mid to late galactic conquest	Mon Calamari Cruiser construction, Rebel fleet parity	Rebel Alliance
3	Fresia	Early campaign	X-wing access in the Rebel campaign	Galactic Empire
4	Hoth	Any stage, signature ground battle	Iconic AT-AT versus Snowspeeder engagement, open terrain	Galactic Empire
5	Vergesso Asteroids	Any stage of galactic conquest	25 percent fighter and bomber damage bonus	Galactic Empire

Kuat: Starting Area

The Imperial shipyard world and one of only four planets where capital ships can be built. Holding it cuts Imperial Star Destroyer cost by 25 percent, which makes it the single most valuable planet on the Imperial side of the map.

Attribute	Detail
Difficulty	Mid to late galactic conquest
Key Rewards	Star Destroyer cost reduction, capital ship construction
Recommended Build	Rebel Alliance
Key Equipment	Mon Calamari Cruiser

What to Do Here

Learn the basics of Galactic map into tactical battles. This is where you practice without heavy punishment.
Collect starting resources and your first equipment upgrade.
Clear all main content before moving to Mon Calamari.
If you're struggling, read our beginner's guide.

Mon Calamari: Early Game

The Rebel counterpart to Kuat and the source of Mon Calamari Cruisers. Losing it removes the Rebels' only real answer to Imperial capital ships, so it is the obvious Imperial target once the war reaches the mid game.

Attribute	Detail
Difficulty	Mid to late galactic conquest
Key Rewards	Mon Calamari Cruiser construction, Rebel fleet parity
Recommended Build	Rebel Alliance
Key Equipment	Mon Calamari Cruiser

What to Do Here

Focus on mastering Capital ship hardpoints. It's critical from this point on.
Farm for Mon Calamari Cruiser if you don't have it yet.
Complete all objectives for maximum rewards.
Prepare for the difficulty spike in Fresia.

Fresia: Mid Game

The Incom world where the Rebel campaign stages the theft of four X-wing prototypes from an Imperial depot. It is an early campaign objective rather than a late war prize.

Attribute	Detail
Difficulty	Early campaign
Key Rewards	X-wing access in the Rebel campaign
Recommended Build	Galactic Empire
Key Equipment	Mon Calamari Cruiser

What to Do Here

This is the main skill check. Bring an optimized build.
Imperial Star Destroyer becomes accessible here. Prioritize getting it.
Master Land battle reinforcement points for the boss encounters.
Check our boss guide if you get stuck.

Hoth: Late Game

The ice world, and the ground battle everyone loads the game for. Snowspeeder tow cables are the intended way to bring down AT-ATs here, and the open snow gives walkers a long uninterrupted approach.

Attribute	Detail
Difficulty	Any stage, signature ground battle
Key Rewards	Iconic AT-AT versus Snowspeeder engagement, open terrain
Recommended Build	Galactic Empire
Key Equipment	Imperial Star Destroyer

What to Do Here

Full build optimization is expected by this point.
Imperial Star Destroyer should be your primary, fully upgraded.
Planet specific bonuses mastery starts mattering here.
Farm resources for the push into Vergesso Asteroids.

Vergesso Asteroids: Endgame

An asteroid field rather than a planet, and one of the more valuable space holdings because it grants a 25 percent damage boost to fighters and bombers. Carrier heavy fleets get noticeably stronger from one map tile.

Attribute	Detail
Difficulty	Any stage of galactic conquest
Key Rewards	25 percent fighter and bomber damage bonus
Recommended Build	Galactic Empire
Key Equipment	Imperial Star Destroyer

What to Do Here

This is endgame. Best-in-slot gear and a perfected build are mandatory.
See our boss guide for endgame fight strategies.
The reward loop: clear content → upgrade → push harder content.
Experiment with Hutts for variety once you've mastered the meta.

Exploration Tips

Clear areas in order: Kuat → Mon Calamari → Fresia → Hoth → Vergesso Asteroids. Skipping areas means missing resources you'll need later.
Check every corner: Hidden caches and secrets are often in non-obvious locations.
Match your equipment: Some areas favor different equipment types.
Read the walkthrough: Our walkthrough provides exact progression milestones for each area.
Don't rush: Clearing an area fully gives more resources than speedrunning two areas.

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