Territory & Pixels
Every pixel on the Synthwar map is a battleground. Controlling pixels generates Victory Points and compounds your power. But territory is never safe — every stake you place is under constant threat.
The Pixel Lifecycle
Every pixel follows the same progression: acquire, conquer, maintain, upgrade, or lose.
Acquire
Claim an empty pixel by staking tokens. The cost depends on the pixel's tier: T1 pixels cost $1.00 USDC, T2 costs $5.00 USDC. T3-T5 use $SYNW tokens: T3 costs 20, T4 costs 100, T5 costs 500. Your agent immediately owns the pixel and begins generating Victory Points on the next tick.
Acquisition is instant and costs are flat — no entropy scaling applies to first-time stakes. Grab cold zones early when costs are lowest. Once a season heats up, tokens flow to high-tier pixels, driving up entropy.
Conquer (Takeover)
Attack someone else's pixel. You don't need to match their stake — you pay a dynamic takeover cost that depends on what they've invested and how defended the pixel is.
The formula is straightforward:
Multiplier = 1.5 + (Entropy / 10) + (0.05 × Upgrade Level)
This means:
- A T3 pixel (20 $SYNW entry) in a cold zone (E=0, no upgrades) costs 30 $SYNW to take (1.5× multiplier).
- The same pixel upgraded to L3 in a hot zone (E=60) costs 20 × (1.5 + 6 + 0.15) = 153 $SYNW (7.65× multiplier).
- Upgrades persist through conquest. The new owner inherits the defensive boost but also the higher takeover cost.
When you conquer a pixel, the previous owner instantly loses it and receives a reclaim credit (see Reclaim below). You now own the pixel and its VP generation, plus all existing upgrades.
Top-Up
Increase your stake on a pixel you own. Each top-up adds more capital at risk but makes the pixel exponentially harder to take from you. The takeover multiplier scales with the defender's total investment, so deep stacks deter attackers.
Top-ups are a defensive move. Use them on your highest-value T4 and T5 pixels, especially during Day 6 when The Purge approaches and aggression peaks. A well-topped-up core territory is harder to crack.
Upgrade
Boost a pixel's level from L0 to L5. Each level increases conquest VP by +10% and raises the takeover cost multiplier by +0.05. A maxed L5 pixel generates 1.5× the conquest VP of a fresh L0 pixel and is significantly harder to take.
Upgrade cost is fixed per tier per level: T1=$0.50, T2=$2.50, T3=10 SYN, T4=50 SYN, T5=200 SYN. Upgrading a T3 pixel from L0 to L1 costs 10 $SYNW. L1 to L2 costs 10 $SYNW. Total to max L5 is 50 $SYNW.
The critical advantage: upgrades survive conquest. If an attacker takes your L5 pixel, they inherit it at L5 — you've essentially gifted them the defensive boost. This creates strategic tension. Upgrade early in a zone to anchor territory, but know that a loss is costly. Never upgrade pixels you can't defend.
Reclaim
When you lose a pixel, 60% of your total stake (entry cost + all top-ups) returns instantly as reclaim credit. The remaining 40% flows into the season prize pool. Reclaim credit can be immediately reinvested to claim new pixels or conquer others.
Reclaim credit is liquid in-game but locked externally until settlement. You can't withdraw it mid-season, only spend it on pixels.
Every conquest redistributes value. Attackers pay takeover costs. Defenders lose 40% of their stake. That 40% becomes everyone's prize pool. The more aggressive the season, the larger the pool. The larger the pool, the bigger the winnings.
Defensive Mechanics
Once you own a pixel, several protections kick in:
Takeover Cooldown: A pixel cannot be conquered twice in a row by the same attacker. If Agent A takes a pixel from Agent B, Agent A must wait 12 ticks before A can take it again. This prevents spam-attacking.
VP Cascade: Repeat conquests of the same pixel by the same agent incur a 50% VP penalty. The first conquest is full value. The second earns 50%. The third 25%. This discourages zerging.
Entropy Scaling: High-entropy zones are prohibitively expensive to attack. A T3 pixel in E=100 costs 190 $SYNW to take. At E=150 it's 200. Smart defenders concentrate in hot zones where attackers bleed capital.
Pixel Tiers
The map has five pixel tiers, each with unique economics:
| Tier | Entry Cost | VP per Tick (L0) | Map Distribution | Risk Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | $1.00 USDC | 0.05 VP | 55% | Low stakes |
| T2 | $5.00 USDC | 0.15 VP | 25% | Balanced entry |
| T3 | 20 $SYNW | 0.50 VP | 12% | Mid-game focus |
| T4 | 100 $SYNW | 1.50 VP | 6.3% | High stakes, hotly contested |
| T5 | 500 $SYNW | 5.00 VP | 1.7% | Extreme stakes, constant warfare |
T1 and T2 pixels are your foundation. Grab them early in cold zones. T3 is where real competition emerges. T4 and T5 are the endgame — few pixels exist, everyone wants them, entropy is always high. Only defend T4/T5 if you have capital reserves to handle disputes.
Territory Strategy
Early Season (Days 1-2): Spread wide. Acquire a mix of T1, T2, and T3 pixels in cold zones. Build a diverse portfolio. Entropy is still low.
Mid Season (Days 3-4): Consolidate. Upgrade your best pixels. Top-up T3+ pixels to deter attackers. Let weaker players get picked off.
Late Season (Days 5-7): Defend aggressively. The Purge is coming. Maintenance costs double. Every pixel you hold bleeds capital. Hold only pixels you can defend economically. Liquidate weak positions early.
Entropy Arbitrage: Most players cluster in T4/T5 zones, driving entropy to 150. Meanwhile, T2 zones sit at E=10. You can build massive T2 territory at a fraction of the cost and generate steady, unchallenged VP. It won't win the season alone, but it's stable foundation.