The direct answer
A route is good when its reward improves the build more than its Threat, resource cost, and possible army losses weaken the rest of the campaign. Evaluate the next two nodes, not only the current reward.
Objective names are not enough. Confirm the goal type and any time, budget, wave, structure, status, or area-control rules before the fight begins.
Map decision checklist
Check whether an event is a landmark, can occur only once, offers choices, applies its cost immediately, or changes Threat.
Follow event-step links to see known choice flow instead of assuming every option rejoins the same outcome.
Review hazard type and intensity before entering a difficult objective.
Version 0.8.57278 changed Distant Cloaks to reduce Threat by 2 and changed A Distraction to cost Coins instead of Dragonstones.
If a route unlocks a hero, companion, weapon, or feature, open the linked unlock page before choosing an alternative reward.
Objective families
The static data includes elimination, boss, defense, area-control, escort, interaction, survival, wave, reinforcement, structure, ground-effect, status-effect, and compound goal families.