Getting started
How troops work in your role — composition, stat priorities, training and promotions, and Terror rallies. Content swaps based on whether you're F2P or Spender.
A starting framework for new players approaching troop management. The goal: strong troops, lots of them.
TL;DR
- You’re a Rally Joiner, not a Leader — your impact comes from troop level × troop count
- Push TC and Buildings as fast as possible; troop tier and capacity flow from there
- Train the highest-tier troop available; once promotions unlock, promote instead of training new
- Different troop types value different stats — use that to prioritize tech and gear
- Don’t send under-level troops to high-tier Terror rallies — you’ll cause the rally to fail
Your role: Rally Joiner
As a Joiner rather than a rally Leader, your contribution is the size and strength of the troops you bring. Strategic decisions — which target, when, formation — come from leaders. Your job is to bring strong troops, lots of them, on time.
That makes the priority order clear: get your TC and supporting buildings up first, because they unlock troop tiers, training capacity, and the research that buffs everything. Troop strength flows from those upgrades.
TL;DR
- You’re typically a Rally Leader — your impact is troop strength × count plus the tech and gear behind them
- Push to T10 troops quickly, but don’t all-in on troops at the cost of tech and gear
- Hall of Governors is where troop spend pays off most — training speed-up packs stack with event boosts
- Use HoG to stockpile enough troops to fill multiple rallies with different formation sizes
- Confirm your march meets the Terror level before kicking off a high-tier rally
Your role: Rally Leader
As a spender, you’re typically leading rallies, not just joining. Your march defines the rally’s strength — your troops, tech, and gear all hit the field together, and joiners follow your lead.
That changes the priority order. Push TC and supporting buildings and keep tech and gear current — a strong march needs all three working in concert.
Troop composition
There’s a guide on formations, but until you have more troops than fit in a single deployment, formations aren’t your priority — you’re sending what you have. Compose for utility instead.
A balanced X/X/X infantry / cavalry / archer counts spread is fine for general fights at the start. If you’re prioritizing certain events, leaning archer-heavy helps in those — otherwise equal spread holds up.
Stats by troop type
Different troops value different stats. Use this to inform which tech to research, which gear to equip, and which buffs to chase first:
| Troop | Primary | Secondary | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infantry | Health | Defense | Tanks. Survival matters more than damage output |
| Archers | Lethality | Attack | Damage dealers. Lethality above all else |
| Cavalry | Lethality | Health | Burst damage with enough HP to survive the engagement |
These priorities show up again in the tech and gear sections of the site — when in doubt, identify which troop type you’re optimizing for, then read across this table.
Training and promoting
Always train the highest-tier troop available to you. Lower-tier troops contribute less per training slot once your TC and tech allow higher tiers.
Once troop promotions unlock, you have a choice on what to do with them:
- Save them for the Hall of Governors event, where promoting troops scores a lot of event points
- Promote whenever you can, getting your existing troops up to max tier
Default to promoting unless you’re actively saving for HoG. Get all your troops to max tier first, then start promoting. Even when your total troop count is lower than you’d like, the Power gain from promoted high-tier troops outweighs the loss from a smaller raw count. Don’t trade quality for quantity.
Training and promoting
Always train the highest-tier troop available to you. Your goal is T10 troops, quickly — every training slot should move you toward that.
Once troop promotions unlock, default to promoting (rather than training new) to climb tiers. Get all your existing troops to max tier first. Even when your total troop count is lower than you’d like, the Power gain from promoted high-tier troops outweighs a smaller raw count.
Hall of Governors event
This is where troop spend pays off most. During HoG:
- The training section gives a big benefit — completed troops score event points
- Purchase packs are available for troop training speed-ups, which stack with the event’s training boosts
- Use this window to stockpile extra troops — enough to fill multiple rallies and run a split of troops across different formation size requirements
In other words: HoG is the time to spend on troop speed-ups. Outside HoG, the same speed-up pack is roughly half the value.
Balanced spend — not all-in on troops
Unlike a F2P joiner, your tech and gear matter as much as troops because you’re leading the rally. A T10 march with mediocre tech and gear underperforms a T9 march with strong tech and gear.
Spread your spend across:
- Troops — train and promote toward T10
- Tech — keep combat research current, especially for your dominant troop type
- Gear — upgrade governor and march gear that buffs the troops you’re actually fielding
If you find yourself spending only on troops because they’re the most visible Power gain, you’re leaving rally performance on the table.
Training building upgrades
When you upgrade a troop training building, it speeds up training for all troop types, not just the type that building primarily produces. Even if you’re focusing one troop type, keep all training buildings upgraded — they compound on each other.
Terror rallies
Some Terrors require the strongest troops to fight. Terror Level 5 needs T8+ troops.
You only need to send one troop to a rally to get credit, so when joining a high-level Terror rally, only send troops at the required level or above. Sending weaker troops bloats the rally without adding strength and risks causing it to fail.
If you don’t have T8 troops yet, sit out the L5 Terror rallies until your tier catches up.
Terror rallies
Some Terrors require the strongest troops to fight. Terror Level 5 needs T8+ troops.
As a rally leader, your march sets the rally’s strength, so confirm your troops meet the Terror level before kicking off. If you don’t have T8 troops yet, lead lower-level Terror rallies first — your joiners will only be as strong as your leadership march permits.