Essential Tips for Every Player
Whether you're a new player just starting out or a veteran looking for an edge, these tips will help you optimize your gameplay, save resources, and gain an advantage over the competition.
Table of Contents
- Beginner Tips (Day 1-7)
- Economy & Resource Tips
- Combat & War Tips
- Hero/Prisoner Tips
- Alliance & Social Tips
- Advanced/Hidden Mechanics
- Spending & F2P Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
Beginner Tips (Day 1-7)
1. Bind Your Account Immediately
Before doing anything else, bind your account to Google Play, Game Center, Facebook, or email. This protects your progress from device loss or game crashes.
2. Don't Skip the Tutorial, But Don't Dwell On It
Complete the tutorial fully — it gives free resources and unlocks features. But don't spend time optimizing during the tutorial; you'll get a chance to rebuild later.
3. Join the First Active Alliance You Find
Don't wait to "get stronger first." Join immediately to start accumulating alliance rewards and benefits. You can always switch alliances later.
4. Claim Everything in Your Mail
The game sends tons of free rewards via in-game mail. Always check and claim them. Many new players miss out on thousands of free gems and materials.
5. Use Your Free Teleport Wisely
You typically get one free Alliance Teleport early in the game. Save it until you've found a permanent alliance. Don't waste it on random moves.
6. Focus on HQ Levels Above All Else
Your Warden's Office (HQ) level gates everything else. If your HQ isn't upgrading, you're wasting time.
7. Complete Daily Quests Every Day
Daily quests are the most reliable source of free resources and currency. Make them a habit.
8. Don't Spend Gems in the First 3 Days
Save your initial gems for rate-up summoning events, which usually appear within the first week.
Economy & Resource Tips
9. Always Be Gathering
Never leave your troops idle. Send them to gather on the world map even when you're not actively playing. Idle troops = wasted potential.
10. Upgrade Your Warehouse Before Sleeping
Before you log off, upgrade your Warehouse. The upgrade completes while you sleep, and your overnight resource production is protected.
11. Spend Resources Before Logging Off
If you have unspent resources, convert them into upgrades, troop training, or research before logging off. Less loot for raiders.
12. Choose Resource Tiles Wisely
Level 1-2 tiles: Fast, safe, low yield. Level 4-6: Slower, moderate risk, good yield. Level 7+: High yield but you might get attacked. Match tile level to your troop strength.
13. Assign Economy Prisoners to Production
Place economy-focused prisoners like Mr. Ledger and Chef Remy in your base to boost passive resource production. This adds up to millions over weeks.
14. Don't Hoard — Convert
Resources sitting in your base are targets. Convert them to permanent upgrades as quickly as possible. A level 15 building can't be stolen; 500K food can.
15. Participate in Resource Events
Many events double resource production or gathering speed. Time your major gathering runs for these windows.
16. Use Alliance Resource Sharing
If you're about to be attacked, send excess resources to an alliance member. They can send them back after the threat passes.
17. Balance Your Economy
Don't over-produce one resource. If you have 2M food but 10K materials, you can't build anything. Keep production balanced.
Combat & War Tips
18. Always Scout First
Never attack blind. Send a scout to check troop count, composition, and defenses. A 30-second scout saves your entire army.
19. Counter Enemy Troop Composition
- Enemy has lots of Infantry → Use Snipers
- Enemy has lots of Snipers → Use Riot Police (Cavalry)
- Enemy has lots of Cavalry → Use Guards (Infantry)
20. Time Your Attacks for Offline Targets
Attack when your target is likely asleep or at work. Check their timezone from their alliance info.
21. Use Shield Items Strategically
Save shields for when you can't defend (sleeping, busy). Don't waste shields during active play — your troops can defend.
22. Rally With Your Alliance
Solo attacks are risky. Organize rallies with 3-5 alliance members to overwhelm targets. Coordinated attacks minimize your losses.
23. Don't Overextend in PvP
If you lose 70% of your army in one attack, you're out of commission for days. Retreat early rather than fighting losing battles.
24. Assign Your Best Defender as Garrison Lead
Keep your strongest defensive prisoner in your base as garrison commander. They provide passive defense bonuses even when you're offline.
25. Check Kill Reports
After every battle, review the kill report. It tells you what worked, what didn't, and helps you adjust strategy for next time.
26. Use Terrain to Your Advantage
On the world map, troops moving through certain terrains move slower. Funnel enemies through unfavorable terrain during chases.
27. Keep a Defense Army at Home
Even when attacking, leave 20-30% of your troops at home for defense. An empty base is an easy target.
28. Upgrade Your Walls in Batches
Don't upgrade walls one level at a time. Save resources and upgrade 3-5 levels at once to minimize the window of vulnerability.
29. Practice "Bubble Hopping"
When your shield is about to expire, activate a new shield before the old one ends. This prevents a gap where you're vulnerable.
30. Join Every Alliance War
Even if you're weak, participation in alliance wars gives rewards. Send a token force if you can't contribute meaningfully.
Hero/Prisoner Tips
31. Focus on 3-5 Core Prisoners
Resources are limited. It's better to have 3 maxed prisoners than 10 half-built ones. Pick your core team and commit.
32. Read Skill Descriptions Carefully
Some skills only work in PvP, others only in PvE. Don't waste materials upgrading a PvP-only skill if you primarily play PvE.
33. Level Up Ultimates First
Ultimate skills have the biggest impact. Max them before investing in secondary skills.
34. Don't Ignore Economy Prisoners
Combat prisoners are exciting, but economy prisoners pay for everything. Mr. Ledger's +25% production bonus is worth more than any single DPS hero.
35. Save Shards for Star-Up Events
Many events give bonus rewards for starring up prisoners. Save your shards for these events to double-dip on rewards.
36. Use Prisoner Synergies
Some prisoners have synergy bonuses when deployed together. Check team composition guides for powerful combos.
37. Equip Your Main DPS First
When distributing equipment, fully gear your primary damage dealer before touching others. Concentrated power > distributed mediocrity.
38. Don't Summon on Standard Banner
Save your gems for rate-up banners (featuring specific S-tier prisoners). Standard banners are a trap for free-to-play players.
39. Watch for Free Summon Events
The game regularly offers free summon events. Always use all free summons, even if you don't want the featured prisoner — duplicates give shards.
Alliance & Social Tips
40. Communicate in Your Alliance Chat
Silent alliances die. Share scout reports, coordinate attacks, and ask for help with upgrades.
41. Donate to Alliance Tech Daily
Alliance tech provides permanent bonuses to all members. Donate resources every day — it costs little but benefits everyone.
42. Attend Alliance Events
Show up to alliance wars, boss rallies, and group gatherings. Your participation earns respect and rewards.
43. Don't Alliance-Hop
Loyalty is rewarded. Staying in one alliance builds trust, earns you better positions, and accumulates long-term bonuses.
44. Find a Mentor
Most top alliances have experienced players willing to guide newcomers. Ask questions and learn from their experience.
45. Use Alliance Store Strategically
Don't buy random items. Save alliance points for high-value items like prisoner shards, speed-ups, and teleport items.
Advanced/Hidden Mechanics
46. March Timing Manipulation
Two marches arriving 5 seconds apart won't be detected as separate attacks. Time marches to arrive simultaneously from different directions for maximum impact.
47. Fake Rallies
Set up a rally targeting a far-away enemy but cancel it at the last second. This ties up their defenders while your real attack hits elsewhere.
48. Resource Tile Blocking
Occupy resource tiles near enemy bases to deny them resources. You don't need to gather — just occupying the tile denies it to them.
49. Trap Base Strategy
Intentionally keep your base looking weak to bait attacks. When they attack, your hidden garrison and traps destroy them. Great for farming kill counts.
50. Queue Troops Before Sleeping
Start the longest possible troop training queue before logging off. Your barracks will be producing while you sleep.
51. Use the Free Speed-Up Window
Most buildings have a "free instant complete" window for upgrades under a certain time (usually 1-5 minutes). Always use this — never speed up a 3-minute upgrade with gems.
52. Check the Shop for Free Daily Items
The in-game shop often has free daily items. Always check and claim them, even if you don't buy anything.
53. Read Patch Notes
Game updates can change the meta dramatically. Reading patch notes keeps you ahead of players who don't.
54. Join the Discord Community
The official Discord is where you'll find strategy discussions, datamines, and early warnings about meta changes.
Spending & F2P Tips
55. Never Convert Gems to Resources
It's the worst value in the game. Gems should only be spent on summons and occasionally on extra builder slots.
56. The Monthly Pass Is the Best Value
If you're going to spend any money, the monthly pass offers the best gems-per-dollar ratio by far.
57. Don't Buy Individual Resources
Resource packs are overpriced. You can get the same amount through gathering and production in a few hours.
58. Save Big Purchases for Special Events
Many spending events give bonus rewards for purchasing during the event window. Never buy at full price when a bonus event is coming.
59. Prioritize Permanent Upgrades Over Consumables
Permanent upgrades (extra builder, VIP level) provide ongoing value. Consumables (speed-ups, resources) are one-time uses.
60. FTP Players Can Compete
With smart resource management and active alliance participation, F2P players can reach top 100 on their server. It requires more time but zero money.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the single most important tip for new players?
Join an active alliance immediately. Everything else flows from there — economy, defense, events, and knowledge.
How do I stop getting raided?
Upgrade your Warehouse, spend resources before logging off, assign a defensive prisoner as garrison lead, and use shields when you can't play.
What's the best use of gems?
Rate-up prisoner summons during special events. Save at least 10,000 gems before spending on summons.
How do I catch up to higher-level players?
Focus on your economy first. A player with a strong economy will naturally catch up militarily because they can afford more troops and upgrades.
Is it worth playing without spending money?
Absolutely. The F2P experience is rewarding, and many top players are F2P. You just need patience and smart resource management.
How long does it take to be competitive?
With active play (2-3 hours/day), you can be competitive in your server within 4-6 weeks. Top-tier competitiveness takes 3-6 months.
What should I do when I'm stuck and can't progress?
- Check if you're neglecting research
- Verify your resource production is balanced
- Ask your alliance for resource help
- Focus on economy upgrades for a few days
- Gather from world map tiles aggressively
Last Updated: July 2026 | Tips are based on SLG game mechanics and will be refined with game-specific data.
See Also: Beginner's Guide | Tier List | Building Guide