Category:Combat

Combat Overview: Basics of Attacking

Please note: I did put some opinions of combat in here. Follow them or not is up to you.

When you look at a battle report you see two stages of combat: siege battle and main battle. There is more to it than that. As I see it, as an attacker, there are the following steps to each battle (as a defender, there will be less steps, but they still follow the same relative process). stage you need to decide where to place your city in relation to your target. You also need to decide how much time your troops need to get to their target and back.
 * 1) Planning - in this stage you need to find you target and assess the best method to attack.
 * 2) Movement - in this
 * 1) Assigning troops to attack – in this stage you need to decide which siege weapons and / or troops you are planning to send in your attack(s)
 * 2) Spies / scouting - unless you are ready to jump right into the attack, you need to determine your targets defenses. Sending a spy you can get sense of what troops you will need to defeat fortifications then the troops
 * 3) Siege Battle - this section is always first. You need to first get by the defender’s traps and then their fortifications before you can get at your target’s troops. Fail here and you go no further in your fight.
 * 4) Main Battle - this is where your troops and that of your target fight each other
 * 5) Plunder - assuming you win both battles, this stage determines how many resources you get to take home.
 * 6) Return movement - ideally your troops do come home, this again takes time.
 * 7) Recovery- this is where you heal and begin replacing lost troops

NOTE: if you need to attack your target multiple times, some these stages will repeat.

1. Planning Expanded:

When planning an attack there are many factors to consider. Most of these can be done during your initial target assessment.

Choosing a Target:

When selecting an active target, you should primarily compare two things: your level vs the target’s level and your point value compared to theirs. stamina to for the attacks you are planning? Other factors to consider when setting up for an attack Boosts
 * 1) Do you have the
 * 1) Are they allied or not. Is their alliance at war with yours?
 * 2) Any target 2 or more levels above should be discounted - they will likely have better troops and research.
 * 3) If their point value is 150+% that of yours, they should be discounted as they likely have a greater number of troops. This being said – if you know you have better quality troops (having troop researches and other modifiers in place) you may want to continue with your planning
 * 4) How close are your target’s friend’s and will they react?
 * 1) What improvement boosts will you use to aid in your attack(s)?
 * 2) How many attacks are you willing to commit to the battle? How many troops and of which kind? Remember certain troops have advances over others. Also remember that you nee to get by the traps and fortifications before you can get to the troops.
 * 3) Your city location vs target location: how close do you want your city to the target, the closer you are, the faster your troops will hit however are you ready for a counter attack?
 * 4) Are you coordinating with other players or hitting the target by yourself?

Boosts are modifiers that allow you to increase (or decrease in some cases) the game’s effects on your city and troops. Some affect resource production while others affect combat or mining. Take the time to review the boosts you have available and what affects they have.

When it comes to combat however ensure you have the boosts that you want in effect BEFORE you launch your attacks. During combat is not the time to be adding them.

2. Movement

Travel Time (tt) is the time it takes your troops to leave your city and arrive at their destination. In an attack, the longer the tt the more time the defender has to react to your attack.

Infiltration - Getting to Your Enemy

City placement: Depending on your play style or even the circumstances, positioning your city (teleporting) prior to an attack or even defense can have a dramatic affect on the battles outcome.

For example, if you are attacking another player, the closer you are to them the less reaction time they have. However, while attacking that player you may be also avoiding his/her nearby friend, so placing your city to allow for your reaction time may become a very pertinent factor. During wartime, the placement of your city in relation to mines or similar may also affect your chances of detection and being attacked.

I have attacked and been attacked by players that were across a continent or further. In these cases, you rely on speed ups to cut the travel time. If you can’t move your city or there are just too many enemies near your target, this may be a viable option.

Troop movement: Each different unit has its own speed and strength. If you are attacking someone and need speed, then you will want fast troops. If speed is not an issue, then select an appropriate mix of troops for the task at hand. Remember troops travel at the speed of the slowest unit.

NOTE: once you attack your shield will drop and stay down for as long as you have an attack going to another player.

3. Spies and scouts:

Prior to your main attack, you may consider sending a spy or scout to determine what resistance you are going to encounter.

Spies: this attack method is paid for in gold and, depending on your spying level, will provide you detailed information about your target. Your target’s watchtower may block how much information you may receive. Spies will take one march and move quickly.

Scouting: This involves an actual troop attack from 1 troop to a full march. Again, this attack will provide detailed information on your target,

Reminder: any attempt to spy or scout will alert your target to your intentions.

4.Assigning troops to attack

If you know in advance when defenses you are going to encounter, you need to select your siege weapons and troops accordingly.

For traps and fortifications, you need to select the appropriate siege weapons.

For troops, keep in mind the following:

Infantry Troops: Strong vs Cavalry, Weak vs Ranged

Cavalry Troops: Strong vs Ranged, Weak vs Infantry

Ranged Troops: Strong vs Infantry, Weak vs Cavalry

Keep in mind: the modifiers from war researches can drastically affect how effective your troops and siege weapons are. The same is also true for your target. For example, it may be tempting to attacking with your brand new tier 4 troops, however if you do not have them backed up with research… you may be in for an unwelcome surprise.

You also need to decide which, if any, Guardian you wish to use. Each Guardian has its particular modifiers: some are war based, others not so much. Be sure to review the section on Guardians for a review of each of the Guardians. Keep in mind that Guardians can be captured and potentially sacrificed on both sides, be prepared for that,

5. Siege Battle

Siege combat is the first phase of battle in all pvp combats. This phase is also broken into two components as well. First you will need to clear your target’s traps, then their fortifications. If you fall to clear these either of these two components, then your attack will stop during this phase of combat.

To fight in siege combat, you need to use the appropriate siege weapons to defeat your target’s traps and fortifications.

Each tier of war research has better siege weapons, traps and fortifications along with the appropriate researches for each. It is a judgement call on which to use when depending on your modifiers compared to the potential of your target’s.

6.  Main Battle

Upon completing Siege combat your troops enter the Main Battle. This is where troops fight troops. As an attacker, your choice of troops may decide the fate of your attack. As a defender, you defend with your city Guardian and all of the troops in your city. The quality and quantity of troops will affect the outcome on both sides.

7. Plunder

If the attack is successful, the surviving troops carry back plunder. Simply put, whatever resources that are not secured in hideouts are fair game for the attacker, with the only limit being the plunder capacity of the surviving troops that attacked.

8. Returning Movement

This is your surviving troops returning. Once all of your attacking troops have returned, you can put your shield up, if you did not capture a guardian.

All of your troops must return home before you can teleport away, if that is your intention.

9. Recovery

During this phase, you can begin to replace and heal troops. This is where it is critical to watch the number of casualties you have. If you exceed your hospital capacity, you will lose the excess number of troops as deaths instead of being wounded.

Note: there are Guardians that will help with this stage.

Planning your defense:

We have covered the basics from the eyes of an attacker, now let’s look at defense.

The are several layers of defense. Some are tangible (troop numbers), others are not, and only one will stop an attack on you.

First layer - Team politics. Some teams make agreements between each other which declares some level of cooperation between them. Usually this is in the form of NAP (non-aggression pacts) and alliances, where teams openly work with each other to achieve a common goal.

Second layer – personal reputation – some players develop a martial reputation. This means that other players will know the response if they attack that player… for better or worse.

Third layer – the ‘bubble’ or shield. This is the ultimate defense of your city; however, shields only last for a specific time and need players to maintain them. When your shield is active, no attacks or spies can be launched against your city and those that are launched will bounce off it if it becomes active while the spies / troops are approaching. This does NOT apply to tiles if they are being attacked.

Forth layer - movement. This simply involves the defender teleporting away from their location. To do this though, all troops must be home and the player must be active when the attack is launched or very shortly thereafter. The teleport must be a minimum of 50 km in distance.

Fifth layer – hiding. This is the last option and should only be used if you cannot maintain your shield and/or be on line. Simply put make yourself difficult to find and if you are found do not make it worth someone's time to teleport to you. The following are guidelines for using this layer: In the case of tile attacks, as a defender you have the option to recall your troops prior to the attacker’s troops landing. By doing this you will keep what you have mined and save your troops and guardians from the battle.
 * 1) Find a spot along the outer edge continents that is not in the corners or on the map edges.
 * 2) Where possible blend into the background. Hide behind guardians or resource tiles or use the terrain to your advantage. Remember though, guardians and resource tiles have a life span, be sure to check.
 * 3) Do not join other players when you do this. Grouping together makes you more obvious and a better target.
 * 4) Do not send out troops to find resources as this will alert others to your presence or worse, they will follow your troops home. The smaller a footprint you make, the less likely you will be found.
 * 5) If you are going to be away for an extended period, ensure your leadership knows that you will be away.

Normally if someone attacking your troops in this manner, they do so with overwhelming odds.

Supporting others:

Team mates may support other team mates with troops to aid in their defense, however, keep in mind the following: Battle Defense: Fight or Flight
 * 1) Once sent, neither the host nor the supporter may teleport.
 * 2) The host’s defenses fail, the supporter’s troops may be injured or killed.
 * 3) Both the host and the supporter may send the troops home.

There will be times when you are playing, and suddenly your screen starts flashing and there is an attack inbound.

The first thing to likely happen... panic mode sets in.

Try to remain calm... take a breathe.

Remember the Stages of Combat - they need to get by your shield, traps, fortifications and finally your troops.

If you decide to go defensive:

Option 1. Get your shield up. This is your primary line of defense. HOWEVER to do this:

a) you will need to recall any troops you have attacking other players

b) you will need to release any guardians you have in your cage.

Option 2. Port away, you can pick a spot or use the random function, but you need to move at least 50 km from where you presently are for this to work

a. You cannot port with troops outside of your city.

Option 3 - counter attack. This should only be done if you are experienced in warfare.

If your is shield up and the attacker challenges you, remember your challenger is ready for a fight, you may not be. Make a combat assessment, but only drop your shield if you are ready to accept what happens afterwards. Fight on your terms not theirs.