Field manual / 02
PvE and PvP combat guide
Good commanders choose the fight before they choose the army. Scout, compare formations, leave a garrison and account for the return journey.
Updated 5 September 2026 · Free browser strategy game · No download
Tactical training
Learn the matchup before you march.
A free simulation using the game's combat rules. No real troops, rewards or resource costs. Research, officers and towers are set to zero.
45 Infantry · counters artillery
6 Artillery · counters armor
Infantry → artillery → armor → infantry. Counters help, but total power and defensive stats still matter.
Formation matters
Infantry counters artillery, artillery counters armor, and armor counters infantry. Scout cars and tanks form the armor group; Infantry and Rifle Squads form the infantry group. Army composition can raise or lower its troop power by up to 20%, weighted by the unit mix on both sides.
Power, bonuses and uncertainty
Combat uses attack power for the marching army and defense power for the garrison. Research and assigned officers add their relevant bonuses. Each side then receives a battle variation between −10% and +10%. The side with greater effective power wins; a tie is a successful defense.
A forecast is conditional
NPC forecasts use known defenders and your current bonuses. They are estimates from a scouting snapshot, not a guarantee that the target is unchanged on arrival. PvP has no displayed win percentage because a base power score does not reveal its full garrison, formation, fortifications or bonuses.
Casualties and loot
Both sides may lose troops. The winner usually suffers fewer losses; the loser can lose most of its force against a much stronger army. Surviving attackers carry loot, limited by their transport capacity and resource storage. Raids take a share of material resources; War Bonds are not raided.
Choose PvP deliberately
Both bases must have HQ level 3 or higher and be within 3 HQ levels of each other. Wait at least 30 minutes between raids on the same rival. Launching an offensive PvP march removes your own shield immediately. PvE attacks and scouting do not remove your own shield. A protected target cannot be attacked; a shield is checked again on arrival.
Defend while your army is away
Troops on a march do not defend your home base. Each Defense Tower level adds 50 base defense, even with no garrison. Train reserves, upgrade defense research and review incoming attack warnings. The slowest selected troop sets march speed, and at most three marches can be active together.
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