August 3, 2015
With the addition of Gems, Heroes and purchasable equipment, we are starting to see hits that are extremely stronger than we can defend. Some of the problems with these attacks are:
1. Lack of notice. It's very difficult to send support with 6-minute warnings.
2. Gems added to increase courtyard strength. 4 Gems, placed together on given Commander, may total as high as 60% added courtyard strength.
3. Gems increasing the number of troops on the flanks. This will make it harder to hold one flank at 100-0-0.
4. For level 70s, a bonus of a 5th and 6th wave is available with Legendary points.
With these new additions to the game we have to look at tweaks to improve our defense of these attacks and lessen casualties.
Default set up for levels 50+.
We stand by our 100-0-0 default wall set-up for when you are off-line, however, suggested for less- than-honorable glory attacks, reset to 98-1-1 to "waste" tools (of the incoming attacker).
What harm is a glory attack now and then? It's dishonorable when:
1. Purchasable equipment leaves you with less than 6 minutes of a warning and no alliance support can be given.
2. Players that are currently in a server war, you are neutral and to attack them back may enter your alliance into the server war. It's dishonorable to attack for glory when you know that the player cannot retaliate.
3. Purchasable Gems that, placed together on a single Commander, provide 60% strength in the courtyard.
If none of that is being done, there is no reason not to keep a 100-0-0 defense up. During certain events 30-70-0 or 50-0-50 may be good defenses (Blood Crows and Foreignors lack tools)
Let's imagine that you are still being attacked and it's a battle you cannot win. Your best bet is to Open Gates (rubies are required), "poor man's open gates" (can be devastating at legendary levels), or building a "Fire Reduction Castellan" (FRC). Before we talk about a what an FRC is (which may be something new to you), let's look at some tips before giving up the battle.
Understand what is coming at you. You should know how to read about a Commander.
A good Commander at this point has +90%/+90% Melee and Ranged. Nothing about that makes it a Super Commander.
This specific example has 16% combat strength in the courtyard, added by the Hero, and another 62% added by Gems, for a total of 78% increased strength in the courtyard. So after you pass the wall with your 100-0-0, those +90% bonus troops will now have 168% additional strength in the courtyard! Depending on the strength of your Castellan, you are going to need perhaps 3x as much support in the courtyard as what your attacker will bring to the courtyard to have a chance to win. And usually if they have this kind of Commander they also have the strongest troops. If you don't have adequate tools you may lose the flank and then be in an additional -30% situation going into the courtyard.
This specific example has 16% combat strength in the courtyard, added by the Hero, and another 62% added by Gems, for a total of 78% increased strength in the courtyard. So after you pass the wall with your 100-0-0, those +90% bonus troops will now have 168% additional strength in the courtyard! Depending on the strength of your Castellan, you are going to need perhaps 3x as much support in the courtyard as what your attacker will bring to the courtyard to have a chance to win. And usually if they have this kind of Commander they also have the strongest troops. If you don't have adequate tools you may lose the flank and then be in an additional -30% situation going into the courtyard.
If you are going to entertain the idea that you will defend against this attack, you need to consider going 50-0-50. In order to do this you MUST have a +90% Melee Castellan to have a chance at the wall. As you know, the attack will be coming with full mantlets or shield walls to zero out your ranged defenders. And THIS attacker is also going to reduce your wall strength by a whopping 120%! You must use armored tools and you must have the right Hero/Gems combination to increase your troop numbers on the flank by at least 20%.
Without the right Hero and Gems it is very hard to have both the increased troops on the flank and increased strength in the courtyard. You need to notice what works best with what your Castellan has. You can attempt to go 50-0-50 to offset the courtyard bonus by giving yourself an additional 30%, cutting theirs down from 78 to 48 and having 2x as much support. Or you need to directly counter the 78% in the courtyard with your own Hero and Gems.
Without the right Hero and Gems it is very hard to have both the increased troops on the flank and increased strength in the courtyard. You need to notice what works best with what your Castellan has. You can attempt to go 50-0-50 to offset the courtyard bonus by giving yourself an additional 30%, cutting theirs down from 78 to 48 and having 2x as much support. Or you need to directly counter the 78% in the courtyard with your own Hero and Gems.
Understand that a level 70 can send 320 troops per wave. And if your attack has more than 1280 troops (4 Waves x 320), then you need to notice that they have added troops to their attacks via Gems/Heroes or equipment. And if you have added troops on the flank, do not try to go 50-0-50. If you see an attack coming with 1600+ troops, then know that this player may have a 5th wave.
Continue to look at the makeup of the Super Commander, shown above. There is 80% increase in travel speed, and 70% delay in when you can find out what is coming in that attack. This hurts the alliance's ability to send support to you and at least win a bloody battle.
These are some of the reasons why we just cannot defend against these attacks. Sometimes there is no shame in opening gates or running from the battle. The idea is not to have them come back again. If you stay and fight and they lose 300 troops and you have lost 2k they will be back because it is an easy Glory stop. They will be back and back and back again.
So, first, you can "waste" their tools. Make sure they know that they will not be returning with their tools from an easy win as you have set to 98-1-1.
Second thing is if you Open Gates, donate/give away all your resources. Move the kingdom ones to different castles, with the last big dump going to the Alliance Fund. Move out your food. Send some for yourself to call back after the attack lands - to a far-away castle. Then have a feast to get rid of the majority left of it. You WILL need food supplies sent (after the feast or giving away all your food) but they (the attacker) have wasted their time coming at you.
Now you may be getting tired of opening gates and using the rubies to do so. Or maybe you don't have the rubies.
What you need to do is build a FIRE REDUCTION CASTELLAN (FRC)
A Fire (Reduction) Castellan is built with all that equipment you thought was junk or that you smithy together that reduces the fires to your castle. You build and smithy as much as you can on your equipment. I believe the max you can have is 50%. Then you research it to the max which gives you 15% more. Then you work on your Gems to get as close to 35% as you can. Many level 4 Gems give you 4% each so, for 4 pieces of equipment, placed on a given Castellan, you could have 16% there to build on. Then perhaps you can get a Hero to add more and if you have a Fire Station in your castle, you can be at 100% Fire Reduction.
So when that Super Commander comes your way, you can open up to 33-33-33, have your militia waste their tools and then, after they land (move out your troops and tools) no fires. This will discourage their attack, and any future attacks. Even if you don't have 100% with the 10 minutes free, you can put out fires in about 5 minutes.
Please ask questions you may have in game.
Lesson focused on 3 topics
1. Default Settings: 50-0-50, 100-0-0, Veteran Swordsman, Fire Castellan
2. Online defending
3. Supporting someone that is getting attacked.
Q. Many 40s and 50s having trouble defending during the FEC with 50-0-50.
A. This is the toughest level period to defend. In transition. Need stronger Castellans and tools. Early 50s you are in the hot seat because the 10 levels below limit is off for many alliances. You can hold more on the wall, and although you may not be set up for that due to towers being built, attackers can still send more troops to you as if you could. Play it safe and go 100-0-0 in the mid to late 40s if you have weak tools and weak Castellan.
A transcript of this lesson is in google docs, the link is on our alliance notice board in game.
Mini Lesson #3 Prioritizing Events
