The Guides ◆ Kingshot ◆ Troops & Formations
Troops & Formations Guide
Your troop formation is the first thing that determines whether you win or lose a battle — before hero skills, before gear, before power comparisons.
The Three Troop Types
| Type | Role | Strengths | Weakness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infantry | Front line | High HP, absorbs incoming damage, protects Archers | Lowest damage output |
| Cavalry | Flanking / mobility | High mobility, burst damage on cavalry skills, disrupts enemy backline | Moderate HP, can be countered |
| Archers | Ranged DPS | Highest sustained damage, especially with Vivian's damage amp | Low HP, needs Infantry shield |
Your march capacity is split across all three types based on whatever ratio you set. Infantry acts as the buffer that lets your Archers stay alive long enough to do damage. This is why Infantry is never optional, regardless of what troop type your strongest hero leads.
The Four Core Formations
50 / 20 / 30 — The Standard (Infantry / Cavalry / Archers)
The most versatile setup in the game. Works against most rebel types, in PvP, and in general rally attacks. Infantry holds the line, Archers deal damage, Cavalry provides disruption. If you don't know what to run, run this.
60 / 40 / 0 — Defense Wall (Infantry / Cavalry)
Skips Archers entirely in favor of a high-durability army. Favored by high-level garrison defenders and players with strong Cavalry heroes. Loses some damage ceiling but gains significant staying power. Run this when you're defending your city and expect sustained waves of attacks.
50 / 0 / 50 — Cavalry Skip (Infantry / Archers)
Maximum damage output. Infantry tanks, Archers shred. Cavalry is dropped entirely. Works best when your Archer hero (especially Vivian with her 25% damage amp) is strong. High risk/high reward — your Infantry wall needs to hold long enough for Archers to win the fight.
80 / 0 / 20 — Bear Hunt Specialist (Infantry / Archers)
Optimized for the Bear Hunt event. Bears deal massive frontal damage, so you need far more Infantry than usual to absorb it. A small Archer contingent handles the DPS while Infantry eats the punishment. Don't use this formation in PvP — it's purpose-built for Bear Hunt specifically.
Formation by Battle Type
| Battle Type | Recommended Formation | Why |
|---|---|---|
| General PvP / Rally Attack | 50 / 20 / 30 | Versatile — handles unknown enemy compositions |
| Garrison Defense | 60 / 40 / 0 | Maximum staying power for repeated wave defense |
| Bear Hunt | 80 / 0 / 20 | Bears hit hard frontally — infantry buffer is critical |
| Alliance Championship | 50 / 20 / 30 | Standard balanced composition works across most targets |
| Swordland Showdown | 50 / 0 / 50 or 50 / 20 / 30 | High damage needed; cavalry skip if Archer hero is strong |
| Rebel / Wildlife Farming | 50 / 20 / 30 | Standard works fine; adjust to whichever type is weak to your strongest hero type |
Troop Tiers — T10 vs T11
Troop quality ("Tier" or "T") determines base stats. Higher-tier troops have more HP, attack, and defense per unit. T10 unlocks at Town Center 30, T11 requires the War Academy and significant research investment.
For most players in mid-game, T10 is the right goal. The resource and time cost to jump from T8/T9 to T10 is large but worth it — T10 vs T8 is not a close fight. T11 is an end-game investment that requires a very well-developed academy and is primarily relevant for players pushing alliance warfare seriously.
Training Tips
- Keep training queues running at all times — idle barracks are wasted progress
- Train the troop type that matches your strongest hero to maximize combat synergy
- Batch heal troops after events rather than healing piecemeal — saves significant speed-up items
- Don't train troops in the hours before a major event unless you intend to use them — newly trained troops don't contribute to event kill counts