The game gives you three factions and expects you to build all of them. The combat reports tell a different story. Your troops are the base that everything else multiplies — and concentration makes that base hit harder. Here's the case for single-faction investment, backed by real battle data from S497.
Three layers. They multiply each other. Most players start at Layer 3. The biggest gains live in Layers 1 and 2.
Troop Concentration — Fill every march with one faction. Every research bonus and hero passive → stacks on the same base. Mixed troops split the bonuses. Free. Instant.
Research Investment — Pour speed-ups into your faction's ATK → DMG → DEF → HP. Buffs every troop in every march. Compounds for months.
Hero Multipliers — Star-up faction heroes, level passives, equip them. Heroes multiply Layers 1 and 2. Great heroes on a thin base still produce thin results.
Heroes without a deep base is a sports car with no engine block. Build the base first. Multipliers come later.
Power scaling is multiplicative: Troops × Research × Hero Passives × Equipment × Faction Bonus. Concentrate in one faction and every layer compounds. Split across three and each sits at one-third depth — you don't get one-third power, you get dramatically less, because multipliers compound.
CK proved this in S497: 8,726 T9 Fighters at 71.2% faction bonus beat 7,164 T10 at 20.3% faction bonus. Concentration > tier. See the full breakdown →
The principle works for Fighters, Riders, or Shooters. Each has accessible S-tier heroes. CK chose Fighters via Guy at the $1 entry.
Why concentration wins, four ways:
Post-WT30, expand slowly — diversify troops and research only, never hero spending. A deep primary + shallow secondary beats two medium factions every time.
Heroes are the most visible layer. They have art. Stars. Skill cards. So they get the spend. But research compounds for months and troops are the multiplier base. Camp and research first. Heroes when the foundation can carry them.
If you've unlocked faction-wide DEF and HP passives (like Tristan +31% DEF, Francis +18% HP), heroes are already paying the survivability rent. Shift research to offence: ATK → DMG → DEF → HP. Two offensive multipliers beat one — they multiply each other, not add.
Principle: don't duplicate what heroes already provide. Let heroes handle defence; use research to fill the gap.
| Troop | Power | Heroes | Troops |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | 50.65M | Francis, Tristan, Guy, C&R, Farhad | 100% Fighter |
| T2 | 16.64M | Andre, Natasha, Megan, Evans, Kylie | 100% Fighter |
| T3 | 13.85M | Victor, Quinn, Scarlett, Corleone, Eddie | 100% Fighter |
| T4 | 5.95M | Bob, Barnett, Musashimaru, Liz, Joe | Mixed |
The Rider passives don't fire — Fighter troops won't read them. But the heroes' CP, equipment, and skill damage all enter the pooled base. Off-faction heroes still pay rent. Don't sacrifice CP depth for faction purity.
CP = Combat Power = hero stats + equipment. Higher CP = stronger pooled-base contribution. Highest-CP heroes go to Formation 1, descending across all four. The only thing "lost" by running off-faction heroes is the faction-specific passive — and at most stages, raw CP outweighs faction synergy.
(See heroes → for the pooled-base mechanics.)
HP growth flattens early then accelerates at T8. Two tiers (T8→T10) deliver as much CP as the previous six combined.
CP per unit, total. Steady linear gain. Roughly 150 CP per tier.
CP per unit, total. Almost the same gain. One-third the tier count. The compound starts here.
| Tier | ATK | DEF | HP | CP/unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T5 | 22 | 22 | 77 | 660 |
| T6 | 27 | 27 | 86 | 850 |
| T7 | 32 | 32 | 96 | 1,070 |
| T8 | 37 | 37 | 111 | 1,380 |
| T9 | 44 | 44 | 132 | 1,780 |
| T10 | 51 | 51 | 153 | 2,190 |
All three factions share identical base stats. These numbers are your multiplier targets. Higher tier = higher base = bigger buff output. A T9 at 800% buffs hits harder than a T6 at 800% buffs. The base is what compounds.
| Tier | ATK | DEF | HP | Load | CP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | 7 | 7 | 49 | 600 | 150 |
| T2 | 9 | 9 | 54 | 800 | 220 |
| T3 | 12 | 12 | 60 | 1,000 | 310 |
| T4 | 17 | 17 | 68 | 1,200 | 450 |
| T5 | 22 | 22 | 77 | 1,400 | 660 |
| T6 | 27 | 27 | 86 | 1,600 | 850 |
| T7 | 32 | 32 | 96 | 1,800 | 1,070 |
| T8 | 37 | 37 | 111 | 2,000 | 1,380 |
| T9 | 44 | 44 | 132 | 2,200 | 1,780 |
| T10 | 51 | 51 | 153 | 2,400 | 2,190 |
Three Watchtower levels per tier. Max your Camp at each WT — it's the gatekeeper.
| WT | Camp Level | Unlocks Tier |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | Lv 1–3 | T1 |
| 4–6 | Lv 4–6 | T2 |
| 7–9 | Lv 7–9 | T3 |
| 10–12 | Lv 10–12 | T4 |
| 13–15 | Lv 13–15 | T5 |
| 16–18 | Lv 16–18 | T6 |
| 19–21 | Lv 19–21 | T7 |
| 22–24 | Lv 22–24 | T8 |
| 25–27 | Lv 25–27 | T9 |
| 28–30 | Lv 28–30 | T10 |
Train T1 early to build the army. Promote when T8 unlocks. No cost penalty. Less idle time. The lower-tier work isn't wasted — it's deferred deployment.
Pre-WT30, every resource scattered across factions is a resource that didn't compound. Stay narrow.
Don't research second factions. Every tech point in Shooter/Rider research pulls resources from your primary's depth. Wait until post-WT30.
Don't spend on second-faction heroes. Fragment resources compound deepest when focused. Even post-30, fragments still go to your primary.
Build Shooter/Rider camps only for WT prereqs. Minimum viable build. Then stop.
Use T1 filler troops for gathering. Cheap to train, no research needed. Free your primary troops for combat.
Every doctrine costs something. Know the bill before you sign.
Formation 2 is thin. Without deep research and second-tier heroes, it folds fast to coordinated attacks. Accept losses here.
Healing costs spiral. Single-faction means treating troops as expendable. Budget for frequent rebuilds.
WT forces diversification anyway. By WT30 you'll need Shooters and Riders built. This delays — it doesn't avoid.
It's tedious. One faction for 6+ months is monotonous. Some players burn out before WT30.
Whales ($50+/day) should build wide — infinite resources nullify scarcity. Alliance leaders need depth across all three factions for tactical flex. Burnout-prone players should hybrid (primary + secondary hobby faction). Pick the strategy that keeps you playing. A slow-burning player beats a burned-out one.