The game is pitched as "Risk Meets Civilization", since it has elements of both these games (though it more like Risk than Civ).
Note: I wrote this guide when the game was first released to Beta and it was still called Conquer Forces. The strategies have changed quite a bit recently (I don't even use this strategy anymore). However, it's still a good basic/starting strategy that will get you into the game.
- show: Get into the Game
- First you need to go to the Other Games on the left Game Menu. Once there, you will notice join game works very different from Conquer Club.
You will see Conquer World as the first game on the top slider in the lobby.
You enter a realm. Each realm has several ongoing games (you can see them by exploring the realm) and you are randomly added to an ongoing game or a new game. At the start you can only go to one realm. In theory there are other realms, but I don't know if anyone has ever made it to them or if that is a feature still in development.
- show: Initial Setup
- Once the game starts, you will see a blank map - nobody gets to see the map until after they have chosen their starting force. You have a choice of 3 leaders and all the others are locked (you unlock them by winning games). For your first few games, pick the Ensign. He gives +1 range to the army he is on, plus all adjacent armies. There has been added a reputation cost to ensigns. I don't know what this means exactly.
There are also 3 types of units to select from. Make sure you have at least one of each, although the exact mixture doesn't matter too much. Usually I max out the Pikeman and take the fewest Longbowman. That's because every time you attack with the Longbowman(archer), you can create another stack of them, and they are the main attackers, so it is really easy to get as many stacks as you need (which isn't many). It is good to keep a spare stack in the back in case your main army gets wiped out, then you can at least grow a new one.
Finally, you select a card. For your first game, pick a Leader Port. It's a really helpful card because if your leader dies, Leader Port is a free resurrection. No longer get free leader ports.
How to set up your units:
First, look at the terrain. You want to pick a main archer who will be your main attacker. Put him on any hex with a vision bonus (mountain or hill if possible) as close to the front as possible. Then you want a Pikeman right beside him (this will be your leader, who gives another +1 vision to the archer). The rest of the units can go anywhere.
Units
Musketeer - this is your basic RISK unit. It can attack with a max of 3 dice, and defend with a max of 2 dice. Each one costs 40
Longbowman - these are the attackers. They attack with a max of 4 dice, but only defend with 1 die! In addition, they have a range of 2 spaces which increases to 3 spaces when adjacent to the ensign. They also cost 40. The attack works normal when adjacent, but when long distance it becomes a bombard. Note: bombard doesn't give a card in Conquer Forces. It also destroys the contents of loot boxes.
Pikeman - these are the best defenders, which is why you want your leader on a Pikeman (because losing a leader is terrible). They have a max 2 attack dice and 3 defense dice. They also cost 40 and can reinforce each other (when they are behind each other).
- show: The First Few Turns
- The first player to go can only deploy. All other players go through all the phases.
- Diplomacy is first, and is kind of advanced, so I won't be covering it here at all.
- Play Cards. Don't play your Leader Port, save it for when you need it. Don't ever trade it for cash (all cards give the option of trading for cash). These instructions don't really apply since you don't get a free leader port anymore.
- Now you get to Deploy your units. You will notice that all your stacks start at 1 instead of 3. To even get a stack of 3, you will need to deploy.
- Before you start deploying away, you need to understand money, which is the most important concept in the game.
Money
Note: these values may have changed in the months since I wrote the guide as balance has been tweaked quite a bit.
Things that Give Money- Your leader gives you 40 per turn. If you lose him, you lose your biggest single source of income, which is why we keep the Leader Port back.
- Each claimed hex gives you 10 per turn, these are the hexes that have your color outline.
- Each occupied hex also gives you 10 per turn, these are hexes that have units. If a hex is both occupied AND claimed, it gives 20 per turn. As in CC, expanding is good... you can also spread your forces too thin and they become easy prey.
- A market (structure) can give 40 per turn, but they are very expensive, so it is not wise to plan your moneymaking strategy around markets.
- Some cards give money
Things that cost money (most things!)- Deploying troops (all 3 basic units cost 40 per troop).
- Upkeep (all troops on the board cost 3 per turn)
- Claiming costs 50 per territory!
- Moving costs 5 per unit (a stack of 3 costs 15), but can also be modified by terrain
- attacking costs 4 per unit (only 3 for the Pikeman) also modified by terrain
So, that's the basics. When you deploy, don't go crazy. Just because you can add 3 troops per turn doesn't mean you should. It's easy to run yourself out of money this way. Only add 1 troop to your leader and keep everyone else at 1, or add a few troops as you need them. Make sure you leave yourself enough money after buying troops to do any attacking, moving or claiming that you plan for that turn.
After Deploy, the phases are attack, then move. Unfortunately you can't move, then attack, though you do get to optionally advance after a successful adjacent attack.
For the first few turns, you want to scout out the best terrain (mountains), look for chests (which can have traps) and claim territory like crazy. You want to increase your income every turn. If that means leaving the chest until later, that's fine. You might think that occupying is better than claiming since it only costs 40 to get a unit. However, it also costs 3 per turn, so you end up with only +7 per turn. There is probably a balance between occupying, claiming and both that needs to be found.
- show: Advanced Play
- The game play can get quite advanced. Here are some things that YOU CAN IGNORE initially until you get the hang of the basics first:
- Battle Mods - there are many things that can affect how a battle between 2 units plays out. The pop up display tries to summarize them, but the main factors are the basic dice roll stats of the units and the terrain they are on.
- Unit Parameters - there are quite a few parameters that vary, especially with the non-standard units. For example movement, attack costs, explosivity, shields, etc.
- Diplomacy - treaties, alliances and bounties with other players
- Espionage - building a spy network that gives you intel and potentially allows you to control your opponents forces
- Structures - buildings that give you advantages
- Tech - A new concept that allows you to pursue a research tree allowing further advantages
- Meta-game - throughout the game, and especially by winning, you can score "Spoils". These are meta-items (like units, cards an leader contracts) that you will then be allowed to take into future games.
- show: A few Other Notes
- Be careful with moving your troops accidentally. The biggest complaint in the game right now is that people move their stacks onto other stacks (which combines the stacks but into the target unit). Doing so can quickly ruin your plans.
- The main rule about moving is that any territory that is moved to, can no longer be moved from.
- Because you can attack and advance, a group of archers who has already bombarded a whole area can clear a large portion of space very quickly.
- Remember this game can be wacky and that's the way we like it. If the entire game fails on you because someone played Global Mass Transform... just roll with it and better luck next time.
- Explore the help manual as you need it, and take a look at the different tabs.
- Bombarding doesn't give a card and it doesn't open treasure chests.
- Remember to triple up the pikeman on your leader as soon as you get even the slightest inclination that the enemy is near.
- Explosivity can be offensive (like catapult or ballista) or defensive (also catapult). For offense, it means that on a successful attack, there is a chance to damage adjacent units. This makes Ballista very dangerous because it can damage itself while attacking. Defensive Explosivity means that when the unit is killed there is a chance that it explodes, killing adjacent units (including your own!)
- As you unlock new units, pay attention to the dice screens. Not all the units roll between 1 and 6.
- Don't be afraid to experiment. This strategy might not be that great, so it's up to you to find new ones.
- You can win Conquer Credits from Loot Boxes or through winning.
- show
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