How to save for manor upgrades and kennel 10?

[Futon]

Can someone explain to me how a free player should go about saving up for manor 3 and above, and higher beast kennels? What's the secret? I've got a full high priest army and i've begun dropping my alliance count but that doesn't seem to matter. What's the trick?

Also i'm level 114.

[The_Red]

luck.....

get the bosses for the end maps down to one hit... time it with your manors coming due. Getting
the L3 manors isnt really that hard. Getting the 1MM saved up is another deal...

[Euchred]

Sitting at level 103 with max high priests and I've only been successfully attacked once in the last 2 months

[Futon]

Sitting at level 103 with max high priests and I've only been successfully attacked once in the last 2 months

How many allies do you have? I don't get attacked unless I have over the 330k limit which is the point. I don't play constantly so i'm not sure how to protect my funds while i'm saving up for the higher cost upgrades.

[albeezy]

I have been over vault non-stop for over a month now and I never get attacked and last time I did I won. I have 28k defense and 29k+ attack at level 44. I am currently upgrading my lender to level 5 (already have one at level 5) and two level 2 manors. Probably not much help to you as you are at level 100 according to your sig, but for anyone under level 100 I would suggest camping and building defense until you no longer lose fights when over vault.

I sat with 1.7 million through the entire last boss event and never got attacked. Used that cash to take both manors to level 2. Now im sitting on 800k saving up to take manors to level 3.

[Futon]

I have been over vault non-stop for over a month now and I never get attacked and last time I did I won. I have 28k defense and 29k+ attack at level 44. I am currently upgrading my lender to level 5 (already have one at level 5) and two level 2 manors. Probably not much help to you as you are at level 100 according to your sig, but for anyone under level 100 I would suggest camping and building defense until you no longer lose fights when over vault.

I sat with 1.7 million through the entire last boss event and never got attacked. Used that cash to take both manors to level 2. Now im sitting on 800k saving up to take manors to level 3.

That's because you're a camper, i'm not. I'm level 114, should of put that in my first post.

[Euchred]

How many allies do you have? I don't get attacked unless I have over the 330k limit which is the point. I don't play constantly so i'm not sure how to protect my funds while i'm saving up for the higher cost upgrades.

Max allies, I did my BD 10 run and recently put my apothecaries to level 8. I'm usually over vault unless I just did a big upgrade.

[Euchred]

That's because you're a camper, i'm not. I'm level 114, should of put that in my first post.

Ya that's a bit of a game changer I think that's the secondary shark pool level 108 to level 120. The only way to go is max allies and get as much defence as you can.

[The_Red]

I have been over vault non-stop for over a month now and I never get attacked and last time I did I won. I have 28k defense and 29k+ attack at level 44. I am currently upgrading my lender to level 5 (already have one at level 5) and two level 2 manors. Probably not much help to you as you are at level 100 according to your sig, but for anyone under level 100 I would suggest camping and building defense until you no longer lose fights when over vault.

I sat with 1.7 million through the entire last boss event and never got attacked. Used that cash to take both manors to level 2. Now im sitting on 800k saving up to take manors to level 3.

This isnt even close to the same scenario - L44 camping != L110+ non-camping.

If you had 1.7mm >L100 - I can assure you that you would be cleaned out quickly by the
gem army... its a completely different game for non-campers.

[MaverickMunkey]

This isnt even close to the same scenario - L44 camping != L110+ non-camping.

If you had 1.7mm >L100 - I can assure you that you would be cleaned out quickly by the
gem army... its a completely different game for non-campers.

I can confirm what The_Red is saying. Am at level 111 and the gem players are brutal - I have followed the advice by Bron and constantly refreshed my attack list to find all the major players in order to send them invites but even then some will just look you up afterwards and attack! I am saving up for my BD10 and am expecting it to be a very long, hard and frustrating!!!

[The_Red]

very long, hard

yes - long and hard.

[Willis III]

yes - long and hard.

I see what you did there...

[Dr. Dengus]

This isnt even close to the same scenario - L44 camping != L110+ non-camping.

If you had 1.7mm >L100 - I can assure you that you would be cleaned out quickly by the
gem army... its a completely different game for non-campers.

Exactly, don't think albeezy realized how deep into whale territory the OP was. But we learned our lesson from MW, no need to rush into the shark pool.

[MaverickMunkey]

Exactly, don't think albeezy realized how deep into whale territory the OP was. But we learned our lesson from MW, no need to rush into the shark pool.

But it is fun trying to outswim the buggers though!

[Dr. Dengus]

But it is fun trying to outswim the buggers though!

Haha, just don't end up on Shark Week telling your near-death-experience with a Great White! I agree though, camping isn't the most exciting strategy.

[MaverickMunkey]

Haha, just don't end up on Shark Week telling your near-death-experience with a Great White! I agree though, camping isn't the most exciting strategy.

At least it will only be a 'near-death'!!! Camping has never been my style - even when I say that i'm not going to level up I can't help it! I get bored too easily!!

[Tiki]

How many allies do you have? I don't get attacked unless I have over the 330k limit which is the point. I don't play constantly so i'm not sure how to protect my funds while i'm saving up for the higher cost upgrades.

Oops, was it me? Very sorry if it was 😘. If you have a good economy, time your big paying building, hit the maps, and do some raiding - and a prayer might help.

[whiterider]

And what is so exiting to rush with low income and weak army ahead?

I am upgrading lvl 4 manor at the moment and I am planning to get my lenders to lvl 7 before I lvl up from 49th to the 50th lvl

I am nearly 10k iph and I get 100k more gold per day from rivals. Better to camp, build and slowly upgrade everything because there is no turning back and you can easily waste all your efforts.

The only annoying thing is that only a few ppl are good targets at my lvl and a real source of money. Rest is a crap

[Winstrol]

You need at least 150k def to stay safe , but as I can see you have only 45k....

[albeezy]

You guys are funny. Apparently you missed this statement in my earlier post.


Probably not much help to you as you are at level 100 according to your sig, but for anyone under level 100 I would suggest camping and building defense until you no longer lose fights when over vault.

[Jhoemel]

I have been over vault non-stop for over a month now and I never get attacked and last time I did I won. I have 28k defense and 29k+ attack at level 44. I am currently upgrading my lender to level 5 (already have one at level 5) and two level 2 manors. Probably not much help to you as you are at level 100 according to your sig, but for anyone under level 100 I would suggest camping and building defense until you no longer lose fights when over vault.

I sat with 1.7 million through the entire last boss event and never got attacked. Used that cash to take both manors to level 2. Now im sitting on 800k saving up to take manors to level 3.

Ahahaha, i was tempted when i see that man but i trashed the idea coz you would have trashed me if i attack you and lose :p

[albeezy]

Ahahaha, i was tempted when i see that man but i trashed the idea coz you would have trashed me if i attack you and lose :p
Thanks Jhoemel! It is greatly appreciated! Is your attack over 28k now?

[albeezy]

Thanks Jhoemel! It is greatly appreciated! Is your attack over 28k now?
Nope just checked your base. Plus I have 60 defense skill points! Did you change your ingame name?

[Njwmrb]

I'm lvl 105, don't have a full army of high priests, and am constantly over my vault limit and don't get attacked. Not sure why so many others have so much trouble with this

[Euchred]

I'm lvl 105, don't have a full army of high priests, and am constantly over my vault limit and don't get attacked. Not sure why so many others have so much trouble with this

It's cause it's a lot like camping I'm at 103 and its the same story for me, there's just not a lot of active big fish in that level range.

[albeezy]

I'm lvl 105, don't have a full army of high priests, and am constantly over my vault limit and don't get attacked. Not sure why so many others have so much trouble with this


It's cause it's a lot like camping I'm at 103 and its the same story for me, there's just not a lot of active big fish in that level range.

There you go FUTON! Level up to 103, lay that futon back and recline for a while buying a full army of high priests! Then you are set! LOL High level camping! Love it

[The_Red]

It's cause it's a lot like camping I'm at 103 and its the same story for me, there's just not a lot of active big fish in that level range.

most of the high level GEM players cant see down that deep either.

[echus14]

Easy solution is the one GREE has always offered ... now, if you would kindly key in your credit card number here ... :D

But on a more serious note:
I assume you have Lumber Mill Lvl 10, full vault limit and both Manors up to Lvl 2 (since you're asking about Lvl 3). If so, then if you time the output of your Manors, you would only have an exposure of 240,000. If you throw in other 24/48 buildings which you can also co-ordinate the timings (like Lenders and Leatherworks), then that will further reduce your exposure. I would actually start off by upgrading every 24/48 hour building you have to the max you can go without major over-vault exposure (again by timing your Manor outputs). Manor Lvl 3 should be feasible with a little time and the upgrading of all those buildings will continue to benefit you in the future.

Getting BK10 is a different proposition altogether. As has been mentioned early on, saving that approx 1 million gold without being attacked is going to be challenging at your level.

[asdfg12345]

It's cause it's a lot like camping I'm at 103 and its the same story for me, there's just not a lot of active big fish in that level range.
You guys are lucky. I am 107 with max HP and I still get raided and attacked by people with similar stats every few days even when I have no gold lol

[Futon]

You need at least 150k def to stay safe , but as I can see you have only 45k....

That's because I was still being raided constantly at 400 allies so I dropped my ally count to 150 to see if that would help which it does not. I'm gonna have to get back to 500 allies and find a way to get my defense high... being a free player makes it rough. Def a pay to win game.

[SoccerStud]

Sitting at level 103 with max high priests and I've only been successfully attacked once in the last 2 months
And I was the that person who successfully attacked you ;)

[Euchred]

And I was the that person who successfully attacked you ;)

You better keep your head up I might have the stats to get our record to 1-1 in a couple months. You'll probably still be on my news feed or whatever it's called in this game :p

[Njwmrb]

That's because I was still being raided constantly at 400 allies so I dropped my ally count to 150 to see if that would help which it does not. I'm gonna have to get back to 500 allies and find a way to get my defense high... being a free player makes it rough. Def a pay to win game.

I'm a free player, also don't understand the strategy behind not getting full allies. I have 500 allies and can see players with allies in the mid 200's. And obviously their stats are nowhere near as high as mine, if i see one with unvaulted gold thats free money

[Dr. Dengus]

I'm a free player, also don't understand the strategy behind not getting full allies. I have 500 allies and can see players with allies in the mid 200's. And obviously their stats are nowhere near as high as mine, if i see one with unvaulted gold thats free money

I used to hover around 80 - 90 allies just because it was cheaper and easier to maintain an army with a high unit density. At the time, I also figured most of the heavy gem spenders weren't employing a low ally count strategy either, so in my mind it just felt safer. But that was at the lower levels and before boss events, have since gone full ally. For example though, at 80 allies around levels 50 - 60 I was never attacked by (nor saw on the rivals lit) anyone over 110 - 120+ allies.

[Illbore]

Wow, I am only 44 and still trying to understand this game a bit. After reading this thread it would seem i still have a lot to understand. I guess I will hold at this level or around it till I get some of my building levels up and get my armies up too. Thanks.

[GetItOn]

I think another strategy that is overlooked is to go completely in the opposite direction. Instead of worrying about Defense (you will never have enough to stop everyone) focus on Offense. The principle is simple. If you can beat the person back who attacks you, they will most likely avoid attacking you. Think of it as the Cold War era. The only way to defend against nukes was to have a nuke of yer own. Nobody wanted to get taken out by the other guy.

Not only will you have more raid opportunities but someone with high income buildings of their own or is planning to go overvault themselves will not be inclined to be on a newsfeed of someone who can hit them right back.

[The1nONLY]

Attack CTI every chance you see him for $198K. His got over 1 Billion gold unvaulted

[Cloud22]

Attack CTI every chance you see him for $198K. His got over 1 Billion gold unvaulted thanks for the heads up, what level is he?

[MaverickMunkey]

Attack CTI every chance you see him for $198K. His got over 1 Billion gold unvaulted

What level is he?

[Cloud22]

What level is he? hey quite copying me clearly my post was a few seconds before yours

[bobfishcake]

A excellent defense for a free player is around 90k. This is all high priests (+20%) and another 30k from armor and weapons. Given that at level 117 I'm regularly being attacked by players with attacks ranging from 100k to 200k a level 10 breeding den is just not possible unless I pay $200 in real cash. Given this my aim is to max out on Basilisks and possibly get my attack close to 100k. This will be the end of the game for me unless they bring out an expansion which this game desperately needs to avoid this whole problem.

[MaverickMunkey]

hey quite copying me clearly my post was a few seconds before yours

I think we were typing at the same time but my phone updated the server a fraction before yours - dammit!

[MaverickMunkey]

A excellent defense for a free player is around 90k. This is all high priests (+20%) and another 30k from armor and weapons. Given that at level 117 I'm regularly being attacked by players with attacks ranging from 100k to 200k a level 10 breeding den is just not possible unless I pay $200 in real cash. Given this my aim is to max out on Basilisks and possibly get my attack close to 100k. This will be the end of the game for me unless they bring out an expansion which this game desperately needs to avoid this whole problem.

Go for hydras - you will have a better chance then.

[bobfishcake]

Go for hydras - you will have a better chance then.

I think saving up the 621k for the level 8 upgrade would be to much trouble. Going over 400k with 70k def means I get attacked regularly...

[Hobtuse]

I think saving up the 621k for the level 8 upgrade would be to much trouble. Going over 400k with 70k def means I get attacked regularly...

I got 0 High Priests. Free Player. Got to Dragons. In whale territory at level 120.

You need to get to Hydras. Break the upgrade down into parts. As 330k is always vaulted, you just need to get 300k more.

Of which
100k - collections
150k - chained boss monster hits
50k over vault.

Not hard to do at all. BD 8 is exceedingly simple even in whale territory

[echus14]

Agreed with Hobtuse. Its usually BD9 and of course BD10 that are pains in the posterior.

Of course (and I know Hobtuse hates this option :D ) but there is one other methodology that even a free player can employ to get BD10 without going overvault in any meaningful manner for more than (say) 15 minutes. Use your vault limit + timed output + sell upgraded buildings. The real cost to you will be in time spent in upgrading. If you have that special unit that allows dual upgrades, that would make this option less painful. Otherwise, you're looking at approx 3.5 months for BD10 but totally risk free.

One other way ... go start a separate camper account and use your current account just for fun in the events :)

[RandomUser]

I did my run with a near-max ally count in, starting at level 92 and finishing at 96. I built up my army with basilisks and high priests until my attack was about 2x what half the players at my level were and my defense was higher than 95% of the attackers at my level. I didn't pick a fight with anyone who could possibly grow enough in 2 weeks to overcome my defense (without tons of cash, anyway), and I raided like crazy anything that was of significant value. The PvP contributed at least half of the cash I raised for the big purchases, and it is the fastest way to reach your monetary goal. My income buildings definitely helped, too - I'd previously upgraded to level 4 manors and 4/5 lenders as well, although my other 12 & 24 hr buildings were only upgraded modestly, if at all. I even like to keep some of my buildings at level 1 for emergency sales, in case I fall just short of my savings goal and need an extra $50-80k to start the upgrade. Last, but not least was PvE where I pre-wounded the biggest pay-out bosses and timed their deaths to level inbetween and get the energy refresh of levelling to keep the killing ongoing.

[deuce]

Which bosses were worth using in a BD9&10 run?

Since I decided I would attempt the BD run, I have not leveled, bought both manors and upgraded my Lumber Mill to 9 (10 after my latest Playhouse upgrade). To be honest, I have started playing other games and just log on here to collect gold. Kind of a shame that this is what Gree has reduced the game down to for me ... PvE means too rapid of advancement, and PvP has suddenly gotten very expensive. I lost two Basilisks this afternoon in two consecutive attacks. My attack is 28k and his defense was 18k. Does not seem right ...

[tcapi]

Which bosses were worth using in a BD9&10 run?



I have done from "Sea of Flames" to "Dwarven Mine". Some with only the boss and the minor boss, but maps like Mine could include minions like Mutated Horror which give good 5K income.

[TemplarX]

One upgrade not mentioned so far in this thread is the merchant caravan. Getting one to level 7 gives you $1450/h with ROI within 20 days. A pair would give you $2900/h, or $46,000 in a day...If you collect 16 times a day.

[TemplarX]

That's because I was still being raided constantly at 400 allies so I dropped my ally count to 150 to see if that would help which it does not. I'm gonna have to get back to 500 allies and find a way to get my defense high... being a free player makes it rough. Def a pay to win game.

How about storing all your gold in excess of 330k in decorations and defense structures like cannon towers, then selling these off? It will cost you twice as much to get that BD10, but you will get there eventually without losing money to gem bullies.

[dudeman]

Lol, I feel like such a noob when I visit the KA forum. I'm starting to realize I am pretty clueless with KA.

Just started BD 7 today since I want to get dragons eventually and it looks like if I wait too long it won't happen. But... What are these High Priests I'm hearing about all over the place? Magic equivalent of Dragons? What do I need for those, wizards spire level 10? Is that cheaper than the BD? If so then obviously I missed a step and need to backpedal a little bit.

Also, I'm starting to think my IPH sucks. ~8k @ level 51, but I haven't upgraded my income since a while before I built the BD.

I know this is all a bit OT from the OP, so apologies for that. :cool:

[Dr. Dengus]

You're not too late at all ... I'm in the 70's (IPH only ~8.5k too so you're not lacking in that dept. either) and doing my BD 10 run at the moment. High Priests only require the Wizard's Spire to lvl 7 too, excellent and cheap source of D. Is your KA name Bender btw? Had a request from a player named as such, and it reminded me of your avatar lol.

[MaverickMunkey]

Also, I'm starting to think my IPH sucks. ~8k @ level 51....

Don't worry about the income so much. Yes the higher it is the faster you can accumulate the funds for upgrades and army replenishment etc but I am Lvl 112 and am on the BD10 run with an income of 8.5k.

My advice would be to upgrade the Wizard's Spire and start collecting High Priests for the defense.

[dudeman]

You're not too late at all ... I'm in the 70's (IPH only ~8.5k too so you're not lacking in that dept. either) and doing my BD 10 run at the moment. High Priests only require the Wizard's Spire to lvl 7 too, excellent and cheap source of D. Is your KA name Bender btw? Had a request from a player named as such, and it reminded me of your avatar lol.

Good to know my IPH isn't as bad as I was beginning to think.

My defense is looking like more of a problem now, so maybe it would be better if I focused on the WS7 after BD7 finishes upgrading.

No, my game name isn't Bender. Or dudeman. I didn't want any CC reputation following me into KA.

Maybe my most noobish KA question ever: Do the three units used by each ally need to be different types? Based on my CC experience I would think yes, but based on what I've been reading on the forum I would say no.

If the answer is no, I guess that means a pretty good end game goal for a free player is 1500 Dragons and 1500 high priests, 500 heavy battle axe, and 500 (armor, forget name atm). I thought I saw something about the most powerful gold weapons and armor being less powerful than items farmed from some of the maps, but I'm not willing to pay the XP cost for those items. Maybe later.

[Funkey monkey]

Do the three units used by each ally need to be different types? If the answer is no, I guess that means a pretty good end game goal for a free player is 1500 Dragons and 1500 high priests, 500 heavy battle axe, and 500 (armor, forget name atm). I thought I saw something about the most powerful gold weapons and armor being less powerful than items farmed from some of the maps, but I'm not willing to pay the XP cost for those items. Maybe later.

Your units can be all one type. If you have 1500 dragons, you don't need 1500 high priests. Level 51 can only bring 765 units/weapons/armor into battle, so at your level the most high priets you should buy is 765; because once you get your BD10, you will replace them with dragons. Most buy high priests because they are cheap and beef up your defense to make it to BD10. You will want eventually 1500 dragons with 1500 weapons and 1500 armors. You can farm better equipment in the last maps than you can buy. However, even the most experienced players are still typically using some very weak weapons and armor. I know of a very strong high level player when she looked at the w/a she was replacing they were the 1/1. There are different strategies at play. Some buy w/a and others will not. A lot depends upon your style of play and skill point distribution. Your have to decide your own strategy and there are pros and cons to each one.

[sparckle]

At level 100+, the most realistic way to get BD10 is to sync as much income buildings as possible and leave as many bosses with 1 hit remaining. Harvest all you can in one go but be sure you are at the vault limit before doing so. Then make up the deficit by selling stuff.

You'll probably have to sell manors/lenders which will cause you heartaches, but that's the only realistic way at your level.

[sparckle]

I think another strategy that is overlooked is to go completely in the opposite direction. Instead of worrying about Defense (you will never have enough to stop everyone) focus on Offense. The principle is simple. If you can beat the person back who attacks you, they will most likely avoid attacking you. Think of it as the Cold War era. The only way to defend against nukes was to have a nuke of yer own. Nobody wanted to get taken out by the other guy.

Not only will you have more raid opportunities but someone with high income buildings of their own or is planning to go overvault themselves will not be inclined to be on a newsfeed of someone who can hit them right back.

IMO, probably a good principle in theory but not good in practice. Most players are simple-minded/short-sighted and don't take the analysis that far. They'll overlook your attack score when attacking and not even consider being retaliated against. So this is unlikely to have the passive deterrent effect.

Focusing on attack will instead more likely lead to tussles between you and your assailants. Not only will this cause you casualties but also speed up your leveling progress into the shark pool.

[GetItOn]

IMO, probably a good principle in theory but not good in practice. Most players are simple-minded/short-sighted and don't take the analysis that far. They'll overlook your attack score when attacking and not even consider being retaliated against. So this is unlikely to have the passive deterrent effect.

Focusing on attack will instead more likely lead to tussles between you and your assailants. Not only will this cause you casualties but also speed up your leveling progress into the shark pool.

Do you ever notice when checking the Battle List that inevitably you start to have "favorites" that you check more often then others? I think a secondary effect of having a high Attack and collecting buildings on time, that you will start to establish yourself as not being a good target. Thus over time your kingdom will get checked on less often by the raiding and then you'll only have to worry about the random guy who checks and can beat you.

Usually at the higher levels (and probably lower) when you run into someone who can beat you, you end up allying. So by the time you want to go way overvault you'll have allied with 99.9% of anyone who could attack you. It's easier to get alliances with strong players when you have muscle behind you, rather than just wanting them to take pity on you. LoL And KA is definately geared towards Offense.

[Njwmrb]

Do you ever notice when checking the Battle List that inevitably you start to have "favorites" that you check more often then others? I think a secondary effect of having a high Attack and collecting buildings on time, that you will start to establish yourself as not being a good target. Thus over time your kingdom will get checked on less often by the raiding and then you'll only have to worry about the random guy who checks and can beat you.


I recognize a lot of the names on my rivals list because we have leveled up together at similar paces and I remember the names of people that tend to go over their vault limit. One guy never uses his vault, Idk if he doesn't know how to or if he's lazy but I'll attack him anytime he gets over 50k

[ezinap]

....
You will want eventually 1500 dragons with 1500 weapons and 1500 armors.
...
More accurate is:
Eventually you want an attack army of 1500 units, 1500 weapons and 1500 armor, AND a defense army of 1500 units, weapons and armor.

[Funkey monkey]

You are correct, especially if they release Dragoon. But there is no reason to have 1500 dragons and 1500 HP, since the dragons defense is greater than the HP. Since he is lvl 51, no reason to accumulate that many HP. W/A that is another story. Thanks for clarifying.

[LadiesMan]

Started my BD10 upgrade tonight. Wanted to pass on some info/numbers that could be useful to players in the 85-99 Level range who are also free players.
Began BD8 upgrade at level 85. Level 1 Manors and Lenders only. LM7. Tried reducing allies to 199. Failed miserably. Then down to 99. Despite max HP and some good indestructibles, I was attacked like crazy any time I went over vault. Had to ally back all the way to 470 or so. Finally got there, but was still attacked on the way.
Began BD9 upgrade at Level90. A55k/D70k. Max HP plus 200 hydras and Imp meat shields. Was stalked by 2 different gem whales who wouldn't ally. Cost me 500k gold, but finally got there.
BD10 upgrade at Level 99. Crawled as I didn't want to go over 100. A57k/D74K (bought some armour and ugraded boosts). Saw exactly two players with attack > 80k. I didn't offer to ally. Just stayed right away from them. Took 3 days to get from 330k to 1M. Went the rest of the way today. 500k from raids/attacking ( kamikaze style, casualties irrelevant) sold both manors and lenders, almost no PVE except Kraken that I had banked. Was not attacked once in BD10 run.

[echus14]

@LadiesMan
Congratulations on achieving BD10. That was a long and hard run. Enjoy the break!

[Elderly]

Started my BD10 upgrade tonight. Wanted to pass on some info/numbers that could be useful to players in the 85-99 Level range who are also free players.
Began BD8 upgrade at level 85. Level 1 Manors and Lenders only. LM7. Tried reducing allies to 199. Failed miserably. Then down to 99. Despite max HP and some good indestructibles, I was attacked like crazy any time I went over vault. Had to ally back all the way to 470 or so. Finally got there, but was still attacked on the way.
Began BD9 upgrade at Level90. A55k/D70k. Max HP plus 200 hydras and Imp meat shields. Was stalked by 2 different gem whales who wouldn't ally. Cost me 500k gold, but finally got there.
BD10 upgrade at Level 99. Crawled as I didn't want to go over 100. A57k/D74K (bought some armour and ugraded boosts). Saw exactly two players with attack > 80k. I didn't offer to ally. Just stayed right away from them. Took 3 days to get from 330k to 1M. Went the rest of the way today. 500k from raids/attacking ( kamikaze style, casualties irrelevant) sold both manors and lenders, almost no PVE except Kraken that I had banked. Was not attacked once in BD10 run.

Congrats, now time to buy back your manors and lenders and start building your dragon army. Good luck on the rest of that journey.

[LadiesMan]

I should have said thanks to the regular posters for their tips and experiences. Would not have been able to do it had I not read them. I recommend anyone new to the forum to read throgh the "There be Dragons" thread before making the run!
Cheers.

[Al_raine]

My defense is looking like more of a problem now, so maybe it would be better if I focused on the WS7 after BD7 finishes upgrading.
.

IMO you shouldn't waste money in wizard spire 7 and priests. Just go for BD8, since you are so close. Build up hydras for as much D as you need from there. U will get off with it as well. U can also update your beast boost building at that point to help your D (this will also come in handy for when you get dragons.

HPs are nice and good costs but not necessary if you get to hydras without getting your cash raided.

[Hobtuse]

A excellent defense for a free player is around 90k. This is all high priests (+20%) and another 30k from armor and weapons. Given that at level 117 I'm regularly being attacked by players with attacks ranging from 100k to 200k a level 10 breeding den is just not possible unless I pay $200 in real cash. Given this my aim is to max out on Basilisks and possibly get my attack close to 100k. This will be the end of the game for me unless they bring out an expansion which this game desperately needs to avoid this whole problem.

I happened to spot you in-game (I suppose you are "bob cake"). I think I know why are you regularly attacked by players with A ranging from 100k - 200k.

Your kingdom is like a gold mine. When those players take a look at your kingdom, you become a rival that they will constantly look out for. You have a very high iph consisting of gold mines, level 2 manors and others.

I just think that you see many regular visitors to your kingdom that inadvertently one of them will happen upon you trying to go too high on vault.

[Dr. Dengus]

IMO you shouldn't waste money in wizard spire 7 and priests. Just go for BD8, since you are so close. Build up hydras for as much D as you need from there. U will get off with it as well. U can also update your beast boost building at that point to help your D (this will also come in handy for when you get dragons.

HPs are nice and good costs but not necessary if you get to hydras without getting your cash raided.

Depends on the situation. If the goal is defense, then HPs are extremely more cost effective compared to Hydras. You're paying ~5k gold more per Hydra just to get 4 more defense than an HP. But if money isn't an issue, then sure, load up on all the Hydras you want.

[TemplarX]

Started my BD10 upgrade tonight. Wanted to pass on some info/numbers that could be useful to players in the 85-99 Level range who are also free players.
Began BD8 upgrade at level 85. Level 1 Manors and Lenders only. LM7. Tried reducing allies to 199. Failed miserably. Then down to 99. Despite max HP and some good indestructibles, I was attacked like crazy any time I went over vault. Had to ally back all the way to 470 or so. Finally got there, but was still attacked on the way.
Began BD9 upgrade at Level90. A55k/D70k. Max HP plus 200 hydras and Imp meat shields. Was stalked by 2 different gem whales who wouldn't ally. Cost me 500k gold, but finally got there.
BD10 upgrade at Level 99. Crawled as I didn't want to go over 100. A57k/D74K (bought some armour and ugraded boosts). Saw exactly two players with attack > 80k. I didn't offer to ally. Just stayed right away from them. Took 3 days to get from 330k to 1M. Went the rest of the way today. 500k from raids/attacking ( kamikaze style, casualties irrelevant) sold both manors and lenders, almost no PVE except Kraken that I had banked. Was not attacked once in BD10 run.
My respect sir...inspirational!

[dudeman]

I just realized WS7 is an absolute waste of time/gold for me right now. Good thing I only just started the level 3 upgrade before realizing what a wasteful path I was starting on.

I just read the last couple pages of this thread and I'm seeing exactly what I realized. BD8 is the way to go right now.

My attack army is mostly Flaming Trebuches, plus whatever indestuctables I've acquired. I was about to buy more to fight the boss since I just went over vault again, but I decided to see what the options were since I hadn't checked in a while. If I want the HPs for a defense army, which is currently only as good as the best defense rated attack units I have, it will cost me FT+HP to have both attack and defense covered. Hydras are cheaper, and while the attack is the same as the FT, the defense is better than the HP. Obviously a no brainer, I just didn't see it sooner.

Now if I could just find that link to the BD upgrade costs I saw floating around here the other day... :/ lol

[Kimmizz]

BD 8 Will cost you 690k so might be hard to get there without the old Guy

[Dr. Dengus]

I just realized WS7 is an absolute waste of time/gold for me right now. Good thing I only just started the level 3 upgrade before realizing what a wasteful path I was starting on.

I just read the last couple pages of this thread and I'm seeing exactly what I realized. BD8 is the way to go right now.

My attack army is mostly Flaming Trebuches, plus whatever indestuctables I've acquired. I was about to buy more to fight the boss since I just went over vault again, but I decided to see what the options were since I hadn't checked in a while. If I want the HPs for a defense army, which is currently only as good as the best defense rated attack units I have, it will cost me FT+HP to have both attack and defense covered. Hydras are cheaper, and while the attack is the same as the FT, the defense is better than the HP. Obviously a no brainer, I just didn't see it sooner.

Now if I could just find that link to the BD upgrade costs I saw floating around here the other day... :/ lol

Here ya go man (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aj9pi1nr5A99dFF0UWZKZWxzSGVyZkh5ekhnUnh0e lE#gid=60).

I keep forgetting to bookmark that 'sheet too, but it's in Ghost's sticky.

[dudeman]

Here ya go man (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aj9pi1nr5A99dFF0UWZKZWxzSGVyZkh5ekhnUnh0e lE#gid=60).

I keep forgetting to bookmark that 'sheet too, but it's in Ghost's sticky.

Thanks, I found it though. Bookmarked it this time.

I haven't upgraded lenders or manors yet, and I figure selling all four would probably return about 300k if selling buildings works the same in KA as it does in CC. I have everything built, so it's not like it will be THAT inconvenient to rebuild them. Just a temporary hit on my economy, but once BD8 is finished I can pay more attention to economy again. I've been completely ignoring it trying to unlock stronger units.

Edit: The only trouble I had saving for BD7 was one player who kept attacking me every time I was within 5k of affording it, and we are allies now. My news is mostly green with ~30k profile dense at level 51. BD8 will be no more difficult to save for than BD7 if I sell those buildings, which I'm strongly leaning towards doing.

[Elderly]

Thanks, I found it though. Bookmarked it this time.

I haven't upgraded lenders or manors yet, and I figure selling all four would probably return about 300k if selling buildings works the same in KA as it does in CC. I have everything built, so it's not like it will be THAT inconvenient to rebuild them. Just a temporary hit on my economy, but once BD8 is finished I can pay more attention to economy again. I've been completely ignoring it trying to unlock stronger units.

Edit: The only trouble I had saving for BD7 was one player who kept attacking me every time I was within 5k of affording it, and we are allies now. My news is mostly green with ~30k profile dense at level 51. BD8 will be no more difficult to save for than BD7 if I sell those buildings, which I'm strongly leaning towards doing.

Can always attempt to just save up slowly and maybe try raiding if you can, if someone does take a nice chunk out of your savings then maybe sell your buildings, but don't prematurely sell them if it is unnecessary.

[Dr. Dengus]

Oh yeah you should be fine. Definitely keep a watch on the rivals list and ally up with the stronger folks. I actually made it to BD10 w/ lvl 1 Lenders and Inns (albeit having lvl 5 leatherworkers, lvl 3 manors, and lvl 10 silos to compensate for that). 31k defense at 51 is awesome, I did it w/ 35k defense at lvl 71/72 lol. I'm against selling buildings to reach an upgrade goal, but I guess if they're only lvl 1 then it's not a big deal. If you're being attacked a lot though then it might be a better option .

[dudeman]

I don't get attacked much, but I usually win when I do. I'm not really looking to go out raiding because of A) XP, and B) I don't want to tag a link on anyone's news, just in case.

If I don't sell the buildings I'll have to cut into my saving so I can upgrade something else while I try to save 700k, and I don't really feel like waiting.

I could, and maybe I should, but I'm not feeling very patient right now. 

[jonny0284]

I understand that you can sell off Money Buildings for 1/2 the cost (including the upgrades).

ex. Lvl 1 Manor : sell it back for 118,xxx

Does the same go for selling off Unit Buildings that are upgraded?

ex Lvl 10 Colosseum : sell it back for 186,xxx ?

[echus14]

Yes, but the sellback value of the level 1 manor should be 125,000

[jonny0284]

Yeah, for some reason I was adjusting for the lower value with Lvl 5 Lumber Mill. Thanks for the help!

Also, I guess it's not 1/2 of full invested value in say a Lvl 10 Colosseum but the final upgrade price. So, even a resale of that would be $75k. Who needs a Colosseum in the end?

[GetItOn]

Yeah, for some reason I was adjusting for the lower value with Lvl 5 Lumber Mill. Thanks for the help!

Also, I guess it's not 1/2 of full invested value in say a Lvl 10 Colosseum but the final upgrade price. So, even a resale of that would be $75k. Who needs a Colosseum in the end?

There is a PVE quest that requires you to have like 10 of the lvl 7 coliseum guy, not sure on which map. I sold my coliseum cuz it was a big chunk of land space waste and the very next day I needed that darn guy. LoL Anyways, buy like 20 of the lvl 7 dudes (they're cheap) before you sell it. LoL

[BadNews]

Yeah, for some reason I was adjusting for the lower value with Lvl 5 Lumber Mill. Thanks for the help!

Also, I guess it's not 1/2 of full invested value in say a Lvl 10 Colosseum but the final upgrade price. So, even a resale of that would be $75k. Who needs a Colosseum in the end?

Don't suggest to sale unit buildings, they are really cheap buildings, but it cost you a lot of time to upgrade.

[sparckle]

Do you ever notice when checking the Battle List that inevitably you start to have "favorites" that you check more often then others? I think a secondary effect of having a high Attack and collecting buildings on time, that you will start to establish yourself as not being a good target. Thus over time your kingdom will get checked on less often by the raiding and then you'll only have to worry about the random guy who checks and can beat you.

Usually at the higher levels (and probably lower) when you run into someone who can beat you, you end up allying. So by the time you want to go way overvault you'll have allied with 99.9% of anyone who could attack you. It's easier to get alliances with strong players when you have muscle behind you, rather than just wanting them to take pity on you. LoL And KA is definately geared towards Offense.

An attack focused build is good but not because it deters attackers. Your theory assumes that all players are self-preserving and smart. Most players however don't analyze the game so profoundly. If they see an opportunity to attack, they will do so without assessing the ramifications.

I personally have gone an attack focused build not because I have faith in your strategy but for the purpose of beating boss events. I've still been attacked by plenty of players that have broken my defence which I can easily retaliate against.

But let's just assume for a moment that a strong offence can deter attackers. You would only be able to deter those who have fear of being retaliated against. i.e. players who are over their vault limit saving for big upgrades. Players who don't overvault will still attack you since they have little to lose in a retaliation attack. This means you'll have a hard time saving for expensive manor and BD upgrades.

We're talking of the best strategy to save up for big upgrades. It certainly is a strong defence. Deterrence through a strong offence is just an unnecessary and risky strategy that doesn't work in practice. The only reason to focus on attack is for the boss events. So all in all, an attack focused build is good but not for the reason you provide. Its true merit is that it allows you to advance further in boss events and gain more stats from additional loot.

[mitchitized]

I've been focused on maxing out my vault for so long that I'd completely lost sight of what to do next! Upgrade to BD10? Load up on High Priests for cheap, powerful defense? Finally start building manors and maxing out other 12/24 buildings?

I've been getting attacked a LOT lately on both accounts, so I'll take the "high priest now" approach on one, and the "big money buildings for BD upgrades" approach on another. Will be fun to see which fares best.

On the previous topic of big offense vs. big defense, I've passed on hitting a couple people that had really high attacks but weak defense, but I always pass on the people with the high defense, regardless of attack... Seems like the most logical approach is the high defense one.

[LadiesMan]

Mitch

I recently did my BD9 and BD10 runs at roughly your level. Would recomend a defense of at least 70k. There were some gem whales over 100k (they attacked but leveled up past me in a hurry) and a couple of other players @ 80k. But at 70k+ you should have a chance. Good luck.

[Proprioc3ption]

Watch out for gem players that camp. There is a guy in the 40s level with an attack of 50000+
and a defence of 49783 when I last looked. Still, gem players will always come out on top. But to be honest, what a joke that is. I can't believe people spend thousands real life dollars on little 2D characters! Hahahahaha! You guys are all either really dumb or really rich and have nothing else to spend your money on. Why not throw it out the window next time cause that's all your doing in relation to this game. It's simply not worth it.

[Me&You]

I just finished my BD10 at 94 with 57k/55k (unboosted - feel free to let me know what I am boosted) and only lost once, but I was lucky cause there are a few players in the 60's and at least one at 80, aside from migratory whales passing through.

I figure maybe a few saw me and passed on the chance so they wouldn't end up on my news feed. Stats spike fairly quickly after the BD10 is done.

[Black Knight]

I just finished my BD10 at 94 with 57k/55k (unboosted - feel free to let me know what I am boosted) and only lost once, but I was lucky cause there are a few players in the 60's and at least one at 80, aside from migratory whales passing through.

I figure maybe a few saw me and passed on the chance so they wouldn't end up on my news feed. Stats spike fairly quickly after the BD10 is done.

I see boosted stats, so send me a request 917-184-778.
Usually boosted stats is around 1.35x to 1.4x normal stats, so I'd estimate around 78k/75k A/D.

[Me&You]

Thanks. Sent a request. Me Lvl 94 60/59 now.

[GQNammmer]

I just finished my BD10 at 94 with 57k/55k (unboosted - feel free to let me know what I am boosted) and only lost once, but I was lucky cause there are a few players in the 60's and at least one at 80, aside from migratory whales passing through.

I figure maybe a few saw me and passed on the chance so they wouldn't end up on my news feed. Stats spike fairly quickly after the BD10 is done.

What was your IPH once you started going for BD10? I've tried to save for Manor 3 and I have 57k/52k but I constantly get attacked by whales. I'm level 94 also

[LadiesMan]

Me - congrats on BD 10. I think you may have been a little lucky though with defense in the 50k range. Still, you made it, so well done.

GQ - I had an unboosted defense of 70k+ while at your level (totally free player) and was just able to defend enough to get to BD 10. just my opinion, but try for at least 65k def before making the run. Should be able to get there with max HP and some good armour. My IPH was just over 7k. I got almost all of it by raiding.

[Me&You]

What was your IPH once you started going for BD10? I've tried to save for Manor 3 and I have 57k/52k but I constantly get attacked by whales. I'm level 94 also

I was at 6100. But, I don't have cottages, and my farms are at level 6, merchant caravans at 1, etc. If I had cottages and farms at 10, that would look more like 9000. I got rid of my cottages early on. So, I was collecting about 100k/day plus PvE and PvP. Followed someone's advice and looked at unit losses as cash conversion - meaning loss of units about equaled the cash won, but then I had cash. Replacing all those units with dragons now anyway. I lost about 3k Attack during BD10, but made the run from 330k to 1.75 in about 5 days. Just don't let Defense drop. I saw HP's die a few times and bought 10-15 siege towers each time to keep the HP's at home.

Don't mis-time an upgrade either. BD run is no time to arrive early. I had to wait three hours on BD8 and learned my lesson. If you find someone with 100k+ over vault in the home stretch it can happen fast.

[Me&You]

Me - congrats on BD 10. I think you may have been a little lucky though with defense in the 50k range. Still, you made it, so well done.


I also wasn't a big target. Did almost no PvP for weeks prior as I prepared, so no news feeds with Me on them. My Manors and Lenders are all Lvl 1. And I Never had unvaulted gold before my run.

Headed for the open sea...

[RotoMan]

For some players they get a lot of luck. I have seen a player at lvl 57 with an ad of 17/18 and they have a lvl 10 BD. Unless of course they used some real $ to get a mountain of gold.

[asdfg12345]

wow people's stats are alot lower than mine already got bd10. Time for me to go for it.

[Winstrol]

It's matter of luck to get bd10 , I had to buy gold to upgrade BD10 , because I'm in 120~200 cap which is full of heavy gem spenders if doe I have 90% of them in my alliance there still possibility that 1 will come and take 200k for free :P

[bobfishcake]

^ yeah I just hit level 122 and in the last 4 days been hit by 4 gem players two of which were level 200. One guy had an attack of 280k. Although you can ally with lots of them many just delete ally requests.
Think I'll build my hydra army then decide if I'm going for dragons. My current def is 82k which appears high for a free player.

[Clay01]

I was at 6100. But, I don't have cottages, and my farms are at level 6, merchant caravans at 1, etc. If I had cottages and farms at 10, that would look more like 9000. I got rid of my cottages early on. So, I was collecting about 100k/day plus PvE and PvP. Followed someone's advice and looked at unit losses as cash conversion - meaning loss of units about equaled the cash won, but then I had cash. Replacing all those units with dragons now anyway. I lost about 3k Attack during BD10, but made the run from 330k to 1.75 in about 5 days. Just don't let Defense drop. I saw HP's die a few times and bought 10-15 siege towers each time to keep the HP's at home.

Don't mis-time an upgrade either. BD run is no time to arrive early. I had to wait three hours on BD8 and learned my lesson. If you find someone with 100k+ over vault in the home stretch it can happen fast.

I made my run from BD 8 to 10 over about 2-3 weeks, I think I was about 8500 IPH when I started and about 8900 when done.

I think I had 75/70 A/D when I started, and did it at level 108-110

I didnt do any PvP, as I didnt have a lot of time (one of the reasons I decided to go for BD10 at this time was my schedule these weeks) and more than that, I didnt want to risk showing up on someone's radar that would then get their buddies to go after me or something.

I got hit by the usual blind squirrels trying to find a nut who all lost, a few even giving me 100 gold or so in the process...

but I also got hit by 3 players over 2-3 days who took probably a combined $500k gold, which really hurt the progress and almost made me give up on it at the time... but all 3 ended up allying with me, and then I finished the upgrade.

I did a little PvE to stave off the boredom, mostly. I think I stayed on the nomadic/dwarven mines maps since I think those give the best gold/exp ratio since I can pretty much two-hit the majority of the creeps on those maps.

I had considered selling a manor or even both of them (level 2 each) but I figured that was purposefully giving up $500k+ gold when instead I could roll the dice and hope to get lucky and not noticed and not lose gold for another 2-3 days.

I felt good about my 70k defense heading into it, figuring only gem buyers and BD10 campers passing through would take a shot at me, and that's how it ended up.

[Jeremy2]

Good idea man with boss timing, simple but elegant!!!!

[Mervic]

Good idea man with boss timing, simple but elegant!!!!
Visit the forum more often, and you will learn a trick or two. I know I did.🍻🍻🍻