Push the Town Center and keep every queue busy
This advice is community opinion from player guides, not game data. Every guide agrees on the core of the first month: the Town Center gates every other building, so upgrade it first and build anything else only when the next Town Center level asks for it. Keep construction and Academy research running at all times, join an active alliance as soon as you can, and save your gems instead of spending them as they arrive. Most early mistakes come from spreading resources across too many buildings and heroes.
What each Town Center level asks for
| Town Center level | Needs | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 4 | Sawmill, a House and the Quarry | Mill at 2, Quarry at 3, Hero Hall and Clinic at 4 |
| 5 | Hero Hall and House 3 at level 3 | Iron Mine |
| 6 | Iron Mine level 5 | Watchtower and Court of Justice |
| 7 | Mill level 6 | Barracks, Guard Station and Barricade |
| 8 | Barracks level 7 | Embassy, Infirmary, Range, Arena and Monument |
| 9 | Embassy level 8 and Infirmary | Academy, Stable and Storehouse |
| 10 | Range level 9 and Academy | Command Center |
| 11 to 30 | Embassy one level below, plus one of Stable, Command Center, Barracks, Range or Academy | Drill Camp at 13 |
Build two or three heroes and skip the rest
Jabel
Guides report Jabel as a free login reward on day 2. A strong garrison hero and the safest first investment for free players.
Mythic cavalry, buildChenko
Path of Growth, the newcomer event in your first seven days, gives up to 70 Chenko shards; 40 unlock the hero. One of the best Bear Hunt rally joiners at any spend level.
Epic cavalry, buildSaul
The Generation 1 Hero Roulette hero. His Resourceful skill raises construction speed and cuts construction cost, which stays useful long after Generation 1.
Mythic archer, Hero RouletteAmadeus and Helga
Strong, and Amadeus is a top rally lead and joiner, but neither can use general hero shards. Most guides leave them to spenders.
Mythic infantry, usually skip if free to playRare heroes
Olive, Edwin, Seth and Forrest rank at the bottom of every role. Level them only as far as Conquest stages need.
SkipSave gems for Hero Roulette
Hero Roulette costs 1,500 gems a spin or 13,500 for ten, with extra shards at 5, 15, 35, 70 and 120 spins. Two guides suggest 35 spins as a first target.
| Use | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Hero Roulette | Spend | Mythic hero shards you cannot get elsewhere for free. Spin to a milestone, not in between. |
| VIP time | Spend from VIP 4 | Activation keeps your VIP bonuses running. Two guides say to start at VIP 4. |
| VIP points | Avoid | VIP levels come from daily claims and the Alliance Shop over time. |
| Speedups | Never | Events and quests hand them out, and every guide lists them as poor value for gems. |
| Resources | Never | A resource shortage means a planning problem. Gather, use the alliance and fix the bottleneck. |
| Shop refreshes and random pulls | Never | Low value, and the habit drains gems you need for Hero Roulette. |
Small purchases change the order, not the rules. Hero Roulette still comes first.
| Change | Why |
|---|---|
| Buy the permanent extra construction queue | Guides name it the best one-off purchase for low spenders. |
| Build Amadeus or Helga | Their shards come from packs and events, not general shards, so they suit players who buy them. |
| Put spare gems into VIP points | Only after Hero Roulette. Each VIP level adds bonuses for as long as VIP is active. |
| Still skip leaderboard races | Heavier spenders take the top places. Take the tier rewards you can reach and stop. |
Daily habits that add up
- Queue the next building and research before you close the game. An idle builder is the most common early loss.
- Finish daily quests and chapter missions. They are a steady source of speedups.
- Tap alliance help every time it appears and donate to alliance tech for Alliance Shop currency.
- Clear Conquest stages and use the free Merchant exchange each day.
- Join Bear Hunt every time it runs. It is a main source of Forgehammers.
- Redeem new gift codes as soon as they appear.
- Save speedups for Plan Your City and Power Up, which score construction, research and training.
What the kingdom unlocks in and after your first month
| Kingdom day | Milestone | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Generation 1 heroes | Build Jabel and Chenko; Saul if you roll Hero Roulette. |
| 14 | Plains fog clears | Stay near your alliance as territory opens up. |
| 38 | Fertile Land fog clears | More contested map; a strong alliance matters more. |
| 45 | Generation 2 heroes | Spend the Mythic shards and gems you saved. |
| 54 | First Castle Battle | Alliances fight for the castle; keep training troops. |
| 58 | Generation 1 pets | Pets arrive near the end of the second month. |
Where guides disagree
- Quinn: Kingshot Mastery lists him as an early archer in one guide and as a hero to avoid in another. He rates low in every role on the site tier list.
- Gems on VIP: kingshotguides.com and Kingshot Mastery say free players should never buy VIP points, while kingshotguide.com says it can be worth it when a daily plan reaches a real VIP breakpoint.
- Second builder: Kingshot Mastery allows one gem purchase besides Hero Roulette, renting a second construction queue for 1,000 gems over two days during a Town Center push. Other guides do not mention it.
- Targets: Kingshot Mastery sets Town Center 15 by day 7 as the benchmark. Other guides give no fixed target, so treat it as a fast pace rather than a minimum.