Skills and training — what to level and why

Skills are permanent upgrades for your character. They are never spent and never wear off, but each next level costs almost twice as much as the previous one. Here you will learn which skills exist, what each one actually affects, and how the price per level is calculated.

What a skill is

A skill is a numeric level tied to a specific game action. The higher the level, the stronger the effect: more attack in battle, a longer hex discovery radius, or access to more complex buildings.

Skills are bought with experience earned in battles. The price of the next level is calculated by the formula:

price = ceil(base_price × 1.96(level−1))

This means the first few levels are cheap, and every next level is almost twice as expensive as the previous one.

How to upgrade

  • Find or build a dedicated training building.
  • Enter it and open the skill upgrade section.
  • Choose a skill and pay for the next level with experience.
  • The effect of the skill is applied immediately and persists between sessions.

Skill list

1. Attack

Base price: 2 experience per level. No cap.

Increases the attack of your units in battle. Each level adds a percentage bonus to the base attack of every creature in your army. This is the main skill for players who play aggressively and get into fights often.

Example: a warrior with base attack 100 and skill level 50 receives a +50% bonus and hits for 150.

2. Defense

Base price: 2 experience per level. No cap.

The mirror image of the Attack skill: it increases the defense of your units in battle. The higher the level, the less damage your army takes. It makes sense to level this one together with Attack — otherwise the enemy will simply grind your units down.

3. Construction

Base price: 5 experience per level. No cap.

Unlocks access to more complex buildings. If a building requires a minimum Construction level, the server checks the skill before resources are spent and cancels the action if the level is too low.

4. Interaction range (Harvest range)

Base price: 40 experience per level. Range: from 2 to 8.

Defines the distance from which you can harvest resources and interact with already captured hexes. At level 0 the range is 2, at the maximum it is 8. Useful when your mines and factories are scattered across a wide territory.

5. Discover range

Base price: 40 experience per level. Range: from 2 to 12.

The distance at which you can open unexplored hexes around your territory. It starts at 2 and tops out at 12. Each hex is still opened by a separate action that costs energy, but a higher range lets you choose targets farther from your current position.

6. Contact range

Base price: 100 experience per level. Range: from 1 to 3.

The most expensive and rare skill: the range for interacting with other players and objects — attacking, helping, trading. Starts at 1 and ends at 3, so think it through carefully and only spend when your economy is already solid.

Progression examples

  • Brand new player in the first days. Attack and Defense at 5–10 levels each. This already noticeably improves your battles.
  • Active builder. Attack/Defense at 20, Construction at 15. Then the discover and harvest ranges, so you can scout the map faster.
  • Experienced player with a large experience reserve. Attack/Defense at 50, Construction at 30, Discover range at maximum (12), Harvest range at maximum (8). Contact range situational — 2 or 3.

Take-aways

  • The first levels of any skill are inexpensive — upgrade them freely.
  • Combat skills (Attack and Defense) give direct battle bonuses and help you earn more experience faster.
  • Range skills (Discover, Harvest) only become worth it once the map starts feeling tight.
  • Contact range is the most expensive skill — do not rush it until the late game.

See also