PVP Guide

What Is PVP?

PVP (Player vs Player) is any combat where you fight another human player's troops rather than AI-controlled enemies. PVP includes rallying enemy bases, defending against attacks, garrison warfare in events like Spice Wars and Capital Conquest, and the weekly Enemy Buster day in Alliance Duel VS.

PVP is where everything you build gets tested. Your heroes, gear, research, troop count, and squad composition either hold up or they do not. There is no second chance — troops lost are troops you need to heal or retrain.

The Combat Triangle in PVP

The combat triangle is the single most important concept in PVP. Type advantage determines the outcome of most evenly-matched fights:

• Tanks beat Missile Vehicles — tanks absorb missile damage and grind them down
• Missile Vehicles beat Aircraft — missiles destroy aircraft before they can deal sustained damage
• Aircraft beat Tanks — aircraft overwhelm tanks with persistent attacks

In PvE, raw power can compensate for a bad matchup. In PVP, it cannot. Sending the wrong type against a scouted target throws the fight before it starts.

Why Mono Squads Win

Mono-type squads (all 5 heroes sharing the same troop type) receive a +20% bonus to HP, Attack, and Defence. This bonus is enormous in PVP — it is the difference between winning a close fight and losing it. Never run mixed squads in PVP.

For full details on the combat triangle and squad formation, see the Combat Mechanics Guide.

Scouting — The Foundation of PVP

Never attack without scouting first. Scouting tells you:

• What troop type the enemy is running — so you can send the correct counter
• How many troops are at home — attacking an empty base earns zero kill points and wastes your march
• Their hero levels and gear — so you can judge whether you can win the fight
• Whether they are shielded — you cannot attack a shielded base

How to Scout Effectively

1. Scout before every attack — even targets you scouted an hour ago. Players shield, relocate, and change squads constantly
2. Share scout reports with your alliance — if you find a juicy target, post the report so rally leaders can act on it
3. Look for unshielded bases with troops at home — these are your targets
4. Note the troop type — call it out to your alliance so the right counter squad leads the rally
5. Check power level — a base with 100M power and full troops is a different fight than a 30M base

Shielding — Protecting What You Have

Shields are your most important defensive tool in PVP. When a shield is active, no one can attack or scout your base.

When to Shield

• Whenever you are offline during a PVP event — Enemy Buster, Capital Conquest, any time enemies are active on your server
• Between attacks on Enemy Buster day — shield up, plan your next target, then drop shield to attack
• When your troops are wounded and healing — do not leave your base exposed while your hospital is full
• When you see enemy rallies forming nearby — better to spend a shield than lose your army

Shield Discipline

Enemy Buster — Day 6 of Alliance Duel VS

Enemy Buster is the PVP day of Alliance Duel VS. It runs every Saturday, is worth 4 victory points (the most valuable single day), and is the event where alliances fight directly against their matched rival.

How Points Work

The 5x Rival Multiplier

Attacking members of your matched rival alliance gives a 5x point multiplier. This makes targeting your specific VS opponent far more efficient than hitting random enemies. Use the Alliance Assaults tab for a free teleport to the rival server.

Enemy Buster Step-by-Step Strategy

Before the Day

1. Train maximum troops during the week — you need bodies for combat
2. Stockpile shields, teleports, fuel, and healing speedups — these are your Day 6 consumables
3. Scout rival targets in advance — identify bases with troops at home and note their troop types
4. Coordinate with your alliance — assign rally leaders, designate scouts, agree on attack timing
5. Prepare your squads — ensure heroes are equipped, gear is crafted, and formations are set

The Attack Phase

1. Use the Alliance Assaults tab to teleport to the rival server for free
2. Teleport together — move as a group of 4-5 alliance members, not solo
3. Scout targets — confirm troops are home and check troop type
4. Type-match your rally — if the target runs Tanks, rally with Aircraft. If they run Aircraft, rally with Missiles
5. One player attacks while others garrison that player's base — this protects the attacker from counter-rallies
6. After the rally, heal troops immediately — use healing speedups to get troops back into action
7. Move to the next target — keep cycling through scouted targets

Defence Between Attacks

1. Shield when you are not actively attacking — drop shield, attack, reshield
2. Watch for incoming rallies — if you see enemies teleporting near your alliance cluster, prepare to defend or relocate
3. Do not leave troops in your base unshielded — either attack with them or shield them
4. Garrison allies who are actively attacking — your troops protecting their base earn points if the enemy attacks

Enemy Buster for F2P Players

Not everyone can compete in raw troop combat. F2P players can still contribute meaningfully:

• Dispatch UR trade trucks for milestone chest points
• Complete legendary secret tasks for bonus points
• Use remaining speedups (research, training, construction) — they all count on Day 6
• Garrison stronger alliance members — your troops protect their base and earn points if attacked
• Stay shielded when not garrisoning — do not donate free points to the enemy
• Scout for the alliance — find targets and report troop compositions

PVP in Other Game Modes

Capital Conquest

Capital Conquest is large-scale PVP where alliances fight for control of Capital buildings. The same fundamentals apply:

• Scout before attacking any garrison
• Type-match your rallies against the defender's composition
• Coordinate rally timing with your alliance
• Defend captured buildings with your strongest garrison squads

For more details, see the Capital Conquest Guide.

Spice Wars (Season 3+)

Spice Wars is faction-level PVP running twice per week. Buildings are attacked and defended for Spice — the season ranking currency. Key PVP principles:

• Garrison the Alliance Center with your strongest squads and Desert Protectors
• Rally secondary buildings to steal Spice
• Coordinate offence and defence across your entire faction, not just your alliance

For full strategy, see the Spice Wars Strategy Guide.

Server vs Server (SvS)

During server merge events and cross-server activities, your entire server fights another server. The same rules apply at a larger scale:

• Type-match every engagement
• Shield when offline
• Follow server-wide coordination — individual heroics lose server wars

Rally Tactics for PVP

Rallies are the backbone of organised PVP. Solo attacks against defended bases are almost always a mistake.

Rally Fundamentals

For the complete rally guide, see the Rally Guide.

When Not to Rally

• Empty bases — zero troops means zero kill points. Scout first
• Heavily shielded clusters — if the entire enemy alliance is shielded, wait for shields to drop or find other targets
• Bases far stronger than your rally — if the target has dramatically more power and better heroes, you will lose troops for minimal return
• During cooldown — after a rally, heal your troops before launching another. Fighting with wounded troops compounds losses

PVP Preparation Checklist

Use this checklist before any PVP event:

Troops and Heroes

• All troops healed — no wounded troops sitting in hospitals
• Squads are mono-type (all 5 heroes same troop type)
• Heroes are equipped with best available gear
• Formation is correct — tanks in front row, DPS in back row
• Troop count is at maximum — train all week leading into PVP events

Resources and Items

• Shields stockpiled — at least one 24-hour shield per PVP day
• Teleports available — for repositioning and the free Alliance Assaults teleport
• Healing speedups saved — for rapid troop recovery between fights
• Fuel reserves — for march stamina during extended combat sessions

Intelligence and Coordination

• Targets scouted — know who has troops, what type they run, and their approximate power
• Rally leaders designated — your strongest players should lead, everyone else joins
• Communication channel active — alliance chat, Discord, or whatever your group uses
• Attack plan agreed — which targets, in which order, and who leads each rally

Common PVP Mistakes

1. Attacking without scouting — hitting empty bases, wrong type matchups, or shielded targets wastes everything
2. Running mixed squads — you lose the 20% mono-type bonus. Always run mono squads in PVP
3. Solo attacking defended bases — one player cannot break a garrisoned base. Use rallies
4. Forgetting to shield — leaving your base open during PVP events is giving the enemy free points
5. Not healing between fights — sending wounded troops into the next battle compounds your losses
6. Ignoring the 5x rival multiplier on Enemy Buster — targeting non-rival players is five times less efficient
7. Spreading rallies across multiple targets — concentrate on one target at a time for maximum impact
8. Not coordinating with your alliance — PVP is a team activity. Individual effort without coordination loses to organised teams every time
9. Wasting speedups before Day 6 — save healing speedups and shields for Saturday
10. Going offline unshielded during PVP events — even five minutes unshielded can cost you your entire army

Related Guides

• Combat Mechanics Guide — the combat triangle, damage types, and formation mechanics
• Squad Building Fundamentals — building effective mono-type squads
• Rally Guide — rally mechanics, leader bonuses, and coordination
• Alliance Duel VS Guide — full day-by-day VS breakdown including Enemy Buster
• Capital Conquest Guide — large-scale alliance PVP