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Tech Centre Research Guide

Buildings · 2026-03-24

What Is the Tech Centre?

The Tech Centre is your primary research building. It unlocks troop tiers, combat bonuses, economic buffs, and access to advanced game systems. Almost every HQ upgrade from level 8 onward requires the Tech Centre to be one level behind your target HQ — making it the single most consistent bottleneck in your progression.

The Non-Negotiable Rule

Never let your Tech Centre research queue sit idle. Every hour without active research is permanent progress lost. Treat it like your builder queue — something should always be running.

Research Categories

The Tech Centre contains several research trees, each serving a different purpose:

CategoryWhat It DoesWhen to Focus
EconomicResource production, gathering speed, construction speed, research speedEarly game priority. Accelerates everything else
CombatTroop attack, defence, HP, march capacity, rally bonusesMid-to-late game. Your long-term power investment
DevelopmentTroop tier unlocks, barracks capacity, training speedAlways — troop tiers are the biggest power jumps
Season-SpecificAge of Oil (S1), Special Forces (S1), Polar research (S2)When the season starts. These trees unlock season mechanics

Research Priority by Phase

Early Game (HQ 1-15)

Your goal is to accelerate growth. Every research point spent here should make future upgrades faster or cheaper.

  1. Construction Speed I-III — reduces build times on everything. The compound effect over hundreds of upgrades is enormous
  2. Research Speed I-III — same logic. Faster research means faster access to everything else
  3. Gathering Speed — you rely on gathering for resources in early game
  4. Troop tier unlocks — always research the next troop tier when available. Higher-tier troops are dramatically stronger
  5. Badge-free economic techs — these cost only common resources (Food, Iron, Coins) and give meaningful buffs
Early Game Trap

Do not rush combat research before HQ 15. Your combat power at this stage comes from hero levels and troop tiers, not from research bonuses. Build the economic foundation first so you can grow faster and reach the point where combat research actually matters.

Mid Game (HQ 15-22)

You are now building your first serious squad and starting to participate in alliance events. Combat research begins to matter.

  1. Troop tier unlocks — still the highest priority whenever a new tier becomes available
  2. March Capacity — more troops per march means stronger rallies and better event performance
  3. Combat stats for your primary squad type — attack and defence bonuses for Tank, Aircraft, or Missile
  4. Extra Barracks — unlocks additional training queues. Critical for waterfall training (queuing troops across multiple barracks simultaneously)
  5. Construction and Research Speed IV-V — continue pushing these as they become available

Late Game (HQ 22-30)

Your primary squad is taking shape. Gold gear is in progress. Alliance wars and competitive events demand combat power.

  1. T9 and T10 troop unlocks — T10 troops are one of the biggest power spikes in the game. Reaching Tech Centre level 30 to unlock them is a top priority
  2. Combat research — attack, defence, HP bonuses for your primary type. These bonuses apply to rallies you lead
  3. Rally-specific research — rally capacity, rally attack bonuses. Essential if you are a designated rally leader
  4. March Speed — faster marches mean faster rallies and better response times
  5. Hospital Capacity — keeps more troops alive after losses

Key Research Nodes

Certain research nodes are disproportionately valuable. Prioritise these:

Research NodeWhy It Matters
Extra BarracksUnlocks additional training queues for waterfall training. Lets you train troops continuously across multiple barracks, dramatically increasing troop output
Troop Tier UnlocksEach new tier is a massive power jump. T10 troops are roughly 3-4x stronger than T7 troops
March CapacityMore troops per march means more damage dealt and more damage absorbed. Directly increases rally and solo attack power
Construction SpeedReduces build time on every single upgrade. The compound effect over your entire progression is worth weeks of saved time
Gathering SpeedResources from tiles come in faster. Especially valuable in early and mid game when events alone cannot fund your upgrades
Rally Attack / Rally CapacityIf you are a rally leader, these bonuses apply to every participant. One of the highest-impact research paths for alliance combat

Resource Costs and Management

Research costs escalate significantly at higher Tech Centre levels. Managing your resources is essential.

Resource Tips

  • Do not open resource chests until you need them — resources in your inventory cannot be stolen. Resources in your base can be raided
  • Save big research starts for Arms Race Research Day — you earn event points for research completed during this event
  • Use research speedups strategically — save them for Arms Race rather than burning them randomly
  • Prioritise badge-free research first — many economic techs cost only Food, Iron, and Coins. Clear these before spending Valor Badges

Valor Badges

Valor Badges are a special currency that gates access to advanced research nodes. They are earned from events, achievements, and certain purchases.

  • Do not spend badges on low-value research — save them for troop tier unlocks, combat research, and key progression nodes
  • Badge income is slow — you cannot farm badges the way you farm Food or Iron. Every badge spent on the wrong research is a badge you cannot get back quickly
  • Plan your badge spending 2-3 research nodes ahead — check what is coming and make sure you have enough badges saved

Alliance Technology

Alliance Technology is a separate research tree funded by donations from all alliance members. These bonuses apply to every member of the alliance.

Daily Donations

  • You can make up to 30 donations per day to alliance research
  • Always donate to the recommended technology — it gives a 20% bonus to your contribution
  • Donations earn Alliance Contribution Points, which you spend in the Alliance Store
  • Do not let your donation counter sit at 30/30 — log in every 8-10 hours to clear it

Alliance Research Priorities

CategoryPriority
CombatHighest priority mid-to-late game. Troop attack, defence, and HP bonuses for the entire alliance
DevelopmentHigh priority early game. Construction and research speed for all members
TerritoryUnlocks alliance buildings and territory bonuses. Important for expansion
Resource ProductionModerate priority early, drops off later as events become the primary resource source

Coordinate with your alliance leadership on which technology to prioritise. Random donations waste the 20% recommended bonus.

Season-Specific Research

Each season introduces new research trees that unlock season mechanics:

SeasonKey Research
Season 1 (Age of Oil)Oil production, T11 troop unlocks, oil-based combat bonuses. Oil becomes the primary resource bottleneck
Season 1 (Special Forces)Unlocks the Special Forces system and related combat bonuses
Season 2 (Polar)Temperature bonuses, furnace efficiency, and Rare Soil production bonuses

When a new season starts, assess the new research tree immediately. Some nodes gate access to critical season mechanics — delaying them puts you behind players who prioritise them.

Common Research Mistakes

  1. Spreading too thin — researching a little of everything instead of focusing on high-impact nodes. Follow the priority order for your current phase
  2. Skipping economic research — combat research feels more exciting, but construction and research speed bonuses accelerate everything else. Build the foundation first
  3. Neglecting Alliance Technology donations — 30 free donations per day that benefit your entire alliance. There is no reason to skip these
  4. Wasting Valor Badges on low-priority nodes — badges are scarce. Plan your spending before you click
  5. Letting the research queue sit empty — every idle hour is wasted progress. Always have something researching
  6. Not saving research for Arms Race — completing research outside of Arms Race Research Day wastes potential event points
  7. Ignoring troop tier unlocks — a player with T10 troops and mediocre research will beat a player with T7 troops and maxed research every time
  8. Rushing rally research when you are not a rally leader — rally bonuses only apply when you lead. If you are not a designated leader, prioritise personal combat stats instead
  9. Donating to random alliance tech — always donate to the recommended technology for the 20% bonus
  10. Not planning ahead for season research — new seasons introduce trees with gated mechanics. Research the requirements before the season arrives

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