Waterfall Training (Season 1)
Waterfall Training in Season 1
Season 1 unlocks higher barracks levels, T9 and T10 troops, and more Alliance Duel research — all of which make waterfall training significantly more powerful. Your chains are longer, your points per cycle are higher, and the gap between players who waterfall and those who do not widens further.
For the full explanation of how waterfall training works, see the Waterfall Training Guide.
In pre-season, waterfall training was a nice advantage. In Season 1, it is a requirement. Alliance Duel research multipliers are higher, troop tiers go deeper, and the point difference between waterfall and direct training is enormous. If your alliance is not coordinating waterfall training, you will lose Day 5 every week.
What Changes in Season 1
Higher Troop Tiers
- T9 becomes the standard combat tier (Barracks Level 27)
- T10 is available at Barracks Level 30 but requires Special Forces research and Valor Badges — it is not just a barracks upgrade
- The waterfall chain extends from T5–T8 to T5–T9 or even T5–T10
More Barracks
By Season 1, most players have 4 barracks unlocked. This enables a full 4-step or 5-step waterfall chain.
Alliance Duel Research
Higher Alliance Duel research levels increase your point multipliers by up to 150%. This compounds with waterfall training — each promotion step earns more base points, and those points are then multiplied. The combination is devastating.
Recommended Season 1 Setups
Standard T9 Waterfall (4 Barracks)
This is the default setup for most Season 1 players.
Weekly routine: Train T5 troops all week. On Day 5: T5 → T6 → T7 → T8 → T9 through the chain. Four promotion steps, each earning points separately.
Why T5 and not lower? T5 troops are still fast to produce and give a reasonable base of stats if you need emergency reserves. Training T4 is also viable if you want an even cheaper stockpile, but T5 hits the sweet spot for speed vs. utility.
Extended T9 Waterfall (4 Barracks, Longer Chain)
If you want to maximise points and do not mind a slightly longer promotion process:
Weekly routine: Train T4 troops all week. On Day 5: T4 → T5 → T6 → T8 → T9. Note the jump from T6 to T8 — Barracks 2 skips T7 and promotes directly to its max tier (T8). You still earn 4 promotion steps, but the lower starting point means cheaper training all week.
T10 Waterfall (Post-Special Forces Research)
Once you unlock T10 through the Special Forces research tree:
Weekly routine: Train T6 troops all week. On Day 5: T6 → T7 → T8 → T9 → T10. Four promotion steps with the highest-tier endpoint. T10 promotions earn the most points per step.
Unlike all previous tiers, T10 troops require completing the Special Forces research in the Tech Center (requires Tech Center Level 30) and spending Valor Badges. Simply reaching Barracks Level 30 is not enough. Plan your Valor Badge income — these come from Alliance Duel reward chests and other events.
Arms Race Optimisation
Arms Race features a Unit Training scoring phase that works identically to Day 5 of VS. Apply the same waterfall strategy:
- Stockpile low-tier troops before the Unit Training phase begins
- Promote through the chain during the scoring window
- Use training speedups to maximise cycles
The key difference is timing. Arms Race phases do not always align with your VS week, so you may need to build separate stockpiles. Pay attention to the Arms Race schedule and start stockpiling early.
Season 1 Weekly Routine
Monday–Thursday:
- Train T5 or T6 troops continuously in all barracks
- Save all training and general speedups for Day 5
- Monitor Arms Race schedule — if Unit Training is coming, build extra stockpile
Friday (Day 5 — Total Mobilisation):
- Run the full waterfall chain
- Use all saved speedups
- Promote reserves to top tier before Day 6
Saturday (Day 6 — Enemy Buster):
- Your army should be at full T9/T10 strength for combat
- After losses, immediately begin restocking low-tier troops for next week
Sunday:
- Resume T5/T6 training
- Start stacking radar missions for Monday
Transitioning Barracks Levels
As you progress through Season 1, you will naturally upgrade your highest barracks. When you do:
- Decide whether to push the chain higher or keep it wide — a longer chain (more steps) earns more points, but a higher ceiling (T9 → T10) earns more per step
- Keep at least 3 tiers of separation between your lowest and highest barracks — this ensures meaningful point multiplication
- Do not rush to level all barracks to 30 — staggering is more valuable than having all barracks at T10
When to Consolidate
Late in Season 1, once your main army is fully T10 and you are preparing for Season 2+, you may want to start levelling lower barracks up. At that point, the meta shifts toward T10/T11 and the waterfall chain adjusts accordingly. But for most of Season 1, staggered barracks remain the optimal approach.
Common Season 1 Mistakes
- Rushing all barracks to Level 27 — you lose the waterfall chain. Keep them staggered
- Neglecting Alliance Duel research — higher multipliers compound with waterfall training. Invest in this research path early
- Forgetting to promote before Day 6 — your troops should be at max tier for combat. Run the waterfall chain before Desert Storm Battlefield
- Not adjusting for T10 — once T10 is unlocked, update your chain. Do not keep promoting to T9 when T10 is available
- Ignoring Arms Race timing — waterfall works for Arms Race too. Track the schedule and stockpile accordingly
Related Guides
- Waterfall Training Guide — full explanation of how waterfall training works
- Alliance Duel VS Guide — complete day-by-day VS breakdown
- Alliance Duel VS (Season 1) — Season 1 VS strategy
- HQ Progression (Season 1) — Season 1 building priorities