Waterfall Training (Season 5)
Waterfall Training in Season 5
By Season 5, waterfall training is a fully mature system. T11 troops are standard from Season 4, your barracks should be well-staggered, and Alliance Duel research multipliers are at their highest. The waterfall chain extends through T11, generating the most points per cycle in the game's history.
For the full explanation of how waterfall training works, see the Waterfall Training Guide.
Waterfall training is no longer optional — it is the expected standard. Every competitive alliance uses waterfall chains for VS Day 5 and Arms Race. The point difference between waterfall and direct training at T11 is enormous. If you are not running waterfall, you will lose Day 5 every single week. The system is mature and the setup should already be in place from previous seasons.
What Changes in Season 5
T11 as Standard Endpoint
T11 troops from Season 4 are now the baseline combat tier:
- The waterfall chain extends through T11 as the top tier
- T11 promotions earn the most points per step of any tier
- All competitive players should be running T11 endpoint chains
Maximum Chain Length
With 4+ barracks and T11 endpoint, Season 5 waterfall chains are the longest available:
- 5-6 promotion steps per cycle depending on your barracks stagger
- Each step earns points separately, multiplied by Alliance Duel research
- The combined point total per cycle dwarfs anything from earlier seasons
CrystalGold Economy Impact
The Season 5 economy creates new considerations for waterfall timing:
- Speedups saved for Day 5 waterfall cannot be used on Trade Train deliveries during VS week
- T11 training costs standard resources — CrystalGold is not consumed, so there is no banking trade-off
- The Bank Stronghold economy runs parallel to waterfall training without competing for the same resources
Recommended Season 5 Setup
Standard T11 Waterfall (4 Barracks)
This is the default setup for Season 5. Most players should already have this in place from Season 4.
Weekly routine: Train T6 troops all week in all barracks. On Day 5: T6 → T7 → T8 → T9 → T11 through the chain. Four promotion steps with the T11 endpoint earning maximum points.
Extended T11 Waterfall (5 Barracks)
If you have 5 barracks unlocked:
Weekly routine: Train T5 troops all week. On Day 5: T5 → T6 → T7 → T8 → T9 → T11. Five promotion steps — the maximum chain length. Each additional step compounds with Alliance Duel research multipliers.
Do not level all barracks to 30. The waterfall system requires staggered levels. Each barracks should be at a different tier cap. Levelling all barracks to T11 capability destroys your waterfall chain and reduces Day 5 points dramatically. Only your highest barracks should be at T11.
Highest Efficiency Setup
For maximum points per Day 5 cycle in Season 5:
- 5+ barracks staggered across 5-6 tiers
- Alliance Duel research at maximum level for highest multipliers
- Train lowest viable tier (T5 or T6) all week for maximum stockpile
- Use ALL saved speedups on Day 5 for rapid promotion through the chain
- Multiple cycles — complete one full chain, then start a new batch of low-tier troops and promote again
Points Per Step
Higher-tier promotions earn more points. The T9 → T11 step earns significantly more than T6 → T7. Combined with Alliance Duel research multipliers (up to 150%), each T11 promotion step is worth enormous points.
Arms Race Integration
Arms Race Unit Training phases use the same waterfall strategy:
- Stockpile low-tier troops before the Unit Training phase
- Promote through the chain during the scoring window
- Arms Race timing does not always align with VS — track the schedule
- Save separate speedups for Arms Race if it falls on a non-VS week
Season 5 Weekly Routine
Monday–Thursday:
- Train T5 or T6 troops continuously in all barracks
- Save ALL training and general speedups for Day 5
- Run Trade Train deliveries with available troops (do not use speedups)
- Manage Bank Stronghold deposits on their own schedule — no speedup conflict
Friday (Day 5 — Total Mobilisation):
- Run the full waterfall chain: T5/T6 → T7 → T8 → T9 → T11
- Use all saved speedups for maximum cycles
- Promote reserves to T11 before Day 6 for maximum combat strength
Saturday (Day 6 — Combat + City Captures):
- Your army should be at full T11 strength from Day 5
- Use T11 troops for VS Day 6 combat AND Saturday city captures
- Begin restocking low-tier troops after combat
Sunday (Truce Day):
- Resume T5/T6 training for next week
- Safe day for Bank deposits and Trade Train
- Plan next week's waterfall timing
Common Season 5 Waterfall Mistakes
- Levelling all barracks to 30 — destroys the waterfall chain. Keep them staggered
- Using speedups on Trade Train during VS week — those speedups are Day 5 waterfall points. Trade Train can wait
- Not adjusting for T11 endpoint — if your chain still ends at T10, you are leaving points on the table. Upgrade your highest barracks
- Forgetting to promote before Day 6 — your troops need to be at T11 for Saturday combat and city captures
- Not running Arms Race waterfall — the same strategy works for Arms Race Unit Training. Track the schedule
- Inconsistent stockpiling — train low-tier troops every day Mon-Thu. One missed day reduces your Day 5 cycle count
Related Guides
- Waterfall Training Guide — full explanation of waterfall mechanics
- Alliance Duel VS Guide — complete day-by-day VS breakdown
- Season 5 VS Guide — Season 5 VS strategy and resource trade-offs
- Bank Strongholds & CrystalGold Guide — economy that runs parallel to waterfall training