Academy Research Guide: Priority Order & Strategy
Key Fact: The Battle Section alone takes 3,911 days to max out—but it provides the most power. Strategic prioritization is essential.
The Academy is your source of permanent boosts in Kingshot. Unlike temporary buffs, research provides lasting benefits that compound over your entire account lifetime. This guide covers optimal research order for maximum efficiency.
Academy Overview
The Academy contains three main research trees:
| Tree | Focus | Time to Max | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Growth | Speed boosts | Moderate | High (early) |
| Economy | Resource production | Low | Medium |
| Battle | Combat stats | 3,911 days | Highest |
Never let your Academy idle. Research continues 24/7—every second without an active research is wasted progress.
Growth Tree
The Growth tree accelerates your overall progression. Focus here early.
Top Priority (Research First):
- Tooling Up — Increases construction speed
- Tool Enhancement — Boosts research speed
- Command Tactics — Improves march capacity
Skip Entirely:
- Camp Expansion — Increases training queue size but NOT training speed. Poor value.
Why These Matter
- Construction Speed = Faster building upgrades = Higher Town Center = Everything else unlocks
- Research Speed = Faster research = Snowball effect on all other research
- March Capacity = More troops per march = More power in battles
Research Speed Tip: Every level of Tool Enhancement makes all future research faster. Prioritize this early for compounding gains.
Economy Tree
The Economy tree provides resource bonuses. Be selective here.
Research These
Gathering Research (All Types)
- Wood Gathering Speed
- Food Gathering Speed
- Stone Gathering Speed
- Iron Gathering Speed
Why? Gathering provides far more resources than passive building production. These researches directly speed up your gathering marches.
Battle Tree — The Most Important
The Battle tree is where you gain real combat power. This should be your long-term focus.
Core Principle: Focus on stats that affect ALL troops first, then class-specific stats.
Two Stats Determine Victory:
- Lethality — How many kills you score
- Health — How long your troops survive
Troop Role Understanding:
- Infantry = Front line, take damage (need Health)
- Archers = Back line, deal damage (need Lethality)
- Cavalry = Offensive strikes (need Lethality)
Battle Tree Priority Order
Phase 1: Universal Stats
Research that affects ALL troop types first:
- All Troops Lethality — Direct damage increase across board
- All Troops Health — Universal survivability
- Regimental Expansion — Increases troop capacity
Why Universal First? These affect Infantry, Archers, AND Cavalry simultaneously—triple value per research point.
War Academy (Advanced)
The War Academy unlocks after reaching high Town Center levels and provides end-game research.
Row 1: Truegold Battalion (HIGH PRIORITY)
- Provides +3,000 Squads' Deployment Capacity when maxed
- Essential for all players
- Prioritize above other War Academy research
T11 Troops Research
- Unlocks Tier 11 troops
- Long-term goal
- Requires significant Truegold Dust
Research Speed Optimization
Active Play Tips
- Short research when active — Queue 1-4 hour research when you're playing
- Long research overnight — Queue 8+ hour research before bed
- Use speed-ups strategically — Save for events like Hall of Governors
Passive Boosts
- VIP Level — Higher VIP = faster research
- Alliance Help — Always request help to reduce timers
- Research Speed Gear — Equip during long research
Alliance Help: Each help request reduces research time. In an active alliance, this adds up to significant time savings daily.
Common Research Mistakes
Avoid These Errors:
- ❌ Researching Camp Expansion early (doesn't speed training)
- ❌ Prioritizing building production over gathering
- ❌ Skipping Tool Enhancement for "combat" research
- ❌ Spreading research across all three trees equally
- ❌ Letting Academy sit idle between research
Research Timeline Expectations
Growth Tree: 2-4 months to essential completion
Economy Tree: 1-2 months for gathering priorities
Battle Tree: 3,911 days (10+ years) to full max
- Focus on priorities, not completion
- Accept you'll never "finish" this tree
- Every bit of progress matters
War Academy: End-game content, months of progression
Quick Reference Card
| Tree | Top 3 Priorities | Skip |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | Tool Enhancement, Tooling Up, Command Tactics | Camp Expansion |
| Economy | All Gathering Speeds | Building Production |
| Battle | Universal Lethality/Health, Infantry Health, Archer Lethality | None (all valuable) |
Summary
Academy research provides permanent, compounding benefits. Prioritize research speed early (Tool Enhancement) to accelerate all future progress. Focus Economy research on gathering, not building production. The Battle tree is your long-term power source—prioritize universal stats first, then class-specific research in order: Infantry Health, Archer Lethality, Cavalry Lethality.
Golden Rule: Never let your Academy idle. Every second without active research is wasted potential.