Kingdom of Power (KvK) Guide: Prep Phase, Battle & Field Triage
Bottom Line Up Front: Activate your buffs before you spend a single item. Save your mithril for Day 4 if you have it. Stay online for the castle battle window. These three things alone will make you a better KvK contributor than most players on your server.
Kingdom of Power — also called KvK (Kingdom vs. Kingdom) — is the only event in Kingshot where your whole kingdom wins or loses together. Every other event — Strongest Governor, Hall of Governors, Alliance Brawl — rewards you individually or your alliance. Kingdom of Power rewards or punishes everyone.
That collective pressure is what makes it feel different. Your kingdom leaders care about it more than any other event because the consequences last weeks, not days. This guide covers what actually matters for players who've done a KvK or two but still feel like they're figuring it out.
Why Losing KvK Hurts
If your kingdom loses the castle battle, the opposing kingdom's High King gets appointed over yours. That means they control castle positions, can jail your strongest players, withhold kingdom buffs, and generally make the next few weeks miserable.
Repeated losses drive good players to migrate out. Which makes your server weaker. Which leads to more losses. It spirals fast. For more on how migration decisions work, see our Kingdom Migration Guide.
Winning, on the other hand, gives your alliance a payout of 50 Kingdom Coins vs. 15 for the losing side, plus exclusive Winner Rewards — and makes your server more attractive to incoming transfers.
The Four Phases
KvK runs across four distinct phases.
Matchmaking (2 days): The game pairs your kingdom against another of similar strength, based on your top 100 governors' combined power. You find out your opponent on Day 2. Some kingdoms deliberately hold power low before matchmaking to fish for a weaker opponent — though removing gear or unequipping items doesn't actually affect matchmaking, since it's calculated from troop power. Delaying Town Center progression is a different matter, and whether it works consistently is disputed in the community.
Preparation (5 days): Both kingdoms earn points through daily themed tasks. Whoever finishes with more total points wins the prep phase. The prep winner gets to attack the opposing castle during the battle phase, and their own castle becomes untouchable. They also get State Bonus buffs during the fight — real advantages, not just bragging rights.
Battle: The prep winner's players can teleport into the opposing kingdom. Cross-kingdom movement opens at 10:00 UTC and runs until 22:00 UTC. The castle battle itself starts at 12:00 UTC. Winning the castle battle means appointing a High King for both kingdoms. Failing to capture it means the status quo holds.
Field Triage: After the battle, you recover troops through two separate systems. Troops lost in open-world fighting go through Field Triage — each player gets 20 Rescue Orders to distribute to alliance members, and you can receive up to 50 total. The base recovery rate is 30%, and maxing out at 50 received orders pushes it to 90%. You can also purchase Medical Satchels with gems to add an additional 10% to your personal rescue rate. Troops lost specifically during the castle battle go to the Enlistment Office instead, where 70% are recoverable using Loyalty Points. Keep healing throughout the battle so your infirmary never fills. When it's full, casualties become permanent instead of wounded.
Pre-KvK Checklist
Items to Save:
- Advanced Taming Marks — 15,000 points each on Days 3 & 5 (see our Pet Guide)
- Hero Roulette spins — 8,000 points each on Days 2 & 3
- Truegold — 2,000 points each on Days 1, 2 & 5 (see our Truegold Guide)
- Mythic Hero Shards — 3,040 points each on Days 2 & 3
- Widgets & Forgehammers — 8,000 and 4,000 points each on Days 4 & 5
- Mithril — 40,000 points each on Days 4 & 5, endgame players only (requires maxed Mythic gear — see note below)
Account Preparation:
- Activate buffs before Day 1 — Wolf pet buff, Double Time Decree, apply for Chief Minister
- Queue up intel missions the night before (they refresh on a timer)
- Clear your hospital to maximize capacity for battle phase
- Set aside troops for training on Day 4 — highest tier available
Kingdom Coordination:
- Confirm shell alliance setup with R4/R5 if your kingdom uses them
- Join Discord or voice chat channel for battle phase coordination
- Know your TC level range — you can only score points against enemies within ±3 TC levels
Prep Phase: What to Actually Do Each Day
Activate your buffs before spending anything on Day 1. Wolf pet buff, double time decree, apply for Chief Minister through the castle. Do this first. Buffing after you've already burned items is wasted efficiency — you earn points on what you spend, and spending under active buffs means you needed fewer items to hit the same milestones.
Day 1 — City Construction
The big earners today are Watchtower Intel Missions (6,000 points each, refresh on a timer so run them throughout the day) and Truegold for building upgrades (2,000 points each). Speedups score 30 points per minute of construction, research, or training time — worth using if you've been saving, but intel missions give far better return for zero resource cost. Governor Charm levels also score on Day 1; if you have materials to level charms, this day is the time to use them. Note: gathering marches don't score on Day 1, so don't send them out expecting points.
| Task | Points |
|---|---|
| Complete Watchtower Intel Mission | 6,000 |
| Use 1 Truegold (building upgrade) | 2,000 |
| Use 1 Truegold Dust (Tech Research) | 1,000 (War Academy required) |
| Raise Governor Charm max score (varies by level) | 625–16,000 |
| Use 1 Tempered Truegold (building upgrade) | 30,000 (TG8+ only) |
| 1 minute of Construction Speedups | 30 |
| 1 minute of Research Speedups | 30 |
| 1 minute of Troop Training Speedups | 30 |
Day 2 — Basic Skills Up
Hero Roulette spins are worth 8,000 points each — if you've been saving spins for this event, Day 2 is when to pull. Hero shard ascensions score based on rarity: Rare shards give 350 points, Epic give 1,220, Mythic give 3,040. Note that General Shards do not count. Truegold building upgrades carry over from Day 1 at the same 2,000-point rate. Gathering in the wilderness gives small points, but it's free and passive — keep your marches out.
| Task | Points |
|---|---|
| Play Hero Roulette (1x) | 8,000 |
| Use 1 Mythic Hero Shard | 3,040 (General Shards excluded) |
| Use 1 Truegold (building upgrade) | 2,000 |
| Use 1 Truegold Dust (Tech Research) | 1,000 (War Academy required) |
| Use 1 Epic Hero Shard | 1,220 |
| Use 1 Rare Hero Shard | 350 |
| Use 1 Tempered Truegold (building upgrade) | 30,000 (TG8+ only) |
| 1 minute of Construction / Research / Training Speedups | 30 |
| Gather 1,000 Bread / 1,000 Wood / 200 Stone / 50 Iron | 2 each |
Day 3 — Pet Training
Advanced Taming Marks are the headline item today: 15,000 points each, which makes them the second-highest single-item value in the entire prep phase. Common Taming Marks give 1,150 each. Hero Roulette and shard ascensions are available again at the same values as Day 2. Watchtower Intel Missions return at 6,000 each — keep running them. Governor Charm levels also score again today. For pet-related optimization tips, see our Pet Guide.
| Task | Points |
|---|---|
| Use 1 Advanced Taming Mark (Pet Refinement) | 15,000 |
| Play Hero Roulette (1x) | 8,000 |
| Complete Watchtower Intel Mission | 6,000 |
| Use 1 Mythic Hero Shard | 3,040 (General Shards excluded) |
| Use 1 Epic Hero Shard | 1,220 |
| Use 1 Common Taming Mark (Pet Refinement) | 1,150 |
| Use 1 Rare Hero Shard | 350 |
| Raise Governor Charm max score (varies by level) | 625–16,000 |
| Raise Pet Advancement Score (per point) | 50 |
Day 4 — Hero Development
This is the most important day of prep for most players.
Mithril gives 40,000 points per use — nothing else in the entire prep phase comes close. One mithril is worth more than 20 truegold, more than 2.5 Advanced Taming Marks, and more than 5 spins on the Hero Roulette.
That said, most players at their first few KvKs won't have any mithril — and that's completely normal. Mithril requires your Mythic Hero Gear to be at Level 100 with Mastery Forging Level 10 before you can even start the Red Gear process that uses it. It's genuinely an endgame item, and the main source (Arena Shop) costs 10,000 Arena Coins per piece. If you don't have mithril yet, skip to troop training and forgehammers below — you're not behind, you're just not at that stage yet.
Hero Exclusive Gear Widgets give 8,000 points each. Forgehammers give 4,000 each. If you're training troops on Day 4, train the highest tier you have unlocked. For troop tier details, see our Troop Guide.
| Task | Points |
|---|---|
| Use 1 Mithril | 40,000 (endgame only — requires maxed Mythic gear) |
| Use 1 Widget (Hero Exclusive Gear) | 8,000 |
| Use 1 Hero Gear Forgehammer | 4,000 |
| Raise Governor Charm max score (varies by level) | 625–16,000 |
| Train 1 T11 troop | 75 |
| Train 1 T10 troop | 60 |
| Train 1 T9 troop | 45 |
| Train 1 T8 troop | 35 |
| Train 1 T7 troop | 25 |
| Train 1 T6 troop | 18 |
| Train 1 T5 troop | 12 |
| Train 1 T4 troop | 8 |
| Train 1 T3 troop | 5 |
| Train 1 T2 troop | 4 |
| Train 1 T1 troop | 3 |
| Gather 1,000 Bread / 1,000 Wood / 200 Stone / 50 Iron | 2 each |
Day 5 — Power Boost
Day 5 has the widest task list of the entire prep phase — almost everything scores today. Mithril is back at 40,000 points, Advanced Taming Marks return at 15,000, and Watchtower Intel Missions are back at 6,000 each. Truegold, Truegold Dust, Widgets, and Forgehammers all carry the same values as their earlier days. Governor Gear max score also unlocks as a scoring task today for the first time.
| Task | Points |
|---|---|
| Use 1 Mithril | 40,000 (endgame only) |
| Use 1 Advanced Taming Mark (Pet Refinement) | 15,000 |
| Use 1 Tempered Truegold (building upgrade) | 30,000 (TG8+ only) |
| Use 1 Widget (Hero Exclusive Gear) | 8,000 |
| Complete Watchtower Intel Mission | 6,000 |
| Use 1 Truegold (building upgrade) | 2,000 |
| Use 1 Hero Gear Forgehammer | 4,000 |
| Use 1 Common Taming Mark (Pet Refinement) | 1,150 |
| Use 1 Truegold Dust (Tech Research) | 1,000 (War Academy required) |
| Raise Governor Gear max score (varies by rarity) | 1,125–6,250 |
| Raise Pet Advancement Score (per point) | 50 |
| 1 minute of Construction / Research / Training Speedups | 30 |
| Gather 1,000 Bread / 1,000 Wood / 200 Stone / 50 Iron | 2 each |
The Saving Debate
Your kingdom leaders will tell you to save items for KvK. The math backs them up: one Advanced Taming Mark on Day 3 is 15,000 points. Spending those in a random event two weeks before KvK means your kingdom permanently loses those points. Across a full server, that gap can swing the prep phase outcome.
The saving rule is sound. What causes drama is heavy-handed enforcement — jailing players for scoring in other events, setting point caps, blacklisting alliances. The community broadly agrees this approach drives good players to migrate. The healthy version is leadership making a strong case, reminding people regularly, and respecting that these are your items.
As a returning player, the practical middle ground: save your Advanced Taming Marks, truegold, Mythic hero shards, and mithril if you have it. These have outsized KvK value. For everything else, participate in other events at a reasonable level — just don't dump your stockpile.
One exception worth flagging: blanket save rules hurt F2P players disproportionately. Some events like the Armament Competition give rewards that big spenders have no reason to chase. If you're F2P and one of those events is running, it's reasonable to compete without being treated as a bad actor.
The Battle Phase
Winning prep gets you the attacking position and the buffs. The rest is execution.
Coordinate your alliance around the castle window: it opens at 12:00 UTC as part of the broader 10:00–22:00 UTC cross-kingdom phase. Everyone who can be online should be online. The prep bonus gives you faster healing and more enlistment capacity — use those aggressively throughout the fight, not just at the start.
You can attack any opposing governor whose Town Centre is within 3 levels of yours. TC27 players can hit TC24 through TC30. Know your target range before you teleport, and coordinate with your alliance on who's hitting what.
How the castle battle is actually won
The first kingdom to hold the castle for 3 continuous hours wins outright (confirmed via the official Kingshot help center). If neither side manages that before the window closes, whoever had the longest total occupation time takes the win. This matters more than most players realize — capturing the castle once and walking away doesn't cut it. You have to hold it, and that means constantly cycling troops back in as the fight continues.
For the full breakdown of castle mechanics — rally timing, troop formations, garrison hero picks, and double-rally execution — see our Castle Battle Guide.
Turrets — don't ignore them
There are four turrets around the castle, and they're worth fighting over. Controlling turrets gives every squad from your kingdom inside the castle a Lethality bonus — the more turrets you hold, the bigger the bonus, up to a maximum with all four controlled.
There's also a second reason to prioritize them: if turrets and the castle are both held by alliances from the same kingdom, the turrets won't fire on the castle. So clearing enemy turrets isn't just about the lethality buff — it stops them from shooting at your troops during the push.
Shell alliances
Competitive kingdoms consolidate their strongest players into one or two dedicated "shell" alliances for the battle phase. These alliances have fully maxed battle tech, which stacks attack buffs for every member. Players join the shell for the castle fight, then return to their home alliance afterward. If your kingdom's leadership runs this system, follow their instructions on when to move. If they don't, bringing it up is worth the conversation — the buff difference is significant. Our Castle Battle Guide covers the full shell alliance setup.
Batch healing — the skill that matters most
A full infirmary means your next casualties die permanently rather than going wounded. This is where KvK losses really compound — not from losing individual fights, but from running a full hospital while the battle is still going.
Batch heal, don't use speedups. Move the healing slider to roughly 30 minutes of healing, spam the heal button, and send alliance help requests. This gives you near-instant continuous healing without wasting your speedup stockpile. Reserve speedups for emergencies when your hospital is about to overflow.
Heal first, keep fighting second.
State Medals — don't miss the 6th
You earn one State Medal each day you hit the 200,000-point threshold during prep — that's 5 medals across 5 days. A 6th medal is awarded for participating in the castle battle itself. That 6th medal unlocks the final Medal Reward tier, which contains the best prizes of the entire event. Even if you can't contribute much combat power, just being online and joining a rally or garrison during the battle window gets you that medal.
After the battle: Field Triage
Get into Field Triage immediately after the battle ends. Coordinate with your R4/R5 on who distributes rescue orders to whom. Prioritize your strongest fighters — they lost the most and need the most recovery to be useful in the next cycle.
Avoid These Traps
Don't do these:
- Spending Advanced Taming Marks or Mythic shards outside of KvK — the point value is too high to waste
- Forgetting to activate buffs (Wolf pet, Double Time, Chief Minister) before spending items on Day 1
- Letting your hospital overflow during battle — those troops are gone permanently, and the rest cost Loyalty Points to recover
- Using healing speedups carelessly — batch heal instead and save speedups for emergencies
- Solo marching during the castle battle — join rallies and garrisons instead
- Fighting enemies outside your ±3 TC level range — wastes troops, gives zero points
- Ignoring turrets — turret control stops enemy fire on your garrison and gives your troops a lethality bonus
- Skipping the battle day entirely — you miss the 6th State Medal and the final reward tier
- Not coordinating rescue orders in Field Triage — the strongest fighters should receive orders first
- Burning all your resources on Day 1 — pace your spending across all 5 days to hit the 200k daily threshold each day
FAQ
- Activate buffs before spending anything — Wolf pet, Double Time Decree, Chief Minister. Every item spent without buffs is wasted efficiency.
- Save mithril for Days 4 & 5 if you have it — at 40,000 points each, nothing else comes close. But it requires maxed Mythic gear to acquire, so most mid-game players won't have any yet — and that's fine.
- Hit 200,000 daily points every day — this unlocks the final reward chest and earns a State Medal. Five prep medals plus one battle medal unlocks the best rewards.
- Win the prep phase — the State Bonus, attacking position, and enhanced healing are real advantages. Prep phase determines who enters the castle fight with momentum.
- Control turrets before pushing the castle — turret control stops enemy fire on your garrison and gives your troops a stacking lethality bonus. Four turrets = maximum bonus and a silent battlefield.
- Batch heal, don't speedup heal — keep your hospital clear throughout the battle. Overflow means permanent troop losses that take weeks to recover.
- Coordinate Field Triage rescue orders — send them to your strongest fighters first. The difference between 30% and 90% recovery is massive.
For castle battle mechanics and rally timing, see our Castle Battle Guide. For mithril sourcing, see our Mithril Guide.
Kingdom of Power isn't just a bigger version of a regular event. It's the thing your server builds toward all month, and how it goes shapes the entire player experience for weeks after. The kingdoms that consistently do well aren't necessarily the most powerful — they're the ones that show up organized, spend at the right time on the right days, and fight hard when the castle window opens.
Intel missions are free. Gathering is free. The buffs before Day 1 are free. Do the basics right and you're already ahead of most.