Troop Guide: Training, Formations & Promotion Strategy
Key Insight: The most efficient action for event scoring is promoting T9 troops to T10—not training fresh T10 troops. This guide explains why and how.
Troops are the foundation of your army in Kingshot. Understanding training mechanics, optimal formations, and the promotion system is essential for competitive play.
Troop Types Overview
Kingshot divides troops into four categories:
| Type | Role | Key Stat | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infantry | Tank/Defense | Health | Front line |
| Archers | Damage Dealer | Lethality | Back line |
| Cavalry | Offensive Strike | Lethality | Flanks |
| Siege | Structure Damage | Attack | Support |
- Infantry absorb damage, protecting your damage dealers
- Archers are your primary kill source—they deal the most damage
- Cavalry provide mobile offense and strong burst damage
- Siege are specialized for attacking structures, not general combat
Optimal Troop Formations
Alliance Championship Formation
The 5:2:3 Formation is optimal for Alliance Championship:
- 5 Infantry (50%) — High HP front line
- 2 Cavalry (20%) — Mobile offense
- 3 Archers (30%) — Primary damage dealers
Why This Works:
- 50% Infantry provides strong survivability
- 30% Archers ensures consistent damage output
- Balanced composition handles most enemy setups
Formation Scaling
Scale the 5:2:3 ratio to your march capacity:
| Capacity | Infantry | Cavalry | Archers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| 20 | 10 | 4 | 6 |
| 50 | 25 | 10 | 15 |
| 100 | 50 | 20 | 30 |
Training vs Promotion: The Math
Critical Knowledge: For event scoring, troop promotion is ALWAYS mathematically superior to direct training.
Why Promotion Wins
The Strategy:
- Train T9 troops BEFORE an event starts
- During the event, PROMOTE those T9 → T10
- You score points for the T9→T10 power difference
- Since initial training happened pre-event, you spend far less event-time
Result: Same speed-ups, more points, better event ranking
Optimal Promotion Path
For maximum Hall of Governors points:
- Pre-Event: Train large quantities of T9 troops
- During Event: Promote T9 → T10
- Point Value: A single T10 troop can be worth ~1,960 points
Best Practice: Always train your second-highest tier troops. Save promotions for big events like Hall of Governors, KvK, and Strongest Governor.
Training Strategy
Active vs Passive Training
When You're Playing
- Queue short training batches (1-2 hours)
- Use speed-ups to finish quickly
- Immediately start next batch
- Maximize throughput while online
Goal: Never let training buildings sit idle
Training Building Management
Multiple buildings train simultaneously:
- Barracks → Infantry
- Archery Range → Archers
- Stables → Cavalry
- Siege Workshop → Siege units
Always have all buildings training. Each idle building is wasted production time.
Troop Tier Progression
Tier Unlocking
Higher troop tiers unlock through:
- Town Center level requirements
- Academy research prerequisites
- Building upgrade requirements
Power Scaling
Each tier provides significant power increases:
| Tier | Relative Power | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| T1-T4 | Low | Early game only |
| T5-T7 | Moderate | Mid game transition |
| T8-T9 | High | Late game standard |
| T10 | Very High | Current end-game |
| T11 | Maximum | War Academy required |
Don't Rush Tiers: It's better to have many T9 troops than few T10 troops. Quantity matters in battles.
Resource Management
Training Costs
Higher tier troops cost significantly more resources:
- Gold
- Food
- Wood
- Stone
- Iron
Cost Optimization
- Use calculators before training to ensure sufficient resources
- Don't start training if you can't finish—wastes queue time
- Gather actively to maintain resource stockpiles
- Protect resources in your backpack from raids
Post-Battle Recovery
Quick Supply Function
After battles, use the Quick Supply function:
- One-click troop replenishment
- Refills all depleted squads
- Prevents power drops from troop losses
Always Replenish: A consistent troop count is the foundation of maintaining high power. Don't let losses accumulate.
Wounded vs Dead
- Wounded troops can be healed (free, just time)
- Dead troops must be retrained (costs resources)
- Hospital capacity determines how many can be wounded vs killed
Alliance Championship Strategy
Lane Assignment
Main Lanes
- Assign your strongest players
- Pair with offensive heroes
- Goal: Secure victories and push forward
- Use optimal 5:2:3 formation
Victory Conditions
- Each member can contribute up to 2 victories per round
- 5 rounds total over ~3 days
- Coordinate with alliance leadership on assignments
Tool Tip: Use our Alliance Champion Calculator to optimize lane assignments based on your members' power levels. Get instant recommendations for distributing your top 20 players across Main, Secondary, and Sacrifice lanes.
Event Optimization
Hall of Governors (Troop Day)
Troop Day is the backbone of HoG scoring:
- Buy training capacity buffs before the event
- Start long queues before Troop Day begins
- Finish them during the event for points
- Stage T9 troops for promotion during event
- T10 promotion = maximum points per speed-up
Strongest Governor
Similar strategy applies:
- Pre-train lower tier troops
- Promote during event windows
- Maximize point efficiency
Common Mistakes
Avoid These Errors:
- ❌ Training T10 directly instead of promoting T9
- ❌ Letting training buildings sit idle
- ❌ Starting training without sufficient resources
- ❌ Ignoring Quick Supply after battles
- ❌ Using unbalanced formations (all cavalry, etc.)
- ❌ Not coordinating with alliance on Championship lanes
Quick Reference
| Situation | Action |
|---|---|
| Normal day | Train T9 troops, save for events |
| Event day | Promote T9 → T10 for points |
| Before bed | Queue max duration training |
| Active play | Short batches + speed-ups |
| After battle | Use Quick Supply immediately |
| Alliance Championship | 5:2:3 formation |
Summary
Troop management in Kingshot rewards strategic thinking over brute force spending. The 5:2:3 formation provides optimal balance for Alliance Championship. For events, pre-training T9 troops and promoting them during events maximizes your point efficiency. Keep all training buildings active, replenish troops after battles, and coordinate with your alliance for Championship success.
Bottom Line: Train T9 before events, promote to T10 during events. Never let buildings idle.