Attacking Strategies

1. Battle Mechanics

Example 1: Defending LBM are attacked by attacking dragons. they are engaged at melee range, hence a percentage of the damage dealt by the   dragons are deflected via LBM defense, and LBM attack the dragons in   their turn using their melee attack damage of 5.

Example 2: Defending LBM are attacked by attacking fangs for   instance. They are engaged at range 600 (which is within LBM range of   1200 and is not melee range) hence the defending LBM use their ranged   attack of 80 to deal damage to the attacking fangs)Note: The above   values are raw values, research would make a difference.

2. BattleField Range

This is always set by the attacker. The default is 500 for melee troops.

Any ranged troops sent by the attacker will set the battlefield range to (range of longest ranged troop + 500).

Example 1: Dragons - SSDs and BDs and Giants and Granite Ogres are   some examples of melee troops. When you attack with melee troops alone   the battlefield range is set to 500.

Example 2: Lava Jaws have a basic range of 1600. But with Weapons   Calibration level 10, they get a 50% increase in range, making it 2400.   The battlefield range in this case will be

2400 + 500 = 2900

If the battlefield range is always +500 of the troop's range, it   means that the attacking unit must move at least 500 within the first   turn in order to have the initiative, in other words attack the defender   first before the defender can attack back.

3. Importance of Movement/Speed

Failure to move at least 500 will mean that the attacker will just move and not engage or deal any damage to the defender, and in the   defender's turn he will have the initiative and advance and do damage to   the attacker first before the attacker can harm him.

*NOTE: ATTACKERS ALWAYS MOVE FIRST BEFORE THE DEFENDERS*

Example 1: SSDs have a base speed of 1000 and BDs have a base speed   of 750, hence they will cover the 500 within their first turn, and will   hence always do damage to the defenders first.

Example 2: With 0 research for RD and Dragonry, Granite Ogres have a   base speed of 350, meaning they CANNOT cover 500 distance within their   turn and more often than not, defenders will reach them within their   turn and have the initiative over the attackers.

Example 3: With Level 5 RD and Level 5 Dragonry, Granite Ogres will   have a 50% boost to their speed, enabling them to have an enhanced speed   of 350+175=525 which is > 500. Hence these Granite Ogres will be   able to engage the enemy within their initial turn and hence get the   initiative.

4. Priority and Targetting

 Dragons, ie. SSDs and BDs sent on attack will tend to aim ranged troops, such as LJs, Fangs, LBM or fellow SSDs.

Ranged troops are the main danger in any battle. It is always   beneficial to u if u can wipe them out first. They will tend to aim the   enemies whom they determine as the "Greatest Threat". This "Greatest   Threat" is up for debate, it is not very well analyzed and thought out   how these ranged troops target and select their enemies yet, although i   do have a few theories.

5. Greatest Threat

 The pattern that I can see, is that these troops are often selected   by their power and the quantity in which they are present. In other   words, the higher a troops power, eg. fangs which have a power of 10,   and the larger the quantity that are present, the more likely they will   be aimed by the opponent's ranged troops.

6. Some Basic Battle Principles

Attacker always makes the first move All defending troops start off   on the wall on the first turn. Hence, none of  the troops can act as   "tanks" for other troops if attacking melee troops can reach the wall   within the first turn. Melee troops when advancing have to destroy the   opponent troops in their way before they can advance further. Hence one   way to protect your vulnerable but deadly range troops in the back  would  be to have troops in front of them acting as "meat shields".  Ranged  troops have to advance till enemy targets are in their range  before they  will stop. and they will stop at the first enemy target  within their  range. However, they can switch targets when a "greater  threat" comes  into their range. Ranged troops when advancing have to  move their whole  range of motion. For instance, an LJ with level 10 RD  and level 10  Dragonry will have a movement speed of 800. It cannot just  move 500 and  stop. it has to move 800 before it can stop. This is  where the danger  is, as a Granite Ogre fully enhanced only has a  movement speed of 700,  hence if enemy dragons were to reach attacking  LJs within the first  turn, the granite ogres will not be able to  protect the LJs which will  get the full brunt of the dragon damage.  

7. Damage

 It was initially thought the a stack of troops have to receive damage equal to at least half of their combined hp before they start dying, eg. 1k giants would have 4 million hp and would have to be dealt 2 mill damage before some of them start dying.

However, recent Battle Reports have suggested that this no longer is applicable.

A stack of troops when dealing damage can only do damage to a single   stack of enemy troops, unless the damage is so immense that those  troops  are "overkilled" and there is still remainind damage which will  be  splashed over and spread evenly to ALL the remaining stacks of  troops  WITHIN RANGE.

8. An example of how a battle would go (assuming all research is zero)

Attacking army: 50k LBM, 50k SSDs

Defending army: 30k LBM 50k SSDs

Attacking army has more LBM, they should win right? Read the below and see.

Battlefield Range = 1200 + 500 = 1700

First Turn:

 Attacking LBM advance 250, still 1450 away from wall. They sit and   wait Attacking SSDs advance 1000, still 700 away from wall. They sit and   wait Defending LBM see the attacking SSDs which are within their  range,  hence they shoot the SSDs, dealing 30k x 80 damage. These  attacking  SSDs probably lose about 1/3 of their number after the damage   deflection. Defending SSDs advance and engage the attacking SSDs and   wipe them out. They are now 750 distance away from the defending LBM.

Second Turn:

 Attacking LBM have the defending SSDs within their range. They engage these SSDs, killing about 1/2 or 2/3 of their number. Remaining   defending SSDs advance and engage the attacking LBM, LBM have paper   health and lost 3/5 to 4/5 of their number. The defending LBM advance   250 distance and are now 1200 distance away from the attacking LBM which   are now within their range. The defending LBM engage the attacking  LBM,  wiping them out. Battle Over

9. Randomness of a Battle

No 2 battles are exactly the same. There is something called the RNG   factor, short for Random Number Generator, which randomizes the damage   dealt, the number of troops lost, and even inserts in a chance for   ranged troops to completely miss their attack for that particular turn   where the RNG factor was against them. Therefore, never send ranged troops alone without tanks (meat fodder/shields so to speak).

140k troops wiped someone for 5.1 mill power. I do have my theories on how this battle turned out. U can ask me if u will, but read through and get the basics right first.

10. Great Dragons

Are only affected by aerial combat research and nothing else! Not WC, not metallurgy, nothing