The March is five battles in a row against bots, each stronger than the last. After every victory you pick one of three trophies. You have three banners: a defeat costs one, with none left the march is over. A cleared march gives up to 880 points; the best marches are listed on the faction boards and in the daily march.
What the March is
The March is a mode for those who want more than a single battle. You lead your chosen faction through five frontiers: each one is held by a bot of another faction and every next one is stronger. Between battles you collect trophies, small boosts that last until the end of the march. Open the game page and press “The March” in the menu.
Rules of the short battle
- Battles are shorter than usual: lines and the citadel hold 55% of their strength and both sides start with 150 more gold.
- From minute 6 the lines start to decay (in a regular battle from minute 15), so a stalled battle resolves itself. A typical battle takes 5–8 minutes.
- All the usual rules apply: the castle, the economy, counters, the hero spell, ×2 and ×4 speed.
- The march is saved in your browser: you can close the tab and come back.
Banners and defeats
You have three banners. A defeat costs one and returns you to the same frontier (the battle restarts with a new seed, so it does not repeat the last one). When no banners are left the march ends and the points you earned are kept.
Frontiers and conditions
| # | Frontier | Enemy strength | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ford outpost | Easy | none |
| 2 | Ravaged crossing | Easy | Rich foe: income +5% |
| 3 | Border pass | Medium | Seasoned warriors: income +3% |
| 4 | Stone fortress | Medium | Bastion: lines 30% sturdier, units 10% healthier, income +4% |
| 5 | The Overlord's citadel | Strong | Overlord: lines 25% sturdier, income +7%, damage +6%, spell 20% more often |
A frontier condition strengthens the enemy and is shown in advance on the map. The enemy factions on the five frontiers are random and never repeat twice in a row.
Trophies
After every victory three trophies are offered. Rare ones are more common on later frontiers. Every faction has its own trophies: they are offered only when you play it. A trophy with a drawback gives more but takes something away.
| Trophy | Effect | Rarity |
|---|---|---|
| Honed blades | Units deal 8% more damage | common |
| Sturdy armor | Units have 10% more health | common |
| Field forge | Units cost 8% less | common |
| Wide ranks | +3 slots in every wave | common |
| Steel greaves | Units get +1 armor | common |
| Supply train | Gold income +10% | common |
| War chest | +150 gold at the start of every battle | common |
| Master builders | Every workshop gives 1 more gold per second | common |
| Right of plunder | Gold for slain enemies +50% | common |
| Castle blueprints | Castle upgrades cost 15% less | common |
| Masons | Your lines and citadel are 15% sturdier | common |
| Scroll of haste | The hero spell recharges 20% faster | common |
| Empowered charms | The hero spell is 25% stronger | common |
| Prospectors | The mine gives 3 more gold per second | common |
| Warlord's banner | Damage +15% and health +10% | rare |
| Gold vein | Income +20% and +100 gold at the start | rare |
| Royal edict | Units cost 15% less and +2 slots in a wave | rare |
| Iron will | Armor +2 and health +8% | rare |
| Archmage | The spell is 40% stronger and recharges 25% faster | rare |
| Siege train | Your lines are 25% sturdier, castle upgrades 10% cheaper | rare |
| Greed | Income +30%, but units have 10% less health | rare, with a drawback |
| Recklessness | Damage +25%, but unit health −12% | rare, with a drawback |
| Shield wall (The Kingdom) | Formation cuts damage taken by 6% more | common |
| Royal guard (The Kingdom) | Unit health +12%, armor +1 | rare |
| Pack alpha (The Wilds) | The pack bonus is 50% stronger | common |
| The great hunt (The Wilds) | Gold for kills +30%, damage +6% | rare |
| Dark ritual (The Pale Court) | Dust keeps 2 more skeletons, and they are 30% sturdier | common |
| Necropolis (The Pale Court) | Dust keeps 3 more skeletons, 50% sturdier; units 5% weaker | rare |
Score
Every cleared frontier gives 100 points. A cleared march adds 200 and 60 for each banner left. The maximum is 880 points (all five frontiers and three banners).
How to score more
- Build trophies into one idea. Income and castle price feed the early economy, damage and health the strength of the army.
- Do not rush the drawbacks. Greed and Recklessness are strong on easy frontiers, but against the Overlord a mistake costs more.
- Read the frontier condition. The Bastion calls for siege units and spells on the lines, the Rich foe calls for quick pressure.
- Protect your banners. Every banner left is 60 points and a reserve for the Overlord.
Leaderboards and the daily march
In the Ranking window the Marches tab shows the best marches of every faction, an overall board and a board of the day. In the daily march every player gets the same route and the same trophy offers, so results can be compared fairly. A player's best march goes to the board, with ✔ next to the name for a cleared march and ★ for a march without losses. A result is accepted only if the server confirmed the victories by recalculating the battles.
FAQ
Do I need to register for the March?
No: you can play the March without signing in and the result is kept in your browser. A free account (email and nickname) is needed to enter the leaderboards.
What happens if I close the tab in the middle of a march?
The march is saved in your browser. A battle in progress at the moment of closing does not count as a defeat: you start it again.
How does the leaderboard know a result is honest?
The server recalculates every claimed victory from the record of your commands: the enemy plays by the same rules and the trophies must come from the offered ones. A result cannot be faked.