🏙️ City Capture & Schedule

Capturing cities is the heart of long-term power and influence in Season 1 – The Crimson Plague. Cities provide massive buffs, increase your alliance’s Stronghold capacity, and are key to controlling your warzone and expanding to others.

This page covers:

• 🗓️ City unlock schedule
• 📦 Daily capture limits
• 🛡️ Protection rules
• 🏆 Role breakdowns by alliance tier
• 🔗 Preparation tips for each phase

🔓 City Unlock Schedule

Cities unlock progressively as the season advances. Higher-tier cities are stronger, better rewarded, and more contested.

📌 Higher-tier cities offer stronger buffs and grant more Stronghold slots.

📦 City Capture Rules

• ✅ Max 2 city war declarations per day (per alliance)
• 🟡 Only 1 city declaration can be active at a time (you must finish or cancel a war before declaring the next).
• 🧱 Your alliance must be connected via Strongholds to declare
• 🧬 Your Virus Resistance determines troop loss during the siege
• 🕒 Cities enter a 7-day protection after being captured — immune to new declarations

🏆 What Cities Provide

• Alliance-wide combat buffs (ATK/DEF, troop HP, etc.)
• Increased Stronghold limit:
  • +1 for each Level 1–5 city
  • +2 for each Level 6 city
• Strategic access to rare zones, loot crates, and enemy Warzones

🗓️ Weekly Capture Planning

Week 1–2: Early Positioning

• Do not rush cities early unless you’re a top-tier alliance
• Focus on stronghold positioning, zone scouting, and VRI upgrades

Week 3: L3 Targets

• Prepare to rally Level 3 cities
• Deploy Military Base (Outpost) if needed for new zones
• Assign rally leads with 10k Virus Resistance

Week 4+: Strategic Conquests

• L4–L6 cities are contested and often defended
• Plan declarations for low-activity hours and ensure top rally coordination
• Use city captures to scale Stronghold capacity and secure warpaths

🏅 Strategy by Alliance Tier

👑 Top 3 Alliances

• Plan to capture a city every day once L3+ opens
• Prioritize L4–L6 cities for max buffs and zone dominance
• Rotate rally leads and defend key cities with strong garrisons

🥈 Top 10–15 Alliances

• Anchor lower zones with L2–L4 cities
• Support Top 3 via buffer zones or bait cities
• Use cities to increase your Stronghold limit and prep for cross-warzones

🧱 Smaller Alliances

• Secure L1–L2 cities in quieter zones
• Use as safe income and Stronghold expansions
• Follow allied paths to join future warzone invasions

📋 Tips Before Capturing

• ✅ Ensure Virus Resistance = 10,000 for rally leads and fillers
• 🧠 Capture when enemy alliances are offline
• 🛡️ Garrison captured cities with strong players immediately
• 🗺️ Use alternate cities as decoys or stalling zones
• 🛠️ Prep building upgrades & healing for post-siege recovery

🔗 Related Guides

• 🛡️ Strongholds & Capture Limits →
  Learn how to build toward cities and increase your control limit.

• 🌍 Alliance Outposts →
  Required for capturing cities outside your home Warzone (from Week 3).

• 🎯 Strategy by Alliance Tier →
  Helps assign roles and capture goals by alliance strength.