This section covers the Spoke Wheel design where you cap, cluster and branch to expand quickly.
The design of your kingdom is important as you grow and conquer cities. I cluster my cities for ease of defense and growth, pairing a Main City with both a Defensive and Offensive city. I usually conq a 4th to be versatile, grow scholars and assist with Defense in my first cluster and Atk in my second cluster and then alternate. As my cities grow I eventually open the academy in all to assist with scholarship contribution, but initially I market resources to my main city and grow them there.
Everyone starts with the Main City, you have a nice mix of def and atk, open your Academy, and Rams. I typically don't train Ballistas until my 3rd city. I try and max out my buildings in my first city, but I grab my second city as soon as I can grow 2 Scholars.
From my main city I grab the best looking largest city near my main city within 6 to 8 grids away. This second city is always my defensive city. I grow only Lancers, Sentries and Guardians. I max my Barracks and Stable, Wall, Warehouse and Farm I keep my resource buildings around 25 to 30. If the acad isn't built I don't build it until I've got a good solid troop base.
My third city is offensive atk troops, Zerks, Scouts and Knights. I usually research Ballistas at this point mainly to Crop Barbies. City 3 is in the opposite direction of city 2 on the other side of city 1. It is 6 - 8 grids away from main city. City #4 is used as both a scholar city and Defensive. Again, this I alternate this 4th city between Atk and Def in each cluster of cities.
Once you have your cluster, branch out to a new area. This 5th city is your new Main City. I use it as a foothold to a new area. I typically conq a barb or inactive player city close to acad lvls. Less work and res put into it the better. Build troops as if it were ur main city, then cap a city for defense nearby and so on and so forth.
Everyone does it differently, I have found it very helpful to have a mass of specific troops that I can send as a "nuke", a "city breaker" or as support to my other cities and or guild mates.
