Conquest has been released, and after playing it for a week, I'll like to give my thoughts on it. Before doing so, I'll explain how Conquest currently works because not everyone reading may understand or know the mechanics behind Conquest.
Conquest Mechanics
Conquest is a 7 day long affair. Before Conquest starts, everyone in the guild should have prepared and saved 3 Squads consisting of 15 heroes into the Conquest Warband squad editor. The 3 squads are called the Attack, Defense and Bonus squads. Additionally, the GM/VGM may upgrade Outposts, buy raid wardens and buy conquest rations for the guild.
Attack Squad: Can Attack on Invasion days
Defense Squad: Defends against invasions
Bonus Squad: Can be assigned for attacking or defending
Warden: A raid boss that can be purchased for defending.
Outposts
The war map is divided into 3 sides for a 1v1v1 fight between 3 guilds. Each guild initially controls a triangular region of 10 hexagonal provinces, and the 5 guild Outposts are randomly placed in these Hexagons for the war. The Attack and Defense Towers are always placed in the outermost row (2 of 4 spots), the Farm and Gold Refinery is placed in the middle row (2 of 3 spots), and the Diamond Mine is always placed in the innermost row (1 of 2 spots).
These outposts will give benefit to the guild that currently controls them, so they need to be protected from invasion.
Gold Refinery - Gives gold to players daily during the war
Attack Tower - Gives Attack bonus to all Conquest Squads (excluding wardens)
Defense Tower - Gives Defense boost to all Conquest Squads (excluding wardens)
Farm - Gives healing rations daily to be used during the war
Diamond Mine - Gives Diamonds daily during the war (Conquest currency)
Other terms
Province: Each hexagonal area on the map is a province, there are 10 of them per guild.
Fortification: A location that is capturable. Defenses can be deployed in them.
There are 3 kinds of Fortifications:
- Keep: Refers to fortifications NOT in the center of a province. Gives 10 Conquest Points if captured. Has 3 deployment slots. Location number ends with 1-9.
- Stronghold: Refers to the center fortification of a province. Gives 10 Conquest Points if captured. Has 4 deployment slots and comes with a 2* fortification squad. Location number ends in a 0.
- Castle: The castle at the last row. Gives 250 Conquest Points if captured. Has 4 deployment slots and comes with a 2* fortification squad and a castle warden. Location number is always A10, B10 or C10.
Each provinces may have 2 to 4 fortifications on it. Provinces are randomized for each guild and each war, so every war will have a different graph of connecting fortifications.
War Phases
Day 1 - Preparation Phase
In this phase, guild members may deploy their Defense Squads (and Bonus Squads if they wish) into the territory they own to defend it. Players may relocate/remove their own squad. The GM/VGM may deploy/remove/relocate any member's Defense Squad to any location (so they can deploy Defense Squads of inactive members). The GM/VGM cannot deploy bonus squads of members, but can remove them from a location if deployed.
Additionally, the conquest rations the guild purchased are delivered to all members for use for the remainder of the week. Members may use Attack and Defense rations to raise the Attack and Defense of their squads (or their guild member's squads).
Day 2 - Invasion Phase
In this phase, guild members may attack enemy controlled nodes that are
A) adjacent to a friendly node that your guild controls, as well as
B) any of the 4 outer facing nodes of all 3 sides (the 12 hexagons facing the World Boss)
Once a node has been captured, it will switch sides to the victorious guild and remain locked to that guild for the remainder of the day.
To defeat a node, all the defending squads (and wardens) stationed in the node need to be killed. Players may choose to attack a specific Defending Squad or warden with either their Attack Squad or their Bonus Squad (if the player didn't deploy the Bonus Squad for defense in the previous day) in a standard 7x3 map. This map is like an arena map but without any tile capture locations nor any points. The fight will continue until either squad fully dies, or 3 minutes passes whichever is earlier. Any damage sustained by units are permanent, a dead unit will not spawn the next time that squad is used in combat.
A player's Attack Squad may attack twice, and his Bonus Squad can attack another two times (if not deployed for defense) for the entire day. Retreating from battle or closing the app will still use up the attack, but any damage sustained to both sides will not be recorded - it is as though the battle never occurred.
2 players may not attack the same target squad at the same time (the game prevents it). If a fortification is attacked by both enemy guilds, the guild that does more damage to the fortification will gain control of it when all defenders are killed.
Day 3 - Recuperation Phase
In this phase, guild members may use Conquest Healing Rations to heal up their squads. Squads deployed in captured lands will become undeployed. Every day when the day changes over, all units will automatically heal 10% HP (including from dead). Healing to 90% HP is sufficient, since the unit will heal another 10% when entering Day 4. This phase is just like Day 1 - with the additional option of using healing rations on damaged units.
Guilds will use this day to move and deploy Defense squads and wardens on newly captured lands.
Day 4 - Invasion Phase
Day 5 - Recuperation Phase
Day 6 - Invasion Phase
Day 7 - Invasion Phase
Scoring
At the end of Day 2, 4, 6 and 7, Conquest Points will be awarded to each participating guild based on the number of fortifications they control (excluding Castles). Each controlled fortification gives 10 points. Day 4 and 6 is worth double points (20 per node) and Day 7 is worth triple points (30 per node). If you capture an enemy Castle, that is worth 250 points (which is 500 and 750 for the later invasion days). Your own castle will not contribute any points.
The guild with the highest points wins.