Early Fortress Growth Tips and Goals

In this game, you start out with building up the Fortress and exploring the outer world. Some general tips and goals to aim for in the early game are given here.

## First Map

The first map is also called Season 0. In this season, learning the mechanics of the game, the battle for Eden and dealing with plunderers and warmongers will be the main way you keep busy. The Season 0 article has details on many parts of the season for referencing when outside the game. You can also look at other Guides or find them on different platforms.

Here follow useful tips and goals for this season.

* Join an Alliance for protection and to get good rewards.
	+ Do not hesitate to swap Alliances. Early on, many Alliances disband or have high-strength players leave for other groups in the quest for Eden.
* Plunder grants 5000 Z Coins per week from plundering. Very useful tech to get. Z Coins are scarce early game.
* Plunder other players and bots to get additional Iron and Stone to feed your buildings and troops. But also try to keep the world at a relative peace through diplomacy to allow for more easy gathering/growth and less red screens. Remember you are stuck with these people for a while, but later on will have a chance to meet other worlds.
* Mine Z Coin Resource Mines if you see them on the map.
* Keep specific Heroes at at least orange quality to complete the Hero\_Growth event.
* After 2-3 weeks, the Alliance Trial start. Make sure to save up on speed-ups and recruitment tokens some time before this (~1 week max). This event is a weekly occurrence and you get extra rewards for doing tasks such as recruiting and using speedups. Day one starts with the Gathering mission.
* Save up on some Diamonds. You will need them later for upgrading the Turret and Command Center Buildings as a requirement for the Control Center and to unlock VIP 10 for the extra APC.
* Check out the Lineups section for useful tips on making your lines stronger (check out the Gearing Tips) and make sure to asks fellow alliance members for improvements on your lines!

The maximum Control Center level on the first map is 21. Try to keep its construction going at all times while doing the early quests. Aim for level 18 for F2P and low spending players and Tier 5/6 troops before the end of the season. The higher the control center and training facilities the better. It is the best way to get stronger in PvP in the World.

## Second map, Season 1

After three days in Season 1, the Control Center level cap will be increased to 25. Many strong players will rush this to get Tier 8 (T8) Soldiers. If you are able to get Pearson from the Season Rewards, you can more easily keep up. If not, it is recommended to still start construction of the Control Center and also level the training centra along the way. You should aim for T6/7 troops with F2P and Control Center level 21.

The mechanics of Season 1 are very different from the first season. You can look up on this topic and prepare yourself and the Alliance for optimal gameplay. The capturing of Blocks can lead to very greedy scenario's, make sure to share some for your teammates and remember that a level 5 is already plenty for Seasonal Resources income.

Season 1 reveals two new heroes, one being Galande, widely used in many lineups for the unique low-HP focusing attacks. The other being Roger, used less often in Minutemen lineups.

## Season 2

After three days in Season 2, the Control Center level cap will be increased to 28.
Aim for level 24 and T7/8 troops as a F2P and low spender.
Upgrading the Turret to 25 and Command Center to 27 are a requirement to upgrade the Control Center to 27 and 28 respectively. So make sure to spend your diamonds here if you still have them :)

The Season mechanics are largely the same as Season 1, except that now you merge temporarily with another zone, and fight against them for Eden.

Season 2 reveals two new heroes, Elaine and Ricardo. Very strong Heroes, but obtaining their maximum power only in later seasons with newer Heroes. Watchers/Vindicators are mostly leading the fight.

## Season 3

After three days in Season 3, the Control Center level cap will be increased to 30.
The time takes very long to complete, and costs a lot of Iron and Z Coins, especially considering the need to level the training facilities for T10 Soldiers. The upgrade is very much worth, however it is unlikely any F2P or low spender will reach T10 in Season 3. You should focus on getting the diamonds to level to Control Center 27 and 28 if you haven't already. For players reaching level 30 CC, you can now unlock the Floating Fortress.

Season 3 has a new game mechanic: the Doomsday Laboratory. You also separate from your original Season 2 partner and match-up with two zones. It is possible to match with the same zone as in Season 2.

Season 3 also reveals two new heroes, Mira and Penny. Both defenders, and both useful in current meta lineups in later seasons.

## Later Seasons

While every season releases good heroes, the one most noteworthy is Heytex 103 in Season 5. The others are Buccaneer and Titan in Season 4. And Victoria in Season 5.

Season 4 introduced the Ruins of Eden as a new weekly individual challenge.
Season 5 has both the Ruins of Eden and the Doomsday Laboratories on the map.

After Season 5 ends, you end up in the Homeworld.

## Purchases Tier List

If you are looking for good early-game purchases this is a list sorted on the Author's preference.

1. 1-2 Workstations (Maurer & Pheidias) for faster constructions, an essential part of the game.
2. NATE, for automating tasks in the Fortress, which practically is equal to an extra workstation.
3. Pearson and optionally the final Workstation. You can only buy the final workstation with Pearson, or get Pearson without the workstation directly through the hero Portraits. One copy is great for increasing building speed and allowing more builders to work on one Fortress Building like the Control Center. Can also be gained from Season Rewards if assigned and lucky.
4. Luke, for the faster research times. Many Research trees have been added that cost a lot of time to complete.
5. Helen, praised by many for increasing Medicine storage, but she is easier to obtain than the others with the End of Season Rewards.
6. Premium. This will grant access to the premium chests from the radar, and many other benefits.
7. Christine WITH the Bar. This grants very useful Memento coins to level your Heroes, but she is one of the more expensive options.
8. Training Heroes (Beesly, Lori, Pamela). These can be obtained from the Excavation missions for free. More copies can give useful Stat Bonuses for increasing Soldier strength.
9. Russell for the extra Z Coin and Diamond income.

Note that these are pretty much only Solari Production Heroes. They are useful forever and can be very powerful. Their only other source in-game are the Seasonal Rewards and very few drop from the Excavation game mode.