Anyone who enjoys the strategy genre will tell you the importance of planning, no matter how simple the gameplay is.
Here, we will guide you through the most important Forge of Empires strategies, from city-building and resource management, to combat tactics and negotiation.
What are the best city-building strategies to follow when playing Forge of Empires?
As a casual city-building game, FoE allows for relatively straightforward strategies focusing on optimization and efficiency more than anything else.
The entire map is a square grid, with each building and decoration taking up a specific number of squares.
With this in mind, you can begin planning an ideal route and layout for your city.
First and foremost, I recommend moving your Town Hall. It’s the hub of your entire civilization, and you’ll want it centrally located and connected to roads leading into and out of the prosperous districts of your town.
Speaking of roads, consider them carefully. Every building in the game must be connected to a road, and they take up valuable space.
There is nothing wrong with removing roads and buildings for a better layout down the line.
What is the most optimal way to manage resources?
The strategies revolving around managing and producing resources in Forge of Empires vary wildly.
Every player has a favored technique. I have found that placing your goods buildings in a cluster location allows for less time between clicks to collect your production.
That being said, many players forego goods production buildings altogether.
With various quests and Great Buildings, sometimes you receive enough goods from other sources that it doesn’t make sense to waste time, energy, space, or resources to build another structure.
What are the best strategies to follow for gaining energy?
As you progress through the eras in Forge of Empires, you’ll inevitably unlock the energy production mechanics.
This doesn’t become prevalent until the Jupiter Moon Colony, where you must construct various buildings to produce energy and life support.
Once there, you will want to place three Deep Aquamarines before upgrading to the Hydrographic Hubs. This requires significant resources and building time.
These all provide life support, which is the late-game equivalent of happiness.
What are the best Guild Expedition negotiation strategies to follow for each age?
While negotiations are a core mechanic of the vanilla game experience, Guild Expeditions allows you to optimize negotiations by purchasing a boost in the tavern.
You will likely want to spend the resources for a boost, which gives you an additional turn to negotiate.
One of the best tips for any era is utilizing the cheapest choice for every negotiation slot. Use the second most inexpensive option on the second attempt, and so on for the third attempt.
The goal here is to minimize your losses.
Furthermore, you can use diamonds for an additional turn in the negotiation minigame.
I do not recommend wasting diamonds; they are valuable currency and can be bought using real money, making them premium.
That being said, if you know the answer, spending the currency is okay. If you’re not sure, then don’t bother.
What are the main combat strategies to follow in Forge of Empires?
Outside of negotiating and working with other players, much of the gameplay in Forge of Empires revolves around combat.
You will construct numerous military structures to build units and then launch said forces at neighboring provinces. This is done to take control of their goods and, inevitably, the map.
Some provinces include PvP Towers, which will help you earn medals weekly.
One imperative tip for new players is to never auto-battle. It’s the fastest way to conquer territory, but it doesn’t help you improve.
Manually battle every fight to become more proficient at the game’s combat mechanics. It will help you learn the terrain boost mechanics, your units’ movement, attack ranges, and more.
Furthermore, some units provide unique buffs that you will want to take advantage of when on the offensive.
For instance, bring along Flag-bearers. These give your units a 12% attack and defense bonus. Color Guards offer an additional hit point, too.
Read your units carefully before production and deployment!
What are the main strategies to follow when trading in Forge of Empires?
A big part of Forge of Empires is acquiring and using various goods, but you won’t find every Goods Deposit on your map or region.
As such, trading becomes a core mechanic that, unfortunately, most ignore entirely.
The best advice for players who want to make it big in Forge of Empires is to join a guild.
It is easier to trade and acquire everything you need by being part of a large community of like-minded players.
Once joined, consider the various types of trade.
You have Merchant Trades, Guild Trades, and Neighborhood Trades. You will pay quite a bit for Merchant Trades, but they do not require Forge Points.
Guild Trades also do not incur Forge Point expenses, but you must be part of a Guild. Neighborhood Trades cost Forge Points to accept a trade but not to list one.
There are caveats for everything, and Guild Trades come with the most minor expenses or headaches.
If all else fails, you can always use Merchants. These NPCs sell vital items at a rate of 1:10, meaning you must pay 10 of one item for one of the items you require.
It’s costly, but there’s also no Forge Point cost. It’s a last resort, honestly.
Despite its casual appearance, this game includes several complex mechanics that invested players will take advantage of while others fall behind.
It is best to learn Forge of Empires strategies before diving too deep in to set yourself up for success later down the line!
Insider Gaming sometimes publishes affiliated links, from which the website may earn a commission.