New Player Guide to Co-op Battles

New Player guide to Co-op


So you have decided to start your adventure in the game. You have completed your initial story quests and are presented with Co-op Quests. Or you are a new player who has simply decided to co-op battle for the rewards, but find it difficult. This is a short guide for you.


Why co-op you ask?

• Co-op gives you better rewards, more gold & better chance for fragment drops.
  
• Co-op offers you more control points, so a dedicated faster way of capturing regions for your faction.
  
• Co-op battles are also an objective for Quests.
  
• Also because you would like to battle along with your friends!
  
• No Command Point cost for a co-op battle, so you can do as many as you want -- Thanks Hegorn
  

What Units should you Bring along?

Generally, the older players have two sets of troops, they alternate between. However, if you are a new player you can bring in all of your Army. Just make sure it is healed and fit for fighting. Don't want them fleeing during the battle now do we? Also ensure your Heroes are healed, if you are a new players the Heroes with whatever HP they have are a must.

Where can you co-op?

You and your Battle Mates need not co-op by selecting the same Hex on the Map. You can select totally different Regions. They do need to be valid regions where you can battle, but besides that one player can select his Capital Region and the other somewhere else. There is no per-requisite for players to select the same region Hex on the Map for a co-op Battle. The Players joining the queue are all added to a pool and in batches of 3 the queue keeps pairing people on a First in First Out basis. If there are only 2 people in queue, the queue can pair them up and start a co-op with just these two as well. -- Thanks Hegorn


What should you do in a Co-op Battle?

Just follow these simple suggestions, and we will make sure you survive and start having fun with the co-op battles.

• Don't Rush in: This is the most important rule, hence I have even underlined it for you. New Players tend to just rush in to face the enemy. While this works in a Solo Battle, it is not a good idea for a co-op. When you rush in most of the Enemy Units start heading for you. You don't want all the Enemy Units coming for you and especially the Archers just gunning you down before the battle even Begins. Stay Together talk with your Battle Mates and form a strategy.
  
  
• Take Cover: This is also quite important, if you are going to stay back, make sure you take cover and shelter your Units behind Landscape Elements such as Forests, Cliffs, Lakes, or Buildings. These offer you protection from directly being shot at by Enemy Archers.
  
  
• Stay Close: Don't fight in different corners of the Map. Try to keep your units not only together but also near your Battle Mates Units. So you can back each other up when necessary. Remember the old age addage "Strength in Numbers".
  
  
• Don't pile your units: Many new players, I have seen, pile their units up. While it offers temporary protection in piling your units up, you miss out on Flanking Bonus. Also if the Enemy has Artillery you will definitely lose a bunch of Units if the Artillery hits the pile. Keep your units at a short distance from one another, so you can Flank the Enemy.
  
  
• Don't be awed:If you are a new player and find yourself queued up with an older player who has a bunch of Units, and who also has unlocked Units like the Archer, Heavy, or the Cavalry Unit. Don't be awed. Talk with them and see how you can be of assistance. Most old players will tell you to take cover, and stay on the edge of the main battle area so that they can face the onslaught while you can participate in the battle by facing the fringe units which come at you and then backing the other player(s). Since the majority of the Enemy units will be focused on them, use this to your advantage, Flanking Enemy Units (especially from the Back) gives you great Attack Bonus for that round, make use of it!
  
  
• Protect Support Unit(s): The Archer Unit & the Artillery Unit suck at Melee combat. Make sure you keep an eye on your Archer(s) as well as those of your Battle Mate. If you protect them, the Archer(s) will definitely help you take out the Enemy faster. Keep an LI (or two if you can spare) around the Archers, even if they are not your own Archers.
  
  
• Kiting & Fleeing: If you face Enemy Heavy Unit(s) especially when you yourself do not have a Heavy Unit, do not be alarmed. Do not try to bravely face it more so if the Enemy Heavy is 5 Star or Above. Kite the Heavies. Dangle a LI in front of it as a Bait. Keep moving your LI. The Heavies will follow the LI, at this point use your Archers to Shoot the Heavies down. It works and is quite fun. Just keep moving your LI and maneuver the Heavies around the Map.
  Similarly, If your Units are on Low HP Hit the Flee button. Either head for your Battle Mate(s) or towards your other Unit(s). If all of your Teams Unit(s) have been wiped out and this is your Last Unit head for the Bottom Corner and Once again Hit Flee, this will make the Unit retreat without any penalty. You will lose the Battle but your unit will not be penalized by loss of Experience.
  
  
• Friendly Fire: Archer Units sadly also have friendly fire. So if your unit is on low HP, stay away from other Unit(s) being targeted by Archer(s). This way you do not lose your own Unit to your own or your Battle Mates friendly Fire. This is also to be kept in mind when chasing Units, if someone has archers and is shooting at them, do not chase these Fleeing Units with Low HP Units, you stand to lose your own.
  
  
• Don't be disheartened: Losing a Unit or two in a battle is normal. If you are just starting out chances are you will lose a unit or two or even be completely wiped out. Devise a strategy, talk with other players. If you keep getting wiped out it is an indication that you need to level up your Units in solo. Level up by doing Easy Battles and gain at least the first level of Special Ability for your Units, before you start going all out on co-op.
  
  
  
• Follow Netiquette: This is just a suggestion. Remember to be polite during the Battle. Do not Spam, or keep blurting out profanities during the battle.
  

Most Importantly remember to have fun.



Since a lot of players have questions, or difficulties related to co-op battles, I decided to put together this short guide. feel free to add your own tips, or ask questions below.

Good guide.

A suggestion for one more reason to add under "Why co-op you ask?"
- It does not cost any Command Points to run a Co-op.

CycLonite wrote:

New Player guide to Co-op


So you have decided to start your adventure in the game. You have completed your initial story quests and are presented with Co-op Quests. Or you are a new player who has simply decided to co-op battle for the rewards, but find it difficult. This is a short guide for you.


Why co-op you ask?

• Co-op gives you better rewards, more gold & better chance for fragment drops.
  
• Co-op offers you more control points, so a dedicated faster way of capturing regions for your faction.
  
• Co-op battles are also an objective for Quests.
  
• Also because you would like to battle along with your friends!
  

What Units should you Bring along?

Generally, the older players have two sets of troops, they alternate between. However, if you are a new player you can bring in all of your Army. Just make sure it is healed and fit for fighting. Don't want them fleeing during the battle now do we? Also ensure your Heroes are healed, if you are a new players the Heroes with whatever HP they have are a must.


What should you do in a Co-op Battle?

Just follow these simple suggestions, and we will make sure you survive and start having fun with the co-op battles.

• Don't Rush in: This is the most important rule, hence I have even underlined it for you. New Players tend to just rush in to face the enemy. While this works in a Solo Battle, it is not a good idea for a co-op. When you rush in most of the Enemy Units start heading for you. You don't want all the Enemy Units coming for you and especially the Archers just gunning you down before the battle even Begins. Stay Together talk with your Battle Mates and form a strategy.
  
  
• Take Cover: This is also quite important, if you are going to stay back, make sure you take cover and shelter your Units behind Landscape Elements such as Forests, Cliffs, Lakes, or Buildings. These offer you protection from directly being shot at by Enemy Archers.
  
  
• Stay Close: Don't fight in different corners of the Map. Try to keep your units not only together but also near your Battle Mates Units. So you can back each other up when necessary. Remember the old age addage "Strength in Numbers".
  
  
• Don't pile your units: Many new players, I have seen, pile their units up. While it offers temporary protection in piling your units up, you miss out on Flanking Bonus. Also if the Enemy has Artillery you will definitely lose a bunch of Units if the Artillery hits the pile. Keep your units at a short distance from one another, so you can Flank the Enemy.
  
  
• Don't be awed:If you are a new player and find yourself queued up with an older player who has a bunch of Units, and who also has unlocked Units like the Archer, Heavy, or the Cavalry Unit. Don't be awed. Talk with them and see how you can be of assistance. Most old players will tell you to take cover, and stay on the edge of the main battle area so that they can face the onslaught while you can participate in the battle by facing the fringe units which come at you and then backing the other player(s). Since the majority of the Enemy units will be focused on them, use this to your advantage, Flanking Enemy Units (especially from the Back) gives you great Attack Bonus for that round, make use of it!
  
  
• Protect Support Unit(s): The Archer Unit & the Artillery Unit suck at Melee combat. Make sure you keep an eye on your Archer(s) as well as those of your Battle Mate. If you protect them, the Archer(s) will definitely help you take out the Enemy faster. Keep an LI (or two if you can spare) around the Archers, even if they are not your own Archers.
  
  
• Kiting & Fleeing: If you face Enemy Heavy Unit(s) especially when you yourself do not have a Heavy Unit, do not be alarmed. Do not try to bravely face it more so if the Enemy Heavy is 5 Star or Above. Kite the Heavies. Dangle a LI in front of it as a Bait. Keep moving your LI. The Heavies will follow the LI, at this point use your Archers to Shoot the Heavies down. It works and is quite fun. Just keep moving your LI and maneuver the Heavies around the Map.
  Similarly, If your Units are on Low HP Hit the Flee button. Either head for your Battle Mate(s) or towards your other Unit(s). If all of your Teams Unit(s) have been wiped out and this is your Last Unit head for the Bottom Corner and Once again Hit Flee, this will make the Unit retreat without any penalty. You will lose the Battle but your unit will not be penalized by loss of Experience.
  
  
• Friendly Fire: Archer Units sadly also have friendly fire. So if your unit is on low HP, stay away from other Unit(s) being targeted by Archer(s). This way you do not lose your own Unit to your own or your Battle Mates friendly Fire. This is also to be kept in mind when chasing Units, if someone has archers and is shooting at them, do not chase these Fleeing Units with Low HP Units, you stand to lose your own.
  
  
• Don't be disheartened: Losing a Unit or two in a battle is normal. If you are just starting out chances are you will lose a unit or two or even be completely wiped out. Devise a strategy, talk with other players. If you keep getting wiped out it is an indication that you need to level up your Units in solo. Level up by doing Easy Battles and gain at least the first level of Special Ability for your Units, before you start going all out on co-op.
  
  
  
• Follow Netiquette: This is just a suggestion. Remember to be polite during the Battle. Do not Spam, or keep blurting out profanities during the battle.
  

Most Importantly remember to have fun.



Since a lot of players have questions, or difficulties related to co-op battles, I decided to put together this short guide. feel free to add your own tips, or ask questions below.

Great post Cyclonite!

One other thing to mention since I see it asked a lot in game:

-- You can select any Hex to participate in co-op. You will be placed in a single pool of players from your side. Two people who select different hexes can fight in the same co-op match. Selecting a Hex is only needed to allocate conquest points on victory.

-- The same applies for PvP.

Hegorn, added your suggestions.

Thanks RuneSlayer!

Just my 2 cents since I see this happening a lot;

you advised new players to stick to the edge of battle if joined up with an older player with a bigger/more advanced army.

I would just like to add: don't wander off too far from the older player's army. If you want to limit your involvement, stay back (i.e. lower on the map) a bit as compared to the big army.

I've had many co-op battles where I was teamed up with newer players, only to find them to fight way to the left/right of me. My heavies cannot protect anyone not in my vicinity, so often I see my teammembers get wiped out.

Stay to the lower edge if you want to live, and don't stray too far.

I reseted my account to Slinking and the race as humans for personal reasons.

Starting as a new player all over again, I want to give some lessons.

1) Never fight alone.  If your units are weak, which includes under level 3, no items attached, low tech (no masterwork/studded leather armor researched), never go alone or be far from an ally.  Instead, stick close, I would say "follow the leader" and assist that general.  Chances are one of the enemy units will be stronger than one of your units.

2) When starting co-op make sure all of your units have heroes (3 units with heroes).

3) Always do co-op when possible.  You get much better fragments than doing single.

Especially rule #1, if you choose to go rambo, you will get torn apart in co-op.

(resetting to human, really weird )

Steven261 wrote:

2) When starting co-op make sure all of your units have heroes (3 units with heroes).

3) Always do co-op when possible.  You get much better fragments than doing single.

I fail to see your reasoning behind this...

It's not auto-losing if units don't have heroes in them... And it's better to go without hero than with low level unhealed one. Quite many noobs just bring almost-dead heroes to battles. Why?... And such units flee easily anyway even with hero.

And the common wisdom is to do ALL SOLOS FIRST, since they regenerate slowly, allows for a greater understanding of one's army (that many noobs lack!), has speedup and comparable level enemy (e.g. normal solo will not have level 8-15 enemy, but coops may well have that). What's the harm if the noob does all 10 solos and *then* coops? (and more profitable i.e. more gold/res gained in ALL solos, when you look at the time it takes to complete a solo vs a coop). Of course it's easiest to do only coops, sit in a corner, no need to heal + getting free resources. Why bother, right?  (just don't whine about being ff'ed on purpose or getting killed).

Fragments... Depends on luck. It's a big chance that such players drop the same common frags in both solos and coops. It's not like solos don't give anything, but in coops there are constant epic/gl drops. Maybe you're just that lucky! Actually it's better to drop worse frags than to get godlike drop as a noob - either he hoards such a frag, or tries mixed crafting and fails of course, or sells and overflows his warehouse...

It's a given that a player wants to enter a battle fully healed, along with heros.  So if I forgot, tip #4) Always enter the battle with units fully healed, heros included.

A new player should do a few story-line battles to familiarize with the battle system.  But as soon as a newbie gets the hang of the game, he or she should do co-ops as they get better rewards.

And about newbies mismanaging their fragments, well, that is just a lesson to be learned.  A lot of lottery winners made the same mistakes and they said if they win again (or get a godlike fragment), they won't make the mistake again.

How I started playing (steven261, now Slinking) was I did a few story-line battles and then jumped into co-op.  I always moved my troops next to someone who is stronger and fought alongside them.

Fyrr wrote:

(resetting to human, really weird )

I fail to see your reasoning behind this...

It's not auto-losing if units don't have heroes in them... And it's better to go without hero than with low level unhealed one. Quite many noobs just bring almost-dead heroes to battles. Why?... And such units flee easily anyway even with hero.

And the common wisdom is to do ALL SOLOS FIRST, since they regenerate slowly, allows for a greater understanding of one's army (that many noobs lack!), has speedup and comparable level enemy (e.g. normal solo will not have level 8-15 enemy, but coops may well have that). What's the harm if the noob does all 10 solos and *then* coops? (and more profitable i.e. more gold/res gained in ALL solos, when you look at the time it takes to complete a solo vs a coop). Of course it's easiest to do only coops, sit in a corner, no need to heal + getting free resources. Why bother, right?  (just don't whine about being ff'ed on purpose or getting killed).

Fragments... Depends on luck. It's a big chance that such players drop the same common frags in both solos and coops. It's not like solos don't give anything, but in coops there are constant epic/gl drops. Maybe you're just that lucky! Actually it's better to drop worse frags than to get godlike drop as a noob - either he hoards such a frag, or tries mixed crafting and fails of course, or sells and overflows his warehouse...

edit: And, honestly, I was thinking of choosing undead IF the dark side was losing, but when I came back, it was the Light side who had the sign-up bonuses.

Gwar wrote:

Just my 2 cents since I see this happening a lot;

you advised new players to stick to the edge of battle if joined up with an older player with a bigger/more advanced army.

I would just like to add: don't wander off too far from the older player's army. If you want to limit your involvement, stay back (i.e. lower on the map) a bit as compared to the big army.

I've had many co-op battles where I was teamed up with newer players, only to find them to fight way to the left/right of me. My heavies cannot protect anyone not in my vicinity, so often I see my teammembers get wiped out.

Stay to the lower edge if you want to live, and don't stray too far.

My idea was to stay close to the main battlefield or where the forces engage, so you can flank the enemy units once the stronger, well established player has engaged them.

If the new player doesn't enter the battle his units will not get experience or level up for that battle...