A complete guide to the 15 technology trees, Research Data priorities, and the best order for long-term progression.
Technology research provides permanent buffs across development, economy, combat, and VS events. Unlike temporary bonuses, research upgrades do not expire or reset, which makes every completed node part of your long-term account strength.
The game has 15 technology trees. Ten use standard resources such as Food, Metal, Oil, and speedups, while five use Research Data. The main challenge is not deciding whether to research, but deciding where your resources should go first.
The Golden Rule
In the early game, spread your standard research across multiple trees to collect the inexpensive buffs near the top. A practical early target is roughly 40-50% across many trees while costs and research times are still manageable.
Once research times stretch to a day or more and costs begin climbing, stop spreading resources blindly. Work across the upper portions of a tree before pushing too deep, then follow a clear priority order so your strongest upgrades are always moving forward.
All 15 Tech Trees at a Glance
| Tree | Type | Priority |
| Develop | Standard | Max early |
| Economy | Standard | Medium |
| Hero | Standard | High |
| Soldier | Standard | High |
| Squad 1 | Standard | High |
| Full Development | Standard | Medium |
| Prosperous Economy | Standard | Medium |
| Squad 2 | Standard | Low |
| Squad 3 | Standard | Low |
| Squad 4 | Standard | Low |
| Alliance Competition | Research Data | Critical – first |
| Super Soldiers | Research Data | Critical – second |
| Convoy | Research Data | Low – time it |
| Offense Strategy | Research Data | Low |
| Defense Strategy | Research Data | Low |
The 10 Standard Tech Trees
These trees use normal progression resources. They are where most players should build their permanent development and combat foundation.
Develop – Max Early
The Develop tree improves the systems that make your base run faster and more efficiently. It includes research speed, construction speed, construction resource-cost reductions, training capacity, hospital capacity, and healing-cost reductions.
These upgrades may not directly increase damage, but they compound every day because faster research, faster construction, and larger training and hospital capacity accelerate nearly every other part of progression.
| TIP: Max this tree as early as practical. The faster your base develops, the faster every other system improves. |
Economy – Medium Priority
The Economy tree improves resource production and gathering for Food, Metal, and Oil. It includes production, storage or capacity, gathering speed, and carrying capacity.
The individual bonuses can look small, but they become meaningful passive gains when they compound over weeks and months.
| TIP: Push Economy to around 50% early, then continue progressing it behind higher-priority development and combat research. |
Hero – High Priority
The Hero tree contains separate branches for Warrior, Tactical, Assault, and All Heroes. Invest primarily in the branch that matches your main squad type and spend the minimum required in other branches only when needed for progression.
Near the bottom are skills that apply to all heroes regardless of type, making the later universal bonuses especially valuable.
| TIP: Decide your main squad type before committing heavily to this tree. Research spent in the wrong branch cannot be recovered. |
Soldier – High Priority
The Soldier tree improves the troops that fight behind your heroes. It includes Soldier Attack, Defense, HP, and Load. Attack, Defense, and HP are the main combat-focused upgrades, while Load is primarily useful for gathering.
Progress Soldier research alongside the Hero tree because neglecting troop stats can leave an otherwise strong account underperforming in combat.
| TIP: Keep Soldier research moving steadily alongside your main Hero branch. |
Squad 1 – High Priority
Squad 1 improves hero Attack, Defense, HP, and Damage while also providing march-speed and casualty-related benefits. It is one of the least expensive major combat trees and offers strong value for your research resources.
| TIP: If your research queue is free and you are unsure where to invest standard resources, Squad 1 is a strong default choice. |
Full Development – Medium Priority
Full Development extends the same efficiency theme as Develop with deeper research-speed, construction-efficiency, and training-capacity bonuses. It is worthwhile, but the guide places it behind core development and combat priorities.
Prosperous Economy – Medium Priority
Prosperous Economy expands on the Economy tree with deeper production and gathering bonuses across Food, Metal, and Oil. Treat it as a secondary tree that fills in naturally after higher-priority research is established.
Squad 2, Squad 3, and Squad 4 – Low Priority
These three trees provide the same type of squad-specific buffs as Squad 1 but apply to your secondary squads. Leave them for much later because your second, third, and fourth squads are generally less important than your main combat squad during progression.
| TIP: Do not sink early resources into Squad 2, 3, or 4 while your core development, main squad, and primary combat trees still need investment. |
The 5 Research Data Tech Trees
These five trees use Research Data, a separate and more limited currency. Concentrate this resource rather than spreading it across all five trees at once.
Alliance Competition – Critical First Priority
The Alliance Competition tree is the first major Research Data target. Progressing this tree improves your Alliance Competition or VS-event scoring and increases access to personal reward chests.
The key target is 80%. At 80%, you can collect all 9 personal chests during the VS event and unlock access to the Super Soldiers tree.
| TIP: Until Alliance Competition reaches 80%, direct almost all Research Data here. |
Super Soldiers – Critical Second Priority
Once Alliance Competition reaches 80%, Super Soldiers becomes the next major Research Data focus. It provides combat bonuses to heroes and soldiers, including Attack, Defense, HP, combat defense, and Soldier Morale.
At 40% progress, Super Soldiers unlocks the Offense Strategy and Defense Strategy trees. At that point, make only the specific Defense Strategy investment needed to unlock the fourth hospital, then return to Super Soldiers.
The final Super Soldiers skill unlocks T10 soldiers, making this tree the central long-term Research Data priority after Alliance Competition.
| TIP: Push Super Soldiers hard after the VS-event tree is complete. At 40%, dip into Defense Strategy for the fourth hospital, then return to Super Soldiers. |
Convoy – Low Priority, Time It
Convoy improves trucks and convoy efficiency, including the amount of resources they carry. Do not prioritize it during normal progression because other Research Data trees provide more important long-term benefits.
The exception is Research Day during the VS event. If you already intend to invest in Convoy, spending Research Data then can allow the same investment to contribute to event scoring.
| TIP: Use Convoy mainly when the timing also benefits your VS Research Day score. |
Offense Strategy – Low Priority
Offense Strategy unlocks after Super Soldiers reaches 40%. It adds combat Attack bonuses that stack with your other research, but delay substantial investment because Super Soldiers provides better value first.
Defense Strategy – Low Priority
Defense Strategy also unlocks at 40% Super Soldiers. Its main early value is the fourth-hospital unlock, which increases troop recovery capacity.
After securing that hospital unlock, return directly to Super Soldiers rather than continuing deep into Defense Strategy.
| TIP: Unlock the fourth hospital, then go back to Super Soldiers. |
Best Tech Research Priority Order
| # | Action | Why |
| 1 | Max Develop | Permanent research, construction, training, and healing efficiency |
| 2 | Push Economy to 50%+ | Build passive resource gains that compound over time |
| 3 | Run Hero + Soldier | Match Hero research to your main squad type and support it with troop stats |
| 4 | Keep Squad 1 moving | Strong-value combat upgrades for your main squad |
| 5 | Progress Full Development + Prosperous Economy | Secondary efficiency and resource improvements |
| 6 | Alliance Competition to 80% | First Research Data target; unlocks 9 chests and Super Soldiers |
| 7 | Push Super Soldiers | Main post-80% Research Data priority |
| 8 | At 40% Super Soldiers, unlock the fourth hospital | Dip into Defense Strategy only as far as needed |
| 9 | Use Convoy mainly on Research Day | Time lower-priority Research Data spending for VS points |
| 10 | Continue Super Soldiers toward max | Final skill unlocks T10 soldiers |
| 11 | Offense + Defense Strategy later | Develop after Super Soldiers is well advanced |
| 12 | Squad 2, 3, and 4 last | Secondary squads are low priority during progression |
Common Tech Research Mistakes to Avoid
Ignoring Tech Early
Technology bonuses are permanent and compound over time. Delaying research while focusing only on heroes or gear creates a long-term gap that becomes harder to close later.
Investing in the Wrong Hero Branch
Choose your primary squad type before heavily investing in Warrior, Tactical, or Assault research. Research spent in a branch you do not use cannot be refunded.
Letting the Research Queue Sit Empty
Every hour with an idle research queue is lost permanent progression. Keep something researching whenever possible.
Spending Research Data on Convoy at the Wrong Time
Convoy is a low-priority Research Data tree. If you plan to spend there, time it for VS Research Day so the same Research Data can also generate event points.
Rushing Offense and Defense Strategy Too Early
Super Soldiers is more impactful than either Strategy tree during this stage of progression. The main early exception is the fourth-hospital unlock in Defense Strategy after Super Soldiers reaches 40%.
Final Tech Research Strategy
Tech research is a long-term progression system. Start early, keep the queue active, and avoid spreading limited Research Data across too many trees at once.
- Use early standard resources to collect inexpensive buffs across multiple trees.
- Max Develop early and keep your base-efficiency research moving.
- Build your main combat foundation through Hero, Soldier, and Squad 1.
- Push Alliance Competition to 80% before committing Research Data elsewhere.
- Make Super Soldiers your next major Research Data focus.
- At 40% Super Soldiers, unlock the fourth hospital in Defense Strategy, then return to Super Soldiers.
- Time Convoy Research Data spending for VS Research Day when possible.
- Leave Squad 2, 3, and 4 for later progression.
The most important habit is consistency: keep research running, concentrate your limited currencies, and follow a priority order rather than spreading resources across every available tree.
