Combat Math

Speaking mathematically, virtually nothing in the game is linear. Everything is exponential. A level up is not a linear step up. A level up is an exponential power up - depending on the specific situation, 3 times, 5 times, or even 10 times more powerful.

Fairness
Though every player expects a degree of "fairness" throughout the game, it's probably best to surrender that notion. By design, the game has one primary goal - to generate revenue. The developers of the game stay in business by enticing players to constantly invest more real money into the game. How do they do that? By granting those who spend [real] money significant advantages over those who don't. So don't expect your level 16 base, in which you have invested 200 hours, but only $4.99, to stand up to an assault from a coiner kid who's only been in the game 20 hours, but has spent $200. Smart play and clever tactics will help, but by design, you will typically lose against someone who's spent more money than you. It's how the game is designed.

Get over it.

Tiers versus Levels
Everyone is used to comparing players based on the level of their Bases. Can a level 8 Base [B8] defeat a level 10 Base [B10]? How many attacks from B13 players will zero a B16 player? We're all accustomed to thinking about Base levels.

However, more important than Base level is troop "Tier Level" - the level of a player's Fighters, Vehicles, and Shooters. Your first troops were Tier 1 [T1] troops. At B10, you were able to build T4 troops; at B13 you can build T5 troops; and at B16 you can build T6 troops. Anyone at B19 has access to T7 troops, and a B22 player can field T8s.

At any given base level, there exists an extremely broad spectrum of capabilites. For examaple, one B16 could have just acheived level 16 - the base itself could be level 16, but nothing else has yet been upgraded. Another B16 could have full T6's, 5 or 6 Orange Heroes, each with 2 to 3 with high-level skills, all the Troop Might and Resistance tech, every [combat] building at L16, and have Attack and Defense buffs engaged. Both are B16, but they are not the same.

While an average player will not immediately promote all his troops from one Tier to the next - it's simply too expensive - an aggressive player will upgrade his troops as soon as possible; and a coiner will most likely upgrade them all before his next raid - he'll spend all his speed-up, or simply buy the diamonds to promote immediately. So while an average B16 might have a single squad of T6 troops, an aggressive player, who teleports in, will have an entire APC, or two, or three, full of T6s.

An average B16 might have a single squad of T6 troops. But that B16 who just teleported into our hive with his shiny new T6s most likely coined a few upgrades for his Heroes, too. And bought the Might and Resistance technology. And engaged buffs for attack and defense. So he is not an average player. If he was average, he would have stayed home. He's full of T6s and buff Heroes - he's an "Agressive" or "Advanced" B16 - an "AB16". And he's spent more money than you [see "Fairness" above].

So if you've just upgraded your base to level 16, and a B16 teleports next to you, don't expect to win any battles. You're barely a B16... and he's probably an AB16... and he's probably going to kick your ass.

One-Tier Differential
When an AB16 teleports into a hive of B13s, attacks from four or five B13 players will have little to no impact. It will require dozens of B13 attacks to impact an AB16. If the AB16 cannot be defeated in one wave of attacks, subsequent waves will fail; he will buy the immediate heals for his troops, or simply buy a shield.

Two-Tier Differential
And when an AB19 player [with T7 troops] teleports in, hundreds of B13 attacks would be required to impact the AB19. As with one-tier differentials, waves of attacks will fail - they give the invader time to buy heals, shields, or teleports.

Hero Significance
