King of Avalon Beginner Guide (2026 F2P Strategy)

A Beginner’s Guide to King of Avalon: Part 1 – Building Your Empire from Scratch

Posted on June 10, 2025

Welcome to the Empire Build Academy, where we dive into the world of strategy games to help you conquer virtual realms! I’m Favian, your guide to mastering King of Avalon: The King’s Return, a mobile strategy game that blends city-building, troop training, and epic battles with a mythical dragon twist. In this first part of our Beginner’s Guide series, we’ll walk through the early stages of the game, covering essential mechanics, key strategies, and tips to set you up for success. Whether you’re new to King of Avalon or revisiting it after a break, this guide will help you navigate the tutorial and start building your empire. Let’s jump in!

Getting Started: The Tutorial and Chapter Quests

When you first launch King of Avalon (using the PC version for a wider map view, as I recommend), the game greets you with a guided tutorial in the form of a “Chapter Book.” This open-book icon at the bottom of the screen is your roadmap for the early game, outlining tasks to progress through chapters. These tasks are straightforward—think clicking buttons, upgrading buildings, and completing simple objectives like clearing obstacles or kindling beacons. The tutorial is designed to ease you into the game’s mechanics while introducing its story, set in a frozen land where you rekindle the Dragon’s Flame to restore your city.

Pro Tip: Stick to the Chapter Book tasks for the first few hours. They’re designed to guide you efficiently without overwhelming you. For example, early tasks include upgrading your Stronghold to level 3, repairing the Sanctum, and unlocking the Dragon Lair. Skipping cutscenes is fine if you’re focused on gameplay, but reading them can add flavor if you enjoy the lore.

First Decisions: Heroes and Purchases

One of the first offers you’ll encounter is a legendary hero, Evane, for 99 gems (roughly $0.99 or equivalent currency). This hero provides a 30% construction speed boost, which is a solid early-game advantage. While not game-changing, these introductory offers in games like King of Avalon, Evony, or Lords Mobile are often worth grabbing for a small boost. I opted to purchase this off-screen, but before committing, check for better gem packs in the store to maximize value. For instance, first-purchase rewards or event packs might offer more gems for your money.

Strategic Note: Early heroes like Evane are useful for speeding up construction, but don’t expect them to be end-game powerhouses. Save your gems for deals that align with your goals, like construction or troop training boosts.

Building Your City: Key Structures and Upgrades

The Stronghold is the heart of your city, and upgrading it unlocks new buildings and features. However, King of Avalon requires you to upgrade other buildings (like the Range or Storehouse) before advancing your Stronghold. For example, to reach Stronghold level 4, you’ll need a level 3 Range, and for level 6, a level 5 Storehouse. This progression ensures you develop a balanced city.

Key buildings unlocked in the early chapters include:

Sanctum: Unlocks hero management and buffs, like appointing a High Constable for a 30% hero health boost.

Range: Trains ranged troops like bowmen, essential for early battles.

Stables: Unlocks mounted troops, adding versatility to your army.

Barracks: Trains infantry, your starting ground forces.

Hospital: Heals wounded troops, crucial for maintaining your army.

Dragon Lair: Houses your dragon, which provides powerful buffs as it grows.

Tip: Always check for green arrows on buildings, indicating they’re ready to upgrade. Keep troops training in the Barracks, Range, and Stables to prepare for battles, but don’t overtrain early on—stick to the minimum required by the Chapter Book to conserve resources.

The Dragon: Your Mythical Ally

A highlight of King of Avalon is unlocking your dragon, which happens around Chapter 4 after rekindling the three Beacons of Rebirth. I named mine “Thunder” (with a J for flair!), but you can choose any name that suits your style. Your dragon starts small and “cuddable” but grows into a formidable asset with buffs for attacking and defending. Early dragon tasks involve nurturing it with meat and unlocking skills, which you’ll access through the Dragon Lair.

Dragon Tip: Focus on nurturing your dragon consistently, as its buffs scale with its growth. Use meat and other items as soon as they’re available to keep it progressing.

Early Battles and the World Map

The tutorial introduces battles against “Unmelted” enemies, which are simple at first but increase in difficulty. For example, early fights show “many losses” if your troop count is low, so train infantry, bowmen, or pikemen as needed. The game provides clear feedback on expected losses (e.g., “few” or “average”), helping you decide when to march. Battles often involve cutscenes with skills you can activate by clicking blue icons, like crossbow attacks, to speed up victories.

The World Map, unlocked around Chapter 4, introduces resource spots and monsters. Defeating a level 1 monster near your city is an early task, and these fights are straightforward with minimal losses. The map also hints at future features like teleporting your keep or gathering resources, which unlock at Stronghold level 7.

Battle Tip: Always check the power comparison before attacking. If the game warns of “many losses,” train more troops or rescue units via story tasks to bolster your army.

Managing Resources and Stamina

Resources like wood, food, and iron are critical for upgrades and training. The Chapter Book guides you to clear obstacles for resources, but don’t overcommit early—focus on task requirements. Lord Stamina, used for actions like converting items or fighting monsters, regenerates over time (e.g., full in ~4 hours). I used stamina to convert items early on, but be cautious—save it for monster battles once the World Map unlocks for better rewards.

Resource Tip: Prioritize upgrading resource buildings like farms and sawmills when possible, but don’t rush ahead of the tutorial to avoid resource shortages.

Talent Points and Progression

Around Chapter 5, you’ll unlock Talent Points, which provide buffs for economy, war, or balance. I allocated my initial 12 points to economy talents like wood production and construction speed (e.g., 20% reduction in task timers). These are ideal for beginners to accelerate city growth. The game also introduces a rating system (e.g., D for Lord, A for Buildings), giving you a snapshot of your progress across categories like troops, heroes, and dragon strength.

Talent Tip: Focus on economy talents early to speed up construction and research. War talents become more relevant once you join an alliance and engage in PvP.

Story Choices and Lord’s Reign

The Lord’s Reign feature, introduced in later chapters, lets you make decisions like resolving land disputes or handling deserters. These choices (e.g., using the river as a border or following tradition) don’t seem to have major consequences, but they add flavor. I chose poorly in one instance but faced no significant penalty, suggesting these are low-stakes for beginners. Completing these tasks often unlocks items needed for repairs, like fixing the Hospital or

Training Grounds

Story Tip: Don’t stress over “wrong” choices—focus on completing tasks to progress. If you’re curious, experiment with different options and share your findings in the comments!

Unlocking Buildings and Preparing for Alliances

By Chapter 5, you’ll unlock buildings like the Training Grounds, Siege Workshop, and Wall, each adding new troop types or defenses. The Hospital and Storehouse are critical for sustaining your army and resources. The game also teases alliance features, which become vital for competing in events like Ravager Hunt or Festival Pass. I held off on exploring these until the next video to keep things manageable, but joining an alliance early can provide boosts and protection.

Alliance Note: Wait until your Stronghold is level 6–7 before diving into alliances to ensure you’re ready for cooperative play.

Final Tips and What’s Next

This first guide covers the early game up to Stronghold level 6, where your city starts to take shape. Key takeaways:

Follow the Chapter Book to stay on track.

Grab the 99-gem hero offer for a construction boost.

Train only the troops needed for battles to conserve resources.

Nurture your dragon and allocate Talent Points to economy buffs.

Use speed-ups sparingly unless you have a hero to reduce timers.

In Part 2, we’ll dive deeper into the World Map, alliance strategies, and unlocking the Academy for research buffs. I’ll also cover buildings in detail and explore events like the Ravager Hunt. For now, focus on upgrading your Stronghold, training troops, and clearing obstacles as guided.

Community Call: Have you played King of Avalon before? What tips would you share for new players? Are there other strategy games you’d like me to cover? Drop your thoughts in the comments below, and check out my website, empirebuildacademy.com, for more guides on King of Avalon, Evony, and other empire-building games. Subscribe to the Empire Build Academy YouTube channel for Part 2 and beyond!

What’s your favorite part of King of Avalon so far? Let me know, and let’s build epic empires together!

Sources: Based on gameplay from King of Avalon: The King’s Return (PC version) and insights from the Empire Build Academy YouTube channel.