Nexus War Civilization Beginner Guide (2026 F2P Strategy)

Introduction

Nexus War: Civilization is a sci-fi strategy game built around developing your city on Origin, researching technology, recruiting heroes, training specialised armies and fighting alongside an alliance.

The basic loop will feel familiar if you have played games such as Rise of Kingdoms, State of Survival or Age of Empires Mobile.

But Nexus War has several systems that deserve specific attention from the beginning.

There are four factions.

There are three primary troop types with a direct counter triangle.

Hero skills can depend on the troop type they are leading.

Exploration and intelligence systems are part of normal progression rather than optional side content.

And your City Hall, research and army development all feed into one another.

This means a good beginner account is not simply the account with the highest early Power.

It is the account that reaches important City Hall milestones efficiently, develops the right permanent bonuses and avoids wasting scarce hero and military resources.

This guide is built for a new player starting Nexus War in 2026.

We will focus on what matters during the opening stages, what can safely wait, where F2P players should be cautious, and how the different systems connect.

1. What Makes Nexus War Different?

Nexus War combines familiar city-building mechanics with several systems that affect how you should develop the account.

Understanding these early will prevent a lot of wasted investment.

Four Factions

Nexus War currently features four factions:

• Humans

• Izans

• Aokus

• Theia

The factions have different advantages.

Importantly, your faction is not a permanent account decision.

The official Nexus War site states that players can change faction during the game.

That means you should take the starting choice seriously, but you do not need to restart an account simply because you later decide another faction suits your strategy better.

Three Main Troop Types

Nexus War has three primary combat unit types:

• Infantry

• Artillery

• Tank

Their basic counter relationship is:

Infantry → Artillery

Artillery → Tank

Tank → Infantry

This is not a cosmetic distinction.

Troop type also interacts with hero skills, meaning your heroes and army type should eventually be developed as one system rather than separately.

Hero Skills Can Require the Correct Troop Type

Some hero abilities only activate when that hero leads a particular troop type.

For example, Nexus War contains Infantry, Tank and Artillery-specialised heroes.

If a hero is leading the wrong troop type, a troop-specific skill may not activate.

That makes hero tags and skill descriptions worth reading before you spend heavily on development.

Exploration Is Part of Progression

Fog clearing and intelligence activities are integrated into the early game.

Do not treat exploration as something to finish later after your city is built.

Ideally, construction, research, troop training, gathering and exploration should all be progressing at the same time.

2. Choosing Your Starting Faction

Your faction is one of the first distinctive decisions you make in Nexus War.

There are four choices:

• Humans

• Izans

• Aokus

• Theia

Each faction provides its own advantages.

However, there are two things beginners should understand before agonising over the choice.

Your Faction Can Be Changed Later

The official game states that faction switching is possible.

So this is not the same as making a completely irreversible civilisation choice.

That removes much of the pressure from the opening decision.

Choose for Useful Bonuses, Not Appearance Alone

Faction design and theme are part of the fun, but bonuses matter more strategically.

When comparing factions, look at whether the bonuses improve something you expect to use heavily.

Typical questions to ask are:

Does this help development?

Does it improve the troop type I expect to specialise in?

Will I actually benefit from this bonus during the stage of the game I am entering?

Do Not Rebuild an Account Over a Small Bonus

If you later discover another faction would be slightly more efficient for your chosen strategy, that is not automatically a reason to abandon a developed account.

Research, heroes, troop development, resources and alliance position will usually represent far more accumulated value than a small early optimisation.

Re-Evaluate Later

Your ideal faction can change as your account changes.

An early development-focused preference may eventually give way to a combat-focused one.

Because switching exists, faction choice can become part of long-term optimisation rather than a one-time beginner trap.

3. Your First 60 Minutes: Exact Priorities

The opening hour is one of the fastest periods of progression in Nexus War.

Timers are short, rewards arrive rapidly and new systems unlock constantly.

This is the time to establish good habits.

Priority 1: Follow the Main Chapter Progression

Early chapter tasks are not just rewards.

They act as the game's intended progression path and introduce major systems in a logical order.

Complete them aggressively during the opening stages unless a task asks you to spend something obviously scarce.

Priority 2: Keep Construction Active

Early construction timers are extremely short.

Avoid leaving the builder idle while you are actively playing.

If you are about to leave the game, start the longest useful upgrade currently available.

Priority 3: Unlock and Use Research Quickly

Once research is available, begin using it.

Your early objective is not to complete every research node.

It is to start accumulating permanent bonuses while the rest of the account develops.

Priority 4: Keep Troop Training Running

Troops are required for exploration, combat, gathering and other activities.

Keep training queues active, but do not spend large amounts of speed-ups simply to inflate Power.

Priority 5: Clear Fog

Use the exploration system as soon as it becomes available.

Fog clearing expands what you can see and helps reveal the wider strategic map.

Do this alongside city development instead of waiting until later.

Priority 6: Complete Intelligence Activities

The Intelligence system is part of the game's early progression loop.

Check available intelligence activities as they unlock and incorporate them into normal play.

Priority 7: Join an Active Alliance

Do this as soon as the system becomes available.

An active alliance can provide help, rewards, rallies and strategic support.

Do not stay in a nearly empty starter alliance simply because you joined it first.

Priority 8: Do Not Burn Premium Resources

During the opening hour, almost everything feels cheap.

That is exactly when new players develop bad spending habits.

Do not instantly finish every timer simply because the option appears.

4. City Hall Progression: Your Main Development Gate

City Hall should be treated as one of the central progression targets on a new Nexus War account.

Higher City Hall development opens access to stronger buildings and wider account progression.

The mistake is assuming that means you should blindly rush City Hall while ignoring everything else.

A better approach is controlled rushing.

What Controlled Rushing Means

Controlled rushing means pushing City Hall efficiently while maintaining the systems that make higher levels useful.

Those include:

• Research

• troop buildings

• resource economy

• Hospital capacity

• hero development

• alliance participation

You are not trying to max every building before increasing City Hall.

You are also not trying to reach the highest possible City Hall with an empty shell underneath it.

Work Backwards From Requirements

Before spending on unrelated buildings, inspect the prerequisites for your next City Hall level.

Then prioritise those required upgrades.

This prevents resources being trapped in buildings that do not move your current progression target forward.

Do Not Upgrade Everything Equally

Equal-level building development sounds tidy.

It is rarely efficient.

If a building is not required for City Hall progression and does not currently unlock something useful, it may be able to wait.

Troop Buildings Are Different

Troop buildings deserve additional attention because unit levels are linked to building progression.

Nexus War currently has nine troop levels.

The first eight are unlocked primarily through building progression, while the ninth requires corresponding research.

That makes military building development part of long-term troop progression rather than pure Power padding.

Avoid Empty City Hall Levels

If pushing City Hall leaves your research severely behind, heroes undeveloped and troops unable to support the content you are entering, you have rushed too aggressively.

City Hall is a gate.

It is not the entire account.

5. Research: What Should Beginners Prioritise?

Research is where Nexus War begins separating efficient accounts from accounts that simply look powerful.

Research creates permanent value.

A troop can be killed.

A temporary buff can expire.

Research remains.

That makes your Research Center one of the most important long-term systems on the account.

Priority 1: Development Efficiency

During the opening phase, look first for research that improves the speed or efficiency of future development.

If a technology reduces the time required for actions you will perform hundreds of times, its value compounds.

Examples include bonuses related to:

• construction

• research

• general development efficiency

These bonuses are strongest when obtained early because they affect more future timers.

Priority 2: Economy and Gathering

Resource costs rise substantially as the account develops.

Research that improves gathering, production or resource efficiency helps support every other progression system.

This becomes particularly important for F2P accounts.

Priority 3: Your Actual Military Direction

Do not attempt to maximise every military branch simultaneously.

As your hero roster and preferred troop type become clearer, begin concentrating more heavily on the research that supports that army.

Remember the troop counter system:

Infantry counters Artillery.

Artillery counters Tank.

Tank counters Infantry.

A specialised army still needs to understand its counter.

Do Not Ignore Army Enhancement

Long-term troop progression eventually depends on research as well as buildings.

Level 9 troops require the corresponding technology under:

Combat → Army Enhancement → Killing Machine.

That is not an immediate beginner target, but knowing it exists helps you understand where high-level troop progression is eventually heading.

Keep Research Running

One of the simplest rules in this entire guide is:

If useful research is available and you can afford it, your Research Center should rarely be idle.

A research queue doing nothing generates no permanent value.

6. Resource Economy: What Actually Matters Early

Nexus War uses three main early resources:

• Food

• Gas

• Gems

These resources fund construction, research and troop development.

At the start, it can feel as though you have more than enough.

That changes quickly.

As City Hall levels rise, research becomes more expensive and troop development accelerates, resource management starts becoming one of the main limits on progression.

Food

Food is one of the core resources used across development and military systems.

Do not assume early abundance means you can spend it without planning.

Gas

Gas is another major development resource.

The game introduces Gas Wells very early, and upgrading production buildings helps support future construction and research.

Gems

Gems are a more flexible and valuable resource.

Treat them differently from normal production resources.

Do not spend them casually on every small convenience or instant completion.

Upgrade Resource Buildings, But Do Not Overbuild Them

Farms, Gas Wells and other production buildings are useful because they create passive income.

However, they should support your City Hall and research progression, not replace it.

If a resource building upgrade is not required for your next milestone and you already have enough production, it may be able to wait.

Use the Map as Part of Your Economy

Your economy does not come only from buildings.

Gathering should become part of your routine once your armies are not required elsewhere.

Idle marches generate nothing.

A gathering march can continue producing value while you build, research or log off.

Save Resource Items Until Needed

Do not automatically open every stored resource pack.

Keeping resources in item form gives you flexibility and reduces the amount sitting exposed on your account.

Build Around the Next Bottleneck

The strongest resource strategy is not “collect everything equally.”

It is:

What do I need next?

If your next City Hall upgrade is blocked by Gas, prioritise Gas.

If military research is draining Food, adjust accordingly.

Your economy should react to your development plan.

7. Alliances: One of the Biggest Early Accelerators

Alliances are not optional social decoration in Nexus War.

They are a major progression system.

The official game describes alliances as the main battle organisation on Origin and specifically ties them to rallying commanders together against alien enemies.

For a beginner, the right alliance can accelerate progression through help, rallies, shared activity and experienced players.

Do Not Accept the First Alliance and Forget About It

Early alliance recommendations are often based on availability rather than quality.

Once you understand the server, look at which alliances are actually active.

You want:

• regular activity

• active leadership

• players near your time zone where possible

• frequent rallies

• members progressing consistently

• useful communication

Stronger Alliances Usually Create More Opportunity

Being surrounded by active players exposes you to better information and more group activity.

Even if you are not one of the strongest members, you can still benefit from being in an organised group.

Contribute Rather Than Just Collect

Help alliance members.

Join appropriate rallies.

Respond to instructions.

Participate in group activities.

Players who contribute are much more likely to remain welcome in stronger alliances.

Ask Before Making Expensive Decisions

One of the underrated advantages of an active alliance is access to players who have already made the mistakes you are about to make.

Before spending rare hero materials or making a major military investment, asking a knowledgeable alliance member can save a huge amount of wasted progression.

Move If the Alliance Is Dead

If your alliance has little activity, few rallies and no useful communication, do not stay out of loyalty to a random early join.

A weak alliance can slow an otherwise good account.

8. Heroes: The First Rule Is Specialisation

Heroes in Nexus War are not simply characters with bigger numbers.

Many of them are built around specific troop types and combat mechanics.

This means the wrong investment can create a hero that looks powerful on the profile screen but contributes far less than expected in battle.

Check the Hero Tags

Before investing heavily, open the hero and look at the tags shown beneath the name.

These indicate the hero's role and, where relevant, the troop type the hero is intended to lead.

This is important because some skills only activate when the hero is leading the correct unit type.

Troop-Specific Heroes

Examples of troop-specialist heroes currently include:

Infantry:

• Kyutta

• Orlaith

• Minerva

• Marteau

Tank:

• Vangurra

• Nauraa

• Roub

• Aquavius

Artillery:

• Heinoh

• Zafar

• Cintra

• Venn

• Monarella

There are also heroes such as Katherine, Pyronia and Fluffy whose listed skills are not tied to leading one specific troop type.

Do Not Upgrade Every Purple or Orange Hero

Rarity matters, but synergy matters too.

A hero that matches your troop strategy and can realistically be developed can be more useful than a higher-rarity hero that sits half-built.

Build One Functional Core First

Your first objective should be a small, useful hero group that works with the army type you are actually developing.

Only after that core is reliable should you begin spreading resources into secondary options.

Keep Future Flexibility

You do not need to commit every rare material the moment you unlock a hero.

If you do not know whether that hero fits your long-term army, holding materials is usually safer.

9. Choosing Your First Main Troop Type

Nexus War has three primary unit types:

• Infantry

• Artillery

• Tank

The counter triangle is:

Infantry beats Artillery.

Artillery beats Tank.

Tank beats Infantry.

That sounds simple.

The deeper layer is that the hero mechanics reinforce those troop identities.

Infantry: Disarm and Anti-Artillery Pressure

Infantry hero kits commonly make use of Disarm.

When a team is Disarmed, it cannot use its normal attack or trigger Onslaught skills during that turn.

That is especially disruptive to Artillery because Artillery armies rely heavily on Onslaught.

This helps explain why Infantry naturally counters Artillery rather than the relationship being just a hidden damage modifier.

Artillery: Onslaught Damage

Artillery armies are strongly associated with Onslaught.

Onslaught skills can trigger after normal attacks and create major additional damage.

That gives Artillery strong offensive potential, particularly against Tank formations it is designed to counter.

Tank: Silence and Anti-Infantry Pressure

Tank heroes commonly use Silence.

Silenced heroes cannot activate active skills.

This is especially dangerous for Infantry armies that rely heavily on active hero-skill damage.

Again, the hero mechanics reinforce the troop counter system.

The Counter System Is More Than Troop Numbers

Do not look only at how many Infantry, Artillery or Tanks an opponent has.

Look at:

• troop type

• hero type

• hero skills

• unit level

• research

• buffs

A proper counter army combines the correct troops with heroes whose skills actually support them.

10. How Your Faction Can Support Your Army

Your faction choice can also reinforce a troop direction.

The current TEBA construction data lists the following starting bonuses:

Aoku

Aoku provides:

• +5% Tank Attack

• +5% raiding army march speed

• +4% training speed

Its starting hero is Cayman.

This makes Aoku naturally attractive if you expect to lean toward Tanks or value faster training.

Theia

Theia provides:

• +5% Infantry Attack

• +5% scout speed

• +4% healing speed

Its starting hero is Pyronia.

This gives Theia a natural connection to Infantry-focused development.

Human

Human provides:

• +5% Artillery Attack

• +5% gathering-army march speed

• +4% construction speed

Its starting hero is Katherine.

The construction-speed bonus is particularly interesting for early account development because it affects one of the systems you use constantly.

Izan

Izan provides:

• +5% Tank Attack

• +5% jungle-army march speed

• +4% research speed

Its starting hero is Itri.

The research-speed bonus is especially attractive for long-term development because research remains important throughout the life of the account.

Do Not Let the Faction Trap You

Faction bonuses can guide your direction, but they do not force it.

The official game allows faction switching.

That means you can begin with a development-focused faction and later change if another bonus better suits your mature army.

11. What Should an F2P Beginner Specialise In?

This is where beginner advice needs to be realistic.

A heavy spender can develop several hero groups and military branches much faster.

A free-to-play player cannot.

That means concentration matters.

Step 1: Look at the Heroes You Can Actually Develop

Do not decide you are an Artillery player simply because one top-end Artillery hero looks impressive.

Look at the heroes your account actually has.

Then ask:

Which troop type has the strongest group of heroes I can realistically develop?

That is usually a better starting point.

Step 2: Check Your Faction Bonuses

If two troop directions look equally viable, your faction bonus can become a useful tiebreaker.

For example:

• Theia naturally boosts Infantry Attack

• Human naturally boosts Artillery Attack

• Aoku and Izan naturally boost Tank Attack

That does not make those pairings mandatory.

It simply means part of your account is already helping that troop type.

Step 3: Concentrate Military Research

Once you have chosen a primary direction, stop spreading military research equally across everything unless progression specifically requires it.

Your main troop type should receive the strongest investment first.

Step 4: Keep Counter Awareness

Specialising does not mean forgetting the counter triangle.

If your main army is Infantry, Tank is your natural problem.

If your main army is Artillery, Infantry is your natural problem.

If your main army is Tank, Artillery is your natural problem.

You need to know what threatens your build even if you are not building a full second army yet.

Step 5: Do Not Force a Meta You Cannot Afford

The theoretical strongest build is irrelevant if the important heroes require resources you cannot obtain consistently.

A slightly weaker setup that you can actually level, rank and improve is often the better F2P account.

12. Exploration and Fog: Do Not Treat the Map as Background

Exploration is built into Nexus War's early progression.

The world around your city is initially obscured, and scouting gradually reveals more of Origin.

This is not just visual flavour.

Exploration helps you understand where resources, enemies, alliance activity and other important targets are located.

Keep Scouts Working

When the game gives you opportunities to clear fog, use them.

There is little benefit in leaving your exploration systems idle while the rest of the account develops.

Learn the Area Around Your City

As the map opens, begin identifying:

• resource-rich areas

• alliance territory

• hostile players

• PvE targets

• strategic locations

• useful gathering routes

You do not need to memorise the entire world.

You do need to understand the neighbourhood your account actually operates in.

Exploration Should Run in Parallel

One of the biggest early efficiency gains comes from keeping several systems active simultaneously.

Construction can be running.

Research can be running.

Troops can be training.

Marches can be gathering.

Scouts can be revealing the map.

This is much better than playing Nexus War as a sequence of one task at a time.

Use the Map to Plan, Not Just React

The more of the map you understand, the easier it becomes to make deliberate decisions about gathering, alliance positioning and potential threats.

13. Intelligence Tasks

The Intelligence system is another part of Nexus War's normal progression loop.

Your early chapter progression introduces intelligence activities and encourages you to complete them regularly.

Check Intelligence Regularly

The existing beginner progression shows Intelligence tasks refreshing on a timer.

That means they should become part of your routine rather than something you remember once every few days.

Use Them as Supplemental Progression

Intelligence activities can give you additional objectives and rewards while the larger account systems continue in the background.

Think of them as extra value layered onto normal development.

Do Not Let Them Distract From Core Progression

Intelligence tasks are useful, but they should not replace:

• City Hall development

• research

• troop progression

• hero development

• alliance participation

Complete them because they add value, not because every task must become your main priority.

Build a Habit Early

Systems that refresh periodically are easiest to manage when they become routine.

A quick Intelligence check when you log in is better than repeatedly forgetting the system exists.

14. Titans and Building an Army

Nexus War does not send troops onto the map as an abstract number.

Your armies are organised through Titans.

The Titan Dock is where armies are assembled for activity on the world map.

This is one of the most important distinctions to understand early because your hero choice, troop type and unit speed all affect how that army performs.

Think of a Titan as an Army Platform

When you build an army, you are combining several elements:

• Titan

• heroes

• troop type

• unit level

• troop quantity

• research bonuses

Those pieces should support one another.

Do Not Mix Without a Reason

Your strongest army should not be a random pile of whatever units you have available.

Because troop-specific hero skills exist, the army should increasingly be built around a deliberate unit type.

March Speed Can Be Limited by the Slowest Unit

Current troop documentation notes that when an army contains units with different marching speeds, the Titan moves at the speed of the slowest unit in that army.

That matters for gathering, PvE and movement efficiency.

Lower-Level Troops Have Trade-Offs

Lower-level units are weaker in direct combat, but the current troop data also shows they can have advantages such as lower upkeep, faster march speed and greater load capacity.

So "higher tier is always better for every task" is too simplistic.

Combat armies and gathering armies do not necessarily need to be built the same way.

Build Armies for Jobs

A useful way to think about armies is:

Combat army = strongest relevant unit type + appropriate heroes.

Gathering army = enough capacity and efficiency for the tile.

PvE army = setup appropriate to the enemy and rewards.

Different jobs can justify different compositions.

15. Astra and PvE Progression

The Astra are central to Nexus War's setting and PvE conflict.

The official story describes them as invasive monsters that arrived on Origin and devastated the planet.

For a beginner, Astra and other PvE targets provide a valuable place to develop combat experience before taking larger risks against players.

Use PvE to Test Your Army

PvE gives you a chance to see whether your heroes, troop type and research are working together effectively.

Do not look only at whether you won.

Look at how efficiently you won.

Do Not Force Targets That Are Too Strong

If a target causes disproportionate losses or consumes too many resources to recover from, move back down.

Efficient repetition is often more useful than barely defeating something once.

Use Alliance Rallies

The official Nexus War material specifically describes alliances rallying commanders together to defeat alien monsters.

This is one of the clearest reasons to join an active alliance.

Rallies allow you to participate in content that may be beyond your solo capability.

Compare Results as You Improve

When research, heroes or troop levels improve, revisit similar PvE content.

You will begin to see which upgrades actually translate into better combat performance.

Treat PvE as Practice for PvP

PvE will not replicate every human opponent.

But it does help teach:

• army composition

• hero synergy

• damage output

• recovery cost

• whether an upgrade actually helped

Those are useful habits before serious PvP.

16. Scouting: Information Before Commitment

One of the worst habits in a strategy game is attacking first and learning afterwards.

Nexus War's counter system makes that especially dangerous.

You already know:

Infantry counters Artillery.

Artillery counters Tank.

Tank counters Infantry.

That means information about the enemy army can completely change whether an attack is sensible.

Do Not Attack Based on Power Alone

Displayed Power is useful context.

It is not a complete combat report before the battle starts.

Two accounts with similar Power can have very different:

• research

• hero development

• troop composition

• unit levels

• combat bonuses

Identify the Main Troop Type

When information is available, the first combat question should be:

What am I actually fighting?

If you send Artillery into an Infantry-heavy setup, you are walking into the natural counter.

Look at Hero Compatibility

A hero's rarity does not tell you whether the army is correctly built.

A lower-rarity hero using the correct troop-specific skill can contribute more coherently than a badly matched prestige hero.

Consider the Cost of Being Wrong

A poor PvP decision does not only cost the battle.

It can cost:

• troops

• healing resources

• time

• speed-ups

• exposed resources

• retaliation

Scouting is cheap compared with rebuilding.

17. Battle Reports: Your Best Combat Teacher

A battle report should not be treated as a receipt.

It is information.

The fastest way to improve at combat is to compare what you expected to happen with what actually happened.

Start With the Matchup

Ask:

What troop type did I use?

What troop type did the enemy use?

Did I have the counter advantage?

If you attacked Tank with Artillery, the matchup should favour you.

If you attacked Infantry with Artillery, the matchup begins badly before hero quality is even considered.

Compare Hero Synergy

Check whether the heroes used actually supported the troop type in the army.

Remember that some skills have unit requirements.

A skill that never activates cannot contribute its theoretical value.

Compare Unit Levels

Higher-level troops normally bring stronger combat statistics.

If you lose despite having a favourable counter, unit-level differences may be part of the explanation.

Consider Research

Research can create a large difference between armies that look similar on the surface.

This is why permanent military development matters.

Look for Patterns Across Several Battles

Do not completely rebuild your account because of one strange report.

Look at repeated results.

If the same weakness appears again and again, then you have something worth fixing.

18. How to Read a Matchup Before Attacking

Before launching a serious attack, run through a simple decision process.

Question 1: What Is Their Main Troop Type?

Use the counter triangle:

Infantry beats Artillery.

Artillery beats Tank.

Tank beats Infantry.

If your primary army is naturally countered, that should immediately make you more cautious.

Question 2: Does My Hero Team Match My Troops?

Check that your troop-specific hero abilities can actually activate.

A badly assembled hero team can weaken what would otherwise be a favourable army.

Question 3: Am I Out-Tiered?

Compare unit quality where information is available.

A counter advantage does not make every statistical difference disappear.

Question 4: Is the Target Worth the Risk?

Ask what you actually gain.

Resources?

Event points?

Strategic position?

Alliance objective?

If there is no meaningful reward, the smartest attack may be no attack at all.

Question 5: What Happens Afterwards?

Could the target retaliate?

Are they part of a strong alliance?

Can you protect your city afterwards?

A battle does not exist in isolation.

The Beginner Rule

The goal is not to attack as often as possible.

It is to understand why you are attacking before you press the button.

19. Events: Turn Normal Progress Into Extra Rewards

Nexus War runs regular events that reward activities you may already be planning to complete.

Current event examples listed by the game include seasonal and themed events, while older core event systems have included progression-focused events such as Surging Power, The Rise of Cities and Lord of Origin.

The important beginner lesson is not memorising every event name.

It is learning to check the Event Center before using large amounts of resources, Accelerations or hero materials.

Match Events to Your Existing Plan

If an event rewards city development and you already need to upgrade buildings, that is efficient timing.

If an event rewards troop training and you already planned to train, that can be worth doing.

But forcing an activity you do not need simply because an event exists is usually poor value.

Stack Objectives

The strongest progression actions often complete several goals at once.

For example:

• progress your City Hall path

• score in an event

• complete a chapter task

• increase useful Power

• unlock a troop or research milestone

That is far better than completing each objective separately.

Do Not Save Forever

Event timing matters.

But hoarding every item for months while your account stagnates is not efficient either.

Use events to improve the value of progression, not to stop progression entirely.

Prioritise Events You Can Actually Complete

Some events reward the strongest accounts or biggest spenders much more heavily.

As an F2P beginner, focus first on milestones you can realistically reach without destroying your resource reserves.

20. Talac, Accelerations and Valuable Items

Nexus War contains several resource types, but Talac deserves special treatment.

Published beginner material identifies Talac as the game's premium currency and describes it as being usable for natural resources, Hero XP, summon items and Accelerations.

That flexibility is exactly why it is easy to waste.

Do Not Use Talac for Small Convenience

Instantly finishing tiny timers or buying resources you could gather naturally may feel harmless.

Repeated often, that becomes expensive.

Use premium currency when it removes a meaningful bottleneck or creates strong event value.

Accelerations Should Have a Purpose

Accelerations can reduce building, research and training timers.

The strongest uses usually involve:

• key City Hall milestones

• important research

• troop unlocks

• valuable event timing

• clearing a real progression wall

Using them every time you become impatient is the fastest way to run out.

Treat Hero Resources as Scarce

Hero XP, summon materials, Mementos and similar hero-development items can become much more valuable once you understand which heroes you actually intend to build.

Do not commit them heavily to temporary heroes just because they are available early.

Hold Unknown Items

If you do not know how rare an item is or whether it has an important later use, holding it is usually safer than spending it.

There is very little downside to waiting until you understand the system better.

21. Protecting Your City and Recovering From Attacks

Nexus War is a shared-world strategy game.

That means other players eventually become part of the progression environment.

Defence is not only about having a powerful army.

It is about understanding when to fight and when to protect what you have built.

Use Protective Buffs Properly

Published item guides list buffs that can stop enemies from attacking or scouting your city.

Learn where these protections are stored and how long they last.

Do not wait until an enemy march is already moving before learning how the system works.

Watch Exposed Resources

Large resource totals make losses more painful.

Keep resources in item form where possible and avoid opening more than you need for the current upgrade.

Hospital Capacity Matters

Your Hospital is introduced early for a reason.

As troop numbers grow, the ability to recover wounded units becomes increasingly important.

Ignoring recovery capacity can turn a manageable attack into a much more expensive problem.

Alliance Location Matters

Being near active alliance members can provide practical advantages beyond chat and rewards.

Stronger alliances tend to create safer and more organised areas of operation than isolated solo play.

Avoid Pointless PvP

Do not attack somebody just because they are weaker.

Ask what you gain, what retaliation is possible and whether the target belongs to an organised alliance.

The smartest fight is sometimes the one you never start.

22. Free-to-Play Reality: Where Progression Starts to Slow

Nexus War can be played without spending, but progression is not equally fast for every account.

Premium packs can accelerate hero development, construction, research and resource acquisition.

That means F2P players need to expect slower progression in several areas.

Hero Development Can Become a Wall

Unlocking a strong hero is only the beginning.

The real question is whether you can obtain enough materials, shards or equivalent development resources to improve that hero consistently.

This is why building around heroes you can realistically develop matters more than chasing theoretical top-end lineups.

Research Timers Become Longer

Research starts quickly but becomes increasingly expensive in both time and resources.

That makes early research-speed bonuses and efficient resource management more valuable over time.

City Hall Upgrades Become Resource Heavy

Higher-level city development requires more planning.

The days of upgrading whenever the arrow appears eventually disappear.

Gathering, resource items and event timing become increasingly important.

Multiple Armies Are Expensive

A spender can often develop several strong troop types and hero teams more quickly.

For F2P, spreading evenly across Infantry, Artillery and Tank can leave all three mediocre.

A stronger first goal is one good main army plus enough understanding to recognise your counter.

Paid Progression Exists — Do Not Pretend It Does Not

Player feedback on the Google Play listing specifically notes that packs can significantly accelerate hero development and acquisition.

That does not make F2P pointless.

It means your strategy needs to be built around efficiency rather than trying to match spending directly.

23. A Strong Daily Routine

A good Nexus War routine is not about staying online all day.

It is about keeping the important systems moving.

When You Log In

Check:

• current events

• Intelligence tasks

• chapter and mission progress

• construction queue

• research queue

• troop training

• alliance activity

• available rewards

• hero progression

Before Spending Anything Major

Check whether an event rewards:

• construction

• research

• troop training

• Power growth

• hero development

If the same action can produce event rewards, time it accordingly.

Keep Your Marches Productive

When armies are not fighting:

• gather resources

• clear useful PvE targets

• join alliance rallies

• complete map objectives

Idle armies create no value.

Keep Exploration Active

If fog remains, keep clearing it.

Exploration should continue alongside the rest of your progression.

Before Logging Off

Try to leave the account with:

• a long construction timer running

• useful research active

• troop training running

• gathering marches deployed where safe

• no unnecessary exposed resources

• protection checked if needed

The goal is to make progress while you are away.

24. Your First 14 Days: Beginner Roadmap

Use this as a progression framework rather than a rigid City Hall timetable.

Different servers, alliances, events and spending levels can change the exact pace.

Days 1–2: Learn the Systems

Focus on:

• chapter progression

• City Hall prerequisites

• Research Center

• troop buildings

• fog clearing

• Intelligence

• joining an active alliance

• understanding Infantry, Artillery and Tank

Do not worry about serious PvP.

Days 3–4: Build the Development Engine

Prioritise:

• City Hall progression

• development research

• resource production

• gathering

• useful alliance activity

• keeping queues active

Avoid dumping resources into every available building.

Days 5–7: Choose Your Military Direction

By now you should have a clearer hero roster.

Begin asking:

Which troop type has the heroes I can actually develop?

Which faction bonus supports that direction?

Which research should I concentrate on?

This is the point where a real army strategy should begin forming.

Days 8–10: Improve Efficiency

Review:

• hero synergy

• troop type

• unit levels

• research priorities

• gathering efficiency

• alliance quality

• PvE results

Fix obvious weak points instead of simply chasing more Power.

Days 11–14: Stop Playing Reactively

By the end of two weeks, you should have:

• a City Hall target

• a research plan

• a main troop direction

• a functional hero group

• an active alliance

• a daily routine

• an understanding of your natural troop counter

You do not need an endgame account.

You need an account with a direction.

25. Nexus War Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

1. Chasing Power Instead of Progress

Power can rise through many systems.

Not all Power is equally useful.

2. Upgrading Every Building

Follow City Hall prerequisites and meaningful unlocks.

Do not level the entire city evenly for appearance.

3. Ignoring Research

Permanent bonuses compound over the life of the account.

4. Choosing Heroes Without Checking Troop Requirements

Some hero skills only activate with the correct troop type.

5. Developing Every Hero

Build a functional core first.

6. Training All Three Troop Types Equally

F2P players usually benefit from a stronger primary military direction.

7. Forgetting the Counter Triangle

Infantry beats Artillery.

Artillery beats Tank.

Tank beats Infantry.

8. Mixing Slow Units Without Thinking

A Titan containing units with different march speeds moves at the speed of the slowest unit.

9. Assuming Higher-Tier Troops Are Best for Every Job

Lower-tier units can have advantages in speed, load and upkeep.

10. Staying in a Weak Alliance

Active alliances create much more opportunity.

11. Ignoring Fog and Intelligence

Both are part of normal Nexus War progression.

12. Opening Every Resource Item

Only expose what you actually need.

13. Wasting Talac and Accelerations

Premium resources should solve real progression problems.

14. Attacking Based on Power Alone

Counters, heroes, research and unit levels can completely change a matchup.

15. Ignoring Battle Reports

Every fight gives you information.

Use it.

16. Forcing High-Level PvE

Efficient farming is often better than barely winning once.

17. Ignoring City Protection

Learn defensive items and recovery systems before PvP becomes serious.

18. Copying a Whale Build

The best theoretical lineup is useless if you cannot develop it.

Build around what your account can realistically sustain.

26. What Should You Learn Next?

Once the systems in this guide feel comfortable, move into the specialist Nexus War guides.

The most useful next topics are:

• Construction and City Hall progression

• Research priorities

• Heroes

• Infantry

• Artillery

• Tank

• troop counters

• Titans and army composition

• PvE and Astra

• defence

• attack strategy

• events

• free-to-play progression

This is where your account begins moving from "beginner" to "specialised".

You do not need to learn everything at once.

Learn the system that is currently limiting your progress.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which faction should a beginner choose in Nexus War?

There is no single mandatory choice.

Human, Izan, Aoku and Theia provide different advantages, and Nexus War allows faction switching later.

Choose a faction whose development or troop bonuses support your current plan.

Can I change faction later?

Yes.

The official Nexus War site states that factions can be changed during the game.

What are the troop counters?

The basic counter triangle is:

Infantry beats Artillery.

Artillery beats Tank.

Tank beats Infantry.

Should I develop all three troop types?

Not equally at the start.

For F2P players, building one strong primary troop direction first is usually more efficient.

How do I choose which heroes to develop?

Check hero tags, troop requirements and whether you can realistically obtain the materials needed to develop them.

Build synergy rather than rarity alone.

What are Titans?

Titans are the army platforms used to organise heroes and troops for activities on the world map.

Do lower-level troops have any use?

Yes.

While weaker in combat, lower-level troops can have advantages such as lower upkeep, faster march speed and better load capacity.

What should I spend Talac on?

Use premium currency deliberately.

Strong uses are generally those that remove meaningful bottlenecks or create high-value progression rather than small convenience purchases.

Should I save Accelerations?

Yes, but not forever.

Use them for important progression, troop or research milestones, particularly when useful events reward the same activity.

Is Nexus War free-to-play friendly?

You can progress without spending, but paid players can accelerate hero, construction and research development significantly.

F2P players should focus on efficiency, specialisation and active alliance participation.

How important is an alliance?

Very important.

Alliances provide help, rallies, rewards, group activity and access to experienced players.

Should I attack players with lower Power?

Not automatically.

Power alone does not reveal troop counters, hero synergy, research or unit quality.

How often should I check Intelligence tasks?

The original beginner progression records Intelligence tasks refreshing every eight hours, so checking them regularly is a useful habit.

What should I focus on first?

Your early priorities should be:

City Hall progression, research, active alliance membership, exploration, resource management and building one coherent hero-and-troop direction.

Final Thoughts

Nexus War rewards players who connect its systems together.

City Hall unlocks progression.

Research improves the account permanently.

Heroes support specific armies.

Troop types counter one another.

Titans combine those systems into functioning armies.

Exploration reveals the world.

Intelligence adds recurring progression.

Alliances open group activity.

Events reward good timing.

The mistake is treating each of those systems separately.

A strong beginner account should have a clear answer to five questions:

What is my next City Hall target?

What am I researching?

Which troop type am I building around?

Which heroes support that troop type?

What resource or system is currently slowing me down?

If you can answer those questions, you are no longer developing randomly.

You are building a strategy.