Complete Strategy Guide, Hero Meta & Troop Calculator — 2026
20 WavesAll GenerationsInfantry MetaZero Archers2026 Meta
🧮 March Calculator
⚔️ Optimal March Setup
Configure your troops and generation — get instant hero recommendations and march breakdowns.
🚫 Archers score ZERO kill points throughout the entire event. Vikings die to Infantry before Archers ever fire. Keep all archers at home — do not include them in any march or garrison, ever.
🎚️ Troop Composition
🛡️ Infantry90%
🐎 Cavalry10%
🏹 Archers (score 0 pts — not recommended)0%
Total: 100% ✅
Fill incomplete marches with…
When Infantry runs out, fill remaining march slots with:
—
Total Deployed
—
Infantry
—
Cavalry
—
Archers (Stay Home)
—
Troops at Home
Deployed Ratio
🛡️ Infantry—
🐎 Cavalry—
🏹 Archers (excluded from marches)0%
March
🛡️ Infantry
🐎 Cavalry
🏹 Archers
Total
Status
Recommended Lead
🏛️ HQ Garrison — Waves 10 & 20
📖 Event Overview
Viking Vengeance is a 20-wave alliance defense event (typically Tuesdays & Thursdays). Vikings attack your cities and Alliance HQ. Reinforcement kills earn 2–3× more points than defending your own city — empty your city every wave.
Waves 1–9Attack your city. Send ALL Infantry + Cavalry to reinforce allies. Lead with Chenko.Normal
Wave 10 🏛️HQ ONLY — city is SAFE. Recall strongest march → garrison HQ with Howard lead. Pull Guard Station heroes too!HQ
Waves 11–19City attacked again. Return Guard Station heroes. Resume reinforcing allies with Chenko lead.Normal
Wave 20 🏛️HQ ONLY — HIGHEST SCORING WAVE. Same as wave 10 but stronger Vikings. Never miss this!HQ ★
⚔️ 2026 Troop Meta
🚫 ZERO ARCHERS: Archers score 0 kill points. Infantry attacks first and wipes Vikings before Cavalry or Archers engage. Real test: all-Infantry = 90–96k kills; mixed setup = only 31–37k kills (Cavalry got zero). Never send archers.
🛡️ Infantry — 90% (Primary)
Attacks first, kills Vikings before Cavalry moves. Maximise Infantry in every march and HQ garrison. One fixed 90/10 ratio works for all 20 waves.
🐎 Cavalry — 10% (Reserve)
Keep ~10% as a safety net in case Infantry is fully wiped. Every Cavalry slot beyond 10% is a wasted Infantry slot.
⚠️ Archer heroes as capacity joiner: Allowed in slots 2–4 only. Manually replace their archer squad slots with Infantry/Cavalry before sending — the game may auto-fill archers.
🦸 All Heroes by Generation
Key mechanic: Only Slot 1 (Lead) hero's skill applies. Slots 2–4 contribute troop capacity only. Always pick your lead by skill type, not just raw power.
⚔️ Generation 1 — FoundationFree-to-play core. Some heroes (Chenko, Howard, Saul) remain meta-relevant at all levels.
ChenkoGen 1 · Infantry
S-Tier LeadBear Hunt Joiner
+25% Lethality ALL troops. Best reinforcement lead regardless of generation. Always leads your strongest march waves 1–9 and 11–19.
HowardGen 1 · Infantry
S-Tier HQ LeadGarrison
20% damage reduction for ALL garrisoned troops. Best Gen 1 HQ garrison lead. Never use for reinforcement marches.
GordonGen 1 · Cavalry
A-Tier HQ LeadGarrison
+25% health ALL garrisoned troops. Backup HQ garrison lead if Howard unavailable. Weaker than Howard and Saul.
SaulGen 1 · Infantry
S-Tier HQ JoinerGarrison
Best garrison joiner in Gen 1. Much stronger defense skill than Gordon. 4× Saul replaces the old 4× Gordon meta.
AmaneGen 1 · Infantry
A-Tier JoinerReinforcement
+25% attack all troops. Best Gen 1 reinforcement joiner after Chenko. Surpassed by Margot/Hilde at higher gen.
YeonwooGen 1 · Cavalry
A-Tier LeadReinforcement
+25% Lethality — same buff as Chenko. Excellent secondary march lead or joiner on a second march when Chenko is deployed.
AmadeusGen 1 · Infantry
A-Tier LeadReinforcement
Bear Hunt Joiner skill. Good alternative lead for a 2nd march. Solid all-round offensive hero.
JabelGen 1 · Archer
B-Tier JoinerCapacity
High power = large capacity contribution. Good Guard Station hero and HQ garrison joiner. Archer — replace his squads with Infantry.
RosaGen 1 · Archer
B-Tier JoinerCapacity King
Often highest power Gen 1 hero = biggest capacity padding. Archer skill is useless here. Slots 2–4 only, load Infantry troops.
QuinnGen 1 · Archer
C-TierCapacity Only
Archer hero. Slots 3–4 capacity padding only. Replace archer squads with Infantry before sending.
🏹 Generation 2 — Significant UpgradeHilde replaces Amane. Jaeger becomes versatile. Major power spike.
HildeGen 2 · Cavalry
S-TierReinforcementHQ Joiner
Warbringer skill boosts all squad attacks. Best Gen 2 joiner for both reinforcement marches and HQ garrison. Replaces Amane when available.
EricGen 2 · Infantry
A-TierHQ Garrison
Strong garrison joiner with infantry defense buffs. Solid HQ slot 2–3 for Gen 2 players.
Jaeger G2Gen 2 · Infantry
A-TierGarrisonReinforcement
Versatile across garrison and reinforcement. Good mid-game joiner transitioning from Gen 1 to Gen 2.
Yan WuGen 2 · Cavalry
A-Tier LeadReinforcement
Bear Hunt Joiner skill. Good 2nd march lead for Gen 2 players when Chenko is on the first march.
Chance-based Cavalry attack boost. Inconsistent due to RNG. Good capacity joiner in slots 2–3. Weaker than Margot and Hilde for this event.
Jaeger G3Gen 3 · Infantry
A-TierHQ GarrisonReinforcement
Strong HQ garrison joiner and decent reinforcement joiner at Gen 3. One of the better F2P mid-game options.
🌟 Generation 4 — Top MetaMargot and Alcar are meta-defining. Jaeger G4 is the best garrison hero in this range.
MargotGen 4 · Cavalry
S-TierReinforcement LeadHQ Joiner
+25% attack ALL troops (not Cavalry-specific). Equal to Amane's buff at higher power. Can lead marches or serve as top HQ garrison joiner. Best Gen 4 versatile hero.
AlcarGen 4 · Infantry
S-TierHQ GarrisonReinforcement
Top Gen 4 garrison hero. Exceptional defense and troop survival. Best HQ garrison joiner for Gen 4 players. Also strong reinforcement joiner.
Jaeger G4Gen 4 · Infantry
S-TierHQ Lead
S-tier garrison hero at Gen 4. Best HQ garrison lead option for advanced players. Outperforms Howard in raw garrison buff at this generation.
💎 Generation 5–6 — EndgameP2W/endgame territory. Replace all lower-gen equivalents in their respective roles.
Gen 5–6 Garrison HeroGen 5–6
S-TierHQ Lead
Any Gen 5–6 defense hero with a garrison-wide first skill becomes your HQ lead. Higher gen = larger capacity + stronger buffs.
Gen 5–6 Attacker HeroGen 5–6
S-TierReinforcement Lead
Gen 5–6 Bear Hunt Joiner heroes replace Chenko as reinforcement lead. Chenko still valuable as secondary march lead or joiner.
📋 Lineups by Generation
Adapt to your actual star levels. A high-star lower-gen hero can outperform a low-star higher-gen hero. Use these as starting templates.
🌱 F2P / Gen 1
Reinforcement March
Lead:Chenko
Joiner 2:Amane or Amadeus
Joiner 3:Jabel or Rosa (Infantry troops)
HQ Garrison (Wave 10 & 20)
Lead:Howard
Joiner 2:Saul or Gordon
Joiner 3:Amane or Jabel
Joiner 4:Rosa (Infantry only!)
Guard Station
Slots 1–3:Rosa + Jabel + Howard (3 highest power)
⚔️ Mid Game / Gen 2–3
Reinforcement March
Lead:Chenko
Joiner 2:Hilde or Yeonwoo
Joiner 3:Amane or Rosa (Infantry troops)
HQ Garrison (Wave 10 & 20)
Lead:Howard or Jaeger G2/G3
Joiner 2:Hilde
Joiner 3:Saul or Eric
Joiner 4:Rosa or Jabel (Infantry only)
Guard Station
Slots 1–3:Your 3 highest-power heroes
🌟 Advanced / Gen 4
Reinforcement March
Lead:Chenko or Margot
Joiner 2:Margot or Hilde
Joiner 3:Alcar or Rosa (capacity)
HQ Garrison (Wave 10 & 20)
Lead:Jaeger G4 or Howard
Joiner 2:Alcar
Joiner 3:Hilde or Saul
Joiner 4:Margot or Rosa (Infantry only)
Guard Station
Slots 1–3:Your 3 highest-power heroes
💎 Endgame / Gen 5–6
Reinforcement March
Lead:Best Gen 5–6 Bear Hunt Joiner
Joiner 2:Margot / best attacker
Joiner 3:Highest power hero
HQ Garrison (Wave 10 & 20)
Lead:Best Gen 5–6 defense hero
Joiners:Alcar + Jaeger G4 + Hilde/Saul
Guard Station
Slots 1–3:Your 3 highest-power Gen 5–6 heroes
🏛️ HQ Waves Deep Dive
The Golden Rule: During waves 10 and 20, Vikings ONLY attack the HQ — your city is 100% safe. Pull ALL your Guard Station heroes to the HQ garrison, return them before wave 11/21 starts attacking cities again.
Wave 10 vs Wave 20
Factor
Wave 10
Wave 20
Viking Strength
Very High
EXTREME
Points
High
Highest in event
Troops
90% Inf / 10% Cav
90% Inf / 10% Cav
Hero Lead
Howard/Jaeger
Howard/Jaeger
Priority
Critical
NEVER miss
Timing Checklist
Wave 9 ends →
Immediately recall your strongest march
Swap to Howard lead + best garrison joiners
Load 90% Infantry / 10% Cavalry — remove archers
Send to HQ before wave 10 starts
Pull Guard Station heroes to HQ too
Wave 10 clears →
Immediately recall from HQ
Swap back to Chenko lead
Return Guard Station heroes home
Re-deploy reinforcement marches
🗺️ Full Event Strategy
Before Every Regular Wave
Send ALL Infantry and Cavalry to reinforce 2–4 online alliance members
Chenko leads every reinforcement march — always
Target geographically close allies (2–3 min travel max)
Empty your city completely — every troop at home is wasted
HQ Waves 10 & 20
Recall immediately when wave 9/19 ends
Howard as lead, fill with best garrison joiners
90% Infantry / 10% Cavalry, zero archers
City is safe — pull Guard Station heroes to HQ
After wave: immediately recall, restore Guard Station, re-deploy
Throughout the Event
Never heal during the event — heal after
Shields and bubbles are useless — skip them
If city eliminated: keep all marches out, still earn full reinforcement points
Consider Plains HQ if more central to alliance
💡 Tips & Troubleshooting
Not enough points?
You're leaving troops at home. Empty your city and reinforce 3–4 online members. Reinforcement kills = 2–3× home defense points.
March misses HQ wave?
Recall the moment wave 9/19 ends. Only reinforce close allies. Set a phone timer 2 min before wave 10.
Reinforcements get zero kills?
You're leading with Howard or Gordon. Switch to Chenko immediately. Defensive heroes belong only in the HQ garrison.
City eliminated early?
Keep all marches out! You still earn full reinforcement points. An eliminated city can still finish top 10.
Archer hero as joiner?
Fine in slots 2–4 for capacity. Always replace their archer squads with Infantry/Cavalry — check every march before sending.
Who to upgrade first?
Priority: Chenko → Howard/Saul → Hilde/Amane → Rosa/Jabel. Chenko leads every wave so he benefits most from star upgrades.