The Waterfall Doctrine: Troop Promotion for Alliance Duel

What waterfall training is#

“Waterfall” training means you train lower-tier soldiers continuously during the week, then promote them up through the tiers in stages during troop-training events — one step at a time, for example T6 → T7 → T8 → T9.

The goal is to score event points from eligible promotions at the right time. It is not a trick for magic time or resource savings — it’s better timing, stronger event value, and steadier troop growth.

Why waterfall?#

• Train lower-tier troops continuously, then promote them during key events. Your training queues never sit idle, and the payoff lands when it scores.
• More flexibility for daily growth and event scoring.
• Better timing, not magic savings. The value comes from when the points land, not from skipping costs.

1. Prepare your Training Grounds#

Promotion depends on what each Training Ground can produce. Check the highest troop tier each Training Ground can produce.

A staggered setup — Grounds at different levels — allows successive upgrades. Example: Training Grounds at Lv.17, Lv.20, Lv.24, and Lv.27 support a full T6 → T7 → T8 → T9 pathway. Adapt this to your own unlocked tiers and battle needs — use the highest tier your Training Grounds currently unlock.

2. Build your reserve#

Between events:

• Keep your training queues active every day and produce the lower-tier troops you plan to promote.
• Save training speedups and enough resources for the entire promotion chain. Running out halfway through a promotion wastes the window.
• Keep enough combat-ready troops for fighting. Don’t convert your whole army into a waiting reserve.

3. Promote on the right day#

The scoring day is Alliance Duel Day 5 — War Preparation, the troop-training phase.

1. Open a Training Ground.
2. Select the lower-tier soldiers.
3. Use the Promote option (the green arrow).
4. Upgrade one tier at a time where available, and repeat until you reach your target tier.

Also check whether Survival Battle’s troop-training phase overlaps with the same day, and plan your promotions around both.

4. Verify the points#

Check the event rules and points after your first small promotion. Different events may score training, promotion, and speedup use differently. Never assume every step pays identical points — test with a small batch before committing your whole reserve.

When to use it — and when not to#

Best for: Alliance Duel troop-training phases and any event that rewards troop growth or promotion.

Use when you want better score timing, cleaner resource planning, and more control over your barracks output.

Don’t use it blindly. If immediate combat readiness matters more than event points — a war is coming, or you’re being targeted — keep enough top-tier troops ready now.

Common mistakes#

• Upgrading every building without a plan. If all your Grounds end up the same level, you lose the staggered ladder.
• Spending all speedups before the scoring window opens.
• Ignoring healing, resources, and training queue uptime.
• Believing promotion always means automatic time or resource savings. Compare results in your own account.
• Leaving your troop balance weak while chasing points.

The smart routine#

1. Choose your target tier.
2. Keep training queues active every day.
3. Stockpile resources and speedups.
4. Promote during the event window.
5. Review your score, troop power, and remaining reserves.
6. Repeat with discipline each week.