Rise of Kingdoms Military Research Priority Guide (2026)

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Rise of Kingdoms Military Research Tree (structure and what actually matters)

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The military research tree in Rise of Kingdoms is organized into tiers that gate each other sequentially. Early-tier nodes unlock troop tiers and provide foundational stat bonuses. Mid-tier nodes deliver the largest individual stat contributions in the tree. Late-tier nodes (T5 prerequisites and beyond) require the most speedup investment and unlock the highest-ceiling combat bonuses.

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The tree has three parallel tracks that become relevant after T4 is unlocked: the universal troop stat nodes that buff all troop types simultaneously, the troop-type-specific attack and defense branches for Infantry, Cavalry, Archer, and Siege, and the prerequisite path through Combat Tactics, Defensive Formation, and Herbal Medicine that gates T5 research access.

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Universal nodes (Troop Attack, Troop Defense, Troop Health) provide stat bonuses that apply regardless of what troops you field. At max level, Troop Attack contributes +25%, Troop Defense +25%, and Troop Health +25% across all unit types. These are the highest-priority research completions in the entire tree because they multiply the output of every march simultaneously. No specialization decision affects whether these nodes are worth maxing — they always are.

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Troop-type-specific nodes (Cavalry Attack, Archer Attack, Infantry Attack, and their corresponding Defense variants) each deliver +20% attack or defense at max level specifically for that unit type. These nodes are highest-priority for your primary march type and secondary priority for your second march type.

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Siege Attack and Defense research delivers minimal combat return for high-spending accounts whose primary use of siege is gathering — these are the lowest-priority nodes in the tree and should be researched last or skipped until all other combat nodes are complete.

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March Speed research contributes +15% march speed at max level. For cavalry-primary accounts, march speed directly impacts Ark of Osiris positioning, open-field chase and escape, and KvK flag capture speed. For infantry and archer accounts, it is lower priority. Research it after universal nodes and primary troop-type nodes are complete.

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Healing reduction nodes (Herbal Medicine and its downstream research) reduce the resource cost per troop healed. As covered in the T5 troops guide, gold is the binding healing constraint at T5 combat scale. Healing reduction research is infrastructure — it should be maxed before any account commits to sustained T5 deployment in KvK, because the per-node return compounds across every healing cycle for the remainder of the account’s life.

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Rise of Kingdoms Military Research Priority Order for High Spenders

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The correct research sequencing for a $1,000+/month account is not the same as the sequence a F2P player would follow. F2P players optimize for minimum speedup cost to reach T4 and T5 unlock gates. High spenders should optimize for maximum combat stat return per speedup deployed, which means maxing high-value nodes rather than racing through the tree to unlock the next tier.

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Phase 1 — Path to T4 (unlock gate, do not max en route): Research the minimum required to unlock T4 Infantry, T4 Cavalry, and T4 Archers as fast as possible. Do not stop to max every node between T3 and T4 unlock — those mid-path nodes have lower returns than the universal and troop-specific nodes you will max after T4 is unlocked. Skip T4 Siege entirely at this phase. Siege T4 research speedups are better spent on combat troop nodes that deliver immediate PvP return.

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Phase 2 — Max universal and foundational nodes: Once T4 combat troops are unlocked, stop racing through the tree and max these in order: Troop Attack (all levels), Troop Defense (all levels), Troop Health (all levels), Training Speed, and March Speed. These universal nodes produce the widest return — every march type benefits simultaneously. At high spending levels with multiple march types active in KvK, universal research is proportionally more valuable than it would be for a single-march account.

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Phase 3 — Primary troop-type branch to max: Identify your primary march type (Cavalry, Archer, or Infantry based on your commander investment) and max the corresponding Attack and Defense research branch completely before beginning the secondary type.

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The troop-type-specific branches deliver +20% attack and defense to that unit type at max level. An account running Nevsky + Joan Prime as their primary cavalry march with Cavalry Attack at max vs. 50% completion has a measurable combat output difference in every open-field and rally engagement.

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• Cavalry primary: Max Cavalry Attack → Cavalry Defense → then begin Archer or Infantry branch for second march.

• Archer primary: Max Archer Attack → Archer Defense → then begin Cavalry or Infantry branch.

• Infantry primary: Max Infantry Attack → Infantry Defense → then begin Cavalry or Archer branch.

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Phase 4 — T5 prerequisite path: Combat Tactics, Defensive Formation, and Herbal Medicine must each reach level 10 to unlock the T5 research branches. These three nodes are the research gate to T5, and they also provide universal combat bonuses that compound into meaningful stat contributions at max level. Research them in parallel with Phase 3 if speedup reserves allow, rather than treating them as a separate phase. Completing them opens the T5 research branches, which is where the final tier of military research lives.

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Phase 5 — T5 troop unlock research: Each T5 troop type (Infantry, Cavalry, Archer) is researched independently at the Academy after the Phase 4 prerequisites are complete. Research your primary march type’s T5 first, then secondary, then tertiary. Do not research Siege T5 at any point — those speedups produce zero combat return for the investment required and should be redirected to secondary or tertiary combat troop T5 research instead.

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Phase 6 — Healing reduction and hospital research: After T5 is unlocked, the highest-return remaining research is healing resource reduction. The Herbal Medicine downstream nodes that reduce per-troop healing costs are infrastructure research that pays back every time T5 troops enter a hospital. Max these before expanding to the Siege branches or any other low-priority nodes remaining in the tree.

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Rise of Kingdoms Military Research: nodes to skip or deprioritize

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Not every node in the military tree deserves speedup investment at equal priority. These are the ones that high-spending accounts consistently over-invest in relative to their combat return:

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Siege unit research (all tiers): Siege Attack, Siege Defense, and Siege troop unlock research provides zero open-field or garrison PvP value. Siege units serve a gathering and resource transport function.

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At $1,000+/month, gathering efficiency is never the binding constraint on account progression. Every speedup deployed on Siege research is a speedup not deployed on the Cavalry, Archer, or Infantry nodes that determine KvK fight outcomes. Research Siege only after all combat troop branches are complete, if ever.

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Mid-path prerequisite nodes between T3 and T4: Several nodes between the T3 unlock and the T4 unlock gates are mandatory prerequisites with minimal direct stat contribution. Research them to the minimum level required to advance the path, then move on rather than maxing them. They can be maxed in Phase 2 after T4 is unlocked without delaying the unlock itself.

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Tertiary troop type before primary and secondary are complete: An account running cavalry primary and archer secondary should not research Infantry Attack until both Cavalry and Archer branches are fully maxed. Splitting research investment across three troop types simultaneously produces three partially-complete branches instead of two competitive ones.

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The account with two fully maxed march types outperforms the account with three partially-researched ones in every KvK scenario.

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Rise of Kingdoms Military Research and Speedup Deployment Strategy

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At $1,000+/month, universal speedups should go exclusively to military research until the Phase 4 prerequisites are complete and T5 is unlocked. This is the hardest discipline constraint in the game for active spenders because hospital bills, training queues, and building upgrades all compete for universal speedups.

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The return on each universal speedup applied to military research is permanent and compounds indefinitely. The return on the same speedup applied to healing a T4 troop hospital queue is consumed once.

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Deploy speedups during MGE research events. MGE Stage 3 (Technology) awards points for research completions during the scoring window. Any speedup deployed to military research during Stage 3 simultaneously advances your stat base and generates MGE points.

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Pre-staging a research queue before Stage 3 opens — with expensive late-tier nodes queued and speedups ready to release in the window — is the highest-efficiency research deployment available. High-cost T5-tier research completions score proportionally more MGE points, which makes the alignment of these completions with Stage 3 windows the priority.

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Deploy speedups during KvK Crusader research quests. KvK Crusader Achievements include a research speedup quest that awards Crusader points for deploying a specific number of research speedup minutes. Staging a large research queue going into this quest window and releasing speedups during it generates Crusader points toward coalition and individual rankings while simultaneously advancing military research.

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The quest rewards are meaningful at high point thresholds, and the research completion is permanent regardless of KvK outcome.

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Research speed buffs compound significantly at high-tier nodes. Late-tier military research (T5 unlock branches, max-level universal nodes) takes weeks of raw research time without buffs. Active Korea civilization (research speed bonus), alliance research technology bonuses, kingdom title research speed boosts, and rune-based research reduction all stack multiplicatively against the base research time.

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Before releasing any significant speedup investment on a late-tier node, confirm that all available research speed buffs are active to maximize the number of research completions per speedup day deployed.

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Alliance Leader Playbook: Rise of Kingdoms Military Research Coordination

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Military research coordination across an alliance roster produces compounding returns that individual account optimization alone cannot match. The areas worth coordinating explicitly:

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Align troop-type research specialization with march role assignments. If your alliance has designated cavalry rally leads, archer open-field marches, and infantry garrison anchors, the research priority for each account should match that role. A garrison anchor account that has maxed Cavalry Attack research before Infantry Defense research is misaligned — their speedup investment didn’t compound into the role they actually perform.

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A quick role-to-research alignment check across your top-10 accounts before the next KvK registration will surface mismatches that are costing your alliance defensive and offensive output.

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Coordinate MGE Stage 3 pre-staging across your roster. When MGE is approaching, send a pre-event message asking your top spenders to confirm they have expensive research nodes queued for Stage 3. An account that enters Stage 3 with a short-duration node queued scores far fewer points than one that queued a late-tier T5 node. One coordination message before MGE opens can meaningfully increase your alliance’s collective Stage 3 performance without any additional spending.

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Track which accounts have completed Phase 4 prerequisites. Accounts that have not yet completed Combat Tactics, Defensive Formation, and Herbal Medicine to level 10 cannot access T5 research. For an alliance planning a KvK push where T5 deployment matters, knowing which accounts are T5-eligible and which are not determines rally composition, garrison assignments, and shield strategy. Keep a simple roster tracker of T5 research status across your top accounts.

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Your Military Research Investment Compounds When the Speedup Infrastructure Behind It Does Too

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Universal speedup packs, research bundles, and the MGE and KvK event windows that convert speedup deployment into both research progress and event points — at $1,000+/month, research speedup acquisition runs a consistent transaction volume every cycle. Every purchase either reaches your academy queue at full speedup value or doesn’t.

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Packsify routes Rise of Kingdoms purchases through official channels more efficiently than buying solo. Same speedup bundles, same research packs, same in-game delivery. Your research priority sequence stays the same. The speedups behind it just go further.

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A quick breakdown...

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• Universal nodes first: Troop Attack (+25%), Troop Defense (+25%), Troop Health (+25%) at max level apply to every march type simultaneously. These are the highest-return research completions in the tree regardless of troop specialization.

• Primary troop-type branch to max before secondary: Cavalry Attack and Defense for cavalry-primary accounts. Archer Attack and Defense for archer-primary. Infantry Attack and Defense for garrison and rally-lead accounts. Do not split across all three simultaneously.

• Combat Tactics, Defensive Formation, and Herbal Medicine to level 10 unlock T5 research. Research these in parallel with the primary troop-type branch, not after it.

• Skip Siege research entirely until all combat troop branches are complete. Siege research produces zero KvK combat return and diverts speedups from the nodes that determine fight outcomes.

• Healing reduction research (Herbal Medicine downstream nodes) is infrastructure, not optional. Max these before fielding T5 at sustained KvK volume. The gold cost reduction compounds across every healing cycle permanently.

• Deploy research speedups during MGE Stage 3 and KvK Crusader research quests. The same speedup advances your stat base and generates event points simultaneously when timed correctly.

• Always activate Korea civilization bonus, alliance research tech, kingdom title, and runes before releasing speedups on expensive late-tier nodes. Research time is the variable; the stat gain is fixed.

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Universal nodes. Primary troop-type branch. T5 prerequisites in parallel. Healing reduction after T5. Skip Siege. Deploy speedups in event windows.

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Rise of Kingdoms Military Research FAQs...

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What is the best military research order in Rise of Kingdoms?

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Path to T4 unlock without maxing mid-path nodes, then max universal Troop Attack, Troop Defense, and Troop Health nodes, then max your primary troop-type attack and defense branch (Cavalry, Archer, or Infantry depending on your commanders), then complete Combat Tactics, Defensive Formation, and Herbal Medicine to level 10 for T5 access, then unlock T5 for your primary troop type, then max healing reduction research. Skip Siege research until all combat branches are complete.

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Should I research Siege troops in Rise of Kingdoms?

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Not at high spending levels where combat is your primary account role. Siege research delivers no open-field or garrison PvP stat bonuses. Every speedup deployed on Siege research is a speedup not building Cavalry Attack, Archer Defense, or Infantry Health — the nodes that determine the outcome of KvK fights. Research Siege only after all three combat troop branches are fully maxed, if speedup reserves remain.

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Which troop type should I research first in Rise of Kingdoms?

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The one that matches your primary march commander. If your primary march is Alexander Nevsky or Attila, max Cavalry research. If your primary is Zhuge Liang or YSG, max Archer research. If your primary is Liu Che or Harald Sigurdsson, max Infantry research. After the primary branch is complete, research the troop type that matches your second march. Do not split speedups across all three simultaneously.

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When should I deploy research speedups during MGE?

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Stage 3 (Technology) is the research scoring day. Queue expensive late-tier military research nodes before Stage 3 opens — T5 unlock research or max-level universal nodes are ideal because they are high-cost completions that score proportionally more Stage 3 points. Release your research speedups inside the Stage 3 window rather than passively. The same speedup advances your permanent military stat base and generates MGE points simultaneously when timed correctly.

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Rise of Kingdoms military research requirements and tree structure are updated with game patches. This guide reflects the current research priority framework as of early 2026. Spot something that’s changed? Let us know on Discord. Mistakes happen. What matters is we fix them.

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