Key difference from Hero Gear
When you join another player's rally, the rally leader's Governor Gear applies to the whole squad — not yours. This is the same principle as Hero Gear but on the Governor-personal level. These bonuses apply during World Map Expeditions but do not apply to Conquest (exploration) stages.
Materials (separate track from Hero Gear)
Governor Gear uses Satin Threads, Gilded Threads, and Artisan's Vision — completely different materials from Hero Gear's crafting materials + Forgehammers. This means:
Progress both systems in parallel
Because Hero Gear and Governor Gear use entirely different materials, you're never actually "choosing" between them — you're managing two independent progression tracks. Most players should advance both simultaneously rather than picking one.
[ONE]OneForAll Upgrade Order
Our alliance's specific slot priority:
| Priority | Slot | Troop Type | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Middle Slots | Infantry | Absorbs damage — upgrade first so your troops actually survive long enough to matter |
| 2nd | Bottom Slots | Archers | Deal the highest damage — maximize second |
| 3rd | Top Slots | Cavalry | Upgrade last |
This differs from the general community advice below
Most community write-ups recommend keeping all three troop types balanced and progressing them evenly through cheap tiers before pushing any one ahead. Our alliance's approach instead front-loads Infantry survivability, then Archer damage, then Cavalry last. Follow OUR order for consistency across the alliance — if you want to understand the tradeoffs of the balanced approach, read on.
Priority Strategy: Balanced Troop-Type Progression (general community approach)
- Bring all three troop sets (Infantry/Cavalry/Archer) through the cheap early tiers (Green → Blue) before pushing any single set ahead
- Keep all three sets in the same general tier band — don't let one troop type lag a full tier behind the others
- Use set bonuses as your checkpoint: if any troop type drops below its 3-piece tier threshold, bring it back up before pushing the others further
- Time expensive tier pushes (Gold and above) around Hall of Governors for bonus event value
This keeps your army balanced and prevents any single troop type from becoming a liability in events or PvP.
Gilded Thread Rule
Never spend Gilded Threads outside Hall of Governors
Unless you're one or two materials away from a critical tier breakpoint, save Gilded Threads and spend them during an active Hall of Governors window — spending during HoG earns bonus event points on top of the normal progress.
- Satin Threads are lower priority to "save" — the daily Alliance Store provides a steady free supply, so Satin Thread packs are usually not worth buying with real money.
- Gilded Thread packs can be worth buying specifically when timed with an HoG window.
Governor Gear vs Governor Charms — don't confuse these
- Governor Gear → Attack and Defense (this note)
- Governor Charms → Lethality and Health (see Governor Charms Guide)
Both are "global" bonuses that apply to every troop under your command during expeditions — but they cover different stats and use different materials, so plan for both.
Strategic Priority Order
- Hero Gear offers more immediate benefit in Conquest progress
- Governor-level gear expands your Deployment Capacity and global war-fighting capability
- For most F2P/mid-spend players, the practical answer is to work on both simultaneously since they don't compete for the same materials
Common Mistakes
- Spending Gilded Threads immediately instead of saving for Hall of Governors
- Letting one troop type's Governor Gear lag far behind the others
- Confusing Governor Gear (Atk/Def) with Governor Charms (Lethality/Health) when planning upgrades