Your first days as the Germanic Tribes

How the Germanic Tribes grow on raids, whom to raid while you are still protected, and how not to be raided back.

The first hours

Open Virgilio, the Taskmaster, and follow his steps: each one pays a reward, and together they walk you through your fields, your stores, the Main Building, the Rally Point and the Barracks. Raise your four kinds of fields evenly at first, and keep the Warehouse and the Granary ahead of your production: a full store wastes every hour that passes.

In new worlds every village has two builders: one for the fields and one for the buildings, working at the same time. Keep both busy, above all before you log off: a field in one lane and the Warehouse, the Granary or the Main Building in the other is the usual rhythm of the first days. Each level of the Main Building makes every later building quicker to put up.

In new worlds you start under beginner protection for at least 72 real hours: nobody can attack you and the Barbarians leave you alone. It ends early the moment you send troops to another player's village, so spend it building, and raid Barbarian villages and free oases if you want loot: that does not end it.

Every village keeps 500 of each resource safe from raids in new worlds; a Cranny hides more on top of that. Build one before your protection ends.

Raid early, but not players yet

Your strength is the Cheruscus: cheap, quick to train, and a good carrier of loot. While your protection lasts, raid free oases and Barbarian villages: they do not end it, and Barbarian villages keep producing, so the same village can be raided again and again. Scout first with a Germanic Explorator, start with small groups and grow them with what you bring home.

When your protection ends, other players become targets too. Your raids beat their hiding places: a Cranny hides only four fifths of its usual amount from Germanic troops. Raid players who are inactive or much weaker, and leave the strong ones to your alliance.

Do not forget defence

Your raiders defend poorly, and your Earth Wall is the weakest of the three. Keep some Loricatus at home against cavalry, a Cranny for your own stores, and send your raiders out so that they are not home when you are attacked: troops on the road cannot die in your village.

Trade

Germanic merchants carry 1,000 each, the most of any tribe, but walk slowly: they are best for feeding an ally next door or moving loot between your own villages.

When the protection ends

From then on the Barbarians raid you once every barbarian day, at your village nearest to them. You have two answers: troops at home that beat the raid (wiping it out pays resources and culture points), or a tribute in the Barbarians tab that spares you for the day. Paying the tribute for a few days while you train your first troops is a sound start.

Build an Embassy at level 1 and join an alliance: every new world has the Academy, an alliance for newcomers you can join with one click and leave whenever you like. Alone, the end of a world is very hard.

Your second village and your oases

A Steward's House lets your villagers work a free oasis nearby for a production bonus. A second village needs culture points, a free slot of the Residence at level 10, and ten villagers sent to a free tile with the resources to found it. Every building makes culture points, so a growing village is already working towards the next one.

Common mistakes

Letting the Warehouse or the Granary fill up overnight: raise them before you log off.
Attacking another player in the first days and losing the beginner protection for a few resources.
Sending troops without a scout first: a scout tells you what waits on the other side.
Forgetting the crop: every unit eats, and a village whose crop runs out starts losing troops. The upkeep of each unit is on its page.
Playing alone: the control points that win a world are held by alliances.

All the Germanic units side by side: Germanic Tribes. The other tribes: Choosing a tribe.

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