Thorn King



The Thorn King is another one of the "events" that GGE puts into the game to mix things up. You can get some excellent equipment from the event, as well as some very nice decorative items that increase public order substantially.

You are not playing against other players. Rather, you need to defeat a number of increasingly difficult Undead (essentially RBs) strongholds to win.

It cost 10k wood and stone, along with 5k coins and food, to enter. You have three weeks to complete the quest.

Initially, the supplies you will need are provided by completing the objectives laid out for you by the event (e.g., build two tents, receive more resources).

Before long, you will want to send some resources over. You can send them from any castle or OP (likewise for your troops). You lose 2/3 of your resources when you send them. You will need a lot of resources to build out your camp and to fix more than a dozen bridges that require stone & wood.

It costs coins to send troops (along with tools, such as ladders and battering rams). You get 10 KG troops for defeating the first castle, and 10 more for defeating the second castle.

Technically, you can have more troops than you have room for in your camp - you just cannot send any more over when this is the case. You do not need to defend your camp, so you should only send over attack troops - defensive troops will be useless. The first group you send over should be 5 each of ranged and melee attackers (e.g., heavy cross and two-handed swords).

Morale is the key to winning the Thorn King event. If you build enough drill grounds, you can get your morale up to 170% or more. This makes your troops much stronger (70% stronger, in this example).

You will needs lots of soldiers, and hence lots of tents, as you progress to stronger castles. But each tent you build reduces morale. You will probably want to spend the first two days alternating between building drill grounds and tents. And then keep building them almost through the entire event. Also, build 4-6 storehouses during the first three days.

You will eventually need 150-250 troops to win the event. Many of these are provided along the way (you get KG troops for beating some of the towers). My camp usually has capacity for 250 troops, 165-170% morale, and 11 storehouses by the time I attack the Necromancer.



Attacking

The villages are like mini RB castles, and they can be attacked repeatedly (there is a 1-hour "cool down" period for each). Attack the first three (and perhaps the next two) of these as often as possible, essentially "farming" them for resources to use at your camp and food for your troops. Your losses will be low if you pick sides that have a single type of defender (eg, melee), and attack it only with the opposite troops type (eg, ranged). The first three villages only have a handful of defenders and can be defeated without using tools, and usually without losing any soldiers. The next two villages might cost you 1-2 soldiers, but it is worth it when you need the resources (and likewise do not require tools).

You do not have to defeat all of the towers to win the event. In fact, if you do them in the right order, you can get a double-bonus of troops (120 + 60) when you defeat one of the towers right before the Necromancer (if it is the 15th tower you defeat). This requires a little planning, and sending over tools in advance. Specifically, after you beat both twin towers, attack 4 of the subsequent 5 towers. Leave the fifth untouched, repair one of the final bridges, and then attack one of the towers just before the Necromancer. With these 180 extra troops, I usually end up with 400 total troops to attack the Necromancer (more than enough).

A very important trick: a single sacrifice wave works on every tower, as well as the Necromancer. If you use a sacrifice wave, the wall and gate bonuses of the defender will be 60%, and ranged bonus will be 100%.

So let’s assume you’ve sent the sacrifice wave against each wall you plan to attack. If you’re attacking a wall with 20 tools slots, send three breaching towers and 17 mantlets, or six ladders and 14 mantlets (or 7 cast iron mantlets); recall that the twenty mantlets reduce his ranged defense to zero. If the wall has 30 slots, then use six ladders and 20 manlets. When attacking a gate with 30 tools slots, send three breaching towers, six rams and 20 mantlets. If the gate has 40 slots, then use six ladders, six rams and 20 manlets. Then send only ranged attackers in this (second) wave, while sending your melee attackers in the third wave (for the combined courtyard battle).

The first 5-6 towers don’t necessarily need a sacrifice wave. After that, you should use them. For the towers that are level 40 and higher, use a sacrifice wave in combination with mantlets and other tools (see above). When attacking the Necromancer (and the three towers closest to it), attack all three sides so as to have a bonus in the courtyard.



After you defeat the Necromancer, I recommend knocking out the other towers (not a requirement to win the statue) and keep hitting villages to earn as many talismans as possible. I usually add capacity for 50 more troops (300 total) for attacking the level 7 villages.

Sacrifice waves work on the villages as well. Level 1-2 villages require one sacrifice wave to clear the tools, but generally are not worth it. Level 3-4 villages require 2 sacrifice waves to clear the tools. Level 5 villages require three sacrifice waves. Sacrifice waves are useless against the level 6 and higher villages.

For the level 7 villages, I usually attack the middle with 14 rams, 7 breaching towers, and 19 mantlets; I hit one side wall with 14 ladders and 16 mantlets. The ratio of ranged-to-melee troops you use to attack each wall depends on the relative strength of the defenders on each wall.

For example, let’s say the middle wall has 42 melee defenders and 60 ranged defenders. It has a melee bonus of 166% and ranged bonus of 150%. And you sent 19 mantlets (-95% ranged). Their effective strength it as follows:

Melee = 42 X 1.66 = 70

Ranged = 60 X (1.50 - 0.95) = 33

Hence the wall is effectively 68% melee and 32% ranged; thus you want to attack it with the opposite ratio. If you can send 156 attackers, this would be (.68 x 156 =) 106 ranged attackers and (.32 x 156 =) 50 melee attackers.

The Cow King, like the towers, has but a single wave of defense tools.



Talismans & Equipment You can get some excellent equipment from the event, as well as some very nice decorative items that increase public order substantially. The three pieces of equipment available are the Soul Catcher, the Thorn Armor, and Death’s Grin (ignore the other pieces).

Note that any unused talismans carry over until the next time the Thorn King event occurs.

​The last 4 bridges to repair will cost 105,000 each wood and stone for a total to complete 3 of them at 315,000 each wood and stone.



When you combine these three pieces with the sea queen’s scepter, and upgrade them all to level 12-14 via the technicus, you get a 90/90 commander. Alternatively you could swap out Death’s Grin for the Nomad Helmet to get a similar 90/90 combo.

As far as getting Talisman’s, the best way is to continuously attack villages after you have defeated the Necromancer. Which level depends on you. I feel I get the best bang for my buck out of the level 7’s, as they allow for 30 tool slots on the flank and 40 in the middle.

Village info:



Any talismans you earn and don't use will carry over to the next time the Thorn King occurs.