The Guild Expedition in Forge of Empires will get a level 5.
For many players, clicking through level 4 of the Guild Expedition in autocombat is just a weekly routine.
A new level 5 is supposed to set fresh accents and offer new challenges.
By the way, the rewards for the first 4 levels have also changed a bit.
In each level there are minor changes with the aim of making the achievement of attractive rewards more consistent.
The strength of the opponents and the type of encounters remain unchanged in all ages.
For level 5, InnoGames has come up with something new.
The city defense, which is extremely neglected by many players, is challenged here.
Each level 5 encounter uses the attack and defense values of the city defense on the player’s side.
So you still need good attacking army values for the first 4 levels, and additionally excellent defensive army values for level 5.
At this point I have 270% attack bonus and 639% defense bonus of the defending army on the beta server.
I thought these were already quite passable values. But that’s just enough for the first platforms in Space Age Mars.
While at level 4 the opponent gets moderately stronger from platform to platform, the increases at level 5 of the guild expedition are huge.
This ranges in the Iron Age from 32% on platform 1 to a massive 1021% on platform 16 of level 5.
While it is relatively easy to achieve even huge defense values with Ritual Flames, it is utopian to try to survive against 1021% with a ridiculous 270% attack bonus of the defending army.
In the Space Age Jupiter Moon, which is still the newest age in Forge of Empires when this video was published, you then have to reckon with gigantic 2569% bonuses on attack and defense on the last platform.
I myself am on the beta server only in the Space Age Mars, but the values are not so far away from those in the highest age.
There it is just enough for me for the first platforms. After that, my only option is to negotiate.
Let’s just take a look at the first battle. We click on Defend and are warned that we could still construct a building. This happens similarly to the guild battlegrounds, but here it only helps the one player who builds it, and it only works in this one encounter.
I trust myself to manage the first battle without any auxiliary building and save these goods.
I let the actual battle go through once really quickly. Nothing is different here, except that just the bonuses of the defending army are used.
I decide to use the fast units of the Space Age Mars, which actually require good attack bonuses to be successful.
Already against the first wave I lose one unit, which can only be taken so well against wave 2, because the 4 artillery units cannot hit my flying units.
In all ages with a flying unit as a fast unit, this team is similarly recommended. Then the first battle should be able to be successful for everyone.
As a reward for the successful fight on the first platform we get 10 fragments of a ‘Greater’ ritual flame. 100 such fragments allow the construction of a 2×1 building with 7% bonus on attack and defense of the defending army.
It is thus one of the four new buildings from the level 5 rewards.
Also against platform 2 I don’t suspect anything bad at first and start with the same team for the same considerations.
But because of now much better bonuses of my opponent I already lose 3 units against wave 1 and against wave 2 I’m lucky that the computer can’t use the multiple hit of the light units because it lacks exactly one movement point for each.
I should not have deployed my fast units so recklessly. But even so, I have significant losses and am warned about the next platform.
The reward of the second platform is 5 fragments of 100 required of a Divine Sky Watch. This 3×2 building provides 4% bonus on attack and defense of the attacking army.
Suspecting evil, I already use the possibility to construct a building at platform 3, which raises my weakest value, attack strength of the defending army by 40%.
270% or 310% is only a modest difference. So against wave 1 it looks quite passable at first and the opponent’s ranged units are allowed to turn my rogues and then say goodbye.
But the heavy units of Space Age Mars are really tough. Although artillery is the right counter unit against heavy units, I need several hits to defeat a unit. This results in a lost unit plus damage to another unit.
Against wave 2 I first try to eliminate the opponent’s artillery. After that, the heavy units are again the sticking point.
I simply have too little attack strength to finish them off fast enough. So I hand myself a defeat here.
Well, I think, a good opportunity to show how to negotiate at level 5 of the guild expedition.
Oops! There are 10 goods to choose from. Nevertheless, without using the tavern or a corresponding building, I only have 3 attempts.
That can be enough only in very rare cases of luck. So it is not surprising that I have to pay 10 diamonds for an additional turn.
Well, it’s not a new insight that you should use the bonus from the tavern when negotiating in Guild expeditions.
As a reward, there are 5 of 200 required fragments of the Feathered Serpent Statue.
This new 3×2 building provides daily coins and 3 Forge points at level 1, as well as 5% bonus to attack and defense of the attacking army.
It can be upgraded one level at a time with another 200 fragments up to a maximum of level 3. Then 10 Forge points plus 15% bonus is not bad at all for a building of that size.
Encounter 4, (395%) i.e. the first big platform, has opponents where I can use my passable defense bonuses of the defending army.
Despite the actually favorable constellation, I already lose two units against the first wave.
After that, my narrow victory against wave 2 was more than just lucky.
As a reward I now get the first 5 of 200 required fragments of the forgotten temple.
This temple provides a 40% boost to attack and defense of the attacking army, a 50% boost to attack and defense of the defending army, and a 20% boost to collected Forge Points from all buildings except Great Buildings and the City Hall for a duration of 28 days on a base area of 3×4 tiles.
After the 28 days from the building’s placement, the building’s appearance changes and it only provides some happiness. It can neither be stored nor sold to the antique dealer.
On platform 5 I immediately try again with fighting. Again I treat myself to the Eagle Warrior Temple, which even brings 50% bonus in this encounter.
So the values of the buildings also increase a bit with the severity of the encounters.
Actually, this encounter is ideal: The opponent gets to convert the 4 rogues, then I defeat his ranged units and the second turn of each unit I dedicate to the light units.
There is one such encounter at level 4 and my artillery manages it without getting a scratch.
Here there are already a few scratches, but actually no losses against wave 1.
But wave 2 has those crazy hard heavy units again.
First I take out the opponent’s artillery. But even with the Eagle Warrior building this is hard for me.
270% attack bonus reach their limits on this platform. In the end, it’s a very close victory.
The reward is a Feathered Serpent Statue Chain Element.
The Feathered Serpent Statue can be upgraded with attached chain elements. The Serpent Fins give 5% bonus to attack and defense for the attacking army, the Serpent Spikes give 15% bonus to attack and defense for the defending army, and the Serpent Feathers give 20 goods of the current age every day.
From platform 5, there is a 10% chance to get one of the new portraits instead of the prize mentioned here in each case.
At encounter 6, I treat myself to an Eagle Warrior temple again for 80 goods of the Space Age Mars this time. I opt for fast units to have the advantage of the first turn.
Against the relatively more difficult first wave, I nevertheless lose two units at once.
Wave 2 is then only manageable because the opponent’s artillery cannot attack flying units.
This is rewarded with 15 more fragments of the Greater Ritual Flame.
At encounter 7, I reach my limits and fail despite my investment of 90 Space Age Mars goods in another Eagle Warrior Temple.
After all, I am relatively fresh to Space Age Mars and therefore do not have a huge stockpile of units.
Therefore, I decide to try negotiating only from here on. My many event buildings, which I have all renovated to the Space Age Mars, have already provided me with quite a few goods. The rest I trade in the market.
I would have been better off tearing down the Eagle Warrior Temple and erecting a building to support my negotiation. In the tavern I still have a 30% boost for my defense.
So I go into the negotiations without any bonuses. Of course, this costs a few diamonds.
Again I get 5 fragments of the selection kit of the Feathered Serpent.
On the second big platform, so in encounter 8 of level 5, the computer has a bonus of 468% on attack and defense.
I am impatient and do not wait until I can use the tavern boost, nor do I invest the 50 diamonds in a second boost.
I don’t construct a building that makes negotiating a little easier. This decision then costs me 20 diamonds for 2 additional moves.
The reward is 5 more fragments of the Forgotten Temple.
I negotiate platform 9 again under the same circumstances as platform 8 and get the avatar Ohtli as a reward.
Otherwise, it would have been another 10 fragments of the Feathered Serpent Statue Chain Element.
At encounter 10, I show the opponent’s 656% combat bonus in Space Age Mars just to illustrate again why I’ve switched to pure negotiation in the meantime.
With my 270% attack bonus, I can no longer crack the computer’s heavy units, and they are now part of every encounter.
This time I am lucky and can get my reward without buying an extra move: 10 fragments of the Divine Sky Watch.
Encounter 11 goes similarly. I invest in a Zacatzontli statue and, after successful negotiation, receive 15 fragments of the Feathered Serpent selection kit.
At encounter 12, which is the third major platform of level 5, I treat myself to a building to reduce the cost of the negotiation.
However, for this building I first have to invest 206 goods of the Space Age Mars plus 34 goods of the Virtual Future. In the end, it wasn’t really worth it.
I could have erected a second building here, but all the buildings then still on offer would only have helped with the fighting.
The negotiation goes as expected and is then rewarded with more fragments of the Forgotten Temple, as with all major level 5 platforms. This time there are a whole 15!
On platform 13, the computer already has 1210% bonus on attack and defense. This time I am offered the Tlacotzontli statue.
It reduces the number of different deployable goods by one. This can reduce the number of turns.
Together with the additional turn from the tavern, it is still not enough in my case. It costs another 10 diamonds.
I get the avatar Tonatluh here. Otherwise it would have been another 15 fragments of the Feathered Serpent Statue Chain Element.
For platform 14 I invest 111 goods of the Virtual Future plus 29 goods of the Space Age Mars for a reduction of the negotiation costs by 6.
You always have to weigh up individually whether this is really worth it. The deciding factor for me was that I could pay with goods that I had enough of and, if necessary, save something on negotiations for scarce goods.
With a bought additional turn I also solve this negotiation.
The reward here is 15 fragments of the Divine Sky Watch.
On platform 15 of level 5 of the Guild Expedition, the computer now has 1829% combat bonus.
This is a really convincing argument not to even try fighting.
This time, for 149 Virtual Future goods plus 1 Space Age Mars good, I can reduce my negotiation costs by 7 goods each.
With the extra turn from the tavern I succeed in this negotiation without extra costs.
As a reward, I receive 25 fragments of the Statue of the Feathered Serpent.
With this, I have indeed reached the last platform.
As an alternative reward, 25 fragments of the Forgotten Temple await me. The computer now has 2221% bonus on attack and defense.
I treat myself to the Zacatzontli statue, which I actually could have built twice here.
With an extra turn bought, I can then complete the final negotiation.
With level 5 of the guild expedition, high-end players now have a real challenge, which is to successfully pass all encounters by battles.
Today, I practically bought my success with goods and a few diamonds, because I also have to work hard on my city defense bonuses.
A new goal for those who already had hardly any goals in this game and great rewards as an incentive.
Hi, I’m Lucas – a passionate and experienced Forge of Empires player and the editor here at ForgeofEmpiresTips.com. If I am not playing the game, I am learning more about the game’s new and upcoming features or writing strategy guides here.