Command an Army Troop Recruitment Guide (2026)

Command an Army exploded from roughly 6,000 concurrent players to over 40,000 in a single week, and most new commanders have no idea which units to chase. This Command an Army troop recruitment guide breaks down how summoning actually works, which units deserve your gems, and how to build a roster that counters everything on the battlefield. If you have been burning gems on random banners or selling duplicates you thought were junk, this guide will save you weeks of wasted progress.

How Troop Recruitment Works in Command an Army

Helpful resources: complete codes list, beginner guide, and tier list.

Recruitment in Command an Army happens through the summon system in the lobby. You spend gems, pull units from the current banner, and hope for the star tier you need. That is the entire gamble — there is no way to target a specific unit directly, so every gem you earn matters.

Units come in star tiers from one to four stars. Higher stars are stronger out of the gate, but here is the twist most beginners miss: low-star units are not disposable. Many of them evolve into elite late-game troops, which is why veteran players (like the YouTuber Mimo, whose guides cover this extensively) recommend investing in cheap units early.

The key takeaway: a one-star Archer you pull on day one can become a three-star Flame Archer, one of the strongest ranged units in the game. Do not judge a unit by its starting tier.

Where Gems Come From

Before you can recruit anything, you need gems — the game's only summon currency. Based on community reports and in-game testing, these are the reliable sources:

• Daily and weekly quests — the biggest steady income of gems and XP
• Battle performance — your end-of-match score determines your gem payout, so kills and capture points directly convert to currency
• Starter rewards — join the developer group, like the game, and favorite it for a one-time 400 gem bonus
• Redeemable codes — check the game's community pages for active codes

AFK farming is a trap. Sitting in a match without fighting earns almost nothing — maybe 10 gems on a win. Macroing to automate farming is bannable, so do not risk your account.

Understanding the Troop Counter System

This is the single most important mechanic in Command an Army, and the game barely explains it. The counter system is modeled closely on Conqueror's Blade, a Steam medieval warfare game with nearly identical unit matchups.

If you are unsure whether a unit breaks shields, hover over its card and look for the Block Damage stat. Any unit with Block Damage can punch through shield walls. This one habit will improve your team-building more than anything else.

Special Hybrid Units

Some units blur the lines. The Javeliner, for example, is technically a ranged unit, but it also carries Block Damage and a modest block value — making it a pseudo-shield unit that can break other shields. Its low HP and weak block keep it from replacing a true frontline, but it enables flexible strategies.

The Samurai is another oddity: the game does not label its unit type or list block stats, so players had to discover its role through testing. Community testing shows Samurai shreds stacked shields and attacks extremely fast, making it a nightmare for defenders turtling on capture points.

Best Beginner Units to Recruit First

You do not need lucky four-star pulls to compete. These low-tier units carry you into the endgame because of their evolution paths.

Priority order for most players: Archer first (the Flame Archer payoff is huge), then Shieldman for a frontline, then Scout Rider since it climbs all the way to four stars. Halberder is worth grabbing as soon as you can afford a two-star unit, because cavalry-heavy lobbies are common.

For your first four-star, Samurai beats Spartan in the current meta. Spartan is still a strong shield unit, but the wave of new Block Damage units — Mace, Halberder, and Javeliner all packing 50+ Block Damage — has made pure shield stacking far riskier than it used to be.

Ascension and Evolution: The Real Recruitment Strategy

Pulling units is only half the battle. What you do with duplicates and low-star units determines your long-term power.

Ascension Explained

Ascension combines two identical units into a stronger version:

1. Two base Archers → Archer Ascension 1
2. Two Ascension 1 Archers → Archer Ascension 2
3. Two Ascension 2 Archers → Archer Ascension 3 (maximum)

Never sell duplicate units before they hit Ascension 3. Many beginners delete extras thinking they are clutter — that is the single most common progression mistake in the game.

Evolution Explained

Evolution raises a unit's star tier permanently. Requirements:

• The unit must reach level 20 — leveling only happens by fighting real battles with that unit
• Not every unit evolves — Spartan and Mace, for example, have no evolution path
• Check the evolve menu before investing heavily in a unit

A fully ascended, fully evolved Archer is a completely different beast than the one-star unit you pulled on day one. This is why recruitment and progression are really one system, not two.

How to Build a Balanced Army Roster

If you queue solo, bring four different unit types so you can answer whatever the enemy fields. The optimal solo template looks like this:

• Slot 1: One shield unit — your frontline that absorbs damage
• Slot 2: One anti-cavalry unit with Block Damage — Halberder is ideal since it counters horses and breaks shields
• Slot 3: One archer — ranged pressure and point defense
• Slot 4: One cavalry unit — flanking, rushing, and hunting enemy archers

Watch your star capacity. New players cannot equip four four-star units — the capacity cap will not allow it. At the start, fill your team with one-star and two-star units until your capacity grows.

If you queue with friends, coordinate instead of diversifying. One player stacking four shield squads, another running all cavalry, and a third on archers creates a far deadlier composition than four generalists.

Read Your Team Before You Lock In

Before the match starts, check what your teammates brought. If your team already has two archers, do not add a third — you will have nobody to hold the line. If three players brought cavalry, pick spears or archers instead. The same logic applies to reading the enemy roster once the match begins.

In-Game Tips That Win Matches

Recruitment gets you the units; these habits win the fights.

• Use Rush constantly on cavalry. Horse rush damage is enormous, and it is wasted if you walk your units into combat.
• Flank with cavalry. Circle behind the enemy and charge from the rear — shield units only block forward, so back attacks deal maximum damage.
• Take resupply points. Every map has them. Capturing one lets your whole team resupply closer to the fight and forces enemies to trek back to a distant point.
• Pick your side by map. Some maps heavily favor defenders (few entry points, long approach paths), while open maps like Plain Field favor attackers. This knowledge only comes from playing, so pay attention to which side wins on each map.
• Never charge alone. A lone army gets deleted. Push with your teammates — unless you are on archers, in which case stay behind the frontline.

The Immortals went into battle alone, and history remembers how that ended. Do not repeat it.

FAQ