Chiefing means taking over a village that belongs to another player. Instead of founding a new settlement, you use special units to gradually reduce a target village’s loyalty until it becomes yours.
This method allows you to expand your empire by claiming villages that are already developed, including all their buildings and resource fields. It is, however, not recommended for beginners, as it’s a complex and expensive tactic requiring strategic planning, time, and significant resources.
What you need to conquer
To successfully conquer a village, the following conditions must be met:
- An administrator unit (Senator, Chief, or Chieftain, depending on your tribe)
- Sufficient Culture Points
- Free expansion slots
A coordinated attack plan can be beneficial, especially if the village is defended.
Only player-owned villages or Natar villages can be conquered. You can even conquer one of your own villages if you want to redistribute expansions slots strategically.
Administrators (Senator, Chief or Chieftain)
Administrator units are key to the conquest process. They reduce a village’s loyalty during attacks. Once the loyalty drops to 0, the village becomes yours.
Training Administrators
Administrator units are trained in the Palace or Residence after being researched in a level 20 Academy:
- Residence: 1 administrator each at levels 10 and 20
- Palace: 1 administrator each at levels 10, 15, and 20
Differences between tribes
Each tribe has its own version of the administrator, with different strengths:
- Romans: The Senator reduces loyalty more effectively per attack
- Teutons: The Chief is the most cost-efficient option
- Gauls: The Chieftain is the fastest unit, ideal for long-distance conquests
How to Conquer a Village
Before you can begin reducing loyalty, you must destroy the target’s Residence or Palace. These buildings passively regenerate loyalty over time and block all loyalty reduction while they are standing.
Important: If the Residence or Palace is still intact, administrator attacks will have no effect on loyalty.
Even if the building is destroyed during your first wave, the defender can rebuild it between attacks, which again blocks further loyalty loss. This means that if you’re attempting a conquest with multiple waves, the defender could reset your progress simply by rebuilding the Palace or Residence.
Best Practice: Conquer in One Go
To prevent this, it is highly recommended to take the village in a single coordinated attack. That means:
- Send a wave with rams or catapults to destroy the Residence or Palace
- Immediately follow up with enough administrator units to reduce loyalty to 0
- Include sufficient combat troops to protect the administrators
A well-timed full takeover prevents rebuilding efforts and maximizes your chances of success.
Loyalty Mechanics
Villages begin with 100 loyalty, cities with 200. Administrator attacks in attack mode lower this value step by step.
Make sure your village has enough Culture Points and an available expansion slot—otherwise the village can't be taken, even if loyalty reaches 0.
(See the separate Culture Points guide for more details.)
Celebrations and persuasion strength
The strength of your administrator’s influence could be affected by celebrations:
- A big celebration in the attacker’s village increases the loyalty reduction
- A big celebration in the defender’s village reduces the effectiveness of the administrator
Strategy Tip
Since chiefing is expensive and time-consuming, it’s most effective when you have already built a strong economy and army. It's useful to scout your target first and coordinate with your kingdom, especially if the village is well-defended or part of an active kingdom.