Conflict of Nations is a long term strategy game which rewards players who plan early. Doing so
will allow you to react quickly and avoid serious damage before it is too late, this point is further
emphasized due to the time based nature of the game. It is a good idea to watch our youtube
basics guide​ and ​beginner intro page​ on the wiki to orient yourself in the game’s mindset before
reading on.
Knowledge is power
Upon loading a game and choosing a nation, it is a good idea to find your bearings and consider
the units you will need for the coming days. Open the ​research panel​ and get an understanding
of the unit types available. CoN is a game with potential for complex tactics which can be
deployed, which makes it all the more important on units you research. Don't hesitate to take the
time to study the research panel and the effect of units. For example, it is important to
acknowledge that motorised infantry is spectacularly better in defense than in attack, and that
as a ​result​, it's very dangerous to attack with motorised infantry alone. Each unit you develop
has its unique role and subtlety that is up to you to discover. Understand your units and you will
dominate with minimal losses. Starting with Motorized Infantry is a solid start as they will be the
foundation of your army for the time-being. ​Important: ​Only infantry can conquer territory.
Note: (Starting another Research​ unit in tandem with Motorized infantry ​is optional​,
depending on the nation’s Doctrine and size, and starting strategy. Read on before deciding)
Setting up a sustainable economy
Each ​Province ​in the game has a base production of money and manpower, and will prove to
be useful as outposts, air bases, navy bases and ​more​. They have attributes such as
Population​, ​Morale​, ​Production​, and ​Terrain​ Type. Some provinces have a random spawn
chance to also produce a resource in addition to the aforementioned types.
The largest source of income for you will be your ​Cities​. ​It is in these locations that you will be
able to ​Construct ​buildings for progression and ​Mobilize​ units for commanding. For the
time-being let’s focus on setting up the buildings for the first day. This will vary depending on the
starting situation (number of starting cities, map type, strategy, etc.), but a general overview is to
have:
● 3 Army Bases to acquire a sizeable force
● 4 Arms Industry buildings which will allow faster resource acquisition over time
● 2 Recruiting offices for faster mobilization of units (​in provinces which have a base of
type Army, Air or Naval.​)
When deciding where to begin construction for Arms Industries it is essential to refer to ​this​ wiki
section to get a better understanding where you should boost resource production for the
beginning of the game and the reasons why. You can also consider building Local industries in
one of the provinces which may have a spawned resource.
In the meantime it’s also a good idea to start mobilizing some basic infantry if your Research
and Army bases are completed. Don’t spend all your resources though, at this point you might
want to begin constructing or queue an airbase in a city somewhere within fair distance to your
HQ in case an emergency arises, as this will allow your air-lift capable units to use it for much
faster air transport as opposed to trucks. This will also tie in nicely should we decide to begin
Research into air units like helicopters or fighter jets in the coming days.
In the graph above we can see that Money and Supplies are used to issue Research,
Construction and Mobilization orders, making them amongst the most valuable resources you
need. Now that you’ve constructed and mobilized you can consider visiting the market to
purchase some resources which will help you grow economically and/or militarily.
World domination
1. Easy targets: ​Now that you have a base of operations setup, it’s time to consider allies
to team up with, neighbours are good candidates (more on this in the ​Diplomacy
header below​). Of course you can also consider taking their land for yourself.
Depending on the map/gametype you may find smaller neighbouring AI nations which
are easy-takings and will give you a resource boost for the early portion of the game.
2. Plan ahead: ​You should not neglect Air or Sea presence, as this will leave you open to
attacks where you may find yourself unable to defend your land/units.
The ideal situation allows you to focus on a specific Research tree which compliments
your doctrine & starting nation, while teaming up with a cooperative player who will cover
the areas of Research, strategy and coordination which you cannot do alone.
Now that you have a better idea of the resources you can spare, and campaigns you
need to set up, it’s time to consider Researching a new unit type, or begin constructions
which you will require.
3. Who goes and who stays: ​Be very cautions of issuing an all-out attack sending all your
units and leaving your cities exposed. While you don’t need too many it’s imperative you
protect your assets, such as the city where your Headquarters is stationed, cities close
to potentially hostile borders, far areas to where your units are currently stationed, etc.
4. Victory: ​In Conflict of Nations you attain ​victory ​by achieving the total Victory Point value
required. This value varies depending on the map type, and/or ​Coalition​ size. Some
maps have special cities such as ​strategic locations ​which provide a lump sum of VP on
their own.
Diplomacy
To see the experience of players around you click on the Diplomacy button and scout around
and see the player profiles belonging to other players to get a better idea of their experience
and status. This panel should also be used when declaring ​war​. Alternatively you can rely on
the game to automatically declare war for you (when crossing borders without right of way) but
this will result in a morale penalty.
Here you can get a better idea of the Coalitions available too, and should you want to apply for
one you can do so by clicking on the Coalition button beside the Diplomacy button.
Beside the Coalition button you will also find the ​Events​ log which will give you time-limited
intelligence of war encounters, spy missions, completed research etc.
Tips & Links
Hopefully you are well on your way to a successful early portion of the game. It is a good idea to
keep upgrading your buildings in accordance to your short-term goals. Early-on you don’t want
to expand your borders too quickly, so less infantry isn’t to the detriment of your growth so long
as you don’t suffer too many casualties.
FAQ
When playing CoN for the first time players can get overwhelmed by the massive number of
underlying systems and mechanics which are at play. In case of questions as you play, check
the FAQ post ​here​ to answer any immediate questions. Otherwise you are always welcome to
reach out to ​support@doradogames.com​ where our staff will assist you personally.
Security council
This membership status will give you a host of benefits which will give you an edge against the
competition who find themselves without it. You will find the breakdown of all the benefits and
an explanation of each one ​here​. The queue functionality, seasonal units, rally points, & fire
control settings alone will change the way you approach the game.
Combat
Understanding the basics of combat is crucial, we have a detailed guide ​here​. For the first day
or so it is not a make or break situation but it will definitely shape the way you approach the
game, setting you apart from the recruits.
Insurgents
These AI units will be a thorn in your side should you neglect their threat. We have a detailed
guide ​here​ on dealing with them before they become an unmanageable threat.
Production
The ​production page​ is a great entry point to ensure economic strength and planning, giving you
a better understanding which resources will be most valuable to you.