Guides Overview/9. Infrastructure, Tech Trees & Master Tables

#9.1

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Castle Rush Strategy (Lv.1 to Lv.40) & The Brilliance Era

Critical-path roadmap for rushing Castle Lv.1 to Lv.40 using the Even/Odd prerequisite rule, unlocking the lethal Lv.35 Tier 10 Troops breakpoint, and managing Dragon Essence (5,422 DE for T11 vs. 8,400 DE for Castle B1–B6) in the Brilliance Institute from Season 1+.

30-Second Actionable Summary (TL;DR)

Golden Rule #1

Rushing Castle Level (Castle Rush Lv.1 Lv.40) is the supreme infrastructure priority.

Hero Level Cap: Every level adds +5 levels, with +10 level surges at Lv.14 Lv.15 and Lv.29 Lv.30.
Troop Tiers: Every 5 levels of Barracks (Lv.15 / Lv.20 / Lv.25 / Lv.30 / Lv.35) unlocks a new Troop Tier (T6 T10).

Immediate Action Today

Follow the Critical Prerequisite Path using the Even/Odd alternating rule:

Even Levels (Lv.2N): Always require Guild + Training Ground.
Odd Levels (Lv.2N+1): Always require Research Cottage + Hospital, alongside pushing only your Queue 1 Main Faction Barracks.

Strictly Forbidden

NEVER over-level secondary economy or filler buildings beyond mandatory requirements:

Freeze List: Warehouse, Lumber Mill, Quarry, Farm, and off-faction Barracks.
Protect Breakpoint: Avoid draining Timber/Stone/Rubies before the lethal Castle Lv.35 (Tier 10 Troops) breakpoint!

Core Mechanics Explained: Why Must You Rush Castle Level (Castle Rush)?

In Top Heroes, many newcomers fall into the "uniform urban planning" trap—trying to upgrade every town building to match their Castle level.

Impact: This is the most destructive infrastructure mistake, setting your account back 2 to 4 weeks compared to peers at the same spend level.

1.1

The Two Exclusive Power Levers of the Castle

Your Castle level directly governs the two biggest progression bottlenecks that decide victory in both PvE and PvP:

Maximum Hero Level Cap: Every Castle upgrade (Lv.1 Lv.40) adds +5 levels to your Hero Cap (with +10 level surges at Lv.14 Lv.15 to Lv.90 and Lv.29 Lv.30 from Lv.160 to Lv.170).
Unlocking New Troop Tiers (5-Level Rule): Troops provide 40%–50% of tankiness and damage; every 5 levels of Barracks (Lv.15, 20, 25, 30, 35) adds +1 Tier, peaking at Tier 10 Troops (Lv.35).

1.2

Classifying the 3 Building Priority Groups in Town

To never misallocate a builder queue again, divide all town buildings into 3 distinct priority tiers:

Table 1.2: 3 Infrastructure Building Priority Groups & Builder Allocation Rules

Infrastructure Group	Building List (VI - EN)	Strategic Role & Upgrade Rule
Group 1: Critical Core Path	Castle, Guild, Training Ground, Research Cottage, Hospital, Main Faction Barracks (Main Barracks)	Absolute Priority (100% of Builder 1 & Builder 2 uptime). These 6 core buildings must stay at maximum level at every stage so you never bottleneck Castle upgrades or Troop Tiers.
Group 2: Combat Support	Faction Statues, Rally Hall, Lord Hall (unlocks at Lv.25), Medal Hall (unlocks at Lv.25), Blacksmith & Monastery, Ore Mine / Magic Rune Mine	Secondary Priority (Builder 3 or while banking resources). Faction Statues directly increase March Size for matching faction heroes (e.g., Lv.20 adds +100 soldiers/hero). Upgrade in sync with Queue 1.
Group 3: Resource & Filler	Warehouse, Lumber Mill, Quarry, Farm, Ruby Mine, Tavern, Off-Faction Barracks	Freeze at low levels (Lv.12 – Lv.16). Only upgrade when forced by prerequisites, keeping them low as 5–15 minute "Daily/Event Bait" for quick quest completion.

Mid-Game Optimization Strategy for F2P & Low-Spenders

From Castle Lv.20 onward, Timber / Stone and Ruby upgrade costs scale exponentially.

F2P Key: Strict freeze discipline on filler buildings and faction-aligned Barracks progression let F2P players keep pace with top server accounts.

2.1

The Strict Freeze List: Buildings You Must Never Over-Level

Warehouse: Resources kept inside Resource Chests in your Bag can never be plundered and take zero warehouse capacity; only upgrade the Warehouse when forced by main quests.
Lumber Mill, Quarry, and Farm: Passive production above Lv.15 has terrible ROI compared to World Map gathering or Arms Race; freeze them at Lv.12–15 for fast building quest completions.
Off-Faction Barracks (2 Secondary Factions): Before your Castle and Queue 1 Main Barracks reach Lv.30 (or Lv.35), never burn Timber/Stone leveling all 3 Barracks simultaneously.
High-Level Tavern & Blacksmith: Only upgrade to unlock core feature milestones; never race them alongside your Castle when Timber, Stone, or Rubies are tight.

2.2

Faction-Synchronized Infrastructure Roadmap (League / Horde / Nature)

Pure League Path: Focus 100% on League Barracks and League Statue from Lv.1 Lv.40; keep Horde and Nature Barracks 5–10 levels behind (only tapping Lv.20 / Lv.25 for Monday points).
Pure Horde Path: Make Horde Barracks and Horde Statue Priority #1 from Lv.1 Lv.25 (Weeks 1–3) and push straight to Lv.30 Lv.35 from Day 21+ (Desert Prince, Witch).
Pure Nature Path: Pull Nature Barracks and Nature Statue to match your Castle level from Day 1 ahead of the Tidecaller + Monk window (Days 42–65 / early Season 1) to maximize HP for summon lineups.

2.3

Weekly Actionable Castle Rush Checklist

Weekly Castle Critical-Path Audit Checklist

Check off each step before every Monday Construction event (Arms Race / Guild Race) to avoid prerequisite bottlenecks:

0/4 (0%)

Verify prerequisites for the next 2 Castle levels (Even / Odd)

Remember the rule: Even Castle Levels always require Guild + Training Ground; Odd Castle Levels always require Research Cottage + Hospital.

Stack all Construction Speed buffs before clicking any major building upgrade

Stack Bard (+40% Construction Rate — League Legendary passive), Villager traits, Guild Tech, VIP perks, and King/Server titles.

Note: Distinguish these from Research Speed buffs provided by Brawler (+30% Tech Research Rate) and Shaman (+40% Tech Research Rate).

Push Queue 1 Main Barracks immediately at Castle Lv.20 / Lv.25 / Lv.30 / Lv.35

The moment your Castle reaches Lv.20, Lv.25, Lv.30, or Lv.35, immediately upgrade your Queue 1 Main Barracks to the matching level to unlock the new Troop Tier (T7 / T8 / T9 / Tier 10 Troops) that same week.

Keep 3–4 resource mines frozen at low levels (Lv.12–Lv.14) as quest bait

Keep at least 3–4 resource mines frozen at low levels (Lv.12–Lv.14) as fast 5–15 minute daily/event quest bait.

Common Castle Rush Pitfalls & Min-Max Solutions

Table 3.1: 3 Common Infrastructure Mistakes That Delay Tier 10 Troops (T10) & Min-Max Solutions

Common Pitfalls (Account Traps)	Optimal Solution (Min-Max Solution)
Upgrading all 3 League, Horde, and Nature Barracks to Lv.30 simultaneously: Consumes 3x the Timber, Stone, and Rubies, trapping your Castle at Lv.28–29 for weeks.	Single Main Barracks Rule: Only push your Queue 1 Main Barracks to Lv.25 / Lv.30 / Lv.35 alongside your Castle. Leave the two off-faction Barracks behind until prerequisites demand them.
Opening all Resource Selection Chests in your bag early: Pushes your visible Timber/Stone far above Warehouse protection limits, making you prime plunder bait during Kill Event.	Bag Banking Discipline: Keep all Resource Chests sealed inside your Bag. Only unpack the exact amount needed right before clicking the Castle upgrade button.
Burning all Construction Speed-ups at Lv.31 – Lv.33: Leaves your account completely dry at the Lv.34 Lv.35 threshold, delaying Tier 10 Troops (T10) by a full month.	Lv.35 Breakthrough Speed-up Hoarding: From Lv.31 to Lv.34, spend only the minimum speed-ups needed for Monday Arms Race chests. Hoard the rest to blast straight through Castle Lv.35 + Main Barracks Lv.35.

Advanced Strategy & Quantitative Data (PRO)

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Quantitative Analysis: Castle Lv.10 40 Master Table, Lv.35 (T10) Breakpoint & Brilliance Era (B1 B6)

CORE RULE

Verified Ground-Truth Data from TopHeroes Tables - Max (Castle, Heroes & DE-Dust Tabs)

100% Standardized Data: All Timber/Stone, Ruby, Hero Level Cap, and Dragon Essence (DE-Dust) figures below are 100% standardized from raw community spreadsheets.

Tier 11 Troops Benchmark: Eliminates legacy estimation errors and details the exact 5,422 DE path to Tier 11 Troops.

4.1

The Alternating Even / Odd Prerequisite Flowchart (Lv.10 Lv.40)

Castle upgrade prerequisites from Lv.10 to Lv.40 obey an absolute Alternating Even–Odd Rule:

Even Castle Level (Lv.2N): Always requires Guild and Training Ground at level 2N - 1.
Odd Castle Level (Lv.2N + 1): Always requires Research Cottage and Hospital at level 2N.

Alternating Even / Odd Prerequisite Flowchart & 4 Lethal Castle Breakpoints

Synchronize Builder 1 (Castle) and Builder 2 (Next Prerequisite) to eliminate 100% of idle waiting time

MED-8.1-01

Upgrading to ODD Castle (Lv.15, 17... 35, 39)

ODD LEVEL RULE (2N+1)

Mandatory Prereq: Research Cottage + Hospital (Lv.2N)

Example: Upgrading to Castle Lv.35 strictly requires Research Cottage (34) + Hospital (34).

Builder 2 Action: Pre-build Guild + Training Ground for next Even level

As soon as the Odd Castle upgrade starts, assign Builder 2 to Guild + Training Ground for the upcoming Even level.

Ready to launch the next Even Castle (Lv.2N) with zero prerequisite waiting time.

Upgrading to EVEN Castle (Lv.16, 18... 36, 40)

EVEN LEVEL RULE (2N)

Mandatory Prereq: Guild + Training Ground (Lv.2N-1)

Example: Upgrading to Castle Lv.40 strictly requires Guild (39) + Training Ground (39).

Builder 2 Action: Pre-build Research Cottage + Hospital for next Odd level

Completes the unbroken Even/Odd alternating loop from Lv.10 all the way to Lv.40.

Ready to launch the next Odd Castle (Lv.2N+1) right on Monday event day.

4 Master Progression Power Breakpoints

4 LETHAL BREAKPOINTS

Lv.25 (T8 Troops, Lord Hall, Medal Hall) Lv.30 (Cap Lv.170, T9 Troops, Soul Stone)

Lv.25 unlocks Lord Hall & Medal Hall; Lv.30 grants a +10 Hero Level surge (Lv.160 Lv.170).

Lv.35 (BREAKPOINT #1: Cap Lv.195 & Tier 10 Troops / T10) Lv.40 (Cap Lv.220 & Brilliance)

Lv.35 unlocks Tier 10 Troops for just ~82M cumulative Timber/Stone; Lv.40 unlocks the Brilliance Era (DE-Dust).

Unlocks Tier 10 Troops at Lv.35 and transitions into the Brilliance Institute (5,422 DE for Tier 11 Troops).

4.2

Complete Castle Upgrade Master Table (Lv.10 Lv.40) & Hero Level Caps

Data Source: Extracted verbatim from TopHeroes Tables - Max — Castle & Heroes tabs (actual costs drop by ~5% with Tool Improvement I tech).

Build Speed Buffs: Reduced by Bard (+40% Construction Rate passive), Villagers, Guild Tech, VIP, and Server Titles.
Research Speed Buffs: Reduced at the Research Cottage by Brawler (+30% Tech Research Rate) and Shaman (+40% Tech Research Rate).

Table 4.2: Full Castle Upgrade Master Table (Lv.10 Lv.40), Prerequisites & Hero Level Caps (32 Rows)

Castle Level	Mandatory Prerequisite Buildings	Timber / Stone Cost	Ruby Cost	Hero Level Cap	Strategic Unlocks & Troop Tiers
Lv.10	Guild (4), Training Ground (4)	75K	—	Lv.60	Unlocks early-game core town framework
Lv.11	Research Cottage (6), Hospital (6)	130K	—	Lv.65	—
Lv.12	Guild (7), Training Ground (7)	225K	—	Lv.70	—
Lv.13	Research Cottage (9), Hospital (9)	330K	—	Lv.75	—
Lv.14	Guild (11), Training Ground (11)	485K	—	Lv.80	—
Lv.15	Research Cottage (13), Hospital (13)	700K	—	Lv.90 (+10)	Unlocks Tier 6 Troops (T6) when Barracks reaches Lv.15

4.3

Decoding the Lethal Breakpoint: Castle Lv.35 + Barracks Lv.35 = Tier 10 Troops (T10)

Lv.35 Lv.40 Costs 3.5x More: Cumulative Timber/Stone from Lv.10 Lv.35 is only ~82M, whereas the final 5 levels alone (Lv.36 Lv.40) devour ~417M Timber/Stone and ~142.8M Rubies!
Barracks Lv.36 Lv.40 Unlock Zero Troop Tiers: Tier 10 Troops unlock at Barracks Lv.35; Lv.36 Lv.40 only raises Hero Cap (Lv.195 Lv.220), while Tier 11 Troops wait for the Brilliance Institute.
Execution Protocol: At Lv.32–33, halt side buildings; funnel 100% of Resource Chests and Speed-ups into Castle Lv.35 + Main Barracks Lv.35, then execute T9 T10 ladder promotion on GAR/KvK Friday.

Castle Lv.35 Breakthrough UI & Tier 10 Troops Unlock Panel

MED-8.1-02 • Annotated UI Guide

Annotated 3-point audit before clicking Castle Lv.34 Lv.35 and Main Barracks Lv.35.

LV.35 MILESTONE

Main Castle (Lv.1–40 & Brilliance)

TIER 10 TROOPS

Tier 10 Troops (Castle Lv.35 +1 Level)

HORDE T10

Horde Barracks

LEAGUE T10

League Barracks

NATURE T10

Nature Barracks

CASTLE RUSH

Speedups

Odd Lv.35 Prerequisite: Research Cottage (34) + Hospital (34)

Confirm Builder 2 has completed Research Cottage Lv.34 and Hospital Lv.34 alongside 26.6M Timber/Stone + 8.36M Rubies.

Tier 10 Troops Unlock at Main Barracks Lv.35

Push Queue 1 Main Barracks to Lv.35 immediately to unlock the strongest pre-Brilliance troop tier.

Verify Bard (+40% Construction Rate) Before Clicking Upgrade

Ensure Bard (+40% passive), VIP, Guild Tech, and Server Title buffs are active to slash base build duration.

4.4

The Brilliance Era (Brilliance Levels B1 B6) & Brilliance Institute (Season 1+)

Once you reach Castle Lv.40 and enter Season 1+, infrastructure shifts to Dragon Essence (DE-Dust).

Tier Structure: Each Brilliance tier (Brilliance Level 1 6) has 5 sub-levels (corresponding to Levels 41 70 in the raw data tables):

Table 4.4: Brilliance Era B1 B6 Dragon Essence (DE-Dust), Timber/Stone, Ruby & Hero Cap Master Table (7 Rows)

Brilliance Tier	Sub-Levels	First Sub-Level Prerequisites	DE-Dust per Sub-Level	Total DE-Dust (5 Sub-Levels)	Total Ruby & Timber/Stone	Hero Level Cap Breakthrough
Brilliance 1 (B1)	Lv.41 Lv.45	Research Cottage (40), Hospital (40)	126 DE	630 DE	91.2M Rubies / 531.8M Timber-Stone	Stays at Lv.220 (Unlocks B1 foundation)
Brilliance 2 (B2)	Lv.46 Lv.50	League Barracks B1, Guild B1	151 DE	755 DE	156.9M Rubies / 913M Timber-Stone	+5 Hero Levels (Cap Lv.225)
Brilliance 3 (B3)	Lv.51 Lv.55	Horde Barracks B1, Hospital B1	227 DE	1,135 DE	205M Rubies / 1,196M Timber-Stone	Stays at Lv.225
Brilliance 4 (B4)	Lv.56 Lv.60	Nature Barracks B3, Guild B3	303 DE	1,515 DE	199.5M Rubies / 580M Timber-Stone	+5 Hero Levels (Cap Lv.230)
Brilliance 5 (B5)	Lv.61 Lv.65	Hospital B4, Any Barracks B4	388 DE	1,940 DE	228M Rubies / 665M Timber-Stone	Stays at Lv.230
Brilliance 6 (B6)	Lv.66 Lv.70	Hospital B5, Any Barracks B5	485 DE	2,425 DE	358.2M Rubies / 1,046M Timber-Stone	+5 Hero Levels (Cap Lv.235)
TOTAL (B1–B6)	Lv.41 Lv.70	Full 6 Brilliance Tiers	—	8,400 DE	1,238.8M Rubies / 4,931.8M Timber-Stone	Hero Level Cap Lv.235

PRO TIP

Dragon Essence Secret (5,422 DE) to Unlock Tier 11 Troops (T11)

Per verified TopHeroes Tables - Max (DE-Dust) data, you DO NOT need a Brilliance 3 (B3) Castle to upgrade the Brilliance Institute (BI) to Lv.15 (B3)!

BI Construction: Upgrading BI from Lv.1 Lv.15 costs only 745 Dragon Essence (32 DE/lv for Lv.1–6; 57 DE/lv for Lv.7–11; 67 DE/lv for Lv.12–15) and 1,375M Timber/Stone.
Total T11 Unlock: Combined with 4,677 Dragon Essence for prerequisite tech (288 DE for Soldier Level at BI Lv.15), you need only 5,422 Dragon Essence total (vs. 8,400 DE for Castle B1–B6)!

5,422 DE (Brilliance Institute T11 Path) vs. 8,400 DE (Castle Shell B1–B6) Budget Audit

MED-8.1-03 • Annotated UI Guide

3-part Dragon Essence (DE-Dust) expenditure breakdown in Season 1+.

5,422 VS 8,400

Dragon Essence (DE-Dust)

BRILLIANCE T11

Brilliance Institute

HORDE TALENT

Horde Brilliance Talent

LEAGUE TALENT

League Brilliance Talent

NATURE TALENT

Nature Brilliance Talent

UNLOCK T11

Tier 11 Troops (5,422 Dragon Essence Path)

Brilliance Institute Lv.1 Lv.15 Construction: 745 DE

32 DE/lv (Lv.1–6) + 57 DE/lv (Lv.7–11) + 67 DE/lv (Lv.12–15) = 745 DE and 1,375M Timber/Stone.

Critical-Path Tech to Soldier Level (T11) Node: 4,677 DE

Follow minimum prerequisite levels and complete the Soldier Level node (288 DE) to gain +1 Troop Level (Tier 11 Troops).

Total Tier 11 Unlock Cost = 5,422 DE (Saves 2,978 DE vs. Maxing Castle B1–B6)

Prioritize the 5,422 DE Tier 11 Troops unlock before committing 8,400 DE to max the Castle shell at B6 (Lv.70).

MED-8.1-04 • YouTube Reference

Top Heroes Official & Community Strategy Hub03:45

Top Heroes Castle Level 1-40 Requirements, Brilliance Dragon Essence & T10/T11 Troops Guide

Visual breakdown of the Even/Odd prerequisite rule, Lv.35 Tier 10 Troops breakpoint, and the 5,422 DE Brilliance Institute path.

Watch Reference

Advanced Combat Case Study (Lv.24 Lv.25 Breakthrough & Day 18–20 Pure Horde Infrastructure Sprint)

PURE HORDE INFRASTRUCTURE CASE STUDY

Day 18–20 Account (Castle Lv.24): Breaking Lv.25 & Accelerating Horde Barracks for Desert Prince

Account at Days 18–20 (Castle Lv.24, Horde Barracks Lv.24, 3 Builder Queues) preparing for the Horde Mythic Launch window from Day 21 (Desert Prince) through Day 41 (Witch).

Short-Term Breakthrough (48 Hours)

Castle Lv.24 + T7 TroopsCastle Lv.25 + Lord Hall + Medal Hall + T8 Troops

Day 41 Target (Pure Horde)

Horde Barracks Lv.21 (T7 Troops)Castle Lv.30 (Cap Lv.170) + Horde Barracks Lv.30 (T9 Troops)

Mid-Game & Season 1+ Target

Burning 8,400 DE on Castle B1–B6 shellLv.35 (Tier 10 Troops / ~82M Timber-Stone) BI Lv.15 (Tier 11 / 5,422 DE)

Root-Cause Audit Findings

1.
Lv.25 Bottleneck Risk: The account sits at the Lv.24 Lv.25 threshold (requiring Research Cottage 24 + Hospital 24).
- Impact: Spreading builders across mines or Nature Barracks delays Lv.25 (losing T8 Troops and delaying Lord Hall / Medal Hall).
2.
Troop Tier Desync: Without pulling Horde Barracks (currently Lv.21) up in time, when Desert Prince (Day 21) and Storm Maiden (Day 27) launch, Horde troops remain stuck at T7.

Step-by-Step Execution & Recovery Protocol

01.48-Hour Lv.25 Breakthrough

Lock Builder 1 on League Barracks (Lv.24 Lv.25) for T8 Troops; use Builder 2 to finish Research Cottage 24 + Hospital 24.

Launch Castle: Push Castle Lv.24 Lv.25 (3.04M Timber/Stone & 142K Rubies) on Monday GAR/KvK (Arms Race Day 1).

02.Construct New Lv.25 Buildings

As soon as Castle hits Lv.25 (Hero Cap Lv.140), immediately construct the Lord Hall and Medal Hall to activate Lord Gear and troop medal progression.

03.Push Horde Barracks Straight to Lv.30 from Day 21

Dedicate Builder 2 to Horde Barracks (Lv.21 Lv.25 Lv.30) and Horde Statue so that before Day 41 (when Witch completes 5-Horde), all Horde troops are ready at Tier 9 (T9 — Lv.30).

Castle rushing is the art of orchestrating the Even/Odd critical path (Guild + Training Ground vs. Research Cottage + Hospital).

Endgame Target: Shatter the Lv.35 (Tier 10 Troops) breakpoint and prioritize 5,422 DE in the Brilliance Institute for Tier 11 Troops.

Previous Guide (8.4)Troop Skins & Glory Medals Optimization Guide (Lv.1–50 Cost & Breakpoints)

Next Guide (9.2)Builder Queue Orchestration & Villager Optimization Strategy (Lv.1–6)

Living Tactical Guide • Community Driven

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