The Academy holds thirteen studies, and each has ten levels. A study applies to every city you own, so the work you put in is never tied to one place. This guide lists what each study does, what it costs and how to bring the waiting time down.
What each study does
One study, ten levels, and the result counts in every city.
| Study | Each level adds | At level 10 |
|---|---|---|
| Forestry | 5% Wood output | 50% more Wood |
| Masonry | 5% Stone output | 50% more Stone |
| Smelting | 5% Iron output | 50% more Iron |
| Agriculture | 10% Grain output | Double Grain |
| Logistics | 3% faster marches | 30% faster |
| Weaponry | 2% attack | 20% more attack |
| Armouring | 2% defence | 20% more defence |
| Marksmanship | 2% Bowmen range | 20% more range |
| Fire Arrows | 2 attack for Bowmen, and 10% more against Catapults | 20 more attack, and 100% more against Catapults |
| Pikemen | 5% more Footman damage against Riders | 50% more |
| Scouting | A sharper scout report | Exact numbers on any target at level 9 or below |
| Trap Craft | One more level for traps and caltrops | Level 10 traps and caltrops |
| Tower Craft | One more level for turrets, palisades and oil | Level 10 turrets, palisades and oil |
Trap Craft and Tower Craft are the ceiling for your Town Wall. Caltrops unlock at Trap Craft 4, and palisades and Boiling Oil at Tower Craft 4. Scouting decides how much a scout report shows: if your level is three or more below the target’s, your scout is caught.
What a study costs
Every level costs Gold and some of the four basic resources, taken from the city you start it in. Forestry, Masonry, Smelting and Agriculture never take the resource they boost. Gold prices and times fall into three groups. Every study in a group costs the same Gold and takes the same time at each level.
| Group | Studies | Level 1 | Level 10 | All ten levels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Forestry, Masonry, Smelting | 2,400 Gold, 68 minutes | 774,400 Gold, 125 hours | 1,632,400 Gold, 303 hours |
| B | Agriculture, Marksmanship, Fire Arrows, Trap Craft, Tower Craft | 2,400 Gold, 85 minutes | 1,228,800 Gold, 157 hours | 2,455,200 Gold, 379 hours |
| C | Logistics, Weaponry, Armouring, Pikemen, Scouting | 2,400 Gold, 51 minutes | 476,200 Gold, 94 hours | 1,068,000 Gold, 227 hours |
The first levels are cheap. The first five levels of a group A study cost 63,400 Gold between them. Levels 8, 9 and 10 cost 1,396,600, which is 86% of the whole study. Expect to spend a long time at level 7 while you save.
Resources climb the same way. Forestry level 1 takes 640 each of Stone, Iron and Grain. Level 5 takes 40,000 of each and level 10 takes 404,000 of each. Levels 8, 9 and 10 also take a treasure from your bag: two Gold Nuggets, a Valour Medal and a Sceptre. You can buy them in the shop or find them, for example in Daily Chance.
The screen shows what the next level adds and what it costs.
How many at once
You can run two studies at once, or three with VIP, and the limit is for your whole kingdom. You can’t start a second level of a study that is already running. Gold comes out of your shared purse at the start, so a long queue needs the Gold up front.
Shortening the wait
The times above are the base. Four things bring them down:
- Main Building. The Main Building of the city you start the study in cuts the time: 4% at level 2, 10% at level 4, 28% at level 10 and 50% at level 20. Start studies in the city with your highest Main Building.
- Weekly Pass. Anything you start while the pass runs is 15% shorter, as the Weekly Pass guide explains.
- Campaign. One of the permanent campaign buffs makes research 4% faster.
- Hourglasses. Hourglasses take time off a study, and the bigger ones cost more Coins. The Coins guide lists them.
What to study first
Agriculture is the strongest of the output studies, because each level adds 10% against 5% for the others, and Grain pays for every troop you feed. Level 5 of Agriculture costs 38,400 Gold and adds 50% to your Grain. Forestry, Masonry and Smelting give 25% at level 5 for 31,200 Gold.
If you plan to fight, Weaponry and Armouring sit in the cheapest group and apply to every battle. Trap Craft and Tower Craft only matter once you want a stronger wall. Logistics pays off if you march a lot, because every march is 30% faster at level 10.
The resources guide lists where Gold comes from, and the buildings guide shows where the Academy sits among the rest of your city.