Samurai

Samurai (Samurai Invasion) is an invasion event in the style of nomads, but not the nomadic grind you encounter every so often. It returns significantly less frequently, roughly every three to four months, so when it comes around, it's worth participating fully. You know the principle: four samurai camps appear near your castle, which you attack, collecting samurai tokens and points. Additionally, there is the alliance part of the Legion of the Daimyo, where you attack daimyo castles and defend villages. What differs from the nomads is the event's own currency and its own reward stand, where you spend those tokens. If you want to squeeze out the maximum, you need to tackle both sides of the coin, offense and defense, and above all, don't fall asleep halfway through, because the best items like the 90/90 commander set hang at the top. Below is a breakdown of how it actually works and how to get the most out of it without unnecessary resource and ruby burning.

How the event works

Samurai operates on the same framework as nomads, but has a few of its own twists. Four samurai camps appear at your main castle at levels roughly between 80 and 90. You hit them and collect samurai tokens. The nice thing is that lower camps can be hit without cooldown until you reach level 90, where the usual wait time of about an hour and a half kicks in. Unlike the nomads, there is currently no rage mode, so the camps do not retaliate, allowing you to play offense at your own pace.

Each camp has soldiers on three wings and an empty courtyard. This is key to cheap attacks: you don't have to break everything. The second layer of the event is the Legion of the Daimyo, an alliance addition from castle level 70 and above. There, you have four daimyo castles (levels 1 to 4, from weakest to strongest) to attack and four villages to defend. Samurai medals drop from daimyo castles, and for defending villages, you collect war effort points that count towards the alliance leaderboard.

It's important not to confuse the three currencies. You can save samurai tokens and spend them whenever you want. Bushido points are temporary and disappear after the event ends, so you must convert them during the event. Each medal adds one Bushido point.

What you can gain

The main attraction is the samurai stand, where you exchange tokens and medals for rewards. The most valuable items are usually two defensive tools, Karimata Arrowheads and Throwing Nails. Both are very powerful and it's worth accumulating them, as you'll be using them in defense throughout the year, long after the event ends. Among the big items, there is the 90/90 commander set and the castellan set (the one at a lower level), which is exactly what makes it worth pushing all the way to the top.

In addition, at the stand, you will find units, decorations, temporary building items, materials for the fusion forge, silver, gold, building and upgrade tokens, and other small items. Extra points unlock ongoing rewards along the way, so rewards generally increase as you progress. Save your currency and buy specifically what you will actually use, especially those defensive tools and set pieces, not the first shiny thing you see. Just be careful: spend your Bushido points during the event, as they will be lost after it ends.

How to start

Before you head out to the camps, prepare your defense, as in the alliance part you will be defending villages and samurai defense can bite. Supplement your defensive units (pikemen, archers depending on what is pressing), prepare defensive tools, and keep your walls and towers in the best possible condition. In invasion events, a defensive commander and all passive defensive bonuses you have are very helpful; they accumulate and determine whether you can withstand the wave without significant losses. And don't underestimate healing: samurai units can heal for rubies in some cases, so losses hurt more than you expect with regular soldiers.

When attacking camps, remember one trick that saves tools. Soldiers are only on three wings, and the courtyard is empty. Therefore, attack only one wing (left or right) and the center with four waves of soldiers, letting the untouched wing reach the courtyard. You can send the first wave purely with archers, and arrange the following waves roughly in the ratio you see on the wing you didn't address. This way, you will break the camp for a fraction of the tools.

And consider your pace. You don't have to burn full throttle from the first minute, but the more consistently you handle camps and defense, the more tokens and medals you will collect in the same time. Check your resource supplies and accelerators; healing the wounded and building tools consumes more than you expect. And keep a reserve of rubies in case you need to catch up on healing in the alliance finish.

Best strategies for maximum points

1) Tackle both sides. You earn points and currency from camps (tokens) and from daimyo castles and village defense (medals, war effort), so ignoring one half means leaving half of the rewards behind.

2) Hit camps smartly. Use the empty courtyard: one wing plus the center with four waves, the first wave with archers. It's not about zero losses, but about the ratio of points to costs. An oversized army is just dead resources, while too small a force leads to free crushing.

3) Watch your daily limits, not just the finish. In these events, it often holds that camps can only be hit a limited number of times per day, and alliance contracts have milestones that cannot be caught up at the very end. So don't fall asleep at the beginning hoping to catch up on the last day; some points are collected continuously and cannot be retroactively caught up. Save accelerators for later tougher camps where they yield more.

4) Synchronize with your alliance. The Legion of the Daimyo is an alliance matter; war effort counts towards the shared leaderboard. Coordinate who takes which daimyo castles, share defensive support for villages, and pull together, as it will elevate everyone.

5) Priority number one at the stand: defensive tools and set pieces. You will use Karimata Arrowheads and Throwing Nails long after the event, and the 90/90 commander set is valuable for your account. Decorations and small items come after you have secured the essentials. And don't forget to convert Bushido points before the event ends.

Common mistakes to avoid

- Playing only on camps (or only on the alliance part). This leaves half of the rewards behind. You collect samurai tokens from camps, medals, and war effort from daimyo castles and village defense; do both.

- Hitting camps with a full-strength oversized army unnecessarily. The empty courtyard allows you to break a camp with one wing and the center in four waves, saving you a lot of tools and units.

- Expired Bushido points. This currency disappears after the event. If you don't spend them in time, they're gone, unlike tokens which you can save.

- Relying on catching up on the last day. Daily limits on camps and milestones of alliance contracts won't allow it; you must collect some points continuously.

- Underestimating static defense before defending villages. Samurai defense is strong, and some units heal for rubies, so large losses hurt. Reinforce and upgrade towers, walls, and defensive tools in time.

- Impulsive purchases at the stand. You might spend currency on decorations and then lack it for Karimata Arrowheads, Throwing Nails, or set pieces. First, secure what will actually strengthen your account, then spend on aesthetics.

- Giving up halfway. Most of the value, especially the 90/90 commander set, hangs at the top. If you quit halfway, the best rewards of the event will slip through your fingers.

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