Open Gate
Open Gate is a ruby service from the Royal Market: as long as it runs, your soldiers will not suffer any losses during an attack — the castle simply opens the gate and lets the attacker pass. Unlike the protection mode, it activates immediately and can be stacked, but you pay for it with a different currency: the attacker will loot even secured storages. Here is the complete price list, risks, and history of this controversial mechanic.
What Open Gate Does
Open Gate is purchased for rubies at the Royal Market and provides immunity against losses of your own soldiers during any attack on the specified castle. Unlike protection mode:
- it activates immediately upon purchase — no waiting,
- it can be stacked, meaning you can buy it multiple times in a row to extend its duration,
- it only applies to one specific castle, not to the entire account.
Variants are available for 6 hours and 12 hours (the original 3-hour variant was removed in 2012).
Price List
The price increases with each subsequent use on the same castle (level 1 = first purchase of the week). Prices reset every week.
| Level | 6 hours | 12 hours |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 450 rubies | 700 rubies |
| 2 | 1,110 rubies | 1,730 rubies |
| 3 | 2,100 rubies | 3,260 rubies |
| 4 | 3,600 rubies | 5,600 rubies |
| 5 | 5,910 rubies | 9,200 rubies |
| 6 | 9,470 rubies | 14,730 rubies |
| 7 | 14,950 rubies | 23,250 rubies |
| 8 | 23,400 rubies | 36,390 rubies |
| 9 | 36,450 rubies | 56,700 rubies |
Disadvantages and Risks
Immunity for soldiers is not free — the gate has a number of drawbacks:
- Unlimited Looting: the attacker will loot resources including secured storages — aquamarine hideouts, hideouts, and keeps are ignored. When your supplies are looted, your army may start to starve.
- Sabotage: the gate is vulnerable to sabotage.
- Does Not Stop Occupation: it is useless against siege attacks on your forward settlements.
- Does Not Apply to Capitals and Metropolises.
- Increasing Price: repeated use in one week quickly increases the cost (see price list).
Open Gate vs. Protection Mode
Both mechanics protect against attacks, but each in a different way:
| Open Gate | Protection Mode | |
|---|---|---|
| Activation | Immediately upon purchase | Not immediate |
| Scope | Only one specific castle | Entire account |
| Soldiers | No losses | No attacks, no losses |
| Resources | Attacker loots everything, even behind hideouts | Safe |
| Extension | Can be stacked | According to purchased duration |
In simple terms: protection mode is a shield, Open Gate is insurance for soldiers at the cost of sacrificing resources. Since January 2023, it is also true that you cannot buy the gate while you have an active protection mode.
Change History
Open Gate is one of the oldest mechanics in the game and has undergone a tumultuous development:
- September 30, 2011 — released as a new feature of the Royal Market.
- January 24, 2012 — added a 1-hour cooldown after use (later removed, exact date unknown).
- August 14, 2012 — removed the 3-hour variant.
- September 11, 2012 — can no longer be used on capitals.
- March 5, 2013 — introduced a penalty: activation took away 20% glory and honor points from the player, initially even 20% alliance glory; from March 12, 2013, it only affected the player themselves.
- May 22, 2013 — penalty removed; instead, weekly price resets and steep price increases for repeated use on the same castle were introduced.
- May 20, 2014 — attackers now loot resources hidden behind hideouts if the gate is active.
- January 30, 2023 — fixed a bug allowing the purchase of the gate during active protection mode.
- November 2, 2023 — the Ambush ability of General Leo does not activate during active gate defense.