Road to T5: research, Lunite and the cost of war

T5 upgrades T4; it is not ordinary training from zero

You need the T4 foundation, Academy 25, the relevant Gear-tree research, a Lunar Foundry and Luminous Gear. Your leader’s equipment is not consumed to make these troops.

Use the Barracks to upgrade the matching T4 troop type to T5. You need the actual T4 troops: Lunite and Luminous Gear alone do not bypass the specific T5 research.

Is this the right time?

T5 has stronger base attributes, but cannot replace heroes, gear, formation, counters or guild coordination. Unlocking it does not make your account safe without protection.

For farms and occasional fighters, stable T4, economy, battle familiars and gear may be better early investments. Active fighters benefit from T5 when they can sustain Lunite for both production and healing. This is editorial advice, not a universal progression rule.

Research order

Follow the Gear prerequisites to unlock Lunar Foundry, then build it on its dedicated location. Develop Lunite production and storage alongside crafting speed and capacity.

The final T5 technologies require Crafting Speed II 10/10 and Crafting Capacity I 10/10, plus their dependency chains. Use the generated requirements below rather than a blanket instruction to max every node.

Central Command II is optional for unlocking T5. The three main troop types require 19,119 Archaic Tomes; all four including siege require 19,712. These are base full-path totals before completed levels and special discounts.

Foundry → Lunite → Luminous Gear → T5

The Foundry produces and stores Lunite. Lunite is used to craft Luminous Gear, which is then used to upgrade T4 in the Barracks. These are different resources and queues.

Avoid full Lunite storage and idle crafting queues. Check stock, capacity, speed research and requirements in the Foundry window. Preserve a healing reserve rather than spending everything on another crafting batch.

What the conversion consumes

You need the same troop type at T4, Luminous Gear, ordinary resources and time. Research only unlocks conversion; it does not grant troops. The table below shows base Soldier-table values; verify your final payment in the current Barracks window.

Do not judge combat value by Might alone: T4 has 36 Might and T5 has 48. This does not guarantee a 33% improvement in every battle.

Healing is the ongoing budget

Wounded T5 requires Lunite to heal. Unlocking research is a one-time target; maintaining wounded troops is a recurring expense. Keep a separate reserve for your planned battles.

Estimate losses and Infirmary capacity before growing the army. Use the actual client healing quote; bonuses and event rules can change the outcome. More T5 is not an improvement if you cannot restore it after combat.

A limited-budget route

Unlock and support your main troop type first, then add types needed by your guild. Siege can wait if your role does not need it. Save tomes over time and align major research completions with event rewards.

There is no universal T5 percentage for every march. Agree on the composition with your rally lead, actual stats and healing budget. Do not copy an expensive army without its supporting economy.

If T5 does not appear

Check Academy 25, the specific T5 technology, matching T4 troops, a built Foundry, ready Luminous Gear rather than just Lunite, ordinary resources and a free Barracks queue.

If research is complete but healing is unaffordable, pause expansion. Production, reserves and combat stats can be more valuable than another Might increase.

Technolabes: a faster route to T4 and T5

A Technolabe immediately completes the selected research level without its normal timer or the Food, Stone, Timber, Ore and Gold cost of that research. The number required depends on the technology and level; one item does not necessarily complete any research.

Open the eligible, not-yet-started technology in the Academy, inspect prerequisites and the separate Technolabe completion button, and confirm its item quote. This is not a speed-up for research already running. Academy levels and prerequisite technologies still apply.

Kingdom Labors rewards are one source, including the free reward track; a paid pass can add rewards. Check the current event rather than assuming fixed quantities, availability or prices.

Consider saving Technolabes for long levels blocking your goal. Compare actual time saved with your research bonuses per item; short levels can be better completed normally. If research event points matter, finish the relevant levels through ordinary research rather than Technolabes.

Technolabes also work in the T5 Gear tree, including the final T5 unlocks. They save long waits and ordinary resources, but Archaic Tomes are still required. The base mandatory-path requirement remains 19,119 for three main types or 19,712 for all four, before completed progress and special discounts.