WELCOME TO
DWARVES CHAPTER
In Chapter VI, we enter our first guest race chapter!
In guest race chapters, we build a portal for the new race to get to our city, and we get new types of buildings to produce special kinds of goods only available for the duration of the chapter. The new special good types will be required for research as we progress through the chapter.
This guide will provide an Overview of the chapter as well as some general strategic recommendations based on what we’ve learned reading the wiki, crunching some numbers, and playing through the chapter.
SUMMARY OF CONTENTS
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Dwarven goods overview
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New buildings
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Portal
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Granite Mines
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Copper Foundries
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Beginning the Dwarves chapter
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First research
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First productions & upgrades
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Completing further research
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Other upgrades
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Residences
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Workshops
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Armories
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Barracks
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First-tier manufactories
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DWARVES GOODS
Once you build the Dwarves settlement, you'll be able to produce two new types of goods. These goods are needed to upgrade your settlement and to complete much of the research for the chapter.
They are only used throughout the duration of the chapter.
Granite from Granite Mine
Copper from Copper Foundry
Both Granite and Copper will be needed in higher and higher quantities as you progress through the chapter. Be sure you make enough space in your city for your settlement so you can produce enough!
NEW BUILDINGS
We get 3 new types of buildings for this chapter. First we place a portal so the Dwarves can come to the city, and then Granite Mines and Copper Foundries for them to work in.
These special buildings do not require population or culture to build - they are ran by the Dwarves who come through the portal!
DWARVEN PORTAL
The portal will be the first thing to build; unlock it as soon as possible before anything else so you can get it built while you work on other things.
The Dwarven portal must be connected to a road, and it allows the Dwarves to come and live and work in your city.
The portal can be upgraded to level 4, and grows in size with each upgrade. The smallest is 2x2, the largest is 5x5. Each upgrade adds a higher production boost to your mines and foundries.
GRANITE MINE
You'll need to connect these mines to the portal with the portal tracks, which you'll also unlock in research.
Granite mines are 3 x 2. They can be upgraded to level 4.
They do not change size or shape as they are upgraded.
Each upgrade speeds up how quickly granite accumulates, and increases the maximum length of time over which it accumulates.
You will want to build
as many granite mines
as you can make space for;
10-15 and even more
is not excessive.
Granite mines produce granite in the same way that residences produce coins; they accrue over time up to a maximum amount.
COPPER FOUNDRY
Copper Foundries must also be connected to the portal with Portal Tracks.
Copper Foundries are 2 x 3. They can also be upgraded to level 4. They do not change size or shape as they are upgraded.
Copper Foundries produce copper in the same way that manufactories produce goods; you must start a production by clicking on it and choosing a production time.
Most players who have played the Dwarven chapter tend to agree that they spent a lot more time waiting for granite than for copper.
There is a limit to production storage based on the level of your portal, so there is no point in over-producing more copper than you can use while waiting for granite.
6-8 Copper Foundries
is usually sufficient.
More is a luxury worth affording.
Having more if you have the space may not hurt, though; the more you have, the fewer you need to upgrade to produce enough.
BEGINNING THE CHAPTER
When you first open the Dwarven chapter and after unlocking advanced scouts, you'll want to go from the portal to the tracks, and then to the granite mine.
FIRST RESEARCH
You will need a little over 700,000 Granite to complete the entire Dwarven Chapter.
Yes. You read that right. 700,000. Thus, the sooner you get granite unlocked, built, and in production, the better.
Yes, that squad size upgrade and that city expansion are tempting. Yes, so are the workshops, because supplies are always in short supply and getting more efficient workshops always sounds like a nice idea.
But don't do it. Don't give into temptation.
Follow the path to get to the Dwarven goods production buildings as soon as you can. You will likely be waiting on granite at least a little by the time you are working on the KPs needed for the manufactories.
Use that time to sink your KPs into the other researches. Your top priority should then be getting to the copper research as soon as you can earn the required granite for the manufactories.
FIRST PRODUCTIONS AND UPGRADES
Once you've unlocked granite mines, build them. Get them producing. Collect Granite as often as you can for the maximum benefit.
You can upgrade granite mines and the portal to level 2 before copper is required. Work on getting your mines and your portal up to level 2 as you work your way towards copper in the research tree.
UPGRADE PORTAL OR MINES, FIRST?
Portal first.
It may feel counter-productive, because upgrading the portal costs the same as upgrading five mines, and because each mine upgrade provides a bigger benefit to the mine than the portal does.
But a portal upgrade will apply to all mines and foundries; not just the one upgraded. It will also make each mine upgrade to level 2 that much more powerful, for the same price.
Always portal first.
Once you're ready to unlock copper, hopefully you have your portal at level 2, and 8-10 mines or more to level 2, as well. If you have more than that, you’re in even better shape!
ONCE THE FOUNDRIES ARE UNLOCKED
Start building the foundries as quickly as you can.
Hint: Build at least 7 so you can regularly take advantage of the "produce copper coins 6x" quest that will be added to your quest cycle, and pays 10,000 supplies! (6 for the quest, and 1 so you can keep one upgrading 1 at a time.)
Keep upgrading your granite mines as you produce the copper to do so.
Getting 6 or so coppers upgraded to level 3 and a few more up to level 2 will likely be sufficient. Or, if you're short on space, take 6 all the way to level 4.
With copper, remember, one can only store so much in their portal, so it doesn't make sense to make it any faster than you can make the granite to spend with it.
Balance your copper upgrades with your granite production. If you find yourself waiting for copper when you have granite to spend and want to spend it, add or upgrade more. If you find yourself waiting for granite more often, you may have too many coppers. Slow production or sell some lower level ones to gain space back for more granite.
COMPLETING FURTHER RESEARCH
It is quite likely that on at least a few occasions throughout this chapter, you will find yourself stuck in research because you are waiting for granite and/or copper.
This is a chapter that many players find themselves using their KP to upgrade their Ancient Wonders because they have filled in all the KP requirements for the research, but do not have the granite or copper needed to unlock enough to free up further blocks in the tree.
As you are choosing your path through the research tree, an important factor in your decision between two paths will be, which one will open more research blocks to begin accumulating KP in?
DWARVEN DILEMMA
Consider this scenario, where a player needs to choose between unlocking two different research blocks.
While it may be tempting to unlock the thing desired most, it is wiser in the long run to unlock research that will give you more places to sink earned KP, thus the Dwarven Style Street in this example is the better choice.
NEARING THE END OF THE CHAPTER
As you enter the final straight, you can total up your needs of Granite and Copper to finish, and perhaps sell a few copper to make more Granite faster. (Don't sell the portal, yet, though; you'll get a quest to do so after completing advanced scouts research in the fairies chapter.)
For a culture boost, you can also work on building Dwarven streets at this point in the chapter.
If you need culture and are short on space, it is recommended to build the Dwarven streets. They are expensive, but well worth it!
As you're completing the advanced scout and portal research for chapter VII, you can continue producing granite and copper for your roads if you haven't finished them all, yet.
You can likely produce more than enough to upgrade all of your roads by the time you unlock the fairy Day Farms and need the space.
OTHER BUILDINGS
As further research is unlocked throughout the chapter, we will unlock 2 new levels for residences, workshops, armories, barracks and the Main Hall.
4 Additional upgrade levels are made available for Tier 1 Manufactories.
RESIDENCES
When the Dwarven Residences technology is unlocked, two new levels become available for residence upgrades.
Residence upgrades are challenging but rewarding in the Dwarves chapter. For both elves and humans, the residences change shape from level 15 to level 16.
The good news, however, is that they shrink in size even though they increase in population. This creates a great space saving opportunity once enough are able to be upgraded, making it easier to have room for what earlier felt impossible.
ELVES
Elven residences evolve from 3x3 (9 squares) to 2x4 (8 squares).
Upgrading from 15 --> 16 adds +20 population.
Upgrading from 16 --> 17 adds +30 population.
HUMANS
Human residences evolve from 4x3 (12 squares) to 5x2 (10 squares.)
Upgrading from 15 --> 16 adds +20 population.
Upgrading from 16 --> 17 adds +30 population.
WORKSHOPS
When the Dwarven Workshops technology is unlocked, two new levels become available for workshop upgrades.
Workshop upgrades are moderately challenging for the Dwarves chapter. A slight size increase occurs for both races, but general shape and orientation remains the same.
ELVES
Elven Workshops grow from 4x3 to 5x3.
HUMANS
Human Workshops grow from 3x4 to 3x5.
ARMORIES
When the Dwarven Armories technology is unlocked, two new levels become available for armory upgrades.
Armory upgrades are moderately challenging for the Dwarves chapter. A slight size increase occurs for both races, but general shape and orientation remains the same.
ELVES
Elven Armories grow from 4x4 to 5x4.
Upgrade from level 15 --> 16 adds +10 to training size
Upgrade from level 16 --> 17 adds +10 to training size
HUMANS
Human Workshops grow from 4x4 to 4x5.
Upgrade from level 15 --> 16 adds +10 to training size
Upgrade from level 16 --> 17 adds +10 to training size
BARRACKS
When the Dwarven Barracks technology is unlocked, two new levels become available for Barracks upgrades.
The first barracks upgrade is relatively challenging for the Dwarves chapter. A slight size increase as well as a shape and orientation change is in store for both races.
ELVES
Elven Barracks grows from 6x5 to 4x8.
Upgrade from level 15 --> 16 adds +8 to training speed
Upgrade from level 16 --> 17 adds +10 to training speed
HUMANS
Human Barrackss grows from 5x6 to 8x4.
Upgrade from level 15 --> 16 adds +8 to training speed
Upgrade from level 16 --> 17 adds +10 to training speed
TIER 1 MANUFACTORIES
When the Dwarven manufactory technologies are unlocked, four new levels become available for tier 1 manufactory upgrades.
Each factory gets a shape change for each race in the Dwarven chapter. Some get an orientation change.
Depending on the race and manufactory, tier 1 upgrades range from moderately to highly challenging.
Population requirements are relatively expensive for each upgrade, and especially for the first initial upgrade to level 16, as the overall size increases for each type.
Marble upgrades are relatively easy upgrade for humans, and a relatively difficult upgrade for elves.
Human Marble manufactories retain their shape and orientation, but get a slight size increase of 3 squares.
Elven manufactories on the other hand grow and change in orientation. A slight layout adjustment might be necessary.
Elves again get the slightly more difficult upgrade for steel manufactories. With a large jump in size, from 9 squares to 15, the population cost is high, but so is the increase to production.
Elves who have been keeping enough factories to keep up with the production of their human counterparts may find themselves able to sell a manufactory or two as they upgrade the rest.
Humans on the other hand only have a size increase of 1 square per manufactory, so the initial cost and production increase isn’t nearly as much as it is for elves. Humans have a relatively simple upgrade task for this chapter.
Elves and humans each have a relatively easy upgrade task for planks. Each grow in size. The human upgrade is slightly more extreme as it gets a size and a shape change. Human Planks are less expensive though as they only add a total of 2 squares.
Elven planks add a total of 4 squares. Thus for elves, the initial population investment is a bit higher, but so is the production.
Elves may find themselves able to sell a manufactory or two as they upgrade their others if they start the chapter with a high number of manufactories (10+). Humans will likely want to keep the same number of manufactories.
CONCLUSION
Completing the Dwarven chapter is not going to be quick; it takes a while to get your granite and copper production high enough to progress through the research.
The more mines and foundries you have, the faster you can complete the chapter, but it is challenging to find space, as well, so you will as always need to balance your resources and desires.
We hope you find this guide helpful in navigating your way through the Dwarven chapter.
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