Astrakeep raids are played with troops trained at the Barracks. Four troop types beat each other in a cycle; you send them to loot five rival villages, then besiege other players in PvP. Like every battle in the game since the October 16, 2026 update, a raid is a siege: you play your cards across three lanes to bring down two towers, then the keep. On the other side, your heroes defend your village, even when you're offline. Here's how to attack well and how to hold your ground.
This page is part of the Astrakeep guide. The Barracks and their levels are covered on the islands and buildings page.
The 4 Barracks troops
"The Barracks train your troops. They're used to attack rival villages and other players: troops sent on a raid are lost, but the survivors of a march on the map come back home." Each troop needs a Barracks level:
| Troop | Barracks | In-game description |
|---|---|---|
| Footman | lv. 1 | Fast and cheap soldier, strong in large numbers |
| Shield guard | lv. 2 | Heavily armored, he takes the hits for the others |
| Griffin | lv. 3 | It flies over the melee defenders |
| Crystal colossus | lv. 5 | A very slow crystal giant, nearly indestructible |
Training takes time and army space: keep an eye on "Army space" and queue up training before you close the game.
The troop cycle
"Each troop beats another (+50%)." The cycle goes like this:
- Footman: "Numerous: overwhelms guards".
- Shield guard: "Sturdy: stops griffins".
- Griffin: "Flying: brings down colossi".
- Crystal colossus: "Giant: crushes infantry".
In practice: never head out with just one troop type. A mixed army always has an answer, and scouting tells you what to counter.
Mixed armies and hero combos
Mixing is rewarded, too: you need at least 3 troop types, each taking up at least 15% of your army's space. The bonus is then +18% damage and health with 3 troop types, and +25% with all 4.
Every hero also boosts one troop type standing near them ("Combos: a hero boosts the troops near them"), and that bonus grows once the hero is awakened:
| Hero | Boosted troop | Bonus (normal → awakened hero) |
|---|---|---|
| Lyra | Griffin | +25% → +40% damage |
| Orin | Crystal colossus | +20% → +32% damage |
| Kael | Footman | +25% → +40% damage |
| Nyx | Shield guard | target slowed 1.5 s → 2.4 s |
| Tharok | Crystal colossus | explode when they fall: 140 → 224 damage |
| Aurelion | Shield guard | −30% → −45% damage taken |
| Sylvara | All troops | +2% → +3.5% health per second |
| Jinhou | Griffin | +30% → +48% damage |
| Varek | Footman | +35% → +56% damage |
| Kiran | Griffin | −20% → −30% damage taken |
| Mio | Footman | +20% → +32% damage |
| Bolt | Crystal colossus | −25% → −38% damage taken |
| Solène | All troops | +1.2% → +2.1% health per second |
So build your army around your heroes: griffins with Lyra or Jinhou, footmen with Kael or Varek, shield guards with Aurelion.
Raiding the 5 rival villages
Raids unlock once you win campaign level 2. "Raid rival villages with your troops to steal their resources and earn renown. A defeated village rebuilds before it can be raided again."
The five villages are looted in order:
- Goblin Stronghold, led by Grokk the Raider.
- Shadowwing Nest, led by the Night Queen.
- Golem Quarry, led by the Granite Warden.
- Shadow Citadel, led by the Shadow Titan.
- Dragon Bastion, led by the Crystal Dragon.
A raid plays out like any siege: pick a card, then tap a lane, and bring down the village's towers, then its keep. "Destroy the village's defenses to earn stars and loot." A looted village rebuilds for a while. Once all five are looted, "the rivals grow stronger": they rank up, and the cycle starts again against tougher defenses.
If a raid fails, the game keeps it simple: "Train more troops and upgrade the Barracks!"
PvP: besieging other players
The kingdom's Battle button opens PvP. "Find opponents of your strength and take revenge on those who attacked you": you pick an opponent, then besiege their village. The defense is played by the computer with the heroes that player chose, and there's no luck: the server replays and checks every battle.
The tournament arena
On Sundays, the tournament arena opens: "Instant battle, no march, against an opponent of your strength. No looting and no troops lost: only tournament points count." Your first 10 assaults of the Sunday earn tournament points.
Marching across the world map
"The world map shows other players' kingdoms." Tap a village to take a closer look, then:
- Scout: "Scout it first, since its garrison and heroes defend it." Scouting shows the garrison and the village's power, and the game gives you an estimate ("likely victory", "close fight", "likely defeat").
- Pick your army: troops and march heroes. Your army then marches to the village; the trip takes time.
- Play the siege: "Pick a card, then tap a lane in the green zone." Each card costs energy, which refills on its own. If you don't play it, "the assault will play itself".
A few rules worth knowing: attacking other players is "Available 24 hours after the account is created, or right away with a linked account". Against players, your heroes are capped by your Crystal Tower ("Against players, at your Tower …: level … and … stars at most"). That cap applies to every hero, including a legendary bought in the shop, which fights other players too. And a legendary earned with fragments only joins those fights once the server has counted enough daily chests opened online (40 for your first one).
With your alliance, start a rally: your allies get a set amount of time to add their troops to yours, and the leader's heroes lead the attack. You can never attack a member of your own alliance. See the Astrakeep alliances page.
Revenge
If someone attacked you in the last 24 hours, the Revenge tab lets you hit back: "Strike back even through their shield", with bonus renown. "Instant revenge" gives you a shorter march, for free.
Shields
After you've been looted, a shield protects your village for 6 hours. Peace shields of 8 h, 24 h or 72 h can also be bought with gems, up to 72 hours per 7 days. The game is clear about it: "A shield protects you, it does not make you stronger. Attacking ends it."
Spells, ramparts and awakened heroes in sieges
In a siege, troops push down three lanes toward the enemy's two towers and keep. Several tools come on top of them.
The 4 spells, played like cards:
- Arrows: "tap anywhere to shower enemy troops."
- Heal: "tap your wounded troops to restore their health."
- Freeze: "stops enemy troops and a rampart's shooters."
- Shield: "protects your troops before they reach the ramparts."
Awakened heroes: a hero at max level with 5 stars uses their awakened power in sieges instead of their special attack. Nyx's Eternal Winter, for example, freezes every enemy in its lane and, when attacking, that lane's rampart; Tharok's Grand Charge brings down a tower under 25% health. Every power is covered in our Astrakeep hero awakening guide.
On defense, two settings round out your heroes:
- Ramparts against assaults: a top tower and a bottom tower, each with a style to pick. Classic: "One shot per reload." Frost: "Slightly weaker shots that slow attackers down." Volley: "Three quick shots then a long reload: deadly against swarms." Each style has 3 levels: Classic gains +12% then +25% damage, Frost slows for 3 s then freezes its target, Volley fires stronger shots then 4 shots per burst.
- Defense spells: "Pick 2 spells: they are cast for you during assaults." They unlock from Crystal Tower level 5.
Your defense
You choose which heroes defend your village when a player attacks, and you can watch the assaults you suffered. Up to 3 heroes stand on your ramparts, and they defend even if you're offline.
So invest first in three strong heroes with stars: the Astrakeep heroes page explains how. The defense log keeps the assaults you suffered over the last 30 days, so you can replay them and see where your defense gave way.
When you come back, a report sums up the attacks: who hit you, what was stolen, or "Your heroes held the line."
Renown and ranks
Looting earns renown, which sets your rank: Squire (0), Knight (50), Baron (150), Count (300), Duke (550) and King (900). The leaderboard shows the players and alliances with the most renown.
Because attacks are played against a defense run by the computer, nobody needs to be online at the same time. That makes Astrakeep a PvP strategy game you can play at your own pace: sieges between players, with no luck involved. Our guide to the best strategy games on mobile explains what to check in PvP before you choose a game. To launch your first raids, play Astrakeep in your browser; find out more on the Astrakeep page.
Frequently asked questions
When can you raid in Astrakeep?
As soon as you've won campaign level 2, provided you've built the Barracks (Warrior Isle) to train troops.
Do troops come back after an attack?
It depends on the attack. Troops sent on a raid against a rival village are lost: you have to train new ones at the Barracks. After a march on the world map, against another player, the survivors come back home.
Can you attack a player who has a shield?
No, except for revenge: if that player attacked you in the last 24 hours, you can strike back even through their shield.
How many heroes defend against other players?
Up to three: you choose which heroes defend your village, and they hold your ramparts even while you're offline.
Which spells can you use in assaults?
Four: Arrows, Heal, Freeze and Shield. On defense, you pick 2 spells that are cast automatically during the assaults you suffer, from Crystal Tower level 5. To swap strategies, head to the Astrakeep forum.