Art of War is a war strategy game in which you act as a commander, leading armies of troops and heroes into battles against different enemies. According to the source, the core activity is building and managing your forces across levels, making tactical decisions, and outnumbering the opposing army to win battles and earn rewards.
Checking troop stats and skills
The source says that stats and skill descriptions for heroes and troops are available in the Heroes / Troops section of the main menu. Selecting a troop's icon opens a window showing its stats, and an arrow lets you review the stats at different levels. If a troop has an ability, swiping right opens its description. The source uses the Pilgrim's Solar Healing skill as an example of this information.
The source explains that troop stats are shown for a single count. It separates single-unit troops from multiple-unit troops, and states that multiple-unit troops can have up to 9 counts in a squad. Attack, HP and Defense are all listed per unit. Troop skills follow the same logic: each pilgrim has its own healing skill that activates separately from the others.
Heroes, rarity and hero upgrades
The source lists three hero rarity tiers: rare (blue), epic (violet) and legendary (orange). Legendary heroes have an additional skill that unlocks when the hero reaches level 11, which the source presents as a key milestone for these heroes.
Heroes are upgraded with hero cards, called shards in the source. These cards can be obtained by opening chests, buying super card packs or taking part in special events. Once you have collected enough cards of the same hero, you can upgrade that hero to the next level. The source states that the first upgrade, to level 2, usually requires 2 identical hero cards.
Merging troops to upgrade them
Troops are upgraded by combining units of the same kind and the same level, which the source shows as stars. You do this by dragging and merging the troops together. The source says this can be done either on the battlefield or in the barracks.
The barracks has two documented functions. It stores troops you do not need when your battlefield slots are fully occupied, and it is also used for regrouping and upgrading troops. When your army is fully set, any newly acquired troops are automatically stored in the barracks.
Battlefield flow as described in the source
The source's summary describes a bird's-eye view of each combat. In the early stages, you have fewer soldiers available, and as you progress you must distribute your offensive forces carefully to attack the opponent. According to the source, you place troops on the map by tapping them, then press a yellow assault button when it is time to move your forces closer to enemy territory. Gold collected after victories can be used to unlock new opponents and strengthen your army. The source's wording on this section is uneven, so these points should be read as the description's account rather than a complete rulebook.
Bounty tasks after level 14
The source says that bounty tasks open once you reach level 14. It describes these tasks as ranging from straightforward challenges to puzzles that test your strategic planning. According to the source, completing them rewards you with gems. The source does not specify how bounty tasks are selected, how many there are, or how their difficulty changes.
Early-game advice from the source
The source includes a section of player-style strategy tips. These are the author's suggestions and have not been independently verified. The first tip concerns spending gold on troop packs. The source argues that 4* troop packs costing 120K gold can leave you short on quantity early on, and recommends the 240K packs, which contain 30 common or rare troops and can be found in the recruitment camp.
The second tip concerns gems. The source advises saving them for events that give legendary shards and other valuable prizes, rather than spending them on 1* troops or on hero chests early. It also warns against spending gems on fusions before you know which troops you need.
The third tip concerns medals. The source recommends spending medals in the Honour Hunt Exchange to obtain certain troops, and notes that a level 9 troop costs 2,500 medals while a level 10 troop costs 3,500 medals. The source encourages saving medals early because they are needed later.
The fourth tip recommends joining an active clan that shares ideas, and mentions clans that use a Discord server or Facebook group. The final tip suggests focusing on one or two legendary heroes so that they reach level 11 and unlock their legendary skill, instead of spreading resources across many lower-level heroes. The source also advises researching which heroes are strong before investing in them.