Conquest of Nine Kingdoms: S1 Squad Building and Merit Strategy

To maintain high military merit rankings during Season 1 (S1) of Conquest of Nine Kingdoms, concentrate your early resources into a single high-synergy 3-man primary squad before attempting to build secondary teams. Save recruitment currency for hero banners that fill missing roles in your core squad, and prioritize fighting favorable PvP battles where merit earnings outweigh troop restoration costs.

Success in S1 depends on recruiting units that provide long-term utility across both PvE land clearing and PvP skirmishes. Spreading pull currency across every available banner dilutes your account strength and leaves you with incomplete teams.

Target Core Roles: Look for banners featuring frontline tanks, reliable crowd control, or strong base damage dealers. These roles reduce troop losses while clearing higher-level land tiles.
Pull for Synergy: Only invest heavily in a banner if the featured hero directly complements your existing main squad (such as providing buffs or debuffs that your primary damage dealer exploits).
Skip Filler Banners: If a banner does not offer an upgrade to your primary 3-man squad, save currency for future rotations that feature core meta units.

Core 3-Man Squad Structure for Merit Farming

Military merit reflects your effectiveness in player battles. To trade efficiently against enemy forces, your primary squad must combine durability, steady output, and passive skill triggers.

Squad Role	Key Function	Ideal Unit Characteristics
Frontline Defense	Damage Absorption	High base defense stats, defensive shields, or damage reduction.
Main DPS	Consistent Damage Output	Steady damage skills over time rather than all-or-nothing burst cooldowns.
Support / Utility	Stat Control & Enablement	Skill debuffs on enemies or passive stat buffs that trigger off ally actions.

Ensure your heroes' passive skills form direct chains. For example, pair a support unit that applies specific status conditions with a DPS hero whose passive deals bonus damage against targets with that exact condition.

Managing Troop Losses and PvP Resource Costs

Earning merit is vital for season rankings, but reckless engagements consume resources that slow overall progression. If your troop losses cost more resources to heal than the merit value earned, your account will stall.

Select High-Yield Fights: Engage weakened enemy units or defend fortified chokepoints where your team composition retains a tactical advantage.
Establish Squad Rotations: Keep a secondary squad available to hold position or intercept while your main squad returns to base for healing and troop reinforcement.
Avoid Overextension: Retain ground near alliance defensive structures instead of pushing deep into hostile territory without allied support.

Adapting Your Roster as the Season Evolves

As server region fights open up, your tactical focus must pivot from clearing land to counter-building against opponent trends.

Skill Upgrades: Spend your initial merit rewards directly on skill levels for your main 3-man squad to maximize combat output before investing in secondary units.
Counter-Gear Adjustments: Observe common rival formations on your server (such as heavy cavalry or archer comps) and adjust your squad accessories and active skill slots accordingly.
Deployment Timing: If underpowered against high-spending opponents, time your attacks to hit targets already engaged by alliance allies to gain merit with minimal risk.