Three specialization branches with 5 levels each. Requires a Workshop. Only one research active at a time — choose wisely.
Research is player-level, not per-settlement. Bonuses apply to all your settlements and armies. You can invest in all three branches, but costs escalate — early specialization in one branch gives you a competitive edge while going wide costs more total resources.
You can research all three branches, but the escalating costs mean going deep in one branch first is usually smarter than spreading thin. Here's the trade-off:
Warlord first — best for aggressive players who farm camps heavily and plan to raid other players early. The +5% and +10% attack bonuses make your raids more efficient from day one. Frenzy at tier 4 is devastating for first-strike attacks.
Fortifier first — best for players in contested areas who expect to be attacked. The defense bonuses stack multiplicatively with your Barricade Wall, making your settlement increasingly expensive to crack. Bunker Down at tier 4 makes alliance defense extremely powerful.
Scavenger Lord first — best for long-term economic dominance. The +10% production at tier 1 pays for itself within hours and compounds as you upgrade buildings. Efficient Hauling at tier 4 transforms your farming by increasing every unit's carry capacity by 50%.
| Branch | Tech | Scrap | Concrete | Fuel | Food | Time | Workshop | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warlord 1 | Sharpened Blades | 500 | 300 | 100 | 200 | 30m | 2 | 100 |
| Warlord 2 | Infantry Tactics | 1,200 | 800 | 300 | 500 | 1h | 5 | 150 |
| Warlord 3 | Advanced Warfare | 3,000 | 2,000 | 800 | 1,000 | 2h | 8 | 200 |
| Warlord 4 | Frenzy ★ | 6,000 | 4,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 4h | 12 | 300 |
| Warlord 5 | Total War | 12,000 | 8,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 | 8h | 16 | 500 |
| Fortifier 1 | Reinforced Walls | 500 | 300 | 100 | 200 | 30m | 2 | 100 |
| Fortifier 2 | Fortified Position | 1,200 | 800 | 300 | 500 | 1h | 5 | 150 |
| Fortifier 3 | Iron Defense | 3,000 | 2,000 | 800 | 1,000 | 2h | 8 | 200 |
| Fortifier 4 | Bunker Down ★ | 6,000 | 4,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 4h | 12 | 300 |
| Fortifier 5 | Unbreakable | 12,000 | 8,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 | 8h | 16 | 500 |
| Scav Lord 1 | Efficient Scrap | 500 | 300 | 100 | 200 | 30m | 2 | 100 |
| Scav Lord 2 | Expanded Storage | 1,200 | 800 | 300 | 500 | 1h | 5 | 150 |
| Scav Lord 3 | Mass Production | 3,000 | 2,000 | 800 | 1,000 | 2h | 8 | 200 |
| Scav Lord 4 | Efficient Hauling ★ | 6,000 | 4,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 4h | 12 | 300 |
| Scav Lord 5 | Abundance | 12,000 | 8,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 | 8h | 16 | 500 |
Research times shown are at 1x world speed. Higher speed worlds reduce research time proportionally. All 15 technologies cost a combined 68,100 Scrap, 45,300 Concrete, 21,600 Fuel, 22,800 Food and take 46.5 hours of research time at 1x speed.