Ducking the Invoice is (sometimes) possible
Start small, build fast
As a beginner, complete all the quests, and fight around the PvE map. You know, the one that they said you should fight around.
...and now strategise
So what do you do?
First, focus your resources.
For people who have the time (AND THE MONEY) to spend on Throne Rush, the focus would be food. With enough food, you'd be fighting, climbing the stairs of heavens and so forth.
But as stated very clearly in the title of this blog, I'm not here to give you guys tips on how to play it quick and damaging. I'm here to give out tips on the most time-saving and penny-pinching Throne Rush strategy possible.
So what resource do we focus as free players? Gold. We get tons, and tons, and tons of gold.
Food build gold mines, armies, upgrade troops and extend your cha-ching storage. However, with only 1 level 9 gold mine and all the rest level 10, I lived in excess with 3 of my barns still at level 7, the rest are 8s and a single level 9 barn. I always went for gold first. Why is that so?
Because if we don't buy heroes, if we don't rush armies, then our best attack is defence. Defence strategies need towers, high level walls and clever placement of buildings - and 2 out of 3 of those ideas need tons, and tons, of gold.
Surround your castle the right way
Distract the enemies
Throne Rush units while attacking are uncontrollable, quite literally so! Once the attacker clicks for the release, the units will commence their attacking according to their type and proximity. But this is not always the case. Sometimes, they will divert to a building that you don't even think might work. And on their way to something they might even change their target! Thank God that the AI is stupid from time to time (when you are the defender, of course)
It always advisable to have one of the disposable buildings (Barracks or Barns) at a corner. Some enemies will get distracted by this loner from time to time. Even the time they take to move away is already crucial - in Throne Rush, number wins battles, and for the defender you have to divide and conquer.
Some units focus storage (goblins), some focus towers (orcs), and some have no preference at all (knights). By making rows of increasing importance as you go deeper in, you fulfill 2 objectives - spread out your attackers as much as possible, while keeping the damage to your buildings at a minimum, especially the Castle.
Bastions will rarely be focused because they are enclosed by walls (unless the enemy is airborne...did I say air units in this game are OP?), and by default the anti-defence units will find the exposed towers first, then go for these later. The other types of units will just get wrecked, and for the anti-defence unit it will serve as the distractions in the case the rows are gone (ouch). It's like the loner Barn distraction, but for Orcs. Furthermore, it will increase the reach of towers by a few blocks without putting it in danger.