How to Unlock Level V Troops in Rise of Kingdoms: T5 Requirements

To unlock Level V troops in Rise of Kingdoms, you need Academy level 25 and must complete the economic, shared military, and troop-specific research leading to your chosen T5 unit. Reaching Academy level 25 requires extensive level 25 building progression, including major bottlenecks such as the Castle and Watchtower.

Each Level V troop type is researched separately. Unlocking Royal Guard does not automatically unlock Royal Knight, Royal Crossbowman, or Trebuchet.

Complete ROK T5 Requirements Checklist

What Are Level V Troops in Rise of Kingdoms?

Level V troops, commonly called Tier 5 or T5 troops, are the highest permanent troop tier available through the standard Academy military research tree.

Some civilizations use a civilization-specific Level V unit instead of the standard version. The troop type and research branch remain the same.

Level V Building Requirements

You do not necessarily need to upgrade every duplicate Farm, Lumber Mill, Quarry, Gold Mine, or Hospital. However, you must complete the level 25 building chain required to make Academy level 25 available.

Use the Academy upgrade screen as the final authority. It displays the exact building that is blocking your current upgrade.

Core Progression Buildings

• City Hall level 25
• Academy level 25
• Castle level 25
• Watchtower level 25
• Trading Post level 25
• Wall level 25
• Alliance Center level 25
• Storehouse level 25

Military Buildings

• Barracks level 25
• Archery Range level 25
• Stable level 25
• Siege Workshop level 25
• At least one Hospital level 25 where required by the progression chain

Economic and Support Buildings

• One required Farm
• One required Lumber Mill
• One required Quarry
• One required Gold Mine
• Scout Camp where required
• Other structures shown in the current upgrade chain

For a broader explanation of building functions and upgrade priorities, read the Rise of Kingdoms buildings guide.

For exact City Hall costs, timers, and prerequisites, use the City Hall level 25 requirements guide.

Castle Level 25 and Books of Covenant

The Castle is one of the largest T5 bottlenecks because its upgrades require Books of Covenant. The final upgrade alone requires a substantial Book stockpile.

How to Collect Books of Covenant

• Join Barbarian Fort rallies regularly.
• Use daily Action Points instead of allowing them to remain full.
• Join an active alliance that launches frequent forts.
• Participate in events that reward Books or Action Points.
• Collect alliance and activity rewards consistently.
• Consider purchasing Books with gems when Castle progress is the main bottleneck.
• Time major gem spending with More Than Gems when practical.

Start collecting Books early. Waiting until City Hall 25 to begin serious fort participation can delay Academy 25 for a long time.

A farm account can support your resource economy, but it does not automatically increase the Book drop from an individual Barbarian Fort rally.

Watchtower Level 25 and Arrows of Resistance

The Watchtower requires Arrows of Resistance. These are commonly earned through barbarian-related activities, Lohar’s Trial, event rewards, and selected item sources.

How to Collect Arrows Efficiently

• Defeat barbarians during Lohar’s Trial.
• Open Bone Necklaces and related event items.
• Complete barbarian and progression activities.
• Use naturally regenerated Action Points every day.
• Participate in events that include Arrows in their reward pools.

Avoid spending gems on Arrows unless the Watchtower is your final major bottleneck and the purchase is worth delaying other priorities such as VIP, Books, or commander events.

Master’s Blueprints and Gem Cost

Many standard buildings require one Master’s Blueprint for the level 24 to 25 upgrade. Each Blueprint is commonly priced at 2,000 gems.

Community requirement tables commonly estimate:

• 16 Master’s Blueprints across the complete path
• 2,000 gems per Blueprint
• Approximately 32,000 gems in total

This is a commonly cited full-path estimate rather than a substitute for the live building screen. Special structures such as the Castle and Watchtower use Books, Arrows, or other requirements instead.

Before purchasing Blueprints, identify every remaining level 25 building and calculate the complete gem requirement. Avoid spending the Blueprint reserve on low-priority gem events.

Academy Level 25 Requirements

Academy level 25 is the final research-building upgrade and provides access to the Level V troop nodes.

Important Academy 25 requirements include:

• City Hall level 25
• Watchtower level 25
• Trading Post level 25
• The required level 25 building chain behind those structures
• One Master’s Blueprint where displayed by the upgrade screen
• Food, Wood, Stone, and a long construction timer

Academy 25 also provides the Academy’s maximum research-speed bonus. However, the Level V technology must still be researched after the building upgrade finishes.

For Academy requirements and technology unlocks, read the Rise of Kingdoms Academy guide.

Level V Economic Research Requirements

Economic technology is not only about gathering. It provides the construction and research improvements that make the late-game progression path manageable.

Important economic technologies include:

• Engineering
• Mathematics
• Cutting and Polishing
• Open-pit Quarry
• Coinage
• Machinery
• Stone Saw
• Shaft Mining
• Carriage
• Other required prerequisite technologies

Follow the Academy’s research arrows rather than upgrading random economic technologies. Each late research node shows which earlier technology must be completed first.

Shared Military Research Requirements

Before reaching the final troop branches, you must complete several military technologies that benefit more than one troop type.

Major late military requirements include:

• Combat Tactics level 10
• Defensive Formation level 10
• Herbal Medicine level 10
• Cartography level 5
• Medical Corps
• Combined Arms
• Encampment
• Required troop attack and defense technologies

The exact route depends on the technology tree shown in your current Academy. Select the final troop node and follow its prerequisite lines backward to identify every missing technology.

Each Level V Troop Is Unlocked Separately

You do not need to unlock all four Level V units at the same time.

For example, an account can have:

• T5 Infantry unlocked
• T4 Cavalry
• T4 Archers
• T4 Siege

This allows you to concentrate resources and research speedups on the troop type that matches your strongest commanders, equipment, civilization, armaments, and battlefield role.

Step-by-Step Path to Your First T5 Unit

Step 1: Reach City Hall Level 25

Complete the Wall, Trading Post, resource, and building requirements shown by the City Hall upgrade screen. City Hall 25 allows the remaining buildings to reach their maximum level.

Step 2: Finish the Level 25 Building Chain

Upgrade the structures blocking Academy level 25. Focus on required buildings rather than upgrading every duplicate resource building without a reason.

Step 3: Complete Castle and Watchtower Progress

Use Barbarian Fort rallies to collect Books and barbarian activities to collect Arrows. These materials should be accumulated throughout the account’s development.

Step 4: Upgrade Academy to Level 25

Before starting the upgrade, collect a building rune, request the Architect title, use a kingdom building buff where available, and maximize alliance help.

Step 5: Complete the Required Economic Research

Finish the economic technologies gating the advanced military tree. Prioritize Engineering and Mathematics during the broader progression path because they reduce future building and research time.

Step 6: Complete Shared Military Prerequisites

Max the required troop-wide technologies, including Combat Tactics, Defensive Formation, Herbal Medicine, and the later shared research nodes.

Step 7: Finish the Chosen Troop Branch

Select one main troop type and complete its attack, defense, health, and prerequisite technologies.

Step 8: Research the Level V Unit

Apply research buffs before starting or accelerating the final technology. The T5 node is a separate, expensive research project.

Step 9: Train or Upgrade Troops

Unlocking the technology does not immediately provide a complete T5 march. Train new T5 units or upgrade your existing T4 troops after reviewing the resource and event costs.

How to Reduce T5 Building and Research Time

Use Alliance Help

Join an active alliance and wait for all available help actions before using speedups. Strong alliance technology can also improve building, research, gathering, and combat progress.

Collect the Correct Rune

Use a building-speed rune before starting a major building and a research-speed rune before beginning an important technology.

The bonus normally applies when the timer starts. You do not need to keep the rune active for the complete duration.

Request the Correct Kingdom Title

• Architect: Use before starting major construction.
• Scientist: Use before starting major research.

The title must be active when the timer begins. Holding it for a fixed number of minutes is not the important part.

Use Kingdom Buffs

Coordinate with kingdom leadership when major building or research buffs are scheduled. Combining a buff, rune, title, alliance help, and speedups produces a much stronger result than using each bonus separately.

Plan Speedup Types Carefully

Use building speedups on the level 25 building chain and research speedups on the Academy tree. Universal speedups can support either bottleneck.

Research eventually becomes the largest part of the T5 push, so many developed accounts reserve a large portion of universal speedups for technology. However, delaying Academy 25 because you refuse to use any universal speedups on buildings can also slow the account.

Join an Active Alliance

Prioritize an alliance with:

• Strong alliance technology
• Frequent Barbarian Fort rallies
• Consistent alliance help
• Useful territory and holy-site bonuses
• Active event participation
• Organized kingdom buffs and titles

Improve Resource Gathering

The T5 path consumes large amounts of Food, Wood, Stone, and Gold. Develop gathering commanders, gather on alliance territory, maintain farm accounts, and avoid opening protected resource items before they are needed.

Use the Rise of Kingdoms gathering guide to improve troop load and gathering speed.

Which T5 Troop Type Should You Unlock First?

Do not select the first T5 branch only because another player says Infantry or Cavalry is always safest. Your first unlock should match your strongest complete march.

Compare:

1. Your strongest commander pairing
2. Your best Legendary equipment
3. Your civilization’s special unit
4. Your armaments and formation bonuses
5. Your open-field, rally, or garrison role
6. Your alliance’s combat needs
7. Your current troop-specific research

Unlock Infantry First When

• Your strongest commanders are Infantry specialists.
• You have developed Infantry equipment.
• You play a frontline, garrison, or Infantry rally role.
• Your civilization supports the Infantry plan.

Unlock Cavalry First When

• Your strongest pairing uses Cavalry.
• You have a complete Cavalry equipment set.
• You value movement speed and field mobility.
• Your rally or open-field role depends on Cavalry.

Unlock Archers First When

• You already have developed Archer commanders.
• Your best equipment is Archer-focused.
• Your alliance needs an Archer rally or field march.
• Your civilization, formations, and armaments support Archers.

Do not avoid Archers only because Cavalry has a troop-type advantage. Commander quality, technology, equipment, formation, armaments, positioning, and target selection also affect combat results.

Should You Unlock T5 Siege First?

T5 Siege is usually the lowest priority for a combat-focused account. T1 Siege remains useful for routine gathering because it is inexpensive and has a high troop load.

Research Trebuchet first only when the account has a clear Siege strategy or specialized role.

For current commander investment options, review the best commanders for your first T5 march.

How Hard Is It to Unlock Level V Troops?

Unlocking Level V troops is one of the longest permanent progression goals in Rise of Kingdoms.

The difficulty comes from three separate bottlenecks:

• Level 25 building progression
• Books, Arrows, Master’s Blueprints, gems, and resources
• Late Academy research and long technology timers

Free-to-play players can reach T5, but there is no reliable universal timeline. Progress depends on daily activity, alliance strength, fort participation, event rewards, gathering efficiency, kingdom development, and speedup management.

Should You Train T5 or Upgrade T4 Troops?

After unlocking a Level V unit, you can train new troops or upgrade existing T4 troops.

Upgrade T4 troops when you already have a large T4 stockpile and the conversion supports your combat or event plan. Train new T5 when you want to preserve T4 troops for lower-cost routine fighting.

Check event rules before completing large upgrades. The Mightiest Governor power stage may reward eligible troop, building, or research power depending on the active scoring table.

T5 Training and Healing Costs

T5 troops have stronger base statistics than T4, but they also require substantially more resources to train and heal.

Costs can vary according to:

• Troop type
• Batch size
• Civilization unit
• Training bonuses
• Healing bonuses
• Kingdom and alliance effects
• Current game balance

Check the current Barracks, Stable, Archery Range, or Siege Workshop before publishing a fixed training cost.

Are T5 Troops Worth It?

T5 troops are worth unlocking because they complete the permanent military research path and provide the strongest standard troop statistics.

However, T5 value depends on whether the account can support them.

T5 Is More Valuable When

• You have a strong commander pairing.
• Your equipment and armaments match the troop type.
• Your military research is complete.
• You have enough resources and healing speedups.
• You participate in important KvK battles, rallies, or garrisons.
• Your alliance needs your selected troop specialization.

Use T5 More Carefully When

• Your resource economy is limited.
• Your Hospital capacity is low.
• Your commander pairing is incomplete.
• Your equipment is still weak.
• You are fighting low-value battles.
• You cannot replace or heal losses efficiently.

Common T5 Progression Mistakes

• Assuming City Hall 25 automatically unlocks T5: Academy and research requirements remain.
• Assuming Academy 25 automatically gives T5: The final troop node must still be researched.
• Neglecting Castle Books: Start Barbarian Fort farming early.
• Ignoring Watchtower Arrows: Participate in Lohar and barbarian activities consistently.
• Spending Blueprint gems without a plan: Calculate all remaining level 25 upgrades first.
• Splitting research between every troop branch: Finish one primary branch before spreading resources.
• Choosing a T5 type without matching commanders: Research should support a complete march.
• Saving every universal speedup for research: Academy 25 may remain blocked without building progress.
• Training more T5 than the economy can heal: Maintain a usable T4 reserve.
• Researching T5 Siege first without a reason: Most combat-focused accounts gain more from another branch.

FAQ

How do you unlock Level V troops in Rise of Kingdoms?

Reach Academy level 25, complete the required economic and military technologies, finish one troop-specific branch, and research its final Level V unit.

What are the ROK T5 requirements?

The main requirements are City Hall 25, Academy 25, the required level 25 building chain, Castle and Watchtower progress, economic research, shared military technologies, and a complete troop-specific research branch.

Does City Hall level 25 automatically unlock T5 troops?

No. City Hall 25 allows the final building progression, but you still need Academy level 25 and the required military research.

Does Academy level 25 automatically give you T5 troops?

No. Academy 25 opens access to the final research nodes. You must research Royal Guard, Royal Knight, Royal Crossbowman, or Trebuchet separately.

Can you unlock only one Level V troop type?

Yes. Infantry, Cavalry, Archer, and Siege T5 units are researched independently. You can unlock one while the other branches remain at T4.

Which T5 troop should you unlock first?

Choose the type matching your strongest commanders, equipment, civilization, armaments, formations, and alliance role.

How hard is it to unlock Level V troops as a free-to-play player?

It is achievable but requires long-term building, research, resource, Book, Arrow, Blueprint, and speedup planning. The timeline depends heavily on activity and alliance support.

How many Master’s Blueprints are needed for T5 progression?

Community requirement tables commonly estimate 16 Blueprints across the complete level 25 building path, equal to approximately 32,000 gems. Verify the remaining amount through your current building screens.

Conclusion

To unlock Level V troops in Rise of Kingdoms, reach Academy level 25, complete the required economic and military research, finish one troop-specific branch, and research its final T5 unit.

Start collecting Books of Covenant, Arrows of Resistance, Master’s Blueprints, resources, and speedups long before Academy 25. Castle and late research are usually the most difficult parts of the process.

Unlock your first T5 type according to your strongest commander pairing and equipment rather than following a universal Infantry or Cavalry recommendation. After unlocking it, balance new T5 training with T4 upgrades and the resources available for healing.

Looking for more Rise of Kingdoms tips and guides? Explore the Rise of Kingdoms category for commander builds, building requirements, troop training, event strategies, and progression advice.