One of the more persistent resource-allocation questions in the early-to-mid game is whether to prioritize unlocking your next troop tier or simply training more troops at your current tier — and the answer shifts as your account develops.
Higher tier is almost always the better long-term investment
Once a higher troop tier is available to train, troops trained at that tier are generally more resource-efficient per unit of strength than continuing to train at your current tier — in most cases, unlocking the next tier as soon as it's reasonably available pays off faster than it might seem.
But don't leave yourself with an empty garrison to get there
If unlocking the next tier requires diverting so many resources that your current troop count drops dangerously low, that's a real short-term risk worth weighing — a brief period of lower troop training in exchange for a long-term efficiency gain is usually fine, but leaving yourself defenseless during a vulnerable period is not.
Time the transition around your actual needs
If you have a known upcoming event or expected conflict, it's often better to finish a solid troop count at your current tier first, then push the tier upgrade in a calmer period — rather than being caught mid-transition with a smaller force right when you need numbers.
The long-run pattern
Across the whole game, tier upgrades compound — troops trained at a higher tier keep paying off for the rest of the game, while troops trained at a soon-to-be-outdated tier lose relative value the moment the next tier unlocks. When in doubt, lean toward upgrading sooner rather than later.
