Alliance defense event
Crazy Joe
Defend your cities, rotate reinforcements, and keep the Alliance HQ standing through 20 escalating waves.
- waves
- 20
- event length
- ~40 min
- Furnace minimum
- Lv. 7
- difficulty levels
- 21
Overview
A team defense with two scoring loops
Crazy Joe is an alliance event. Bandits attack cities in waves, while waves 10 and 20 target the Alliance HQ. You score by defeating attackers and by sending useful reinforcements to allies.
Join an alliance
You need an alliance and a Furnace at level 7 or higher. R4/R5 members activate or schedule the event and choose its difficulty.
Defend 20 waves
Most waves hit cities. Waves 10 and 20 target an Alliance HQ, so follow the alliance assignment and keep an HQ march ready.
Earn points from kills
Your points follow the share of attackers your troops defeat. Reinforcers usually earn 50% of the normal rate, so avoid overcrowding one city.
Keep the alliance in sync
A city defeated twice stops receiving attacks, but its owner can still reinforce allies. Alliance score, milestones, and rankings all reward coordination.
Wave plan
The 20-wave rhythm
Use the wave groups as a simple call sheet. The live event panel always overrides this guide if a version changes the schedule.
- 01–09
City defense and troop swaps
Defend your city and exchange infantry-first reinforcements with allies. Wave 7 targets online Chiefs only, so move spare reinforcements to online members before it begins.
- 10
Alliance HQ wave
Recall one assigned march before the wave and send the requested troops to the HQ. This is a headquarters defense check, not a normal city wave.
- 11–19
Escalating city attacks
Return to city defense and selective reinforcement. Waves 14 and 17 only attack online Chiefs, so be online and cover those players first.
- 20
Final HQ push
Recall and redeploy again. Send as much infantry as your march capacity allows to the HQ, then wait until the event is fully over before healing.
Playbook
A practical scoring playbook
The best formation depends on your alliance and generation. These priorities are stable because they protect points for both the city owner and the reinforcers.
Infantry first
Start with infantry, then add lancers. About 90% infantry and 10% lancers is a common baseline, but high-difficulty HQ waves may need a different mix; follow the alliance commander and battle reports.
Swap, do not stack
Send troops to an ally who needs them and receive their troops in return. A coordinated zero-defense setup can work for strong alliances, but never empty a city without a named defender.
Lock your strongest heroes
Use your best defensive heroes in your city or HQ assignment, prioritising strong Expedition Skills. Do not send every top hero away from the place you must defend.
Prepare buffs and marches
Activate capacity, defense, health, and pet skills before the hard waves. Keep every march working, then recall one march before waves 10 and 20.
Playbook
Avoid losing points
Most low scores come from movement and coordination mistakes, not from a lack of power.
Coordinate healing
Healed troops return to your city and can reduce the kills available to incoming reinforcers. In an organised troop-swap setup, wait until the final wave unless healing is needed to prevent another failed defense.
Do not use a shield
City shields do not protect against Crazy Joe. A shield can create false confidence while your marches are in the wrong place.
Do not teleport during an attack
Teleporting during waves 1–9 or 11–18 cancels that section of participation and forfeits its remaining attack points.
Do not leave one city overloaded
If a city already has enough defenders, reinforce a quieter target. Two failed defenses remove that city from later attacks.
FAQ
Common questions
Keep these answers in the alliance chat before the event begins.
Can I participate without an alliance?
No. Join an alliance before the reservation window closes, and make sure your Furnace is at least level 7.
What happens after two failed defenses?
That city is no longer attacked for the rest of the event. The player can still score by reinforcing allies and the HQ.
Which waves need online players?
Waves 7, 14, and 17 target online Chiefs only. They are ideal windows for planned swaps and active coverage.
Do reinforcements get full points?
Reinforcers earn points from their own kills, generally at 50% of the normal rate. The exact display can vary by version, so use the in-game score as final.
When are rewards sent?
Personal, alliance, milestone, and ranking rewards settle on different timers. Rewards commonly arrive the next day in UTC; remain in the alliance until the event rewards are issued.
Do I lose resources during the event?
Crazy Joe does not take city resources. The practical risks are troop injuries, failed defenses, and missed points, so focus on marches, healing timing, and alliance coordination.