Part of the Getting Started Series:
- Daily Routine: Rebuild a manageable play schedule.
- Account Help: Resolve access problems before changing accounts.
Quick Answer
Do not decide from HQ level alone. First check whether you have an active alliance that suits your hours, whether the account can contribute to the activities you enjoy, and whether your desired destination is actually available through State Transfer.
Keep an old account when its people and existing progress still serve your goals. Start a new character when you want the early progression experience again. Consider transfer when the account is worth keeping and an eligible, researched destination offers a better fit. You do not need to fund every unfamiliar upgrade system on your first day back.
Your First Session Back
Treat the first session as an inventory, not a shopping trip.
- Confirm account access. Check the linked login, character and state. If the wrong settlement appears, resolve that before assuming your old progress is gone.
- Check protection and troops. Look for active threats, Hospital queues and available marches. Use the recovery guide if the army count looks wrong.
- Read relevant mail. Identify transfer, merger and returning-player offers that actually apply to this character, with their deadlines.
- Inspect the alliance. Look at recent activity and event attendance rather than its historical power ranking.
- Save scarce items. Leave general hero fragments, premium currencies and choice crates untouched until you have a plan.
Claim time-limited rewards you are eligible for, but do not assume a returning offer is permanent or available to every account. Online claims about a fixed number of inactive days often describe a particular version or promotion. The offer on your character is what you can use now.
Keep, Restart or Transfer?
| Choice | A good reason to consider it | Check first |
|---|---|---|
| Keep the account and alliance | Friends, suitable events and an achievable role remain | Whether members are active during your available hours |
| Keep the account, change alliance | The account is useful but the old group is inactive | Admission expectations, language and event schedule |
| Start a new character | You want early-state progression and a fresh social group | Whether replaying the opening stages sounds enjoyable |
| Transfer the existing account | A suitable eligible state has a place for you | Current destination restrictions, admission, cost and deadlines |
Restarting puts you into a different progression context; it does not guarantee equal spending or permanent competitiveness. Likewise, transferring is not a way to move any developed account into any brand-new state. Follow the State Transfer guide before buying migration-related items.
If a merger is announced, read the State Merge guide before treating it as a voluntary transfer opportunity. A merger reorganizes designated states and their shared map. It is a different decision from applying to move your character somewhere else.
Make Sense of the New Systems
Use your account's unlocked features to decide what to learn next. You do not need to master everything simultaneously.
| What looks unfamiliar | First question to answer | Where to go next |
|---|---|---|
| Plasma buildings and colored cores | What exact requirement blocks my next useful upgrade? | Plasma progression |
| A roster full of later heroes | Which generation is available, and which replacements are attainable? | Hero generations |
| Aircraft, carriers and vehicles | Which of these contributes to the role I actually play? | Aircraft and vehicles |
| Behemoth features | What form and materials does this account have unlocked? | Behemoth guide |
| Gene and appointment screens | Is there a targeted upgrade I understand and can afford? | Genetic Recombination and Hero Appointment |
| More events than you can attend | Which fit your schedule and give useful rewards? | Events index |
Opening a feature does not mean it deserves your next purchase. Start from a concrete problem such as insufficient march capacity, a missing event lineup or a blocked building. An upgrade that solves none of your current problems can wait.
Find an Alliance That Fits the Account You Have
Ask prospective leaders about their usual Trap and Reservoir times, attendance expectations, permitted targets and the role they need you to fill. Include your state, progression and available hours so the answer is useful.
Do not judge only by the strongest member's power. A smaller group with consistent help and accessible rallies can be a better return environment than a nominally strong alliance whose events occur while you sleep. Conversely, a highly competitive group may have clear minimums you cannot currently meet. Learn those before spending to catch up.
If your alliance expects you to join rallies, read the rally leader and joiner guide. It helps identify an attainable contribution instead of treating rally leadership as the only worthwhile role.
A One-Week Return Plan
Use this as a suggested sequence, not a timed progression promise.
First two sessions: recover access, stabilize the settlement, review troops and find an active group. Avoid major spending while you are still working out whether you want to stay.
Middle of the week: restore a small daily routine and attend one alliance event. Record the actual obstacle: attendance, capacity, troop mix, hero rank or a specific missing feature.
End of the week: choose one improvement that addresses that obstacle. Keep a short list of optional systems for later. Decide whether the social group and workload are enjoyable enough to continue, restart or pursue an eligible transfer.
Your old spending is already spent. It is useful context for what the account contains, but it cannot tell you whether another purchase will make the next week enjoyable.
FAQ
Is an old HQ 30 account useless? HQ alone cannot answer that. Check its unlocked progression, available troops, eligible events and the role an active alliance can offer it.
Should I spend immediately to catch up? First identify the activity you want to improve and the requirement that blocks it. A long list of unfamiliar systems is not a purchase plan.
Can I transfer to a much newer state? Only if the current transfer system permits that destination and your character meets its conditions. Do not assume every visible state is eligible.
Is there a guaranteed returning-player reward after a fixed absence? Offers and eligibility vary. Check the active offer on your account rather than relying on an old inactivity-day threshold.
Key Takeaways
- Evaluate the people, schedule and available role before abandoning an account.
- Learn new systems in response to a concrete progression problem.
- Confirm transfer eligibility before buying items or committing to a destination.