Research

There are four categories, each a progress bar with milestone positions. Positions unlock specific items.

Track	Icon	Focus
Land	Soldier	Ground forces: Tank, Jeep, Medic, Mechanic, Mine Layer, Spy
Sea	Anchor	Naval power: Sea Base, Transport, Warship, Carrier, Frigate, Submarine, Sea Mine Layer
Air	Airplane	Airpower: Air Base, Jet, Missile, Spy Plane, Paratrooper, Helicopter, Warhead
Infrastructure	Building	Utility & defense: Turret, Bridges, Supply Depot, Bunker, Refinery, Surveillance Center

Each track runs from position 1 to 21. Items on the track unlock as you reach their position.

These are available to every country from cycle 1 with no research required:

• Land Base
• Infantry
• Construction Truck

Everything else is gated by research.

Land

Position	Unlock
3	Tank
6	Jeep
9	Medic
12	Mechanic
18	Mine Layer
21	Spy

Sea

Position	Unlock
3	Sea Base
6	Transport
9	Warship
12	Carrier
15	Frigate
18	Sea Mine Layer
21	Submarine

Air

Position	Unlock
3	Air Base
6	Jet
9	Missile
12	Spy Plane
15	Paratrooper
18	Helicopter
21	Warhead (Nuclear)

Infrastructure

Position	Unlock
3	Defense Turret
6	Bridges
9	Supply Depot
12	Bunker
15	Refinery
21	Surveillance Center

• Every cycle during production, each country earns 1 research point.
• The point goes into whichever track is your active track for that cycle.
• You can switch the active track at any time via the Research tab. Switching is free and takes effect on the next cycle.
• Points are cumulative within a track — they don't decay if you switch away.

Open the Research tab in the top menu to see:

• All four tracks as horizontal progress bars.
• Each track's current position and the items at each milestone.
• Your active track highlighted.
• A button on each track to make it active.

Items that you've already unlocked are bright. Items beyond your current position are greyed out. The Build modal also greys out un-researched items.

Research is where most players specialize. You can't have everything early — every cycle invested in Land is a cycle not invested in Sea or Air. Some common paths:

Land rush

Prioritize Land to position 6 (Tank + Jeep), then switch to Infrastructure for Turrets and eventually Refineries. Best for early aggressive land grabs on land-heavy maps.

Air first

Prioritize Infrastructure to 3 (Turret) for defense, then Air to 6 (Air Base + Jet) for long-range strikes. Works well if you have multiple neighbors and need to project power to fronts you can't march to directly.

Naval focus

Prioritize Sea to 9 (Sea Base + Transport + Warship) on water-heavy maps. Sea dominance lets you bombard coastal infrastructure and land troops anywhere along a coast.

Balanced

Rotate across all four tracks, gaining capabilities slowly but avoiding critical gaps. Safer but slower — you'll be outclassed early by a specialist.

Late game

Eventually most games want Warheads (Air 21) for MAD and Refineries (Infrastructure 15) for frontier economy. If the world is running long, invest accordingly.

Specialization creates asymmetric matchups. A player deep in Sea research but weak on Air can't answer a neighbor's Jet swarm — but they can threaten coastal raids the neighbor can't defend. Treaties become natural where research profiles complement: a sea-focused country and an air-focused country can agree to a long treaty, each defending the other's weakness by proxy (through the deterrent effect of their own specialty).

If you see an enemy about to pivot, you can pivot your own research. Switching is free — the only cost is the cycles you already spent. A common move: rush Infrastructure position 3 (Turret) as soon as you see the enemy building an Air Base, and keep Turret investment going so you're ready when the Jets arrive.

• Spreading too thin. 1 point in each of four tracks every four cycles is the slowest progression. Pick two or three tracks to focus on.
• Ignoring Infrastructure. Infrastructure position 3 (Turret) is one of the most valuable early investments — it defends against the enemy's air research without needing your own. Infrastructure position 15 (Refinery) is essential for mid-late game economy.
• Saving Warheads for later. Warhead is position 21 — you won't reach it quickly. Don't plan around having nukes until many cycles in.
• Rushing Submarines without Sea support. Submarines are position 21 of Sea — getting there requires huge investment in a single track. If you're not already a naval power by the time you unlock Subs, they may not save you.
• Rushing Spies on the Land track. Spies are now at position 21 (moved from position 15), so getting one out is a deep-Land commitment. The intermediate stops (Medic at 9, Mechanic at 12) are useful in their own right — don't think of them as filler. If you specifically want Spies early, you're paying a long-track price for them.