Quick Answer
Section titled “Quick Answer”Send idle or reserve Leaders on the quest type that matches your immediate need, and keep any Leader who must fight in the next Attack / Event Battle available. Use Supply Run for materials, Treasure (equipment) quests for gear, and Drill Training as a catch-up XP option for underleveled Leaders. Official Explorations return resources, money, and EXP. Do not send Leaders you need for the upcoming battle — they will not be available that season.
Drill Training is primarily a catch-up tool. It gives much more EXP to units far below the current progression level and sharply less to units already near it. The in-game description, as reported in current-release testing, ties Drill gains to season and city level. No exact public formula is verified.
Practical decision checklist
- Clearly underleveled recruit or reserve: Drill Training is high-value.
- Already near current army/world pace: expect low returns; switch to Supply Run or Treasure (equipment) quests to fix materials or gear bottlenecks.
- Need a unit for the next Attack / Event Battle: do not send them away merely to optimize XP.
Plan assignments after you check the Organization Phase so you don’t accidentally send a Leader needed next season.
1 — Who should go (actionable)
Section titled “1 — Who should go (actionable)”- Materials / stronghold growth: send idle Leaders on Supply Run quests.
- Gear / frontline gaps: send Leaders who will actually equip and use new weapons/armor to Treasure / equipment quests.
- Catch-up XP: send clearly underleveled reserves or new recruits to Drill Training (see section 4).
- General resources / money / extra EXP: send truly idle Leaders to Explorations (official).
- If you’re unsure this season, prioritize whichever shortage blocks your next upgrade or recruitment (materials vs gear vs usable levels).
Confirm assignments in the Organization Phase before dispatching quests.
2 — Who should stay
Section titled “2 — Who should stay”- Any Leader scheduled to fight in the upcoming Attack Phase or an Event Battle must stay — they need to be available for selection and cannot be recalled from a quest that season.
- Keep Leaders whose absence would weaken a planned defense or an important offensive rotation.
- If a Leader is on the verge of a class change or needs specific merchant timing for gear that will be available before the next battle, prefer to keep them home.
Use the season checklist at Organization Phase to confirm who is needed before you assign quests.
3 — Quest / Exploration reward comparison
Section titled “3 — Quest / Exploration reward comparison”| Quest type | Primary payoff | When to pick it |
|---|---|---|
| Supply Run | Materials → stronghold upgrades | You need base growth, recruitment readiness, or upgrade bonuses |
| Treasure / equipment quests | Gear / weapons / armor | Frontline leaders lack equipment and merchant timing favors upgrades |
| Drill Training | Catch-up XP for underleveled Leaders | Specific reserves or new recruits are behind army pace |
| Explorations | Resources, money, and EXP (official) | Idle Leaders when you want broad progression or funds |
Recommendation: Choose the quest that fixes your immediate bottleneck. For example, if you lack materials that block a class change or a stronghold upgrade, prefer Supply Run. If a Leader won’t be available for the next Attack / Event Battle, do not send them on any quest.
4 — When Drill Training is worth it (post-launch observation and how to decide)
Section titled “4 — When Drill Training is worth it (post-launch observation and how to decide)”Post-launch observations and verified player testing show these core points:
- Drill Training functions mainly as a catch-up tool, not a permanent per-season XP farm.
- It gives far larger gains to units that are clearly below the current progression ceiling and sharply reduced gains to units already near that ceiling.
- The in-game description, as reported in testing, ties Drill gains to season and city level. No exact public formula has been verified.
Concrete example from testing: at a reported Season 22 with a Level 3 city, a level-12 character rose to roughly level 18–19 after Drill Training, while a level-19 character only reached about level 20 on the same run. This supports the idea of a moving progression/catch-up ceiling: the same higher-level unit can gain much more from Drill after additional seasons pass.
How to decide this season (step-by-step)
- Check who must fight next season (Organization Phase). If a Leader is needed, keep them home.
- Compare the level gap between the reserve/recruit and your typical frontline. If the gap is large enough that the unit won’t be usable without multiple seasons of investment, Drill Training is worth a season.
- If the unit is only a level or two behind frontline pace, expect small returns from Drill — prefer Supply Run or Treasure quests.
- After running Drill once or twice for a severely underleveled unit, re-evaluate returns; most observed gains for big gaps happen early.
Community observations (label as observations only)
- One tester estimated different caps for AI vs player training around the current season; this is a community estimate, not an official rule.
- Some players report doing a low-level training run roughly every five seasons as a playstyle. Do not treat this as a system rule — it is a scheduling preference.
- Reports of a “season − 3” effect exist in community notes; label this as an observation, not an official mechanic.
Do not present “season − 3” or “every five seasons” as system rules — they are community observations, not verified engine behavior.
5 — Who not to send before an upcoming Attack / Event Battle
Section titled “5 — Who not to send before an upcoming Attack / Event Battle”- Do not send Leaders who are assigned to fight in the next Attack Phase or an Event Battle.
- Do not send Leaders whose absence would prevent a planned recruitment, defense, or objective completion tied to the next season.
- Double-check assignments in Organization Phase before committing.
6 — Materials / equipment / catch-up decision table
Section titled “6 — Materials / equipment / catch-up decision table”- Problem: You can’t perform a stronghold upgrade or recruit. Action: Supply Run (materials).
- Problem: Frontline Leaders lack effective weapons/armor. Action: Treasure / equipment quests + coordinate with Traveling Merchant timings.
- Problem: A reserve or new Leader is several levels behind. Action: Drill Training (catch-up XP).
- Problem: You need general funds or incidental EXP. Action: Explorations with idle Leaders (official returns: resources, money, and EXP).
Official SYSTEM facts (confirmed)
Section titled “Official SYSTEM facts (confirmed)”- Leaders who do not join battles can be sent on Explorations.
- Official Explorations return resources, money, and experience points.
- Strongholds upgrade with materials and provide bonuses.
- Strongholds can recruit additional Leaders and monsters.
- The Traveling Merchant can buy weapons and armor.
Exact EXP values, material tables, and published reward formulas are not provided in the official System notes. The link between Drill gains and season and city level is reported from in-game description and player testing; no exact formula is public.
Common Mistakes
Section titled “Common Mistakes”- Training every season by default even after Drill Training returns diminish.
- Sending a Leader needed for the next Attack Phase or stronghold defense.
- Treating community cadence (for example, “every ~5 seasons”) or “season − 3” as a system rule — these are observations, not official mechanics.
- Assuming more monsters on Supply Runs increase materials — current evidence does not support that claim.
- Ignoring that a season spent training competes with seasons for Supply Runs and Treasure quests.
Q: How does Drill Training work? A: Use it as a catch-up tool for underleveled Leaders. Gains are larger when a unit is behind and fall off near the progression ceiling. The in-game description ties Drill Training gains to season and city level; no exact public formula has been verified.
Q: Can Explorations give XP too? A: Yes. Official SYSTEM: idle Leaders sent on Explorations can return resources, money, and experience points.
Q: Should I train every season? A: No. Once Drill Training gains shrink for a Leader, switch to Supply Runs or Treasure quests that address materials or gear bottlenecks.
Q: Do community cadences (like every five seasons) reflect a rule I should follow? A: They are playstyle observations only. You can use such cadences as a personal schedule, but they are not confirmed system rules.
Q: Do extra monsters increase Supply Run materials? A: Current evidence does not justify claiming that additional monsters increase the material reward.
Q: Where can I read more about difficulty and long-term pacing? A: See Difficulty & 30 Seasons for discussion of pacing and leveling feel.
Q: How do quests feed class changes and equipment? A: Quests return materials, resources, and money that feed stronghold upgrades, merchant purchases, and class-change readiness — exact item tables are not published. See Class Change and Equipment.
What Happens Next
Section titled “What Happens Next”- Campaign what-to-do-next: Walkthrough
- Season assignment UI and checklist: Organization Phase
- Why levels feel behind: Difficulty & 30 Seasons
- Missable choices and timing: Missables
Sources: NIS America — System (official), and post-launch community observation / player testing (2026-09-10). Community notes are labeled as observation-only where cited.