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New Player Tutorial
Quick answers
- Is Iron Realms free to play?
- Yes. Iron Realms is free to play in any browser with no download and no account required. Every building, troop tier and Seat of Power is reachable without spending money — purchases buy speed and cosmetics, never a higher ceiling.
- Does spending money make you stronger in Iron Realms?
- No. Nothing purchasable raises your power ceiling. A charter audit runs on every build and fails it if any offer would sell power. Spending compresses time: the summit takes about 24 months free, or 18 months with the $9.99 monthly Charter held throughout.
- How long does it take to max a keep in Iron Realms?
- About 24 months of free play at roughly half an hour a day, or 18 months with the $9.99 Warden's Charter. Keeps cap at level 45 and troops at tier 13 — the same summit for everyone.
This is the hand-held path from a single tower to a lord who raids, allies, and holds a seat of power — step by step, in the order the game actually unlocks them. Work through it over your first week and nothing will feel a mystery. Every step maps to a real button; the in-game Maester's Counsel will echo the same advice at each moment.
You can do this whole tutorial offline — no account needed. Sign in later to take the same skills into the shared live realm.
Step 1 — Found your keep (2 minutes)
- From the title screen, tap Play offline (or sign in for the live realm), then Begin your reign.
- Your keep drops onto the world map. Tap it to enter the Keep view — this is your home base.
- Meet the Maester's Counsel: a small advisor that always names your single best next move. Tap Show me and it walks you there.
Step 2 — Raise your economy (Day 1)
- Upgrade your resource buildings first — Farm, Sawmill, Quarry, Mine. They fund everything else.
- Raise the Keep itself whenever you can afford it: your Keep level is the gate that unlocks every other building and system.
- Keep a builder busy at all times — queue the next upgrade the moment one frees. See Build Order & Priorities.
- Claim the daily login reward every day. The streak grows; the seventh day is a jackpot.
Step 3 — Your first battle (Day 1–2)
- Build a Training Yard and train a first batch of troops.
- On the world map, tap a nearby creature camp or rebel holdfast and send a march.
- Win and you carry off resources, commander experience, and sometimes a blade. Read the battle report to see exactly what happened.
- Learn the troop triangle before you fight bigger foes — it decides battles. See the Combat Guide.
Step 4 — Join an alliance (Day 2–3)
This is the single biggest jump in the game. An alliance gives you help timers, shared wars, forts, and a whole social layer.
- Open the Alliance menu in the bottom dock.
- Join an existing banner (fastest) or found your own. New players should usually join first.
- Say hello in alliance chat, then start pressing the Help button on allies' timers — it is free and speeds everyone up.
Full walkthrough: Creating & Managing an Alliance.
Step 5 — Grow with purpose (Week 1)
- Start research at the Academy — economy studies first, then war. See Research & the Academy.
- Send gathering parties and caravans to stack resources while you are away.
- Recruit and level commanders to lead your marches. See Commanders & Loadouts.
- Hatch a dragon egg when you find one — a dragon is a force multiplier in war. See Dragons.
Step 6 — Into the war (Week 1+)
- Ride in an alliance rally — many lords' troops behind one commander, storming a target too strong for one keep.
- Help hold an alliance fort, and contest a Seat of Power for realm-wide buffs.
- Watch the event calendar and the weekly Bounty Board — cooperative goals that pay well.
Golden rule: a short daily visit beats marathon sessions. Thirty focused minutes a day carries you all the way to the summit. See Economy & Pacing for the full road.