Rules & Player's Guide — Capitals at War

Install the phone app

The browser version works, but the installed web app is strongly recommended on phones. It removes the address bar and browser controls, gives the map more room, improves thumb access, adds a Home Screen icon, and supports offline play after the game files have been downloaded once.

iPhone or iPad

Open Capitals at War in Safari.
Tap Safari’s Share button—the square with an upward arrow.
Scroll through the actions and tap Add to Home Screen.
Keep the name Capitals at War and tap Add.
Leave Safari and launch Capitals at War from its new Home Screen icon.

Android

Open Capitals at War in Chrome.
Tap Chrome’s three-dot menu.
Tap Install app or Add to Home screen.
Confirm the installation, then open Capitals at War from its new icon.

Open the installed game online once before relying on offline mode so the latest map and game files can be cached.

Objective and quick start

Capture rival capitals while defending your own. The last surviving empire wins. If your capital falls, you may restart or watch the remaining nations finish the war.

In Spring, collect income and buy armies and ships.
In Summer, Fall, and Winter, move forces and attack territories.
Tap a territory you control, choose an action, set the unit amounts, and select a destination.
Queue as many legal orders as you want, then use End Phase or End Turn.
All nations’ queued orders resolve together after the movement season.

Reading the screen

The HUD shows the current year, season, active nation, selected territory’s visible armies and ships, and money.
When choosing a purchase, the Money figure changes immediately to preview the balance you will have after buying. Your money is not actually spent until you tap Buy.
Tap and drag the map to pan. Pinch to zoom, or use the floating − and + buttons.
Tap the floating menu button for saving, instructions, spying, profile management, returning to the campaign menu, or logging out.
Turn on Hint Mode in the menu to reveal small ? buttons beside important controls. Tap one for a short explanation of that control and the next step.
Turn on Battle Mode to receive a report after each movement-season resolution showing every contested territory, its attackers and defender, and whether it was captured or defended.
Turn on Phase Mode to see a short explanation at the beginning of every Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter phase.

Using unit controls and sliders

Tap − or + beside Armies or Ships to change the amount one unit at a time.
Drag the slider below a unit type for faster changes. Drag right to select more; drag left to select fewer.
The number between the buttons is the exact amount currently selected. You can also tap that number and type an amount.
The slider stops at the maximum currently available or affordable amount.
Use Buy in Spring or Queue Order during movement seasons. Use Cancel to close the panel without committing the selection.

Spring: income and recruiting

Spring is the recruiting season. Income is added at the start of your Spring phase. Territory ownership, capitals, and complete regions contribute to income.

Tap a territory you control and choose to raise forces.
Select armies and, on a coast, ships with the buttons or sliders.
Watch the Money figure for the projected remaining balance.
Tap Buy. Purchased units appear in that territory immediately.

Controlled capitals have unlimited recruitment, constrained only by money and whether ships can be built there. Armies bought at a controlled capital cost 20% less.
Each other controlled territory may recruit up to 3 armies per Spring.
Each controlled coastal territory may build up to 1 ship per Spring.
Inland territories cannot build ships.
A nation with an inland capital receives its missing starting fleet of 3 ships when it first captures a coastal territory.
A newly captured territory becomes eligible to recruit in the following season.

Summer, Fall, and Winter: moving and attacking

Tap a territory containing your forces.
Choose the number of armies and ships to move.
Tap the destination territory. The target name appears prominently in the order panel.
Tap Queue Order. The forces are reserved for that order but do not move until resolution.
You may queue orders from other territories or review and cancel existing orders before ending the phase.
When ready, tap the floating End Phase or End Turn button.

Moving into a territory you own reinforces it. Moving into a neutral or enemy territory attacks it. Adjacent land territories can be reached by armies. Sea movement requires coastal origin and destination territories.

Ships, transport, and combat

Ships fight naval battles and transport armies between coastal territories.
One ship carries up to 3 armies. The game automatically adjusts required transport ships when preparing a sea move.
A sea invasion must win the naval battle before its armies can land.
Orders resolve simultaneously, so another nation may move, reinforce, or attack the same territory during the same season.
Surviving forces occupy the territory after combat. Capturing a capital eliminates that empire.

Visibility, spying, and saves

Your own forces are always visible. Enemy forces are visible when the territory is adjacent to land you control.
Use Spy on Territory in the menu to reveal a distant territory’s forces for the current season. Spying costs money.
The game saves locally and attempts to sync to your account. Offline saves sync when online saving becomes available again.
Opening Instructions from the in-game menu saves the current campaign before leaving the game.
Opening Attack Report saves first, then shows a chronological log of every contested territory in the campaign, including attackers, defender, and outcome.

Keyboard shortcuts

Enter or Return: buy units or queue the current order.
Escape: cancel the current order or close an open menu or dialog.
+ / −: zoom the map in or out.
M: open or close the game menu.
S: save the game.
E: end the current phase or turn.