What do you want to do? Lead or Trap? It is a question we ask every player as they begin their Game of War Journey. To know how to build, you need to know where to go. For many, this question often went over their head. They heard about the game and downloaded it, but they did not know what they actually wanted to do, or understand the commitment necessary to excel in what they chose. Over the years, traps in particular have undergone an evolution.
In the Beginning
In the beginning, traps looked much different than they do today. With the advent of Demigods, trapping became a whole new game. Back in the day, trapping was troops and traps and low research. Trap accounts were not easy to make, you had to have some know-how, but they were considerably less costly then a lead account.
The Demigod Era has changed trapping in several ways. In some ways for the good, and in other ways, not as much. With any change, there is always good and bad. Let’s dig into some of the key components of the traps of yesterday and see what’s changed and what’s stayed the same.
Research
While I came to the game late compared to some, back when I started in 878 Djotus, Research was still a big no-no for traps. These were the days when Nike was a big attack core. I found myself with a strong start to a nice rally trap even though at the time I had no clue what I was doing. With the advice of my early mentors and many tests where I was burned crispy, I focused on my defense tree, and as I got closer and closer to finishing it, the burns became fewer and fewer.
I still remember the first day I capped a rally and how excited I was. After finishing the Defense Tree, minimal Research was recommended for traps, as it added a lot of power, which as a trap you did not want. Advanced Research was left to leads and people with money to spend. Today, the power from Research is no longer considered important. In fact, the stats you get from Research are so important that traps are highly encouraged to complete as much of it as possible. This looks a lot different from the traps of yesterday, who were only encouraged to complete what was absolutely necessary.
Cores
Cores are always exciting. In the beginning, traps would spend days and hours crafting the perfect Defense Core. Recipes were highly sought after, but held very close so that they could not be found out. Cores lost some of their influence as they became more and more attack-based, and permanent gear sets offered more and more value for traps.
Recently with Demigod traps, many times the gear we use is the same gear as leads. We are all after higher and higher attack stats so that we can kill off our attackers’ march. Recently, Level 6 Cores were released and the stats on them are spectacular. This brings hope that soon we will once again see core trapping become a reality. The thrill of switching from permanent gear to a Core without getting caught will hopefully once again be ours with what new Demigod Cores are bringing to the playing field.
Kunai
The Gear that defied all odds, the Kunai, came about, and I’m sure that no one expected it to have the impact it did. Kunai stuck around for a long time: the DDR, or Defense Debuff Resistance, in this gear was a huge asset to traps. Many traps that used Kunai had to become bait traps, as leads quickly learned to not hit this gear. Eventually, though, even Kunai became extinct.
We have seen gear that looks like the Kunai of old, but we have yet to see a piece of gear that functions the same way. Different banners gave us the same function prior to Demigod and enabled us to utilize DDR in heroless situations; however, since Kunai, we have not had a piece of gear that is longstanding enough to defy all the odds.
Power
Power used to be a huge factor for traps. An unshielded account at a certain power was a prime target. The goal of a good trap was to stay in that target area. When everything started burning, power became a factor that was no longer a priority. The number one priority was capping. Because everyone was getting hit, it did not matter who you were. Leads were testing limits and not finding much they couldn’t burn.
Today in the Demigod Era, we are seeing power become relevant again. Players are once again noticing power as a factor in what they can and cannot burn. Two of my good friends play this to their advantage and shock everyone with their strong setups. It’s always fun when you are expecting a good burn and find yourself scratching your head.
Cost
Traps used to be seen as fairly inexpensive accounts. Trapping was considered more complicated but less financially costly then Leading. Over time, this has changed, as traps find themselves needing to evolve with all the changes in the game. While traps do not spend nearly as much as some leads, it has become necessary to spend a lot more then traps did in the early days.
Specialty Traps
One of the very special things we used to see about traps was the sheer number of ways you could trap. We had Health traps, Econ traps, Tiny traps, Heroless traps, Bait traps, Garrison traps, and so many more. Trapping was a specialty and you did not have to be cookie-cutter about it. When the game was quickly changing from moment to moment, we no longer had the ability to specialize as much. Our focus was simply figuring out how to cap, if there was a way.
As things have slowed down in the Demigod world, players have begun to learn new ways to trap. Trapping has become less and less about capping, and people are able to do their own thing. That, my friends, is the joy of trapping: not being a cookie-cutter trap, but being able to specialize to your own strengths. I have seen Tiny traps and Traps that use only traps. I have seen traps that are figuring out how to fly on their own.
These are the things that make spotting a trap exponentially more difficult. If every trap consists of the same makeup, then Leads know exactly what to look for when going to burn someone. As we all get more and more used to Demigod Troops, Traps, and Mythics, we are learning how to forge our own way as players, and that is what makes a truly great trap.
The Demigod Trap
In talking about some of the traps of old and how they factor into today’s traps, we are able to start evolving and taking pieces to build our present day Demigod Traps. What is important in today’s trap bears similarities to yesterday’s trap, with some key differences.
Factors to consider when building your Demigod Trap:
- Gear – Gear is hugely important right now. A large majority of your stats come from the gear you are wearing. The current limited-time gear that is being released piece by piece has game-changing stats!
- Gems – A new set of gems was released recently that will outshine all gems. The Divine Forge Gem Set will be super important to traps. But also consider that you may want to switch in some Hades gems if your gear is too good.
- Troops, Traps, Mythics – Traps are super important to your build. We have all seen from reports that traps take the first and hardest hit. Your composition should make sure to focus on stats that strengthens the elements you use.
- The Stats – As mentioned above, you need stats to support whatever you are using. For a while, I was pure traps, so I devoted all of my Attack, Health, and Defense stats to being focused on my traps.
- Research – Be sure to keep up to date on your RESEARCH! Research is no longer a “do it if you can” thing for traps. It gives some important boosts that you want, and power added is minimal.
- Boosts – Boosts can no longer be seen on battle reports and you can use more then one at once.
- Boost Hall – The boost hall will be one of the most important factors you can have as a trap. These are permanent and stackable boosts that make a huge difference in your setup. They do not add power, and no one has a way of seeing what boosts you are using!
As always, my biggest piece of advice is to educate yourself. We have tons of information in more depth on all of the components above. Trapping will always be my first love, and as Demigod traps evolve more and more, we are excited to bring you the best strategy possible.
Let us know what you think! Comment below to let us know how you love to Trap and what your favorite style is!
Great job Cinder! Awesome article!!
Thank you!