What Is Frontwars?
Frontwars is a free-to-play, real-time multiplayer strategy battle royale .io game developed by VexxusArts Ltd. Players compete on dynamic world maps against dozens to hundreds of others (plus AI bots) to expand territory, build empires, form alliances (or betray them), manage resources, and achieve domination by controlling ~72-80% of the map.
Frontwars is a turn-based strategy game where players command a variety of military units, including infantry, tanks, artillery, and air forces. Each unit has its own strengths and weaknesses, and success depends on capturing strategic points, controlling the map, and outsmarting your opponent with well-planned moves. It’s blending territorial conquest like Risk, unit tactics from Advance Wars, and fast-paced .io multiplayer chaos.
Core Gameplay of Frontwars
Join a match (auto-matchmaking, private lobbies, or vs. AI), spawn on a random world map tile, and expand rapidly:
- Expand Territory: Right-click adjacent land to attack/build. Use population (grows over time via cities) to send troops (adjust % via slider/keys: default ~20-35% for safe expansion).
- Economy Loop: Tiles generate gold passively; build/upgrade Cities for exponential income/pop. Trade gold/troops with allies via Ports.
- Military & Defense: Produce units (Infantry/Tanks from land, Ships from Ports) to attack/hold borders. Build Forts/SAMs for defense.
- Diplomacy & War: Request alliances (share resources, coordinate via chat/emotes). Betray for land (penalties: trade pause, weakened defenses, 30s traitor mark). Launch nukes from Silos for AOE devastation.
- Win Condition: Control 72-80% of map; adapt to changing terrain (bombs alter landscape), mountains (attack penalties), and player eliminations.
- Endgame: Balance expansion, defense, nukes; retreat attacks (25% troop loss) or recall boats (if land flips).
Matches last ~10-30 mins; real-time but pausable in options. Bots/AI fill lobbies, react to diplomacy (e.g., aggressive if betrayed).
Controls (PC; mobile taps):
- Camera: WASD (move), Q/E/Mouse Wheel (zoom), C (center self).
- Actions: Right-click (Radial Menu: build/attack/send boats/alliance/betray), Shift+Click (attack), Cmd/Ctrl+Click (build), Middle Mouse (auto-upgrade nearest).
- UI: Space (terrain/countries toggle), 1/2/Shift+Wheel (attack ratio), +R (reset graphics), +Click (emotes).
- Events: Track attacks/alliances; Quick Chat presets/emojis.
To effectively dominate in FrontWars, players must strategically deploy a variety of units and buildings, each with unique strengths, costs, and tactical applications. The table below details these elements, including their return on investment (ROI) ratings and best counters/uses to optimize your empire-building approach.
Category | Details | Cost Rating (ROI) | Counters/Best Use |
Infantry | Cheap troops for expansion/skirmishes. Fragile. | Green (High) | Captures empty land. Countered by any Yellow/Red. |
Tank | Heavy breacher; smashes Forts/borders. | Yellow (Med) | Fort counter. Weak vs. Ships/Bombers. |
Ship (Warship) | Naval patrol; instakills Transports. | Yellow (Med) | Flank ocean; clear seas for landings. |
Bomber | AOE tactical strike on clusters. | Red (Low early) | Infantry/army wipes. |
MIRV Missile | Long-range harass; targets economy (Ports/Factories). | Red | Strategic denial. |
H-Bomb | Doomsday AOE; wipes stacks/Forts/SAMs. | Red | Massive defenses; bigger radius than SAM. |
Buildings | City: Pop/income (exponential ROI). Fort/Tower: Defense (upkeep cost; chokes). Port: Ships/trade. Silo: Nukes. SAM: Intercepts missiles (spread to counter H-Bombs). | Varies (Cities best long-term) | SAM weak to H-Bombs if stacked. |
- Combat Triangle: Infantry << Tanks/Ships/Bombers/Nukes; Tanks << Naval/Air; Stack defenses risky vs. nukes (spread SAMs).
- Progression/Economy: Passive gold from tiles; scale via Cities/Ports. Trade auto/manual. Upkeep on some defenses.
Frontwars’ Key Features
- Power-ups/Boosters: None explicit; strategic "boosts" via alliances (shared gold/troops) or nukes.
- Multiple Levels/Maps/Modes: 30+ maps (e.g., Classic, Free-for-All, Black Sea, GoT-themed); procedural changes per game. Building levels (1-40+; auto-upgrade for more pop/income/defense). Modes: Public (100+ players), private, vs. AI.
- Customization: Limited—adjust attack ratios, emotes/chat, alliance choices. Steam: Settings for graphics/pause.
- Multiplayer: Core (MMO PvP/Co-op); 100+ players real-time. Alliances (diplomacy key: help allies to build trust), betrayals (risky), cross-platform. Leaderboard (land/troops/gold). Discord for clans/events.
- Special Items/Units: Nukes (Atomic: local, Hydrogen: large AOE, MIRV: splits/multi-target). Units/Buildings below. Terrain interactions (mountains slow attacks).
- Upgrade Systems: Buildings auto-upgrade (Middle Mouse accelerates); higher levels = more pop/gold/defense. No unit upgrades; focus ROI (cheap green units early, red for strikes).
Players enjoy Frontwars for the sense of mental challenge it provides. It’s perfect for those who prefer strategic thinking over fast-paced action, offering satisfaction when a well-executed plan leads to victory. Each battle rewards careful planning, foresight, and tactical creativity.
