Spies and spy operations

Spies used correctly will prove to be a formidable and fearsome weapon and may be used to cripple the most powerful enemy. Using spies will not consume any turns they will just decrease in readiness which will have an impact on their operation success rate. Readiness will decrease with each operation no matter if successful or not, and it will increase back slowly as time passes by.

How many spies that are sent into action will also affect the amount of readiness that is lost, the fewer spies you can send relative to your max amount of spies the lower readiness loss will be.

The numbers

Readiness will increase with 3% per tick.

An operation will decrease your readiness with (1-10% (number of spies sent/your total number of spies) For instance you make the same spy mission that has a default readiness decline of 6% and on one attack you send 100% of your spies and on the next 50% and luckily in this example you are successful on both operations.

1. First attack will give you 6% (1/1) = 6% decline in readiness
2. Second attack will give you 6% (0,5/1) = 3% decline in readiness

To be able to make as many missions as possible you should there for aim to send just enough spies to be successful but not more than that. Also owning huge amounts of spies will make it easier since you will be able to send many of them in each operation making it easier to succeed and they will still be a relative small part of all your spies making your readiness decline smaller.

The missions

Building survey
Use this option to get a survey on what building types your enemy has built their lands with. It may give some leads on what his weaknesses might be and if he is a successful player it’s also valuable information to study and try to copy.

Intelligence Gathering
Using this option sends your spies over the border to investigate the current strength of your enemy armies. You might find out that he is lacking units totally in an area if you’re lucky. Use this knowledge to hurt him where it makes the most damage and your own forces will suffer minimal losses.

Sabotage buildings
Equipping your spies with explosives and sending them into enemy country. Your spies will attach explosive charges to enemy structures and on a given signal if still undetected blow them up.

Murder civilians
There are few things that are as long time efficient as murdering your enemy’s civilian population. It will slow their growth down for a long time if you can kill enough of the population.

Steal Cash
Sending your spies into enemy country to loot their treasure coffins is an excellent way of gaining some extra funds to spend on the market. It’s so nice to be able to shop a new army and some science for some one else’s money and then use it against them.