War of Sticks

War of Sticks opens with a single instruction: "Hire 3 miners". It is good advice. Every army in this game runs on gold, and gold comes from the little stickmen swinging pickaxes at the rocks behind your camp. Get the economy going and you can afford soldiers. Neglect it and the Red Empire walks right over you.

The Setup

War of Sticks is a stickman battle strategy game by Shoom Games. The Red Empire has taken over your land, and your camp on the left side of the map is the last place still flying your colours. Each level is a push across the battlefield toward the enemy's towers, with you deciding what to buy and when to send your army forward. You start with 300 gold and room for 25 units, shown in the top-left corner.

Controls

• Click / tap a unit card - buy that unit (miner, shield man, archer and more)
• Click the tower buttons - build and upgrade defences
• Pause button (top right) - stop the battle

Building a Winning Army

Economy first

Miners cost 100 gold each and pay for themselves quickly. Three early miners is the minimum; more is usually better before the first big enemy push.

A wall, then a sting

Shield men soak up damage at the front line while archers fire over their heads. That simple combination beats most early waves on its own.

Towers hold the line

Defensive towers protect your base while your army is out attacking, so an unexpected counter-push does not end the level.

Upgrade between levels

Units and defences can be improved over the campaign. Later stages send much stronger enemies, so keep upgrading rather than hoarding.

Common Mistakes

• Sending a small army forward too early and losing it piece by piece.
• Spending all your gold on attackers and having none left for miners.
• Forgetting that the population cap is 25 - fill it with the units you actually need.

Fans of stickman strategy should also try Stick War Legacy and Age of War, while Stick Defenders and Base Defense 2 focus on holding your ground.

Questions New Commanders Ask

Do I have to control each soldier?

No. You buy units and they fight on their own; your decisions are about what to buy and when.

Can I play War of Sticks unblocked?

War of Sticks unblocked runs straight in the browser here, on computers and touch devices.