Be the King Guide: Getting into a match
About
OverviewBe the King drops you into medieval Europe in 1066 AD, where players each lead a colour-coded kingdom in a real-time fight to dominate the map. This guide walks you through joining a match, expanding your territory, building your economy, fighting off rivals, and what happens when you win or lose.
What is on this page
Contents
Getting into a match
Step
Every session starts in a pre-game lobby. There you customise your character's clothing, headgear, and props, then choose a rank — your rank affects how much your councillors cost, so it matters even before the match starts. Once you are ready, you have four ways to get into a game.
- Banquet Table queue with other players already in your server.
- Quickplay get matched with players across different servers.
- Server Browser drop into a match that is already running.
- Private Lobby set a password or custom rules to play on your own terms.
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First ten seconds of a match
Warn
When everyone has loaded in, a ten-second window opens for you to choose your starting territory. Every player begins with a tier-1 castle, village, barracks, and two Levy Militia units.
Claiming territory and winning fights
TipsExpansion works differently depending on what is already on a tile. Knowing the difference saves you units and time.
- Move a military unit onto any grey or empty tile and you own it instantly — no fight needed.
- To take a tile held by another player, you must destroy every building on it and defeat every unit stationed there.
- The entire map is visible from the start.
How to win — and how to lose it
Summary
The victory condition has two parts: reach the threshold and then hold it.
- Victory target be the first to control 85 territories.
- Hold time defend that count for two full minutes after hitting 85.
- Timer reset falling to 84 territories wipes the timer and you must start the two minutes again.
- Other players' goal find any weak point in a leading player's border and chip them back below 85.
Building a strong economy
Check
Buildings come in four categories: economy, population, military, and defence. Economy and population buildings generate the resources you need to upgrade everything else and recruit more units. You can place one building per category on a single tile — stacking two economy buildings on the same tile is not possible.
- Economy buildings produce the core resources that fund your kingdom.
- Population buildings add to your resource income on top of what economy buildings bring in.
- Military buildings, like upgraded barracks, let you field a wider range of units.
- Defence buildings make individual tiles harder for enemies to crack.
- All buildings can be levelled up.
Diplomacy and betrayal
TipsYou can form alliances with other players to divide the map between you and gang up on stronger kingdoms.
- Team up with neighbours to hold off a player who is pulling ahead.
- Forge alliances to split the map, or betray your neighbours the moment it suits you.
Ranks, XP, and Silver
Summary
When you return to the lobby after a match, the game awards XP and Silver. XP pushes you toward the next rank, and Silver unlocks cosmetic items and props for your character.
- XP feeds into your rank progress after every match.
- Rank higher ranks unlock access to stronger councillors.
- Councillor cost the rank you select in the lobby changes what councillors cost you.
- Silver spent on cosmetics and props in the lobby.
Getting eliminated and coming back
StepIf an enemy destroys your castle, a defeat cutscene plays. From there you have a choice, and coming back into the same match is a real option if the game is still going.
- Return to lobby head back and prepare for the next match right away.
- Restart in the same match choose to spawn a new kingdom in a random empty territory and keep fighting.
Glossary
Glossary- Councillor
- An advisor role you purchase whose price is influenced by the rank you selected in the lobby.
- Victory Timer
- A two-minute countdown that starts when a player first reaches 85 territories; falling to 84 resets it to zero.
- 4X
- A strategy game format built around expanding, exploiting resources, and eliminating opponents — this game skips the exploration phase since the full map is visible from the start.
- Tier 1
- The starting level of the castle, village, and barracks that every player receives at the beginning of a match.
- Barbarians
- Non-player hostile forces that exist on the map alongside the player kingdoms.
- Silver
- The currency earned after matches and spent on cosmetic items and props in the lobby.
Common questions
FAQWhat exactly do I need to do to win?
Capture 85 territories and then hold that number for two continuous minutes. If you drop to 84 at any point, the two-minute clock resets and you have to defend all the way through again from scratch.
Can I join a match that has already started?
Yes — open the Server Browser and pick an ongoing match to join mid-game.
Why does my rank matter before the match even begins?
The rank you pick in the lobby changes the prices of your councillors.
What happens if I lose my castle?
A defeat cutscene plays and you can either return to the lobby or restart inside the same match by spawning a new kingdom in a randomly chosen empty territory.
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