1. Read the objective before building
Dominion games reward deliberate sequencing. Identify the immediate win condition, the next unlock, and the threat that can stop you. In Frontline, the opening objective explicitly points to a nearby flux deposit. That means the refinery is not optional decoration: it is the gate to sustained production and armored access.
Use the first quiet seconds to locate your command core, deposits, production footprint, and unexplored approach lanes. On desktop, the radar and camera controls make this quick. On touch, open the tactical radar from the top bar.
2. Establish income without creating a fragile base
Income, power, force capacity, and build space constrain one another. A productive refinery matters only if it remains inside the command network and survives the next assault. Place essential structures with room for movement and repair access. Avoid packing every facility into one blast zone.
Frontline opening: place the Flux Refinery at an active glowing deposit. A completed productive refinery unlocks Vehicle Foundry construction after the Barracks prerequisite. If active deposits remain and every productive refinery is lost, armored expansion relocks until the economy is restored.
3. Give every unit a job
Rangers are fast, inexpensive light units produced by the Field Barracks. Striker tanks are slower, tougher heavy units produced by the Vehicle Foundry. Rangers screen, scout, and answer light threats; Strikers provide range and heavy damage, especially after bracing while on Hold.
Keep mixed forces close enough to support one another, but not so tightly packed that every projectile or chokepoint affects the whole army. Use Patrol for a repeatable defensive lane, Hold when you need a stable firing position, and Service after damaged units have been safe long enough to return to a compatible facility.
4. Attack the system, not just the nearest target
The Scorch command core regenerates a shield supported by three links: its Reactor, Barracks, and Foundry. Breaking those links removes shield support and reduces what the enemy can produce. A direct rush can work only if you have enough damage to overcome the network; a systematic strike is more reliable.
5. Recover instead of restarting
A damaged economy is not automatically a lost operation. Pull units out of contact, use Service, toggle structure repair when flux permits, and rebuild the specific prerequisite that blocks your next production step. Fortify becomes available when a wave target is identified and can buy a threatened facility enough time for your army to respond.
After the mission, compare time, units built, and losses. Improve one measure at a time. The difficulty records are local to the browser, so repeated attempts become a useful training loop.