Table of Contents
Climbing the high score rankings in Ikariam requires a long-term, strategic approach focused on consistent growth across multiple score categories. The total score is composed of several sub-scores, and top players excel by optimizing all of them .
UNDERSTANDING THE SCORE COMPONENTS
Your total score is made up of six main categories :
Master Builders: Points from the total number of buildings you have constructed.
Build Levels: Points from the levels of your buildings. The most point-heavy buildings are Governor’s Residences, the Palace, Museums, Academies, Warehouses, and City Walls .
Scientists: Points from the number of researchers you have employed in your Academies .
Levels of Research: Points from completed research technologies. More advanced research takes longer but gives more points .
Generals: Points from every troop, warship, and merchant ship you create. You also gain points when troops are lost in battle .
Gold Stock: Points from the gold you have in your treasury. This is the most volatile category, as spending gold on armies or other things will temporarily reduce your score .
OPTIMIZING YOUR SCORE GROWTH
Analyzing the strategies of top-ranked players reveals a clear pattern. In many cases, the number one player excels in Master Builders, Research Levels, and Scientists but has a very low Generals score . This suggests that a peaceful, development-focused strategy is the most reliable path to the top. A player who reached the Top 50 confirmed that consistent building and research were key to their success .
Focus on these areas to maximize your high score:
Build More Cities: A 9th or 10th city is a major challenge but provides a massive advantage. More cities mean more population, more gold, and a much larger army potential . However, the cost is enormous; a 9th town requires a level 32 Carpenter and two level 22 Warehouses .
Upgrade Key Buildings: Prioritize upgrading expensive buildings like Governor’s Residences, the Palace, Museums, and Town Halls. They contribute significantly to the Build Levels score . Upgrading the Town Hall increases your population, which in turn allows for more researchers and workers .
Maximize Researchers: Hire as many scientists as possible. Research gives points both from the number of researchers and the completed technologies themselves . One player noted that high-level players who continued researching even benefited the most after a score recalibration .
Buy All Trade Ships: Purchasing the maximum of 160 cargo ships is a significant investment that yields a high number of Generals points . The more ships you buy, the more expensive and more valuable they become in terms of score .
Keep Gold Stocks High: While spending gold is necessary, try to maintain a healthy gold reserve. This category directly contributes to your total score .
KEY ENDGAME ACTIVITIES FOR HIGH SCORE
Once your cities are well-established, focus on these endgame activities to continue climbing the rankings :
Build a Level 32 Hideout: This prevents enemies from spying on your cities, making you a less attractive target and protecting your accumulated resources and armies .
Expand Town Halls to Level 28 or Higher: This maximizes your population and gold production .
Research “Future” Technologies: These endgame research options are expensive but provide a continuous source of Research and Scientists points .
Maintain High-Level Resource Reducers: A Level 32 Carpenter and Wine Press are essential to reduce the huge resource costs of late-game buildings and troop maintenance .
IMPORTANT CAUTION
A market manipulation tactic, where a player tries to artificially inflate resource prices to make a profit, is strictly against the game rules. If you are a higher-ranked player selling resources for an unfair profit to a lower-ranked player, you risk being banned for “Pushing” .
The Core Components of Your Score
Your total score is the sum of several key parts. Understanding them is the first step to a top-ranking strategy.
Citizens
This is a steady, passive source of points. To maximize this, build up your Town Hall and focus on increasing your citizens happiness through Museums and Taverns. More citizens also mean more gold, a crucial resource for other endeavors.
Building Score
This is a major score driver, based on the total resources you have invested in constructing buildings. To maximize it, focus on building and upgrading high-cost structures like the Palace, Governor’s Residences, Town Hall, Trading Port, and Hideout.
Research Score
Investing in the Academy is crucial for a top score. While very high-level research can become less point-efficient per citizen late-game, it is still a massive contributor. This is especially true as more weight has been placed on the research component in past score recalculations.
Military Score
This is based on the cost of your currently living troops and ships. While a strong military is important for defense and raiding, pure conquest is generally less efficient for score than building and research, as you lose points when your units die.
Strategies for Climbing the Leaderboard
Here are some specific, actionable strategies for each phase of the game to boost your score.
The Economic Foundation
Before you can compete for the top spots, you need a solid, resource-generating empire.
Build Up Your Navy
Secure your resources by raiding inactive players, who can be a source of tens of thousands of resources for little risk. This provides the materials you need for building projects.
Upgrade Key Buildings
To be competitive, aim for specific milestones: expand your towns to at least level 28 for gold production, buy all 160 cargo ships, and upgrade your Hideouts to level 32 to improve your spying and defense capabilities.
The Endgame Push
To get into the top 500 or higher, you need to enter the endgame phase.
Build Your 9th and 10th Towns
This is a massive undertaking requiring huge storage capacity, like a level 32 Carpenter and two level 22 Warehouses, and expensive Governor’s Residence upgrades. The payoff is a significant boost in citizens, gold, and resources, allowing you to field a much larger army and score than players with fewer towns.
Invest in Future Research
Once you have completed the main tech tree, research Future technologies to continuously add to your Research Score.
Manage Your Gold
Your gold stockpile is a point component, but it is also a resource. A high score often involves finding the right balance between saving gold and spending it to build an even larger empire.
Advanced Economic and Military Tactics
More experienced players use advanced strategies to maximize their scores.
Market Manipulation
This is a very risky tactic involving using a high-level Trading Post to control the local market price of a resource. However, this can be dangerous. Trying to sell resources to a lower-ranked player at inflated prices is considered pushing and can get your account banned.
Score Analysis
You can identify the most efficient path for your server by analyzing the top player’s breakdown. For example, if the top player is ranked first in Master Builders and Scientists but very low in Generals, it is a strong signal that a builder-scientist strategy is most effective.
Cost-Effective Army Composition
In terms of military, a humble spearman is the most underrated unit. Many advanced players do not have them, but 4000 spearmen will defeat 1000 swordsmen while costing the same upkeep. Spearmen are excellent for bulking your army, which can be a useful deceptive tactic.
Naval Tactics
A balanced fleet is crucial. A recommended composition is 50 percent ram ships for the front line, 35 percent ballista ships for main damage, and 15 percent fire ships or submarines for special situations. Denying your enemy sea access with a blockade is one of the most powerful tactics in the game.
