Start with the controls that prevent bad attacks
A strong start matters because OpenFront attacks can be unavailable when you lack the required access or target the wrong player. This tutorial gives you a practical way to read the interface before committing troops. Learn the controls first, then use the available information to decide whether an attack is worth making.
The basic controls documented by the community wiki are straightforward, but each has a strategic consequence. Left click is for attacking the selected player, while right click opens the Radial Menu. Pressing Space hides nation borders so you can see the terrain beneath them.
| Control | Documented function | Why it matters | |---|---|---| | Left click | Attacks the selected player | It only works when you share a border with that player. | | Right click | Opens the Radial Menu | This is where attack, transport, build, and player-information options are available. | | Space | Hides nation borders | It lets you inspect the terrain occupied by nations. | | Bottom-left sliders | Control troop-to-worker ratio and troop use per attack | They affect how your population is allocated and how much is used in an attack. |
Before you attack, take a moment to identify what is actually selectable. The Radial Menu’s Sword option is unavailable if you select yourself, water, land you cannot access, or an ally. That limitation is useful: it tells you that a direct land attack depends on access and target status.
Use the sliders deliberately. One controls the ratio of troops to workers, and the other controls the ratio of your troops used in each attack. The sources do not prescribe one universal setting, so treat them as choices tied to your immediate objective: maintaining your position, preparing pressure, or committing to an attack.
A simple opening routine is:
- Use Space if terrain visibility would help you understand the map.
- Check nearby players and whether you share a border.
- Open the Radial Menu with right click.
- Confirm that the relevant action is available before changing your commitment.
- Avoid treating every adjacent player as an automatic target; alliances and access affect what you can do.
Use the Radial Menu to choose the right action
The Radial Menu separates direct attacks, transport attacks, construction, and player interactions. Knowing its icons helps you avoid confusing an unavailable action with a failed command.
| Icon or option | Action | When it is unavailable or relevant | |---|---|---| | Sword | Attacks the selected area | Grayed out for yourself, water, inaccessible land, or an ally. | | Boat | Sends a transport boat to attack the selected area | Grayed out if you do not have access to water. | | Red X | Exits the Radial Menu | Use it to close the menu without choosing another action. | | Wrench | Opens the Build Menu | Use it when your next decision is building rather than attacking. | | Gray information icon | Shows information about the selected player | It also exposes several player-interaction icons. |
The Sword and Boat options represent different routes to pressure. A sword attack requires the land conditions described above. The boat sends a transport boat to attack a selected area, but it requires access to water. Do not assume a coastal-looking target is enough; the documented requirement is access to water.
The information panel is also part of basic map awareness. You can send an emoji to another player, send an alliance request through the handshake icon, or mark a player to allies with the target icon. These are useful coordination tools when your decision involves another player rather than just territory.
If you are allied with a player, the interaction options change. You can donate troops through the donation icon, or betray the ally through the crossed-swords icon. Betrayal ends the alliance and carries a permanent traitor debuff, which makes other players less likely to ally with you and causes you to lose 20% of your defenses.
That makes betrayal a major commitment rather than a casual way to switch targets. If your immediate goal is to strengthen a shared front, donating troops or marking a target may fit better than breaking the alliance. The source does not provide a universal diplomatic rule, so make the decision from the board position and your current needs.
Build attacks around population, capacity, and timing
An attack spends from a population system that has a maximum capacity. The Miraheze attacking guide says its factual accuracy may be compromised and identifies its last update as version 23.0, so use the following formulas as version-specific reference material rather than a guarantee of the current client.
For human players outside “infinite troops” mode, that guide describes maximum population as twice a base population plus a city bonus. It says owned tiles, city levels, difficulty, and player type influence maximum population.
| Population component | Version 23 guide description |
|---|---|
| Maximum population | 2 × basePop + cityBonus |
| Base population | (numTilesOwned^0.6 × 1000) + 50000 |
| City bonus | sumOfCityLevels × cityPopulationIncrease |
| City population increase | 25,000 for each city added |
| Other stated influences | Tiles owned, city levels, game difficulty, and player type |
The guide’s practical point is clear even if the exact configuration has changed: more controlled tiles and cities can support a larger population capacity. It also says players with minimal land or cities still receive a base capacity value.
Population growth is described as balancing current population against maximum population. In the version 23 guide, growth per tick is:
(10 + currentPopulation^0.73 / 4) × (1 - currentPopulation / maxPopulation)
The same guide concludes that this growth formula is optimized at roughly 42% of maximum population. Because the article itself warns it may be out of date, do not build an entire match plan around that exact percentage. Instead, use it as a reason to watch the relationship between your current population and capacity, especially before repeatedly using the troop-per-attack slider.
| Situation | What the documented system suggests | |---|---| | More tiles owned | Higher maximum-population capacity is one stated effect. | | Higher-level cities | They contribute additional capacity through the city bonus. | | Current population approaches maximum | The growth formula’s final factor becomes smaller. | | Current population is near 42% of maximum | The version 23 analysis says growth is roughly optimized there. |
In practical terms, avoid interpreting a large capacity as permission to send every available troop at once. The bottom-left attack slider controls how many troops are used per attack, while population growth depends on current population relative to maximum population. Those facts support a cautious rhythm: assess your capacity, set the commitment you intend, then reassess after the attack.
Coordinate land, water, and allies before expanding
OpenFront’s guide directory highlights decisions that become important once a match is moving: water landings, team spawn formation, economy space, defense posts, naval repair, trade versus piracy, island defense, and Overtime. Those guides show that expansion is not only a question of attacking the nearest player.
For a water crossing, the directory recommends choosing a reachable coast, capping each wave, placing a Warship screen, building a beachhead, and canceling a failing operation before it empties your home front. This is advice from the guide directory, not a complete description of every transport mechanic. Its main lesson is that an overseas attack should preserve enough strength at home.
For team play, the directory recommends reading teammate rings, keeping one neutral lane per player, and choosing either a connected edge arc or a deliberate split. It also recommends reserving City, Factory, Port, and rail corridors so teammates do not block each other’s economy.
| Match decision | Source-backed consideration | |---|---| | Landing across water | Choose a reachable coast, cap waves, screen with a Warship, establish a beachhead, and cancel a failing operation. | | Team spawning | Read teammate rings and preserve one neutral lane per player. | | Shared economy space | Reserve City, Factory, Port, and rail corridors. | | Island defense | Screen transports, place a Port and Defense Post, and fall back to land if a sea route is disconnected. | | Target selection | Scan the board and choose a target that improves your shape before a weak neighbor creates a dangerous flank. |
On land, do not treat expansion as a race for the largest visible area. The directory’s tall-versus-wide guide frames the choice around liquidity, access, need, and deadline before turning a compact core into a second foothold. Its threat-assessment guide similarly recommends choosing a target that improves your shape and stopping before a weak neighbor creates a dangerous new flank.
Defense has a place in the same decision. The directory says a Defense Post has a 30-tile defense zone and a 50-tick build, and advises deciding when a second line is better than stacking one tile. If you are planning to move forces outward, first consider whether your existing front remains defensible.
FAQ
What is the fastest way to begin an openfront tutorial?
Start by learning left click, right click, Space, and the two bottom-left sliders. Then open the Radial Menu and check whether the Sword or Boat action is available for your intended target.
Why is the Sword icon grayed out?
According to the community wiki, it is unavailable when you select yourself, water, land you do not have access to, or an ally. A direct attack also requires sharing a border with the selected player.
How do transport attacks work?
The Boat icon sends a transport boat to attack the selected area. It is unavailable when you do not have access to water. The guide directory advises treating water landings carefully by capping waves and protecting the home front.
Should I betray an ally to attack them?
Betrayal ends the alliance and gives a permanent traitor debuff. The cited wiki says this makes players less likely to ally with you and causes a 20% loss of defenses, so it is a consequential choice.
Is the population formula current?
The available attacking guide labels its information as last updated for version 23.0 and warns that factual accuracy may be compromised. Use it as a historical, version-specific reference and check the live game interface for current behavior.