What to do if you're attacked.

PRE-ATTACK PREPARATION
1. Don't make yourself a target. Build wall defenses and armies. Keep your resources at work producing things -- if you've bought armies or defenses, they can't be stolen from you.

2. Build an Embassy in EVERY city and keep the box checked. Your embassy determines how many waves of supporting troops you can accept from allies. You have to check a box inside the embassy to garrison allied troops. CHECK THE BOX. Make sure your embassy is at least level 3, ideally higher, or the help we can provide is limited.

3. Should I open the gates in my Rally Spot? Maybe. Only if you a) have a really strong army and b) don't mind losing your army if attacked. The army will automatically fight once your city's loyalty drops to 5.

4. Build your beacon tower. The higher level it is, the better information you'll get about the attack that's coming. The dove will flash red on your reports button. That's how you know you're being attacked.

5. Know your neighbors. Find nearby Z2K members. Find allies. Write to them. Support them when they're in need, and they'll do the same for you.

WHEN I AM ATTACKED, WHAT DO I DO?

1. Alert the alliance immediately. Go to alliance chat. Ask for help. Mail your neighbors. Give them ALL the info you have.

2. Put your highest level attack hero in as mayor. This helps your troops fight.

3. Send resources away. Putting them up for sale at the market does not work. Sending resources to other cities in transporters or hiding them in valleys does work.

4. Spend resources you can't send away immediately. Put troops in queue or buy wall defenses.

5. Power up with bonuses. You may have items that increase your defense or offense. Remember them and apply them.

IT LOOKS REALLY BAD FOR ME. WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS?

You lose a city when loyalty gets to zero. This takes a long time and multiple attack waves. To boost your loyalty, lower your tax rate to zero. You can also do "comforting," as we'll see below. But there are other strategies too.

1. Use a "Truce" item if you have it. A truce only works for ONE of your cities, not all. It prevents you from being attacked (or attacking) for 12 hours. However, after that 12 hours has expired, you may not use another truce for another 12 hours. It enables you to have some breathing room to develop and get reinforcements from the alliance.

If you don't have a Truce:

2. You can keep trying to save the city by comforting (in the town hall). This may not deter a persistent enemy. You can also:

3. Teleport away. You should teleport to Tuscany if this is the case -- we can protect you there.

4. Abandon the city. Only do this if you have no other option, but it turns your city into an NPC and prevents the opponent from capturing it. You do this by going into "overview," into "cities," and clicking "abandon." Then you can build a new city elsewhere.

One other thing: if you're going to be away, let alliance members (and no one else!) know. Make sure someone can check your account and keep an eye on things for you.