Age of War: Timeline Defense, Evolution Bursts & the Real Economy vs XP Game

Stone clubs become lasers. The lane never stops. And one bad resource decision can lock you in the wrong age long enough to lose the war.

If you love the clean, binary decision pressure of Sort the Court, Age of War offers that same “one choice shifts the whole run” tension—but expressed as resource allocation: every purchase is either more survival now (money) or more power later (XP evolution).

What Kind of Game Is Age of War?

Age of War is a classic timeline defense strategy game (a landmark of Flash-era web gaming) where you:

• Spawn units that automatically march and fight
• Build and upgrade defensive turrets
• Earn money + XP from kills
• Spend money for immediate power (units/turrets)
• Spend XP to evolve into the next age (stronger unit roster + stronger tower options)

Modern portals describe the core loop clearly: killing enemies grants both gold and XP, gold buys more armies, and XP unlocks the next age.

Why Age of War Still Works: “Evolution” Is the Power Spike

Most lane defense games are about holding a line. Age of War adds a second drama layer:

The moment you evolve, your entire army/turret tier jumps.

That’s the game’s signature rush: surviving long enough to hit a new age first, then using the new roster to swing the lane back in your favor.

The Real Macro: Money (Survival) vs XP (Timeline Advantage)

Age of War gives you two currencies for a reason:

Money = the lane’s oxygen

Money keeps you alive:

• units to contest the lane
• turrets to prevent base damage
• upgrades/turret slots depending on the version/host

XP = the win condition

XP decides whether you get out-teched:

• evolve too late, and the enemy’s stronger age units shred your lane
• evolve too early with no defense, and you can still get crushed before your new age stabilizes

A practical way to think about it:

• Use money to avoid losing
• Use XP to enable winning

A Proven Resource Split (Simple, Hard Mode-Friendly)

Instead of pretending there’s one perfect ratio, use this flexible rule:

Default plan (most runs)

• Spend money to keep the lane stable
• Protect XP for evolution
• Use specials only when they prevent a collapse (see below)

Hard mode bias

On harder settings, community guides often emphasize evolving on time and warn that overusing specials can drain XP and delay your age upgrade—making the difficulty spike worse.

Special Attacks: A Comeback Tool, Not a Habit

Many players lose because they treat the Special Attack like a “free nuke.”

In practice, specials are best used as a tactical reset:

• when enemy units stack into a wave that your current age can’t trade into
• when one heavy push reaches your turret line and you need breathing room
• when clearing the lane lets you safely evolve or rebuild your unit rhythm

Community advice (especially for harder play) repeatedly warns that spending resources on specials too freely—particularly if it consumes XP—can slow your evolution timing and cost the run.

High-skill habit:

Use specials to prevent disaster, not to win “more.” Evolution is what wins more.

Timeline Defense Fundamentals: How to Stop Getting Pushed Back

1) Don’t let the lane stay empty

If you stop spawning entirely, the enemy gains free map control and starts damaging your base. Keep a minimum “presence” even while saving money.

2) Build defense that buys time, not just damage

Turrets are most valuable when they:

• prevent base chip damage
• stabilize while you save for an evolve timing
• protect you during a transition between ages

3) Evolve when you can exploit the evolve

Evolving is strongest when you can immediately:

• spawn new-age units into a cleared lane
• or hold long enough for the new roster to take over

If you evolve while being actively crushed, you may never get the “window” to deploy the advantage.

Nostalgia Reality Check: Flash Classic, Modern Browser Access

Age of War was widely known as a Flash-era classic, and today it’s commonly hosted on modern portals and publisher pages so you can play without Flash tooling.

That “classic remake” vibe is part of its appeal: simple inputs, immediate feedback, and a clean lane where your strategy is visible.

Final Thoughts: Win the Timeline, Not Just the Fight

Age of War isn’t only about beating the current wave. It’s about not wasting the future.

• Money keeps you alive.
• XP changes your era.
• Specials save runs—but can also delay the evolution that would’ve won the war.

Survive with discipline, evolve with intent, and let the timeline do the damage.