Declaring war (common blocks)
A declaration begins only after eligibility checks pass. Common blocks include slot limits, shield/protection states, diplomacy constraints, or ownership/auth failures. If declaration fails, read the reason code first instead of retrying blindly.
Successful declaration opens the war context, but it does not guarantee immediate combat effects. Before declaring, confirm your nation has the resources and attention to sustain follow-up actions across multiple ticks. Opening a war without execution bandwidth is usually a strategic loss.
Attacks happen on ticks
Attack submissions represent intent. Authoritative combat resolution is processed server-side on ticks. This means your attack can be accepted now but reflected in outcomes when the relevant tick executes.
Do not infer combat outcome from the submit response alone. Wait for tick-processed results. This pacing is especially important when coordinating multiple attacks. Queue order and tick timing determine what resolves together, so timing discipline is part of effective war play.
Reading results
Use war result panels and Outcomes entries to review attack effects. Focus on deltas that matter to strategic tempo: infrastructure damage, readiness/resistance movement, and any associated economic consequences.
When results look surprising, compare attack type, tick timing, and prior state before assuming a bug. Deterministic systems often reveal the cause once you align all three. For post-fight review, log one or two key lessons per tick window. Small feedback loops improve consistency faster than reacting to isolated high-variance outcomes.