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Research · Military

Tempering

Mail quenched twice holds where lesser steel gives — raises troop defense further.

Entity ID
tempering
Branch
Military
Stat buffed
defense — Defense
Bonus per level
+1.2%
Maximum level
12
Bonus at maximum level
+14.4%
Power per level
78
Power at maximum level
936
Base study time
35 seconds
Study time at maximum level
40m 4s
Prerequisites
Armor at level 10

Cost, time and bonus at every level

Tempering runs to level 12, adding +1.2% to defense and 78 power each time. Studying it out costs the four soft resources — the same amount of each — and takes 40m 4s for the final level alone. Gems are only ever the optional instant finish; the study itself is bought with what your fields already make.

Tempering: what each level costs and what it grants.
LevelTotal defensePowerStudy timeEach resourceGems to finish instantly
1+1.2%782m 14s12,0003
2+2.4%1562m 54s15,6003
3+3.6%2343m 47s20,2804
4+4.8%3124m 55s26,3645
5+6%3906m 23s34,2737
10+12%78023m 43s127,25424
12+14.4%93640m 4s215,05941

Taken from nothing to level 12 that is 2h 46m of raw study and 891,923 of each of food, wood, stone and iron — 3,567,692 resources in total. Levels above 10 additionally consume an advanced forging material, one more unit per level past the threshold, so the last 2 levels also need the forge working.

Where it sits in the tree

Tempering belongs to the Military branch — the offence line — what your swords, horses and bows hit for. It stays locked until Armor reaches level 10. Studying it opens 1 further tech.

Techs gated behind Tempering.
TechBranchRequires this tech at level
Ironclad MailMilitary5

The road here: Weaponry to level 3 → Armor to level 10 → Tempering. That is 2 studies standing between a fresh Academy and this one.

What Tempering costs before its own first level: the prerequisite chain, at the levels it demands.
PrerequisiteLevel requiredEach resourceStudy time
Weaponry347,88040m 47s
Armor10511,4347h 15m
Total before you may begin559,3147h 56m

What it eventually opens: 3 studies sit downstream of Tempering, counting every remove.

Everything gated behind Tempering, directly or at a remove.
StudySteps outBuffsAt its capStudy time at cap
Ironclad Mail1defense+12%23m 43s
The Unbroken Line2defense+7.2%13m 3s
The Long Memory3production_rate+6%10m 57s

Guide: Research & the Academy · Research Priorities. Studied at the Maester's Academy. Index: all 81 studies · the whole database.

Rest of the Military branch: Weaponry · Armor · Drilling · Swordsmanship · Archery · Marksmanship · Spearwork · Blacksmithing · Forged Steel · Shieldwork · Infantry Discipline · Ironclad Mail · Horsemanship · Cavalry Tactics · Warhorses · Muster Rolls · Quartermastery · Battle Drums · Baggage Trains · Supply Columns · Pattern Welding · The Unbroken Line · The Standing Army

Every figure above is generated from the shipped game code — the same constants and formulas the running game uses — and regenerated whenever the balance changes. Nothing on this page is hand-typed.

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