9 Kings King of Nothing Build – Recommended Perks, Troop

The King of Nothing may be your first ruler in 9 Kings, but mastering him on the King IX difficulty demands calculated patience and precision.

This 9 Kings King of Nothing Build will teach you how to leverage his base scaling potential, manage early rounds efficiently, and secure unstoppable momentum by Year 4 using the critical Development Royal Decree strategy.

By following this step-by-step approach, you’ll turn one of the game’s most humble rulers into a near-immortal powerhouse capable of dominating the late game with minimal units or structures.

9 Kings King of Nothing Build – Recommended Perks, Troop

Recommended Perks

This setup is designed to maximise your base’s power scaling and create strong synergy with wildcards and castle upgrades.

Core Perk Priorities

  • Expansionist – Ensures more open plots for Development synergy.
  • Fortifier – Improves base durability, crucial for early survival.
  • Ingenious – Boosts utility from Wildcards and structural synergies.
  • Hoarder – Helps sustain rerolls for Decree hunting.
  • Planner – Adds long-term consistency to your upgrades.
  • Persistent – Keeps your early base levels relevant longer.
  • Lucky – Improves odds of better card draws and wildcards.
  • Nurturer – Boosts survivability of troops and resource growth.
  • Attack Speed Booster (Base Applied) – Do not remove this perk; it directly applies to your base, unlike most similar perks.

Why it matters:
This combination allows your base to level up an additional 15 times, transforming it into a damage-dealing fortress capable of wiping out armies single-handedly.

Opening Hand

Your first draw determines whether your run begins well or restarts immediately.

  • Look for either a Wildcard or Castle card.
  • If neither appears, restart the run — this opening is too critical to leave to chance.

The reason: You must upgrade your base from turn one to stay on the required progression timeline for the Year 4 Decree.

Year-by-Year Breakdown

Year 1

Objective: Upgrade your base once.

  • Play either a Wildcard or Castle to level up your base.
  • Enemy composition doesn’t matter — you’ll win this round easily.
  • If you lose a life in Year 1, restart. Early consistency is key.

Expected Outcome: Win cleanly with 0 damage taken.

Year 2

Objective: Prepare your field without filling plot space.

  • Avoid placing too many permanent cards. Keep most plots open.
  • Upgrade your base again if possible; otherwise, play a Forge near your base or deploy a light troop buffer.
  • Toss unused cards into the Well for bonus gold.

You will lose one life this round — this is normal and acceptable.

Expected Outcome: Base at level 2, 1 life lost.

Year 3

Objective: Sustain economy, preserve board space, and focus on scaling.

  • Use any Wildcard or Castle cards for further base upgrades.
  • If none appear, upgrade existing troops or structures.
  • Apply Steel Coat if available to enhance survivability.
  • Otherwise, throw low-value cards into the Well again for gold.

Another life loss here is fine.

Expected Outcome: Base level 3–4, 2 lives lost total.

Year 4 — The Pivotal Turn

This is the make-or-break round that defines the entire run.
You’ll likely enter Year 4 with 1 life left, but that’s intentional.

At this point, the first Royal Decree becomes available.

Your goal is simple but critical:
Find the Decree “Development.”

The “Development” Royal Decree Strategy

  • “Development” grants 1 Wildcard per empty plot.
  • If you’ve preserved your field correctly, you can receive up to 8 Wildcards instantly.
  • Use Rerolls until you find it. If it doesn’t appear, restart immediately.

Once obtained:

  1. Upgrade your base using any Castle card first.
  2. Then, use all Wildcards to level up your base repeatedly.

With the right conditions, you’ll now have a max-level base capable of erasing enemies instantly — even without troops or supporting structures.

Cultivating a Win

After Year 4, you’re effectively set for victory, but discipline still matters.

Key Principles

  • Do not panic about having 1 life. Once your base scales, defense becomes irrelevant.
  • Prioritize base upgrades before anything else.
  • Avoid rerolling after Year 4 — it’s not worth the money.
  • Use any future Wildcards or Castle cards strictly for base enhancement.

Your goal is to push base DPS to unstoppable levels before diversifying your field.

Troop Recommendations

Although your base will do most of the work, certain troops complement your strategy efficiently.

Recommended Units

  • Paladins: Excellent scaling synergy; gain HP from attack boosts.
  • Defenders: Great for holding frontlines while base charges attacks.
  • Ogres: If available, they become powerful bulk units for stalling.

Use these sparingly — 2–3 well-upgraded troops are enough. The base should remain the focus of your investment.

Structure Recommendations

Only deploy essential support structures. Overbuilding hurts your Development synergy in future runs.

Best Choices

  • Forge: Place near your base to enhance both its damage and durability.
  • Farm + Procreate: Optional economy source if you need troop regeneration.
  • Speed Boost Structure (from King of Greed): Temporarily useful — remove it once your base’s attack speed reaches 20 hits/second, since the game stops scaling further.

Minimal structure management keeps your field clean and efficient.

Royal Decrees – Which to Choose

After “Development,” prioritize decrees that enhance critical damage, area range, or base attack speed.

Recommended Decrees

  • Gunpowder: Expands base attack radius.
  • Damage/crit boosters: Amplify overall DPS dramatically.
  • Avoid Fireball: Unreliable and low synergy with your setup.

Every bonus that scales multiplicatively with your base damage turns your already powerful fortress into an unstoppable storm.

Endgame

Once your base reaches its maximum level and has a single DPS-boosting structure nearby, victory is nearly automatic.
Even elite opponents — including other Kings like King of Spells or King of Progress — crumble under your raw damage output.

From here:

  • Keep upgrading your base when possible.
  • Maintain just enough defense to survive stray hits.
  • Watch your empire obliterate enemies in seconds.

Result: Consistent King IX victories with minimal RNG once the “Development” strategy aligns.

The King of Nothing embodies simplicity and power — a ruler who turns emptiness into overwhelming strength.
By understanding when to sacrifice early stability for long-term scaling, you’ll dominate even the hardest difficulty runs with ease.

Once mastered, this strategy transforms your humble kingdom into an unstoppable force — proof that even nothing can become everything.