← Back to General Guides

Presidential Buffs Guide

Progression · 2026-03-18

What Are Presidential Buffs?

When an alliance wins the Capitol Conquest event, their leader becomes the President of the server. The President appoints a Vice President, and together they assign Ministry positions (often called "hats") that grant powerful buffs to individual players.

These buffs are one of the best ways to accelerate your progression — and they are available to everyone on the server, not just the winning alliance.

Key Fact

You do not need to fight in Capitol Conquest to receive Ministry buffs. The queue system is open to all players on the server. You just need HQ Level 16 to apply.

How the System Works

  1. The alliance that wins Capitol Conquest gets to appoint a President
  2. The President selects a Vice President
  3. Both the President and VP can assign players to Ministry positions
  4. Players join a queue for the Ministry they want — assignments last 10 minutes each
  5. The next player in the queue is assigned automatically when the current term ends

Important rules:

  • You can only hold one position at a time
  • There is a 30-minute cooldown between applications
  • Ministries have a 5-minute cooldown between reassignments
  • Buffs only apply to new actions started during your term — ongoing builds, research, or training are not affected

President Buffs (Server-Wide)

The President's bonuses apply to all players on the entire server automatically:

BuffBonus
Hero HP+5%
Hero Attack+5%
Hero Defense+5%

During the Conqueror Bonus period (7 days after conquest), the President also gains:

  • Enemy Units Casualty Rate: +5%

Vice President Buffs

The VP receives personal buffs while holding the position:

BuffNormalConqueror Bonus
Construction Speed+20%+25%
Research Speed+20%+25%
Training Speed+10%+12.5%

The VP also has the authority to assign Ministry positions alongside the President.

Ministry Positions (Hats)

These are the positions available to all server members through the queue system. Each lasts 10 minutes per assignment.

Secretary of Development

Best for players who need to build faster. Prioritise this for expensive HQ upgrades.

BuffNormalConqueror Bonus
Construction Speed+50%+60%
Research Speed+25%+30%

Secretary of Science

Best for players who need to research faster. Ideal for expensive late-game tech.

BuffNormalConqueror Bonus
Research Speed+50%+60%
Construction Speed+25%+30%

Secretary of Interior

Best for resource production. Boosts your base production buildings — does not affect world map gathering.

BuffNormalConqueror Bonus
Food Output+100%+150%
Iron Output+100%+150%
Coin Production+100%+150%

Secretary of Strategy

Best for healing troops after battles. Use before healing wounded units.

BuffNormalConqueror Bonus
Hospital Capacity+20%+25%
Unit Healing Speed+20%+25%

Secretary of Security

Best for training troops faster. Use when queuing large batches.

BuffNormalConqueror Bonus
Training Cap+20%+25%
Training Speed+20%+25%

Conqueror-Only Positions

These positions are only available during the 7-day Conqueror Bonus period after Capitol Conquest:

Military Commander

BuffBonus
March Speed+5%
Enemy Casualty Rate+5%

Administrative Commander

BuffBonus
Construction Speed+60%
Research Speed+60%
Conqueror Tip

The Administrative Commander position is extremely powerful — +60% to both construction and research. If your server just won Capitol Conquest, this is the best hat to grab for progression.

Which Hat Should You Pick?

Use this quick reference to decide which Ministry to queue for:

Your GoalBest Ministry
Start a big building upgradeSecretary of Development (+50% construction)
Start expensive researchSecretary of Science (+50% research)
Both build and researchAdministrative Commander (+60% both, Conqueror only)
Boost base resource incomeSecretary of Interior (+100% output)
Train troops fasterSecretary of Security (+20% speed and cap)
Heal troops after a fightSecretary of Strategy (+20% healing)

Tips for Maximising Your Buffs

Timing Is Everything

Buffs only apply to actions you start during your 10-minute window. Plan ahead:

  1. Queue your resources — have enough resources ready before your turn
  2. Open the upgrade/research screen ahead of time so you can start instantly
  3. Do not start the action early — wait until the hat is assigned, then press start

Stack Your Bonuses

Ministry buffs stack with other speed bonuses:

  • VIP bonuses
  • Hero skills (e.g. construction/research speed heroes)
  • Alliance research buffs
  • Speed-up items (use these on top of the hat for maximum reduction)

Arms Race Strategy

During Arms Race events, time your Ministry hat for the "Focus" phases. Starting a big upgrade with a +50% construction hat during an Arms Race construction phase gives you points and saves time.

Ask for Extended Holds

For major milestones like HQ 25+ or late-game research that takes days, ask your VP for an extended assignment. Many alliances allow longer holds for high-value upgrades — just communicate in alliance chat.

Common Mistakes

  1. Starting a build before the hat is assigned — the buff will not apply retroactively. Wait for confirmation
  2. Forgetting the 30-minute cooldown — plan which hat you need most, you cannot switch quickly
  3. Ignoring the Interior hat — the +100% resource production adds up significantly over time
  4. Not checking the queue — if 50 people are ahead of you, pick a less popular Ministry instead
  5. Opening resource chests while holding Interior — the Interior hat boosts base production, not inventory items

Related Guides