Whiteout Survival: Train New Troops or Promote Existing Ones?

Most players, when faced with this option, don’t really know what to do: should they train new troops in Whiteout Survival or promote existing ones?

There are many things to consider when making this decision, and that’s exactly what we’re talking about in today’s guide.

So let’s check out the pros, cons, and situations where training or promoting is your best move, so you can crush your enemies and keep your infirmary clear.

When to Choose Training New Troops

In most situations, training new troops is the best choice. Without enough troops, your army’s effectiveness is capped, and your opportunities in battles and missions become limited (for example you won’t perform as well in the Bear Hunt event).

Here are a few other things to consider, which might make training troops the best option:

1. Filling Your March Queues

If your March Queues aren’t maxed out, training new troops should be your first priority. A full queue ensures you can take advantage of multiple battles, rallies, and missions simultaneously.

2. Early-Game Necessity

In the early stages, when resources are scarce and troop count is low, training new troops is the way to go. You will need plenty of them for intel missions, beast hunts and rallies.

3. Easier Missions Overall

A larger pool of troops means you can divide forces for multiple activities, ensuring you don’t miss out on valuable rewards.

4. Cost-Effective for Beginners

Training troops in the early game is more resource-friendly than promoting. It’s a straightforward way to grow your army without running out of resources.

Speaking of resources, make sure to check out my guide to Fire Crystals, probably the most important resource in Whiteout Survival.

When to Choose Promoting?

Promoting troops takes time and is expensive, but it might be the solid choice in various situations, like the one I’m mentioning below.

1. Stronger Troops, Better Stats

High-tier troops have superior stats, allowing them to perform better in battles, but also take on tougher enemies like Crazy Joe.

Therefore, if your numbers are decent, but you need to become more lethal, prioritize upgrading your troops instead of training new ones.

2. Event Rewards

Certain events, such as Hall of Chiefs or Alliance Mobilization, prioritize troop promotion over training. So focus on upgrading your troops during these events to maximize points and rewards for a win-win situation.

3. Clearing Your Infirmary

Low-tier troops fill up your infirmary faster than you can heal them. Promoting these weaker soldiers to higher tiers ensures fewer injuries and more room for elite troops when you need them most.

4. Endgame Preparation

As you unlock higher-tier troop, promoting lower-tier ones becomes a necessity, because you will also face high-tier troops in battle. Since these are stronger overall, you need to keep up with the rest.

I wrote an in-depth guide to the Whiteout Survival troops here – make sure to check it out!

Scenarios: When to Train or Promote

For a visual overview, check out my table below. It summarizes the guide above and makes it easier for newer players to understand how to handle promoting vs training new troops.

Scenario	Training Priority	Promotion Priority
Early stages of the game	✅ Build troop numbers	❌ Not resource-efficient early on
Troop count below 300k	✅ Train more to fill March Queues	❌ Promotion won’t be impactful yet
March Queues are maxed out	❌ Training isn’t necessary	✅ Promotion enhances stats
Infirmary nearing capacity	❌ Avoid training more troops	✅ Promote to free up space
During training-focused events	✅ Earn event rewards for training	❌ Promotions yield fewer points
During promotion-focused events	❌ Training doesn’t maximize points	✅ Promotions net more rewards
Prepping for Beast Hunts or Boss Battles	❌ Low-tier troops won’t cut it	✅ Stronger troops are a must
Short on resources	✅ Training is cheaper and faster	❌ Promotions require more investment

Here’s the bottom line:

• Early Game: Focus on training. Build your numbers, fill your March Queues, and stay active in alliance rallies.
• Mid to Late Game: Transition to promotion. Refine your army into an elite force and dominate in events and battles.

All in all, you should evaluate your troop count, event schedule, and resource availability and either train new troops or promote existing ones based on your current situation. Your ultimate goal is to have all your troops at maximum level… but that takes time.

Keep an eye on the Whiteout Survival strategy guide hub for all the guides we’ve published for this game.

Do you have additional comments/strategies to share? Let us all know by sharing your thoughts down below.