How to Evolve Units in Command An Army — Level 20 Rule, Step by Step
How to evolve units in Command An Army: fight a unit to level 20, open the upgrade menu and spend evolution currency to move it up its chain. Exact steps, XP speed-ups, common problems and a FAQ.
To evolve a unit in Command An Army: fight with the unit until it hits level 20, open the upgrade menu, and press Evolve — the unit moves to the next form in its chain and a fresh level-20 grind begins. Evolution is gated entirely on battle experience: units do not level up sitting in your roster, they level up by fighting. This page is the step-by-step walkthrough; the full chain table and per-chain verdicts live on the evolution guide. Seen in footage · 2026-10-22
Quick answer
A unit evolves in three moves: (1) deploy it in battles until it reaches level 20 — as it fights, it "builds up the percentage to evolve into a better version of what it is now"; (2) open the upgrade menu from the unit and choose Evolve; (3) confirm the evolution currency cost. The unit becomes the next form in its chain — e.g. Archer → Longbowman — and starts a new level-20 grind toward the form after that. Seen in footage · 2026-10-22
Step by Step
Step 1 — Feed one unit at a time to level 20
Units gain experience only by participating in battles, and the match's XP pool splits across everything you deployed. Feeding a single unit through consecutive battles levels it far faster than spreading fights across a full roster. Seen in footage · 2026-09-15
Two speed rules from creators who timed the grind: Seen in footage · 2026-09-22
- Defend more than you attack. Defensive rounds run longer and rack up kills without risking a failed push — safer XP per minute.
- Ranked matches count. Ranked uses random maps and pools similarly-ranked players, so early ranked rounds are efficient XP even for mid-tier units.
Step 2 — Open the upgrade menu and press Evolve
At level 20 the unit's card shows it can evolve. Open the upgrade menu, select the unit, and press Evolve — the button sits next to the ascension action, so don't confuse the two: Evolve changes the unit into the next form of its chain; Ascend merges two duplicate copies of the same unit (capped at Ascension 3) and is what you do with spares instead. Seen in footage · 2026-09-15
Step 3 — Pay the currency and repeat
Evolution costs in-game currency on top of the level-20 requirement — gems you earn from codes, wins (75 per victory), quests and selling duplicates. After evolving, the unit starts a fresh level-20 grind for the next step: the full Archer → Longbowman → Flaming Archer climb was timed at roughly 20 hours of gameplay by one creator. Seen in footage · 2026-09-15
Which Units Can Evolve
Seven named chains exist (see the evolution guide for the full table with verdicts): Seen in footage · 2026-10-19
| Chain | Evolution path | |
|---|---|---|
| Archer | Archer → Longbowman → Flaming Archer | — |
| Mercenary | Mercenary → Squire → Knight | — |
| Cavalry | Scout Rider → Cavalryman → Lancer | — |
| Shield | Shieldman → Sentinel → Imperial Guard | — |
| Spear | Spearman → Pikeman → Phalangite | — |
| Mace | Mace → Morningstar | — |
| Crossbowman | Crossbowman → Pavise Crossbowman (4★) | — |
Two hard limits: 4★ summon units (Spartan, Immortal, Samurai, Berserker) never evolve — duplicates feed Ascension or sell back for gems — and whether the 5★ Laestrygonian can evolve is unverified either way. Seen in footage · 2026-10-07
FAQ
Why can't I evolve my unit? Two gates, in order: the unit must be level 20 (check its card — the percentage bar fills as it fights), and you need the evolution currency to confirm. If either is missing, the Evolve action won't complete.
Does the level reset after evolving? Yes — the new form starts a fresh level-20 grind for the next step in its chain. A three-step chain means three separate level-20 grinds.
Where is the Evolve button? Inside the unit's upgrade menu — the same screen where you ascend duplicates. If the button is greyed out, the unit isn't level 20 yet.
Which unit should I evolve first? The Archer → Longbowman → Flaming Archer line for ranged players (best evolved unit in the game), or the Spearman → Pikeman → Phalangite line if you defend — the Update 3 spear wall is still the best pure-defense unit after two nerfs. Verdicts per chain: evolution guide.
Is evolving better than ascending? They do different jobs. Evolving changes the unit into a stronger form permanently; Ascension merges duplicates for stat bumps on units that can't (or don't need to) evolve. Sell spares you won't ascend and put the gems back into summons — the loop is in the gems guide.
Related
- Evolution guide — every chain with endgame verdicts and which to prioritize.
- Beginner guide — XP strategy, first summons and early-account priorities.
- Gems guide — earning and spending the currency that pays for evolutions.
- Units database — the full roster with summon odds.