Icefire Warhymn League (IWL) Guide
Full guide to the IWL auto-tournament, now open from Gen 4+ — 300 Testaments just for registering, Labyrinth-style formation strategies, 10-match qualifiers and the top-64 Bo3 bracket, risk-free predictions (2x on win, full refund on loss), and shop priorities.
One-line takeaway — Register no matter what (300 Warhymn Testaments just for signing up). Battles run like Labyrinth (Land of Heroes / Gaia's Heart) in a fully automated tournament — you don't even need to log in for the matches. The top-64 bracket belongs to whales with 2–3 gear sets, but predictions pay 2x on a win and refund everything on a loss, so bet every round. Spend Testaments on Mithril first, then save toward the island building. Testaments carry over to the next edition.
📋 Overview
No troop losses · no alliance restrictions. The description says "arena", but battles actually play out like Labyrinth — 3 marches, Expedition skills (not arena skills).
Your state must be 2 weeks past unlocking Gen 4 heroes, with Furnace Lv.30 (i.e. after the War Academy). Roughly 50 zones × 15–20 states per zone; the ranking only shows your zone's top 64. Previously Gen 12+ — a big expansion.
Almost everything is included: troops, hero levels/stars/skills/gear, pets (always active), and all-around buffs like Geronimo/Natalia. Temporary buffs and titles do not count — you can't boost on match day.
It has landed on SvS week twice in a row. League missions (gathering, Polar Terror, speedups, contributions) overlap naturally with SvS prep.
🗓️ Weekly timeline official FAQ + wiki · UTC
| Day | Phase | Time (UTC) |
|---|---|---|
| Sun | Preview | — |
| Mon–Tue | Sign-up + register 3 formations | until the Tue→Wed reset |
| Wed | Qualifiers — 10 automated matches · 3 losses = out · top 64 advance | UTC 12:00–21:00 |
| Thu | Elimination 64→32→16→8 · best of 3 | UTC 10:00 / 16:00 / 22:00 |
| Fri–Sat | Pinnacle — top 8 to the champion | champion crowned Sat UTC 11:00 |
※ A prediction window opens between rounds. Depending on your timezone some rounds land at awkward hours — missing a few is fine.
✍️ Registration — everyone should do it
⭐ 300 Testaments just for registering
Your 3 registered formations are used both for the tournament and for predictions, and they persist into the next event. An unset formation counts as an automatic defeat, so even the weakest account should finish registration and formation setup.
Registered march power shows much higher than in Labyrinth because nearly every stat source is included — and conversely, buffs and titles can't influence it.
⚔️ Formation strategy Gen 4+ · widgets don't matter (heroes are for their skills)
Default setup — solid for most players
| March | Lineup | Ratio (Inf/Lancer/MM) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Best infantry + best lancer + all-troop-buff marksman (Alonzo/Greg; Bradley from G7+) | 60/40/0 |
| 2 | 2nd infantry + best marksman + Mia (needs no gear) | 54/3/43 or 48/4/48 |
| 3 | Best three remaining heroes | 50/20/30 |
※ A winning march may fight more than once per match and needs to tank → the Mia march is worth testing at 54/4/42 with slightly more infantry.
Alternative — G7/8+, stronger if you own more gear sets
| March | Lineup | Ratio (Inf/Lancer/MM) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Best infantry + best marksman + Mia | 48/4/48 |
| 2 | 2nd infantry + 2nd marksman + Molly (no gear needed · widgets don't work) | 50/0/50 |
| 3 | Best lancer + 3rd infantry + all-troop-buff marksman (Alonzo/Greg/Bradley) | 60/40/0 |
💡 The principle — gear splitting
Mia, Molly and the all-troop-buff marksman are three heroes that need no gear, letting you concentrate your limited gear on the damage heroes. With Molly you don't need the 4% infantry slot, so 50/50 works. To seriously contend for the bracket you want 3 infantry sets · 2 marksman sets · 1 lancer set (a 2nd lancer set can go to Mia for a small boost).
Ton's Gen 7 example: ① Edith + Bradley + Mia 48/4/48 · ② Wu Ming + Wayne + Molly 50/50 · ③ Gordon (or Renee) + 3rd infantry + Greg/Alonzo 60/40. Alliances can build per-generation default lineups and share them. Test what works for you in Land of Heroes / Gaia's Heart beforehand.
🏆 Qualifiers & bracket mechanics
Automated throughout the day (point system). 3 losses = instant elimination. Last edition on S6, every qualifier finished 10-0 or 9-1 — nobody made it with 8 wins.
Power heavily influences outcomes, but selection is decided by the results of the 10 matches. Balance your best heroes and gear against the best ratio.
Labyrinth-style battles are high-variance, so each match runs 3 rounds. 2 wins advance · 2 losses eliminate, no rematches.
No need to be online. Ton would love the bracket expanded to 128/256/1000+ so everyone could compete (server load is the likely blocker).
🔮 Predictions — no downside, always bet official rules
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Win | Receive 2x the Testaments you staked |
| Lose | Full refund of your stake — effectively zero risk |
| Limits | Max 200 per match · one chief per match · no cancelling · your zone's matches only |
| Timing | Between rounds · the previous round must finish before you can predict again |
⚠️ How to pick
Many matchups have huge power gaps, so predictions are easy — but glance at the heroes to filter out dormant whale accounts with legacy power and weak current heroes. There's no finals multiplier like Tundra Arms League, so predictions alone won't buy out the shop.
🎟️ Testaments & shop Warhymn Testaments · carry over (no expiry)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Income | Registration 300 + league missions (gathering · Polar Terror · speedups · contributions — done naturally during SvS week) + bracket match rewards + predictions |
| Shop priority | ① Mithril → ② save (carry over) toward the island building (defense stats) → then construction materials. Non-qualifiers can't buy everything (last edition's math barely covered the building) |
| Top rewards | Champion city skin (gorgeous new one) · march skin (13–14 day limited style) |
| Top-16 state share | Same state as a top-16 finisher + Furnace Lv.20+ → state rewards, stacking per qualifier (Frostdragon-Tyrant-style; where to claim still to be confirmed) |
※ Whether the island building can be upgraded further with regular decoration materials still needs verification (Ton hasn't confirmed either). Will update when shop value sheets appear.
✅ Checklist
Set all 3 formations — unset means auto-defeat. 300 Testaments for signing up
Compare the default vs alternative setups in Land of Heroes / Gaia's Heart
They overlap with SvS — play normally, just remember to claim
Losses refund — stake up to 200 whenever a window opens (check heroes first)
Mithril first; bank leftover Testaments toward the island building
⚠️ First Gen4+ edition, so this is a provisional strategy — prediction caps, shop stock and reward placement may change between editions; this guide will be updated as data comes in.