Rule the Kingdom comes to iOS: Here are some tips to get you started

Back in April, we brought you a detailed look at InnoWate's Rule the Kingdom on Android, a game that combined the worlds of strategy RPGs and city-builders, allowing you to build and rule over a Kingdom as an amnesiac warrior that knows little else. You'll have to eliminate threats to your throne along the way, and can explore the far reaches of the land while your workers are completing standard tasks back at home.

While the game had been available only on Android up until now, InnoWate and Game Insight have announced the game's launch on iOS. Starting today, iPad players can download Rule the Kingdom HD for free and start their own journeys to medieval domination, while the iPhone version of the game is expected to release on the iTunes App Store on June 28 (that's tomorrow, if you're keeping track).

Whether you're new to Rule the Kingdom or consider yourself a seasoned pro, we've received some tips straight from the developer that will help you up your game. Good luck!

General Tips

Always Be Harvesting - Because harvesting doesn't cost food (or energy, or other resources), there's no real downside to keeping your villagers chopping trees or chipping away at stone. Don't worry about harvested resources piling up. As long as you have built a stockpile in your village, your stockpile's helpful goblin worker will automatically carry your harvest to be stored for building.

Watch Your Production - Valuable harvested resources and crafted goods take a while to make. While Rule The Kingdom helpfully restarts your villagers' and craftsmen's projects automatically as soon as their current work is complete, the best way to make efficient use of production is to make sure you harvest your products as soon as they're ready. That way they can quickly be set to work on their next project. Also, in some cases, you may need to change your next production project, such as changing your baker's current project to a higher-level product from a cookie to a donut once you've researched a higher-level soldier in your barracks. Be sure to also keep an eye on resource nodes such as lumber trees and stone piles. If you deplete a node, regrow it as soon as possible so that you can get right back to harvesting!

Watch Your Quest Log - Your current available quests appear as icons on the left side of the screen. While you've always got new areas to explore and tasks to perform in your kingdom, performing quests net you valuable rewards in gold, experience, and resources that will speed you on your way.

Don't Be Afraid to Travel - You don't always have to stay in one place. Use the compass icon in the upper-right corner of the screen to travel to and from adventure areas, neighboring kingdoms, and your own domain whenever you want, even when you're in a dangerous adventure area.

Search Everything While Adventuring - While adventuring, you may notice ruins, rubble piles, and abandoned towers. Be sure to tap them to search them. The extra moments you spend combing through the ruins could net you some valuable orbs to help you in battle.

First You Get the Crystals, Then You Get the Power - Crystals are rare resources that gradually accrue in your coffers as you play (but you can also purchase them directly at any time if you prefer). Spending crystals can speed up production, gathering, and upgrades, and can also be used to purchase higher-end soldiers and structures. Use them wisely!

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Combat and Adventuring Tips

Get the Best Troops Available - Your character's career as part of an adventuring party begins when you construct your first barracks (and later, an archery range, a tavern, and a wizard's tower). Be sure to commission the most powerful troops you have available, since they'll survive longer and save you the time and expense of having to eventually replace them. Over time, you will need to change the type of goods your baker is producing in order to hire more-powerful troops.

Equip the Right Orb for the Right Situation - Green orbs of protection are generally good choice for standard adventuring, since their additional defense bonuses help you mitigate the nicks and cuts you'll sustain while fighting lower-level enemies. However, you may want to consider using red orbs of striking to give you an extra damage bonus when fighting the game's boss monsters, since they have much more health to whittle away.

Save Your Magic Spells for Boss Fights - You gain magic spell power gradually over time, and though it might be tempting to use a powerful spell on a weak skeleton to blast it to bits, it's definitely a better idea to save these extremely damaging tools for use against boss monsters, who have much more health and deal much more damage.

Defeat Bosses Quickly! - On a related note, boss monsters are hazardous to your health! The longer boss monsters survive in a fight, the more damage they can do to you and your party. Use damage orbs and magic spells to knock these brutes out before they can do the same to you.

Watch Your Health - Your character's health appears in the upper-left corner of the screen, while your companions' health appears in the lower-left corner of the screen.

Courage Is the Better Part of Valor - That's a fancy way of saying, "don't be afraid to run." Remember that you can tap the compass icon in the upper-right corner of the screen to switch to the world map view which will let you flee from any battle instantly and avoid having your character's health reduced to zero and fall in battle.

Death and Taxes - If you do fall in battle, your character returns to your own kingdom and cannot venture forth until you have at least one health point, but you can, at least, tend to civic affairs.

Click here to download Rule the Kingdom HD on iPad --->

Have you tried Rule the Kingdom on either Android or iOS? What do you think of this mix of strategy and city-building? Sound off in the comments!