Conquer The World WW2 Research & Nukes Guide

Research is the pillar that decides how fast every other part of your nation improves in Conquer The World WW2 (CTWWW2). Spend it well and your factories, divisions, and eventually your nuclear program will outpace neighbors who spread their research points thin. This guide covers research priorities in general and walks through the specific chain required to build a nuke.

General research priorities

Research in CTWWW2 spans industry, infantry equipment, armor, air, and naval branches. For a new nation, the highest-value early research is almost always industry-focused, because it reduces factory construction time and raises output per factory — a compounding advantage that pays for itself many times over by the midgame. Once your industry is solid, infantry equipment upgrades keep your core divisions competitive without the heavy resource cost of armor or aircraft. Only branch into tanks, planes, or ships once your economy (see Economy & Factories) can actually sustain the equipment they require.

The path to your first nuke

Building a nuclear weapon in CTWWW2 is a genuine end-game project that requires stacking several research lines and a supporting economy, not a single button. The confirmed prerequisite chain is:

1. Industry I and Industry II — foundational industrial research that unlocks and speeds up everything downstream, including the buildings needed for a nuclear program.
2. Uranium Mining — required to actually extract uranium from your territory; check your resource map early, since not every nation starts with accessible uranium deposits.
3. Uranium Enrichment — processes raw uranium into the material a warhead actually needs; this step is often the slowest part of the chain if your industrial base is not strong enough.
4. Bomber I and Bomber II — the delivery platform research; you need a credible bomber program before a warhead is useful at all.
5. Nuke research — the final unlock that lets you construct and arm a nuclear weapon once the supporting chain above is complete.

Because this chain touches industry, resource extraction, and air research all at once, a nuclear program realistically only makes sense for a nation with a strong, diversified economy — usually a major power well into a match, though a disciplined small nation can get there too if it avoids costly early wars.

Planning your research order

Given how long the nuke chain is, plan backward from it if that is your goal: prioritize Industry I/II early even before you strictly need the output boost, secure uranium territory through diplomacy or conquest if you do not start with any, and keep a bomber program developing in parallel rather than leaving air research until the end. Our Research Planner tool turns this into a step-by-step checklist you can follow match to match.

Research and warfare tradeoffs

Every research point spent on the nuclear chain is a point not spent on infantry, armor, or air upgrades that would help you win conventional battles today. Do not chase a nuke at the expense of losing the war you are actually fighting — see Warfare for how to keep your conventional army competitive while a longer-term research project runs in the background.

Diplomacy can shortcut research

If your territory lacks uranium, conquest is not the only option — a trade agreement or a puppet state that controls uranium-rich land can supply what your own borders cannot. Read Diplomacy for how trade deals and puppet states can plug resource gaps that would otherwise stall your research chain for the rest of the match.

Staying current on research changes

Marian_Dev periodically rebalances research costs and requirements alongside broader content updates — the Missiles & Forts update, for example, changed how fortifications and late-game weapons interact with the front line. Check the Updates hub before assuming an older research order is still accurate.