Army
Upgrade your army as soon as possible with gold. Once you upgrade your army, its overall power will increase. To unlock more rows in their formation, progress through Campaign mode and complete quests.
Equipment
Equip generals with the maximum amount of equipment to have them at their full potential. As you progress, you can upgrade equipment by using material cards. Empower your equipment as you enhance your generals. Boost rare equipment that you will use for awhile, and not the common equipment that will be eventually replaced or used as material cards.