7 Wonders Duel military track management requires different thinking than science or civic points. Military moves your pawn toward your opponent's capital. Reaching their capital for the first time forces them to discard progress tokens. Reaching it at the end of the game gives you an immediate military victory.

The asymmetric military pressure — your pawn starts in the middle and needs to move nine spaces to your opponent's capital — creates a race that military-focused opponents can sometimes win before any other victory condition becomes relevant. The military shield buildings that push the pawn provide point-free aggressive pressure.

The counter to military aggression is either defensive shields (pushing back) or racing a science or civilian victory before the military pawn reaches your capital. Understanding that you can win through three entirely different paths creates the strategic depth that makes the game more than a score-maxing puzzle.