Troop builds are, in my opinion, completely situational. It really depends upon what kind of build you are aiming to create and what your opponent is building. Here are some basics. I hope will help.
Things to keep in mind when building troops:
There are 3 different troop buildings: Barracks, Stable, and Workshop.
**** -You can cue troops at all three buildings at the same time.
**** -Each building will create only one cue at a time.
Keep these rules in mind when building troops. Seeing as Valor is all too often a numbers game, troop strengths are a must, and I'm going to say that a fast build is usually preferable, but many would argue a slower more strategic build. Sooooo....
Attack build:
Barracks: Cue Berserkers (1:05 build time per unit)
Stable: Cue Knights (2:56 build time per unit)
Workshop: Cue Ballista (15:24 build time per unit)
***Strength per unit favors Berserkers, then knights, then ballistas. If you are going for all out attack build about 60% berserkers, 30% Knights, and 10% ballistas for roughly the fastest build.
Defense Build:
Barracks: Cue Lancers or Sentry (or a combination of the two) (build time is 00:50 Lancer, and 01:15 for sentry)
Stable: Cue Guardians (build time of 03:54 per unit)
Workshop: Cue ballistas/rams ***(build style favors player style, I personally don't use rams for several reasons)
***Strength per unit favors Sentries/lancers depending upon what unit is attacking, then Guardians. If you are aiming for strongest defense then build about 40%Lancers, 40% Sentries, 20% Guardians
Now then, This was a VERY basic idea. Like I said,
completely situational. Combinations of different builds are effective in different situations. For instance, in defense in a frontline (near enemy) city I would favor a much stronger Lancer/Sentry build. In a rearline city I would favor a heavier Guardian build. This is mainly because of travel time of the different units, guardians are faster, and would therefore be more effective in more distant cities (from the enemy). However, a clear cut enemy line is sometimes hard to determine. Now then, for offense, you can use the same method of berserkers closer to the enemy, knights farther from the enemy because of the travel time.... BUT, you can't overlook the "What am I up against" rule. What your enemy is building is a HUGE factor in how you perform both offensively and defensively. A full berserker squad means nothing when pitted against a full sentry squad behind a wall. Valor is similar to poker, in that you have to play your opponent.
So, if I've confused, I'm sorry
The main rules I try to pay attention to are: Always try to keep troop numbers up, no matter what your build, and use your troops for their strengths: Berserkers/Knights are attackers, Lancers/Sentries/Guardians are defenders.