So, You've got an incoming raid...no need to panic! 

You need to remember that all a raid can do is:

• Kill any troops you have out in the castle

• Steal some of your resources

• Kill your Castle Guards (Improvements) 

• Lower the Level on your Altar of Weor

This sounds bad, but let's look at each of these problems one at a time. 

My troops will die!

To protect your troops, move them into your Catacombs - it hides them from attack. It's a good idea to make this a regular habit, and always keep your troops put away safely unless in active use. Newly recruited troops, or troops returning from battle, need to be moved to safety, but troops rewarded from events or achievements go to the catacombs automatically. 

Any support troops that you have belonging to your League members can be sent back, if you wish. Most cases, it is best to leave them, since it gives your team a report of the attacking troops and your damages so they can take action. They will gain Defense PVP points for any attacking units killed, but in most cases the handful you probably have won't do much towards defending you. 

Make sure you pay attention to the time when your troops are returning from raids - some players may calculate your travel speed and greet your newly returned raiding troops with a Fire Bomb or counter-attack and wipe them out.  (There is a special item available in the Black Market that will automatically move your troops to the catacombs when activated.)

Here’s a handy timer to remind you to put your troops away safely after use:  

http://www.online-stopwatch.com/countdown-timer/

All my resources will be stolen!

Keep your resource levels within the capacity of your catacombs unless you are saving to upgrade a building - a level 20 catacombs can protect 18,000 of each resource from plunder. 

If you have more than that, spend it down when a raid is coming, whether by setting a building upgrade, Scroll Art research, Altar of Mara sacrifice, or recruiting.  Better for you to use it, even if it isn't on what you had planned to, than to lose it to an enemy. Always upgrade as soon as the resources are available, since there is less risk of a surprise raid taking it.  Food is not as important as gold and iron, so don’t worry about having excess on that. If you ever get low just ask in chat; your league members may have extra and can send some to you after the raid is passed, or you can raid to replace it. 

If you have too much of a resource to hide, but you don’t want to use it because you are saving it for a large upgrade - post it for a trade. Set an unfavorable exchange rate and it is unlikely anyone will take it when better terms are on the market. Cancel the trade after the danger is over. 

You could also ship it to a teammate right before the raid hits (about 25 seconds works) and then cancel it immediately afterwards so the caravans return to your castle, or let it deliver and have them return it later if you have multiple incoming attacks.  You will notice that this needs caravans - upgrade your Market and Thieves Guild to increase your shipping capacity!

All my Castle Guards will be killed.

Your fortifications/guards provide 1% defense bonus for each 100 points they add to your defense score. They provide a defense bonus for any remaining defense troops, but do not provide any if you are emptied of defense troops. This gives you more "bang for your buck" with your defense. The guards will slowly "heal" by themselves, or your friends can revive them instantly by clicking. Buying Summoners will speed up the Guard's healing rate.

I'm going to lose my Altar of Weor.  

An Altar of Weor increases your gold and iron production, it costs 1000 sapphires to build, and it isn't inexpensive to upgrade. A raid can lower the level's you've built, so it's worth protecting. Right now, there is a step you can take to save it - go to castle edit mode and select the Altar - then move it, but do not SAVE until after the raid hits. Your Altar will not be damaged.

------------------------------

With the right preparation, a raid isn't a problem. Without it, you can be in trouble, so it's worth it to get into good habits:

• Keep your troops in the Catacombs at all times if they aren't in use. Put them away after all raids or BGs. 

• Notify your league when you have Castle Guards down, so they can be revived quickly in case of another raid. Make sure your guards are easily found, since nobody wants to hunt for them.

• Keep your resources low, especially when you go offline. Upgrade your Catacombs to get the maximum benefit of the protection.

• Be ready to react quickly to save your Altar of Weor if needed.