Campaign Phases
A window of relative forgiveness. Enemy compositions are weaker and mistakes are recoverable. Your core jobs are survival, looting equipment, and identifying which brothers have the stat/star profile to become long-term pieces.
- Reach 12 brothers as soon as possible
- Equip everyone — even poorly; shields are critical
- Target ~5,000 gold reserve by Day 40
- Get to raider-tier gear (~100 armor) via looting
- Prioritize spears and swords — hit chance bonus saves lives
- Stay away from goblins early; avoid beasts until stable
- Take ambitions; reach Professional renown for noble contracts
- Begin identifying stars — lock in intended roles
- Use daggers for armor farming — daggers deal no durability damage to armor, preserving loot for your own use
Development window. Enemies hit harder, easy farms are gone. Push brothers toward their roles while maintaining financial health. Key milestone: getting frontliners to level 7 for Battle Forged.
- All frontliners to 200/210 combined armor
- Level 7 unlock: Battle Forged is the turning point
- 1,050 renown unlocks noble contracts and 3-skull missions
- Hire 1–3 expensive backgrounds (Swordmaster, Hedge Knight)
- Replace the worst early hires with better recruits
- Clear bandit camps for loot; fight orcs carefully
- Begin building toward 300+ armor on top brothers
- Keep 10,000+ gold buffer going into crisis
Surviving the first crisis is a functional win. True late game means taking on legendary locations: goblin cities, orc warlord camps, the Black Monolith. Enemy scaling stops at Day 267.
- All frontliners at 300+ body armor
- Most brothers at level 11 (max)
- Active hunt for named and legendary items
- Replace weaker veterans with better hires; move them to reserve
- Tackle goblin cities, orc camps, Black Monolith
- Three crises cleared = full campaign completion
- Post-Day 267: enemy difficulty frozen; challenge is fight selection
Endgame Archetypes
Does not kill efficiently. Holds the line, triggers Shield Wall, and maintains morale. Your most durable brother. Not a Sergeant — the Wall is a frontline anchor, not a backline support role.
High starting Resolve (40+), stars in Resolve or Melee Defense. Traits: Brave, Steadfast, Tough. Avoid: Dastard, Craven, Superstitious.
The foundational heavy melee build. Steps one tile and swings a 2H weapon every single turn without running out of fatigue. Most of your frontline will be some version of this. Not flashy — consistent and durable.
Goal: be able to step + swing indefinitely in heavy armor. Fatigue budget = enough to step once and swing once per turn, no more required. No Berserk — the fatigue neutral doesn't chain kills; that's the Butcher's job. Berserk would waste a perk point here.
Stars in MATK primary. Min 90 base fatigue on recruit. Starting MATK 55+. Strong trait a bonus. Iron Lungs is especially valuable — it raises the fatigue ceiling enough to wield orcish 2-handed weapons comfortably.
Kill-chain specialist. Berserk gives +4 AP per kill, paired with AoE Round Swing. One kill snowballs into two, then three. The engine of your frontline damage output.
Axe Mastery reduces hit chance on all attacks by 10%, which lowers the risk of Round Swing clipping adjacent brothers — but be mindful of positioning regardless.
Nimble second-rank operator. Carries a 2H weapon + its reach variant. Spends most of the fight swinging the reach weapon safely from rank 2, steps in opportunistically. Relies on Dodge and positioning rather than armor. Limit contact: 1–2 enemies max.
High MATK stars. Key differentiator: lower projected MDEF (<30 at 11) + high MATK + high Initiative = DQH candidate over fatigue neutral.
Weapon pairs: Greataxe → Long Axe · Greatsword → Billhook/War Scythe · 2H Hammer → Billhook
High-initiative single-target predator. Stacks Overwhelm to shred hit chance, triggers Fearsome for morale collapse, finishes with Deathblow. Three Deathblows per turn = extraordinary damage. Pair with a net thrower or 2H mace bro to set up kills.
Pair with a net thrower or 2H mace bro nearby — a dazed or netted target turns this bro into a kill machine. Watch positioning: he wants 1v1 or at most 2v1, never a melee scrum. Use Wait to let the enemy come to you so you act first with Relentless. Fearsome + 3 Overwhelm stacks per turn can route an orc warband's morale by himself if the stars align. Against heavily armored targets, swap to Rondel via Quick Hands for Puncture damage instead of burning turns on armor.
Stars in MATK primary, Initiative stars unusually valuable here. High MATK + high INI + mediocre MDEF = Qatal candidate. Nimble, Dexterous traits. Thief, Gladiator, Assassin backgrounds.
Exploits the flail's unique ability to ignore shield defense on basic attacks and +10% headshot chance. Strong mid-game and through crisis content. Falls off vs. the hardest legendary locations vs. axe/mace duelists.
Good destination for a bro with solid MATK, lower MDEF projection than ideal for a tank, and lower fatigue than needed for a full fatigue neutral — he fits a profile that doesn't cleanly fit elsewhere. The shield bypass on basic attacks is the core value: he never wastes attacks on shield reduction. Use Lash sparingly — it's expensive on fatigue; spam the basic attack instead and save Lash for when you need the guaranteed headshot. Falls off hard against orc warlords and the hardest legendary content where raw damage matters more than shield bypass.
Opens engagements with throwing weapons, then holds at short range. Javelins for armor penetration and headshots; throwing axes for armored targets and Ancient Dead. All throwing weapons benefit from Duelist — the perk that makes this viable late game.
Stars in Ranged Attack. Stars in Fatigue critical — Iron Lungs trait is a build-enabler. Strong trait valuable. Sellswords, Witchhunters. Stars in both MATK and RATK is rare and ideal.
Swap rule: Axes for Orcs and undead. Javelins for humans and beasts. Never run out of one type — carry both.
Snipes high-value targets: necromancers, shamans, goblin overseers, enemy archers. Bullseye doubles accuracy against targets in cover. Footwork lets him disengage without burning a full turn. Bows outperform crossbows the longer a campaign runs.
2+ stars in Ranged Attack non-negotiable. Starting RATK 50+. Hunters best background; Poachers and Bowyers budget early alternative. Eagle Eyes trait is nice — lets the archer wear heavier headgear without losing range — but not a priority signal.
Link between front and back. Fires crossbow before lines meet, switches to a reach weapon when melee is joined. Nets Necrosavants and dodgy targets. Protects archers from flankers. Deploy in pairs — their utility synergizes. Always carry 2+ nets.
Balanced stars across MATK and RATK. Stars in both is rare and ideal. Sellswords, Witchhunters, Squires.
Carries the Battle Standard, uses Rally the Troops to pull wavering brothers back from breaking. Morale collapses kill companies — a good Sergeant prevents cascades. Bags & Belts cancels the -7 fatigue penalty from carrying the banner in the bag.
Resolve stars are the priority — unusual and rare signal. 2 stars Resolve + 1 star Fatigue = Sergeant candidate regardless of MATK ceiling. Brave, Steadfast, Loyal traits. Adventurous Noble, Monk.
Key: Bags & Belts cancels the -7 FAT penalty from carrying the Battle Standard in bag. Without it you'll fatigue out fast.
Does not kill. Holds enemies in place indefinitely via Indomitable cycling. Indomitable halves all incoming damage; Recover restores fatigue; repeat. Requires extremely high fatigue and resolve to sustain the cycle. Taunt actively draws enemy attacks.
Stars in MDEF and FAT; deprioritize MATK stars entirely. 3 stars MDEF + 2 stars FAT + mediocre MATK = Monolith, not a damage dealer. Iron Lungs and Tough traits ideal. Hedge Knights premium.
Second-rank operator who attacks over the heads of frontliners using two-tile reach weapons. Controls space, supports tanks, and punishes enemies trying to push through gaps. Battle Forged because he will end up in melee when lines collapse. Backstabber synergizes well — he's almost always adjacent to a surrounded enemy.
Strong MATK stars. Good fatigue ceiling — polearms hit hard but cost more than swords. A "failed" fatigue neutral candidate (high MATK, adequate fatigue, lower MDEF) is a natural Polearm destination. Sellswords, Lumberjacks, Squires.
Stays rank 2 until the line breaks, then steps in. Never expose him to multiple enemies simultaneously — he lacks the MDEF and shield of a true frontliner. Pairs well with a tank on each flank to manage who reaches him.
Warriors of the North adds whips, which cost only 4 AP to disarm. This fits cleanly onto the Polearm Specialist: in a single turn you can disarm a dangerous enemy and follow with a polearm strike, or make two disarm attempts. Particularly powerful against Barbarian Chosen swinging Skull Hammers. Add Quick Hands and swap one lower-priority perk for Cleaver Mastery (improves disarm accuracy). If fatigue is tight, consider switching Battle Forged for Nimble to free up Brawny's perk slot.
Backline AoE ranged fighter using the primitive firearm introduced in Blazing Deserts. Fires once per turn, but hits up to 6 targets in a blast. Primary purpose is triggering morale checks via Fearsome across multiple enemies simultaneously — a single Handgonne can collapse the morale of a packed human army formation in a few turns. Best in large line-to-line human battles. Weakest against elite monsters and legendary location fights where target count is low and enemies are morale-immune.
Berserk has limited value here — the Handgonne can only fire once per turn regardless of AP, so extra AP just enables movement. Recover is similarly low value. The build lives and dies on Fearsome triggering across packed enemy formations. Position centrally in the backline with clear sightlines. Often doubles as a Sergeant variant — Rally the Troops pairs naturally with the high Resolve requirement and backline positioning. Useless against undead and beasts immune to morale.
High Resolve stars above all — Fearsome effectiveness scales with Resolve. Ranged Attack stars second. Adventurous Noble is an ideal candidate. Fearless trait. This is a rare case where Resolve stars matter as much as Ranged Attack stars.
Compositions
SAM'S PLAN · 12-Man Roster
Stat Projection & Recruit Evaluation
How Stats Scale to Level 11
You can project where a brother ends up at max level from his recruit sheet. This is the single most important skill for building a strong late-game company.
Primary Combat Stats
Applies to: Melee Attack, Melee Defense, Ranged Attack, Ranged Defense. Each level-up adds ~2 points if you invest consistently. Example: 55 MATK + 3 stars → ~90 at level 11.
Secondary Stats
Applies to: HP, Fatigue, Resolve, Initiative. These have a broader gain per level. Invest when primary stats roll low or you have surplus points.
General Leveling Rule
Safe default for almost every bro. Exceptions: bro rolls a 1 on MATK but +4 Resolve and +4 HP — take the secondary stats. You'll develop a feel for when to deviate.
Level 7 Perk Rule
Level 7 is the one moment where the perk choice is non-negotiable. Every frontliner takes Battle Forged or Nimble at 7. No exceptions — any other perk is a mistake.
Target Stats at Level 11 by Role
| Role | MATK | MDEF | RATK | HP | Fatigue (base) | Resolve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fatigue Neutral | 80+ | 30+ | — | 75+ | 105–110 | 50+ |
| Butcher | 90+ | 25+ | — | 80+ | 130+ | 50+ |
| Polearm Specialist | 85+ | 25+ | — | 75+ | 110+ | 50+ |
| Tank (Wall) | 80–85 | 40+ | — | 80–100 | 130+ | 70+ |
| Monolith | — | 40+ | — | 80+ | 130+ (cycle) | 80+ |
| DQH | 85+ | 30+ | — | 70+ | 100–110 | 50+ |
| Qatal Duelist | 85+ | 30+ | — | 65+ | 90+ (light armor) | 50+ |
| Flail Duelist | 85+ | 30+ | — | 65+ | High | 50+ |
| Longbowman | — | — | 90+ | 60+ | High | 40+ |
| Handgonne | — | — | 90+ | 65+ | Moderate | 90+ |
| Peltast | — | — | 75+ | 60+ | Very High | 40+ |
| Lancer | 75+ | 25+ | 75+ | 65+ | 100+ | 40+ |
| Sergeant | less critical | 25+ | — | 70+ | 110+ | 80–90 |
Early Scouting Guide
Traits to Seek
- Iron Lungs +15 fatigue — build-enabler for throwers and AoE bros
- Strong +5 HP and fatigue per level-up; lets Nimble bros wear more armor
- Tough +15 max HP
- Dexterous +5 Melee Attack
- Eagle Eyes +1 Vision — lets archers wear heavier helmets without losing range; situational, nice to have
- Brave Resist morale penalties — ideal for tanks and sergeants
- Nimble +5 Initiative — valuable for Qatal and DQH builds
- Steadfast / Loyal Resolve-boosting — Sergeant candidates
Traits to Avoid or Discount
- Dastard Will flee at the first sign of danger — disqualifying
- Craven Severe morale penalties under pressure
- Superstitious Random morale failures vs. undead — bad at end game
- Asthmatic Cripples fatigue — disqualifying for most builds
- Clumsy -5 Melee Attack — hard ceiling on offense
- Fainthearted Cannot maintain morale under sustained fire
- Fragile Low HP ceiling — survivable with Colossus, still a drag
Backgrounds by Value
Budget Frontline
Farmhands and Lumberjacks for HP/Fatigue. Brawlers for starting combat stats. Squires above average with no glaring weakness — best of budget tier. Militia has good MDEF for cost.
Premium Frontline
Swordmasters start with very high MATK/MDEF but weak HP/Fatigue; will go Old. Hedge Knights: expensive but best overall stat ceiling. Sellsword: high tier in everything, top in nothing — good hybrids. Wildman: high raw stats, poor defense, XP penalty.
Ranged Specialists
Hunters: best ranged background by a wide margin — expensive. Poachers and Bowyers are your early and mid-game bridges. Witchhunters: as skilled as Poachers but expensive; good if Hunters unavailable locally.
Sergeant Candidates
Adventurous Noble: highest natural Resolve in the game — ideal banner bearer. Monks: high Resolve, useful positive events, strong budget Sergeant. Watch for Resolve stars above all else in this role.
Duelist / Nimble Candidates
Thieves: high Initiative and Defense — natural Nimble builds. Gladiators: obscene MATK and MDEF, mediocre HP/Fatigue. High Initiative + high MATK + mediocre MDEF = Qatal or DQH, not a tank.
Minimum Keeper Threshold
Bros projecting to 70–80 in primary skill are serviceable through a crisis. Below 70 = utility only or fodder.