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
- When selecting ambitions, prioritize banner ambition and sergeant ambition as soon as possible
- Begin identifying stars — lock in intended roles
- Use daggers for armor farming — the Puncture ability deals 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
Enemy Field Guide
Your bread and butter early enemy and the primary source of gear in the first 40 days. Thugs and small raider groups are safe starting fights. Brigand Marksmen with crossbows will shred unarmored brothers fast — they are the threat, not the melee fighters.
Day 1+ for thugs and small raider groups. Day 15–30 for raider camps with gear. Avoid large camps with Marksmen until 150+ armor on frontline.
Brigand Marksmen (crossbows, armor-piercing — kill first), Brigand Raiders (two-handed weapons), Brigand Leaders (champions, heavy hitters)
Always prioritize Marksmen — they will pick apart your backline fast. Use terrain to close distance quickly. Raiders are the primary loot source early game; repair and resell their gear. Don't sell damaged weapons below short sword quality — repair them first for better returns.
No fatigue — they never tire, and your brothers do. Any brother who falls has a chance to rise as a Wiederganger fighting against you. Necromancers resurrect fallen enemies indefinitely until killed. Fights run long and drain your company.
Day 10–20 with maces and cleavers in hand. Avoid graveyards before you have a Sergeant — morale collapses fast against undead without a banner nearby.
Necromancers (resurrect fallen — kill first, priority above all), Fallen Heroes (heavily armored, resurrect indefinitely), Wiederganger Brothers (your own dead rising)
Kill the Necromancer immediately — everything else is secondary. Use Cleavers with Decapitate to permanently kill Wiedergängers. Watch fatigue carefully — these fights run long. Bring Fortified Mind brothers; morale checks are constant. Fearsome does not work against undead.
Two ranks deep — shields and swords in front, pikes behind. They advance slowly but are nearly unstoppable while their formation holds. Immune to morale, never flee. Pierce damage is largely wasted here — Lunge, javelins, and spears underperform significantly.
Day 40–60 minimum for roaming patrols with maces, hammers, and axes. Goblin City / Sunken Library = late game only with full 300+ armor company.
Ancient Legionaries (shield wall + pike line), Ancient Honor Guard (elite heavy infantry), Ancient Priests (resolve-sapping aura — kill first), The Lorekeeper (legendary boss)
Never use piercing weapons — bring maces, hammers, and axes. Kill the Ancient Priest first — the resolve aura will break your company before the swords do. Use forests to disrupt their tight formation — they lose cohesion in difficult terrain. Throwing axes work well here when javelins don't.
Among the most dangerous enemies in the game to fight unprepared. Teleport freely without triggering reaction attacks, are healed by every hit they land, and their AI specifically targets your lowest-HP or lowest-armor brothers. They wait while you're occupied with other enemies, then strike. Have Nine Lives.
Avoid until Day 40+ with level 7+ brothers. Pure Necrosavant camps are late-game content. Mixed Ancient Dead + Necrosavant fights manageable mid-game with nets.
Teleportation (cannot be locked down without nets or Taunt), healing-on-hit (protracted fights make them stronger), targeting AI (always finds your weakest brother), Nine Lives
Formation is everything — establish a three-line formation on turn one. Put weakest brothers in the center middle row; Necrosavants won't move into positions where three or more brothers surround them. Put highest-MDEF brothers on all flanks including back flanks.
Use Taunt — Necrosavants normally avoid being surrounded, but Taunt causes them to teleport into surrounding positions, wasting their turn. Nets stop teleportation completely. Never bring dogs — they're free healing for Necrosavants. Whips deal bleed, which works on Necrosavants unlike other undead — use whip users with Wait to finish damaged ones before they teleport away.
All offense, no defense. Easy to hit — negative or zero defense values — but every hit lands hard. Orc Young are glass cannons that jump-stun. Warriors have enormous armor. Berserkers are unarmored whirlwinds. Warlords are legendary. Loot is excellent.
Orc Young: Day 10–20, raider gear, spearwall essential. Orc Warriors: Day 40+, 200+ armor, hammers/maces required. Orc Warlord camps: Late game only, full 300+ armor company.
Orc Warriors (massive armor, Man Splitter AoE), Orc Berserkers (unarmored but devastating, immune to stun), Orc Warlord (legendary, morale crusher)
Spearwall stops the jump-stun cold — use it before they close distance. Target Berserkers with ranged before they reach your line; they're unarmored and fragile. Use hammers and maces on Warriors — axes struggle against their heavy armor. Fearsome works well; orc resolve is low. Indomitable is near-mandatory against Warlord camps to survive their AoE swings.
Goblins prevent you from starting a proper melee fight. Skirmishers throw nets, Ambushers apply poison that reduces your AP, Shamans grow vines that entangle movement and cancel nighttime penalties for your ranged. Wolfriders flank and encircle. Extremely evasive in melee. Small patrols Day 1+ are excellent loot — goblin swords and pikes are strong early weapons.
Small patrols Day 1+ for loot. Larger camps mid-game with solid company. Goblin cities = late-game legendary content only.
Goblin Shamans (vines + night buff removal — kill first, always), Goblin Wolfriders (fast flankers, encircle your line), Goblin Overseers (morale whip — kills their own to maintain morale), Ambushers (poison reduces your AP)
Kill the Shaman immediately — it is the single most important target on a goblin battlefield. High melee skill helps hit evasive goblins and break free from nets. Bring shields — Skirmishers throw constantly. Heavy armor largely negates their damage except Notched Blades which penetrate directly to HP. Goblin cities: consider luring other factions to soften them, or use fire grenades through palisade gaps.
Dangerous in the opening turns but fade as fatigue accumulates — if you can survive the initial assault. Drummers reduce barbarian fatigue every round, sustaining the onslaught longer than expected. Chosen are elite and hit with devastating armor penetration. Unholds controlled by Beastmasters are formation-breaking siege weapons. Barbarian camps are one of the hardest fights in the game.
Reavers Day 30–50 with solid gear. Chosen camps and Beastmaster camps = mid-to-late game only, never underestimate.
Barbarian Chosen (elite, extreme armor penetration), Unholds (massive AoE, formation-breaking, near-unkillable without focus), Beastmasters (control Unholds — kill to trigger feral rage), Drummers (sustain enemy fatigue — priority target)
Kill Drummers early — they sustain the Barbarian onslaught beyond their normal fatigue ceiling. Kill the Beastmaster to send Unholds feral; a feral Unhold attacks both sides indiscriminately. Whips are excellent for disarming Chosen with Skull Hammers before they reach your line. Spearwall + Indomitable to hold against Unhold charges. Weather the opening burst — Barbarians fade fast once fatigued.
Disciplined formation fighters, not brawlers. Banner Bearers sustain their morale through casualties. Heavy crossbow Arbalesters have armor penetration that will shred your backline. Their polearm backline deals reach damage to your frontline from two tiles. These fights are long, expensive, and gear-damaging.
Day 60+ with 200+ armor as a minimum. Noble war contracts only when your company is genuinely established.
Noble Arbalesters (heavy crossbow, armor-piercing — priority target), Banner Bearers (morale sustain — kill early), Footmen with billhooks and pikes (backline reach damage), Noble Knights (elite heavy infantry)
Kill the Banner Bearer fast — it sustains their morale through serious casualties. Arbalesters will shred your backline; close distance quickly or use terrain to deny their sightlines. Contest their polearm backline with your own reach weapons. These fights are expensive — repair bills are high and armor takes serious wear.
More evasive than standard brigands. Sand Throw blinds brothers temporarily. A mix of dodge-focused duelists, Handgonne gunners, and whip users. Generally manageable mid-game enemies but Gunners hit multiple brothers with a single shot and must be dealt with immediately. Good loot source for fencing swords and southern weapons.
Day 20+ with solid gear. Generally the least threatening DLC faction.
Nomad Gunners (Handgonne AoE blasts multiple brothers — kill first), Nomad Duelists (high dodge, hard to hit), Sand Throw (blinds brothers, reduces accuracy)
Kill Gunners first — their Handgonne blast hits multiple brothers simultaneously. Use Anticipation on backline to reduce ranged damage. High melee skill helps against their dodge-based defense. Fight them for the loot — fencing swords and southern weapons are valuable DLC gear.
Purely instinctual — no formation, no morale breaks, no surrender. Wolves and hyenas are early income. Direwolves are a step up. Nachzehrer, Webknecht, and Ijirok are serious mid-to-late threats. Lindwurm and Kraken are legendary encounters. See dedicated entries for Ifrit, Schrat, Hexe, Alp, and Necrosavant.
Wolves/Hyenas: Day 1+. Direwolves: Day 10+ with shields. Nachzehrer/Webknecht: Day 30–50. Lindwurm: Late game only. Kraken: Full 12-bro melee company only.
Nachzehrer (devours fallen brothers to grow stronger), Webknecht (webs immobilize brothers), Ijirok (legendary, extremely mobile — daze and stagger to slow it), Lindwurm (legendary, devastating single target damage), Kraken (legendary, needs all 12 melee brothers)
Nachzehrer — cleave and decapitate corpses before it can devour them, or it grows into a much larger threat. Webknecht — axes cut webs. Ijirok — use daze and stagger effects to prevent it jumping around the field constantly; without those it wastes your entire company chasing it. Lindwurm — pack hammers and maces, aim for the head. Kraken — 12 melee brothers only, no ranged; everyone must be able to engage.
Stone elementals of the southern desert — not fire creatures despite the name. Three sizes: Small, Medium, Large. The danger is the merge/split loop: killing an Ifrit spawns two of the next size down; three adjacent Ifrits of the same size merge into the next size up, fully healed. Medium and Large Ifrits throw a chunk of themselves as a ranged attack that spawns a living Small Ifrit wherever it lands. Immune to all injuries and status effects. Heavy pierce resistance. Blazing Deserts DLC only.
Day 80+ with blunt weapons, kite shields, and solid armor as the safe threshold. Possible around Day 60 with careful tactics, but expect injury costs. Never fight at night — Ifrits ignore darkness penalties while you don't.
Throw attack (spawns Smalls behind your lines — stopped by melee engagement or nets), merge mechanic (three adjacent Smalls become a Medium, fully healed), ArmorMult on Medium/Large (x2/x4 effective armor vs HP damage — far tankier than stats suggest), all piercing damage heavily reduced (bows ~10% effectiveness, spears/daggers ~50%)
Fight in daylight only — Ifrits are immune to night penalties; you are not.
Melee-lock every Medium and Large immediately. Getting adjacent forces them into melee mode (one action per turn, 6 AP cost) and stops throwing completely. Surround them to prevent splitting debris from escaping.
Kill Smalls on sight before they merge. Dogs are excellent Small-hunters for backline patrol. Three adjacent Smalls become a fully-healed Medium — do not let them cluster.
Focus fire to full kills. Never half-kill a Medium if you can't immediately deal with the 2 Smalls it produces. Half-finished fights compound the problem.
Nets root Ifrits and cost 4 AP to break — their entire turn. Use on any Medium or Large you can't immediately melee-lock.
Weapons: blunt/crushing only — maces, war hammers, polehammers. No bows (10% damage), no spears, no daggers. Throwing Axes are the only ranged option worth using. Armor damage works normally — you can strip them; it's HP damage that the ArmorMult throttles. Loot: Sulfurous Rocks (~20% drop) + Nachzehrer Jagged Fangs + 100 crowns = Fire Pots.
Two-phase fight — shielded (2,000 effective HP, barely damageable) and unshielded (vulnerable, destroy it fast). Spawns Sapling mini-Schrats when hit with high-damage blows. AoE attack hits everything in a straight line through obstacles. Pierce-resistant — spears and bows are largely wasted here.
Day 40+ with axes in hand and an established company. Schrats at Day 20–30 will cause serious casualties if unprepared.
The shield (2,000 effective HP while up — breaking it is the entire fight), the linear AoE (injures multiple brothers in a straight line), Saplings (wear you down in long fights), head hits (can injure even late-game brothers)
Step 1 — break the shield with axes. One bro breaks the shield; a second immediately attacks the exposed Schrat. When the shield drops, the Schrat often wastes its next turn regenerating it — use that two-turn window for free focus fire.
Step 2 — manage the Sapling tradeoff. Heavy weapons kill faster but spawn Saplings. Surrounding the Schrat completely prevents Sapling spawns — no free adjacent tiles means nowhere for them to appear.
Step 3 — respect the line attack. Their AoE only hits straight lines. Position backliners at 45-degree angles off the Schrat's facing — these are the blind spots. Never stack brothers in a straight line through a Schrat.
Weapon notes: axes mandatory, never bring pierce. 2H Mace Daze reduces incoming damage. Nimble bros survive better than Battle Forged here — Schrat primary damage shreds armor but the HP underneath absorbs it.
No melee attack, no zone of control, physically fragile — and one of the most dangerous fights in the game. Charm turns your brothers against you for several turns. Hex creates mutual assured destruction — attack the Hexe and the hexed brother takes the same wounds simultaneously. The stronger your company, the more dangerous she becomes. A charmed brother with a Greataxe attacking your line is catastrophic.
Mid-game minimum with solid Resolve. Witch Huts (legendary location) late game only. Never engage without preparing for Charm.
Charm (turns brothers against you — targets low-Resolve brothers with dangerous weapons first), Hex (attacking the Hexe wounds one of your own brothers), charmed brothers' own gear (your best-armed charmed brother is your biggest threat)
Before the fight, give lower-Resolve brothers wooden clubs or weak weapons — a charmed brother with a club is manageable, a charmed brother with a Greataxe is catastrophic. Resolve is your primary defense — Witchhunter background, Undead Trophy necklace, Protective Runes and Sigils, and the Mad trait all provide Charm resistance. Resilient perk reduces Charm duration to a single turn.
Kill the Hexe fast — snipe with archers if you have sightlines, she's fragile. Manage charmed brothers with maces (stun them) and nets (immobilize them). When Hex is active on a brother, use Indomitable on that brother to absorb the reflected damage, or simply wait until it expires before attacking her.
Not physically powerful — the danger is the sleep mechanic. Alps put brothers to sleep; sleeping brothers take armor-ignoring damage. Low-Resolve brothers fall asleep first and are priority targets. A sleeping brother in the wrong position, surrounded by enemies while the Alp feeds, dies fast. Has Nine Lives. Drops crafting materials for the Alp Trophy Necklace (+5 Resolve), which counters Hexe Charm.
Mid-game with solid Resolve. Small numbers manageable from Day 30+. Multiple Alps together are dangerous at any stage.
Sleep (armor-ignoring damage to sleeping targets), targeting AI (finds lowest-Resolve brother), Nine Lives (survives one killing blow)
Resolve is the entire fight — brothers with Resolve below 40–50 are high sleep risk. Keep your Sergeant close to low-Resolve brothers; the banner aura helps. Spread your formation — a sleeping brother surrounded by enemies dies fast; spacing reduces how many can pile on.
Farm Alps deliberately once ready — they drop Third Eye, Parched Skin, and Petrified Scream, all three required for the Alp Trophy Necklace (+5 Resolve) which is one of the best pieces of gear for a Sergeant or low-Resolve brother and directly counters Hexe Charm. Like Necrosavants, Alps have Nine Lives — have a follow-up attack ready.
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.
Budget:
Late Game / Premium:
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.
The primary frontline damage dealer. Berserk (+4 AP on every kill) combined with AoE attacks creates a kill-chain loop — one kill fuels the next swing. Battle Forged is mandatory: this bro carries no shield, so armor is his only protection against arrows. High fatigue is the enabling stat — Berserk + AoE burns through it fast.
Carried via Quick Hands — swap situationally.
Position on flanks or second rank, not center — Round Swing hits allies. Use Quick Hands to swap to reach weapon in the AP window after a Berserk proc. Recover for goblin shaman fights and protracted battles where fatigue bottoms out.
Stars in MATK primary, stars in FAT critical — this bro needs more fatigue than a Fatigue Neutral. Min 100 base fatigue on recruit (higher than Fatigue Neutral's 90+ because Berserk burns through it). Hedge Knights, Lumberjacks, Sellswords. Strong and Iron Lungs traits excellent.
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.
The only build in the game where Initiative is a primary offensive stat. Lunge damage scales with current initiative — at 89 it matches base weapon damage, at 175 it doubles. Lunge also ignores zones of control, letting this bro jump past front lines to hit necromancers, shamans, and backline targets.
A genuine glass cannon: devastating against light and medium armored enemies, weak against heavily armored targets and Ancient Dead (Lunge is piercing damage — undead are resistant). Run 1–2 maximum, ideally as a pair on one flank. Gear-dependent — a famed fencing sword makes a significant difference.
Never use in a static line fight — Lunge requires mobility to shine. Use Wait to act later when enemies have moved, then Lunge through their lines to reach priority targets. Fatigue degrades initiative each turn, so long fights hurt this build — engage fast and disengage if the fight drags. Completely useless against Ancient Dead; rotate him out before those fights. Positioning: flanks only, never center.
Initiative stars are the unusual priority — treat them like MATK stars on any other bro. MDEF stars second. Strong trait is especially valuable (protects up to 10 initiative from armor weight penalty). Quick (+10 INI), Iron Lungs, and Nimble traits all good. Gladiator and Oathsworn are the best backgrounds. Avoid any recruit who will go Old — it tanks initiative.
Strong vs: Goblins, humans, Orc Young, Orc Berserkers, beasts
Weak vs: Ancient Dead (pierce resistant), Orc Warriors (heavy armor), any fight requiring static line holding
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.
The Orc Cleaver with Duelist is one of the strongest single-target duelist weapons in the game — arguably stronger than the flail for non-shielded targets. Cleaver Mastery doubles bleed damage to 20 HP per turn over two turns, counters Nine Lives, and reduces fatigue cost by 25%. The tradeoff is losing the flail's shield bypass — the Cleaver Duelist struggles against shielded enemies where the Flail Duelist excels. Carry a Rondel in the bag for heavily armored targets. Pair with a whip via Quick Hands for disarm utility at 3-tile range — 4AP cleaver attack + 5AP disarm fits cleanly in a single turn. Use this variant when you have access to a named or Orc Cleaver, your company already has other shield-bypass coverage, or you're fighting enemies without shields where bleed and Decapitate outperform headshot farming.
The inverse of most builds — damage scales with how many enemies swing at you, not how often you attack. Sword Riposte triggers a free counter-attack every time an enemy misses. With Nimble, Dodge, and a Noble Sword, this bro becomes extremely hard to hit and generates free damage every turn by standing his ground. Thrives when surrounded. Lone Wolf amplifies it.
Completely different tactical identity from the Qatal Duelist — passive, reactive, attrition-based.
Armor: Light — Nimble requires it. Davkul Armor set is the ideal named item if available.
Position on a flank or isolated spot where multiple enemies will engage him — not the center of the line. Use Wait to let enemies come to him. Lone Wolf activates at 4+ tiles from allies — pull him slightly back to proc it. Do not pair with a Rotation bro to pull him out of trouble — being surrounded is the point. Watch Resolve: a morale drop disengages him from exactly the position he needs to be in.
Strong vs: Enemies that attack frequently — undead hordes, human swarms, orc young
Weak vs: Ranged/shaman types who don't attack, Ancient Dead, fights where a surrounded position can't be established
MDEF stars are the absolute priority above MATK for this build. INI stars also valuable. Swordmaster background natural fit; Thief also strong. Nimble, Sure Footing (+5 MDEF), and Dexterous traits. Avoid Old trait — tanks initiative and reduces Nimble activation chance.
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 — 3-tile disarm at 5AP, with Cleaver Mastery cancelling the hit penalty. This creates two distinct upgrade paths:
Path A — Polearm/Whip Disarmer (standard): Keep Polearm Mastery as primary. Add Cleaver Mastery and Quick Hands. In a single turn: disarm a dangerous enemy (5AP) + polearm strike (5AP), or two disarm attempts. Powerful against Barbarian Chosen with Skull Hammers, hedge knights, and any high-damage enemy you can't kill in one turn. Most Polearm Specialists should end up here.
Path B — Dedicated Whip Specialist: High MATK but lower MDEF bro who stays in the backline and focuses primarily on disarming. Takes Polearm Mastery and Cleaver Mastery with Quick Hands but uses the whip more than the polearm. Functions as a soft control bro rather than a damage dealer. The whip is effectively a better net against weapon-using enemies — it has 3-tile range, doesn't require the target to be immobile, and works on stun-immune enemies like orcs. In the right fight (orc warlord camps, Barbarian Chosen, hedge knight ambushes) he's invaluable. For Ironman players, one dedicated Path B bro in reserve is worth considering for legendary location fights.
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 | INI | HP | Fatigue (base) | Resolve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fatigue Neutral | 80+ | 30+ | — | — | 75+ | 105–110 | 50+ |
| BF Berserker | 90+ | 25+ | — | — | 80+ | 130+ | 50+ |
| Polearm Specialist | 85+ | 25+ | — | — | 75+ | 110+ | 50+ |
| Tank (Wall) | 70 | 40+ | — | — | 80–100 | 130+ | 70+ |
| Monolith | — | 40+ | — | — | 80+ | 130+ (cycle) | 80+ |
| DQH | 85+ | 30+ | — | — | 70+ | 100–110 | 50+ |
| Qatal Duelist | 85+ | 30+ | — | 140 | 65+ | 90+ (light armor) | 50+ |
| Fencer | 85+ | 50+ | — | 170 | 70+ | 90+ (light armor) | 50+ |
| Riposte Swordmaster | 85+ | 50+ | — | — | 70+ | 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 are nearly an auto-hire — strong starting combat stats and flexible enough for many roles. 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.