Strategy - Combat Builds

General Information:

"Combat Builds" refers to builds which place 2 points into Combat. They are ideal for players who want to roleplay an excellent warrior and strategist.

Combat builds come in two varieties: 2COM/1CHA or 2COM/1INT. The former are easier to essay, because

1) Their raid options are more circumscribed, as they cannot raid Architelone or set up the Owlscap Protection Racket.

2) Charisma's bonuses are mostly passive and do not require much deliberate effort to exploit.

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In this page, I will focus on how to succeed with Combat Builds. I will focus on defeating the Archon in the final battle, because that is harder to do (thanks to your lieutenants dissenting and even deserting), but you can also apply my advice for any path you choose in Chapter 4.

I will begin with the easiest build to use, which is as follows:

2COM/1CHA Aristocrat

Ruthless/Devout/Cosmopolitan

Low Anarchy (Jailbreak Start)

This build aims to get the support of Nobles and Merchants and secure the 3 attribute bonuses, which will give you enough troops to easily defeat the Archon without losing any lieutenants.

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In Act1, you want to select "My family was noble before the conquest" when selecting your name, which means your house name will be "de ______."

Select "The Thaumatarch's lack of ruthlessness" and "the way the Hegemony keeps us cut off" as your reasons for rebellion, IN THAT ORDER.

Begin the rebellion by staying quiet during the Harrowing, then select "Death without Trial..."

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Act 2 is easy with this build. You want to set rations to "Healthy," then set Mules for sick to 0. You will only raid Yeomen for grain/mules, NEVER raid Helots, Nobles, or Merchants on this build.

If I'm a few bushels away from what I need at the start of the week, I prefer just to buy them (and add an extra bushel to avoid game rounding errors.)

In later weeks, you will do recruiting. Have Breden do 1 run in Weeks 7-10, then have Radmar do all your other runs.

In Week 1, send Breden to get mules, then have yourself go to Alaine to set up the smuggling mission. Have the rest of your people raid yeomen farms for grain/mules.

In Week 2, send Breden to get mules, then send people to scout for mules to raid, then have the rest steal mules from yeomen.

In Week 3, send your remaining people to steal mules from Yeomen.

In Week 4, raid the Mine yourself, and ask its people to join you.

In Week 5, raid the Monastery, and send the remainder to steal mules from Yeomen.

In Week 6, you will smuggle the goods for Alaine (and she will give you lots of food later!). Raid Yeomen for the other food you need for this week.

In Weeks 7-10, you'll focus on recruiting, only raiding Yeomen for necessary food. As I said above, have Breden do 1 run, then have Radmar do the rest.

At the end of Act 2, sell all except 15 of your mules, buy enough weapons for your band, Have Sybla train your outlaws, and give about 1K each to Helots and Yeomen.

Then switch your name to a Karagond name, for extra Cosmopolitan points, and a boost to your relations with the nobility.

When Simon comes, say "the temptation of a young nobleman," which will open up a gameplay option later. If you made Breden a guy, you don't have to do this. You don't have to do it anyways, it makes a minimal gameplay difference.

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In Act 3, avoid being too nice to Linos/Horion at the start (have Zvad bring them to camp and ask them why they are trespassing.) When Linos asks why you think you can succeed, pick "Others had no hesitation." Accept his offer to become Eclect and be genuine about it.

When Hector attacks, choose "The infatuation..." and then "I pined after him unrequitedly..." Then send him a letter. Calea will intercept it. Ask her to give you information about Hector and his Veneurs.

Then say you will hit back at the wealth of House Keriatou, and select "try to incite the shepherds." Bring both Breden and Simon along. When Simon starts an argument about poaching, select "the first thing to do is to take back the rights the Karagonds stole from us."

When on the initial scouting, have your archers shoot down the sentries. Simon will complain, but shoot them anyways. This gives you the Ruthless points buffer you need for the later compassion you show to Uthwen, saying "As we agreed, no need for you to kill fellow Brecklanders."

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Act 4 will begin. Have only Radmar speak, fortunately you have built up his influence enough for him to carry the day for you. Then the Laconniers will give you some fancy Theurgic weapons. Select "Lure them deep into the wild" to start the combat.

Sell all your mules, donate about 1K each to Helots and Yeomen, then buy weapons with the rest of your money.

Your actions over the game will result in various parties helping you. The Nobles will only make a perfunctory effort to fight you, and one will lead a Theurge and Phalangites into the middle of nowhere. The Merchants will screw around with the enemy supply.

Then, raid the enemy Theurges and Supply Train. Use your Spear against the Theurges. You'll end up taking both of them down, so the enemy won't have any left!

Then set the forest on fire to ruin the enemy further.

Then, the poisoning will happen. Disarm Radmar, then trust Breden.

The Plektoi will come next. After the first one, select "Rally the outlaws before they break." When you face the second one, run in search of a narrower passage, then turn and put its eye out.

After all is said and done, select "Today we destroy them" and get ready to finish the game. Simply lead the charge against the enemy, and you will win in one combat round with everybody alive. The final screens should look as follows.



Winning with a Helot on a High Anarchy + Uprising start is significantly more difficult, because you have to feed/grow/arm a large band. Furthermore, you cannot use Breden to recruit every time, as then she becomes more influential and will try to force the band to return to the camps (which you don't want.)

One build and strategy (by no means the only one) to defeat the Archon's Army without losing any lieutenants is as follows:

2COM/1INT Helot

Ruthless/Devout Homelander

High Anarchy - Uprising Start

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In Acts 1 and 2, general principles are as follows:

Select the Jongler start and select "keep singing" to keep Carles alive.

Select "The Thaumatarch's lack of ruthlessness" and "the subjugation of my homeland" as your reasons for rebellion, IN THAT ORDER.

Begin the rebellion (end of Chapter 1) by making a brutal example of the Alastors and Theurges, then raiding everyone you can find.

In Act 2, set rations to subsistence for healthy, healthy rations for sick

Always buy enough food to make up the difference between your current share and how much you need, with an extra bushel or 2 to avoid rounding errors. At the start of Week 3, I prefer to sell a mule to do this. If you do run short, send 5 people to rob Yeomen.

Always be as brutal and violent as you can, except for when 1) you ask the mine workers to join you, and 2) you accept Bleys into your band.

Always set as many traps as you can (up to 50 per week). Trapping aggressively is the most important part of your Winter strategy, and will pay massive dividends in the fight with the Archon.

Recruit with your remaining rebels whenever possible. Avoid using Breden for over 4 recruitment runs.

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Specific Winter Advice is as follows

In week 1, send Breden to beg for mules

In week 1, scout for mules to steal

In week 1: Coerce the secret of the Architelone's travel from Bleys

In week 1, steal mules from Yeomen

In weeks 1/2, steal mules from Merchants

In weeks 1/2/4: Raid Owlscap with Zvad/Elery (1), then just Elery (2/4)

In week 3, steal mules from the mine and the monastery

In week 6, you can now go to Alaine and set up a protection racket in the Owlscap.

In week 7-9, whenever it comes, raid the Architelone (with only Radmar.)

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In Act 3, avoid being too nice to Linos/Horion at the start (have Zvad bring them to camp and ask them why they are trespassing.) When Linos asks why you think you can succeed, pick "Others had no hesitation." Accept his offer to become Eclect and be genuine about it.

When Hector attacks, choose to hit back at the wealth of Keriatou, and bring only Kalt. Choose the most ruthless moves, shooting down the sentries and killing everyone.

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In Act 4, have only Kalt/Bethune/Radmar speak, then choose to fight. Zvad will leave because he is a fool.

Buy enough weapons and information to make up the difference, then donate to Helots/Yeomen/Priests.

You can have whoever raid the enemy, it doesn't make a difference. Either way, your traps will utterly slaughter your foes.

DO NOT attack Theurges, it will lead to losing Kalt, and for little gain because the game indexes much more heavily on enemy soldiers remaining rather than theurges remaining. However, DO attack the enemy Supply Train.

When the Theurges and Plektoi come for you, choose "Rally the outlaws before they break" when applicable.

Then select "Today we destroy them" and lead the charge against the enemy. You will win in 2 combat rounds, with all lieutenants alive.

Endgame screens should look like this (Zvad isn't actually with you, the game just shows him anyways.)