Wartales Best Builds (Opinion) (2024)

Overview[]

This guide offers an idea of what are the most useful setups in most situations encountered throughout the game. There is no such thing as completely useless specialization, perk or skill. Under the right circ*mstances each companion setup has a chance to shine. Equipment, camp perks, game knowledge, food, rest, enemies and other companions contribute to what makes a certain specialized class effective.

The recommended choices are based on three parameters: Adaptive Exploration, Experienced/Expert Combat Difficulty and Experienced/Expert Survival Difficulty. So please take this into consideration when addressing the guide.

I've found the optimal crew size to cover all needs to be consisting of 10 human companions, one for each profession: 2 Archers, 3 Rangers, 1 Brute, 2 Swordsmen, 1 Spearman and 1 Warrior. I have finished all Arenas on all Arena difficulties and Expert Combat with the following setup: 2 Hunter Archers, 1 Protector Swordsman and 1 Poisoner Ranger.

Initial considerations[]

1. Career Plans Game knowledge needs to researched as fast as possible in order to grant companions an extra aptitude point upon level up.

2. Fast Training knowledge gives one attribute point to each new recruit, so consider this an early game priority as well.

3. Strategy Table at the Camp should have the following skills picked: Perspective, to increase shooting attacks by 20%; Deployment, which adds 20% extra deployment slots at the start of the battle and Repositioning, which resets movement for

4. Constitution seems to be the least useful attribute to dump points into as health is less important than armor and DoT effects scale percentage-wise, regardless of the amount of health you have.

5. Willpower increases the morale of your troops in a battle and also critical hit. The higher your team's total willpower, the more likely for your enemy crew to bail out earlier. However, on adaptive exploration, fights are more or less evenly matched. Thus, increasing your team's Willpower doesn't make too much of a difference to worth sacrificing other more useful attributes.

6. As a rule of thumb, Rangers and Archers should focus on raising their Dexterity and Critical Hit attributes, while Brutes, Swordsmen, Warriors and Spearmen should increase their Strength and in some cases maybe Critical Hit.

7. Movement is an important initial stat which offers mobility and opportunity for hit and run tactics. Archers benefit the least from it while Rangers the most.

8. The first two rounds are decisive for the outcome of most battles. Therefore, all companions should focus on eliminating as many enemies as possible during these rounds. Any skills/setups which show their potential after the first two rounds are rather ineffective. There is some time for planning, but not that much. Otherwise it's likely to get outnumbered and overwhelmed by enemies.

9. Apart from Rangers, who are meant to be played offensively, all out-offensive melee builds are riskier to play than more defensive approaches.

Archer[]

Attributes[]

Archers should prioritize Critical Hit and Dexterity. I advise dropping most points into Critical Hit in a 4:1 ratio (4 Critical Hit increases for each point invested in Dexterity)

Movement should also be increased so that an archer gets at least 10 movement points in the end. 12 is optimal.

Late game, with equipment, weapon oil and food boost (profession boost/traits maybe) you should reach around 90% Critical Hit chance, which is enough. Of course you can invest all points in Critical Hit chance and reach 100% chance, but the extra 10% doesn't seem to cover the damage potential lost by not investing in Dexterity. Still debatable though.

Equipment[]

Archers should look for equipment that boosts Range and Critical Hit Chance above all.

Rare armor sets like Captain and Trapper give extra 2 range. Rare armor sets like Looter and Ringleader increase critical hit chance by 7%

Stimulating Coating is the best helmet stamp to be used. It increases damage by 20% if the unit has no debuffs, which usually shouldn't have, as Archers are meant to stay away from enemy sight.

Stiletto belt accessory improves critical hit by 5% and Light Feathers belt accessory improve range by 1.

Armor layers like Layer of the Falcon increases Critical Chance and Dexterity while Layer of the Rat increases Critical Chance and movement.

Sharpening Oil I applied to a weapon increases Critical Chance by 10%. As second oil, they can use a status effect inducer like Acidic Oil, which has 50% chance to inflict Burning (100% if oil concentrate is used); Misty Oil, which has 50% chance (100% if oil concentrate is used) to also deal 50% extra damage to enemies next to the target; Infectious Oil, which has 50% chance (100% if oil concentrate is used) to apply a status effect inflicting damage equal to 50% of the attack; or Swiftness Oil, which has a 50% chance (100% if oil concentrate is used) to increase Dexterity with each attack. Moreover, Immunity Oil paired with corresponding oil concentrate grants full resistance to fire/burn/poison, something to be considered as well.

The rare War Bow is a great weapon which hits twice on Critical Hit and should be given to the archer with the most critical Hit Chance.

The legendary The Indomitable One is arguably the best bow in the game due to it's multi-target and crit effects. It should be equipped to a second archer.

Level 2

Name	Bonus	Comments
Valorous Audacity (Passive)	Every time this unity ends their turn next to an enemy and is not engaged (yourself) in combat, you gain 1	👎 Worst pick. Archers are meant to stay away from enemies as much as possible.
Valorous Victory (Passive)	Every time this unity kills an enemy, you gain 1	👍👍 Best pick. You aim to make you archer strong enough to one-shot enemies as often as possible. It's the best way to gain
Valorous Support (Passive)	Every time this unity ends their turn next to an ally and is not engaged in combat, you gain 1	👍 Second best pick. Playing close to your fellow team mates is not a bad choice, but it's not always the best option when enemies draw too near.

Level 3

Name	Bonus	Upgrade	Comments
[Hunter] Recoil Shot 9m Shot, Light armor	cost 1 : Deals 70-100% damage. 2m knockback. Slowdown for 1 round.	cost 1 : Deals 80-120% damage. 3m knockback. Slowdown for 2 rounds.	👍👍 Best pick. Knocking back and slowing down are great ways to reduce too many enemies rushing at you and to keep at distance.
[Beastmaster] ATTACK! 12m range, Light armor	Cost 1 : All allied animals next to the target attack them with an attack of opportunity.	Cost 1 : All allied animals next to the target gain Fury and strike it with an attack of opportunity.	👍 Good pick if you plan to use animals in your crew. However, for the moment, you cannot garrison animals and you need a bunch of them in order for a beastmaster to be effective. Thus, you might need to replace some people in your crew in order to afford the upkeep.
[Infantryman] Barrage 9m area, Light armor	Cost 2 : Performs an attack of opportunity against the first 3 enemies crossing the area.	Cost 2 : Performs an attack of opportunity against the first 4 enemies crossing the area.	👎 In theory it sounds strong, but in practice you have to plan carefully to make sure you benefit from the skill. Too risky in my opinion, as the terrain and enemy positioning might mess up your trapping.
[Marksman] Aimed Shot 8m Shot, Light armor	Cost 2 : Deals 70% damage to the target. Damage increased by 5% for each meter separating the target from this unit.	Cost 2 : Deals 70% damage to the target. Damage and critical hit chance increased by 5% for each meter separating the target from this unit.	👍 This skill is potentially stronger than Hunter's Recoil Shot in terms of damage and critical hit chance, gets even better with range bonus armor equipped and synergies with Subtlety and Thrill of the Hunte later passives. However, the cost of using the skill, the need of always being at quite a distance from the enemy (which decreases accuracy) and the lack of nerfing effects does not outweigh the Hunter's skill on long-term.

Aim, First Aid and Run general skills should be acquired for Archers.

Brute[]

Attributes[]

The only two attributes relevant to Brutes are Strength and Movement.

Movement should be raised to 16 to mitigate the -2 heavy armor penalty. 14 movements points are ok. Every other point should be invested in Strength.

Equipment[]

Brutes are better off with equipment which boosts Strength, Armor and Guard.

Any rare Heavy set will do for a Brute Destroyer. Peacebearer , Corporal or Paladin increase armor, but also critical hit/damage.

Enhanced Visibility offers an attack of opportunity with each enemy engagement. This helmet stamp is very useful for a 2h Brute.

A corresponding oil concentrate should cover the belt accessory. Otherwise, there is a wide array of options to fill the slot. Comfort cancels the movement penalty from Heavy Armor. Trophy of Legends allows you to use two base actions in the same turn, once/fight. Leather Straps increases Guard by 10% while engaged. Stiletto increases Critical Hit by 5%. Rend increases Critical Hit by 10% against enemies wearing light armor. Tule Horn increases damage by 10%, but decreases movement by 1 (can be mitigated with an armor layer which grants movement) or Sewn Crest for a 5% chance to generate 1 at the end of their turn etc.

The best armor layers to use are Layers of the Ox, which increase armor and guard, as increasing guard to a decent amount is more useful than increasing strength. 80% is maximum guard and it's decent to have above 60% late game.

Choose Sharpening Oil to increase Critical Hit Chance and one of the following: Misty Oil, which has 50% chance (100% if oil concentrate is used) to also deal 50% extra damage to enemies next to the target; Infectious Oil which has 50% chance (100% if oil concentrate is used) to apply a status effect inflicting damage equal to 50% of the attack; Whetting Oil, which has 50% chance to inflict Bleeding (100% if oil concentrate is used); or Strength Oil, which has a 50% chance (100% if oil concentrate is used) to increase Strength with each attack. Moreover, Immunity Oil paired with corresponding oil concentrate grants full resistance to fire/burn/poison, something to be considered as well.

Legendary 2h mace Dagan's Hammer is a Destroyer Brute's end-game best weapon, which can hit three times in a row if at least 2 enemies are in range. If Overwhelming Presence passive was chosen, it displays its full potential against enemies with less armor (especially light and medium armored humans) when it crits.

Level 2

Name	Bonus	Upgrade	Attribute Bonus	Comments
[Vanguard] Relentless Charge, Med armor	Cost 1 : Disengages and charges in a straight line. Deals 60% damage to all units in their path and applies Slowdown for 1 round	Cost 1 : Disengages and charges in a straight line. Deals 60% damage to all units in their path and applies Slowdown for 1 round. If ends next to an enemy, gains Fury.	Strength	👎 As long as you have at least one archer in your team with slowing down abilities, this choice is rather useless.
[Smasher] Poisoned Impact, Med armor	Cost 1 : Deals 60% damage to all units in the area. Applies 2 Poisons to bleeding units.	Cost 1 : Deals 60% damage to all units in the area. Applies 2 Poisons to all units as well as 2 Poisons to bleeding units.	Strength	👍 This choice is not bad if the brute uses a one handed hammer and a shield to cover the inability to use heavy armor. Applying poison to enemies synergizes with a Poisoner Ranger's main skill, but it's not good enough to replace the usefulness of a Destroyer. To be treated as second choice.
[Destroyer] Weakening Blow, Heavy armor	Cost 1 : Deals 70-90% damage and applies Weakening for 3 rounds.	Cost 1 : Deals 70-90% damage and applies Weakening for 3 rounds. If already Weakened, applies Vulnerability.	Constitution	👍👍 This is the best choice. In order to be effective with this attack, you need to use a multiple enemy-hitting 2H hammer to apply weakening/vulnerability to more than one target.
[Brawler] Thunderous Blow, Heavy armor	Cost 1 : Deals 20-40% damage to the target. If engaged in combat with an ally, this skill forces them to disengage and the ally inflicts an attack of opportunity.	Cost 1 : Deals 20-40% damage to the target. If engaged in combat with an ally, this skill forces them to disengage and the ally inflicts an attack of opportunity. Ambush: Applies Vulnerability.	Constitution	👎 This specialization depends on other classes' abilities and how do they react to disengagement . Sometimes disengaging an ally is not the best strategic option. Attacks need to be carefully chosen. To situational and niche to be overall useful.

Level 3

Name	Bonus	Comments
Defensive stance (Instant, Base action)	Gains Deflection if engaged in combat, you gain 1	👎 You rather attack than use defensive stance. Tanking is for Swordsmen.
Valorous Chain (Passive)	Every time an attack hits several enemies, you gain 1	👍 This passive synergizes better with Smasher and less with a Destroyer, who needs a AoE weapon.
Valorous Duel (Passive)	Every time this unit engages in combat, you gain 1	👍👍 This is the best overall choice as engaging in combat is usually more likely than having multiple enemies to hit.

Level 10

Name	Bonus	Comments
Second Weapon (Instant)	Can equip a second weapon and swap in combat	👎 A good weapon with the right oils should be reliable enough to never pick this skill
Defensive Riposte (Passive)	When unit disengages, they have a 50% chance to deal an attack of opportunity instead of taking one	👎 Why would you risk receiving damage for disengaging for a potential AoO?
Intervention (Melee)	Cost 1 : The unit can swap places with an adjacent ally engaged in combat. The unit then becomes engaged in combat and deals an attack of opportunity	👍 It's an emergency skill to save a nearby weaker team member, better than other options.

A Brute should get the following general skills: Wrath, First Aid, Run and Taunt.

Ranger[]

Attributes[]

A ranger should prioritize Critical Hit and Dexterity. I advise dropping most points into Critical Hit in a 4:1 ratio (4 Critical Hit increases for each point invested in Dexterity)

Movement should also be increased so that an archer gets at least 14 movement points in the end. 16 is optimal.

Late game, with equipment, weapon oil and food boost (profession boost/traits maybe) you should reach around 90% Critical Hit chance, which is enough. Of course you can invest all points in Critical Hit chance and reach 100% chance, but the extra 10 doesn't seem to cover the damage potential lost by not investing in Dexterity. Still debatable though.

Equipment[]

Rangers should be looking for equipment which increases Critical Hit, Critical Damage and Dexterity.

Ringleader and Looter Rare armor sets give 7% extra critical hit chance.

Intimidating Effigy increases damage by 10% for each debuff applied to the target, while Stimulating Coating increases damage by 20% if the unit has no debuffs. Both helmet stamps work for Rangers. The former is more reliable, but less rewarding, while the latter is riskier, but more powerful. Poisoners can also use Assassin's Strychnine, which increases damage by 25% against poisoned units.

Brave's Oil Concentrate is the best belt accessory this class can get due to its ability to fully retrieve 1 with each action done and due to the multitude of actions rangers get to perform.

Best armor layers for Rangers are Layers of the Falcon, which increase dexterity and critical hit.

Sharpening Oil boost critical hit chance and Brave's Oil insures a lot of damage from Rangers with no spent.

A Poisoner with Elderguard also make use of an off-slot throwing dagger (increases critical hit chance) or torch (causes burn) and can dance around the field poisoning and nerfing groups of foes ' chance to hit, while resetting their movement and getting back their with each action.

A Cutthroat's best end game main weapon is the legendary Kruppe's Saex dagger which can poison, slow down and nerf a foe's attack of opportunity,. The off-hand slot should be covered by one of the legendary throwing axes Progress (boosts critical hit and damage by 5%) or Faithless (boosts critical hit and damage by 10%) which do some extra damage as well, with each Valour-based skill action and any skill action respectively performed. An Assassin, as 3rd Ranger in the team, should use a rare Ringleader's Dagger for it's whirlwind multi-target effect which releases a poison cloud under each of the attacked enemy, if they are at least 2.

Level 2

Name	Bonus	Comments
Valorous Audacity (Passive)	Every time this unity ends their turn next to an enemy and is not engaged (yourself) in combat, you gain 1	👎 You don't want you ranger to end their turn near enemies. They are fragile!
Valorous Victory (Passive)	Every time this unity kills an enemy, you gain 1	👍👍 Along with archers, rangers are potentially the most damaging units in the game/round and specialized finishers, due to their mobility. Thus this option is the best pick.
Valorous Support (Passive)	Every time this unity ends their turn next to an ally and is not engaged in combat, you gain 1	👍 Not a bad choice, but the previous one is better.

Level 3

Name	Bonus	Upgrade	Comments
[Cutthroat] Frenzy (Melee), Light armor	Cost 2 : deals 35-45% damage. Ambush (an attack from behind) performs 2 additional attacks	Cost 2 : deals 35-45% damage. Ambush (an attack from behind) performs 2 additional attacks. Fatal Blow: This skill can be reused this round.	👍👍 This specialization is potentially the most damaging in the whole game if performed properly and with right equipment/skills. It's a great first choice for a ranger. The cost is high but this can be mitigated.
[Strategist] Smoke Screen (10m area), Light armor	Cost 1 : Forces enemies engaged in the area to disengage. They incur an attack of opportunity from their opponent.	Cost 1 : Forces enemies engaged in the area to disengage. They incur an attack of opportunity from their opponent. Enemies not engaged are knocked back 2m	👎 This choice is too situational and works against companions which are better off engaged. There are better options.
[Poisoner] Poison Vial (9m area), Light armor	Cost 1 : Applies 4 Poison to all units in the area	Cost 1 : Applies 4 Poison to all units in the area. Applies Vulnerability to those who are already poisoned.	👍👍 Great DoT status effect applier. Best used attacking from afar and moving around using AoE skills. There is one unique rare dagger which makes this specialization shine: Elderguard, which causes the ranger to disengage (if needed) and deal damage to the nearest 3 enemies within 4 meters. Best specialization for your second ranger.
[Assassin] Right between the Eyes (6m shot), Light armor (Unlocked after Smot's Arena)	Cost 1 : Inflicts 40-60% damage and applies Bleeding. if the target is already bleeding, 2x damage.	Cost 1 : Inflicts 40-60% damage and applies Bleeding. if the target is already bleeding, 2x damage. Crit Damage +30%	👍 This choice is also nice because you can hit from afar, cause bleeding and more damage to already bleeding targets. Best third choice for a ranger.

Level 8

Name	Bonus	Upgrade	Comment
Explosive Gas (9m area, targeting)	Cost 2 : Doubles the Poison of all units in the area next turn	Cost 2 : Doubles the Poison of all units in the area next turn. Then leaves a pool of poison	👎 Too expensive for its usefulness.
Low Blow (2m area)	Cost 1 : Applies Blackout (50% change to miss) to all enemies in the area	Cost 1 : Applies Blackout (50% change to miss) to all enemies in the area (4m area)	👍👍👍 Nerfing a group of enemies so they have a 50% chance to miss is extremely useful and can turn the tide of a battle. Best option to choose for a Poisoner due to its mobility and AoE attack. Also good for Assassins.
Cold Blooded (Passive)	Damage of attacks from behind increased by 20%	Damage of attacks from behind increased by 35%	👍👍 Pick this option for a Cutthroat if you have at least another Ranger in your main crew with Low Blow picked up.
Retreat (Passive)	Disengages at the end of their turn	Disengages at the end of their turn. If already engaged in combat, this unit gains Riposte.	👎 This skill requires a ranger to be near an enemy at the end of their turn, which is to be avoided at all costs. Rangers are too fragile.

Rangers should get as many actions/skills as possible to benefit from their Legendary Throwing Daggers' attacks, movement reset and reimbursem*nt. Thus, Wrath, First Aid, Run, but also remaining general skills: Taunt and Aim are to be acquired for Rangers.

Spearman[]

Attributes[]

Spearmen should focus on increasing Strength and Movement.

Movement is recommended to be raised to a minimum of 14 points. Every other point should be invested in Strength.

Equipment[]

A Spearman should go for items that increase Strength and Critical Hit.

A rare medium armor set like Colossus, which boosts critical hit chance by an extra 10% is a great choice.

Intimidating Effigy increases damage by 10% for each debuff applied to the target, while Stimulating Coating increases damage by 20% if the unit has no debuffs. Both helmet stamps work for Spearmen. The former is more reliable, but less rewarding, while the latter is riskier, but more powerful.

As belt accessory, a Spearman can use a corresponding oil concentrate or other useful items: Trophy of Legends allows you to use two base actions in the same turn, once/fight. Stiletto increases Critical Hit by 5%. Rend increases Critical Hit by 10% against enemies wearing light armor. Tule Horn increases damage by 10%, but decreases movement by 1 (can be mitigated with an armor layer which grants movement) or Sewn Crest for a 5% chance to generate 1 at the end of their turn etc.

An efficient Spearman is pretty straightforward in terms of armor layers: full Layers of the Serpent, which increases Strength and Critical Chance.

Any Spearman benefits Sharpening Oil, which causes extra 10% critical hit chance. As second oil, they can use a status effect inducer like Acidic Oil, which has 50% chance to inflict Burning (100% if oil concentrate is used); Misty Oil, which has 50% chance (100% if oil concentrate is used) to also deal 50% extra damage to enemies next to the target; Infectious Oil, which has 50% chance (100% if oil concentrate is used) to apply a status effect inflicting damage equal to 50% of the attack; or Strength Oil, which has a 50% chance (100% if oil concentrate is used) to increase Strength with each attack. Moreover, Immunity Oil paired with corresponding oil concentrate grants full resistance to fire/burn/poison, something to be considered as well.

Spearman's best end-game weapon is the legendary halberd Liberator, which deals damage, forces the target to disengage and resets the skill if the unit was already engaged to the target.

Level 2

Name	Bonus	Upgrade
Valorous Audacity (Passive)	Every time this unity ends their turn next to an enemy and is not engaged (yourself) in combat, you gain 1	👍 It's a good choice if you play your spearman more offensive and out in the open. However, this is riskier and rather to be avoided
Valorous Victory (Passive)	Every time this unity kills an enemy, you gain 1	👍👍 It's rather debatable whether this is the best pick for a Spearman. I personally prefer it because I use Spearman as a finisher. Also it's better not to rely on the companion engagement status, unless you get your hand on the legendary halberd Liberator, which forces the enemy to disengage after each attack, in which case Valorous Audacity might seem a good choice. Still, it's preferable not to rely on the spearman ending its turn near an enemy as the companion is meant as a second liner, behind your troops. Therefore, Valorous Support comes in handy.
Valorous Support (Passive)	Every time this unity ends their turn next to an ally and is not engaged in combat, you gain 1	👍👍 It's a good choice if you tend to play your spearman behind a tank.

Level 3

Name	Bonus	Upgrade	Comments
[Harpooner] Piercing Throw (8m area), Med armor	Cost 1 : Deals 55% damage to all units in a line. Applies Bleeding to the first unit hit	Cost 1 : Deals 55% damage to all units in a line. Applies Bleeding	👍👍 Best choice. Bit situational because of the enemy line positioning requirement, yet useful especially the first turn, when enemies are positioned more convenient. Upgraded, it applies bleed to every enemy hit, which is powerful.
[Herald] Rallying Cry (4m area), Med armor	Cost 1 : Applies Fury to all allies in the area	Cost 1 : Applies Fury to all allies in the area (6m area)	👎 I don't find this skill that useful because of companions being usually spread out throughout the field.
[Pikeman] Spear Wall (3m area), Med armor	Cost 2 : Targeting. Performs 1 attack of opportunity and stops them in their tracks	Cost 2 : Targeting. Performs 2 attack of opportunity and stops them in their tracks	👎 This specialization works like the infantryman archer. Moreover, you need to play more offensive and get close to enemies in order to be effective, which is not preferable for a spearman. Also it costs 2 which is expensive. I find tactical trap setting builds in this game rather situational and meant for experienced players who know how enemy AI works and can predict their actions.
[Halberdier] Controlled Whirlwind (2.5m area), Med armor	Cost 1 : Deals 30% damage to all units in the target area and knocks them back by 2 metres. Damage increased by 40% for each unit in the target area.	Cost 1 : Deals 30% damage to all units in the target area and knocks them back by 2 metres. Damage increased by 60% for each unit in the target area.	👍 Even though this attack is AoE, the damage is quite low and the knock back is usually not that far away to bring extra damage. Also, the attack applies to your companions as well and requires multiple targets to be effective. Sometimes it might ruin your good positioning in order to find a good place on the field to unleash the whirlwind. Still, this specialization works better than Pikeman and Herald because of its potential. It's a second choice, behind Harpooner.

Level 8

Name	Bonus	Upgrade	Comments
Preparedness (Passive)	If end turn and not engaged: gain Fury.	If end turn and not engaged: gain Fury and Riposte.	👍👍 50% damage bonus for next attack and attack of opportunity if engaged by enemy is a good passive.
Harnessing Strength (Passive)	Each buff increases damage 5%	Each buff increases damage 10%	👍 Usually you companions receive buffs throughout the game. The damage buff is not high, but persists throughout the battle. it's a good choice at level 12 as a skill unlocked from previous levels.
Last Push (Melee)	Cost 1 : for each debuff: applies a Rage to this unit and targeted ally	Cost 1 : for each debuff + 2: applies a Rage to this unit and targeted ally	👎 Not worth spending a valour point for a skill which marginally increases damage based on debuffs you need to avoid in the first place.
Change of Pace (Passive)	When this unit kills an enemy engaged in combat with an ally, this unit and their ally gain Dodge. (Fully dodges next attack, cancelled if unit moves)		👎 The skill is very situational. Three requirements are to be met: killing an enemy, that enemy to be engaged in combat to an ally and none of the companions should move.

Level 12

Name	Bonus	Comments
Condemn (Melee, 3m)	Deals% damage and applies Condemn	👎This skill looks powerful as it grants 5 upon killing the targeted enemy. However you can only use one Bravery/round and Archer Braveries are a priority. By the time you get to use this skill, it's already too late to be useful. You are better off with a skill picked from previous levels.
Class Specialisation	Unlocks a skill from a previous level	👍👍 Pick Unstoppable or Harnessing Strength

A Spearman should get the following general skills: Wrath, First Aid and Run.

Swordsman[]

Attributes[]

Relevant attributes for Swordsmen are Strength and Movement.

For a Protector Swordsman movement should be raised to 16 to mitigate the -2 heavy armor penalty. 14 movements points are decent. Every other point should be invested in Strength. For a damage dealing Swordsman, such as Swordmaster, movement should be raised to 14. Everything else should be invested in strength.

Equipment[]

A Protector should focus on maximizing Armor and Guard, then Strength. A Swordmaster should go for items that increase Strength and Critical Hit.

A Protector's end-game armor set is the legendary heavy Commander Set, while a Swordmaster is good to go with a rare medium armor set like Colossus, which boosts critical hit chance by an extra 10%.

Protectors can choose Venomous Coating helmet stamp to apply 1 Poison to any enemy dealing damage to this unit, while Swordsmen can take Intimidating Effigy, which does extra 10% damage for each debuff applied to the target.

A Protector's best belt accessory is Mustard Tonic, which returns damage to the attacking enemy based on its large pool of Armor. A Swordmaster who uses a knocking back 2H sword should choose Back Brace, which knocks back units twice as far. Otherwise, there are other useful options. A corresponding oil concentrate can be used. If not, Trophy of Legends allows you to use two base actions in the same turn, once/fight. Leather Straps increases Guard by 10% while engaged. Stiletto increases Critical Hit by 5%. Rend increases Critical Hit by 10% against enemies wearing light armor. Tule Horn increases damage by 10%, but decreases movement by 1 (can be mitigated with an armor layer which grants movement) or Sewn Crest for a 5% chance to generate 1 at the end of their turn etc.

A Protector should focus on closing as much as possible to 80% guard (which is maximum) by using Layers of the Ox (armor and guard bonus), then complete with Layer of the Serpent (strength and crit bonus) if maximum guard is reached. A Swordsmaster should go full Layers of the Stag.

Any Swordsman benefits Sharpening Oil extra 10% critical hit chance. As second oil, Protectors can use a status effect inducer like Whetting/Acidic Oil, which has 50% chance to inflict Burning/Bleeding or Shielding Oil for 50% chance to reduce the damage taken for 3 rounds. As second oil, a Swordmaster can use Whetting/Acidic Oil, which has 50% chance (100% if oil concentrate is used) to inflict Bleeding/Burning; Misty Oil, which has 50% chance (100% if oil concentrate is used) to also deal 50% extra damage to enemies next to the target; Infectious Oil, which has 50% chance (100% if oil concentrate is used) to apply a status effect inflicting damage equal to 50% of the attack; or Strength Oil, which has a 50% chance (100% if oil concentrate is used) to increase Strength with each attack.

A Protector should go for 1h sword and shield to maximize its armor and overall defense. Since a Protector is not particularly a damage dealer, the best weapon to choose is a DoT status inducing sword like the rare Knight of the Eye's Sword, which creates a fire under each of the attacked enemy, if they are at least 2. Saga legendary shield is the best end-game shield for Protectors because it has the highest armor/guard stats and for 1 can attack apply vulnerability (next attack suffered is a guaranteed critical hit) to all adjacent enemies to the target. Legendary 2h sword Prosperity is the best end-game weapon for a Swordmaster, which can target multiple targets and knock them back dealing extra damage against obstacles on the way (great synergy with Back Brace belt accessory, which doubles the knock back distance and increases the damage potential).

Level 2

Name	Bonus	Upgrade	Attribute Bonus	Comments
[Protector] Encouragement Heavy armor	Cost 1 : this unit and allies in the area gain Protection for 2 rounds. (6m)	Cost 1 : this unit and allies in the area gain Protection for 3 rounds. (10m)	Constitution	👍👍 Good choice for a swordsman tank, as tanking is where swordsmen shine.
[Fighter] Destabilizing Strike (Melee) Heavy armor	Cost 1 : 60-80% damage and applies Destabilization for 2 rounds	Cost 1 : 60-80% damage and applies Destabilization for 2 rounds. Always land a crit against enemies without Guard	Constitution	👎 This specialization looks promising as it nerfs enemy guard. Thus, it's meant to work as an armor destroyer and rivals with a brute. However, a Brute with Armour Breaker, Guard-breaker and Overwhelming Presence does a better job than a Fighter Swordsman.
[Swordmaster] Laceration (2m area) Med armor	Cost 2: Deals 80% damage to all units in area x2. Usable after 2 attacks.	Cost 2: Deals 80% damage to all units in area x2. Usable after 1 attacks.	Strength	👍 This is an AoE skill which becomes stronger once you get a knock-back 2h Sword. Upgrading the skill as soon as possible is a must. Pick this if you already have a swordsman tank and you want a damage dealing second swordsman. It's expensive to use, but hits twice.
[Duelist] Final Blow (Melee) Med armor	Cost 1 : 70-90% damage and gains Riposte.	Cost 1 : 70-90% damage and gains Riposte. If unit already has Riposte, dmg is increased by 50%.		👍 Synergizes with Counter-attack passive skill. It's a good one-on-one specialization, but Swordmaster becomes more useful later on with the right equipment.

Level 3

Name	Bonus	Comments
Defensive Stance (Instant, Base action)	Gains Deflection if engaged in combat, you gain 1	👍 Useful for a Protector
Valorous Chain (Passive)	Every time an attack hits several enemies, you gain 1	👍 More useful for a Swordmaster
Valorous Duel (Passive)	Every time this unit engages in combat, you gain 1	👍 More useful for a Duelist, but also for a Swordsmaster who picks Counter-attack (and Duelist's Instinct) as passive(s).

Level 8

Name	Bonus	Upgrade	Comments
Last Stand (Passive)	If has no armor, gains Brutality	If has 50% armor or less, gains Brutality	👎 This perk is situational, thus useless early on, as it requires you to have less than 50% armor. Skip it!
Hand to hand (Melee)	Cost 1 : applies Disarm (can no longer use skills requiring a weapon) to the target for 1 round	Cost frameless]]: applies Disarm to the target for 1 round. If already Disarmed then applies Vulnerability	👎 Rather meant for defensive builds such as Protectors, who are way better off with Hardcore Training.
Hardcore Training (Passive)	This unit is immune to Bleeding, poison, or Burning.	This unit is immune to Bleeding, poison, or Burning. When they should be affected by these effects, they gain 2 Rage instead (limit one application per round)	👍👍👍 This passive is so good it's a game changer. It makes a Swordsmaster Tank close to being invincible so it's a must. All Swordsmen specializations benefit from DoT status effect immunity.
Master Opportunist (Passive)	Dmg of AoO increased by 25%. Dmg taken from AoO reduced by 25%.	Dmg of AoO increased by 50%. Dmg taken from AoO reduced by 50%.	👎 Another passive less useful than Hardcore Training. Nevertheless, the skill competes with Duelist's Instinct at level 12 previous level pick up choices. Thus, we have a skill which boosts damage and crit damage with 30% if companion is engaged vs a skill which boosts attacks of opportunity damage by 50% and decreases enemy AoE damage by 50%. Both skill require player engagement, but Master Opportunists requires the enemy to attack which might not happen, if for instance, the enemy's hit chance is nerfed by a Ranger's Low Blow. Therefore, Duelist's Instinct seems to be the better, more occurring choice.

Level 10

Name	Bonus	Comments
Can equip a second weapon and swap in combat	👎 A good weapon with the right oils should be reliable enough to never pick this skill
Defensive Riposte (Passive)	When the unit disengages, they have a 50% chance to deal an attack of opportunity instead of taking one.	👎 Why would you risk receiving damage for disengaging for a potential AoO?
Intervention	Cost 1 : The unit can swap places with an adjacent ally engaged in combat. The unit then becomes engaged in combat and will deal an attack of opportunity	👍 It's an emergency skill to save a nearby weaker team member, better than other options.

Swordsmen should also get Wrath, Run, First Aid and Taunt general abilities.

Warrior[]

Attributes[]

Warriors should focus on increasing Strength and Movement.

Movement is recommended to be raised to a minimum of 14 points. Every other point should be invested in Strength.

Equipment[]

A Warrior should go for items that increase Strength and Critical Hit. A rare medium armor set like Colossus, which boosts critical hit chance by an extra 10% is a great choice.

As belt accessory, a Warrior can use a corresponding oil concentrate or other useful items: Trophy of Legends allows you to use two base actions in the same turn, once/fight. Stiletto increases Critical Hit by 5%. Rend increases Critical Hit by 10% against enemies wearing light armor. Tule Horn increases damage by 10%, but decreases movement by 1 (can be mitigated with an armor layer which grants movement) or Sewn Crest for a 5% chance to generate 1 at the end of their turn etc.

Warriors like Berserkers and Barbarians who have multi-attack skills benefit from Inquisition Cilice helmet stamp, which provide 1 Rage (5% damage) every time they attack while engaged.

A Warrior should choose all armor layers as Layer of the Serpent, which increases Strength and Critical Hit Chance.

Any Warrior benefits Sharpening Oil, which causes extra 10% critical hit chance. As second oil, they can use a status effect inducer like Acidic Oil, which has 50% chance to inflict Burning (100% if oil concentrate is used); Misty Oil, which has 50% chance (100% if oil concentrate is used) to also deal 50% extra damage to enemies next to the target; Infectious Oil, which has 50% chance (100% if oil concentrate is used) to apply a status effect inflicting damage equal to 50% of the attack; or Strength Oil, which has a 50% chance (100% if oil concentrate is used) to increase Strength with each attack. Moreover, Immunity Oil paired with corresponding oil concentrate grants full resistance to fire/burn/poison, something to be considered as well.

A Warrior can use a 2h axe, a 1h axe and a shield and a 1h axe and throwing axes. The most reliable choice is the more defensive one, which includes a 1h axe and a shield. Legendary Nepti's Axe is a Warrior's best 1h weapon as it deals AoE damage and applies corrosion (15% armor loss for the target at the end of its turn) and poison. The best shield is the legendary Rampart, which has the highest shield stats available and for 1 [[File:Valour point.png| performs an attack with damage increased by 15% for each bonus and debuff applied to the target and the Warrior.

Level 2

Name	Bonus	Upgrade	Attribute Bonus	Comments
[Berserker] Rampage (melee) Medium armor	Cost 1 : Deals 3 times 30-45% damage to the target. Critical Hit: Gains Fury.	Cost 1 : Deals 3 times 30-45% damage to the target and ignores Guard. Critical Hit: Gains Fury.	Strength	👍👍 This is the best specialization to choose as it's less situational than others, ignores guard for armored foes and gains fury on critical hits.
[Executioner] Cutting Maelstrom (2m) Medium Armor	Cost 2 : Deals 35% damage to all the units in the area. Attacks 1 time for each unit in the target area.	Cost 2 : Deals 35% damage to all the units in the area. Attacks 1 time for each unit in the target area. Fatal Blow: Attacks again	Strength	👎 This specialization is very situational as it requires at least 3 enemies in range and to kill at least one enemy to be really useful for its cost.
[Sentinel] Ovation (instant) Heavy Armor	Cost 2 : All allies engaged in combat gain Riposte.	Cost 2 : All allies engaged in combat gain Riposte, otherwise they gain Inspiration for 1 round.	Constitution	👎 This is a tank build who acts somewhat like a Beastmaster for humans, boosting everyone with something, yet the skill is rather expensive. You already have a great Protector Swordsman tank to cover the tanking needs, Swordsmen with Counter-attack and Brutes with other purposes. Overall, the specialization is rather niche and requires other companions to avoid certain passives to be useful.
[Barbarian] Overbearing Strike (melee) Medium armor	Cost 1 : Deals 40-60% damage. The damage is doubled if the target's Health is higher.	Cost 1 : Deals 40-60% damage. The damage is tripled if the target's Health is higher.	Strength	👍 Useful against animals, but less useful against lower health targets like archers or rangers. To be picked as second option if the Warrior has a naturally low Constitution. The lower, the better.

Level 3

Name	Bonus	Comments
Defensive stance (Instant, Base action)	Gains Deflection if engaged in combat, you gain 1	👍 Useful for all out offensive builds who benefit defensive boost
Valorous Chain (Passive)	Every time an attack hits several enemies, you gain 1	👍 Useful for Executioner and all out offensive builds who use 2h Axes.
Valorous Duel (Passive)	Every time this unit engages in combat, you gain 1	👍👍 Best option as engaging is more likely to happen than hitting several enemies.

Level 8

Name	Bonus	Upgrade	Comments
Battle Cry	Cost 1 : This unit and all units in area gain Brutality for 2 rounds. (6m)	Cost 1 : This unit and all units in area gain Brutality for 3 rounds. (10m)	👍👍 The 10m area range and duration for applying this boost is good enough for picking as first choice
Challenging Shout (3m)	Cost 1 : Draws within melee range all the enemies in the area. Applies Fragility for 1 round to the enemies disengaged by this.	Cost 1 : Draws within melee range all the enemies in the area. Applies Fragility for 1 round to the enemies.	👎 It's kind of the opposite of Battle Cry, but less useful. Instead of boosting your team within a 10 m area for 3 rounds, you nerf all enemies within a 3 m area with the same amount, for one round. Battle Cry lasts more and has a wider area of application.
Ecstasy (Passive)	As long as this unit has less than 50% health, they always land critical hits.	As long as this unit has less than 80% health, they always land critical hits.	👎It's a tricky skill which requires Fanaticism to make it work. Unless you let yourself bleed/burn/be poisoned during the first round, so that you reach below 80% health in the 2nd turn (risky and hard to do), you have to wait until at least the 3rd round to be able to always crit, which might be too late. Usually, the first two rounds are crucial for a battle's outcome, which render this passive rather useless.
Limit Break (Passive)	Critical damage increased by 25%.	Critical damage increased by 50%.	👍Best used as a lvl 12 choice of skill from previous levels.

A Warrior should get the following general skills: Wrath, First Aid, Run and Taunt.