中文译文
简介
【译注：本文保留作者写作时的版本机制与战术经验。】本攻略初版写于 v1.1.0.8，自那以后，游戏发生了很大变化。回头看，我都为当年那些廉价钻空子的招数感到羞愧，于是决定彻底重写，介绍这次重写时我又怎样利用游戏机制——刚好赶在下一个 DLC 把一切再改一遍之前。
来回换盾、利用兽人装备钻疲劳恢复的空子，都已成为过去。不过，快手，以及借助肾上腺素和恢复体力循环使用高疲劳消耗的强力技能组合，仍是整套配置的鲜明特点。
这次的配置包含更多专门分工，不过不少角色之间仍有很大的重叠空间。多数角色需要极高的疲劳上限，所以我主要招募疲劳上限较高的背景；也有一些角色追求疲劳收支平衡，或者围绕先攻来培养。
新版轻灵让大量可用疲劳与强大的抗伤势能力更容易兼得。一些适合轻灵的名贵护甲，例如夜幕披衣和草原盔，耐久甚至能达到惊人的 200+。加上轻型替换衬垫后，一些较重的名贵身甲，甚至耐久约 300 的款式，也能搭配合适的头盔用于轻灵。显然，如此高的护甲和轻灵减伤，与不屈相得益彰！想当年，我只要有 150-240 的护甲、充足的可用疲劳、较高生命值，能频繁用不屈，就已经很满足了，根本没有额外的固有减伤！
我的战团里，近战命中与近战防御同时出众的人通常很少。招到这两项都天赋惊人的人，我往往焦虑多于兴奋，因为还得投入不少成长，才能让其他属性也达到我要求的均衡标准。我的大多数角色只会全力提高其中一项，另一项只在成长值高时才加。人人都需要较高生命值，几乎都会选巨人体魄；而那些不以疲劳收支平衡或先攻为核心的角色，更需要高疲劳上限。另外，如果某人到了 11 级，对在泥地、锋刃钝器和瓢泼血雨中冲锋连 50% 的热情都没有，哪怕他是弓手，我用起来也会良心不安。
把偏重进攻与偏重防御的角色搭配起来，再配上少数英勇或狡诈的多面手，谨慎站位，及时施放强力技能，仅凭 11 级的属性就能赢下游戏中的所有战斗。不过，挑战最难的传奇地点时，仍可能伤亡惨重……
下面先大致分类介绍各个角色的配点，再概述成型队伍如何应对游戏中几类特别难缠的敌人。
我自己也不敢相信，这次新版居然写了将近 20,000 个英文词，都够一部长篇小说的四分之一了……
进攻型角色配装
>> 斧头杀手 <<
我总会带上至少两名破盾手：他们能贴身用巨斧或蛮族的生锈同类武器，一击砍碎塔盾、鸢形盾；也能在更安全的 2 格外，用长柄斧一击砍碎树妖盾和熨斗形盾。快手是这些角色的必选特长。
如果敌人没有高耐久盾牌、没有盾牌精通，或者大量使用 2 格武器，可以优先用长刃斧，发挥劈开的范围攻击。若拿到一把破盾伤害堪比巨斧的名贵长刃斧，甚至可以一直用它。另一方面，疲劳上限够高的话，三种双手斧也可以全带。第三个装备栏还可以放单手武器，便于触发狂战后恢复体力，或在危急时刻击杀并触发狂战后，再攻击一下并使用不屈；也可以放锯齿长枪，击杀触发狂战后移动一格，再进行一次 2 格攻击，不用点长柄武器精通，也能获得部分长柄武器的优势；或者放战鞭，同样能完成上述操作，射程还有 3 格，但只有对无甲目标才打得出像样的伤害。
这个角色需要很高的疲劳上限和不错的近战命中。11 级时能有 85-95 的超高命中当然理想，不过他能快速砍掉大盾、降低敌人的防御，所以其他方面特别出色的人，75-80 也可以接受，例如生命值、疲劳上限和意志都很高的荒野人。
虽然有时要贴身作战，但这个角色不该陷入包围，也不需要特别高的防御。如果近战防御多次掷出很好的成长值，可以考虑长兵优势，甚至以少敌多。别指望循环使用回旋斩加不屈，但完全可以考虑劈开加不屈。防御不高时，可以靠换位或灵活步法避开过度危险的处境，最好由其他队友负责，替这个角色省下特长点；危急时则用不屈保命。
理想情况下，使用长刃斧时，穿戴装备后应有 90+ 可用疲劳；手持长柄斧、把长刃斧放进背包时，则应有 91+，这样才能在危急时持续循环劈开的范围攻击与不屈。如果有铁肺，这些要求可以降低 12。
应尽可能多给他生命值，并用巨人体魄进一步提高，除非原本生命值就很高；不过真有这么高的生命值，恐怕反而更难抗拒巨人体魄的诱惑。意志至少也要过得去：戴上战利品饰品后，最低约 50；若要打黑色巨石这样的战斗，最好有约 60+。
这个角色主要使用消耗 6 点行动点的攻击，所以寻路者对于沼泽作战，以及森林、山地、雪地中的高低差移动很有帮助。当然，备用锯齿长枪也能部分绕过这个难题。寻路者与肾上腺素、充足的疲劳上限也配合得极好：既能在战斗初期追堵并杀死那些先攻很高的烦人敌人，也能在崎岖地形上与队友配合，先占好位置再猛烈进攻。没有寻路者时，由自己或队友使用换位、灵活步法，可以部分弥补复杂地形中的机动性不足；例如在沼泽里移动一格，或在森林、山地、雪地里跨越高低差，仍只消耗 3 点行动点。
另一个能减轻烦恼、值得这个角色及其他输出角色考虑的特长，是顽强。它不是必选，但我认为至少应让部分近战命中高的输出手点出它，因为面对萨满和女巫时，那些缓慢又烦人的战斗会轻松得多。例如先进入攻击距离，使用肾上腺素后等待行动，让诅咒或魅惑先消退，再在下回合开始时杀掉这些狡诈作弊的混蛋！
不过，这个角色的核心毕竟是进攻和伤害，所以杀戮狂热始终很诱人；若有空位，还可以用奇异蘑菇进一步强化。哪怕你最后总是优先收割濒死敌人来维持加成，几乎没靠它多杀到什么人，它也依然让人心动。若新兵其他方面很好，近战命中却只有 70 大几或 80 出头，可以考虑背刺者，对蛮族、剑术大师和克拉肯触手尤其有用。其他可选项还有：换位或灵活步法，用于劈碎大盾或反复劈开后脱离近战；如果近战防御天赋或成长不错，可选长兵优势或以少敌多；再点一种武器精通，例如鞭；意志不足约 50 时选坚定心智；或者选行囊与腰带，存放奇异蘑菇，也能携带备用单手装备和网。
这个角色要么用轻灵，要么穿耐久至少处于 200 多点中段的护甲；后一种情况最好不要再为壮硕花费特长点。理想方案是穿重量效率极高、耐久处于 200 多点低段或中段的名贵护甲，保留较强的轻灵效果；或者穿耐久处于 300 多点中段或高段的高效名贵护甲，搭配久经战阵，仍然不用壮硕。节省特长点的折中方案，是穿耐久处于 200 多点中段或高段的高效护甲，保留大量可用疲劳，不点轻灵、壮硕或久经战阵，但要有不屈。
轻灵护甲通常最适合骨板护层，重甲则适合附加毛皮衬垫，无论是否点了久经战阵。不过，重甲有时必须用轻型替换衬垫，才能省下壮硕的特长点；对付林德蠕龙之类的敌人时，骨板护层可能对所有护甲都是最佳附件。然而，恐狼皮披肩的外观最帅，而且能叠加降低贴身敌人的意志，或许能帮你用些取巧手段吓跑巨魔、兽人军阀等敌人。某些大型地精战中，也可以用毛皮衬垫，即降低 20% 远程护甲伤害与生命伤害的那一种。若仓库放得下，平时可以把这类护甲留作备用。
核心特长： 斧术精通、快手、肾上腺素、恢复体力、不屈、狂战
通常会选的特长：巨人体魄、轻灵，或者壮硕与久经战阵中的一项或两项。
可选特长：寻路者、顽强、杀戮狂热、背刺者、长兵优势、以少敌多、换位、灵活步法、坚定心智、行囊与腰带、第 2 项武器精通。
最重要的属性：近战命中约 80+；疲劳上限：穿最轻的轻灵护甲、三种双手斧各带一把时，需要 136 基础值！
同样重要的属性：生命值至少约 90，最好 100+；意志至少约 50，最好 60+；近战防御通常约 10-25，但如果高大、自负或出身荒野，而且没有这方面天赋，也可以舍弃。
可选属性：远程防御；远程命中：如果只需投入 0-3 次成长就能达到 50-65，可以考虑。
推荐特性：高大、强壮、铁肺、铁下巴、健步如飞、强健、勇敢或无畏、灵巧、步伐稳健、多疑、憎恨野兽或绿皮或亡灵、视死如归。
推荐保留的永久伤势：脑损伤
推荐背景：荒野人、伐木工、农场帮工、猎兽者、拳斗者、信使、流浪汉、苦修者、商队杂工、盗墓贼、掘墓人、屠夫、渔夫、邪教徒、石匠、磨坊主、短工。
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>> 重钉锤控场手 <<
新增的双手钉锤非常出色，我经常不点精通直接使用，主要看中它普通攻击附带的强力恍惚效果，而且这种打法能保持疲劳收支平衡。不过，我有时也会培养一两名点出钉锤精通的角色：单手钉锤可以击晕多个带顽强特长的敌人，也可以先移动两格再击晕一个敌人。它们往往也是最适合决斗家的武器；如果碰巧捡到一把伤害超高的名贵单手钉锤，决斗家就很诱人了。许多中甲敌人挨一次双手钉锤攻击后，会护甲尽毁，却还剩几点生命。单手钉锤配决斗家虽然一击没有这么强，但还留有足够行动点，可以再打一下收掉人头。
除了专精于钉锤，这类角色通常与斧头杀手没有太大区别，不过他们更容易同时与多个敌人贴身交战，因而可能更重视防御。当然，只要周围多数敌人都被击晕或处于恍惚状态，防御也不至于特别关键。单手钉锤通常是决斗家的最佳武器，因此这个配点更可能考虑决斗家特长；不过角色仍主要使用双手武器，起初在 2 格外作战，等到时机合适才上前接敌。
这个配点可以走高疲劳消耗路线，搭配肾上腺素和不屈；也可以基本维持疲劳收支平衡，仍带恢复体力，以便连续击晕或接连触发狂战；甚至还能以先攻为核心。
一个极端是：手持双手钉锤、穿戴装备后有 88 可用疲劳，有铁肺则只需 76。这样在上回合筋疲力尽时用过恢复体力加肾上腺素后，本回合就能击杀触发狂战、使用不屈，再换成单手钉锤做一次 4 行动点攻击。不过，钉锤不是范围攻击武器，单手钉锤打高伤害的条件又比较苛刻，所以通常不该让这个角色陷入包围，靠循环不屈防止受伤。况且敌人恍惚时，本来就相当于你获得了 35% 的不屈减伤。因此，即便走高疲劳消耗路线且带不屈，肾上腺素也不是必选，恍惚降低先攻后，敌人往往自然就排在你后面了。尽管如此，肾上腺素仍很适合抢先制住死灵剑士、赏金猎人这类又快又凶的敌人；而面对蛮族、大型野兽、兽人战士、兽人军阀和兽人狂战士等带顽强的敌人时，关键一击偏偏落空，不屈仍能很好地救场。
另一个极端是：穿最轻的轻灵装备，只留 60-70 可用疲劳，刚够在必要时连续击晕或连续触发狂战。把较高的成长值投入先攻，选择闪避、压制，也许再加不懈。恍惚能降低敌人 35% 的先攻，让你更容易持续先手、施加压制并维持恍惚，以此弥补没有不屈的缺点。
上面这种方案面对蛮族和神选战士不太稳，不过可以让队友施放高疲劳消耗技能来补足。例如专门调位的人用换位加灵活步法，把两人都从险境中救出；也可以让一个更容易挨打的高大荒野人，站到这名擅长闪避、制造恍惚的队友身边接敌，再用不屈。还有一种情况：己方高疲劳消耗角色与某个蛮族都用了肾上腺素，而且己方先用；下回合开始时，用双手锤打中蛮族，踉跄就会把它直接送到行动顺序末尾，哪怕它已经用了肾上腺素，就像玩大富翁时被直接送进监狱。当然，也要小心别让己方遭到同样待遇！蛮族察觉你先攻更高时才会用肾上腺素，因此高先攻角色完全可以先等待，观察局面。有时能在神选战士靠近、等待施放肾上腺素时把它击晕，它晕着就没法用了。矛墙也能保护高先攻角色，让开了肾上腺素的神选战士无法贴身抢先攻击；投网则能拖延接敌，或在它们已经接敌后阻止其换位集中攻击。
基本保持疲劳收支平衡的方案，更适合近战命中高、疲劳上限一般甚至很差的背景。穿戴装备后同样留约 60-70 可用疲劳，不给先攻加点，把更多成长留给防御、生命值和意志，疲劳上限则只取高成长。此时行囊与腰带很有用，可以多带网或投矛，更容易打中并制住附近敌人。网还可以让你不依赖肾上腺素或高先攻来操控行动顺序，并阻止危险敌人过早贴身。
这个配点最好有很高的近战命中，11 级至少约 85；但也可以选背刺者，减少关键时刻连续失手的烦恼。近战防御的投入取决于基础值和天赋。先攻型会靠闪避增加大量防御；若近战防御高或有天赋，也可以选以少敌多和长兵优势。你也能舍弃防御，转而更谨慎地站位，确保通常只有那些可以迅速打入恍惚、击晕或杀死的敌人能攻击到他。
如果主要追求疲劳收支平衡或先攻，应使用轻灵护甲。若走高疲劳消耗路线，则轻灵或重甲都可以；重甲最好搭配久经战阵，不点壮硕。
核心特长： 钉锤精通、快手、恢复体力
通常会选的特长：狂战、巨人体魄、轻灵，或者壮硕与久经战阵中的一项或两项。
可选特长：不屈、肾上腺素、寻路者、顽强、杀戮狂热、决斗家、背刺者、长兵优势、以少敌多、换位、灵活步法、闪避、压制、不懈、坚定心智、行囊与腰带、第 2 项武器精通。
最重要的属性：近战命中（~85+）
同样重要的属性：近战防御通常约 10-40，但如果高大、自负或出身荒野，而且没有这方面天赋，也可以舍弃；疲劳上限或先攻；生命值至少约 90，最好 100+；意志至少约 50，最好 60+。
可选属性：远程防御；远程命中：如果只需投入 0-3 次成长就能达到 50-65，可以考虑。
推荐特性：铁肺、灵巧、强壮、铁下巴、健步如飞、高大、强健、勇敢或无畏、步伐稳健、多疑或迅捷、憎恨野兽或绿皮或亡灵、视死如归。
推荐永久伤势： 脑损伤（依赖先攻的配装除外）
推荐背景：骑士侍从、民兵、猎兽者、荒野人、伐木工、拳斗者、商队杂工、盗墓贼、屠夫、农场帮工、信使、掘墓人、流浪汉、苦修者、渔夫、邪教徒、石匠、磨坊主、短工、盗贼、赌徒、矿工、私生子、被逐贵族、退伍军人。
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>> 高效嗑菇手 <<
这个角色与其他依靠近战和疲劳上限的输出类型或变体，没有特别大的区别，重叠空间甚至足以让人分不清。不过，它很令人兴奋：围绕你找到的任何一把出色名贵武器，把伤害推到极致。
这个角色可以有武器精通，也可以没有，但应当带一把大型双手武器，通常是钉锤，再带一把 2 格武器，以及奇异蘑菇或一把消耗 4 行动点的武器。理想情况下，所有武器都是伤害极高、疲劳效率极佳的名贵款式。不点武器精通，就能腾出更多特长点：用杀戮狂热或决斗家增加伤害，用背刺者确保先打中那些混蛋，或者用行囊与腰带多带进攻武器、网、投矛和奇异蘑菇。
疲劳上限没有特别明确的门槛，不过越高越利于短时间猛攻。不屈视情况使用。连续几个回合用肾上腺素，适合干掉危险的高先攻敌人。通常，这个角色会持 2 格武器待在前排后方，靠近故意留来引诱敌人的缺口；哪个蠢货敢穿过空隙，就换上更凶猛的武器敲扁它。网能阻止蛮族神选战士使用换位，也就是它们的“蛮族之怒”，集中攻击这个角色或其他防御、承伤能力较弱的队友。
护甲要求与斧头杀手相同。
核心特长： 肾上腺素、恢复体力、不屈、狂战、快手
通常会选的特长：巨人体魄、轻灵，或者壮硕与久经战阵中的一项或两项。
可选特长：杀戮狂热、背刺者、决斗家、顽强、寻路者、行囊与腰带、武器精通、坚定心智、快速适应、换位、灵活步法。
最重要的属性：近战命中（~80+）
同样重要的属性：疲劳上限；生命值至少约 90，最好 100+；意志至少约 50，最好 60+。
可选属性：近战防御、远程防御；远程命中：如果只需投入 0-3 次成长就能达到 50-65，可以考虑。
推荐特性：高大、酒鬼、灵巧、强壮、铁肺、铁下巴、健步如飞、强健、勇敢或无畏、憎恨野兽或绿皮或亡灵、视死如归、多疑、步伐稳健。
推荐保留的永久伤势：脑损伤
推荐背景：荒野人、伐木工、拳斗者、猎兽者、农场帮工、信使、商队杂工、盗墓贼、掘墓人、屠夫、流浪汉、苦修者、渔夫、邪教徒、石匠、磨坊主、短工、民兵、骑士侍从。
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>> 投掷决斗家 <<
这是远程输出变体，不需要肾上腺素或不屈，恢复体力也只是可选。疲劳上限遇到高成长时值得加，但只要能在累瘫前扔出大部分弹药，它就不算特别重要。
这个角色也可以穿重甲，但轻灵无疑最实用。行囊与腰带能让他带上充足弹药和额外的网，甚至再备一面盾。
如果想让他对巨魔、树妖、林德蠕龙这类巨兽更有用，或者想拿一件不用弹药的便宜武器——投石杖——玩点奇怪的角色扮演，可以选猎首者，尝试让更多巨兽陷入恍惚。林德蠕龙分成头身与尾巴两部分，你可以先故意攻击尾巴、避开头部，再瞄准头身，就很有机会打出恍惚。
投矛虽然只能用一次，但配合投掷精通和决斗家，从 2 格外扔出去能打出惊人的伤害。你可以留一根投矛，等击杀后杀戮狂热生效，再看着鲜血从敌人那身号称坚不可摧的护甲里喷出来，兴奋得直流口水；当然，也可能看着投矛被兽人军阀的头盔弹开，气得冒烟。
轻灵加高生命值，让远程角色面对敌方弩箭时相对安全；但前期还没点出轻灵时，远程防御很有用。不过，既然还没轻灵，也就还没决斗家，那么前中期的投掷手带面盾也完全没问题。
必要特长：投掷精通、决斗家、行囊与腰带。
可能选择的特长：巨人体魄、轻灵、杀戮狂热、狂战、快手
可选特长：寻路者、恢复体力、鹰眼、快速适应、猎首者、弩精通、弓术精通、近战武器精通。
关键属性： 远程命中（~75+）
同样重要的属性：生命值至少约 80，最好 100+；疲劳上限要足以让你在扔出大部分弹药前不至于筋疲力尽。
可选属性：近战命中最好约 75+，但如果基础低又没天赋，就舍弃；远程防御、意志、近战防御。
推荐特性：强壮、铁肺、铁下巴、健步如飞、强健、勇敢或无畏、多疑、敏捷、步伐稳健、视死如归、憎恨野兽或绿皮或亡灵。
推荐保留的永久伤势：不适用
推荐出身：猎人、偷猎者、牧羊人、骑士侍从、民兵、猎兽者
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防御角色配点
>> 不屈／范围攻击双手剑士 <<
这是专门承伤的双手武器角色，穿戴装备后仍有足够可用疲劳，能够循环使用范围攻击和不屈。推荐剑，因为它的范围攻击选择更多，也更轻。不过，在铁肺荒野人还恰好有很高近战天赋等少见情况下，你也许能凑够穿戴后 98 可用疲劳，用双手斧的回旋斩循环搭配不屈，还留有足够意志，避免孤立在外时被更多敌人贴身就掉入负面士气。这里不推荐长刃斧的劈开，因为被包围时，很多情况需要横向扫击。也不推荐锤的击碎，因为双手锤可能造成踉跄，降低敌人先攻，结果你需要恢复体力时，敌人反而排在你之后行动。有时确实很需要劈开，例如击杀古代长枪手，但剑既能劈开，也能挥击。巨斧和它生锈、却在某些情况下略强的蛮族同类，只能使用回旋范围攻击，攻击范围不太实用，还带有很重的命中惩罚；但在那些难得的条件下，更多伤害、更多长兵优势，仍然很诱人……
这种角色虽然有点英勇鼓舞人心，却也有些单调、受限、难以移动。通常每回合不是尽量在行动顺序最末使用恢复体力加肾上腺素，就是尽量在最前使用一次范围攻击，劈开或挥击，再接不屈。在专门需要他出场的高难战斗中，放弃不屈去移动，总让人感觉危险。狂战能在击杀后让你移动并使用不屈，但必须还有多余疲劳；而且它是很难挤出位置的奢侈特长。快手能让你无法移动时改用 2 格攻击，却也提高了疲劳需求，还要牺牲其他可能更重要的特长。机动性不足可以让队友弥补，例如长矛或双手武器调位手、军士，帮他换到更有利的位置和范围攻击角度。
穿戴装备后，这个角色最低需要 90 可用疲劳；若非要犯傻用斧和回旋斩，就要 98。最好再留一点余量应付意外；如果挤得出狂战，也能在击杀后移动并用不屈。从筋疲力尽的状态 90/75 出发，先恢复体力、再用肾上腺素，依次变为 90/37、90/57，因为恢复体力向下取整；下回合开始是 90/42，范围攻击后为 90/65，再用不屈刚好 90/90。如果恢复体力后还有敌人排在你后面，例如它们恍惚、踉跄，或你尽管拼命消耗疲劳，先攻却仍高得像中了诅咒，它们每次攻击都会让你的疲劳 +2，命中则 +5，导致下回合开始时无法同时使用范围攻击和不屈。若有铁肺，上述最低需求 90/98 可以降到 78/86。
因此，最好尽量穿重甲，确保先攻尽可能低。但很明显，重甲下极难达到这套配点的疲劳要求，所以轻灵常是唯一选择；也可以穿中甲而不点轻灵，腾出一个特长点，但会比较脆。穿最轻的轻灵护甲、拿巨剑、不带备用物品时，基础疲劳上限最低只需 117。不过有时先攻还是太高，不得不在需要攻击的回合别扭地等待来降低先攻，而且往往仍不够。理论上，穿最高效、耐久约 300+ 的名贵护甲，使用轻型替换衬垫且不点壮硕，基础疲劳上限 130 就够。现实中，更可能是穿不那么理想、耐久约 250+ 的较重护甲，加轻型替换衬垫，不带备用物品，仍需要约 140 基础疲劳上限。这样就没多少成长能留给生命值和意志，而这两项在该角色要面对的艰难战斗中同样重要。所以，强壮和铁肺，以及强健和无畏，都是残酷战神赐予的礼物。记住，铁肺能把基础疲劳需求降低 12。
这个角色和下面的持盾版本有很大重叠，主要区别在于后者的近战命中或天赋较低，因此更容易招到。但有些角色近战命中只有 70 多，防御与疲劳上限却很高，穿约 300+ 护甲、拿巨剑还能有 90 可用疲劳，不需要壮硕，甚至不需要轻型替换衬垫，也能当合格的双手剑士。毕竟这套配点主要负责防御；如果你穿着厚重护甲，带久经战阵、附加毛皮衬垫，又开着不屈，长兵优势更像碰巧获得的添头。但生命值和意志仍必须够高，必要时用对应特长强化。生命值应有约 100，至少也要约 90；打黑色巨石时意志应有约 60，而阵形前侧或西侧翼的人至少要约 75。
通常强烈建议同时选以少敌多和长兵优势。如上所述，如果防御与疲劳上限充足、近战命中只有 70 多，只选以少敌多也可以。若角色更偏进攻，近战命中约 85+，而且有更多盾卫分担包围、调位手用换位支援，或输出手快速清理周围敌人，那么只选长兵优势也可能可行，再配狂战多叠层数、击杀额外敌人以减轻包围惩罚。
非常推荐给这个角色点顽强：它能让你更快摆脱恍惚、诅咒和魅惑，恢复正常的范围攻击加不屈循环。在地精城市鲁尔加希克斯，如果没有顽强，诅咒可能持续五回合，近战防御 -50%，还得承受藤蔓或网的额外惩罚。这会大幅提高遭到破甲刺击、中毒，以及行动点不足以恢复体力的风险，进一步陷入反复中毒、虚弱的恶性循环。有了顽强，你就可以恢复体力、使用肾上腺素，如果还有萨满没行动就先等待，等下回合开始时凶狠地碾碎那个邪恶的萨满混蛋，再用不屈！被女巫魅惑时也一样；顽强还能减轻对抗女巫和梦魇时的意志压力。若被神选战士、林德蠕龙，或持双手钉锤的强盗劫掠者、流浪骑士打入恍惚，可用疲劳会被压到很低，以至于恢复体力加肾上腺素后，连一次单体攻击都无法与不屈一起使用。有了顽强，使用恢复体力加肾上腺素后的下一回合，疲劳相关数值就会奇迹般恢复正常，哪怕上回合结束时看着还很糟，也能照常运转。这个角色存在的意义，就是挡住这样的敌人，所以别看顽强不怎么起眼，实在很值得选。
注意，虽然这个角色通常打范围攻击，但面对巨魔、树妖、林德蠕龙这类巨兽，范围攻击并不好用。巨兽的疲劳上限极高，一旦开始喘气积累疲劳，行动顺序很可能落到任何双手剑士后面，即使后者又多疑、又脑损伤，还一丝不苟地等待行动。打巨兽时，这类角色最好换双手钉锤，再备一套带附加毛皮衬垫的护甲；对林德蠕龙则用骨板护层。只有受到尚未恍惚的巨兽威胁时才用不屈；对巨魔，也用它抵抗冲撞，以及防止自己被抛开后让脆弱队友接敌。顽强还有一个好处：如果你已经踉跄、疲劳很高，而对面的巨魔或树妖也消耗了一些疲劳、且本回合已经行动，只用恢复体力，就能在下回合拥有充足可用疲劳并抢在它前面行动。
核心特长： 肾上腺素、恢复体力、不屈、剑术／斧术精通
通常会选的特长：巨人体魄、轻灵，或者壮硕与久经战阵中的一项或两项；顽强、以少敌多、长兵优势。
可选特长：寻路者、狂战、快手、坚定心智、杀戮狂热、盾牌精通、第 2 项武器精通。
最重要的属性：近战防御至少约 25，最好 35+；近战命中至少约 75，最好 85+。
同样重要的属性：穿戴全部装备后，至少有 90 可用疲劳，最好再留约 10 余量；生命值至少约 90，最好 100+；意志至少约 50，最好 60+。
可选属性：没有余力投资其他属性
推荐特性：多疑、步伐稳健、灵巧、强壮、铁肺、铁下巴、健步如飞、强健、勇敢或无畏、憎恨野兽或绿皮或亡灵、视死如归、乐观、犹豫。
推荐保留的永久伤势：脑损伤、缺耳
推荐背景：荒野人、流浪骑士、信使、伐木工、猎兽者、农场帮工、拳斗者、骑士侍从、民兵、商队杂工、盗墓贼、掘墓人、屠夫、流浪汉、苦修者、渔夫、邪教徒、驯犬师、石匠、磨坊主、短工。
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>> 不屈／还击盾卫 <<
这是上一种角色更容易培养的变体：对近战命中的要求更低，还能从盾牌免费获得额外防御。上一种角色循环使用不屈和范围攻击，穿戴后需 90 可用疲劳，有铁肺则为 82，原文此处与上文数值不一致；这个角色则把不屈与还击架势搭配，穿戴后需 82 可用疲劳，有铁肺则为 70。假设单手剑负担为 8、同时兼具高近战防御与高耐久的极品名贵盾负担为 18，那么穿最轻的轻灵护甲时，基础疲劳上限至少要 123；若再带一面备用熨斗形盾，就要 130。毕竟最大规模的战斗中，即使看不见斧头，盾也常常会破。如果想穿耐久约 300+ 的高效重甲，使用轻型替换衬垫而不点壮硕，省出一个特长点，却又纠结要不要拿去点久经战阵，基础疲劳需求就会超过 140，再次挤占其他属性的成长空间。铁肺例外，它能把需求降低 12。由于不太需要近战命中，至少可以在把防御和疲劳上限堆到最高或接近最高的同时，更多照顾生命值与意志。而且这两项确实更需要投入，因为这些人总会站在阵形中最脆弱、最孤立、离军士最远的位置，被最多的敌人和瘴气包围。
如前所述，这个角色与双手剑士的重叠足够大，有时你会想把两者合并，例如同时选盾牌精通和长兵优势，或两个都不选。不过，盾牌精通能让前中期的培养轻松得多，也能提高你捡到的极品名贵盾的防御，并延长其使用寿命。
还击架势和单手剑对重甲敌人的伤害很可怜，但等远处的 2 格武器削掉大部分护甲后，表现就会非常亮眼；在黑色巨石这样的战斗里，还击架势也很克制死灵剑士。面对后期强敌，不屈加还击架势通常比不屈加盾墙，或还击架势加盾墙更有效。由于收益递减，普通熨斗形盾开启盾墙增加的防御，通常还不足以把精锐高伤害敌人的命中率压到最低。而在规模最大、持续最久的战斗里，这些角色会承受海量攻击，即使敌人命中率都最低，每回合仍很可能挨至少一次重击。此外，带盾牌精通且近战命中高的敌人，例如荣誉卫士，用击退时有 +40 命中加成，75+40=115；它们总会成群反复用这一招，如果你不开不屈，仍有高得离谱的概率把你推开，取消盾墙或还击架势。不屈加还击架势比盾墙加还击架势更稳，还能让盾卫打出意外可观的伤害，哪怕近战命中只有约 65，从而减少敌人的攻击次数或缩短战斗。
把穿戴后的可用疲劳提高到 84+，就可以在特别艰难、只求活命的情况下，把不屈与盾墙一起用；如果有一面近战防御高得夸张的名贵盾，想在传奇地点的大型战斗中把敌人的命中率压到最低，也能这样做。
必要特长：肾上腺素、恢复体力、不屈、剑术精通、以少敌多。
通常会选的特长：盾牌精通、顽强、巨人体魄、轻灵，或者壮硕与久经战阵中的一项或两项；坚定心智。
可选特长：寻路者、行囊与腰带、长兵优势、九命、钢铁额骨。
关键属性： 近战防御（不计盾牌时至少30+）
同样重要的属性：穿戴全部装备后，至少有 82 可用疲劳，最好略有余量；生命值至少约 90，最好 100+；意志至少约 60，最好 75+；近战命中约 65+。
可选属性：没有余力投资其他属性
推荐特性：多疑、步伐稳健、灵巧、强壮、铁肺、铁下巴、健步如飞、强健、勇敢或无畏、憎恨野兽或绿皮或亡灵、视死如归、乐观、犹豫。
推荐保留的永久伤势：脑损伤、缺耳
推荐背景：荒野人、信使、伐木工、农场帮工、拳斗者、骑士侍从、民兵、猎兽者、驯犬师、商队杂工、盗墓贼、掘墓人、屠夫、苦修者、渔夫、邪教徒、石匠、磨坊主、短工。
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>> 闪避／压制盾卫 <<
这是个便宜又取巧的配点：拿大盾，甚至用行囊与腰带多备几面，再靠高先攻增加大量近战防御，使用能维持疲劳收支平衡的攻击来施加压制，进一步降低敌人的命中率。能不能打中、能打多少伤害，都不重要。不点精通的匕首刺击就完全够用，拳头甚至可能更好，除非你有一把每次技能疲劳消耗 -3 的名贵决斗刺剑。顽强确保踉跄只持续一回合。不懈和恢复体力都不是必需，除非你想玩些花式盾牌技能，或者利用少量空余疲劳，在兽人冲锋把你团团围住前使用不屈。这确实能让它适用于更多高难度战斗。虽然这只是过渡方案，并非为最大、最难的战斗准备，但对付一大群林德蠕龙也有可能毫发无损，尤其有远处鞭手和弓手帮忙叠压制时……
核心特长： 闪避、压制、盾牌精通、以少敌多、轻灵
通常会选的特长：巨人体魄、顽强、行囊与腰带、坚定心智。
可选特长：匕首精通、其他武器精通、九命、钢铁额骨、不懈、恢复体力、不屈、寻路者、挑衅。
关键属性： 近战防御、先攻
其他重要属性：生命值、意志
可选属性：近战命中。
推荐特性：步伐稳健、迅捷、强壮、铁肺、铁下巴、健步如飞、强健、勇敢或无畏、憎恨野兽或绿皮或亡灵、视死如归、乐观、幸运。
推荐保留的永久伤势：不适用
推荐背景：盗贼、赌徒、信使、盗墓贼、驯犬师、矿工、拳斗者、邪教徒、渔夫、屠夫、商队杂工、盗墓贼、掘墓人、捕鼠人。
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>> 疲劳平衡盾卫 <<
这又是个便宜、取巧的过渡方案，在找到更好人选前颇有效果，可以视为上一种配点的重甲版本。它不打算每回合攻击两次，不打算用盾牌技能，也不打算使用那些点了精通甚至不用精通仍无法维持疲劳收支平衡的单手武器特殊技能；斩首、破甲刺击、破盾这类能维持平衡的技能除外。如果是其他方面平平、却带铁肺的新兵，也可以每回合用摧毁护甲。尽量穿戴、携带更多装备，只需保证至少留 15 可用疲劳，有铁肺则留 19，每回合都能全部恢复后使用。面对带击晕的冲锋，唯一防备就是等待行动。不投入疲劳上限和先攻，就更容易在提高近战防御、近战命中的同时，把生命值和意志也加到不错的水平。如果近战命中仍低，或想每回合用破甲刺击，可以选快速适应；若命中已经相当高，可以选杀戮狂热。行囊与腰带能带大量备用武器和盾牌。快手完全不是必需，除非你有铁肺，想把摧毁护甲与匕首刺击之类的动作搭配使用。
必要特长：巨人体魄、行囊与腰带、盾牌精通、以少敌多、久经战阵。
备选特长： 坚定心智
可选特长：斩刀、斧、锤或匕首精通，快速适应、杀戮狂热、顽强、钢铁额骨、九命、寻路者、快手。
关键属性： 近战防御
同样重要的属性： 生命值、意志、近战命中
可选属性：无
推荐特性：步伐稳健、多疑、铁肺、铁下巴、健步如飞、强健、勇敢或无畏、憎恨野兽或绿皮或亡灵、视死如归、乐观、灵巧、幸运、幸存者。
推荐保留的永久伤势：脑损伤
推荐背景：矿工、拳斗者、驯犬师、信使、盗墓贼、赌徒、盗贼、商队杂工、掘墓人、屠夫、渔夫、邪教徒、苦修者。
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辅助角色配点
>> 长矛／盾牌调位手 <<
这个持盾角色不同于以高防御为核心的传统盾卫，主要负责调位：用长矛和盾牌技能把敌人挡在己方薄弱点之外，或引诱、逼迫它们进入对自身不利的位置；用换位让队友脱险，也用换位或灵活步法让自己脱险。敌人突破矛墙后，还可以用灵活步法脱离，再重新架起矛墙。如果只有一个敌人突破，你又想留在原地，或把敌人推到不利位置，盾牌击退的疲劳消耗相同，点了盾牌精通后还有 +40 命中。
穿戴全部装备后有 90 可用疲劳，便能在上回合恢复体力加肾上腺素后，先用灵活步法、换位或不屈中的一种，再架起矛墙。若有 94 可用疲劳，在同样的准备后，就能任意组合灵活步法、换位、不屈中的两种。有铁肺时，这两项需求降为 78 和 82。周围有大量冲锋兽人、矛墙迟早会被突破时，可以把矛墙与不屈一起用。把换位与不屈或灵活步法结合，则能救出险境中的伤员，并保护自己，或干脆也离开那个险地。
理论上，可以用三尖矛降低疲劳消耗，并用长兵优势代替盾牌精通；但矛墙一旦被突破，三尖矛就不能提供防御，也无法像盾牌那样调整敌人的位置。另外，如果矛墙终究被冲破，你被兽人包围，可能就得连续几回合用不屈加盾墙，撑到支援赶来。
疲劳上限是这套配点最重要的属性。除了猎猪矛或战矛，以及最好又大又耐用的盾牌，漫长艰苦的战斗中，建议矛和盾各备一件；备用矛可以只带小巧的地精矛。带齐这些装备，若要满足理想的 94+ 可用疲劳，即使穿最实用、最轻的轻灵护甲，基础疲劳上限也得超过 140；铁肺能降低 12。防御、生命值、意志和近战命中都有一定重要性，尤其如果你非要为了奇怪的角色扮演拿三尖矛。不过，近战命中的重要性相对有限：单手矛墙有 +20 命中，而且光是摆在那里就经常能逼敌人等待；盾牌击退在点了盾牌精通后，则有 +40 命中。
核心特长： 矛术精通、换位、灵活步法、肾上腺素、恢复体力、不屈
通常会选的特长：巨人体魄、轻灵，或者壮硕与久经战阵中的一项或两项；寻路者、盾牌精通。
可选特长：行囊与腰带、长兵优势、快手、坚定心智、以少敌多、顽强。
最重要的属性：疲劳上限（穿戴全部装备后达到94+）
同样重要的属性：不计盾牌时近战防御至少约 20；生命值至少约 90，最好 100+；意志至少约 50，最好 60+；近战命中约 60+。
可选属性：无
推荐特性：铁肺、强壮、健步如飞、铁下巴、强健、勇敢或无畏、步伐稳健、多疑、灵巧、视死如归、憎恨野兽或绿皮或亡灵。
推荐保留的永久伤势：脑损伤
推荐背景：荒野人、农场帮工、伐木工、信使、拳斗者、流浪汉、苦修者、猎兽者、商队杂工、盗墓贼、掘墓人、屠夫、渔夫、石匠、磨坊主、短工。
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>> 双手武器“蛮族式”调位手 <<
这个角色可能与高疲劳消耗的输出配点非常相似，只是没那么重视进攻。11 级时有蛮族水平、70 多的近战命中就够用，能更高当然更好。首要属性是疲劳上限：穿戴全套装备、拿最重武器时，仍要有 94+ 可用疲劳；换位和灵活步法则必选，所以叫“调位手”。它很适合那些出身高疲劳、高生命背景，最好意志基础或天赋也不错，其他方面都很出色，却除非成长特别幸运，否则 11 级无法达到约 80 近战命中的人。
这个角色有时仍能贡献相当多的伤害，但也负责把队友调到有利位置；局面出错时，还要救他们脱离险境，再用灵活步法让自己也脱身，或用不屈扛住伤害。
武器精通不是必选，不过精通一种范围攻击武器，或者只靠高疲劳上限使用它，会很有帮助。剑的攻击角度更多，更轻、命中更高；对本来就极度需要疲劳上限、又不太重视近战命中的这套配点来说，这些都很重要。斧则能靠破盾发挥作用，长刃斧的劈开还能攻击敌方远程或 2 格武器单位。
另一种做法是只选快手，无论是否点精通都可行，再针对不同敌人搭配合适的 1 格和 2 格武器。钉锤与恍惚总是很好用。这个角色的近战命中本来就不算顶尖，因此有时也可以利用其他武器，例如伤害加成很高的名贵双手连枷，或疲劳效率高、对护甲效果出色的名贵三尖矛。
这个角色应有肾上腺素、恢复体力和不屈，但不应无脑接敌，反复循环不屈加范围攻击，尽管危急时仍应保留这个选项。更应该多用换位和灵活步法：它们与不屈的疲劳、行动点消耗相同，却能直接避开伤害，而不是待在原地硬扛；换位能给队友调整有利站位，两者都能让自己站得更好，连续使用还能把双方一起救出险地。若想在上回合末恢复体力加肾上腺素后，始终能完成最后这种组合，穿戴全套装备、手持最重武器时，至少需要 94 可用疲劳；有铁肺则是 82。
这种机动性也让他能短时间猛烈进攻，甚至使用范围攻击，而不必拥有顶尖的近战防御，有约 15 的“蛮族水平”就够了。
例如，他可以主动上前接触大量敌人，能先攻击就先打一下，再用肾上腺素；下回合开始时再攻击，然后用换位把一名高防御队友送上去，例如不屈／还击盾卫，或不屈／范围攻击双手剑士。那名队友也可能已经用过肾上腺素，或单独用过不屈，之后就能执行自己的行动。你甚至可以像蛮族那样，让两名双手武器调位手接力，所以才叫“蛮族式”：由第二人再把更耐打、更偏防御的队友换上。这样做时，要仔细留意先攻数值，确保下回合开始时仍按你想要的顺序行动。
开局一轮猛攻后很快累了也没关系，他仍能退在后排，用 2 格武器维持疲劳收支平衡。若队友遇险，就恢复体力并使用肾上腺素，下回合开始先换位救人，再用不屈扛伤，顺便可能吸引对其他队友的攻击；或者用灵活步法避伤。如果特别英勇，或者特别鲁莽，还可以接一次范围攻击，赶在那些混蛋继续伤人前把它们全干掉……祝你好运。若大量敌人把阵形围住，彻底无法移动，也可以恢复体力加肾上腺素，再接攻击与不屈。
护甲要求与其他高疲劳消耗角色相同。
核心特长： 换位、灵活步法、肾上腺素、恢复体力、不屈
通常会选的特长：快手、巨人体魄、轻灵，或者壮硕与久经战阵中的一项或两项。
可选特长：狂战、武器精通、寻路者、背刺者、顽强、坚定心智、行囊与腰带。
最重要的属性：疲劳上限（穿戴全部装备后达到94+）
同样重要的属性：近战命中约 75+；生命值至少约 90，最好 100+；意志至少约 50，最好 60+；近战防御通常约 10-25，但如果高大、自负或出身荒野，而且没有这方面天赋，也可以舍弃。
可选属性：远程防御；远程命中：如果只需投入 0-3 次成长就能达到 50-65，可以考虑。
推荐特性：强壮、铁肺、铁下巴、健步如飞、高大、强健、勇敢或无畏、灵巧、步伐稳健、多疑、憎恨野兽或绿皮或亡灵、视死如归。
推荐保留的永久伤势：脑损伤
推荐背景：荒野人、伐木工、农场帮工、信使、猎兽者、拳斗者、流浪汉、苦修者、商队杂工、盗墓贼、掘墓人、渔夫、石匠、磨坊主、短工。
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>> 军士 <<
军士需要高得离谱的意志，原因不言而喻。他最重要的工作，是在许多队友被那些蠢兮兮的蓝色怨魂或古代祭司吓得动摇、濒临崩溃、溃逃时，反复使用鼓舞，因此也需要很高的疲劳上限。鼓舞与换位、灵活步法、不屈的疲劳消耗相同。那为什么不把这些特长全选上，再加恢复体力与肾上腺素呢？一个好军士更容易达到穿戴后最低 94 可用疲劳，有铁肺则是 82；在不太考验意志的战斗里，他就能像长矛／盾牌调位手或双手武器“蛮族式”调位手一样，负责调位救人。
也可以用其他方式让军士更有用：近战命中高，就兼任挥鞭缴械手；远程命中高，就兼任投掷手。还可以本质上照长矛或双手武器调位手来练，用重振士气和坚定心智替换其中两个可选特长。
必要特长：重振士气、坚定心智、恢复体力。
通常会选的特长：巨人体魄、轻灵，或者壮硕与久经战阵中的一项或两项。
可选特长：不屈、肾上腺素、换位、灵活步法、寻路者、长柄武器精通、投掷精通、斩刀精通、长矛精通、剑术精通、斧术精通、快手、行囊与腰带、决斗家。
最重要的属性：意志：佩戴饰带并有坚定心智后，至少 100+；疲劳上限：穿戴全部装备后最好还有 94+ 可用疲劳。
同样重要的属性： 生命值（至少~90，理想值为100+）
可选属性：近战命中、近战防御、远程防御、远程命中。
推荐特性：勇敢或无畏、强壮、铁肺、铁下巴、健步如飞、强健、憎恨野兽或绿皮或亡灵、多疑、步伐稳健、敏捷、幸存者、灵巧、自负。
推荐保留的永久伤势：脑损伤
推荐背景：荒野人、邪教徒、苦修者、伐木工、拳斗者、猎兽者、骑士侍从、盗墓贼、掘墓人、商队杂工、屠夫、驯犬师。
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>> 压制鞭手 <<
战鞭很轻，有 3 格攻击距离，还能缴械危险敌人，无论对方穿什么护甲。它对护甲很无力，但每次命中无甲敌人，都能施加两层持续两回合的流血，而且每回合可以攻击两次。因此，每回合最多能产生八次、每次 10 点的流血伤害，再加双手握持时两次命中的基础伤害 36-74，每回合合计可造成 116-154 生命伤害；面对有顽强的敌人，也能有 76-114，比重得多的钩镰还好。
那为什么不把这件好武器交给轻装、高先攻的角色呢？面对护甲已经打光的巨兽，例如巨魔、树妖、林德蠕龙，他每回合能叠两层压制、多层流血，造成比钩镰更高的总生命伤害。在对抗兽人狂战士、兽人军阀、蛮族神选战士，以及死灵剑士、荣誉卫士、被附身的陨落英雄等亡灵的艰难战斗中，他还能每回合缴械一个危险敌人，或许再收掉另一个。通常还能站在安全位置；即使敌人逼近，高先攻加闪避也至少能提供不错的防御。
鞭子也非常适合击杀怨魂。
鞭的技能消耗 4 或 5 行动点，所以不用快手，也能换成更大、更擅长破甲的武器，例如单手或双手斩刀、投掷武器，或点了精通的钩镰。快手仍是不错的可选特长，尤其当你还想用双手钉锤砸人时。高先攻也让决斗刺剑成为诱人的选择，同时还能在不依赖换位或灵活步法的情况下脱离险境。
顽强很有用，能让角色遭到踉跄后迅速恢复战斗力。当然，只要足够谨慎，踉跄本来就不该经常发生。
这个角色的先攻应当极高，最好战斗开始时超过 120。出身低疲劳背景也可以，这能保证先攻相对于疲劳更高；但鞭每回合也可能消耗大量疲劳，所以恢复体力对恢复战斗力至关重要。因此，疲劳上限较高、同时先攻天赋也很高的新兵，同样非常适合这个角色。
这个角色在面对兽人军阀、怨魂和古代祭司时很有用，因此即使通常站得安全，也不能完全忽略意志。
核心特长： 斩刀精通、闪避、压制、恢复体力、轻灵
备选特长： 巨人体魄、顽强、寻路者、不懈
可选特长：快手、行囊与腰带、以少敌多、长兵优势、决斗家、剑术精通、投掷精通、长柄武器精通、坚定心智。
最重要的属性：先攻：穿戴全部装备后最好仍有 120+；近战命中最好约 85+。
同样重要的属性：近战防御：不计闪避加成时，约 10-35 都可以；生命值至少约 90，最好 100+；意志至少约 50，最好 60+。
可选属性：疲劳上限、远程防御；远程命中：如果只需投入 0-3 次成长就能达到 50-65，可以考虑。
推荐特性：迅捷、灵巧、强壮、铁肺、铁下巴、健步如飞、强健、勇敢或无畏、憎恨野兽或绿皮或亡灵、视死如归、敏捷。
推荐保留的永久伤势：不适用
推荐背景：盗贼、赌徒、拳斗者、猎兽者、盗墓贼、商队杂工、屠夫、矿工、捕鼠人、杂耍艺人、骑士侍从、民兵。
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>> 击剑士 <<
我还没在正经战役里多试过击剑士，倒是在不太正经的试验局里折腾过。他们确实既有效又好玩，尤其如果你弄到一把每次技能疲劳消耗 -3 的名贵决斗刺剑。
必要特长：剑术精通、闪避、恢复体力，有铁肺可不选恢复体力，以及轻灵。
备选特长： 巨人体魄、顽强、决斗家、压制
可选特长：以少敌多、寻路者、杀戮狂热、狂战、不懈、坚定心智、快手、长柄武器精通、斩刀精通、投掷精通、行囊与腰带、钢铁额骨、九命。
最重要的属性：近战防御、先攻、近战命中。
其他重要属性：生命值、意志
可选属性： 疲劳上限
推荐特性：步伐稳健、迅捷、强壮、铁肺、铁下巴、健步如飞、强健、勇敢或无畏、憎恨野兽或绿皮或亡灵、视死如归、灵巧、幸运、敏捷。
推荐保留的永久伤势：不适用
推荐背景：盗贼、赌徒、猎兽者、骑士侍从、民兵、矿工、拳斗者、驯犬师、信使、盗墓贼、商队杂工、掘墓人、屠夫、渔夫、邪教徒、捕鼠人、杂耍艺人。
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>> 长柄双修手 <<
基本思路是把长柄武器精通带来的每次攻击 5 行动点，与另一种每次技能消耗 4 行动点的武器搭配起来；后一种武器也可以点精通。
视天赋、属性和所选特长而定，这个角色可以走高疲劳消耗、基本维持疲劳收支平衡，或以先攻为核心。它可能与前面介绍的某些配点很相似，甚至就是同一个角色，例如投掷决斗家、压制鞭手、重钉锤控场手、高效嗑菇手、双手武器“蛮族式”调位手。
高疲劳消耗方案中，穿戴后有 92 可用疲劳，有铁肺则是 80，就能在恢复体力加肾上腺素后，用钩镰攻击、击杀触发狂战、再攻击，并使用不屈，或换位、灵活步法。若穿戴后有 94 可用疲劳，有铁肺则是 82，就能在同样的准备后，把任意两种消耗 25 疲劳的技能组合使用。
有人会说，长柄武器精通的 5 行动点攻击，与投掷精通的 4 行动点攻击没必要同时选，因为后者每回合本来就能攻击两次，而且对合适目标造成的生命伤害更多。但别忘了，长柄武器对无甲或重甲敌人的伤害更高，还能先削甲，把敌人打到适合决斗家收割的护甲水平。投掷武器则能在击杀 2 格外的首个目标后，转攻 3 或 4 格外的敌人，投石索甚至能打 6 格。若有狂战，起手不移动、用精通的钩镰击杀后，会剩 8 行动点，能移动一格再攻击。如果带投掷武器且远程命中不错，就能先移动两格再攻击。即使投掷武器本可造成更高伤害，地形障碍也可能严重妨碍远程命中，而长柄武器不受这种影响。夜间也会降低远程命中，高伤害投掷武器的弹药还很有限。
核心特长： 长柄武器精通、快手、恢复体力
通常会选的特长：狂战、肾上腺素、不屈、巨人体魄、轻灵，或者壮硕与久经战阵中的一项或两项；寻路者、第 2 项武器精通，选择斩刀、投掷或钉锤。
可选特长：决斗家、杀戮狂热、背刺者、快速适应、行囊与腰带、顽强、换位、灵活步法、闪避、压制、不懈、长兵优势、以少敌多。
最重要的属性：近战命中（~80+）
同样重要的属性：疲劳上限或先攻；生命值至少约 90，最好 100+；近战防御通常约 10-25，但如果高大、自负或出身荒野，而且没有这方面天赋，也可以舍弃；意志至少约 50。
可选属性： 远程命中（若使用投掷武器）、远程防御
推荐特性：灵巧、强壮、铁肺、铁下巴、强健、勇敢或无畏、步伐稳健、多疑或迅捷、高大、敏捷、憎恨野兽或绿皮或亡灵、视死如归。
推荐保留的永久伤势：不适用
推荐背景：骑士侍从、民兵、猎兽者、荒野人、伐木工、拳斗者、商队杂工、屠夫、盗墓贼、矿工、私生子、被逐贵族、退伍军人、盗贼、赌徒、杂耍艺人、牧羊人、农场帮工、信使、流浪汉、苦修者、掘墓人、渔夫、邪教徒、石匠、磨坊主、短工。
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>> 弓手 <<
传统而可靠的狙击手，在前中期负责射杀亡灵法师。选择常规远程特长，并提高远程防御，撑到 7 级点出轻灵，变得近乎不死。之后可以继续提高先攻，更容易用压制帮助队友；也可以点投掷精通和决斗家，转为输出手。若近战命中不错，尤其还带铁肺，也能转为兼任击剑士或鞭手的混合角色。
核心特长： 弓术精通、鹰眼、轻灵
备选特长： 巨人体魄、寻路者、闪避、压制
可选特长：恢复体力、不懈、预判、狂战、杀戮狂热、钢铁额骨、九命、投掷精通、决斗家、猎首者、弩精通、斩刀精通、剑术精通、长柄武器精通、快手、行囊与腰带、顽强。
最重要的属性：远程命中（至少~80+）
同样重要的属性：生命值至少约 75，最好 100+；穿戴后先攻约 100+，最好 120+；远程防御约 10-25。
可选属性：近战命中、近战防御、疲劳上限、意志。
推荐特性：强壮、铁肺、铁下巴、健步如飞、敏捷、迅捷、强健、勇敢或无畏、憎恨野兽或绿皮或亡灵、视死如归、幸运。
推荐保留的永久伤势：不适用
推荐背景：猎人、偷猎者、牧羊人、信使、盗墓贼、赌徒、盗贼、杂耍艺人、骑士侍从、民兵。
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战术与阵形
>> 对抗兽人帐篷海 <<
大型兽人营地的战斗方式，以及不同配置的效果，会随守军构成而变化。有些营地重甲战士很多，兽人青年和狂战士相对少，守军总数通常约 24；有些则有大量兽人青年和狂战士，兽人战士较少，总数通常是 30 出头；还有些三者都很多，总数通常在 30 多的中段或高段。
尽管护甲极厚，兽人战士多、狂战士很少的营地往往最容易。少了兽人青年冲锋击晕和狂战士把人劈成两半的顾虑，兽人战士即使单体难度更高，也更好处理。狂战士越多，实际难度越高：它们武器凶猛，更能抵抗伤势和负面士气，有寻路者、跨地形更灵活，也不会那么傻地冲向开着不屈或矛墙的敌人。它们更喜欢四处绕行，逼你为防备而多消耗体力。大量狂战士与战士，再配一个双手握持伤害加成高得离谱的名贵武器的军阀，就是最难的兽人战。
大量兽人青年冲锋确实会制造麻烦，但它们也让兽人战更容易。你若用肾上腺素抢先，不断用范围或 2 格攻击打它们，很容易把它们打到动摇、濒临崩溃或溃逃，甚至光靠矛墙把它们挡回去也会如此。大批兽人青年溃逃，往往会连带动摇战士乃至军阀的士气。我曾遇到过一个精英兽人战士，还没来得及出手就已经逃了。不过军阀可能重整其中一部分，因此必须小心：刚才还像必死无疑的兽人青年，可能突然在回合末冲锋，把人击晕。
大型兽人营地中，我通常带 3-4 名不屈承伤角色，使用双手范围攻击或持盾还击，后者放在侧翼；再带 4-6 名有快手的双手武器输出手、0-2 名长矛／盾牌调位手、1-2 名压制鞭手，以及 1 名军士，军士也可能兼任鞭手。有时还会带远程角色。若没有，我通常让军士或其他人开战时拿投石杖，骗兽人以为我方有远程威胁，必须推进，而不是待在后面摆出笨拙的防御阵形。如果兽人战士多、狂战士少，占好预定位置，前排开不屈，等兽人自己走进来就行。
如果狂战士很多，开局几回合最好更主动，用承伤角色缠住其中大量敌人。不过不用过分较真，仍有少数绕着阵形走也没关系。
无论哪种情况，我都喜欢在前排不屈承伤角色之间留一两格空隙；如果有两名持剑的双手剑士，也可以让他们在中央并肩站立，与其他人之间留两格。一般来说，前排成员之间留 2 格较理想，因为每处空隙刚好只容一个冒失兽人穿过，接触后排。通常，钻进来的是兽人战士，当回合已经无法攻击，接着很快就会被打入恍惚、缴械、剥光护甲，还没机会出手就濒临死亡，甚至根本没机会出手。
理想情况下，军士应距离每个人都在 4 格以内；至少也应距离两翼承伤者不超过 5 格，这样只需向任意一侧移动一格，就能在必要时鼓舞。
狂战士很多时，可以让承伤者主动上前接敌，能先攻击就先打，然后用肾上腺素；下回合开始再用不屈，加范围攻击或还击架势。开局也可能让调位手先上前，用换位送上双手剑士，使后者还能前进一格并打出范围攻击，再用肾上腺素，下回合开始接范围攻击加不屈。之后，承伤者继续循环不屈与范围攻击或还击架势。有时应先等待以防意外，例如在输出回合降低先攻，或在恢复回合用了恢复体力加肾上腺素后，防备重整士气的兽人冲锋击晕。
带 2 格武器的双手武器手应跟在承伤者后面推进，使用肾上腺素，争取第 2 回合尽可能多杀伤、打击狂战士的士气。第 3 回合也可以重复；如果后排可能遭到冲锋击晕，用完肾上腺素后就先等待。鞭手应站在能打到几个狂战士，或双手握持兽人武器的兽人青年的位置，同时尽量留在阵形保护之内。战斗拖久后，鞭手可能被兽人战士贴身；这时可以恢复体力、缴械，或换成单手或双手斩刀，在持续施加压制的同时提高伤害。最初几回合应能杀伤、打击大量兽人青年的士气，希望也能这样对付大量狂战士。战士和军阀则会慢吞吞地向前挪。如果有两名长矛／盾牌调位手，应放在后侧两翼，拖住绕侧的狂战士，并延缓战士和军阀，直到其他敌人清得差不多。矛墙被突破后，调位手也许能恢复体力，再用灵活步法加矛墙；但更常见的选择，是先用灵活步法脱身，之后换个位置重建矛墙，或改用盾墙加不屈承伤。这能缠住大量兽人，让输出手专心进攻，不必担心击晕或忙着开不屈。战士经常先想绕侧，又改主意去填死去或逃跑的兽人青年、狂战士留下的空位。因此它们接敌后往往不能立即攻击，可以趁机投网、缴械、打入恍惚，迅速废掉。网能让战士更容易被命中、缴械、打入恍惚，阻止其撞穿阵形，除非你有意引它更深入，还能诱使它浪费行动点挣脱。逼近阵形 2 格以内的狂战士也可以网住，之后原地用 2 格武器攻击就相当安全。
战局会明显偏向你，但兽人数量多，护甲也厚，军阀还会重整逃兵，所以仍须警惕回合末的冲锋击晕。盾卫的盾几乎肯定会碎，必须换备用盾，如果他们的疲劳上限允许携带的话；否则只能指望双手握持下的还击架势，帮助清掉剩余兽人青年和狂战士，让双手武器手不再受冲锋击晕威胁，能拿双手钉锤、斧和 2 格武器压向战士与军阀。双手剑士或盾卫可能遇到尴尬局面：即使已经等待，到了需要恢复体力时，行动顺序仍在战士前面。此时只能指望轻灵、生命值、护甲、防御，甚至一点进攻，保他们撑到输出队友发起最后的屠兽攻势。通常能撑住。
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>> 对抗地精城市 <<
一般来说，最大的地精营地比最大的兽人营地更难，打起来也更烦。鲁尔加希克斯固定有 43 个地精，包括 3 个萨满和 3 个地精督军；其他大型营地的守军，从 20 多的中段到 30 多的中段不等，其中萨满或地精督军不止一个。
地精督军能一鞭子把手下直接打到斗志昂扬；如果手下因同伴接连被杀而溃逃，也能将其重整。它们偶尔还会射弩箭，若命中头部，轻灵比重甲更容易扛住，因为久经战阵对无视护甲的伤害没有实质帮助。附加毛皮衬垫能很好地抵御刺桩重弩命中身体，但大型地精战或许更适合普通毛皮衬垫，就是用两张巨魔毛皮做的白色那一种：伏击者弓箭持续的小额伤害，很容易一回合打光轻灵护甲，即使开着不屈也一样。重甲当然能撑更久，但穿它的人被诅咒、藤蔓或网困住时，更容易遭到破甲刺击并中毒；护甲最后一旦耗尽，就只能等死。
萨满能直接用藤蔓缠住 8 格以内的敌人；如果其他敌人站在这些范围内目标的后方，即使距离 9 格，也会一起被缠住。高地会扩大萨满技能的范围，最坏情况下可达到 11 格，甚至把 12 格外的敌人也一起困住。
地精战利品项链能免疫网和藤蔓束缚。可以给一名后排成员，让他专门帮其他人解开网和藤蔓，好让他们集中输出；也可以交给不屈盾卫，让他试着穿过混战抓住萨满，或把萨满追赶到无法影响其他人的距离之外。
萨满还可以在相同距离内诅咒敌人，佩戴地精战利品项链的人也不例外。藤蔓使近战防御、远程防御和先攻降低 35%，许多散兵投出的网则降低 45%；诅咒会把这些属性连同近战命中、远程命中一起降低 50%，基本让受害者在持续期间丧失作用。没有顽强的话，会持续整整 4 回合。
一般来说，只要范围内还有没被困住的人，萨满会优先用藤蔓；如果你不试着挣脱，只顾用范围攻击或狂战连续屠杀地精，它们就会开始诅咒。没有顽强，很容易全队都被诅咒，还困在网或藤蔓里，极易被破甲刺击打中并中毒；护甲大多没了之后，箭也能造成同样后果。没有顽强时，中毒持续 5 回合，起初会把行动点降到 5，连大型双手武器攻击都不够，只勉强够尝试挣脱网或藤蔓。而这也让人觉得徒劳，因为还没轮到你再次行动，它们就又补上了。
这就是难题所在。面对多个萨满带领的大队地精，高先攻角色相对没什么用，即使开局先攻高过所有地精也一样。挣脱网和藤蔓会降低先攻、减少输出；留在其中则持续压低先攻，还会被不断诅咒，彻底失去作用。不过，我想如果全队都是带不懈、近战命中和防御极高的击剑士，或许也能打，因为挣脱后用突刺杀地精很容易。高疲劳上限角色能先攻击击杀，靠狂战多出的行动点挣脱，再向前一格；运气极好时，还能用肾上腺素在下回合一开始再杀一个。但很快就会重新被网住，而且上回合移动而没用不屈，更容易中毒。若谨慎些，挣脱后不移动、改用不屈，萨满又会诅咒你，让你在整个持续期间无所作为。
所以，顽强特别适合对付萨满、女巫这类烦人的敌人。筋疲力尽时先恢复体力加肾上腺素，如果本回合还有萨满没行动，就先等待；这样无论承伤者还是输出手，下回合开始都能摆脱诅咒，正常组合高疲劳消耗的攻防技能。即使你采取很无聊的打法，大部分时间留在网和藤蔓里，也可能赢下战斗。好在地精意志差，一波突然的连杀之后，几个没受伤的也可能直接逃跑。
打赢最大地精城市，压力最小的办法，除了带一群 25 级、110 远程命中的弓手，不断读档直到刷在高地上之外，就是只留少数不屈盾卫在萨满范围内，其余人全部退出范围。记得把萨满占高地带来的射程变化算进去。幸运的是，即使你没带弓手，狼骑兵、散兵和部分伏击者仍会向主力推进。
第 1 回合，除佩戴项链者外，几乎所有人都可能被藤蔓困住：萨满能覆盖前排至少 3 人，站在他们后面的人也会被连带缠住。这会妨碍移动，但每个人应该都能挣脱，希望第一次就成功，再用剩余行动点远离前方承伤者，希望能离开萨满范围。若第 1 回合无法退出范围，或无法移动到平坦、对己方有利的地形，就用肾上腺素，第 2 回合开始再去合适位置。之后，从相对安全的位置屠杀推进的地精，应该就不难了；但仍要小心，别同时进入太多伏击者的射程。
前方盾卫必须留在网或藤蔓里，佩戴地精战利品项链的人除外。戴项链的盾卫可以试着穿过混战，抓住或追赶一两个萨满，大概也会顺带赶跑几个伏击者和偶尔一名地精督军；最好先开不屈以防万一。其他盾卫继续隔一回合使用还击架势加不屈，护甲薄了甚至改用盾墙加不屈。如果有顽强，务必先等待，让诅咒在下回合挨打前消退。在恢复回合用过恢复体力加肾上腺素后，只要还有萨满没行动，也应等待，这样新中的诅咒也会在下回合开始前消退。萨满下回合几乎肯定还会再诅咒，但它们通常比其他地精晚行动，因此多数攻击到来时，诅咒并未生效。
开局撤后的主力杀光推进的地精后，通常会有一段尴尬时期：你必须重新前进，才能打到剩余地精，以及会困住、诅咒你的萨满。最好先花一两回合让全队恢复体力，再推进到距离最近萨满 9 格处，仍要考虑高低差。下回合全员先等待，直到萨满应该都结束行动了，再一起前进 4 格，彼此至少隔 1 格，并使用肾上腺素；随后在下一次行动中，全员进入能攻击萨满的距离，仍保持至少一格间隔。这波推进也会威胁大量伏击者，可能还包括地精督军，让它们不敢站定射击。下一回合，萨满不可能困住所有人；凡是原地使用技能的萨满或其他地精，大概都会落入某个未被束缚者的攻击范围。就连被困住的人，也可能有 2 格攻击机会。剩下的战斗仍可能混乱，也可能有人伤亡，尤其是推进者早已没了护甲时；但从这里开始，胜利已经确定。
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>> 对抗黑色巨石、古代亡灵与死灵剑士 <<
荣誉卫士有 75 近战命中，常持带 +10 命中的古代长枪，对护甲基础伤害为 68-100；也会持同样有 +10 命中的镰刃长剑，每击基础护甲伤害最高约 70。死灵剑士有 85 近战命中，双手握持斩刀，每击基础护甲伤害最高 85。征服者有 90 近战命中、快速适应、固有伤害加成，还拿墓穴斩刀，计入加成后，每击基础护甲伤害可超过 100。假设一名 11 级老兵起始近战防御为 5、有 2 星天赋，每次升级都加近战防御，最终会有 35。这意味着死灵剑士、持古代长枪或镰刃长剑的荣誉卫士，基础命中率仍有 50%；还得叠一层长兵优势，征服者才有一半概率打空，然后快速适应立刻给它 +8 命中。其他荣誉卫士和古代军团兵持有效耐久 48 的塔盾，习惯架盾墙，让近战防御达到 50，每个相邻、同样开盾墙的盟友再加 5。死灵剑士和征服者没有盾，但基础近战防御有 25。假设一名 11 级老兵起始近战命中为 55、有 2 星天赋，每次都加近战命中，最终会有 85；攻击开盾墙的军团兵，仍超过一半会失手，攻击死灵剑士和征服者，也超过三分之一会失手。而这名假想的 11 级老兵，只剩另外 10 次属性提升，可以分配给疲劳上限、生命值和意志。敌人伤害、命中都这么高，穿好甲、经常用不屈就很重要，因此需要大量疲劳上限。杀死盾墙骷髅、传送的死灵剑士，以及打穿征服者的护甲与生命，都很耗时；许多武器还会造成流血，随行祭司又不断在战场上铺瘴气，因此生命值同样重要。祭司的恐吓还能降低士气，损害战斗属性、增加后续士气检定失败的风险，或造成惊恐状态，可能迫使你放弃一回合，在危险敌人与瘴气包围下无法用不屈，因此意志也很重要。62 生命值和 33 意志远远不够。我真的见过约 90 意志的承伤者，仅仅被几个拿断剑的军团兵贴身，就从镇定掉到动摇，再到濒临崩溃。
黑色巨石一共要面对 47 名敌人，包括征服者、6 名死灵剑士、3 名古代祭司，以及多得该死的荣誉卫士，外加同样多得该死的盾墙军团兵和长枪军团兵。只靠 11 级队伍，怎么在一场战斗里打赢？或者说，11-16 级的队伍，毕竟你把其他人练成时，部分老兵可能又升了几级。更何况，双手武器输出手如今已经无法在不严重损害进攻能力的前提下，从盾牌白拿防御了，又该怎么办？
我找到的最有效阵形有四排，适合我常用的队伍：有人防御极强，有人进攻极强，但两者兼具的很少。前排中央并肩放两名双手剑士，左右各放一名盾卫，盾卫与双手剑士之间留 1 格。西侧是最危险的位置，这里的盾卫可以彻底专注防御，只带匕首以降低疲劳负担、腾出余力带备用盾，不断循环不屈加盾墙，最好拿一面耐久和近战防御都增强的名贵盾。前排另一名盾卫也应有足够可用疲劳，能在紧急时循环不屈加盾墙，但平时更应偏重不屈加还击架势，方便清理死灵剑士。第二排中央站三个人，在前排双手剑士后方；两侧用斧，携带长柄斧，再带长刃斧、巨斧或战鞭。中间可以再放一名斧手，或点了精通的鞭手，无论是高疲劳消耗型还是先攻型都行。第三排中央，在斧手、鞭手后面，再放两名输出手。他们应有极高的近战命中，最好还疲劳上限高、机动性强，也就是有换位和灵活步法。这两人应带双手钉锤、战鞭，无论鞭是否精通，再带钩镰或长柄斧。两人后方，末排中央是军士，距离前排两翼盾卫都是 4 格；他也应有很高疲劳上限、换位和灵活步法，如果挤得出位置，也可以带鞭和快手。如果紧邻前方的其中一人近战防御较高，可以与军士互换位置，反正这三人在战斗中很可能会多次换位。末排两翼，在前排两翼后方 3 格、略向内的位置，再放两名高近战防御成员。西侧是第二危险的位置，最可能遇到征服者，必须用持盾角色，可选不屈加还击架势或不屈加盾墙，最好带备用盾，因为第一面几乎肯定会破。东侧可以再放一名双手剑士，甚至用回旋斩的双手斧手。东后侧受到瘴气与诅咒的影响最少，最适合近战属性出众、生命值和意志却一般的双手武器手。但至少尽量有约 90 和约 50，别只有 62 和 33，因为传送而来的死灵剑士很容易在最需要稳住军心时击垮士气。
若有快手的角色还有空位，可以开战时带投矛或网，不过多数人只能再带网。最好等死灵剑士贴住侧翼承伤者，再把网扔上去，让其他人鞭打、缴械、叠流血，或移一格换重武器攻击；有机会收掉它时，也可以用肾上腺素。如果所有快手角色都带不动投矛，前排双手剑士，甚至前排的一名或两名盾卫，可以开战时拿投矛。两根配合，用来拆掉向双手剑士推进的骷髅的塔盾，让脆弱的无盾双手剑士开局更顺，叠起长兵优势，更容易尽早击杀并进入斗志昂扬状态。前排若没有快手却用了投矛，就必须准备留在原地，因为第 1 回合剩余行动点要用来换回常用武器，才能第 2 回合攻击。
面对这么多敌人，破盾似乎费时费力，但任一时刻，能贴住脆弱双手剑士的盾墙军团兵其实只有少数。第二排斧手完全可以偶尔配合拆掉一面塔盾，也许是在触发狂战之后。让正面的军团兵更脆弱，双手剑士就更容易叠防御，也可能在击杀后，尤其点出了狂战时，前进一格直接贴住长枪军团兵。后者没有长柄武器精通，贴身会受 -15 命中惩罚。即使双手剑士无法继续维持不屈，也大概值得抓住这个机会，因为身后的斧手很可能跟着推进，迅速解决古代长枪手。
让双手剑士免受古代长枪威胁，还有个极好的办法：缴械持枪者。它们比死灵剑士容易缴械得多，而征服者免疫缴械。有时也值得缴械持镰刃长剑或墓穴斩刀的荣誉卫士，例如它们已经贴住双手剑士或斧手时。死灵剑士大多只应交给鞭术娴熟、点了精通的人缴械；不过，最好还是先用重武器打掉九命，再用普通战鞭收尾，也希望盾卫的还击能带走其中几个。
最危险位置上的盾卫活得越久，胜算越大。西侧的人很可能无法幸存，但他们应该攥紧拳头，守住最后一点生命。征服者贴上来时，他们自身和护甲的状态越好，获胜的机会就越大。
征服者会在最初交锋之后才接战，通常从西后侧靠近。因此，它到来时，那一侧承伤者往往已经几乎被完全包围。理想情况下，阵形内侧还剩一个空位，让它能贴住承伤者，同时靠近或紧挨军士、后方某名双手钉锤手。它也可能直接贴上中央后方的这些人。无论哪种情况，基本流程都是等它结束行动后，再尽量打出恍惚，这样就不必用肾上腺素。若军士被贴住，就换位送上一名输出手，使它陷入恍惚。中央后方另一名输出手也换好双手钉锤，如果不会接触其他敌人，就移一格攻击；否则再通过换位上前打一击，实在没办法就只从 2 格外打。下回合他们可以再攻击，然后多半要用灵活步法避伤；也可以让军士把一人换走，自己再用灵活步法或不屈。如果西后侧承伤者正被征服者攻击、陷入危险，就可以用不屈代替灵活步法，让这些状态更好、近战防御较低的成员吸引它的攻击。第二排斧手也可能用长柄斧，甚至战鞭攻击；迅速击杀征服者应当优先。注意，从 2 格外攻击它的护甲，不会触发 20% 伤害反弹；从 1 格攻击时，必须先用不屈再打，才能把反伤减半，打完后再用没有效果。
如果已经杀掉征服者和所有死灵剑士，而侧翼承伤者全部还活着、多少还撑得住，那么胜利已经稳了。如果西侧一人甚至两人都倒下了，或濒临倒下，但双手剑士状态仍好或尚可，也仍有不错的胜算，只是后面很可能变成一场别扭、费劲的烂仗。
没有不断传送的死灵剑士后，就更容易安全地恢复体力。你可以耐心待在长枪手 2 或 3 格外等待，等它们结束行动再上前攻击，知道自己在挨打前还能再攻击一次，希望能击杀并触发狂战。鞭手可以缴械长枪手，长柄斧手则偶尔联手拆掉一面塔盾，减少全队接连打空、拖得令人抓狂的情况。双手剑士应优先直接贴住长枪手；双手钉锤手则在附近长枪已经缴械时，优先给敌人施加恍惚。
最难，或者至少最烦的部分，是祭司开始接近、不断铺瘴气并施放诅咒。这时你就会后悔相信“前排约 50 意志就够，其他人基本不用管意志”的普遍说法。有时某人靠近祭司，先等待看看是否有用肾上腺素的机会，结果却被瘴气困住，接着陷入惊恐，无法离开。除了远离瘴气，最好尽量让所有人离军士不要太远。
剩下的荣誉卫士真正承担着保护祭司的职责。它们先攻极低，总排在你后面，也总会等待行动。你无法对它们维持不屈循环；一旦主动贴上去，它们总有机会在你之后攻击。不过，如果还有盾卫活着、生命值尚可，最好也还剩一点护甲，就该让他贴住一个或多个卫士，使用不屈，阻止其继续移动保护祭司。如果盾卫都快不成人样，只能由双手剑士来做。无论怎样，这都能给输出手创造机会，让他们进入祭司攻击范围、使用肾上腺素，抢在陷入惊恐前出手。仍会有零散荣誉卫士前来迎击，但它们相对孤立，应该不难让人打入恍惚、缴械，或干脆迅速杀掉。等只剩最后一名祭司，即使它只剩几点生命，也要用手里最残酷、最过火的武器或攻击，像行刑一样解决它，那一刻特别解气。名贵双手斧、双手钉锤，或名贵斩刀的斩首，正适合这个特殊时刻。
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>> 对抗克拉肯 <<
我要是知道就好了。敬请期待……
好吧……
【译注：本节保留作者当时版本的克拉肯打法。】把地精战利品项链，也可以说是克拉肯战利品项链，交给有战锤精通的人，或持破甲能力出色的名贵钩镰者，开局几回合用粉碎护甲，或普通打击，拆掉克拉肯的头甲。它的身甲不会受到攻击，也不会被削除。触手，也叫伊尔利希特，是野兽身体上没有护甲的部分；杀死触手能无视主体护甲，直接扣除生命值，但只到一定阶段为止。最初有 12 条触手，等只剩八条时，再击杀就不扣主体生命，而且触手总会再生，只能直接攻击克拉肯削血。不过所有攻击都会打中头部，头甲拆光后就能扣生命。因此，每个人都该带战鞭，3 格距离很有用；至少部分人应有斩刀精通，提高流血伤害。没有精通的人，还应带锯齿长枪，或点了精通的钩镰，在只够攻击一次时造成更多伤害。人人还都应带一把高伤害双手剑、斧、钉锤或斩刀。全队近战命中都要高，至少约 80+，越高越好，以便自行挣脱和解救队友，不带盾卫；同时要有大量可用疲劳和恢复体力。近战防御高能减少伤亡，但如果诸神眷顾，多数人只有 10-25 这样的一般水平也能过。强烈建议高生命值，搭配轻灵或重甲。只要没人死，意志不重要；但没有军士，一旦有人死亡、其他人士气动摇，就没有鼓舞可用。
通过击杀触手削掉克拉肯一定比例生命后，可能在戴项链的人尚未拆光头甲时，触手就会狂暴，有时不再拖人，而是攻击。因此，即使诸神眷顾，戴项链者也最好有高近战防御。触手攻击有 50% 概率打头，所以头盔最好相对厚重，例如轻灵角色可以用巴布特盔。它们伤害高、破甲强，还会造成流血，好在每回合只有 5 点。命中也高得吓人，而且始终有 25 近战防御和以少敌多。身处沼泽时，打中它们或挣脱尤其麻烦。也许值得让两名带背刺者的人拿钉锤，每回合各晕一条触手，但这会大量消耗疲劳，而且可能因沼泽而失手，也可能单纯就是打空。若随后在高疲劳下被拖走，即使挣脱，也可能只能移动一点，甚至动不了，没机会恢复体力就又被缠住。也许更好的选择是，不管是否有精通，尽量用双手钉锤让更多触手恍惚，降低伤害，再迅速杀死它们，逼其在较远处重生。
不屈在这场战斗里很有用，生效时不会被拖走，但想无休止地循环它完全徒劳。克拉肯总会等待行动；触手若没人可拖、没人可打，也会等待。这意味着你恢复体力后仍会被拖走；同时使用肾上腺素，还会让你挣脱后剩下更少可用疲劳，难以远离、躲藏或使用不屈。不过，有时狂暴触手会在你开着不屈时攻击，伤害也较低，于是你之后就能自由地恢复体力加肾上腺素，再次用不屈。
藏在灌木中，触手通常找不到、也拖不走你。但它们仍可能在相邻格重生，或在其他人挣脱时被挤到相邻格；这时仍会缠住并拖走你。另外，如果所有人都躲起来，它们立刻就会奇迹般地找到你。即便如此，躲灌木有时仍很稳妥，尤其是与其他人拉开距离。例如被拖走后挣脱，用肾上腺素抢先跑开藏好，避免尚未再次行动就被抓住。开局想在被拖前把全队带到好地形时，这也有用。
肾上腺素在这场战斗里视情况很有用，包括开局把全队带到好地形，以及如前所述，在克拉肯附近挣脱后逃跑藏匿。你也许能躲在距克拉肯 2 或 3 格的隐蔽处，安全恢复体力，然后趁触手在更远处攻击、缠住其他人，用鞭或 2 格武器攻击主体。
寻路者当然很有助于开局把全队带到好地形。除戴项链者外的所有人都在好地形上集结后，通常应优先确保每个人都摆脱触手，再考虑攻击；挣脱本身也会伤到触手。但有击杀机会时，经常值得抓住，因为被杀的触手会在较远处重生，减少它们缠缚、拖人的频率。触手狂暴后，更应尽快击杀，压低数量。其他时候，如果没有击杀机会，旁边也没有只能靠你救的人，而你已经积累了不少疲劳，有时最好花一回合恢复体力。
到了某个阶段，部分、许多、甚至大多数人都必须靠近克拉肯，主动过去或被拖过去都有可能。发生这种情况时，最好留有大量可用疲劳。有些人可以留在后面，尽量牵制多条触手，或把它们引得更远。某人护甲掉光、生命也损失一些后，触手更倾向攻击而非拖拽，所以这或许是让某个人英勇献身的合适时机。
视战况与地形而定，可能有一个或多个人能前进，占据克拉肯攻击距离内的隐蔽格，最好还在良好地面上。如果做不到，就没法这么自在地持续输出，更多人必须向前，这也提高了风险：有人在克拉肯旁边挣脱，却没有空格可走。若部分触手仍留在后方攻击，也可留人杀掉它们；一旦有人被吞噬、其他人降到动摇士气，在没有军士的情况下，杀触手就是触发正面士气检定的唯一办法。
等部分、许多、甚至大多数人都靠近克拉肯、进入攻击距离后，仍会有不少人被缠住，甚至拖到它嘴边。此时的选择包括：（a）让别人牺牲一次攻击来救你；（b）自行挣脱，移动到好格子，再用不屈；（c）自行挣脱，移动一格；（d）自行挣脱，移动一格并用肾上腺素，之后躲进隐蔽格或尽量跑远；（e）挣脱或挣脱失败，最后筋疲力尽，或者还被缠着，遭到吞噬；（f）自行挣脱，在极度恼火之下作出最后反抗，用双手斩刀，或名贵兽人单手斩刀斩首，然后被吞噬。当然，也可能靠这一击帅气地终结巨兽。
克拉肯战通常重复而难以预测，伤亡风险很高；伤亡又会打击士气，增加后续损失。但如果所有进入克拉肯攻击距离的人，都体力充足、开着不屈或躲着，而所有疲劳过高的人都已退远，远到不会被一把拖到克拉肯旁边，却可能刚好被拖到状态更好、能救他们并让其恢复体力的队友旁边，那么伤亡风险就会降低，胜算也更大。
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>> 对抗蛮族／神选者 <<
肾上腺素让你在下一回合先于其他人行动，具体做法是为决定行动顺序所用的先攻加上 2000。如果多人使用肾上腺素，决定行动顺序的先攻最高者，下回合最先行动。影响这个数值的并不只有肾上腺素，还有等待行动，而且后者也不会体现在角色面板的先攻数值中。等待会把用于决定行动顺序的先攻扣去 25%。因此，如果用了肾上腺素又等待，这个数值就会是 1500，再加上用完肾上腺素后角色面板上剩余的、通常很低的常规先攻。
蛮族的先攻比我队伍里绝大多数人都高，神选战士甚至还穿着比许多队员重得多的护甲。它们每回合恢复的疲劳也高得惊人，往往还有鼓手进一步增强。而且，按本文当时的敌人配置，它们与其他敌人不同，也有肾上腺素；一旦察觉附近对手先攻更高，就会很乐意使用，包括察觉到对手使用肾上腺素获得的行动顺序加成。
好在蛮族也会先等待，再用肾上腺素，以免附近本来就没人能在下回合抢先，还白白浪费体力。当然，考虑到它们恢复多少疲劳，其实也没多大差别。这意味着，你若上前使用肾上腺素而不等待，即使常规先攻通常较低，下回合也能排在它们前面。例如，你常规先攻即使是 -100，它们是 100，你用肾上腺素而不等待，决定行动顺序的先攻就会到 1880；它们等待后再用，则会到 1560。
如果你和某个蛮族都用了肾上腺素，而你下回合先行动，用双手锤让它踉跄，就会把它直接送到本回合行动顺序末尾，哪怕它已经用了肾上腺素！但要小心：如果你误在使用肾上腺素前后等待，同样的事也可能发生在你身上！
根据上述肾上腺素、先攻与行动顺序的机制，神选战士无法抢在循环不屈的承伤者前面行动，谢天谢地。你可以主动抢先使用肾上腺素，也可以后撤等待，若有敌人终于用了肾上腺素，再采取防备。若它们与前排之间隔着一格，你可以用不屈、朝它们投网，或干脆后退，使其下回合无法移动后攻击。必要时，还可用换位或矛墙保护已经结束行动的远程角色。
知道自己通常能在肾上腺素竞速中胜过神选战士，也有一个坏处。有时你意识到，某个神选本回合稍后可能贴上来，但不能攻击，而下回合肯定先于你行动；除非立刻用最后一点可用疲劳开肾上腺素预防。这样一来，下回合攻击后就肯定没余力再用不屈，哪怕它最后根本没贴上来。
神选战士习惯等待，有时是劣势，有时却是优势。它们有顽强，所以往往能在下次攻击前摆脱恍惚。你也可以反过来利用这一点，自己先等待，再给它们施加恍惚，但前提是你等得起。
面对大队神选战士，同时有换位和灵活步法的调位手很有用。持矛者可以站在后侧两翼，防止神选绕过阵形、包围输出角色。双手武器调位手则能提前“救出”已经接敌的输出手，例如前面那个纠结要不要预开肾上腺素的人。如果贴上来的神选周围还有同伴，它们可能用自己的换位，也就是蛮族之怒，集中攻击更容易命中的目标。状态充足的调位手可以用换位加灵活步法，甚至串起换位、攻击、肾上腺素，再在下回合攻击、灵活步法脱离。
如前所述，一两名鞭手对付蛮族非常有用。他们可以待在前排后两格，让蛮族不容易察觉其高先攻，先等待，再缴械已经结束行动的危险神选。显然，任何贴住伤员或无甲队友的神选都是威胁，尤其是拿斩刀的。除此之外，最危险的是双手钉锤手，会造成恍惚，以及生锈双手斧手，很快就能拆掉耐用盾牌。
此外，越来越多玩家发现，投掷手近距离打神选能造成毁灭性伤害，尤其拿着缴获的蛮族重标枪时。带上一两个总是好事。
我对付大队神选的常规配置是：前面散开 3-4 名更偏防御的承伤者，用持盾不屈加还击架势，或双手不屈加范围攻击，彼此隔一两格；持盾者放两翼。后面至少有 4 名近战输出手，也可能再带一两个投掷手；最后放一两名鞭手。有时在后侧两翼放长矛／盾牌调位手，尤其前排两翼没有盾卫时。近战输出手里有时也混着双手武器调位手，外表上甚至几乎分不清。
如果有双手武器调位手，可以用肾上腺素抢先，模仿蛮族的打法：自己攻击，再换另一名攻击者上前，玩起来很有趣。我的队伍里，接替者也会预先用肾上腺素，而且通常更偏防御，之后使用不屈，加还击架势或一次双手武器攻击。如果蛮族钻进承伤者之间的缺口，第二排至少部分输出手或调位手，就可能成为它们换位集火的目标。可以提前投网罩住那个蛮族，再缴械、打入恍惚，或用重标枪猛掷；也可以之后用换位、灵活步法脱险。
近战输出手通常先在第二排拿 2 格武器，等神选钻进前排空隙。那些神选没用肾上腺素就结束行动后，先等队友投网，阻止其他蛮族把它们换走，再上前用双手钉锤施加恍惚。这样你知道下回合自己会先于这些神选行动，它们下次出手前，大概已经快死了，或者真的死了。如果钻进来的神选察觉鞭手先攻更高，便等待并使用肾上腺素，那么一名带鞭、先攻较低的输出手，也许能在回合末把它缴械。
神选数量削得越少，输出手和鞭手就越容易聚在一起，集中处理被最耐打队友牵制的残余敌人，并优先解决威胁最大的那些。
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>> 对抗巨魔／树妖／林德蠕龙 <<
巨兽生命值极高，但多数护甲不多。雪地、苔原巨魔和林德蠕龙有一些护甲，通常挨一两下双手武器就大多没了；树妖有“盾”时受到的生命伤害少得多，盾耐久为 32，与熨斗形盾相同。不过从进攻角度看，主要问题仍是磨光它们的生命值。从防御角度看，主要问题是极高的无视护甲伤害；林德蠕龙还有极高的护甲伤害，打在不屈上往往仍约 100，以及较高近战命中，大约第 200 天后会有 85。巨魔还会冲撞击晕，或把你从头顶抛过去，造成 10 生命损失，相当于把兽人的两种麻烦合在一起。树妖则能用类似“劈开”的攻击一次打三个目标；单只树妖的攻击角度容易避开，但复杂地形上面对多只时，常会为了进入其中一只的攻击距离，不小心又落入另一只的范围。还有，林德蠕龙能攻击 2 格内任何目标，尾巴能用类似“挥击／击碎”的范围攻击，打到 2 格内的任意 3 个目标，有时还造成恍惚或击退。击退往往反而有利，至少让人离开头部的攻击范围。多数巨兽攻击还会造成踉跄，降低 50% 先攻；这对高疲劳消耗角色不算大问题，但对那些靠高先攻施加压制、降低巨兽近战命中的角色，就非常麻烦。
自然，最好用能不贴身就攻击巨兽的武器，并保持高机动性，避开树妖和林德蠕龙的远距离攻击路线，也避免巨魔抛开别人后直接贴住你。精通长柄武器后，每击只需 5 行动点，机动性很好。锯齿长枪不必精通也能做到；每次命中还造成 10 流血伤害，对无甲且不免疫流血的目标，伤害几乎不输钩镰。树妖免疫流血，但 50-70 伤害仍不错，而且常能避免生成树苗。战鞭则有 3 格距离，每回合可攻击两次；对不免疫的目标，每次命中能施加共 4 次、每次 10 点的流血伤害，分两回合结算。一回合命中两次，就是共 8 次、每次 10 点；对带顽强的敌人则是 4 次、每次 10 点，而这些巨兽都有顽强。基础伤害 15-30 看着可怜，但双手握持后会到 18-37，两次命中就是 36-74，再加 8 次、每次 10 点流血，一回合总共可造成 116-154 伤害；对巨魔和林德蠕龙这类有顽强、但不免疫流血的敌人，也有 76-114。比钩镰或长柄斧更高，还能站得更安全。即使对树妖这类不流血的目标，鞭也很适合叠压制，同时避开其他树妖的攻击路线。
弓也能远距离叠压制，并对无甲目标造成高伤害；缺点是必须有清晰射线，才能确保打到想要的目标。
少量承伤角色，尤其盾卫，对巨兽很有用，对林德蠕龙几乎必不可少。巨魔和树妖只用双手武器手也能打，不过有时稍显别扭。让每个承伤者尽量贴住多只巨兽，其他更偏进攻的角色就能专心输出。战役前期，承伤者尚未点出不屈时，可以给巨魔投网，阻止或至少延缓冲撞与抛掷；这样也能让几个人贴身用双手武器攻击，并在巨兽还击前于下回合再打一轮。
承伤者往往需要主动贴住多只巨兽，因为巨兽经常想绕过阵形，攻击最脆弱的人。把承伤者沿前方散开，彼此留 2 格空隙，就能确保每处空隙至多让一只孤立巨兽穿进后排。集中伤害消灭孤立目标，是高效取胜的关键之一。这样走进来的巨魔，可以先投网阻止抛掷，再用双手钉锤打入恍惚、用 2 格武器攻击、用鞭叠压制和流血。
如果承伤者很少，他们可能需要先贴住一只巨兽，开不屈，再尝试穿过控制区，接触尽可能多的其他巨兽，让防御较弱的角色不用担心自身。如果连续挨打、护甲大多掉光，持盾承伤者可以考虑循环不屈加盾墙，尽量提高近战防御，尤其对抗破甲极强、近战命中有 85 的林德蠕龙时。不过多数时候，不屈加还击架势更好，因为能贡献伤害、缩短战斗；对巨魔，还击常能抵消它每回合开始恢复的生命。理想情况下，鞭手或其他高先攻远程角色，应从安全距离叠压制，尽可能降低巨兽，尤其林德蠕龙的命中率。
对巨魔和树妖，无论平时用什么武器，承伤者改拿双手钉锤或斧都可行。但要牵制特别大的一群巨兽，盾卫更容易、更安全。
打巨魔时，理想情况是所有巨兽都被横列中央的少数承伤者牵住，输出手和施加负面效果的角色分成两组，从两翼包抄，各自集中攻击、逐只消灭。战鞭、锯齿长枪和点了精通的钩镰，方便他们攻击后移动到距离巨兽一格的位置；必要时，等巨兽下回合结束行动，再上前用双手钉锤打入恍惚。已经消灭的巨兽越多，就越容易迅速制住并歼灭剩余目标。
双手钉锤的恍惚效果很适合对付巨兽，但也别忘了，双手斧的劈身对高生命、无护甲目标同样出色，因为一次攻击会触发两次负面士气检定，有时能让它们提前崩溃。
斧对树妖极其有用，原因很明显。我总喜欢至少带两名有斧术精通的人，让长柄斧一击劈碎树妖的“盾”。有时也让没有精通的人两两配合，用长柄斧从安全距离快速破盾。两根投矛也能配合拆掉耐用盾牌，包括树妖的盾。所有 1 格双手武器，连枷除外，都有破盾技能；两人配合，一回合就能拆掉树妖盾，只需消耗合计 20 疲劳。长剑例外，它只造成 12 盾牌伤害，不过和双手钉锤的 20 伤害配合，仍足够两击拆盾。
树妖会烦人地再生盾牌，大幅降低你的伤害，因此至少有两名斧术精通者，或多带巨斧，会有效率得多，巨斧不用精通也能一击拆盾。其他双手武器或小斧的名贵版本，有时也会多出足够的盾牌伤害，一击破掉树妖盾。不过，开局多带投矛仍很有用，方便快速高效地进攻。除破盾外，双手钉锤也是树妖战的好工具：无论有没有盾，都能使其恍惚，降低先攻，往往能让几个人上前连打两轮，而不必担心还击。双手锤靠踉跄也能做到同样的先攻控制，但不会降低树妖伤害。
树妖战的关键，是用尽可能少的耐打角色贴住全部树妖，孤立者也可以让多名输出手围上，再让两名斧术精通者进入合适距离。优先处理那些破盾后，其他人能安全攻击、不会被别的树妖范围攻击波及的目标。另一种办法，是让全部或部分承伤者带巨斧，自己负责破盾，让其他人专心输出或施加负面效果。承伤者若用未精通的巨斧，循环不屈加破盾，穿戴后需 82 可用疲劳，与不屈加还击架势相同，但手持装备的疲劳负担更低。没有盾，自己更容易挨打，却也能更快杀死树妖，并诱使其放弃攻击去再生盾牌。
树苗多数时候只是小麻烦，无视护甲伤害弱得多，但基础护甲伤害仍不错，得小心别让谁被围得太多。狂战有时很适合清理树苗，不过如果马上再打无盾树妖，又会生出新的。有人被树苗团团围住，或无法进入攻击距离而不同时落入一只或多只树妖的范围攻击时，不屈很管用。理想情况下，输出手应能在某一只树妖的 2 格内安全等待，再上前用双手钉锤敲它，降低它的先攻；若它还有机会出手，伤害也会降低。
林德蠕龙头部与巨魔、树妖不同，并不一定主动推进贴人。它们能不受角度限制地攻击 2 格目标，因此常把头和尾巴停在已经接敌的另一只蠕龙后面，攻击无法还手的人。这会增加承伤者挨打的次数，让护甲更容易被剥光、生命暴露，无论是否开不屈。再加上蠕龙近战命中更高，压制鞭手就格外重要：他们能保住宝贵盾卫，好让盾卫日后在黑色巨石完成英勇献身的宿命。虽然强烈建议盾卫带不屈，再配轻灵或装骨板护层的厚重护甲，但前中期也可以暂时用些取巧方案：以先攻为核心、疲劳收支平衡的盾卫，用匕首或拳头叠压制，对林德蠕龙和树妖也能有效。
蠕龙头部喜欢留在后面，也有一个好处：输出手可以放心集中打更靠前的头或尾，只要自己不进攻击范围，后面的蠕龙多半连一格都不愿挪过来追击。
对林德蠕龙，首要任务是用尽可能少的盾卫贴住尽可能多的头，同时避免每名盾卫进入已被其他人牵制的头、尾攻击范围，尽量不给蠕龙集火某个护甲已被剥光者的机会。完成后，拿长柄斧、钩镰或长柄战锤的输出手，应尽快拆掉几只蠕龙的护甲，优先选择最孤立、最容易安全攻击的。无甲蠕龙随后可以用 2 格武器或鞭反复攻击。压制鞭手有精通带来的额外流血，也可以优先攻击它们，尽快击杀；但若别处的承伤者遇险，可能仍要转去压制其他头尾。消灭一些蠕龙后，盾卫可能状态仍好，那就重复流程；也可能已经有些危险。这时输出手应先从远处削掉剩余蠕龙的大部分护甲，再集体拿双手钉锤靠近，尽量让所有目标维持恍惚。目标没恍惚，或自己护甲已经掉光时，就用不屈。输出手更容易被命中，因此应能替危险中的承伤者分担一些攻击；更多高伤害攻击，加上鞭手持续的压制和流血，希望足以在任何人丢掉一只眼睛前杀光巨兽。
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>> 对抗女巫与梦魇 <<
带顽强。进入女巫的攻击距离，使用肾上腺素，然后等待。回合末摆脱魅惑；中了咒缚的人则提前用好不屈。杀掉女巫，必要时重复。对梦魇也类似，只是更轻松。
英文原文
Introduction
The game has changed a lot since v1.1.0.8, when the first version of this guide was written. Looking back, I felt embarrassed by my cheap exploits of olde, and decided to totally re-write it to reflect the current state of my exploitation of game mechanics (just in time for everything to be altered by the next DLC).
Shield-swapping and cheating fatigue recovery with orcish items are things of the past, but Quick Hands and the ability to cycle potent combinations of fatigue-intensive skills (via Adrenaline and Recover) are still very distinctive features of the overall build.
The build now features a greater variety of niche roles (many of them, however, with ample room for overlap). Most of them require masses of fatigue (and I predominantly recruit from high-fatigue backgrounds), but some of them are fatigue-neutral or initiative-based.
The introduction of the new form of the Nimble perk has made it easier to combine a high usable pool of fatigue with strong innate protection against injuries, and some of the rare Nimble-worthy armours (e.g. nightcloaks and steppe helms) offer amazing 200+ durability. With the addition of Light Padding Replacement, some heavier rare body-armours (even ones with ~300 durability) can become Nimble-worthy in combination with an efficient helm. Obviously, so much combined armour and Nimbleness synergizes very well with Indomitable! (In times past, I was happy enough to combine 150-240 armours with a plentiful pool of fatigue, high HPs, generous Indomitable usage, and no innate damage-reduction!)
Usually my companies have only a very limited number of members who combine exceptional values of both melee skill and melee defence. Recruiting someone with mega-talent for both (while still needing a significant investment to make several other stats meet my standards of well-roundedness) often causes me more anxiety than excitement. Most of my characters are designed to max out only one of them, taking only high rolls for the other. High HPs (almost always with Colossus) are desirable on everyone. High fatigue is even more desirable on the ones who aren’t mostly fatigue-neutral or initiative-based. Additionally, I have a bad conscience about making use of anyone (even an archer) who isn’t (by level 11) at least 50% enthusiastic about charging around in the mud amid pieces of sharp/blunt metal and shower-storms of blood.
With a mixture of predominantly offensive and predominantly defensive characters, a small handful of heroic or devious utilitarian ones, a bit of careful positioning and the timely application of powerful skills, every fight in the game can be beaten with level 11 stats (but heavy casualties may be incurred at the most challenging legendary locations) ...
The individual character builds (roughly grouped) are covered first, followed by an outline of the approach used (with a fully-developed party) against particular tough enemy types in the game.
I don't quite believe it, but apparently the word-count for this new version comes out at almost 20,000 (a quarter of a novel) ...
Offensive Character Builds
>> Axe Murderer <<
I always have at least two characters who can one-shot tower/kite shields in direct melee engagement (with greataxes or rusty barbarian equivalents) and one-shot schrat/heater shields from a safer distance of 2 tiles (with longaxes). Quick Hands is an essential perk for these characters.
Against enemies without high-durability shields and/or the Shield Expert perk (or against enemies with lots of 2-tile weapons), bardiches may be favoured for their AOE split ability. If you get a rare bardiche with greataxe-esque shield damage, that may be favoured for all engagements. On the other hand, if the character’s fatigue is high enough, you could even carry all three 2H axe variants. Other options for the third item slot include a 1H weapon (so that you can Recover after Berserk, or so that you can have an extra attack and use Indomitable after getting a kill and going Berserk in a tight situation) or a jagged pike (so that, after a kill/Berserk, you can move a tile and make an additional 2-tile attack, gaining part of the advantage of polearms without needing to master them) or a battle-whip (so that you can do all the above things, with a 3-tile range, but only inflict meaningful damage if the target is unarmoured).
This character needs lots of fatigue and good melee skill (super-high values of 85-95 at level 11 would be ideal, although the ability to rapidly remove large shields and thus lower enemy defences means that even values of 75-80 can be acceptable on an otherwise remarkable recruit (e.g. a wildman with masses of fatigue, HPs and resolve).
Although the character is expected to get involved in direct melee engagement some of the time, it is not supposed to be surrounded by enemies and does not need exceptionally high defence (although you may choose Reach Advantage and even Underdog as optional perks if you chance to get lots of good rolls). Forget about cycling Round Swing with Indomitable, but by all means consider cycling Split with Indomitable. In the absence of high defences, excessive danger can avoided by using Rotation and/or Footwork (ideally on a different character, thus saving perks for this one) and by using Indomitable in tight spots.
Ideally, fatigue should be 90+ in gear when using a bardiche (91+ when holding a longaxe with the bardiche in a bag slot), so that the character has the option to continue cycling AOE Split attacks with Indomitable in tight spots. These figures can be reduced by 12 if the character has Iron Lungs.
The character should have as many HPs as can be spared (bolstered by Colossus unless the value is already high, in which case the addition of Colossus will probably feel irresistible) and should have at least decent resolve (minimum of ~50 with a trophy, although ~60+ is ideal for fights like the Black Monolith).
Since the character revolves primarily around attacks costing 6 action points (APs), the Pathfinder perk is very useful for fighting effectively in swamps and switching height levels in forests/mountains/snow (although a back-up jagged pike could offer a partial work-around for this difficulty). Pathfinder also synergizes brilliantly well with Adrenaline and an abundance of fatigue for trapping and slaughtering annoying, high-initiative enemies in the early stages of battles, and for advantageous positioning (in concert with allies) prior to an onslaught of attacks on rough terrain. In the absence of Pathfinder, use of Rotation and/or Footwork (by this character or another) can compensate partially for the lack of general mobility on tough terrain (e.g. still only 3 APs to shift a tile in swamp or up/down height levels in forests/mountains/snow).
Another potentially valuable anti-annoyance perk for this character (and other offence-oriented ones) is Resilient. While this perk is very optional, I’d say it’s vital to have it on at least some damage-dealers with high melee skill, since it makes life a lot easier in slow, frustrating fights against shamans and hexen (e.g. advance into attacking range, use Adrenaline, wait turn, and then recover from any curses or charms before slaughtering those devious cheating bastards at the start of the next turn)!
Since the character revolves primarily around offence and damage, however, Killing Frenzy (possibly bolstered by Strange Mushrooms if you have a spare slot for them) is always an enticing perk (even if you always end up opting for easy kills against near-dead enemies to ensure that the bonus remains active, and hardly ever manage to get an additional kill thanks to the effect of KF). For otherwise remarkable recruits with mediocre melee skill in the high 70s or even low 80s, you could consider Backstabber (excellent against barbarians, swordmasters and irrlichts). Other optional perks include Rotation and/or Footwork (for avoiding direct melee engagement after smashing large shields or spamming Split attacks), Reach Advantage and/or Underdog (if the character has decent talent/rolls for melee defence), a second mastery (whips?), Fortified Mind (if resolve is below ~50), or Bags and Belts so that you can store Strange Mushrooms (and/or carry back-up 1H items and nets)!
The character should either be Nimble or wearing armours with durability at least around the mid-200s (in the latter case, ideally without using a perk on Brawny). Ideally the character would be highly Nimble in super-efficient famed armours with durability in the low/mid-200s, or Battle Forged (still without using a perk on Brawny) in super-efficient famed armours with durability in the mid/high-300s. A perk-sparing compromise would to have a high pool of fatigue in efficient armours in the mid/high 200s, with no Nimble, Brawny or BF (but yes Indomitable).
Bone Plating attachments tend to be best for Nimble armours, and Additional Fur Padding (AFP) for heavy ones (BF or not), but sometimes Light Padding Replacement (LPR) is necessary for the latter to save using a perk on Brawny, and Bone Plating may be the best attachment for all armours against enemies like lindwurms. Direwolf mantles are the coolest-looking attachment, however, and (by stackingly lowering the resolve of engaged enemies) may help you to do some cheap spooking against unholds, orc warlords et al. Fur Padding attachments (the type that lower ranged armour and HP damage by 20%) could be used for some large goblin fights (these armours can be kept spare in the inventory the rest of the time, if you have room for them).
Essential Perks: AxeM, QH, Adren, Recover, Indom, Berserk
Probable Perks: Colossus, Nimble or [Brawny and/or BF]
Possible Perks: Pathfinder, Resilient, Killing Frenzy, Backstabber, Reach Advantage, Underdog, Rotation, Footwork, Fortified Mind, B&B, 2nd mastery
Most Vital Stats: Melee Skill (~80+), Max Fatigue (136 base for minimal Nimble armour and one 2H axe of each type!)
Also Important Stats: HPs (at least ~90, ideally 100+), Resolve (at least ~50, ideally 60+), Melee Defence (usually ~10-25, but feel free to neglect if Huge/Cocky/Wild without talent)
Optional Stats: Ranged Defence, Ranged Skill (if it can get to 50-65 with 0-3 rolls)
Recommended Traits: Huge, Strong, Iron Lungs, Iron Jaw, Athletic, Tough, Brave/Fearless, Dexterous, Surefooted, Paranoid, Hate for Beasts/Greenskins/Undead, Deathwish
Recommended Permanent Injuries: Brain Damage 脑损伤
Recommended Backgrounds: wildman, lumberjack, farmhand, beastslayer, brawler, messenger, vagabond, flagellant, caravan hand, graverobber, gravedigger, butcher, fisherman, cultist, mason, miller, daytaler
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>> Heavy Metal Dazer <<
The new 2H maces are magnificent weapons and I use of them a lot (without mastery) for the powerful Daze effect of their basic (fatigue-neutral) attack. Additionally, however, I sometimes have one or two characters who master the mace, since 1H maces can be useful if you want to stun multiple enemies who have the Resilient perk (or move two tiles to stun one enemy), and they also tend to be the best Duellist weapons (Duellist becoming an enticing perk if you’ve chanced to loot an awesome 1H mace with exaggerated damage). Against many medium-armoured enemies, an attack from a 2H mace leaves them devoid of armour but clinging onto just a few HPs; an attack from a 1H mace with Duellist doesn’t do as much devastation, but does leave enough APs for another attack that will finish them off.
Other than specializing in the mace, such characters are often not massively different from Axe Murderers, but they are a little more liable to end up in direct melee engagement with more than one enemy, and defence may be more of a priority (although it’s not that vital so long as most nearby enemies are either stunned or dazed). Also, since 1H maces usually make the best Duellist weapons, that perk is more likely to be an option for this build (although the character still functions primarily as a 2-hander, initially from 2 tiles, only advancing to engage enemies when the right opportunity arises).
This build can potentially be fatigue-intensive (with Adrenaline and Indomitable), mostly fatigue-neutral (still with Recover for facilitating sprees of stunning or Berserking) or even initiative-based.
At one extreme, having 88 fatigue in gear with a 2H mace (76 with Iron Lungs) allows you (after using Recover+Adrenaline from a state of exhaustion on the previous turn) to kill/Berserk, use Indomitable, switch to a 1H mace, and make a 4 AP attack. However, since the mace is not an AOE weapon (and since high damage from 1H maces is highly situational), this character should generally not be surrounded and needing to cycle Indomitable to prevent injuries (a dazed enemy makes you 35% Indomitable anyway), and Adrenaline is not an essential perk even if the character is fatigue-intensive and has Indomitable (the initiative-lowering effect of dazing often leaves an enemy after you in the turn order anyway). Adrenaline is still a very viable pick for incapacitating quick and nasty enemies such as necrosavants and bounty hunters, and Indomitable is still very handy after those annoying clutch misses against Resilient enemies (e.g. barbarians, large beasts, orc warriors/warlords/berserkers).
At the other extreme, you could have just 60-70 fatigue in minimal Nimble gear (just enough for a bit of situational stun spamming and/or Berserking) and could take high initiative rolls and take Dodge and Overwhelm and maybe Relentless as well (the Daze effect lowering enemy initiative by 35% and making it easier to stay ahead in the turn order to apply Overwhelm and keep them dazed to compensate for not having Indomitable).
The above variant is shaky against barbarians/chosen, but its lack of access to fatigue-intensive skills can be compensated for by using such skills on other characters (e.g. a positioner can use Rotation+Footwork to rescue them both from an unpleasant spot, or a Huge wildman who is much easier to hit can enter the melee next to the dodgy dazer and use Indomitable). Also, if one of your fatigue-intensive characters and a barbarian have both used Adrenaline (yours first), hitting that barbarian with a 2H hammer at the start of the subsequent turn will stagger it and send it straight back to the end of the turn order in spite of having used Adrenaline (like being sent directly to jail in Monopoly). (You should also be cautious to avoid having this happen to your guys!) Since barbarians use Adrenaline when they sense that you have more initiative, there is no reason for a high-initiative character not to wait turn to assess developments again them, and sometimes it is possible to stun a chosen after it has closed in and waited to use Adrenaline (which is not possible once it’s stunned). High-initiative characters can also be protected against barbarians by Spearwalls (which can prevent Adrenalized chosen from engaging to get the first attack) and by throwing nets (to delay engagement or to prevent chosen from rotating to focus attacks after they’ve already engaged).
A mostly fatigue-neutral variant (better-suited to backgrounds with high melee skill and mediocre/crap fatigue) would also have around 60-70 fatigue in gear, would spend no stat points on initiative, and would save more stat points for defence, HPs and resolve (and good rolls for fatigue). In this case, the Bags and Belts perk could be handy for carrying nets and/or throwing spears to make it even easier to hit and incapacitate nearby enemies (and, in the case of nets, to manipulate the turn order without Adrenaline or high initiative, and to prevent dangerous enemies from engaging too soon).
While very high melee skill is best for this build (a minimum of ~85 at level 11), the Backstabber perk remains an option for making annoying sequences of clutch misses less common. Melee defence can vary depending on talent and the base value. The high-initiative variant will add significant defence via Dodge, and Underdog and Reach Advantage are options for those with a high value/talent, but you can also neglect defence and be more careful to ensure that the character is usually only in attacking range of enemies who can be quickly dazed/stunned/killed.
The character’s armour should be Nimble (if mostly fatigue-neutral or initiative-based) or (if fatigue-intensive) either Nimble or heavy (in the latter case, preferably with BF and without Brawny).
Essential Perks: MaceM, QH, Recover
Probable Perks: Berserk, Colossus, Nimble or [Brawny and/or BF]
Possible Perks: Indom, Adren, Pathfinder, Resilient, Killing Frenzy, Duellist, Backstabber, Reach Advantage, Underdog, Rotation, Footwork, Dodge, Overwhelm, Relentless, Fortified Mind, B&B, 2nd mastery
Most Vital Stats: Melee Skill (~85+)
Also Important Stats: Melee Defence (usually ~10-40, but feel free to neglect if Huge/Cocky/Wild without talent), Max Fatigue (or Initiative), HPs (at least ~90, ideally 100+), Resolve (at least ~50, ideally 60+)
Optional Stats: Ranged Defence, Ranged Skill (if it can get to 50-65 with 0-3 rolls)
Recommended Traits: Iron Lungs, Dexterous, Strong, Iron Jaw, Athletic, Huge, Tough, Brave/Fearless, Surefooted, Paranoid (or Quick), Hate for Beasts/Greenskins/Undead, Deathwish
Recommended Permanent Injuries: Brain Damage (unless initiative-based)
Recommended Backgrounds: squire, militia, beastslayer, wildman, lumberjack, brawler, caravan hand, graverobber, butcher, farmhand, messenger, gravedigger, vagabond, flagellant, fisherman, cultist, mason, miller, daytaler, thief, gambler, miner, bastard, disowned noble, retired soldier
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>> High-Functioning Mushroom Addict <<
Not massively different from the other melee/fatigue-based offensive types/variants (with room for enough overlap to make them indistinguishable), but this is an exciting one based on maximizing damage with any awesome rare weapons you’ve been able to find.
This character may or may not have a mastery, but should have a big 2-hander (often a mace), a 2-tile weapon and either Strange Mushrooms or a 4-AP weapon (ideally all weapons rare variants with exaggerated damage and/or fatigue efficiency). Foregoing a mastery frees up more perk options for damage (Killing Frenzy, Duellist), for making sure you hit bastards in the first place (Backstabber), or for carrying more offensive weapons and/or nets and/or throwing spears and/or Strange Mushrooms (Bags and Belts).
There are no very specific fatigue requirements, but more fatigue is generally very desirable for bursts of aggression. Indomitable usage is situational. Several rounds of Adrenaline are good for taking out dangerous enemies who have high initiative. Generally, the character hangs behind the frontline with a 2-tile item (close to gaps in the formation that have been left to entice enemies), and switches to a more offensive implement to bash in anything that foolishly advances through the gap. Nets can be useful to prevent barbarian chosen from using Rotation (aka Barbarian Wrath) to focus attacks on this character (or other less defensive or tanky characters).
The armour requirements are the same as for the Axe Murderer.
Essential Perks: Adren, Recover, Indom, Berserk, QH
Probable Perks: Colossus, Nimble or [Brawny and/or BF]
Possible Perks: Killing Frenzy, Backstabber, Duellist, Resilient, Pathfinder, B&B, Weapon Mastery, Fortified Mind, Fast Adaptation, Rotation, Footwork
Most Vital Stats: Melee Skill (~80+)
Also Important Stats: Max Fatigue, HPs (at least ~90, ideally 100+), Resolve (at least ~50, ideally 60+)
Optional Stats: Melee Defence, Ranged Defence, Ranged Skill (if it can get to 50-65 with 0-3 rolls)
Recommended Traits: Huge, Drunkard, Dexterous, Strong, Iron Lungs, Iron Jaw, Athletic, Tough, Brave/Fearless, Hate for Beasts/Greenskins/Undead, Deathwish, Paranoid, Surefooted
Recommended Permanent Injuries: Brain Damage 脑损伤
Recommended Backgrounds: wildman, lumberjack, brawler, beastslayer, farmhand, messenger, caravan hand, graverobber, gravedigger, butcher, vagabond, flagellant, fisherman, cultist, mason, miller, daytaler, militia, squire
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>> Throwing Duellist <<
The ranged offensive variant, with no need for Adrenaline or Indomitable, and Recover merely an option. It’s a good idea to take high rolls for fatigue; but, so long as you can chuck most of your ammo before being exhausted, it’s not otherwise overly important.
You could have this character in heavy armour, but Nimble is by far the most practical option. Bags and Belts allows a decent ammo count and extra nets (and even a back-up shield).
If you want the character to be a bit more useful against massive beasts (unholds, schrats, lindwurms), or if you just fancy some weird roleplaying with a cheap no-ammo weapon (the staff sling), you could take Head Hunter to try keeping more of those creatures dazed. Since lindwurms are divided into head/body and tail components, you can deliberately miss the head by hitting the tail, and then stand a very good chance of applying Daze by aiming at the head/body.
Although they are one-use only, throwing spears can inflict absolutely awe-inspiring damage from 2 tiles with Throwing Mastery and Duellist. You can save a single spear for after a kill when Killing Frenzy is active, and then salivate ecstatically as blood flows forth from an enemy’s supposedly impenetrable armour (or fume as it bounces off an orc warlord’s helmet).
Nimble and high HPs make ranged characters relatively safe from enemy x-bow bolts, but ranged defence can be very useful pre-Nimble in the early-game. However, since pre-Nimble is also pre-Duellist, there’s no reason why a thrower can’t carry a shield in the early/mid-game.
Essential Perks: ThrowM, Duellist, B&B
Probable Perks: Colossus, Nimble, Killing Frenzy, Berserk, QH
Possible Perks: Pathfinder, Recover, Bullseye, Fast Adaptation, Head Hunter, XBowM, BowM, MeleeM
Most Vital Stats: Ranged Skill (~75+)
Also Important Stats: HPs (at least ~80, ideally 100+), Max Fatigue (enough to not be exhausted before throwing most ammo)
Optional Stats: Melee Skill (ideally ~75+, but neglect if low value and no talent), Ranged Defence, Resolve, Melee Defence
Recommended Traits: Strong, Iron Lungs, Iron Jaw, Athletic, Tough, Brave/Fearless, Paranoid, Swift, Surefooted, Deathwish, Hate for Beasts/Greenskins/Undead
Recommended Permanent Injuries: n/a
Recommended Backgrounds: hunter, poacher, shepherd, squire, militia, beastslayer
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Defensive Character Builds
>> Indomitable/AOE Zweihander <<
A specialist 2-handed tank who has enough fatigue (in gear) to cyclically AOE and use Indomitable. Swords are recommended, since they have more AOE options and are lighter to carry. However, in rare instances (e.g. Iron-Lunged wildmen with high melee talents), you may be able to achieve the fatigue (98 in gear) to cycle Indomitable with 2H axe Round Swing attacks (while still having enough resolve to avoid dropping to negative morale states on being engaged by additional enemies from a position of isolation). Bardiche Split attacks are not recommended, because there are many situations in which you’re surrounded and want to use a swinging attack. Hammer Shatter attacks are not recommended, since 2H hammers potentially apply the Staggered effect which lowers the initiative of enemies and leaves them behind you in the turn order when you need to use Recover. Split attacks are sometimes highly desirable (e.g. for killing ancient pike wielders), but swords can do that as well as swinging. Greataxes and their rusty (but situationally slightly superior) barbarian equivalents can only swing and have a rather impractical AOE with a nasty penalty to accuracy, but remain a temptation (more damage, more Reach Advantage) in those rare instances …
This kind of character, while somewhat heroic and inspiring, is also a bit boring and restricted and immobile, usually spending every turn either using Recover+Adrenaline at the very end of the turn order (hopefully) or using an AOE attack (Split or Swing) with Indomitable at the very start of the turn order (hopefully). Moving instead of remaining Indomitable feels dangerous in the most challenging fights (for which this character is made), and Berserk (which may allow you to move and use Indomitable, but only if you have surplus fatigue available) is a luxury perk that is difficult to fit in. Quick Hands allows 2-tile attacks when movement isn’t possible, but also adds to the fatigue requirements and requires the sacrifice of probably more important perks. The character’s immobility can be compensated for by using other characters (e.g. Spear/2H Positioners or Sergeants) to achieve favourable positioning (and favourable AOE angles).
The character needs a bare minimum of 90 in-gear fatigue (98 if being stupid and going for axes and Round Swing), and it is preferable to have some extra as security against accidents (and to allow move+Indom after a kill if you’ve found room for Berserk). From a state of exhaustion (90/75), you can use Recover+Adrenaline (90/37, 90/57, since Recover rounds figures down) and then, at the start of the next turn (90/42), use an AOE attack (90/65) followed by Indomitable (90/90). If any enemies are behind you in the turn order when you Recover (e.g. because they’re dazed or staggered or because you’re cursed with too much initiative in spite of all the fatigue you’ve used wantonly), any attacks against you will add +2 to your fatigue (+5 if they hit) and will prevent you from being able to use both an AOE and Indom at the start of the next turn. If the character has Iron Lungs, the above minimum values of 90/98 can be reduced to 78/86.
For the above reasons, it’s preferable to wear armour that’s as heavy as possible, to guarantee having the lowest possible initiative. For obvious practical reasons, however, it’s very difficult to meet the fatigue requirements for the build in heavy armour, and Nimble (or a vulnerable medium-armoured build with no Nimble but with an extra perk point freed) is often the only option. With minimal Nimble armour and a greatsword and no back-up items, only 117 base max fatigue is the minimum value needed (but your initiative will sometimes still be too high, forcing you to awkwardly wait turn to lower it on the active turns, which is often still not enough). In theory, in the most efficient rare armours offering ~300+ durability and with LPR and no Brawny, you could get by with 130 base max fatigue. In more realistic conditions, you’re more likely to need ~140 base max fatigue for sub-optimal heavy-ish ~250+ armours with LPR and no back-up items, and that leaves little room for HPs and resolve (which are also very important in the tough fights for which this kind of character is made). Traits such as Strong and Iron Lungs (and Tough and Fearless) are therefore gifts from the grim gods of battle. Remember that Iron Lungs reduces the base fatigue requirements by 12.
This character has a significant degree of overlap with the next (shield-based) one, the main difference being that the latter has less ability/talent in the area of melee skill (and is therefore easier to find). In some cases, though, a character with melee skill in the 70s but an abundance of defence and fatigue (enough to have 90 fatigue with a greatsword in ~300+ armours without needing Brawny or even LPR) can make a viable zweihander, since this build is primarily defensive (and Reach Advantage is more of a lucky bonus if you’re already Indomitable in an enormous suit of BF armour with AFP). HPs and resolve must remain strong, however, and must be bolstered by the relevant perks if necessary. HPs need to be ~100 (or at least ~90) and resolve needs to be ~60 for the Black Monolith (and at least ~75 for anyone on the frontal/western flanks of the formation).
Both Underdog and Reach Advantage are usually highly advisable. Just Underdog may be viable (as suggested above) on a character with abundant defence and fatigue but melee skill in the 70s. Just Reach Advantage (with Berserk for extra stacks and for killing off additional enemies to remove surrounding malus) may be viable for a relatively more offensive character (~85+ melee skill) who has more support from shield tanks (less heavy surrounding) and/or positioners (Rotations) and/or damage-dealers (more rapid removal of surrounding enemies).
Resilient is a highly recommended perk for this character, since it provides an escape from the Dazed, Cursed and Charmed status effects and allows the continuation (with normal performance) of AOE+Indomitable cycles. Without Resilient in the Goblin City (Rul’Gazhix), you could remain cursed for five turns (-50% melee defence, plus any additional penalty from vines/nets), and that in turn would greatly increase the risk of being Punctured and Poisoned and of not having enough APs to Recover (further increasing the risk of additional poisoning and debilitation). With Resilient, you can use Recover+Adrenaline, wait turn (if there are any shamans still to act), and then savagely annihilate an evil shaman piece of shit (and use Indomitable) at the start of the next round! The same goes for being Charmed by hexen (Resilient also lessens the pressure on resolve in hex and alp fights). Being Dazed by chosen (or lindwurms or any raiders or hedge knights with 2H maces) reduces your fatigue to a minimal state, making you unable to use both Indomitable and an attack (even a single-target attack) after using Recover+Adrenaline. With Resilient, your fatigue parameters miraculously return to normal on the turn after using Recover+Adrenaline (despite still looking awful at the end of the previous turn), and normal service can be resumed. Since the whole point of this character is to serve as a bulwark against such enemies, it’s highly advisable to take Resilient, in spite of its deceptive un-sexiness.
Note that, while this character is usually an AOE’er, AOE attacks are weak against large beasts (unholds, schrats, lindwurms), and large beasts have such vast pools of fatigue that, once they’ve started catching their breath, they are likely to be behind any zweihander in the turn order, even a Paranoid, Brain-Damaged one that’s been pedantically waiting turn. For fights against large beasts, this sort of character is best given a 2H mace and a spare suit of armour with AFP (Bone Plates for lindwurms), using Indomitable only when threatened by a non-Dazed giant (and, against unholds, to resist charges and to prevent throws when a vulnerable ally would be engaged). Another benefit from Resilient is that, if you are staggered and fatigued against a not-entirely-fresh unhold/schrat whose turn has already passed, just using Recover will leave you ahead of it (with abundant fatigue) for the next turn.
Essential Perks: Adren, Recover, Indom, Sword/AxeM
Probable Perks: Colossus, Nimble or [Brawny and/or BF], Resilient, Underdog, Reach Advantage
Possible Perks: Pathfinder, Berserk, QH, Fortified Mind, Killing Frenzy, Shield Expert, 2nd Mastery
Most Vital Stats: Melee Defence (at least ~25, ideally 35+), Melee Skill (at least ~75, ideally 85+)
Also Important Stats: Max Fatigue (at least 90 with all gear, ideally with ~10 spare), HPs (at least ~90, ideally 100+), Resolve (at least ~50, ideally 60+)
Optional Stats: no room for anything else
Recommended Traits: Paranoid, Surefooted, Dexterous, Strong, Iron Lungs, Iron Jaw, Athletic, Tough, Brave/Fearless, Hate for Beasts/Greenskins/Undead, Deathwish, Optimist, Hesitant
Recommended Permanent Injuries: Brain Damage, Missing Ear
Recommended Backgrounds: wildman, hedge knight, messenger, lumberjack, beastslayer, farmhand, brawler, squire, militia, caravan hand, graverobber, gravedigger, butcher, vagabond, flagellant, fisherman, cultist, houndmaster, mason, miller, daytaler
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>> Indomitable/Riposte Shield Tank <<
An easier variant of the above character, with less need for high melee skill and with free additional defence from a shield. Instead of cyclically combining Indomitable with an AOE attack (which requires 90 fatigue in gear, or 82 with Iron Lungs), this character combines it with Riposte (which requires 82 fatigue in gear, or 70 with Iron Lungs). Assuming a fatigue cost of 8 for the 1H sword and of 18 for the best kind of rare shield (offering both high melee defence and high durability), this character would require a minimum of 123 base max fatigue to perform the role in minimal Nimble armour, or 130 allowing for a back-up heater shield (since any shield tends to break in the most massive fights, even without any axes in sight). If you want the role to be performed in efficient heavy armours with ~300+ durability and with LPR and no Brawny (saving a perk only to agonize over whether it’s worth spending it on BF), those requirements will increase to over 140 base max fatigue, again leaving precious little room to distribute stat points (except in instances of Iron Lungs, where the requirements are reduced by 12). Since this character needs less melee skill, it is at least possible to devote more attention to HPs and resolve while taking defence and fatigue to max and near-max values. HPs and resolve need more attention, however, since these guys will always occupy the most vulnerable and isolated positions in the formation (furthest from any sergeant) and will be the most swarmed with enemies (and miasma).
As mentioned above, the degree of overlap between this character and the zweihander is sufficient that, in some cases, you might be tempted to try combining the two (e.g. taking both Shield Expert and Reach Advantage, or foregoing both of them). Taking Shield Expert makes it much easier to develop this character in the early-mid game, however, as well as prolonging the lifespan and inflating the defence values of any magnificent rare shields you find.
While Riposte and 1H swords inflict rather pitiable damage against heavily armoured opponents, they become highly impressive once most of that armour has been removed from afar by 2-tile weapons, and Riposte is an excellent counter to necrosavants in fights like the Black Monolith. Combining Indomitable with Riposte is mostly more effective (against tough late-game enemies) than combining it with Shieldwall (or Riposte with Shieldwall). Because of diminishing returns, the additional defence gained from Shieldwall is (with standard heater shields) usually not enough to minimize the hit chances of elite, high-damage enemies, and the volume of attacks sustained by these characters in the most massive, prolonged fights is sufficient to make at least one high-damage hit per round likely, even if all hit chances are minimized. Furthermore, enemies with the Shield Expert perk and high melee skill (e.g. honor guards) get a +40 bonus to hit with the Knock Back skill (75+40=115), meaning that they (when spamming the skill en masse, as they always do) still have an obscenely high chance of knocking you back and cancelling Shieldwall and/or Riposte if you use them without Indomitable. Indomitable+Riposte gives more security than Shieldwall+Riposte while allowing the shield tank to contribute a surprisingly impressive amount of damage that reduces the volume/duration of enemy attacks (even with mediocre melee skill values ~65).
Increasing the pool of in-gear fatigue to 84+ allows the possibility of combining Indomitable with Shieldwall when you want to remain alive in especially tough situations (or if you have an excellent rare shield with an exaggerated melee defence value and want to minimize enemy hit chances in massive fights at legendary locations).
Essential Perks: Adren, Recover, Indom, SwordM, Underdog
Probable Perks: Shield Expert, Resilient, Colossus, Nimble or [Brawny and/or BF], Fortified Mind
Possible Perks: Pathfinder, B&B, Reach Advantage, Nine Lives, Steel Brow
Most Vital Stats: Melee Defence (at least 30+ pre-shield)
Also Important Stats: Max Fatigue (at least 82 with all gear, ideally with a bit of spare), HPs (at least ~90, ideally 100+), Resolve (at least ~60, ideally 75+), Melee Skill (~65+)
Optional Stats: no room for anything else
Recommended Traits: Paranoid, Surefooted, Dexterous, Strong, Iron Lungs, Iron Jaw, Athletic, Tough, Brave/Fearless, Hate for Beasts/Greenskins/Undead, Deathwish, Optimist, Hesitant
Recommended Permanent Injuries: Brain Damage, Missing Ear
Recommended Backgrounds: wildman, messenger, lumberjack, farmhand, brawler, squire, militia, beastslayer, houndmaster, caravan hand, graverobber, gravedigger, butcher, flagellant, fisherman, cultist, mason, miller, daytaler
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>> Dodge/Overwhelm Shield Tank <<
A cheap, cheesy build combining a large shield (and maybe several spares with Bags and Belts) with high initiative to add a significant bonus to melee defence and further lower enemy hit chances by applying Overwhelm with fatigue-neutral attacks. Hitting and damaging things is of no importance. Non-mastered dagger stabs are perfectly sufficient; punches may be even better (unless you have a rare fencing sword with a -3 fatigue cost per skill use). Resilient ensures that any Stagger effect lasts just a single turn. Relentless and Recover are not necessary unless you want to try using some fancy shield skills and/or taking advantage of a small free pool of fatigue to use Indomitable until you have been entirely surrounded by charging orcs (this does help to make this character usable in more high-level fights). While this build is a stop-gap that isn’t intended for the biggest and toughest encounters, it is possible to emerge unscathed from fights against large numbers of lindwurms (especially with Overwhelming assistance from long-distance whippers and bows) …
Essential Perks: Dodge, Overwhelm, Shield Expert, Underdog, Nimble
Probable Perks: Colossus, Resilient, B&B, Fortified Mind
Possible Perks: DaggerM, otherM, Nine Lives, Steel Brow, Relentless, Recover, Indom, Pathfinder, Taunt
Most Vital Stats: Melee Defence, Initiative
Also Important Stats: HPs, Resolve
Optional Stats: Melee Skill 近战命中
Recommended Traits: Surefooted, Quick, Strong, Iron Lungs, Iron Jaw, Athletic, Tough, Brave/Fearless, Hate for Beasts/Greenskins/Undead, Deathwish, Optimist, Lucky
Recommended Permanent Injuries: n/a
Recommended Backgrounds: thief, gambler, messenger, graverobber, houndmaster, miner, brawler, cultist, fisherman, butcher, caravan hand, graverobber, gravedigger, ratcatcher
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>> Fatigue-Neutral Shield Tank <<
Another cheap, cheesy stop-gap that can be effective before finding something better. The heavy equivalent of the above. No intention of being able to attack twice per turn or use shield skills or make use of any 1H weapon special skills other than those (e.g. Decapitate, Puncture, Split Shield) that are already fatigue-neutral with (or even without) mastery (unless the character is an otherwise mediocre recruit who has Iron Lungs, in which case every-turn use of Destroy Armor is an option). Wears/carries as much gear as possible while still leaving at least 15 fatigue or 19 with Iron Lungs (always recovered and usable each turn). Waiting turn is the only defence against stunning charges. The neglect of fatigue (and initiative) makes it much easier to get HPs and resolve to good values along with melee defence and melee skill. If melee skill is still on the low side (or you want to do Puncture every turn), Fast Adaptation is an option; if it’s already quite high, Killing Frenzy is an option. Bags and Belts allows the carrying of many spare weapons and shields. Quick Hands is not at all necessary (unless you have Iron Lungs and want to combine Destroy Armor with dagger stabs or something).
Essential Perks: Colossus, B&B, Shield Expert, Underdog, BF
Probable Perks: Fortified Mind 坚定心智
Possible Perks: Cleaver/Axe/Hammer/DaggerM, Fast Adaptation, Killing Frenzy, Resilient, Steel Brow, Nine Lives, Pathfinder, QH
Most Vital Stats: Melee Defence
Also Important Stats: HPs, Resolve, Melee Skill
Optional Stats: n/a
Recommended Traits: Surefooted, Paranoid, Iron Lungs, Iron Jaw, Athletic, Tough, Brave/Fearless, Hate for Beasts/Greenskins/Undead, Deathwish, Optimist, Dexterous, Lucky, Survivor
Recommended Permanent Injuries: Brain Damage 脑损伤
Recommended Backgrounds: miner, brawler, houndmaster, messenger, graverobber, gambler, thief, caravan hand, gravedigger, butcher, fisherman, cultist, flagellant
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Utilitarian Character Builds
>> Spear/Shield Positioner <<
Instead of being a conventional shield-user built primarily around high defence, this one is made for the utility of keeping enemies away from vulnerable spots (or encouraging/forcing them into ones that are vulnerable to themselves) with the use of spear and shield skills, and of keeping allies out of harm with Rotation (or one’s self out of it with Rotation or Footwork). Footwork can also be used to disengage from breaching enemies before re-setting Spearwall. If only one enemy has breached the Spearwall, and you want to remain on the same tile (or force the enemy onto a vulnerable tile), shield Knock Back has the same fatigue cost and (with Expert) +40 chance to hit.
90 fatigue with all gear allows (after Recover+Adrenaline on the previous turn) the use of Footwork or Rotation or Indomitable followed by Spearwall. 94 fatigue with all gear allows (after the same) the use of any two combinations of Footwork/Rotation/Indomitable. Iron Lungs would reduce these fatigue requirements to 78 and 82. Combining Spearwall with Indomitable is good when there are lots of charging orcs about and an eventual breach is likely. Combining Rotation with Indomitable or Footwork is good for rescuing wounded allies from tight spots while protecting one’s self (or just avoiding the same spot altogether).
In theory, the character could use a spetum to lower fatigue costs, and could take Reach Advantage instead of Shield Expert, but a spetum provides no defence once the wall has been breached, and cannot be used to re-position enemies like a shield can. Also, if you do end up surrounded by orcs after the eventual breach of the wall, a few turns of Indomitable+Shieldwall may be the order of the day until assistance arrives.
Fatigue is the most important stat for this build. In addition to a boar/fighting spear and a preferably large and durable shield, a spare of each is advisable for long and gruelling fights (the extra spear could be just a little goblin one). With this gear and the ideal geared fatigue requirement of 94+, you’ll be looking at a base max fatigue value of over 140 (reduced by 12 by Iron Lungs), even if wearing minimal Nimble armour (the most practical option). Defence, HPs, resolve and melee skill all have some importance (especially if you’re being silly and trying to use a spetum for weird roleplaying reasons), but melee skill is of more moderate importance considering that a 1H Spearwall has +20 chance to hit (and that its mere existence often forces enemies to wait) and that shield Knock Back (with Expert) has +40 chance to hit.
Essential Perks: SpearM, Rotation, Footwork, Adren, Recover, Indom
Probable Perks: Colossus, Nimble or [Brawny and/or BF], Pathfinder, Shield Expert
Possible Perks: B&B, Reach Advantage, QH, Fortified Mind, Underdog, Resilient
Most Vital Stats: Max Fatigue (94+ with all gear)
Also Important Stats: Melee Defence (at least ~20 pre-shield), HPs (at least ~90, ideally 100+), Resolve (at least ~50, ideally 60+), Melee Skill (~60+)
Optional Stats: n/a
Recommended Traits: Iron Lungs, Strong, Athletic, Iron Jaw, Tough, Brave/Fearless, Surefooted, Paranoid, Dexterous, Deathwish, Hate for Beasts/Greenskins/Undead
Recommended Permanent Injuries: Brain Damage 脑损伤
Recommended Backgrounds: wildman, farmhand, lumberjack, messenger, brawler, vagabond, flagellant, beastslayer, caravan hand, graverobber, gravedigger, butcher, fisherman, mason, miller, daytaler
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>> 2H “Barbaric” Positioner <<
This character is potentially very similar to the fatigue-intensive offensive builds, but with less focus on offence (“barbaric” level-11 melee skill in the 70s is okay, but more is welcome if available), a primary focus on fatigue (94+ in all gear with the heaviest weapon equipped), and a definite requirement for the Rotation and Footwork perks (hence “positioner”). The role is ideal for someone from a high-fatigue, high-HP background (ideally with a strong resolve value/talent as well) who seems exceptional except for not being able (except with extremely lucky rolls) to reach ~80 melee skill by level 11.
This character can still make a strong contribution to damage at times, but is also used to position others advantageously and (if things go wrong) to rescue them from tight spots (also rescuing themselves with Footwork or tanking damage with Indomitable).
A weapon mastery is optional for this character, but mastery of an AOE weapon (or just usage of it with a high fatigue pool) would be useful. Swords offer more angles and are lighter and more accurate (important considerations for this build with its already high fatigue requirements and its lesser focus on melee skill), but axes offer the possibility of being useful by removing shields (and splitting enemy ranged/2-tile units with bardiche attacks).
Alternatively, the character can just have Quick Hands (a viable option with or without a mastery) and can select a 1-tile and 2-tile item suited to each enemy faced. Maces and dazing are always good. Or, since this character is expected to have less elite melee skill, you may find situational uses for (e.g.) a rare 2H flail with a good damage bonus, or a rare spetum that’s highly fatigue efficient and highly effective against armour.
This character should have Adrenaline, Recover and Indomitable, but should not just mindlessly engage enemies and continually cycle Indomitable with AOE attacks (although this should still be an option for tight situations). Instead, more use should be made of Rotation and Footwork, which have the same fatigue and AP costs as Indomitable, can be used to evade damage altogether (instead of staying in the same spot to stoically tank it), and can be used (Rotation) to position allies favourably or (either) to position one’s self favourably, or (both in tandem) to rescue you both from an awkward spot. For the latter to always be possible (after Recover+Adrenaline at the end of the previous turn), a minimum of 94 fatigue (or 82 with Iron Lungs) is required in gear with the heaviest weapon equipped.
The character’s mobility also allows it to unleash bursts of offensive activity (possibly including AOE attacks) without needing to have elite melee defence (a “barbaric” value ~15 is fine).
As an example, this character might take the initiative and engage lots of enemies, use Adrenaline (after making an initial attack if possible), make another attack at the start of the next turn, and then rotate a high-defence ally (e.g. an Indomitable/Riposte shield tank or an Indomitable/AOE zweihander) into position. This ally may also have used Adrenaline (or Indomitable on its own), and can subsequently perform its own actions. You can even use two 2H Positioners in tandem, as the barbarians do (hence “barbaric”), with the second one rotating the tankier, more defensive ally into place. For this, you need to keep a careful eye on their initiative values to make sure that they remain in the desired order at the start of the next round.
If the character is quickly fatigued after an opening onslaught of activity, that does not matter, since it also has the ability to be fatigue-neutral from the backline with a 2-tile item. If an emergency arises for an ally, the character can co-use Recover and Adrenaline and then, at the start of the subsequent turn, Rotation (to rescue the ally) followed by Indomitable (to tank damage and possibly divert attacks from other allies) or Footwork (to avoid damage) or even (if in an especially heroic/reckless frame of mind) an AOE attack (to finish all the bastards off before they can do any more harm … good luck with that). Recover+Adrenaline (followed by attacks and Indomitable) can also be used if lots of enemies swarm around the formation and make mobility impossible.
The armour requirements for this character are the same as for all the other fatigue-intensive ones.
Essential Perks: Rotation, Footwork, Adren, Recover, Indom
Probable Perks: QH, Colossus, Nimble or [Brawny and/or BF]
Possible Perks: Berserk, Weapon Mastery, Pathfinder, Backstabber, Resilient, Fortified Mind, B&B
Most Vital Stats: Max Fatigue (94+ with all gear)
Also Important Stats: Melee Skill (~75+), HPs (at least ~90, ideally 100+), Resolve (at least ~50, ideally 60+), Melee Defence (usually ~10-25, but feel free to neglect if Huge/Cocky/Wild with no talent)
Optional Stats: Ranged Defence, Ranged Skill (if it can get to 50-65 with 0-3 rolls)
Recommended Traits: Strong, Iron Lungs, Iron Jaw, Athletic, Huge, Tough, Brave/Fearless, Dexterous, Surefooted, Paranoid, Hate for Beasts/Greenskins/Undead, Deathwish
Recommended Permanent Injuries: Brain Damage 脑损伤
Recommended Backgrounds: wildman, lumberjack, farmhand, messenger, beastslayer, brawler, vagabond, flagellant, caravan hand, graverobber, gravedigger, fisherman, mason, miller, daytaler
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>> Sergeant <<
Sergeants need ridiculously high resolve (for obvious reasons). Since their most important role is repeatedly using the Rally the Troops skill when lots of people are wavering/breaking/fleeing in the face of stupid blue ghosts or ancient priests, they also need lots of fatigue. Rally the Troops has the same fatigue cost as Rotation, Footwork and Indomitable. So why not use all of these perks (and Recover and Adrenaline) so that a good sergeant (who’ll more easily meet the minimum requirement of 94 in-gear fatigue, or 82 with Iron Lungs) can be useful as a positioner/saviour (similar to the Spear/Shield Positioner and the 2H Barbaric Positioner) in fights that don’t pose a severe challenge to resolve?
Alternatively, sergeants can be made more useful by letting them also be whippers/disarmers (if they have high melee skill) or by letting them also be throwers (if they have high ranged skill). They could also in essence be Spear/2H Positioners who take Rally the Troops and Fortified Mind over two of the optional perks for those builds.
Essential Perks: Rally, Fortified Mind, Recover
Probable Perks: Colossus, Nimble or [Brawny and/or BF]
Possible Perks: Indom, Adren, Rotation, Footwork, Pathfinder, PoleM, ThrowM, CleaverM, SpearM, SwordM, AxeM, QH, B&B, Duellist
Most Vital Stats: Resolve (at least 100+ with sash and FM), Max Fatigue (ideally 94+ with all gear)
Also Important Stats: HPs (at least ~90, ideally 100+)
Optional Stats: Melee Skill, Melee Defence, Ranged Defence, Ranged Skill
Recommended Traits: Brave/Fearless, Strong, Iron Lungs, Iron Jaw, Athletic, Tough, Hate for Beasts/Greenskins/Undead, Paranoid, Surefooted, Swift, Survivor, Dexterous, Cocky
Recommended Permanent Injuries: Brain Damage 脑损伤
Recommended Backgrounds: wildman, cultist, flagellant, lumberjack, brawler, beastslayer, squire, graverobber, gravedigger, caravan hand, butcher, houndmaster
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>> Overwhelming Whipper <<
Battle whips are very light. They have a range of 3 tiles. They can be used to disarm dangerous enemies (whatever their armour). They suck against armour, but they apply two stacks of two-turn bleeding damage per hit against unarmoured enemies, and can be used to hit those enemies twice per turn (potentially eight stacks of 10 bleeding damage inflicted per turn, on top of the base damage of 36-74 for two hits with double grip, resulting in a potential 116-154 total HP damage inflicted per turn, or 76-114 against Resilient enemies – better than a much heavier billhook).
So why not use this wonderful weapon on a light, high-initiative character who applies two stacks of Overwhelm (and multiple stacks of bleeding and more total HP damage than with a billhook) every turn against large beasts with no remaining armour (e.g. unholds, schrats, lindwurms), or who disarms one dangerous enemy every turn (and maybe finishes off another) in tough fights against orcs (berserkers/warlords), barbarians (chosen) and undead (necrosavants, honour guards, possessed fallen heroes), often while standing in a position of safety (but with at least good defence against encroaching enemies thanks to high initiative and Dodge)?
Whips are also excellent for killing geists.
Since the whip’s skills require 4 or 5 APs, it is possible to switch to bigger, more armour-efficient weapons (1H or 2H cleavers, throwing items or a mastered billhook) without needing Quick Hands (which is still a nice optional perk, especially if you’d still like to smash things with a 2H mace). The high initiative on this character could also make a fencing sword a tempting option (and a means of escaping from tight spots without Rotation or Footwork).
Resilient is a very useful perk for rapidly restoring the character’s effectiveness after being staggered (although that should not happen often, especially if you’re careful).
While the character should have super-high initiative (ideally over 120 at the start of battle) and could come from a low-fatigue background (ensuring a high ratio of initiative versus fatigue), whips can potentially use a lot of fatigue each turn (making Recover a vital perk for restoring effectiveness) and recruits from fairly-high-fatigue backgrounds who also have high talent for initiative are also great for the role.
Since this role is very useful for fights involving orc warlords, geists and ancient priests, resolve should not be entirely neglected, despite the character’s typical position of safety.
Essential Perks: CleaverM, Dodge, Overwhelm, Recover, Nimble
Probable Perks: Colossus, Resilient, Pathfinder, Relentless
Possible Perks: QH, B&B, Underdog, Reach Advantage, Duellist, SwordM, ThrowM, PoleM, Fortified Mind
Most Vital Stats: Initiative (ideally 120+ with all gear), Melee Skill (ideally ~85+)
Also Important Stats: Melee Defence (anything from ~10-35 pre-Dodge), HPs (at least ~90, ideally 100+), Resolve (at least ~50, ideally 60+)
Optional Stats: Max Fatigue, Ranged Defence, Ranged Skill (if it can get to 50-65 with 0-3 rolls)
Recommended Traits: Quick, Dexterous, Strong, Iron Lungs, Iron Jaw, Athletic, Tough, Brave/Fearless, Hate for Beasts/Greenskins/Undead, Deathwish, Swift
Recommended Permanent Injuries: n/a
Recommended Backgrounds: thief, gambler, brawler, beastslayer, graverobber, caravan hand, butcher, miner, ratcatcher, juggler, squire, militia
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>> Fencer <<
I haven’t actually tried them out much in proper campaigns, but I’ve experimented with them in improper ones, and they can certainly be effective and exciting (especially if you manage to get your hands on a rare fencing sword with -3 fatigue costs per skill use).
Essential Perks: SwordM, Dodge, Recover (unless Iron Lungs), Nimble
Probable Perks: Colossus, Resilient, Duellist, Overwhelm
Possible Perks: Underdog, Pathfinder, Killing Frenzy, Berserk, Relentless, Fortified Mind, QH, PoleM, CleaverM, ThrowM, B&B, Steel Brow, Nine Lives
Most Vital Stats: Melee Defence, Initiative, Melee Skill
Also Important Stats: HPs, Resolve
Optional Stats: Max Fatigue
Recommended Traits: Surefooted, Quick, Strong, Iron Lungs, Iron Jaw, Athletic, Tough, Brave/Fearless, Hate for Beasts/Greenskins/Undead, Deathwish, Dexterous, Lucky, Swift
Recommended Permanent Injuries: n/a
Recommended Backgrounds: thief, gambler, beastslayer, squire, militia, miner, brawler, houndmaster, messenger, graverobber, caravan hand, gravedigger, butcher, fisherman, cultist, ratcatcher, juggler
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>> Pole Dualist <<
Basically a character who combines Polearm Mastery (5 APs per attack) with use/mastery of another weapon with a 4-AP cost per skill use.
Depending on the talents/stats and the perks selected, the character could be fatigue-intensive, mostly fatigue-neutral or initiative-based, and could be very similar to (or the same as) some of the builds already outlined above (e.g. Throwing Duellist, Overwhelming Whip, Heavy Metal Dazer, High-Functioning Mushroom Addict, 2H “Barbaric” Positioner).
For the fatigue-intensive options, 92 in-gear fatigue (80 with Iron Lungs) would allow (after Recover+Adrenaline) two billhook attacks (either side of Berserk) to be combined with use of Indomitable (or Rotation or Footwork). 94 in-gear fatigue (82 with Iron Lungs) would allow the combined use (after the same) of any two of the 25-fatigue skills.
While it might be said that the combination of Polearm Mastery (5 APs) and Throwing Mastery (4 APs) is unnecessary, since the latter can attack twice per turn (and inflict more HP damage against suitable targets), it should be remembered that polearms inflict more damage against naked or heavily armoured enemies (and can be used initially to lower the value of enemy armour to Duellist-prey levels), and that throwing weapons can be used to attack targets from 3 or 4 tiles (even 6 with a sling) after killing a first target from 2 tiles. With Berserk, a kill with a mastered billhook (after no initial movement) leaves you with 8 APs and the ability to move one tile before attacking again. If you have throwing weapons and good ranged skill, you can move two tiles before attacking again. Even in situations in which throwing weapons can do more damage than a polearm, it is possible for accuracy with ranged attacks to be severely impeded by terrain obstacles that pose no problem for polearms. Ranged accuracy is also impeded at night, and high-damage throwing weapons also have limited ammo.
Essential Perks: PoleM, QH, Recover
Probable Perks: Berserk, Adren, Indom, Colossus, Nimble or [Brawny and/or BF], Pathfinder, 2nd Mastery (Cleaver/Throwing/Mace)
Possible Perks: Duellist, Killing Frenzy, Backstabber, Fast Adaptation, B&B, Resilient, Rotation, Footwork, Dodge, Overwhelm, Relentless, Reach Advantage, Underdog
Most Vital Stats: Melee Skill (~80+)
Also Important Stats: Max Fatigue or Initiative, HPs (at least ~90, ideally 100+), Melee Defence (usually ~10-25, but feel free to neglect if Huge/Cocky/Wild with no talent), Resolve (at least ~50)
Optional Stats: Ranged Skill (if throwing), Ranged Defence
Recommended Traits: Dexterous, Strong, Iron Lungs, Iron Jaw, Tough, Brave/Fearless, Surefooted, Paranoid or Quick, Huge, Swift, Hate for Beasts/Greenskins/Undead, Deathwish
Recommended Permanent Injuries: n/a
Recommended Backgrounds: squire, militia, beastslayer, wildman, lumberjack, brawler, caravan hand, butcher, graverobber, miner, bastard, disowned noble, retired soldier, thief, gambler, juggler, shepherd, farmhand, messenger, vagabond, flagellant, gravedigger, fisherman, cultist, mason, miller, daytaler
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>> Bow <<
A traditional, reliable sniper against necromancers in the early-mid game. Takes conventional ranged perks (and levels ranged defence) to stay alive before reaching level 7 and becoming semi-immortal with Nimble. May continue to boost initiative to more readily Overwhelm enemies for the benefit of allies. May later metamorphose into a damage-dealer with Throwing Mastery and Duellist, or may (with good melee skill and especially with Iron Lungs) metamorphose into a hybrid fencer or whipper.
Essential Perks: BowM, Bullseye, Nimble
Probable Perks: Colossus, Pathfinder, Dodge, Overwhelm
Possible Perks: Recover, Relentless, Anticipation, Berserk, Killing Frenzy, Steel Brow, Nine Lives, ThrowM, Duellist, Head Hunter, XBowM, CleaverM, SwordM, PoleM, QH, B&B, Resilient
Most Vital Stats: Ranged Skill (at least ~80+)
Also Important Stats: HPs (at least ~75, ideally 100+), Initiative (~100+ with gear, ideally 120+), Ranged Defence (~10-25)
Optional Stats: Melee Skill, Melee Defence, Max Fatigue, Resolve
Recommended Traits: Strong, Iron Lungs, Iron Jaw, Athletic, Swift, Quick, Tough, Brave/Fearless, Hate for Beasts/Greenskins/Undead, Deathwish, Lucky
Recommended Permanent Injuries: n/a
Recommended Backgrounds: hunter, poacher, shepherd, messenger, graverobber, gambler, thief, juggler, squire, militia
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Tactics/Formations
>> vs Orc Seas of Tents <<
The nature of fights against giant orc camps (and the effectiveness of set-ups against them) can vary somewhat depending on the composition of the garrison. Some of them have very large numbers of heavily armoured warriors and only small-ish numbers of youngs and berserkers (often a total garrison size ~24); others have masses of youngs and berserkers and a more modest number of warriors (often a garrison size in the low 30s); others have rather large quantities of youngs, berserkers and warriors (often a garrison size in the mid/high 30s).
Despite their masses of armour, the camps with large numbers of warriors and very few berserkers tend to be the easiest. Not having to worry about being stunned by charging youngs (or split in two by berserkers) makes it much easier to handle the warriors, despite their greater individual difficulty rating. More berserkers increases the actual difficulty because of their menacing weapons, their greater resistance to injuries and negative morale states, and their greater mobility for moving over terrain (Pathfinder) and lesser stupidity in charging into enemies using Indomitable or Spearwall (they tend to keep moving around and forcing you to use more energy as a precaution). The combination of large numbers of berserkers and warriors (and a warlord with a double-gripped rare weapon with an obscene damage boost) makes for the toughest orc fight.
High numbers of charging young can pose problems, but they make orc battles easier because of the ease with which they drop to wavering/breaking/fleeing morale if you take the initiative with Adrenaline and spam AOE and/or 2-tile attacks against them (or even just as a result of being repelled by Spearwalls). Lots of fleeing young often has a knock-on effect on the morale of warriors and even the warlord (I once encountered a “champion” warrior who was already fleeing before managing to strike a blow), but the warlord is likely to rally some of them, and you need to remain vigilant for irritating end-of-round stunning charges by youngs who seemed as good as dead only moments before.
For large orc camps, I usually have 3-4 Indomitable tanks (2H/AOE or Shield/Riposte, the latter type on the flanks), 4-6 offensive quick-handed 2H characters, 0-2 Spear/Shield Positioners, 1-2 Overwhelming Whippers, and 1 sergeant (who may also be a whipper). Sometimes I may have a ranged character as well. If not, I usually give the sergeant or someone else a staff sling to start the battle, to trick the orcs into thinking that we have a ranged threat and that they need to advance instead of sitting back and adopting a clumsy defensive formation. If there are lots of warriors and only a few berserkers, taking up a desired position (with Indomitable on the frontline) and waiting for the orcs to advance into it is fine.
If there are lots of berserkers, it’s better to be more proactive in tying lots of them up with tanks in the opening rounds (but you don’t need to be pedantic and it’s fine if a few of them still end up circling around your formation).
In either case, I like to leave a gap of one or two tiles between each of the Indomitable tanks at the front of my formation (or, if there are two sword-wielding zweihanders, they may stand next to each other in the centre, with a gap of two tiles between the others). Generally, a 2-tile gap between the occupants of the frontline is desirable, since that leaves just enough room for a single careless orc to advance through each of the gaps to engage the backline. Usually, this careless orc is a warrior who is unable to attack on that same turn, and who is quickly Dazed and/or Disarmed and stripped of all armour, and close to death before it gets any chance to attack (if it even does).
Ideally, the sergeant should be within a 4-tile range of everyone (or at least within 5 tiles of the tanks on either flank, so that it is a simple matter to move one tile to either side and use Rally if required).
If there are lots of berserkers, they can be proactively engaged by tanks who advance and (after attacking if possible) use Adrenaline (followed by Indomitable and AOE or Riposte at the start of the next turn). It may be possible for a positioner to advance and rotate a zweihander in the opening round, so that the latter can advance one tile and AOE, and then use Adrenaline (followed by AOE+Indomitable at the start of the next round). Thereafter, the tanks should continue cycling Indomitable with AOE or Riposte, sometimes waiting turn as a precaution (e.g. to lower their initiative on “on” turns, and as a precaution against stunning charges from rallied orcs on “off” turns after using Recover+Adrenaline).
2-handers with 2-tile items should advance behind the tanks and use Adrenaline to try to kill/injure/demoralize as many berserkers as possible in round 2. They may repeat this in round 3 (waiting turn after Adrenaline use if there’s a risk of a stunning charge onto the backline). Whippers should be positioned to be in range of a couple of berserkers (or youngs with double-gripped orc weapons), while remaining relatively guarded within the formation. Whippers may be engaged by warriors in the late stages of long battles, and may choose to Recover and Disarm and/or switch to a 1H or 2H cleaver to do more damage while continuing to apply Overwhelm. Lots of youngs (and hopefully lots of berserkers) will be killed/injured/demoralized in the early rounds. The warriors and the warlord will shamble slowly forwards. If there are a couple of Spear/Shield Positioners, they should be on the rear flanks to delay any outflanking berserkers and to delay the warriors/warlord until enough of the others have been cleared out of the way. After Spearwall is breached, the positioner may be able to Recover and use Footwork+Spearwall, but more probably should either just Footwork away and re-form Spearwall at another point later on, or go into tank mode with Shieldwall+Indomitable (this helps to tie up lots of orcs to let the damage-dealers focus on offence and not worry about stuns/Indomitable). Often, the warriors will start trying to outflank, but then change their minds and try to occupy a spot vacated by a dead/fleeing young/berserker. This often means that they move into engagement without being able to attack, allowing them to be netted and/or disarmed and/or dazed and quickly reduced to a state of uselessness. Nets make warriors even easier to hit/disarm/daze, prevent them from pushing through the formation (unless you want to lure them further in), and encourage them to waste APs on trying to break free. Nets can also be thrown over any berserkers who have advanced to within 2 tiles of the general formation (making it rather safe to stand and attack them with 2-tile items).
The fight will be overwhelmingly in your favour, but there will be lots of orcs and lots of armour to break through, and the warlord will rally some fleers and you will need to remain vigilant for end-of-round stunning charges. Any shield tanks will almost certainly have their shields broken, and will need to arm with a spare (if they can afford the fatigue to carry one) or hope that double-gripped Ripostes will help to finish off any remaining youngs/berserkers and allow the 2-handers (no longer threatened by stunning charges) to advance on the warriors/warlord with 2H maces/axes and 2-tile weapons. Zweihanders (or shield tanks) may end up in the awkward position (despite having waited turn) of being ahead of warriors in the turn order when they need to Recover, and will have to hope that Nimble/HPs/armour/defence (or even a bit of offence) keeps them safe until the final orc-slaying advance of their offensive comrades. It usually does.
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>> vs Goblin Cities <<
Generally speaking, the largest goblin camps are tougher (and less enjoyable to fight) than the largest orc ones. Rul’gazhix always has 43 goblins (including 3 shamans and 3 overseers); other large camps have a garrison size from the mid-20s to mid-30s, including more than one shaman and/or more than one overseer.
Overseers whip their underlings directly into a state of confident morale (or rally them if they’re fleeing from a spree of slaughtered allies) and occasionally shoot crossbow bolts that (if they hit the head) are much more comfortably countered by Nimble than by heavy armour (BF makes no meaningful difference to ignore-armour damage). AFP is good against body-shots from spiked impalers, but the Fur Padding attachment (the white one created from two unhold furs) may be better to have against large goblin camps, since the persistent low-level damage from ambusher bows can easily remove a suit of Nimble armour in a single round (even with Indomitable active). Heavy suits of armour last longer, of course, but their occupants are more susceptible to Puncture attacks (and poisoning) while cursed/vined/netted, and are dead meat if their armour eventually runs out.
Shamans have the automatic ability to trap any enemy (within an 8-tile range) within vines, and additional enemies from 9 tiles away will also be trapped if they are behind the ones who are in range. Having a height advantage increases the range of the shaman’s skills (i.e. potentially to 11 tiles, and potentially trapping enemies from 12 tiles away, in the worse-case scenario).
The goblin trophy confers immunity to being trapped in nets/vines. You can give this to a backliner who focuses on freeing others from nets/vines so that they can concentrate on offence, or you can give it to an Indomitable shield tank who tries to press through the melee to catch the shamans and/or chase them away out of range of others.
Shamans also have the ability (with the same range) to curse any enemy (including the one wearing the goblin trophy). Whereas vines reduce melee and ranged defence (and initiative) by 35% (compared to 45% with the nets thrown by many of the skirmishers), curses reduce these values (and melee and ranged skill) by 50% and essentially render the combatant useless for the duration of the curse (4 entire turns without the Resilient perk).
As a general rule, shamans prioritize trapping you in vines while any of you are loose and in range, and resort to cursing if you make no attempt to break free from the traps and just try to slaughter goblins with AOE and/or Berserking attacks. Without the Resilient perk, it’s easy to end up with an entire company cursed (as well as netted/vined) and all too easy to poison with Puncture attacks (or arrows once most armour is gone). The Poisoned status effect lasts for 5 turns without Resilient, and initially reduces your AP count to 5 (not enough for a big 2H attack, and only just enough to try to break free from any nets/vines, which feels futile since they’ll just be replaced before you get another chance to act).
So it’s a conundrum. High-initiative troops are relatively useless against large goblin parties with multiple shamans (even if their initial initiative is higher than any of the goblins), since freeing themselves from nets/vines lowers their initiative and lowers their offensive output, and remaining in the nets/vines keeps their initiative lowered and results in them being perpetually cursed and incapacitated (but I suppose that an entire company of Relentless fencers with extreme values of melee attack and defence could work for this fight thanks to the ease of killing goblins with lunge attacks after breaking free). High-fatigue troops can attack/kill, break free with the additional APs from Berserk, and then advance one tile (and maybe use Adrenaline to kill a goblin at the start of the next turn if they’re very lucky), but it doesn’t take long for them to be back in nets (and more likely to be Poisoned since they moved instead of using Indomitable on the previous turn). If they are cautious and use Indomitable instead of moving after breaking free, the shamans will curse them and make them useless for the duration of the curse.
That is why Resilient is a great perk against annoying enemies like shamans and hexen. After using Recover+Adrenaline from a state of exhaustion, and waiting turn if any shamans are still to act in the round, any tank or damage-dealer can then use a curse-free combination of fatigue-intensive offensive/defensive skills at the start of the next round, potentially allowing you to win the battle even if you’re boring and decide to remain rooted in nets/vines for much of the fight. Fortunately, the poor resolve of goblins means that several untouched ones are liable to end up fleeing after a sudden spree of kills.
The most stress-free way to beat the biggest goblin city (besides using a load of level-25 archers with 110 ranged skill and continually reloading until you start on the high-ground) is to leave just a few Indomitable shield tanks within range of the shamans and to withdraw everyone else out of range (taking care to allow for the effect of any height elevations held by the shamans). Luckily, the wolfriders and skirmishers (and some ambushers) will still advance towards your main body, even if you don’t have any archers.
Almost everyone except the trophy-wearer is liable to be vined in round 1, since the shamans will have range on those in the front rank (at least 3), and anyone behind will also be caught. This impedes mobility, but everyone should be able to break free (hopefully at the first attempt) and then move away from the frontal tanks (hopefully out of range of the shamans) if they have any more APs. If they are unable to move out of range of the shamans in round 1, or if they are unable to move away onto neutral or advantageous terrain, they should use Adrenaline and then move to suitable terrain at the start of round 2. After that, from their position of relative safety, it should be straight-forward to slaughter the goblins who advance (remaining cautious to avoid being in range of too many ambushers).
The shield tanks at the front will need to remain rooted in nets/vines, except any one of them to which you have given the goblin trophy. A tank with the trophy can try to move through the melee (probably using Indomitable as a precaution) to catch or chase one or more of the shamans (and probably several ambushers and the odd overseer as well). The others should continue using Riposte+Indomitable (or even Shieldwall+Indomitable if their armour’s getting thin) every other turn, always waiting turn (if they have the Resilient perk) to recover from any curses before coming under attack in the next round). After using Recover+Adrenaline on “off” turns, they should also wait turn if any shamans are still to act, since this will cause them to recover from any fresh curses before the start of the next round. The shamans will almost certainly curse them again in the next round, but the shamans usually act after the other goblins, and so the curse will not be active for the majority of attacks.
Once the advancing goblins have been slaughtered by the main body of troops who moved back in the opening rounds, there is likely to be an awkward spell in which the main body needs to move forwards again to get at the remaining goblins (and the shamans who can curse and trap them). The best thing to do is take a turn or two to Recover everyone’s fatigue and to move them all to within 9 tiles of the nearest shaman (again taking account of the effect of height levels). In the next round, after all of them have waited turn until the shamans have (hopefully) ended their turns, they can all advance 4 tiles (keeping at least 1 tile’s gap between themselves) and use Adrenaline, and then all advance to within attacking range of a shaman (again keeping a gap of at least one tile between themselves). This advance will also threaten lots of ambushers (and possibly the overseers) and make them less willing to remain still and shoot. In the next round, it won’t be possible for the shamans to root everyone, and any shamans or other goblins who remain still to use skills will probably be within attacking range of someone who isn’t rooted in place (even anyone who is rooted in place might have a 2-tile attacking opportunity). The rest of the battle could still be a bit messy, and casualties are a possibility (especially if any of the advancers were already bereft of armour), but from this point your victory is assured.
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>> vs the Black Monolith, Ancient Dead and Necrosavants <<
Honor guards have 75 melee skill and often wield ancient pikes with +10 chance to hit that inflict 68-100 raw damage against armour (or rhomphaias with +10 chance to hit that inflict up to ~70 raw armour damage per hit). Necrosavants have 85 melee skill and wield double-gripped cleavers that inflict up to 85 raw damage (per hit) against armour. The Conqueror has 90 melee skill and Fast Adaptation and an innate damage bonus and wields a crypt cleaver that (accounting for the damage bonus) can inflict over 100 raw armour damage per hit. A level 11 veteran who started with 5 base melee defence and 2 talent stars and levelled melee defence every time will have 35 melee defence, meaning that necrosavants and pike/rhomphaia-wielding honor guards will have a basal 50% chance to hit, and that one stack of Reach Advantage will be required for The Conqueror to have half a chance of missing (before instantly gaining +8 from Fast Adaptation). Other honor guards and ancient legionaries wield tower shields (with an effective 48 durability) and habitually form shieldwalls that give them 50 melee defence (plus another 5 for any adjacent allies using the skill). Necrosavants and The Conqueror don’t have shields but do have 25 base melee defence. A level 11 veteran who started with 55 melee skill and 2 talent stars and levelled melee skill every time will have 85 melee skill, and will still miss shieldwalling legionaries more than half the time, and necrosavants and The Conqueror more than a third of the time. And our hypothetical level 11 veteran would have only another 10 stat improvements available to distribute among fatigue, HPs and resolve. Given the high-damage and high hit-chances of the above enemies, it’s pretty important to wear good armour and to be able to use Indomitable a lot, which means that plenty of fatigue is needed. Given that it takes a lot of time to kill shieldwalling skeletons and teleporting necrosavants (and to work through all The Conqueror’s armour and HPs), and given that many of their weapons inflict bleeding damage and that they are accompanied by priests who continually plant miasma clouds across the battlefield, HPs are also of high importance. And, given that priestly spooking can drop morale (and impair combat stats and increase the risk of further morale failures) or impose the Horrified status effect (and potentially cause the sacrifice of a turn and the inability to use Indomitable when surrounded by perilous enemies in miasma), resolve is also important. 62 HPs and 33 resolve won’t cut it (truly, I’ve seen tanks with ~90 resolve drop from steady to wavering to breaking morale just as a result of being engaged in melee by a couple of legionaries with broken swords).
In the Black Monolith, you face a total of 47 enemies, including The Conqueror, 6 necrosavants, 3 ancient priests and a plethora (i.e. an awful bloody lot of) honor guards (as well as an awful bloody lot of shieldwalling or pike-wielding legionaries). How can you beat this host in a single battle with a level 11 party (or a level 11-16 party, given that some veterans will probably gain additional levels while you’re getting the others up to scratch)? And how can you do it now that it’s no longer possible for 2H damage-dealers to gain free defence from shields without crippling themselves offensively?
The most effective formation I’ve found for this fight (using the typical kind of troops that I use, some with uber-defence, some with uber-offence, but few with uber-both) involves four lines. The frontline has two zweihanders next to each other in the centre, and two shield tanks on either flank, with a 1-tile gap between the tanks and zweihanders. The shield tank on the western flank (the most vulnerable spot) could be a pure shield (armed only with a dagger to reduce fatigue and allow a spare shield) who endlessly cycles Indomitable+Shieldwall (ideally with a rare shield with enhanced durability and melee defence); the other shield tank at the front should also have enough usable fatigue to cycle Indom+Shieldwall in an emergency, but should generally favour Indom+Riposte (better for clearing necrosavants). Three characters are positioned in the centre of the second line, behind the zweihanders at the front. Two of these (the ones to either side) are axe-users (with a longaxe, a bardiche and/or greataxe and/or a battle-whip); the one in the centre could be another axe-user or a whipper with mastery (fatigue-intensive or initiative-based). In the centre of the third line, behind the axes/whips, are two more offensive characters who should have very high melee skill and preferably an abundance of fatigue and high mobility (i.e. the Rotation and Footwork perks). These two should be armed with 2H maces, battle-whips (mastered or not) and either a bill or a longaxe. Behind these two, in the centre of the backline, is the sergeant (4 tiles from each of the shield tanks on the flanks of the frontline), who should also have abundant fatigue and the Rotation and Footwork perks (and possibly, if you can squeeze it in, a whip with Quick Hands). (The sergeant’s position could be switched with one of those immediately ahead, if one of those has fairly high melee defence, but these three are likely to switch positions at points in the fight anyway.) On the flanks of the backline, 3 tiles behind the front flanks and just to their inside, are two more troops with high melee defence. The one on the western flank (the second-most vulnerable spot, most likely to encounter The Conqueror) should definitely be a shield-user (with the option of Indom+Riposte or Indom+Shieldwall, and ideally with a spare shield, since the initial one is almost certain to break); the one on the eastern flank could be another zweihander (even a Round-Swinger). Since the eastern rear flank is the position from which exposure to miasma and curses is most minimal, this is the best spot for a zweihander with exceptional melee values but mediocre HPs and resolve (but at least try to have close to ~90 and ~50 instead of 62 and 33, since teleporting necrosavants can easily break morale when it most needs to stay solid).
If any of the quick-handed characters have any spare slots for additional items, they could start the battle with throwing spears and/or nets (most of them will only be able to have the latter). Nets are best thrown over necrosavants once they have engaged one of the flank tanks, so that others can whip/Disarm/bleed them and shift a tile to hit them with bigger items, sometimes using Adrenaline when there’s a chance to finish one off). If no quick-handed character can manage a throwing spear, the zweihanders at the front (or even one or both of the shield tanks at the front) could start the battle with a throwing spear, which should be used in pairs to remove a tower shield from a skeleton who is advancing towards the zweihanders (making it easier for the vulnerable shieldless zweihanders to get off to a good start, building up some Reach Advantage and making early kills and confident morale more likely). If using throwing spears without QH on the frontline, you’ll need to be committed to keeping them in the same spots, since they’ll need the rest of their APs to arm with their usual weapons in round 1 (allowing them to attack in round 2).
While shield-splitting seems severely laborious against such a host, only a small number of shieldwalling legionaries will be able to engage the vulnerable zweihanders at any one time, and there’s no reason why the axe-users on the second line can’t occasionally remove a tower shield as a team (perhaps after Berserking). Making the frontal legionaries vulnerable makes it easier for the zweihanders to build higher defence and can create opportunities for them (after kills, especially if they’ve found room for Berserk) to advance a tile to directly engage the pike-wielding legionaries, who do not have Polearm Mastery and who will incur a -15 penalty to hit-chance. Such an opportunity should probably be seized even if the zweihanders aren’t able to remain Indomitable, since the axes behind them will probably be able to advance and make quick work of the ancient pikes.
Another excellent way of keeping the zweihanders safer against ancient pikes is to disarm their wielders, who are much easier to disarm than necrosavants (The Conqueror is immune). Disarming honor guards with rhomphaias or crypt cleavers is also sometimes a good idea (e.g. if they’ve engaged the zweihanders or any of the axe-users). Necrosavants should mostly only be disarmed by masters of the whip (but extinguishing their Nine Lives with bigger weapons and then finishing them off with basic whips is best, and hopefully some of them will be taken out by Ripostes from the tanks).
The longer the shield tanks in the most vulnerable spots can stay alive, the greater the chance of victory. It is unlikely that those on the western flanks will survive, but they should cling to every last HP with clenched fists. The better their health (and that of their armour) when The Conqueror engages, the better the chance of victory.
Since The Conqueror engages (towards the western rear flank) after the initial engagement, it is typical for the tank on that flank to already be almost entirely surrounded when the boss arrives. Ideally, there will be one free spot for the boss to engage the tank to the interior of the formation, near or next to the sergeant or one of the 2H mace-wielding troops towards the rear. Alternatively, The Conqueror may engage one of these centre-rear troops directly. Either way, the protocol is to try to Daze it after its turn has ended, so that it is not necessary to use Adrenaline. If the sergeant is engaged, one of the damage-dealers can be rotated into place to daze The Conqueror. The other centre-rear damage-dealer (also now armed with a 2H mace) can either move a tile to attack The Conqueror (if this is possible without engaging anything else) or be rotated in turn for an attack (or just attack from 2 tiles if that’s the only option). On the next turn, they can attack again, with Footwork probably being used to avoid damage (or the sergeant can rotate one of them away and then use Footwork or Indomitable). If the western rear tank is engaged by The Conqueror and getting into to trouble, Indomitable can be used instead of Footwork so that one/some of these fresher troops with lower melee defence are likely to be attacked instead. The axe-users from the second line may also be able to attack with longaxes (even whips), and quickly killing The Conqueror should be a priority. Note that hitting The Conqueror’s armour from 2 tiles does not incur the 20% damage reflection, and that using Indomitable before hitting it from 1 tile (but not after doing so) halves the reflective damage.
If you’ve killed The Conqueror and all the necrosavants, and the flank tanks are all still alive and with at least a little bit of durability left in them, victory is at this point assured. If one or even both of the western tanks have fallen (or are on the brink of it), but the zweihanders are still in good/decent health, there is still a reasonable chance of victory, but it’s liable to be an awkward and laborious mess.
Not having any more teleporting necrosavants makes it much easier to Recover in safety, to patiently wait turn within 2 or 3 tiles of pike-wielders, and then move in to attack after their turn has ended, knowing you’ll get to attack again (and hopefully kill them and Berserk) before being attacked yourself. Whippers can disarm pike-wielders. Longaxe-users can occasionally team up to remove a tower shield (making infuriating prolonged sequences of team-missing less likely). Zweihanders should prioritize directly engaging pike-wielders. Those with 2H maces should prioritize dazing enemies while any adjacent pikes have been disarmed.
The hard (or at least irritating) part is when the priests move towards you and start spawning more miasma and uttering curses. This is when you’ll wish you hadn’t gone along with the common wisdom that ~50 resolve is fine on “frontliners” and that resolve can be more-or-less neglected on everyone else. Sometimes someone will have advanced close to a priest and waited to see if there’s an opportunity for Adrenaline, only to be trapped in miasma and then Horrified and unable to move away. It’s best to try to keep everyone within a reasonable distance of the sergeant, in addition to keeping away from the miasma.
The remaining honor guards, who are actually acting as guards to the priests, have such low initiative that they are always behind you in the turn order, and they always wait turn as well. You can’t maintain Indomitable cycles against them, and they can always attack you after you engage them. However, if any shield tank is still alive with decent HPs (and hopefully a tiny bit of armour too), it’s good to engage one or more of these guards and use Indomitable (thereby preventing them from further movement to protect the priests). In the absence of any shield tanks with semblance of life, zweihanders will have to perform this role. In either case, it will create opportunities for damage-dealers to advance into range of the priests and use Adrenaline to attack before they can be Horrified. There will still be some loose honor guards to advance against these troops, but these ones will be relatively isolated and it should be fairly simple for someone to daze or disarm them (or just kill them as quickly as possible). Once only one priest remains, it is highly satisfying (even if it’s clinging to just a few HPs) to ritually execute it with the most gruesome, gratuitous weapon/attack available. This is a special moment for rare 2H axes or maces, or for Decapitate with a rare cleaver.
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>> vs Krakens <<
Buggered if I know. Watch this space …
Okay …
Give the goblin trophy (also a kraken trophy) to someone who has Hammer Mastery (or a rare billhook with awesome armour effectiveness), and spend the opening rounds removing the kraken’s head armour with Demolish Armour (or just Strikes). The kraken’s body-armour is never hit/removed. The tentacles/irrlichts are (unarmoured) parts of the beast’s body, and killing them directly removes its HPs despite the presence of armour (but only up to a point). Once only eight irrlichts remain (vs 12 at the start), killing them no longer removes HPs (and they always regenerate) and you can only remove HPs by attacking the kraken directly – but all attacks are to the head and remove HPs once the head armour is gone. So that means that everyone should be armed with a battle whip (the 3-tile range is very handy), and that at least some of them should have Cleaver Mastery to increase the bleeding damage. Those without mastery should also have a jagged pike or a mastered billhook (better damage when only one attack is possible), and everyone should also have a high damage 2H sword/axe/mace/cleaver. Everyone in the party should have high melee skill (at least ~80+, but the more the better) for breaking free and freeing others (no shield tanks), along with a high pool of usable fatigue and the Recover perk. High melee defence makes casualties less likely, but you can get away with mediocre values on most people (e.g. 10-25) if the gods are pleased with you. High HPs (with Nimble or heavy armour) is highly advisable. Resolve isn’t important if you avoid casualties, but no sergeant means no Rally if anyone’s morale weakens after a casualty.
Once a certain portion of the kraken’s HPs have been removed by killing irrlichts, and possibly before the trophy-wearer has finished removing the head armour, these tentacles will become enraged and sometimes attack instead of dragging someone towards the beast (so it’s best if the trophy-wearer has high melee defence, even if the gods are pleased with you). Their attacks hit the head 50% of the time (so it’s best to have relatively heavy headgear, e.g. a barbute on Nimble guys), and they do high damage with high armour effectiveness, and cause bleeding (luckily just 5 per turn). They’re also frightfully accurate, and they always have high melee defence (25) and the Underdog perk. Hitting them (or breaking free from them) is especially awkward if you’re in the swamp. It may be worth having two Backstabber guys trying to stun two tentacles per turn with maces, but this uses a lot of fatigue (and they may be in the swamp and miss, or just miss anyway) and they may be dragged while highly fatigued and unable to move much (or at all) if they break free (sure to be snared before getting a chance to Recover). You may be better off just dazing lots of them (with or without mastery) to reduce their damage and quickly kill them and force them to re-spawn at a remove.
Indomitable is a useful skill in this fight (you can’t be dragged while it’s active), but trying to cycle it endlessly is utterly futile. The kraken always waits turn, and irrlichts also wait turn if there is no one to drag or attack, meaning that you will be dragged after using Recover (and that co-use of Adrenaline will leave you with less fatigue to move away or hide or use Indomitable after breaking free). In some cases, however, enraged irrlichts will act to attack you (and do less damage) while you are Indomitable, and therefore leave you free to Recover with Adrenaline and re-use Indomitable.
If you are hidden in bushes, irrlichts will generally not be able to find and drag you, but it is still possible for them to re-spawn on adjacent tiles (or be displaced onto adjacent tiles when someone breaks free), and in these cases they will snare/drag you. Also, if everyone is hidden, they immediately become miraculously capable of locating you. Still, hiding in bushes (especially at a remove from others, e.g. after being dragged and breaking free and using Adrenaline to run and hide and avoid being recaptured before you can act again) is sometimes a very sound strategy (including in the opening rounds when you are trying to get everyone to good terrain before being dragged).
Adrenaline is situationally useful in this fight, including for getting everyone to good terrain in the opening rounds and for escaping and hiding after breaking free in proximity to the kraken, as indicated above. You may be able to Recover safely from a hidden spot at a 2- or 3-tile distance from the kraken, and then attack it with a whip or 2-tile item while the irrlichts attack/snare others further away.
Pathfinder is of course very useful for getting everyone to good terrain in the opening rounds. Once everyone (except the trophy-wearer) is grouped on good terrain, keeping everyone free from tentacles (which applies some damage to the tentacles) should generally be prioritized over attacks, but opportunities for kills should often be taken, since this forces the slain tentacle to re-spawn at a remove and reduces the rate at which they can snare and drag. Once the irrlichts are enraged, it’s a good idea to minimize their numbers with kills as quickly as possible. In other cases, when no kills are available and there is no one adjacent who can’t be freed by someone else, it is sometimes best to take a turn to Recover if quite a bit of fatigue has been built up.
At some point, some/many/most of you will need to move closer to the kraken (by themselves or by being dragged), and it’s best to have a high pool of fatigue free when this happens. Some may hang back and try to occupy lots of irrlichts (or lead them further away). The irrlichts tend to be more attack-oriented (and less drag-oriented) when someone has lost their armour and some HPs, and so this might be a fitting time for someone to become a noble sacrifice.
Depending on how things pan out, and on the layout of the terrain, it may be possible for one or more of you to move forwards and occupy a hidden tile (ideally on good ground) in attacking range of the kraken. If this is not possible, it will not be possible to apply further damage so freely, and more of you will need to go forth (which increases the risk of someone breaking free next to the kraken only to have no free tile to move to). If some of the irrlichts stay back and keep attacking, some of you can stay back to kill them (if someone has been Devoured and others have dropped to wavering morale, killing irrlichts is the only way to induce a positive morale check in the absence of a sergeant).
Once some/many/most of you are close to the kraken and in range to attack, some/many of you will still be snared and potentially dragged into contact with the kraken, and the options when this happens are (a) to be freed by someone else who sacrifices one attack, (b) to free yourself and move to a good tile and use Indomitable, (c) to free yourself and move one tile, (d) to free yourself and move a tile and use Adrenaline (and then move to a hidden tile or as far away as possible), (e) to free yourself (or fail to free yourself) and be exhausted (and/or still snared) and get Devoured, or (f) to free yourself and (in sheer frustration and as a last act of defiance) use Decapitate with a 2H cleaver (or a rare orc 1H one) before being Devoured (or you may even manage to finish the beast off in style with this course of action).
Kraken fights are generally repetitive yet unpredictable, with a high risk of casualties (which can impair morale and increase the risk of further casualties). But if everyone in attacking range of the kraken is either fresh or Indomitable or hidden, and if everyone who’s fatigued has managed to move further away (too far to be dragged next to the kraken, but maybe at just the right distance to be dragged next to someone fresher who can free them and allow them to Recover), the risk of casualties will be lower and the chance of victory greater.
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>> vs Barbarians/Chosen <<
Adrenaline allows you to act before anyone else in the next round. It does this by adding a value of 2000 to your initiative (for the purpose of determining the turn order). If more than one person uses Adrenaline, the one with the highest initiative (for the purpose of determining the turn order) will act first in the next round. Adrenaline usage isn’t the only thing that affects initiative for the purpose of determining the turn order. The other thing that affects it (and that also is not reflected in the initiative value displayed on character screens) is waiting turn. Waiting turn results in 25% of your initiative being subtracted (for the purpose of determining the turn order). So, if you’ve used Adrenaline and waited turn, your initiative (for the purpose of determining the turn order) will be 1500 (plus whatever probably low value of regular initiative remained on the character screen after using Adrenaline).
Barbarians have more initiative than the vast majority of my guys (despite, in the case of chosen, also wearing much heavier armour than many of them), and they also recover astronomical amounts of fatigue each turn (often bolstered still further by drummers) and (unlike any other enemy in the game) also have the Adrenaline perk (and will readily use it if they sense that a nearby opponent has higher initiative than themselves – including initiative from the turn-order bonus applied by Adrenaline).
Fortunately, barbarians also wait turn before using Adrenaline, lest they waste energy unnecessarily when no one nearby will be ahead of them for the next turn anyway (not that it would really matter, given how much fatigue they recover). This means that, if you move in and use Adrenaline and don’t wait turn, you will be ahead of them for the next round, despite their usually higher regular initiative. For example, even if your regular initiative is -100 and theirs is 100, using Adrenaline without waiting turn will increase your initiative (for the purpose of determining the turn order) to 1880, whereas using it with waiting turn will increase theirs to 1560.
If you and a barbarian have both used Adrenaline, and you are first to act in the subsequent round, staggering that barbarian with a 2H hammer will send it right to the end of the turn order for that round, despite having used Adrenaline! But beware that the same thing can happen to you if you accidentally wait before/after using Adrenaline!
Because of the Adrenaline/initiative/turn-order mechanics outlined above, chosen do not get to act before tanks who are using Indomitable cycles (phew). It means that you can seize the initiative and use Adrenaline yourselves, or hang back and wait and take precautions if some of them do eventually use Adrenaline. If they are separated from your frontline by one tile, you can use Indomitable or throw nets over them or just move back so that they are unable to move+attack on the next turn anyway (possibly protecting any ranged characters whose turn has ended with a Rotation or Spearwall).
A downside of knowing that you can usually out-Adrenaline chosen is in situations in which you realize that a chosen could engage you (but not attack) later in the current turn, and will definitely be ahead of you for the next turn – unless you immediately use your last little bit of fatigue on Adrenaline as a precaution against this (thereby guaranteeing that you won’t be able to use Indomitable after attacking them in the next round, if they even engage you to start with).
While their tendency to wait turn is disadvantageous to chosen in some respects, it can also be advantageous to them in that, since they have the Resilient perk, they often recover from the Dazed status effect before their next attack. You can even play this to your advantage, by waiting turn yourself before dazing them, but only if you can afford to wait.
Positioners with both the Rotation and Footwork perks can be very useful against large chosen parties. Those with spears can occupy the rear flanks to prevent chosen from outflanking the formation and surrounding more offensive characters. 2H Positioners can pre-emptively “rescue” offensive characters (e.g. the above one who was angsting over whether to use Adrenaline in case a chosen closed in) who’ve been engaged by non-isolated chosen that are liable to use their own form of Rotation (Barbarian Wrath) to focus attacks upon a character who is easier to hit. A fresh Positioner can use Rotation+Footwork or even Rotation+Attack+Adrenaline+Attack+Footwork.
As suggested above, one or two whippers are very useful against barbarians. They can hang back two tiles from the frontline (making the barbarians less likely to sense their high initiative), wait turn and then Disarm any dangerous chosen whose turn has already ended. Obviously any chosen engaging anyone who is already wounded or without armour is a threat (especially if wielding a cleaver). Otherwise, the most threatening ones are those with 2H maces (who can apply Dazed) and those with rusty 2H axes (which can make very short work of durable shields).
Also, as more and more players are discovering, throwers (especially with looted heavy barbarian javelins) can do devastation to chosen from close range, and one or two of these are always good to have.
My usual approach to large chosen battles is to have 3-4 more defensive tanks (shielded Indom+Riposte ones or 2H Indom+AOE ones) spread out (with a gap of one or two tiles) across the front (any shielded ones on the flanks), at least 4 offensive melee characters (and maybe one or two throwers) behind them, one or two whippers at the back, and sometimes Spear/Shield Positioners on the rear flanks (especially if there are no shielded tanks on the front flanks). Sometimes there may be some 2H Positioners mixed in with (and perhaps barely distinguishable from) the offensive melee characters.
If there are any 2H Positioners, it’s fun to use them to seize the initiative with Adrenaline and do as the barbarians do by attacking and then rotating another attacker into place. In my case, the next attacker (who has also used Adrenaline) will be a more defensive tank who will then use Indomitable with either Riposte or a 2H attack. At least some of the offensive characters (or Positioners) on the second line will be in danger of becoming the focus of the barbarians’ own wrathful rotating attacks if/when a barbarian advances into one of the gaps between the tanks. This danger can be pre-empted by throwing a net over that barbarian (and then disarming/dazing it etc., and/or pelting it with heavy javelins) or subsequently evaded via use of Rotation and/or Footwork.
The general approach of the offensive melee characters is to hang on the second line with 2-tile items and wait for chosen to advance into the gaps in the frontline, and then (once those chosens’ turns have ended without using Adrenaline) wait for someone to chuck nets over them (preventing others from rotating them) and advance to daze them with 2H maces, knowing that they will act before those advanced chosen in the next round and that those chosen will be very nearly dead (or very actually dead) before they next get to act. If an advanced chosen waits turn and uses Adrenaline because of sensing the higher initiative of a whipper, it may be possible for an offensive character with a whip and lower initiative to Disarm that chosen at the end of the round.
The more the chosens’ numbers are thinned, the easier it is for offensive characters and whippers to group together and focus attention on the remaining chosen tied up by the tankiest characters, prioritizing whichever ones are posing the greatest threat.
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>> vs Unholds/Schrats/Lindwurms <<
Large beasts have a massive pool of HPs but (mostly) not much armour. Snow/tundra unholds and lindwurms have some armour (mostly removed by one or two hits from 2-handed items), and schrats take a lot less HP damage when they have a “shield” (which has 32 durability like a heater shield), but the main problem (from an offensive perspective) is working through their HPs. From a defensive perspective, the main problem is their massive ignore-armour damage and, in the case of lindwurms, their massive armour damage (often ~100 versus Indomitable) and high melee skill (85 after ~day 200). Unholds pose the additional problem of being able to stun you with charges or toss you over their heads for a loss of 10 HPs (combining the orc menaces into one), and schrats pose the additional problem of being able to AOE three targets with a “Split” attack (and, although it’s easy to avoid the angle of any one particular schrat, battles against many schrats on complex terrain sometimes make it difficult to get in range to attack one schrat without accidentally being in range to be attacked by another). Oh, and lindwurms are able to attack any target within a 2-tile range, and their tails can AOE any 3 targets within a 2-tiles range with a “Swing/Shatter” attack, and sometimes apply the Dazed status effect (or knock them back – which is often beneficial, since it at least puts them out of range of the heads). Most hits from these enemies also apply the Staggered status effect, which lowers initiative by 50% and is not of much concern for fatigue-intensive characters, but of very big concern for any high-initiative characters whose role is to apply the Overwhelmed status effect to lower the melee skill of these beasts.
Naturally, it’s useful to have weapons that can attack these enemies without engaging them directly, and to be highly mobile to avoid being in line for schrat or lindwurm long-range attacks, or to avoid being engaged by an unhold who has tossed someone aside. Polearms (with mastery) afford good mobility thanks to their 5-AP cost. Jagged pikes offer the same thing without mastery, and (thanks to 10 bleeding damage per hit) do nearly as much damage as a billhook against unarmoured targets that are not immune to bleed (schrats are immune to bleed, but 50-70 damage is still decent and often avoids spawning a sapling). But battle whips have a range of 3 tiles and can make two attacks per turn, and apply a total of 4 lots of 10 bleeding (split over two turns) per hit against non-immune targets (meaning a total of 8 lots of 10 from two hits in one turn, or 4 lots of 10 against enemies who have the Resilient perk, as all these large beasts do). Their base damage of 15-30 may sound pathetic, but this increases to 18-37 with double-grip, and two hits with this (36-74) plus 8 lots of 10 bleeding damage equals 116-154 total damage from a single turn, or 76-114 total damage against Resilient non-immune enemies such as unholds and lindwurms (better than a billhook or longaxe, and applied from a safer distance). Even against non-bleeding targets, such as schrats, the whip is very useful for applying stacks of Overwhelm (while avoiding being in line for another schrat’s attacks).
Bows can also apply stacks of Overwhelm (and deal high damage to unarmoured targets) from long-range, but they have the disadvantage of requiring line of sight to guarantee getting to the intended target.
A small number of tanks (especially of the shielded variety) is very useful against large beasts, and nearly essential against lindwurms (just 2-handers is viable against unholds and schrats, though sometimes slightly awkward). Engaging as many beasts as possible with each individual tank allows the other, more offensive characters to concentrate on hitting stuff. In the earlier days of campaigns, before proto-tanks have the Indomitable perk, unhold charges and tosses can be prevented (or at least delayed) by throwing nets over them (which also allows several characters to engage and attack them with 2H weapons and attack again on the next turn before the beast can do anything back).
Tanks often need to be pro-active at engaging multiple large beasts, since the beasts often try to work around the formation to attack your most vulnerable troops. Spreading the tanks out along with front, with a gap of 2 tiles between each of them, makes it impossible for more than a single isolated beast to advance through the gap onto your backline, and focusing damage on isolated beasts is one of the keys to an efficient victory. An unhold that advances thus can be netted to prevent tosses and then dazed with 2H maces and struck with 2-tile items and Overwhelmed/bled with whips.
If you have only a few tanks, they may need (after initial engagement with a single beast) to use Indomitable and then try to move through zone-of-control to engage as many additional beasts as possible, freeing less defensive characters from having to worry about defence. If they suffer sequences of hits and lose most of their armour, it may be judicious for the tanks (if they are shield-users) to cycle Indomitable+Shieldwall to maximize melee defence (especially against lindwurms with their massive armour damage and 85 melee skill). Most of the time, however, Indomitable+Riposte is a preferable combination, since it contributes damage to make shorter work of them (against unholds it often returns the damage that they recover at the start of each turn). Ideally, the hit chances of large beasts (especially lindwurms) should be lowered as much as possible by stacks of Overwhelm applied from a safe distance by whippers (or by any high-initiative ranged characters you may have).
Against unholds and schrats, 2H tanks with maces or axes (whatever their usual weapon) are viable, but it is easier and safer to tie up an especially large mass of beasts with a shielded tank.
Against unholds, ideally, all the beasts will be tied up by a few tanks spread across the centre, and then the damage-dealers and debuffers will be able to divide into two groups that outflank the giants from both sides and (from each side) focus damage upon them one by one. Whips, jagged pikes and mastered bills make it easier for them to attack and move to within a single tile of a beast, so that (if needed) they can engage and daze it with a 2H mace after its next turn has ended. The more beasts that have already been removed, the easier it is to rapidly incapacitate and annihilate those that remain.
While 2H maces are excellent against large beasts for their Daze effect, it should also be noted that 2H axes with the Split Man attack are excellent against unarmoured targets with lots of HPs, since this single attack induces two negative morale checks and sometimes causes them to break early.
Axes, for obvious reasons, are extremely useful against schrats. I always like to have at least two people with Axe Mastery, which allows schrat “shields” to be one-shotted by longaxes. I also sometimes have those without mastery use longaxes in pairs to quickly remove shields from safety. Throwing spears can also be used in pairs to remove durable shields, including those of schrats. All 1-tile 2H weapons (except flails) have the Split Shield skill and can (in pairs) remove schrat shields in one turn for the modest fatigue cost of 20 (except for longswords, which do just 12 damage to shields, but this is still enough to two-shot schrat shields in pairing with the 20 damage applied by 2H maces).
Against schrats, who can annoyingly regenerate their shields to massively lower your damage, it is much more efficient to have at least a couple of guys with Axe Mastery, or to use a lot of greataxes (since these can one-shot schrat shields without mastery). Rare versions of other 2H weapons (or of smaller axes) sometimes have enough extra shield damage to one-shot schrat shields. But it is still useful to have lots of throwing spears at the start of schrat battles, to facilitate a quick and efficient offensive. Shield-splitting aside, 2H maces are an excellent tool for schrat fights, since they can Daze them whether shielded or not, and this (thanks to their lowered initiative) often allows several characters to advance and attack twice without having to worry about being attacked back. 2H hammers achieve the same thing thanks to Stagger, but don’t reduce their damage.
The key to schrat fights is to engage them all with as few tanky characters as possible (or engage any isolated ones with multiple offensive characters) and to get a couple of Axe Masters in suitable range of a couple of them (preferably ones that others can then attack without being endangered by other schrats’ AOE attacks). Alternatively, all the tanky characters (or some of them) can carry greataxes and serve as shield removers, allowing the others to concentrate on offence or debuffing. For a tank, cycling Indomitable with Split Shield with a non-mastered greataxe requires 82 in-gear fatigue (the same as Indomitable+Riposte, but with lesser total fatigue from in-hand items). Being unshielded makes a tank easier to hit, but also makes it quicker to kill the schrats (and encourages them to sacrifice attacks to regenerate the shields).
Saplings are mostly just a minor nuisance, with much weaker ignore-armour damage, but their basic armour damage is still decent and you need to be careful to not allow anyone to be too swarmed with them. Berserk is sometimes great for clearing them away (but a new one will be spawned if you immediately hit an unshielded schrat). Indomitable is very handy for when someone is swarmed by saplings or is unable to get in attacking range without also being in range for AOE attacks from one or more schrats. Ideally, damage-dealers should be able to wait safely within 2 tiles of a single schrat, and then advance and hit it with a 2H mace, leaving it low on initiative (and low on damage if it gets another chance to attack).
Unlike unholds and schrats, lindwurm heads do not necessarily try to advance to engage anyone. Since their attacks have a range of 2 tiles, without requiring an angle, they often park themselves (along with their tails) behind another head (and tail) that is already engaged, and attack a target that cannot attack them back. This increases the volume of attacks endured by a tank, making it more likely that the armour will be stripped (Indomitable or not) and the HPs exposed. This, along with their higher melee skill, makes Overwhelming Whippers extra-important against lindwurms, since they can keep a precious shield tank alive (so that it can fulfil its destiny of being sacrificed in the Black Monolith). While Indomitable is highly recommended for tanks against lindwurms (along with Nimble or very heavy armour with bone platings), somewhat cheesy fatigue-neutral initiative-based shield tanks (applying Overwhelm with daggers or punches) can also be effective against lindwurms (and schrats) as a stop-gap in the early/mid-game.
An advantage of the wurm heads’ tendency to hang back is that it leaves offensive characters free to focus damage on the more advanced heads/tails, knowing that the ones behind are unlikely to move even a single tile to attack them if they stay out of range.
The initial priority against lindwurms is to engage as many heads as possible with as few shield tanks as possible, while simultaneously trying to avoid having each shield tank being in range of heads/tails that are already being tied up by others (try to avoid giving them the option to focus attacks on a tank whose armour is stripped). Once this is done, offensive characters with longaxes/bills/polehammers should try to remove the armour from a couple of them (the most isolated ones that can be attacked most freely) as quickly as possible. These exposed wurms can then be spammed with 2-tile or whip attacks, and the Overwhelming Whippers (with their extra bleeding damage from mastery) can also prioritize attacking these ones to hasten their demise (but may want to apply Overwhelm to other heads/tails if a tank is in trouble elsewhere). Once some of the wurms have been removed, the tanks may still be in good health (in which case the same process can be followed) or they may be in a bit of trouble. If they are in trouble, the offensive characters (after removing most of the remaining wurms’ armour from distance) can close in en masse with 2H maces to try to keep everything dazed (using Indomitable when it isn’t or if their armour has been stripped). Since the damage-dealers are easier to hit, this should divert some attacks from any endangered tanks, and the greater volume of high-damage attacks (combined with continued Overwhelming and bleeding applied by whippers) should (hopefully) be sufficient to slay the beasts before anyone loses an eye.
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>> vs Hexen and Alps <<
Have the Resilient perk. Move into attacking range of the hexen and use Adrenaline. Wait turn. Recover from any charms at the end of the round, having used Indomitable on anyone who’s Hexed. Kill. Repeat as necessary. Similar (but more relaxed) for alps.