"Save Scumming" - the practice of reloading saves as desired to get favorable "dice rolls" in games involving random number generators.

This practice is made far easier in Highlands due to the Autosave feature. I do not regard this as a design flaw; a player can have a good time and get a feeling for the difficulty of playing on Brutal even when save scumming.

For purists that prefer to avoid save scumming, remember - you can get game over due to RNG (random number generator) as early as Brutal Prologue (when you must assign a hit to Leoric), so it's not as if you can ever play a tactically flawless game and succeed in spite of whatever RNG you get anyways.

For save scummers - consider reloading after unexpected events trigger (such as in Chapter 3 when you take the second counterweight and the large enemy army mobilizes), after combats in which you take unexpectedly heavy damage (not even necessarily fatal damage), or to reroll random encounters (more details in later section, but for example you can get characters from random events that can be especially helpful on levels without taverns).

That said, following this guide can greatly reduce a player's reliance on save scumming. But for players that are having a lot of difficulty with a chapter - consider save scumming. Restarting a chapter and save scumming can get a player through almost any chapter, especially provided a player follows advice in this guide.

Even if you're doing well - especially if you're doing well - consider save scumming just to save yourself some time. For example, you might have nearly controlled the entire map, have excellent Leadership income that allows Leadership "Militia" use, and what with that and using martyr attacks (using recruits from taverns to soak up gigantic enemy hits in the early rounds) you can be sure of finishing the enemy off regardless of whatever size stack an enemy has. At that point there's no question that you can finish the map, it's only a question of how much real time it takes.

If you've already maxed your characters out that you will take to the next chapter, then either you can play it safe and after ten to twenty minutes and a couple dozen turns gradually go back and forth until your inevitable victory - or you can take on some enemy stacks that are a little larger than is really safe, save scum if you get bad results, and finish the chapter in five minutes. Either way you've already done the real work in the chapter - it's just a question of when and how you cash out.

Combatants are the best unit type for Brutal early game when provided sufficient healing support. More hit points means more damage dealt to enemies and more damage that can be sustained without dying, both essential against big enemy stacks.

Combatants should be kept at full health if at all convenient, so they can soak up hits from large enemy stacks, and so Double Strike is more effective when triggered. For similar reasons, Combatants should also have the best armor and weapons when fighting big enemy stacks. For practical reasons it is not always possible for Combatants to be in combat, then healed, then be in combat, sometimes a Combatant will move from combat to combat to combat before healing. This is fine, but *generally* Combatants should be kept in good condition.

Double Strike (4% activation per character level, provided the Combatant is designated as the blocker) gained at level 3+ potentially lets a Combatant strike the enemy and deal damage before other attacks are resolved. If the ability triggers and the Combatant does damage with Double Strike, that means the enemy has less hit points so will do reduced damage when combat resolves. The Combatant attacks regularly with everyone else regardless of whether Double Strike triggers. Double Strike attacks can hit any enemy; even if enemies with shield icons are present, the Double Strike attack may not hit a shielded enemy (this can be good or bad depending on the situation).

Below, each set of four numbers corresponds to sword icon (hit points), flag icon (resource generation points), wrench icon (fortification/construction points), medic icon (healing/field medic points)

Level 1 characters cost 30* to recruit. Each additional level costs 5* more (level 2 at 35*, level 3 at 40* etc.) This affects the Leader Heroism ability (if you don't recruit a character in a tavern their * still depends on level, I think). Taverns offer different level ranges for recruitment in each chapter, depending on how many taverns you control. (e.g. you can recruit only level 7-9 characters in chapter 7, and you can only recruit level 8-9 if you control 2 or 3 taverns respectively).

Cecaelia and Wondor are Combatant/Leaders, but neither ever gets the Heroism ability.

Academics are the best support unit type for Brutal early game; use with Combatants for best effect. Healing is vital to restoring hit points, and more hit points means more damage dealt to enemies and more damage that can be sustained without dying.

Academics should be kept near full health whenever possible, as they typically want to have healing-boosting equipment so won't wear armor, and without armor, hits allocated to an Academic deal more damage, which in turn requires more healing somewhere down the line. Players that are quite good at planning can look at the food situation, look at the combat situation, look at how many points will be required to fully charge the Field Medic kit, plan for incoming enemy reinforcements and/or warlords, move equipment around, then allocate hits to armored Academics as they like.

Academics can heal up to their healing points ability points in damage, provided there is food. Each point of damage requires one food to heal; a player cannot run a food deficit to heal more.

The Field Medic ability (level 2+) over time creates a healing item that can be used in combat. This healing does not require food, so is essential to conserving food in levels without food, or early in levels when food income is low. In extreme cases it is even useful to get healing *without food*. It is also useful tactically, especially when healing armored characters; a healed character can be assigned another hit, then the armor reduces damage again (as opposed to allocating an enemy hit to an unarmored character that will take more damage).

Healing-boosting equipment should be equipped at all times to boost Field Medic item generation faster. Exception if it's already fully charged or will be fully charged without boosting equipment, and won't be used this turn.

Field Medic kits are much more effective when used fully charged. Try to use Field Medic kits whenever they are fully charged to save food, *unless* saving the Field Medic kit for an anticipated upcoming battle against a big enemy stack or other particular reason.


Overseer costs 20 scrap, but gives double the character's healing score towards each of fortification and resource generation. Though scrap is precious, this ability can be particularly useful early in chapters if food is starting to run low. (Overseer can help take control of a food-producing spot quickly, and fortify it against enemy attack.)

Below, each set of four numbers corresponds to sword icon (hit points), flag icon (resource generation points), wrench icon (fortification/construction points), medic icon (healing/field medic points)

Level 1 characters cost 30* to recruit. Each additional level costs 5* more (level 2 at 35*, level 3 at 40* etc.) This affects the Leader Heroism ability (if you don't recruit a character in a tavern their * still depends on level, I think). Taverns offer different level ranges for recruitment in each chapter, depending on how many taverns you control. (e.g. you can recruit only level 7-9 characters in chapter 7, and you can only recruit level 8-9 if you control 2 or 3 taverns respectively).

Micah is a Mechanic (so his stats are listed under Mechanic), but also functions in every way as an Academic. By the middle of Chapter 2, Micah's healing ability is better than a generic Academic of the same level, but by the middle of Chapter 3 a generic Academic's healing ability is better, with that difference increasing in later chapters.

Mechanics are a specialist support unit essential to keeping your units well equipped (once they get Craft Item at level 2 - provided there is a Workshop in the chapter) and as early as Chapter 3 for using Bombardment to reduce enemy damage on the first round of combat. Fortification is also extremely useful. You should not need to recruit additional mechanics in taverns, as between Leoric, Micah, Sophia, and Eldrich (the latter two when available) you should have all you need.

Mechanics should be armored and used in combats early. After hit points are depleted, they can be used for fortification or item crafting or bombardment as needed, or to soak up light hits time after time using the "Phantom Hit Point" tactic.

If a territory has *more* fortification points than the total of the enemy stacks attacking the territory will be held. Foritification applies before enemy movement (a territory with 0 fortification that is being fortified for 25 points will not be invaded by an enemy stack of size 24). It is useful against enemies that are attacking, and for preparing territories against anticipated enemy attacks so those territories are not lost while a player is busy fighting in other areas.

Re: enemies attacking - Say a 25-strength enemy force is attacking a friendly territory. If you want to stop that enemy force by attacking it, you ideally want about 50 friendly strength. But perhaps most of your forces are all tied up with other enemies or being healed. But ieven a single low-level mechanic with equipment can fortify that territory and prevent its capture. You can't afford to take that enemy in combat, but you *can* fortify to put off that combat until you have enough forces to take that enemy on.

Re: preparing against anticipated enemy attacks - Say most of your combats are taking place on the left side of the map and you control the center of the map. Enemy reinforcements can spawn on the right side of the map, then who knows if your forces wiil be ready to take them on? But if your territories are fortified, you can gain valuable time. By the time your territories are in danger of being captured, you should be well prepared to handle the issue.

Fortification is best used with hit/withdrawal combats and Militia dead-zoning. Simply fortifying a territory and ignoring enemies in the area is always inevitably insufficient as random enemy reinforcements and/or warlords pile up increasing the attacking enemy stack's numbers, requiring more and more effort to fortify against and inevitably breaking through unless your main forces deal with the threat.

Craft Items requires an appropriate blueprint, a workshop, and enough scrap to be useful. See "Random Encounters" section for blueprint information and "Workshop" section for item information.

I am not certain how the numbers for Bombardment work. It costs 20 scrap per adjacent enemy-controlled territory, and prevents enemies in those territories from moving or attacking, and also reduces enemy attack in the first round of combat. I think the reduction is somewhere between 40% and 50% depending on level - at any rate it is absolutely vital to taking down huge enemy stacks as soon as the ability is unlocked.

Below, each set of four numbers corresponds to sword icon (hit points), flag icon (resource generation points), wrench icon (fortification/construction points), medic icon (healing/field medic points)

Level 1 characters cost 30* to recruit. Each additional level costs 5* more (level 2 at 35*, level 3 at 40* etc.) This affects the Leader Heroism ability (if you don't recruit a character in a tavern their * still depends on level, I think). Taverns offer different level ranges for recruitment in each chapter, depending on how many taverns you control. (e.g. you can recruit only level 7-9 characters in chapter 7, and you can only recruit level 8-9 if you control 2 or 3 taverns respectively).

Micah is a Mechanic, but also functions in every way as an Academic; see "Academic" section for details on "Field Medic" and "Overseer". By the middle of Chapter 2, Micah's healing ability is better than a generic Academic of the same level, but by the middle of Chapter 3 a generic Academic's healing ability is better, with that difference increasing in later chapters.f

Elrich is a Leader (so his stats are listed under Leader), but also functions in every way as a Mechanic. Until Eldrich is first unavailable he works as well or better as a regular Mechanic, by the time he's available again regular Mechanics are quite a lot better at Mechanic-type tasks though Eldrich is still useful for filling in for minor Mechanic duties if he's not busy doing other things.

Leaders are a specialist unit used for capturing territories, for immobilizing and reducing large enemy stacks, and for temporarily boosting a random unit's hit points for the duration of a combat. You should not need to recruit additional leaders in taverns, as between Cecaelia, and Eldrich, Wondor, Fiodor, and Grigori (when available) you should have all you need - even though Cecaelia and Wondor are not really Leaders and never get the Heroism ability.

Though a player may find it easier to play without recruiting any Leaders at taverns early in the game, a player *may* consider recruiting a Leader from a tavern in Chapter 2 and retaining that Leader through Chapter 4. A player will be able to take control of territories more quickly, and some time in Chapter 3 will gain access to Heroism, allowing a player to take on slightly larger enemy stacks safely using a Combatant-Leader force (as Heroism will boost Combatant hit points). These small gains do not to my mind really justify the opportunity cost of taking another Combatant or Academic, but for players that are very comfortable playing on Brutal, a Leader *can* be a bit convenient.

Leaders should switch between armor for combats and resource-generating-boosting equipment for capturing territory or using Militia on enemy stacks. Their health is not as much a priority as Combatants, but higher than Academics or Mechanics.

Militia immobilizes the enemy stack it is used on, and inflicts ((resource generation points / 4) rounded up), + 5 damage. E.g. 30 resource generation / 4 = 7.5, rounded up to 8, + 5 = 13 damage when Militia ability used.

Heroism temporarily increases a unit's hit point by 15% of that unit's * cost. I am not sure of the exact numbers, but I think fractions may be rounded down. It effectively comes out to about 7-11 hit points depending on the target's *. The hit points are lost after combat, but such hit point loss is never lethal. E.g. a unit has 10 hit points, is granted 7 hit points by Heroism, is hit for 15 hit points and combat ends with the unit at 2 hit points. The unit then loses 7 hit points but won't go below 1 outside combat, so is at 1 hit point.

Leaders with Heroism used in Combatant-Leader parties can help players avoid taking lethal damage against moderate-sized enemy stacks. A Leader buffs a high-hit-point high-armor Combatant, the Combatant can absorb more damage. (Using Academics and Mechanics in the attack force just means the buff might go on an Academic or Mechanic, which doesn't really help when trying to buffer against a dangerous enemy attack.) This is a nice way to take on slightly larger enemy stacks that might otherwise be dangerous, without expending resources on Leader "Militia' or Mechanic "Bombard".

Below, each set of four numbers corresponds to sword icon (hit points), flag icon (resource generation points), wrench icon (fortification/construction points), medic icon (healing/field medic points)

Level 1 characters cost 30* to recruit. Each additional level costs 5* more (level 2 at 35*, level 3 at 40* etc.) This affects the Leader Heroism ability (if you don't recruit a character in a tavern their * still depends on level, I think). Taverns offer different level ranges for recruitment in each chapter, depending on how many taverns you control. (e.g. you can recruit only level 7-9 characters in chapter 7, and you can only recruit level 8-9 if you control 2 or 3 taverns respectively).

Cecaelia and Wondor are Combatants (so their stats are listed under Combatant), but also function partially as Leaders in that they have resource generation points that can be used to take control of a territory, and the Militia ability once they reach level 3. Neither gets access to Heroism, and neither functions nearly as well as generic Leaders in resource generation points especially later in the game.

Elrich is a Leader but also functions in every way as a Mechanic. Until Eldrich is first unavailable he works as well or better as a regular Mechanic, by the time he's available again regular Mechanics are quite a lot better at Mechanic-type tasks though Eldrich is still useful for filling in spots if he's not busy doing other things. Eldrich is always better than generic Leaders at Leader-type tasks, but is not as good as Fiodor or Grigori.

An enemy stack does up to 50% of its unit strength in damage (more on Brutal). E.g. an enemy with "106" strength will do up to 53 points of damage; 58 or perhaps 59 on Brutal.

Armor reduces both minimum and maximum damage taken, to a minimum of 1. Armor can never completely prevent damage.

Mechanic "Bombardment" reduces enemy attack strength in the first round of combat by something like 40-50%.

In endgame, Cecaelia with Electro Bomb and Bombardment support can face a 300 stack without fear. (71 hit points at level 10 with Revolving Revolver, Full Plate reducing damage by 8, so able to absorb 78 damage safely), enemy stack size of 300 dealing 165 damage, reduced by Bombardment to 83, Electro Bomb used to deal 40 damage (normally reducing enemy damage by about 22, but with bombardment already in effect only by 11), enemy deals 72, less than 78 so quite safe. I am not sure the numbers *quite* work out precisely that way, but close. Even slightly larger stacks can be tanked with Combatant-Leader parties (with more Combatants and a few Leaders with Heroism, there's more chance of a Heroism buff being applied to a Combatant, so more damage can be tanked.)

In later chapters, Combatant-Leader with Heroism parties can be used to tank damage (with Leaders buffing Combatant hit points), without using valuable molotovs or scrap for Bombardment.

Really massive stacks can be reduced by the Leader "Militia" ability, or characters can be sacrificed to absorb damage.

To use sacrifices, hire the cheapest Combatants or Leaders with Heroism at a tavern, equip them or not (dead characters return equipped items to inventory) then allocate hits to them in combat. Even if an enemy is doing 200 damage to a 30 hit point character, the extra damage won't carry over to other characters.

Generally characters should not be sacrificed. It is not a question of sentimentality. Besides recruiting characters, Leadership is also used for the Leader's "Militia" ability that locks an enemy unit from moving and reduces their numbers. You can literally use a single Leader to lock down an enemy stack of 800+. Sure that Leader is using up Leadership points and can't be used for anything else, but that's a pretty good option to have. Second, sacrifices are of little use unless the rest of one's army is mobilized at near full strength in a battle, so it assumes the rest of the army is available and not attending to cleaning up or dealing with other large enemy stacks or whatever else. Third, sacrifices don't help much if the enemy has shield icon units, as massive damage to enemies can be allocated to single enemy shield icon units (this can be bypassed by molotovs but even so). Fourth, the cost in Leadership combined with the Leadership penalty over time adds up to quite a bit. Fifth, one wants characters to live to carry equipment on to the next chapter (see "Equipment Inheritance" section).

Sacrifices should not be ruled out by any means, but requires careful consideration. There is usually another way to achieve goals without sacrificing characters, and sacrificing early burns up valuable Leadership that may be needed later to lock down large enemy stacks.

Here "molotov" refers to any of Molotov Cocktail, Frag Grenade, or Electro Bomb.

A well-placed molotov can easily save a player from taking 40+ damage. E.g. an enemy group has an enemy with a shield icon, you attack for massive damage, all your damage is allocated to the single enemy with shield icon, your excess damage is lost, the enemy is still at high strength and hits for a lot of damage, and will hit you next turn for a lot of damage again. Or you could throw a molotov, kill the shielded unit, then when you attack the enemy can't direct all your damage to one target, so enemy takes a lot of damage then the enemy can only inflict a little damage to you next turn.

The enemy will kill its weakest shield icon units first, so those may be a priority for molotovs.

If the enemy has a high-hit-point shield icon units that is too large for your molotovs to take down, perhaps hold on to the molotov. The enemy will probably allocate your first attack across the enemy group, spreading damage out, so it can ideally use the shield icon unit on its second turn. But on the second turn, you use a molotov to kill the weakened shield icon enemy then you hit the rest of the enemy group.

Molotovs are also nice for targeting enemy healer units.

Molotov damage first applies to the selected target. If there is damage left over after killing that unit, adjacent units will be damaged. If an adjacent spot is empty (enemy already killed or at the far left or far right), excess damage may be wasted. Damage loss is typically secondary to tactical application of killing off important shield icon or healer enemies though.

There is also some sort of regulation on splash damage that I'm not quite sure how it works - but killing a very low hit point target with a high damage molotov won't typically result in neighboring units soaking up all the remaining damage - some damage will be lost.

Molotov damage is applied before combat engages. Reducing enemy hit points means they will do less damage in turn. So molotovs can effectively help conserve hit points just by their damage.

Though molotovs are quite useful, you still can't afford to just throw them around all the time. You will need your scrap for crafted items (which may well be more molotovs), Medic "Overseer", and Mechanic "Bombard". Save molotovs for use against large enemy stacks with shield icon units for best effect, or when you absolutely need to do damage against mid-to-large enemy stacks to conserve food / to reduce enemy damage so your blocker has a reduced chance of dying. For the latter case, imagine you are blocking 101 point of damages with a 71 hit point unit; a molotov can reduce enemy damage by 7-20 points - still dangerous at maximum damage of 94 or 81, but quite improved odds of surviving.

Even after gaining access to stronger molotovs, you may still want to produce some weaker molotovs to save on scrap. Even in later chapters, weaker molotovs can sometimes finish off problematic enemy shield icon units.

Dead-zone - an area in which nothing lives. Here, this refers to getting neighboring enemy-controlled territories to be empty of enemy stacks - the territories are still enemy-controlled but there are no enemy units.

There are two ways to generate dead zones. One Is taking control of an enemy territory then retreating; an enemy stack moves into the vacated friendly territory, leaving behind an empty enemy territory (repeat as necessary). The other is attacking then withdrawing (see "Withdrawing") possibly repeatedly, never taking control of the enemy-controlled territory, and eventually leaving either a small enemy stack that can easily be defended against with fortification, or using the Leader "Militia" ability to eliminate the enemy stack without taking control of the enemy territory.

The first is used to push into new enemy territory, a player attacks then retreats then attacks then retreats but eventually pushes on, finding then fighting new enemy stacks. The second is used to very deliberately not push into enemy territory, reducing or eliminating nearby enemy threats, but not pushing into enemy territory at all. (Pushing into enemy territory inevitably discovers new enemy stacks that have to be dealt with, which takes a lot of time and effort, stopping a player from pressing into other areas of the map.)

"Withdraw" in this guide does not refer to attacking, destroying the enemy completely, taking control of an enemy territory, then retreating to safer territory while an enemy stack moves into the newly captured territory, taking control of it. "Withdraw" refers to the literal "Withdraw' action in combat, leaving an enemy stack in control of an enemy territory - and the accompanying actions that make this action effective.

Typically enemy stacks are behind other enemy stacks, so destroying one large enemy stack means one has to face even more large enemy stacks. E.g. one defeats a 300-stack and takes over a territory, but that territory is adjacent to three enemy-controlled territories that weren't visible before, and each of those enemy territories has a 400+ stack. This is not an exaggeration in Brutal difficulty.

Dealing with a single 300-stack might not be a major issue, but dealing with three 400-stacks immediately following up can be. A player can use Leader "Militia" or Mechanic "Bombardment" to stop enemy attacks, but doing so over and over again really drains resources - and without resources, a player is hard pressed when a problem develops elsewhere.

To avoid the problem of follow-up enemy stacks, attacking then withdrawing is key. Only the enemy stack that is immediately threatening is attacked (which a player has to do sooner or later anyways). Although a player may need to attack and withdraw again on later turns (more on this later), at least the enemy 400-stacks in the rear are never encountered, so those 400-stacks won't need to be dealt with (for quite a while anyways).

A reduced enemy stack can run against your fortifications without much danger for a while, or even be destroyed completely with a Leader's "Militia" ability to create a dead zone.

When attempting to attack/withdraw.

1) You can always savescum from Autosave if you mess up an attack/withdraw action. Try to avoid messing up, though, nobody wants to be reloading from saves all the time.

2) Don't attack with excess forces. You will deal up to half your attack strength's damage to the enemy. Probably you will not deal maximum damage, so attacking with about double an enemy's strength - slightly more or less - is fairly safe.

3) You may need to attack then withdraw, then attack/withdraw again on a later round. For example, suppose you hit a 100-stack with a force of 200, reducing the enemy stack to 50. 50 is still too large to be left alone comfortably, but if you continue the attack you may easily wipe the enemy out completely, capturing the territory, and that may bring large enemy stacks down on you. So withdraw, then attack next round with a 100 stack, etc, repeat until the enemy stack is small (perhaps 2-11 hit points or so - this is easier if you have a non-Combatant using Phantom Hit Points that is at low hit points so won't do a lot of damage).

4) You may do attack/withdraw actions with less than double the enemy's stack strength to save on needing to attack/withdraw on subsequent turns - having less attack power to begin with reduces the random range and allows slightly finer control for possible subsequent rounds of combat. This isn't the worst thing to do, especially if you have armor that absorbs a fair amount of enemy damage and if you want to free up your units to do work elsewhere. But it will require more healing overall, so keep that in mind if food may be a concern. (This is less a concern if using "Phantom Hit Points", see that section for details).

5) Combatants can activate Double Strike if designated as blocker. That sometimes means you will do more damage than you intend. Whether an activated Double Strike hits a shield icon unit or a non-shield icon (it's random), the result is often excess damage that destroys the enemy force and captures the enemy territory, and all the negative consequences. So be careful when using Combatants for attack/withdraw actions especially if enemy strength is low. You can always save scum from Autosave, but using non-Combatants can avoid the issue entirely.

6) Leaders activate Heroism, which adds 7-10 hit points to another unit before combat, which means you will do more damage. Anticipate this, remember this, try to avoid overkill.

Attack/Withdrawal and fortification is key to making Chapter 2, 4, 6, and 7 far easier.

In Chapter 2, one can reduce the enemy stack on the second counterweight so it can easily be contained with fortification, leaving a player free to clear the rest of the map. (One can also destroy the large enemy defensive army stack and proceed up the left side, but that is often better left for later when more resources have accumulated).

In Chapter 4, one can use attacking and withdrawal to reduce attacking enemy stack size where Sophia and other Mechanics are cut off from your main forces. Even if those now-small stacks receive enemy reinforcements, those reinforcements can also be reduced in turn (especially with use of "Phantom Hit Points"). This frees mechanics up from only having to fortify, and allows them to produce molotovs or other support gear at the workshop, which makes your main forces' progress easier.

Chapters 6 and 7 have the player's forces moving between defending territories that are already controlled and pressing the offensive aganist enemy-held territories. But early on, actually capturing any nearby enemy territory means even stronger enemy stacks behind them. So what does one do about multiple 35+ stacks at the beginning of the chapter? Sure, you can fortify those territories with Leoric, Sophia, and Micah. But the net fortification per turn is low because the enemy stacks are good-sized, and if any of those adjacent enemies randomly receives reinforcements, they punch right through.

So attack and withdraw, make those 35+ stacks into small stacks that are much more easily managed, fortifications get a good surplus each turn, so even if one of those small stacks does receive reinforcements and becomes a 80 or 180 stack, you'll be able to handle it by diverting mechanics to fortify against the large stack while already-reduced enemy stacks beat against built-up fortifications. In the meantime, you can ready the rest of your forces to deal with the larger stack on a more permaenent basis.

When multiple enemy stacks are attacking a sector, only the strongest stack moves in. The others remain where they are.

Enemy stacks move against the weakest target. A large enemy stack will attack an unoccupied territory in preference to an occupied territory with a garrison, no matter how weak that garrison is. (Units that are not using the "garrison" action do not count. In fact, I think units carrying out actions that are not "garrison" are preferentially attacked if there is no garrison in that territory though I'm not certain).

Enemy stacks adjacent to a friendly territory will always try to attack that friendly territory if possible.

I think enemy stacks that cannot break through a friendly territory's fortifications will attack another friendly territory they can break into, provided there is no garrison there.

Enemy stacks that are being subjected to a Leader's "Militia" attack (Cecilia and Wondor also have this ability though they are not Leaders) will not move. Enemy stacks that are adjacent to a territory with a Mechanic using "Bombardment" (Eldrich also has this ability though he is a Leader) will not move.

Knowing how to direct enemy stacks is useful through the game. Capturing a territory and discovering several enemy stacks ready to move in can be a problem if one isn't ready to deal with larger stacks. But using "Militia' and "Bombardment" one may temporarily immobilize larger enemy stacks, allowing smaller enemy stacks to move in; those smaller enemy stacks may be handled with less trouble (see "Withdrawing").

Knowing how to direct enemy stacks has end-of-chapter applications as well, such as when one *wants* an enemy to move through territory and have a lot of empty enemy-controlled sectors. Enemy reinforcements may drop onto those empty sectors and be easily handled, allowing a player to farm experience.

Knowing how to direct enemy stacks is also useful for avoiding combat entirely. This is particularly useful at the end of Chapter 4 (so one doesn't have to fight off all the enemy stacks to finish Ivan and end the chapter), and the end of Chapter 5 (large enemy stacks near the end can be directed out into the rest of the map, which may be especially helpful for players that are running low on resources.)

Characters do not die outside combat. This, along with how weapon equipping / unequipping affects hit points in Highlands, makes the Phantom Hit Points tactic possible.

Say a character is equipped with a Combat Knife granting 3 additional hit points, then participates in a combat, going down to 2 hit points. If the Combat Knife is then removed, the character will lose hit points gained from equipping the Combat Knife, but as the character is not in combat, the character won't die. The character will drop to a minimum of 1 hit point and live.

But re-equipping that character with a combat knife will add 3 hit points to that character, bringing that character to 4 hit points. The character has gained "Phantom Hit Points" by going from 2 to 4 Hit Points, without the use of Academic healing, without using Food, without Field Medic kit use, or anything other than unequipping then equipping a weapon.

Other games sometimes store the character's hit points as a negative value with an exception so the character's hit points won't drop below 1 when hit-point-buffing equipment is unequipped. Re-equipping the item brings the character back to the hit points they had before, working off the stored negative number, so there is no effective healing. But that is not how Highlands handles things, and it's just as well.

The cumulative effect is considerable. By end game, a character with a Revolving Revolver (+17 hit points) and Full Plate (reduce 8 hit points of damage) can tank 25 damage - the full force of a 50-stack (or in Brutal about a 45-stack) - then after combat simply remove weapon then re-equip to tank up to 25 more damage next turn.

This can't be used safely in every combat (enemy stacks can go from doing too much damage for safety, to being completely obliterated), but bringing a Phantom Hit Point character to battles consistently over time results in small opportunistic savings that add up.

Phantom Hit Points is best used with Mechanics or Leaders, depending - usually Mechanics. Early, Leaders are often too busy grabbing Food, then Leadership, then Scrap resources - especially Food, so can't really be brought to battles consistently over time. Mechanics have their duties too, but they can be spared more frequently. Later in the chapter, Leaders may need to commit to "Militia" use so again be unavailable, and again, the tactic works best when used consistently over time.

Phantom Hit Points should not be used with Combatants, as best use of their Double Strike ability only happens when they are at full hit points. Nor does it work well with Academics, as the tactic requires armor and constant battling over time to be of use, and Academics are often better equipping medic-boosting equipment towards field medic kit generation, instead of putting armor on all the time.

Phantom Hit Points is not a huge exploit. It's very useful, but no more than one, or at most two units, should regularly be used for Phantom Hit Points at one time. Any unit being used for this purpose is at low hit points so can't contribute much in combat, other than absorbing a bit of damage here and there to save on healing. The more characters that are low on hit points, the less hitting power there is overall, and having more than one or two characters always hovering at one hit point (before equipment) is significant loss of power.

Phantom Hit Points is usually not necessary at all in later parts of a chapter. If a player is confident they have the food situation well under control, they should not use Phantom Hit Points at all. There is no real point to anyone being below full health if there are enough Academics and food to go around.

Still, Phantom Hit Points is a good austerity measure to follow early in chapters, especially in Chapter 4 where Sophia and Mechanics are cut off from your main forces (and have no Academic to heal them). It is also useful in chapters when food is scarce or even unavailable.

Workshops are available in Chapters 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7. Not available in Chapters 1 or 3.

A player must have started with an item's blueprints (Big Wrench, Combat Knife, and Molotov Cocktail), or discover an item's blueprint in a playthrough before that item can be produced in workshops (see "Random Encounters"). The below table shows when items can first be manufactured, assuming the blueprint has been discovered in that chapter.

E.g. Flintlock can be first be manufactured in Chapter 4, but one cannot immediately manufacture Flintlocks as soon as a Workshop is controlled in Chapter 4. The blueprint must be discovered first, and that blueprint can be found somewhere in Chapter 4 (see "Random Encounters").

Players start with the blueprints for Big Wrench, Combat Knife, and Molotov Cocktail, but cannot create them in Chapter 1 as there are no Workshops in Chapter 1.

In the table below "0 0 4 0" refers to adding 0 to the sword icon, 0 to the flag icon, 4 to the wrench icon, and 0 to the medic icon respectively.


Combatants should be armed with best weapons and armor to absorb damage from large enemy stacks. Mechanics should use armor for "Phantom Hit Point" (see that section) or mechanic-boosting-equipment as appropriate. Leaders should use resource-point-generating-boosting equipment or sometimes armor as appropriate. Academics should almost always be equipped with medic-boosting equipment to charge Field Medic kits.

Cecaelia and Wondor are Combatants with some Leader characteristics, and should have leader-boosting equipment available as well as armor. Micah is a Mechanic with Academic characteristics, and should be equipped with medic-boosting equipment for Field Medic kit generation. Eldrich is a Leader with some Mechanic characteristics, usually best with leader-boosting equipment as he can still perform minor Mechanic duties (leaving major Mechanic duties to Leoric, or later Sophia).

After ending a chapter, characters keep the equipment they had equipped. At the next screen a player selects which characters will be used in the next chapter. At that screen, equipment cannot be switched.

Characters that are NOT taken into the next chapter are lost *and their equipment is moved to a player's starting inventory in the next chapter*. This applies to Eldrich and Meregan when they can't be moved over from Chapter 2 to 3 as well as any generic characters that are NOT taken into the next chapter between chapter transitions.

This is tremendously useful. For example, Cecaelia is a Combatant, but also has resource generation points like a Leader, so can capture territory. So it is very useful for Cecaelia to have armor, but also for her to have a Spyglass / Tactical Maps / Arislaan Resistance Banner. But she cannot equip both armor and spyglass to carry into the next chapter.

Suppose a player decides to equip Cecaelia with a spyglass. What then? Is a player doomed to do without armor until manufacturing it next turn, or at best moving armor around between characters? But that isn't good, as sometimes a player wants up to six or eight characters to be wearing armor at once, to distribute hits around multiple characters in multiple combats. But doing without a spyglass isn't a good solution either, those extra points can be quite handy.

But a player doesn't have to pick and choose - a player can have both armor and specialist items in inventory - by recruiting extra characters by the end of a chapter and equipping them with items a player wants to move into inventory for the next chapter.

Of course, molotovs and charged Field Medic kits can never be equipped, so they can never be moved over. (The ability to create Field Medic kits isn't lost, a player just has to start charging from 0 in each new chapter.)

Each chapter's map has particular territories that when first captured generate a random encounter.

Only one random encounter can be triggered per turn. If one captures multiple territories for the first time, each of which generates a random encounter, during a single turn, that results in only a single random encounter for that turn.

Random encounters do not work on turns that enemy warlords appear. See "Chapters" sections regarding enemy warlord spawns. Chapter 3's elevator warlords are an exception to this rule.

Random encounters can be manipulated with save scumming. This can be particularly useful to get armor then weapon blueprints early in a chapter, or additional characters (Combatants, Mechanics, and Academics, depending on the encounter). Other good random encounter results include a blueprint, an item *and* its blueprint, or a molotov (or frag grenade or electro bomb), among other things.

Many random encounters are chapter-specific.

I did not data mine the game, I just recorded results from various turns. so this list may not be comprehensive.

When an item and blueprint are found, it may be of any item the player does not yet have a blueprint for, provided that blueprint shows up in that chapter.

When a random item is found, it is always an item the player already has a blueprint for. Early in the game, this means Big Wrench, Combat Knife, or Molotov Cocktail. By the end of the game, a player may discover anything from a Revolving Revolver (assuming the Revolving Revolver BP has already been discovered) to a Combat Knife. The game does seem to weight item discovery towards more-recently discovered blueprints, but it's not a guarantee.

Losses from random encounters never drop a player's resources into negative numbers. Hit point loss from random encounters never drop a character's hit points to zero, at worst they are left with a minimum of 1 hit point.

All Chapters:

Gain Blueprint found in that chapter (see "Workshop")
Gain Blueprint found in that chapter and an item of that type. (won't get a blueprint if blueprint already discovered)
Gain item that a player already has the blueprint for (if no blueprints discovered yet, will be Combat Knife, Big Wrench, or Molotov Cocktail, which a player starts able to make in the Workshop).
Gain Blueprint but lose 2 Food.
Gain Blueprint but lose 4 Scrap.

Chapter 1-2 (?)

-4 Leadership
+8 Leadership
-6 Food
-10 Scrap
+15 Scrap
-3 Hit Points (to a minimum of 1)

Chapter 2

Blueprints: Padded Armor, Rapier, Spyglass, Syringe Prototype

Chapter 3 (?)

-18 Scrap
+30 Scrap
-10 Food
50 Fortifications
-6 Hit Points (to a minimum of 1)

Chapter 4 (?)

-18 Scrap
+20 Food
Blueprints: Bandages, Chainmail, Flintlock, Portable Tool Kit, Tactical Maps

Chapter 5 (?)

-12 Food
+27 Food
+42 Scrap
+21 Leadership
+70 Fortifications
-7 Hit Points (to a minimum of 1)
Blueprints: Axe, Frag Grenade

Chapter 6 (?)
-9 Hit Points (to a minimum of 1)
-30 Scrap
+27 Leadership
+32 Food
Recover 15 Hit Points
Blueprints: Arislaan Resistance Banner, Shotgun, Two-Handed Sword, Welding Goggles

Chapter 7 (?)

+32 Food
+85 Fortifications
Blueprints: Bayonet Gun, Electro Bomb, Full Plate, Revolving Revolver

This list may not be complete.

Some multiple-choice random encounters may result in recruiting characters. This can be super useful in levels without taverns, or even with taverns as recruitment costs can be quite high.

Below "(?)" refers to uncertainty regarding whether or not particular encounters are available in the listed chapter.

Some choice outcomes are strictly better than other outcomes (there is sometimes a "right" choice and a "wrong" choice). Other choice outcomes have a player deciding between different outcomes, which being better decided by a player's own preferences.

Losses do not reduce a player's stock below zero. A choice that involves losing something (food, leadership, scrap) can still be chosen even if a player doesn't have enough to cover the loss; in such cases the player's stock is reduced to zero instead of going into negative numbers. Hit point loss from random encounters never kills characters, at worst a character is reduced to 1 hit point.

Chapter 1-2 (?)

Take charge / Try to persuade them to help you: -4 Leadership, +15 Fortification / + 30 Fortification
Take the food / Share the bounty: +12 Food / -2 Food +8 Leadership
Wait for her / Flee before she comes: Recover 5 Hit Points / Lose 2 Hit Points +3 Food
Recruit the youth / Decline the help: Gain a Level 1 Combatant +5 Food / -3 Leadership

Chapter 3 (?)

Accept the assistance / Capture the scoundrel: Gain a Level 4 Combatant / +16 Leadership
Help her / Pass your way: +15 Leadership / Lose 2 Hit Points (to a minimum of 1) +10 Food

Chapter 4 (?)

Arrest him / Overlook the theft: -8 Leadership / -6 Food + 25 Fortifications
Negotiate with the medic / Insist the men are to be taken into custody: Recover 9 Hit Points / +15 Scrap - 5 Leadership

Chapter 5 (?)

Find some support / Dive into battle: -25 Scrap +15 Leadership / Lose 5 Hit Points (to a minimum of 1)
Accept gladly / Discourage the endeavor: Gain a Level 7 Academic that loses 2 Hit Points / +30 Scrap
Accept her assistance / Pretend to be unharmed: Recover 12 Hit Points / +10 Food +10 Leadership
Argue harshly / Acknowledge sympathetically: -11 Leadership / -8 Food +15 Leadership

Chapter 6/7 (?)

Garner local help / Do a pre-emptive strike: +55 Scrap / -10 Hit Points (to a minimum of 1), -10 Leadership
Accept the offer / Decline politely: Gain a Level 9 Mechanic / +15 Leadership -12 Food
Ambush them / Confront them: -14 Leadership / -5 Hit Points (to a minimum of 1), +60 Fortification
Feed the people / Keep your food: -15 Food +15 Leadership / -25 Scrap +15 Leadership

Have characters at maximum level by end of chapter if at all convenient - even if a bit inconvenient. Stronger characters are of more help early in the next chapter, exactly when a player is weakest. A player may allow an enemy to march through friendly territory to get more empty enemy-controlled sectors then wait for enemy reinforcements to appear to be farmed for experience. Non-Combatants also have actions that award result in experience outside combat.

Pass along equipment (see "Equipment Inheritance") to the next chapter whenever possible.

"Random locations" references (see individual Chapters) use clock directions. 12 o clock is up (the hour hand points up when it's 12 o clock). 3 o clock is right, 6 o clock is down, 9 o clock is left.

Square brackets define a location. So for example,

[HUB1] from start 3:00, 3 spaces, (+2 Food, windmill) means from a player's starting location in the chapter, head right three spaces looking for a location that generates +2 Food with a windmill on it. This location is hereafter referred to as [HUB1].

from [HUB1] 5:00, 2 spaces (-, crane) means from [HUB1] look down-right two spaces for a location that generates nothing (no Food, no Leadership, no Scrap) that has a crane on it.

Some territories give fixed results rather than random results. These territories are listed in the "Random Locations" section for easy reference.

Chapter 1: Maximum level 2. No workshop. Tavern available (level 1 combatants only).

Transition to next chapter: Leoric, Cecaelia, Micah, Meregan, Eldtrich, +2 slots (should be two level 2 Combatants).

Random Encounters:

From start, 3:00, 4 spaces (+3 food, 1 greenhouse)
From tavern, 1:00, 3 spaces (+3 Leadership, red/white onion dome)
[HUB 1] From tavern, 2:00, 1 space (+2 Leadership, statue)
From HUB 1, 12:00, 1 space (+1 Leadership, blue/yellow onion dome)
From HUB 1, 4:00, 1 space (+4 Food, strips of fabric)

Gain item that a player already has the blueprint for (no blueprints discovered yet, so Combat Knife, Big Wrench, or Molotov Cocktail)
-4 Leadership
+8 Leadership
-6 Food
-10 Scrap
+15 Scrap
-3 Hit Points (to a minimum of 1)
Take charge / Try to persuade them to help you: -4 Leadership, +15 Fortification / + 30 Fortification
Take the food / Share the bounty: +12 Food / -2 Food +8 Leadership
Wait for her / Flee before she comes: Recover 5 Hit Points / Lose 2 Hit Points +3 Food
Recruit the youth / Decline the help: Gain a Level 1 Combatant +5 Food / -3 Leadership

Chapter 2: Maximum level 4. Taking second counterweight results in defensive army encountered near beginning of chapter attacking. Enemy forces on second enemy counterweight may be neutralized (see "Withdrawal" and "Dead-Zoning") allowing player to continue to take control of the rest of the map, without actually capturing the second counterweight territory thereby triggering enemy army.

Enemy Warlords: I think at 6, 11, 16, (etc).

Split forces, sending some east to gatehouse, eventually to take control of first counterweight territory (this cuts off enemy attacks from that direction early, freeing characters to join the push in the south.) Send the rest south, keeping to the left side, taking control of food-producing territories. Attack and retreat as necessary to create enemy dead zones.

After food is secured for healing, push to control the nearby workshop, This will disturb nearby enemy stacks, but with healing powered by secured food territories you should be able to handle it.

Transition to next chapter: Leoric, Cecaelia, Micah, +3 slots (should be two level 4 Combatants and one level 4 Academic) to press on multiple fronts early and to charge Field Medic kit faster for food-less healing. A confident player may use Combatant-Leader-Academic, or even Combatant-Combatant-Leader.

Random Encounters:

From tavern, 6:00, 3 space (+3 Food, greenhouse)
From workshop, 5:00, 2 space (-, stone wall)
From workshop, 4:00, 2 space (+5 Food)
From workshop, 1:00, 3 space (-, greenhouse)
From second tavern, 1:00, 3 space (-, windmill)
From second tavern, 1:00, 5 space (-, buildings with light green roofs)
Territory where first large enemy defense army is.
From territory where second large defense army is, 11:00, 1 space (-, dark green roof)
From territory where second large defense army is, 4:00, 2 space (-, dark green roof, light brown roof with skylight)

Gain a Blueprint (Padded Armor, Rapier, Spyglass, Syringe Prototype)
Gain a Blueprint and an item of that type. (won't get a blueprint if blueprint already discovered)
Gain item that a player already has the blueprint for (if no blueprints discovered yet, will be Combat Knife, Big Wrench, or Molotov Cocktail, which a player starts able to make in the Workshop).
Gain Blueprint but lose 2 Food.
Gain Blueprint but lose 4 Scrap.
-4 Leadership
+8 Leadership
-6 Food
-10 Scrap
+15 Scrap
-3 Hit Points (to a minimum of 1)
Take charge / Try to persuade them to help you: -4 Leadership, +15 Fortification / + 30 Fortification
Take the food / Share the bounty: +12 Food / -2 Food +8 Leadership
Wait for her / Flee before she comes: Recover 5 Hit Points / Lose 2 Hit Points +3 Food
Recruit the youth / Decline the help: Gain a Level 1 Combatant +5 Food / -3 Leadership

Chapter 3: Maximum level 6.

Enemy warlord of strength 40 appears at elevator on turns 4, 8, 12, 16; strength 80 turns 20, . . . 36, strength 120 turns 40 . . . unusually, these elevator warlords do not seem to stop random encounters from triggering.

Food for healing becomes an issue quickly, so prioritize early control and resource generation for Food-producing territories.

First turn, have Mechanics fortify elevator (this does nothing and elevator Warlords appear anyways but it's free experience), send one unit east and one north. Unit to the east triggers fixed event that allows recruitment of a level 4 Academic; recruit and equip. The Academic will eat food each turn, but will also help charge the Field Kit faster. Units in north can trigger random encounters; one such allows recruitment of a level 4 Combatant; recruit and equip. (Save scumming may be used to ensure the Combatant appears, or not, as a player wishes). If the east group presses north and east, Wondor is recruited; equip. Do not let enemies cut off the path to the elevator. Soon the first elevator warlord appears, cutting the north group off from the west group; both groups can attack the warlord if paths are clear, but they can't move to each others' areas.

After handling that, if the east group presses east, a dead end is discovered, take this territory to prevent enemy reinforcements from appearing in that enemy-controlled sector and marching through your rear. Have the north group finish off the northern enemies then press east, uniting with the east group that by this time has pressed north. Head east, attacking and retreating to create enemy dead zones (see "Dead-Zoning"), the priority is to capture and control the food in the north to cut down on the food deficit; that territory may be fortified to help direct enemy mobs. South of that is another path to the east that can be traded back and forth with the enemy. Sometime in there another elevator warlord or two will appear, and sometime in there also, food becomes a problem - perhaps food doesn't run out, but it becomes something to watch. Be sure to capture and control food-producing territories quickly possibly with a little help from Academic "Overseer" ability; this theme of needing to secure food income quickly is repeated in some later chapters.

Pressing a bit more to the east to the edge of the map then south finds sizable enemy stacks but also another food-producing territory that eventually allows a player to establish a decent food surplus for healing. A level 4 Mechanic can also be recruited, though the Mechanic isn't much help, can at least can carry equipment to the next chapter (see "Equipment Inheritance").

With food income established, a player still can't just sit back; the elevator warlords keep getting stronger, and must be dealt with quickly. Leader "Militia" or Mechanic "Bombardment" can lock the warlord in place, but if that's done for a while without destroying the warlord stack, another warlord drops on top making the warlord stack even larger. Between Leader "Militia" and Mechanic "Bombardment", and Academic healing, though, a player should be able to stay in control of the situation with some care.

If the warlord stack really gets out of control, fortify or temporarily garrison the east path from the elevator so the warlord won't press into precious food producing territories and will instead head north where they can run around without making too much trouble.

Transition to next chapter: Leoric, Cecaelia, Micah, +4 slots. Recommended: Wondor, one level 6 Combatants, one level 6 Academic, one non-Mechanic (Combatant preferred)

Random Encounters: (one of these may result in recruiting a level 4 Combatant)

From start, 4:00, 1 space (-, strips of fabric), level 4 Academic (not random)
From start, 4:00, 2 space (-, windmill), 25 Scrap (not random)
From start, 2:00, 2 space (-, windmill)
From start, 12:00, 3 space (-)
From start, 1:00, 3 space (-, slate blue, brick red, dark green roofs) +40 Food (not random)
From start, 2:30, 3 space (+6 Food, light green roofs and crane), level 4 Wondor +2 Molotov (not random)
From start, 4:00, 3 space (+1 Scrap, windmill) 25 Scrap (not random)
From start, 9:00, 5 space (+3 Scrap, windmill)
[HUB 1] From start, 3:30, 6 space (+5 Leadership, fountain), level 4 Mechanic (not random)
From HUB 1, 2:00, 1 space (+9 Food, windmill)
From HUB 1, 6:00 ,1 space (+6 scrap, red/white onion dome) +40 Food (not random)
From HUB 1, 8:00, 3 space (-, dark green roof, smokestack)
From HUB 1, 8:00, 3 space (-, dark green roof, brownish roof with skylight)
From HUB 1, 8:00, 5 space (+5 Scrap, light green roofs)
From HUB 1, 8:00, 6 space (-, dark green roof w/ smokestack)

Gain item that a player already has the blueprint for (if no blueprints discovered yet, will be Combat Knife, Big Wrench, or Molotov Cocktail, which a player starts able to make in the Workshop).
-18 Scrap
+30 Scrap
-10 Food
50 Fortifications
-6 Hit Points (to a minimum of 1)
Accept the assistance / Capture the scoundrel: Gain a Level 4 Combatant / +16 Leadership
Help her / Pass your way: +15 Leadership / Lose 2 Hit Points (to a minimum of 1) +10 Food

Chapter 4: Maximum level 7. Unite with Sophia, then press west.

Enemy Warlords: Turn 6, 11, 16, . . .

Unequip a padded armor, three or more rapiers, and a big wrench from main forces. Main forces press southwest taking two territories at a time for a while to prevent enemy forces from getting behind friendly lines.

Equip Sophia with rapier and padded armor, one of her Mechanics with big wrench, other Mechanics rapiers as available. Mechanic with wrench fortifies, Sophia and equipped mechanics attack a nearby enemy stack to weaken only not to destroy (see "Withdrawing"), it is important the enemy stacks NOT be destroyed, only weakened. (Destroying a stack and occupying the territory brings larger enemy stacks behind that territory in.) Damaged mechanics, including Sophia, switch to fortification duty, rotate undamaged mechanics to attack/withdraw duty.

What with Phantom Hit Points and armor and equipment, all adjacent enemy stacks near Sophia's location can be weakened. This frees Mechanics up from having to fortify to keep up with those mid-sized stacks, allowing just a couple to build up a surplus of fortification, leaving remaining Mechanics to use the Workshop to produce molotovs or other gear. Transfer gear not in active use back to the main force. In an emergency, Field Medic kit can be used to heal even though no Academic is with Sophia's forces.

At the end of a chapter, a player can save themselves some fighting by using "Militia" or "Bombardment" to immobilize large enemy stacks on the ships, then weaken and destroy Ivan. No random encounters are found on the ships themselves, so there's no point to fighting those large stacks unless a player wants experience.

If a player really wants, the player can use some of the mechanics from the start as cannon fodder, but this can interfere with one's ability to transfer equipment to the next chapter (see 'Equipment Inheritance").

Transition to next chapter: Leoric, Cecaelia, Micah, +5 slots. Recommended: Wondor, Sophia, two level 6 Combatants, one level 6 Academic.

Random Encounters:

[HUB 1] From start, 8:00, 2 space (+6 food, fountain), +40 Food (not random)
From HUB 1, 12:00, 1 space (-, blue/yellow onion dome)
From HUB 1, 7:00, 2 space (+3 Food, light green roofs, crane)
[HUB 2] from HUB 1, 8:00, 3 space (-, windmill)
from HUB 2, 11:00, 1 space (+6 Scrap, light blue, red, light green roofs)
from HUB 2, 9:00, 2 space (-, red/white onion dome)
from HUB 2, 7:00, 2 space (+4 Scrap, windmill)
[HUB 3] from HUB 2, 7:30, 3 space (+4 Leadership, red/white onion dome), nothing (this entry just to define a hub for reference)
from HUB 3, 7:00, 1 space (-, red, light blue, green roofs)

Gain a Blueprint (Bandages, Chainmail, Flintlock, Portable Tool Kit, Tactical Maps)
Gain a Blueprint and an item of that type. (won't get a blueprint if blueprint already discovered)
Gain item that a player already has the blueprint for (if no blueprints discovered yet, will be Combat Knife, Big Wrench, or Molotov Cocktail, which a player starts able to make in the Workshop).
Gain Blueprint but lose 2 Food.
Gain Blueprint but lose 4 Scrap.
-18 Scrap
+20 Food
Arrest him / Overlook the theft: -8 Leadership / -6 Food + 25 Fortifications
Negotiate with the medic / Insist the men are to be taken into custody: Recover 9 Hit Points / +15 Scrap - 5 Leadership

Chapter 5: Maximum level 8. No territories provide resource income. No taverns. There is a workshop. A level 7 Academic may be recruited through a random encounter. Fiodor (level 7 Leader) and Kasem (level 7 Combatant) are recruited during this level.

Enemy Warlords: Turn 6, 11, 16, . . .

Head northeast and pick up Fiodor, then take the east path towards a workshop. Do not allow the enemy to run through friendly territories from the left path. From the workshop head north and pick up Kasem.

From there, you may either head north to finish the level quickly, northeast to head for a supply dump, or just move around the map attempting to take control of as much of it as possible so enemy reinforcements won't appear and march through friendly territories. As no territories provide resource income, the only territory that need really be protected is the Workshop, which you should use at least to make a few Molotovs, Frag Grenades (once you get the blueprint), and Axes to buffer damage from large enemy stacks and/or to use with "Phantom Hit Points". Be sure to reserve some Scrap to use for Bombardment in the final section.

If food runs out, Field Medic kits can provide much-needed healing at no food cost.

Eventually make the final push, by which time resources may be short. After pushing through the bridge onto the final island, a player may push in a bit and allow an enemy stack to move around it, deliberately allowing the enemy stack to escape over the just-crossed bridge to rampage through friendly territory. This process can be repeated, with friendly units recapturing the bridge territories then allowing more enemy stacks to march through, after which the friendly units can march back in and rejoin the main forces.

Weaken the final stack with Leader "Militia', then subject a weakened stack to Mechanic "Bombardment" then finish the final enemy stack, possibly over multiple turns, using Field Medic kits or regular healing as necessary.

Transition to next chapter: Leoric, Cecaelia, Micah, +6 slots. Recommended: Wondor, Sophia, Fiodor, Kasem, one Academic, one non-Mechanic (preferably Combatant).

Random Encounters: (A level 7 Academic may be recruited as a result of one of these encounters)

From start, 1:30, 2 spaces. Landing on either of the territories 2 spaces away recruits Fiodor (level 7 Leader) + 2 Frag Grenades (not random). Fiodor is only recruited once even if both territories are captured.
From start, 2:00, 3 space (-, windmill)
From start, 1:00, 3 space (-, bridge section)
[HUB 1] From start, 1:00, 4 space (-, fountain) recruit Kasem (level 7 Combatant) (not random)
From HUB 1, 1:00, 1 space (-, crane)
From HUB 1, 5:00, 1 space (-, fabric strips)
From HUB 1, 1:00, 1 space (-, broken windmill)
From HUB 1 11:30, 2 space (-, no buildings)
From HUB 1, 9:00, 4 space (-, red/white onion dome)
From HUB 1, 3:00, 1 space (-, red/light blue/green broken roofs)
From HUB 1 11:00, 1 space (-)
From HUB 1 1:30, 3 space (-, broken windmill) +800 Food, +300 Leadership, +200 Scrap (not random)
[HUB 2] From HUB 1, 12:00, 3 spaces (-, fountain)
From HUB 2, 10:00, 1 space (-)
From HUB 2, 3:00, 1 space (-, red/white onion dome)
From HUB 2, 3:00, 2 space (-, red, light blue, green broken roofs)
From HUB 2 1:30, 1 space (-, windmill)

Gain a Blueprint (Axe, Frag Grenade)
Gain a Blueprint and an item of that type. (won't get a blueprint if blueprint already discovered)
Gain item that a player already has the blueprint for (if no blueprints discovered yet, will be Combat Knife, Big Wrench, or Molotov Cocktail, which a player starts able to make in the Workshop).
Gain Blueprint but lose 2 Food.
Gain Blueprint but lose 4 Scrap.
-12 Food
+27 Food
+42 Scrap
+21 Leadership
+70 Fortifications
-7 Hit Points (to a minimum of 1)
Find some support / Dive into battle: -25 Scrap +15 Leadership / Lose 5 Hit Points (to a minimum of 1)
Accept gladly / Discourage the endeavor: Gain a Level 7 Academic that loses 2 Hit Points / +30 Scrap
Accept her assistance / Pretend to be unharmed: Recover 12 Hit Points / +10 Food +10 Leadership
Argue harshly / Acknowledge sympathetically: -11 Leadership / -8 Food +15 Leadership

Chapter 6: Maximum level 9. Eldrich (now a level 8 Leader) and Meregan (now a level 8 Academic) join during this chapter, as well as Grigori, a level 8 Leader. Establish food income, move towards the prisons in the west, then push east to end the level.

Enemy Warlords: Turn 6, 12, 18, . . .

Capture the food-producing territory to the northeast, then attack/withdraw (see "Withdrawing") to weaken nearby enemy stacks without capturing nearby enemy territories. (Capturing nearby enemy territories forces a player to deal with large stacks). Take control of the Workshop to the north next, then press west until all the territories in the circular area are controlled. Fortify the territories to the southeast, and establish deadzones around the entire circular area.

There are three prisons, one southwest, one west, one northwest. Southwest has Eldrich (level 8 leader), west has Meregan (level 8 Academic), northwest has Grigori (level 8 Leader). Go for one of the Leaders first to help you generate resources to make territories productive quicker, then pick up whomever you like.

The one thing that can really ruin a player is pressing in too many directions at once and activating multiple large enemy stacks that then need to be dealt with in short order. Attacking/withdrawing and taking a little care should see a player through any difficulties, though.

Transition to next chapter: Leoric, Cecaelia, Micah, +7 slots. Recommended: Wondor, Sophia, Fiodor, Kasem, Eldrich, Meregan, Grigori

Random Encounters:

From start, 9:00, 3 spaces (+2 Food)
From start, 12:00, 3 spaces (+3 Food, fountain)
From start, 9:00, 4 spaces (+7 Scrap) Eldrich (level 8 Leader) +50 Scrap (not random)
From start, 10:30, 4 spaces (+2 Leadership)
From start, 5:30, 1 space (+2 Leadership, windmill)
From start, 10:0-0, 5 space (+6 Food), Meregan (level 8 Academic), +50 Food (not random)
From start, 12:00, 5 space (-, green steeple)
From start, 12:00, 6 space (+8 Leadership), Level 8 Grigori (level 8 Leader), +50 Food (not random)
[HUB 1] From start, 9:00, 4 space (+3 Food)
From HUB 1, 10:00, 2 space (+2 Food, windmill)
From HUB 1, 1:00, 1 space (+1 Scrap)
From HUB 1, 3:30, 2 space (-, windmill)

Gain a Blueprint (Arislaan Resistance Banner, Shotgun, Two-Handed Sword, Welding Goggles)
Gain a Blueprint and an item of that type. (won't get a blueprint if blueprint already discovered)
Gain item that a player already has the blueprint for (if no blueprints discovered yet, will be Combat Knife, Big Wrench, or Molotov Cocktail, which a player starts able to make in the Workshop).
Gain Blueprint but lose 2 Food.
Gain Blueprint but lose 4 Scrap.
-9 Hit Points (to a minimum of 1)
-30 Scrap
+27 Leadership
+32 Food
Recover 15 Hit Points
Garner local help / Do a pre-emptive strike: +55 Scrap / -10 Hit Points (to a minimum of 1), -10 Leadership
Accept the offer / Decline politely: Gain a Level 9 Mechanic / +15 Leadership -12 Food
Ambush them / Confront them: -14 Leadership / -5 Hit Points (to a minimum of 1), +60 Fortification
Feed the people / Keep your food: -15 Food +15 Leadership / -25 Scrap +15 Leadership

Chapter 7: Maximum level 10. Maintain control of the territories you start with, push southwest to gain control of resource-producing territories, push on the various factories, leaving northeast for last. There is an area to the east filled with enemy stacks that never needs to be fought.

Enemy Warlords: 6, 11, 16, . . .

Leoric, Sophia, and Micah to fortify territories in the north, northeast, southeast. Kasem/Meregan to northwest, Wondor/Fiodor to southwest, Cecaelia/Grigori to south, Eldrich garrison at Workshop. (Eldrich, like all characters, should have a two-handed sword or other +14 weapon, bringing him to 35 strength, enough to stop the remaining 35-strong enemy from attacking). Only Wondor/Fiodor should attack to take an enemy territory, other combats should attack/withdraw to avoid drawing large enemy stacks.

On the next turn, attack/withdraw against the enemies Leoric, Sophia, and Micah fortified against last turn. Leoric to fortify the workshop, Sophia and Micah fortify against the other incoming enemy attacks from the weakened enemy stacks.

On the turn after, hit the large enemy stack that is now near the workshop. Continue attack/withdraw actions to weaken enemy stacks and continue fortifying, use Leader "Militia" to destroy weakened enemy stacks and create dead zones. Then press southwest, and from there northwest to gain resource-producing territories, then press on one factory at a time leaving the northeast for last, using attack/withdraw actions to destroy incoming enemy reinforcements.

The northeast factory should be approached by the extreme northern path, attacking then retreating to create dead zones throughout. Going even one territory farther to the south than absolutely necessary draws large enemy stacks that don't actually need to be fought to finish the level. This northeast factory is left for last, as approaching this area as recommended leaves a long string of friendly territories adjacent to enemy territories. Even if the adjacent enemy territories are empty dead-zones, enemy warlords or enemy reinforcements can appear then quickly cut friendly forces off from the rest of the territory, then push through various friendly territories. It's just too much trouble to protect and/or maintain control of; a player can manage it what with fortifications &c, but it's just not necessary to do this until the end anyways.

Avoid the area to the east that is not near any factories. There are a lot of enemy stacks there that don't need to be fought.

There is also a large stack sitting on a tavern a bit to the southeast that similarly does not need to be fought. There are enough taverns on the map that a player can control enough to recruit level 9 characters, the maximum level recruitable through taverns, without controlling that particular tavern.

Even gigantic enemy stacks can be brought down with the plentiful resources available on this map. Just make sure not to draw the attention of too many enemy stacks at once, and not to overcommit one's forces to the point that resources are drained.

Random Encounters: (list may not be complete)

From Workshop, 6:00, 1 space (+2 Leadership)
From Workshop, 7:30, 1 space (+4 Food)
From Workshop, 11:00, 2 space (+2 Scrap)
From Workshop, 9:00, 3 space (+2 Leadership)
From Workshop, 10:00, 4 space (+3 Leadership)
From Wokrshop, 10:00, 4 space (-, bridge top right)
From Workshop, 6:00, 4 space (+2 Scrap)
From Workshop, 5:00, 2 space (+3 Leadership, buildings, windmill)
From Workshop, 5:00, 3 space (+6 Food)
From Workshop, 4:30, 6 spaces (+2 Leadership)
From Workshop, 4:30, 8 space (+8 Food) +100 scrap (not random)
From Workshop, 4:00, 4 space (+3 Leadership, tavern)
From Workshop, 4:00, 4 space (+4 Leadership, windmill)
From Tavern, 4:00, 2 space (-)
From Tavern, 12:00, 1 space (+3 Food)
From Tavern, 9:30, 6 space (+8 Scrap) Electro Bomb (not random)
From Tavern, 12:00, 3 space (+2 Leadership)
From Tavern, 1:00, 2 space (+4 Food)
From Tavern, 2:00, 3 space (+2 Food, tavern)
From Tavern, 12:00, 4 space (+7 Scrap), Full Plate (not random)
From Tavern, 3:00, 3 space (+2 Leadership, windmill)
From Tavern, 9:00, 3 space, (+3 Leadership, crane)
From Tavern, 3:15, 5 space (+3 Scrap)
From Tavern, 3:00, 5 space (-, before top factory)
From Tavern, 3:00, 6 space (+7 Scrap), Electro Bomb (not random)
From Tavern, 3:00, 5 space (+3 Scrap)
From Tavern, 4:00, 3 space (+3 Leadership)
From Tavern, 4:00, 5 space (+4 Scrap)

Gain a Blueprint (Bayonet Gun, Electro Bomb, Full Plate, Revolving Revolver)
Gain a Blueprint and an item of that type. (won't get a blueprint if blueprint already discovered)
Gain item that a player already has the blueprint for (if no blueprints discovered yet, will be Combat Knife, Big Wrench, or Molotov Cocktail, which a player starts able to make in the Workshop).
Gain Blueprint but lose 2 Food.
Gain Blueprint but lose 4 Scrap.
+32 Food
+85 Fortifications
Garner local help / Do a pre-emptive strike: +55 Scrap / -10 Hit Points (to a minimum of 1), -10 Leadership
Accept the offer / Decline politely: Gain a Level 9 Mechanic / +15 Leadership -12 Food
Ambush them / Confront them: -14 Leadership / -5 Hit Points (to a minimum of 1), +60 Fortification
Feed the people / Keep your food: -15 Food +15 Leadership / -25 Scrap +15 Leadership