CHALLENGE LEVEL: * * *

BACKSTORY

Fortune has never been on your side; you are the son of a slave mother, and have been a slave your entire life. With the stretched brandings of labour companies long scarred over, you were recently bought by a pitmaster and thrown to the pits to die in a spectacle. You've always been a survivor. Perhaps you can make it through this alive yet?

TRAITS

• Unlikely champion: every victory increases all match fame reward by 5%.
  
• As a slave, your Scollo takes 50% of all gold you earn.
  
• As a slave, you start with one less battle option.
  
• Maximum stamina: +15
  
• Stamina regeneration: +10%

VICTORY CONDITION

Win over the population of Terantia: attain freedom through fame. Cost: 100,000 [FAME]

LEGACY

Echoes of Greatness: Aspirants gain 1000 [FAME] after every rank up.

VICTORY!

A slave becoming so successful, so influential and famous as to become free is a monumentous occasion. Not only Terantia but the entire Empire is speaking about you, Aspired. For centuries to come, the quiet hope that a slave might fight to his own freedom again will ignite the excitement of the audience.

My notes

The Slave Gold penalty is super harsh, but the Victory Condition is super easy. Fame is much easier to earn than Gold, and remember you can convert one into the other on the Utility screen.

Also, the Scollo does not take half of your earnings from betting, so that can be a way to make back some of what they take.

Overall the hardiest character, with a good Stamina boost from the start.

Legacy bonus is not that great.

CHALLENGE LEVEL: * *

BACKSTORY

You are a criminal sentenced to die in the arena. In the arena, all men are both innocent and guilty. Seek your absolution whether in death or in victory.

TRAITS

• - It is harder for you to win over the audience during combat.
  
• - Favour with Patrons increases slower. (50%)
  
• + Deep pockets: additional auxiliary inventory slot unlocked.
  
• + Increased betting pay-out: +150%
  
• + Bribery assessment is free.
  
• + Bribery is less likely to critically fail.

VICTORY CONDITION

Win over the elites and Patrons of Terantia. Cost: 20,000 [FAME] And reach 80% or more Favor with all Patrons.

LEGACY

Amelioration: New Aspirants start with 15% Favor with all Patrons.

VICTORY!

You've lived a life rife with strife. Your were born in a cesspool destined to drown. You've risen above. Breathe, Aspired! You crawled out and left in your wake only lined pockets and charmed smiled [sic]. Enthusiastic elites clap and welcome you to their ranks. The sheep invite the wolf.

My notes

Criminal Scum is probably the most difficult class. No automatic Gold or Fame penalties, but it's harder to get a high audience multiplier and he has the hardest Victory Condition: Earning 20,000 Fame is trivial, but the 80% Favor with all the Patrons can take a long time to achieve, even with bribery, and you'll probably end up fighting in a lot of matches you don't really want to fight in.

Also, you almost always start with a face scarf which is -90% Fame, so you'll want to sell that immediately.

If you need a quick Favor boost with one of the Patrons, and can overcome the stamina penalty, take advantage of Alluora's "good" random event, where you get to hang out and drink with one of the other Patrons. You'll get a ton of Favor with Alluora, plus a huge boost with another Patron, so while normally it's not really worth it with any other backstory, with this one you want to do this if you can.

CHALLENGE LEVEL: * * * *

BACKSTORY

You are a Hanian commoner who has been dying to enter the arena. Petty crimes simply don't give you the adrenaline rush you need anymore. It's time to step it up.

TRAITS

• - You must pay your Scollo a service fee every week, when possible. Cost: 500 [GOLD]
  
• + Lower health increases Stamina Regeneration.
  
• + Free man: match skips are 50% cheaper.

VICTORY CONDITION

Kill 80 Aspirants.

LEGACY

Roar of the Crowd: The audience fame multiplier maximum is increased to 2.5x.

VICTORY!

You're an anomaly. The population loves anomalies. Nothing has ever ignited the sport as much as you did. A civilian - becoming Aspired? Not only is average attendance at a fight doubled, forever more will every spectator have a sliver of hope, however tiny, that that fighter there could be them.

My notes

Thrill Seeker is probably tied for second easiest win with Professional Aspirant. The 500 Gold weekly fee is nothing, no Fame penalty, and the Victory Condition is straightforward; it's just about numbers, not quality. Fight a lot of Many vs Many matches, let the AI beat each other up for a while, then swoop in to finish guys off. Don't need to worry about saving Gold or Fame, and Patron Favor is also more or less irrelevant.

Has the second-best Legacy bonus.

CHALLENGE LEVEL: * * *

BACKSTORY

You are a retired soldier. Having fought valiantly in many battles at the height of hanian expansion, you managed to escape an early grave. Years later, the skill in combat is not entirely gone and you have chosen to revisit combat in the arena one last time to secure a solid retirement.

TRAITS

• Some skills from your former profession.
  
• Some starting equipment from your former profession.
  
• + Maximum health: +20
  
• - Maximum stamina: -20
  
• - Stamina regeneration: -5%

VICTORY CONDITION

Retire having saved enough gold. Cost: 100,000 [GOLD]

LEGACY

Scollastic Reform: New Aspirants starts with an additional 0-10 in all skills.

VICTORY!

Aspired! Scholars and commoners alike will remember a shift in how the population thought
and spoke about martial arts in the arena. Your use of grounded, pragmatic combat skills attained in the military revolutionised training regimes in all Scollae. The sport has grown because of you.

My notes

Former Soldier is probably the easiest class to win with. No Gold or Fame penalty, a boosted combat skill and better starting equipment, easy Victory Condition, this is "Very Easy Mode." The Max health boost and stamina penalty kind of cancel each other out, and the Legacy bonus is by far the best one of those currently available.

CHALLENGE LEVEL: *

BACKSTORY

Under the oversight of the scollo "Aspirants of the Morrow", you have been training to be a contestant since you were a boy. Your time to shine is finally here.

TRAITS

• - Your Scollo takes 50% of all fame you earn.
  
• + Starting specialist combat skills from training in the Scollo.
  
• + Some starting equipment provided by the Scollo.
  
• + It is easier for you to win over the audience during combat.
  
• + Training gear at the Scollo is cheaper.

VICTORY CONDITION

Reach ASPIRED rank.

LEGACY

Aspirants Autonomy: New Aspirants begin with an additional match option unlocked.

VICTORY!

You've single handedly proven Aspiring can be a choice, not just a burden. You embody the dream for all young wide-eyed spectators. The impact of your career ripples through the blood-stained industry. Scollo around Terantia have gained respect and a better, more open communication grows between the arenas, their Patrons and the Scollae. Your achievements have immortalised you, one of few Aspired.

My notes

Professional Aspirant has almost no drawbacks. The Fame penalty sucks at the very beginning, but Fame is super easy to earn using equipment multipliers, and you start with every other advantage.

The Victory Condition is relatively easy to achieve, but still I'd rank this behind Thrill Seeker if only because the Legacy bonus isn't that great. It literally just saves you 9999 Fame once on each run.

CHALLENGE LEVEL: * *

BACKSTORY

Your father was a minor official, exiled in disgrace. You've inherited the disdain the public reserved for his failure, and you know to survive, your name must be greater than his. A spectable then, blood for blood. Your leadership shall never be questioned once it's been baptized in the rivers of the arena. Your enemies will tremble in fear as you prove you can lead with an iron first; or die trying

TRAITS

• + Personal Guard: you star with the Entourage Scollo Upgrade unlocked and it is always active.
  
• + Influential Connections: You gain weekly fame based on your total patron favor.
  
• - It is significantly harder for you to win over the audience during combat.
  
• You start with no combat skills whatsoever and training gear is more expensive.

VICTORY CONDITION

Majority Vote: Reach 90% Favor or more with at least 3 Patrons.

LEGACY

Government Funding: Aspirants gain 1000 [GOLD] after every rank up.

VICTORY!

You were born to lead and the gods have humbled you in your journey. You hold the iron of the sword in one hand and iron of a plough in the other. You learned to listen to the hearts of your constituents and return the love you bought with blood. You shall be the golden son of the senate, trusted and battle-proven.

My notes

You only have 50 HP but you start with Entourage which will be active for every match with this character. You also start with a few thousand Gold, but all of your skills will be well under 5 unless you've completed "Former Soldier" and have the combat skills boost Legacy.

It's very important you buy equipment with the highest Fame Multiplier you can find or afford. You need to offset the fact that the audience just hates everything you do, or you'll literally be earning only like 50 Fame per match, possibly nothing.

CHALLENGE LEVEL: *

BACKSTORY

A blacksmith's indebted fifth apprentice, you're little better than a slave, though you're cunning with a hammer. A scheme, perhaps, to scavenge, to secret away the weapons you see discarded after bouts, to bolster your own inventory and earn your seat as a master blacksmith. Your quick hands have saved you from the flames of the forge - will they save you from the fires of battle?

TRAITS

• + The blacksmith will repair 500-1000 durability for free every week.
  
• + Deep Pockets: You start with an additional auxiliary inventory slot unlocked.
  
• + Maximum Bargains: The shop is discounted much more frequently.
  
• - Scavenger: All items you buy from the shop have 10-20% durability.
  
• - You cannot sell equipment, instead you gift equipment to the blacksmith.

VICTORY CONDITION

Give the blacksmith equipment worth 100,000 [GOLD]

LEGACY

Trickle Down Economy: Shop discounts are 25% more frequent.

VICTORY!

You've survived the crucible - you've tested your mettle and tempered your strength, honed to fine edge of talent and courage, your bloodlust, and your apprentice debt quenched. Your trials have wrought a mastery of the instruments of war, the blade your bedfellow. While your peers were wenching, you studied the blade. Too bad there's more to blacksmithing than bloodletting.

My notes

I feel like this character is harder than Jordy thinks it is. You basically can't use any equipment you buy until the next day.

You'll want to fight a lot of "Luck of the Draw" and "Spoils to the Victor" matches, especially early.

You can check your progress by clicking on an item and bringing up the "Sell this item?" dialog box. How much more you owe is underneath all of the other usual text.

Alluora Inuthuilas

Focus on information and relationships.


Mazza 'The Empress' Monghadi

Focus on fame and influence.


Valerius 'Pouch' Aurum

Focus on gold. Gold gold gold.


Joridus Lakirius

Focus on training, skill and scollo.

Just some personal observations I've made as I play the game myself, and some tips for a few of the random events. Your mileage may vary.

• Overhead attacks are OP. They will break through shields and blocks almost 50% of the time. You can literally go an entire run to Victory with nothing but overhead attacks.
  
  
• Stick and move! Load up an attack, dash in, strike, then dash out.
  
  
• The tip or far end of weapons seems to be the most dangerous part, even swords (it is the part of the weapon that's moving the fastest).
  
  
• Know the range of your weapon and fight accordingly. If you have a long weapon, you want to keep enemies at a distance. If you have a short weapon and your enemy has a long weapon, you usually want to get in close, negate his advantage.
  
  
• Left-side attacks with polearms don't slash, they strike with the blunt end. Still does damage, but not as much.
  
  
• In matches with a lot of combatants in the arena, use the lock-on feature to determine who is an ally and who is an enemy if you are unsure. You will never lock on to an ally.
  
  
• Take note of the level of each match. This actually does matter. If there are skulls next to the level, it means it's higher than your current level and your opponent will be much more skilled and probably better equipped than you. If you're a level 2, a Level 2 1 vs Many will actually be much easier than a Level 5 1 vs 1 or even a Many vs 1.
  
  
• Fame multipliers are key. Try to always have as high a Fame multiplier as you can. Avoid gear with negative Fame multipliers whenever possible, and always buy the gear that has the better multiplier if everything else is more or less equal, or even if it's a bit worse. It's worth the tradeoff. With the right combination of gear and the Thrill Seeker Legacy bonus, I've gotten over a 4.0x Fame multiplier. Remember you can convert Fame into Gold on the Utility screen.
  
  
• When you get The Grand Bathhouse event, the first option ("I must stand out!") gives you +6% Favor with all Patrons, +8 Max Stamina, and -35% Health, so if you can afford to pay the doctor to heal that much, this is the option you want. The middle option, do what everyone else does, also gives you bonuses and penalties, but less. I honestly don't know what happens if you choose the third option, I've never chosen it.
  
  
• When you get the Imperial War Logistics event, if you donate all of your equipment you get like 10,000+ Gold and Fame. How much Gold and Fame you get from this seems to be dependent on your level. I did it once towards the end of my run when I was level 16 and I got over 100,000 Gold and Fame. If I recall correctly, the other two options give you nothing.
  
  
• If you choose to donate 1000 Gold to the sick during The Plague? event, you get +4% Favor with all Patrons and +500 Fame.
  
  
• As far as Patrons go, as far as I can tell, Alluora only has negative events. Even her "good" event, getting drunk with the other Patrons, still leaves you with a pretty stiff max stamina penalty for the next match, but at least you can decline to participate. You won't get any benefits but it won't cost you anything, either. If you're Criminal Scum, you might want to do it anyways. It gives you a 15-25% Favor boost with whichever Patron you choose to drink with.
  
  
• When Betting, if you are on Commoner difficulty remember enemies only have 75 HP, so if you wager you can do 300 damage and there are only 3 opponents, you can't win your bet.