War for the Overworld

War for the Overworld

37 ratings
Quick'n short speed, achievement and basic tips guide
By Rootfort
I will try to teach the basics of this game, provide you the best walktrough for the campaign and show you how to get some achievements.
Thanks [GGUD]Merciless for his Speed Run guide and Böhser Onkel [AUT] for answering my questions.
   
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Level 1 – 4 mins – Build a 5x5 Barracks, Lair and Slaughterpen - easy
  • Press always space to skip dialogues!
  • Micro manage your workers!*1







Build three rooms (5x5) in marked areas.
Visit homerealm for at least 10 mins. Use 150% gamespeed.

*1 Let them only claim tiles which you need, let only 1 worker digg one earth block, don't let them fortify walls.

In homerealm (Stay a While and Listen achievement):
Press "roll" (above pos1) on your keyboard to open the console. If you can see the following line "SetStat C1_HomeRealmCinematic" you heard the audio. Press again "roll" to close the console.
It takes 11 min. to hear the audio.
Level 2 – 9 mins – Locate the hidden Artefact
  • Micro manage your workers and units!*1
  • Press always space to skip dialogues!
  • Save game if you hear first enemy dialog!






Build 3 Archives, slap them once to research a sin quicker.
Build Barracks, build Liar when requested to do, sell Liar if requested to build Slaughterpen, sell Slaughterpen if you researched Tavern and build it.
Meanwhile upgrade from 1 Barracks to 8 and go for the Artefact.
If you are fast the enemy units will attack at 4m40s, if they come late (it depends on how fast you build Tavern) you have to restart. With 3 Cultists & 4 Gnarlings easy going.
My time 4:40

*1 Pick up Cultist after spawn and drop them to the Achieve. Gnarlings to Barracks.


Level 3 – 13 mins – Complete before the final wave spawns – easy

  • Summon 20 workers (till insufficient mana)!
  • Pickup Defence Parts and drop them on Defence Structures!






Build 2 Foundrys, 3 Archives and 4 Barracks. Follow tasks given (build Blade Lotus 2 parts, Bombard 2 parts, Wooden Door 1 part).
Atack around 5:30 with:
Chunder 2; Cultist 3; Gnarling 5

Level 4 – 14 mins – Claim all 3 Siege Shrines -My time 11:40
  • Save before winning, finish the game and get the speed run achievement, load to get all 3 siege shrines!
  • Save at 6:00 for safety!
  • Play most time with 50%!
  • Many things should be done parallel (building, exploring etc.)!
  • Workers management necessary!

Summon 20 workers. Build 1x Barracks, 1x Archive and 1x Foundry (main island). Connect all surrounding islands with bridges. Get the Gold Shrine ASAP and build the Vault on the same island (put Workers into the Gold Shrine). Underworld Shrine should be claimed also as soon as possible.
Extend Beast Den on the whole island. Build 3 Barracks, 6 Archives or 7 Foundries. Besides expand to north west (along the Perception Shrine, see screenshot), connect islands as fast as possible. Claim the long bridge.
Around 6:10 you start to moving your units to the base. On one corner of the base it is possible to destroy the walls with underminer. Claim Tavern. Go through enemies Lair, destroy two Bombards and meanwhile place a Undermine close to the Inhibitor. Claim land and but 2 Bombards (pick up Defence Parts and drop). In the Dungen Core room go first left and destroy the bombard then attack the core itself. Meanwhile the Inhibitor should be destroyed by the bombards (click on them for overload mode)

My units at 7:17: Skarg 4; Oculus 4; Chunder 4; Cultist 3; Gnarling 3
Level 5 – 18 mins – Destroy all Empire gateways – easy
  • Save before doing the ritual. Finish'n load to do the achievement!







Summon 20 workers and let them claim everything first. Start mining earth if they begin to fortify walls. Remove earth around Sanctuary. Sell and build new Lair, Tavern and 8 Archive. Cultist will "work" and sleep in the same place. Build all other buildings and denfend your base & Cultist. Don't rally with your Cultist. Use often Obey on your Cultists and drop them to the Sanctuary. *SAVE* Activate the ritual to finish this level.
My time 18:39
Level 6 – 20 mins – Free all prisoners – Easy
  • Finish'n load to do the achievement!








Start with additional 10 Workers. Let one Worker start claiming the bridge, remove the sand wall and claim the prison. Meanwhile build and increase your Beast Den. After opening the doors to all rooms and killing, sent your units to the next base. Let your Worker dig a way to the next base (see screenshot). Arrived at the base go left through the Torture Chamber. Kill all enemy units and go on. Don't attack the next base. You can walk on the red water. Put Rally Flag close to each other and go north till you arrive at the Perception Shrine then go right till the bridge *SAVE* and enter the enemy base. Destroy the first doors. Wait and heal till a enemy wave arrive. Heal and attack.

On the screenshot you can see my units and the way I sent them on the minimap.
Level 7 – 30 mins – Complete with Rhaskos below 25% health – easy
Level 7 – 30 mins – Complete with Rhaskos below 25% health – easy

  • Sell your Vault if you don't have any gold!





Build each unit building ASAP, expand them and build other buildings (Slaughterpen etc.). Get all 4 artefacts on the map (marked on screenshot, easy to find). Start mining gold and build Vault around the Gold Shrine. Around 10 minutes mark sent your units to the enemy. Stop mining gold and get rid of your workers. One of the Artefacts is a level up one, use it and *SAVE'n attack. If you lose load and build Bombards in the first room. Lure the enemy to this room. Use the found Artefact to instantly build up your defence.
Level 8 – 12 mins – Defile all 5 boss Crypts - easy










Get all tombs on the fastest way to Emperor. At Uther's Tomb *SAVE before entering. Always use Enrage on your Necromants. Load to defile all hero thombs (play at 150%).

Level 9 – 38 mins – Let no Empire units reach the outpost – easy

  • Skip all dialogs!







Get workers and build all unit buildings + food. Get the Gold and Mana Shrine and the Artefacts. Around 8 min get rid of 10-15 workers and build your defence really close to the enemy Portcullis (gate/door). 6 Bombards and a Bone Chiller will do the job. Also build the Prison and Torture Chamber. Around 20 min attack the enemies base. With the corrupted units you should be able to reach the portal. Build many defence structures as possible and wait for the last wave and rally all units.
Level 10 – 25 mins – Destroy all Inhibitors on your own

  • Micromanage your workers!
  • Fast game style is important!





Start mining gold asap. Build large corridors to left and right and search for the 5 artefacts and the two Underworld Gateways. Also mine all the gold. Build Vaults in the corridors. Get the Mana Shrine as well (left side). Attack around 8:50 without Cultists. You should only destroy the gates and two doors.
Around 12:00 a enemy wave will arrive, build before that on enemy's territory 4-5 Bombards and one Bone Chiller. Kill them and corrupt them. Wait until your ally start (around 13:20) to attack the enemy. *SAVE Pick up your units and drop them to the ally's territory and wait until he start to fight with the enemy's units. *SAVE2 and destroy the Inhibitor.
Sent them back to ally's territory, pick them and bring them back. Go left or right to destroy the second Inhibitor (total 4 on the map).
If you don't get the achievement load SAVE2
Level 11 – 10 mins – Lose less than 10 units – easy

  • Micromanage your workers!







Get workers and build ASAP all buildings which give you units. First one of all (Barack, Archive...) and then go on with extending. Also get in the same time the Underworld Gateway. Connect your and Mira's dungeon and build a Bombard to lure Kira's units. *SAVE and attack at 6:30. With healing you will have no problems.
Level 12 – 25 mins – Complete without using Unleash Kenos ritual










Same procedure: Workers, all buildings and then expand them. Try to collect all gold around because you need it. Attack northwest (Underlord Oberon) around 6:20. I attacked Underlord Kasita (gold) around 10:20. Unlock stone bridge. Look for a place to connect your and Underlord Korvek's dungeon (there is only one place where Korvek removed earth and connect his dungeon to lava). Remove earth around the place where you want to build the Stone Bridge and build 7-8 Bombard and one Bone Chiller. Around 20:00 build the bridge and attack, retreat to lure Korvek's units. You have to destroy two Korvek's cores (they are close to each other) to win.
Level 13 – 25 mins – Complete without completing any optional objectives
  • Micromanage your workers!
  • Get all artefacts!
  • Save Each two minutes!
  • Build huge rooms!
  • Play at 80-90% speed when fighting and starting this level!



Build first Crypt, Spirit Chamber and Archive then all other buildings. Try to avoid the artefacts till you have 3 sins. Let all of this 3 units research 3 sins. I had them at 8:50 (pick and drop them on Archive, slap them). Get all two Gold Shrines and build Vaults around them. Summon Archon and attack. It is important to know, that around 18 mins you will be attacked. In this time you should be in the enemy base. Try to avoid this convoys of enemies. Before 18 mins build good defence (at least 6 Foundries at the beginning). Zap them and repair your defence. While they attack do your job.

Another strategy:
First all buildings and then expand them. Get the two Gold Shrines and all the Artefacts. Build 15-20 Alchemy Labs and brew EXP potions. You should attack around at 11:00. Try to save each second e.g. pick up units from the Underworld Gateway and put them into the barracks. Before 18 mins build good defence (at least 6 Foundries at the beginning.)

Note: 2 known bugs here:
-If you destroy the last winch, safe and load not all units will cross the drawbridge
-Flying units can't move from the "chasm" (between Emperor's place and the surrounding "winch-base") to the drawbridge. If you destroy the winch don't put the Rally Flag in front of draw bridge instead go the same way back you went in.
Knowledge and tips
  • 2 workers will not faster tear down one tile earth
  • Camera Zoom available in Display Options
  • Subtitles on/off in Sound Options
  • HUD Scale and ingame Time Clock avaible in Gameplay
  • ControlsGameplay Controls put Increase and Decrease Game Speed on F5 and F6
  • Built Lair, Slaughterpen and Tavern close to each other
  • Peaceband → Assign to Peaceband → Units tab → Select. This units will now not attack.
  • Dropping gold on minions increases their happiness
  • Slapping Succubus makes her happy


  • Zap(Ligthing) golden statues, workers will not touch it. You can playce it everywhere.
  • Quick freeze potion on own dungen core → invincible for short time
Achievements
  • Beat all 8 AI on master difficulty in 1vs1 (skirmish, Border War is the perfect map for that)
  • 5 hours in home realm
  • Visit your Home Realm for at least 10 minutes after completing each level to hear all of Mendechaus wise ramblings
  • The Cynical Imp -Max out the FoV slider
  • Shaboozey - Lose in level 1
  • Mine 1,000,000,000
6 Comments
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Fish & Chips 19 Mar, 2023 @ 1:24am 
Short joke achievement requires 18 minute limit.
Problem with planning is that for every unit slot it takes time for the maw to spawn them, but they won't spawn unless you have a room that attracts them.
So make only rooms for cultists, with the exception of homes for pre-existing units to take over and spam defensive structures and hunker down.

As for fights, it's best you make cultists go peacemode so they can focus on the ritual
Hydris 24 Jan, 2019 @ 1:45pm 
Level 5's time is actually 18 minutes not 29. I did it in ~17 minutes. The same concept described in this guide works. Just have to whip the cultists more and never keep a full mana bar.
Speed-Dial 23 Sep, 2017 @ 12:09pm 
It's alright, the level and achievement since been patched and an alternative method has come about too. I appreciate the thought though. :medicon:
Rootfort  [author] 23 Sep, 2017 @ 5:44am 
@Speed-Dial Sorry I wasn't online in Steam for a long time. Do you still need help with this level? I would play it again and give you some tips and hints :wftohappy:
Speed-Dial 28 Jun, 2017 @ 6:22pm 
The short joke acievement is driving me mad, In-game it claims I need to do the level in 18 minutes,yet every guide I've checked states it's 29 minutes. Clearing the level in under 29 minutes doesn't grant me the achievement, and everywhere I've looked on-line doesn't say anything about the differences in the requirements to get the achievement.

I've tried rushing the experience artefact strategy and boosting all my cultists to rush the ritual, tossing all my Chunders and maximising my possible cultist spawns, even using the work-a-lot potions alongside the obey spell to increase productivity. Still no where near that 18 minute mark.

Your guide has been amazing on every other level, but this one level eludes me, any help on it would be greatly appreciated.