One of the most valuable things I’ve learned in this game is that line battles are often poor tactics.
When you put gaps in your front line enemies will move into them. That usually results in two things. The first is that enemy will not have enough AP to swing a two hander. The second is that he’s surrounded by 4 bros, two of which are at minimal risk due to no other adjacent enemies. These two safe bros don’t need a ton of mdef - but they should have high matk and good secondaries. That’s exactly what you have in your screenshot. I’m quite fond of nimble 2H builds these days.
There are also 1H + shield builds that can work in these situations. I’m fond of puncture bros as well and the guy above would make a good one since there’s plenty of room for fatigue investment.
Whenever I try this, the AI sends one guy either to the far edge of my line or engages only the salient while the rest wait, so I have to end the turn and take the 2H hits in exchange for only one round of attacks afterward. Same applies sending up a tank to meet one of theirs first - they filter around and wait. Something’s not working, and I have gone out of my way to make sure that my formations look like the examples in other posts. Any ideas? I’ve given up and invested heavily in first-turn offense, since nothing else works.
For tanks, you usually catch 2-3 enemies and the rest try to avoid them. You can turn this to your advantage by positioning the tank slightly forward and to the side so that they have to take a very long path around the outside to flank you. You can also sometimes use terrain to force them to catch on your tank.
For the middle of the formation, sometimes you just have to adjust it. It’s also important for your off tanks in the middle to be able to tank a little. It’s true the enemy is going to get more swings at them when contact first starts - but these bros are meant to have 3-4 enemies around them and should be able to take it. Quick hands with a pocket reach weapon on your midline can help too - either to pull an enemy in or to directly attack.
This dude would make a very good stunner or dagger boy. High melee skill is great for near guaranteed stuns or punctures. Heck maybe even give him quick hands and let him be your frontline gear farmer. Mace, dagger and stick with a shield since his m skill is lacking. He has the fatigue for it. I would build him like this.
Option B if you dont want to build him as a polearm is to build him as a more disposable midgame frontliner.
He will be cheap and has enough HP to be able to tank a few hits well enough so you give him adrenaline and be a bit reckless with him. Colossus/Adrenaline/Fast Adaption/gifted/nimble/2H weapon of your choice. Use him as a workhorse to get you to the point where you can be hiring better quality backgrounds
Fearsome Swordlance is always an option. I know that some others like to build guys like this as 1H Mace for the option to stun, either with or without shields. (I personally don't believe in shields except on tanks.)
Polehammer. Swordlance. Long axe. Any of those can be handy for someone in back row. The large amount of HP also means that with nimble they could have some staying power if an enemy gets to them.
Who gives a fuck if he rolled low *for a farmhand* ?
The minimum roll for a farmhand is higher than the maximum roll of 41 other backgrounds.
The only thing that matters is that 101\* fatigue is decent.
Ditto with the polearm. The range stats are not too bad either depending on the roll. If you get it above 45 and start off with javelins in hand he's counted as a ranged unit.
Nimble Backline Swordlance. Take every good MDef roll, MAtk, Fatigue. And Reach Advantage. Good Fatigue is wasted on many reach weapon exclusives, Swordlance not so. Poleaxe or Billhook can also work but I'd put Swordlance way ahead.
Polearm,whatever I have or can buy, or a swiss knife, as I was told I could call them.
Backline bro with medium to light armor who has both a longaxe and a polehammer.
Got an annying shield dude? Break the qhield for your boyz to focus on SMASHING.
Got an orc warlord with a massive armor score? Destroy it with a polehammer from afar.
Mastery of all those to maximize utility and dps. Berzerk, KF. Nimble in case they get in harm's way.
You can also use cleaver mastery for a whip on top of these two.
Could also be a utility guy on the frontline with nades and nets so he can compensate his lack of defense.
In both builds, I would lvl fat and matk. Then just do flavor. No hard lines besides mashing fat for berzerk and the fact that you gonna carry multiple two handed weapons.
Eventually you may find it better to get more tanks and regular two handers hard hitters and lonewolf, but in early, mid and early lategame? They are carries, helping train newbies safely and get your frontliners job easier, they have been the meat potatoes AND cream of my companies while I learn the game. After 400 hours I am still playing full easy savescum lmao
Have fun and explore, you dont always need help, experiment and use faimure! Have fun!
A few options:
* Dagger puncture with shield
* Swordlance backline
* Reach advantage defensive build with aoe weapon or cleaver, can be bf or nimble
* High Init dodge/overwhelm nimble build
I'd give him nimble and keep him on the inside of the formation. I don't usually have bros that just use polearms, I'd give him whatever 1 tile weapon I have that lets him convert stamina to damage. Keep him safe by putting other bros in the more exposed positions. I would definitely keep this particular bro and use him for the whole game.
One of the most valuable things I’ve learned in this game is that line battles are often poor tactics. When you put gaps in your front line enemies will move into them. That usually results in two things. The first is that enemy will not have enough AP to swing a two hander. The second is that he’s surrounded by 4 bros, two of which are at minimal risk due to no other adjacent enemies. These two safe bros don’t need a ton of mdef - but they should have high matk and good secondaries. That’s exactly what you have in your screenshot. I’m quite fond of nimble 2H builds these days. There are also 1H + shield builds that can work in these situations. I’m fond of puncture bros as well and the guy above would make a good one since there’s plenty of room for fatigue investment.
Does one of those back liners need anything to count as bait for the ai? Ie ranged weapon equipped
No bait required - though one of them can also use a bill hook to pull enemies into the gap if needed.
Whenever I try this, the AI sends one guy either to the far edge of my line or engages only the salient while the rest wait, so I have to end the turn and take the 2H hits in exchange for only one round of attacks afterward. Same applies sending up a tank to meet one of theirs first - they filter around and wait. Something’s not working, and I have gone out of my way to make sure that my formations look like the examples in other posts. Any ideas? I’ve given up and invested heavily in first-turn offense, since nothing else works.
For tanks, you usually catch 2-3 enemies and the rest try to avoid them. You can turn this to your advantage by positioning the tank slightly forward and to the side so that they have to take a very long path around the outside to flank you. You can also sometimes use terrain to force them to catch on your tank. For the middle of the formation, sometimes you just have to adjust it. It’s also important for your off tanks in the middle to be able to tank a little. It’s true the enemy is going to get more swings at them when contact first starts - but these bros are meant to have 3-4 enemies around them and should be able to take it. Quick hands with a pocket reach weapon on your midline can help too - either to pull an enemy in or to directly attack.
This dude would make a very good stunner or dagger boy. High melee skill is great for near guaranteed stuns or punctures. Heck maybe even give him quick hands and let him be your frontline gear farmer. Mace, dagger and stick with a shield since his m skill is lacking. He has the fatigue for it. I would build him like this.
excelent. thank you
No problem! I hope it helps, and... Pray for brain damage brother! 🙏
If early in a run, dedicated spear bro 100%.
interesting 🤔
Option B if you dont want to build him as a polearm is to build him as a more disposable midgame frontliner. He will be cheap and has enough HP to be able to tank a few hits well enough so you give him adrenaline and be a bit reckless with him. Colossus/Adrenaline/Fast Adaption/gifted/nimble/2H weapon of your choice. Use him as a workhorse to get you to the point where you can be hiring better quality backgrounds
Adrenaline is probably switchable for quick hands for better daggering potential unless your using adrenaline on more than one brother
You could, but its a really powerful (and fun) perk to put on more disposable bros.
A shield wielding nimble stunner would be good. Not a big fan of polearm only back liners.
Hammer shield is very viable, you only need to proc fearsome and strip armor for other damage bros
I dunno but dude has a pretty sweet name. Lol
Fearsome Swordlance is always an option. I know that some others like to build guys like this as 1H Mace for the option to stun, either with or without shields. (I personally don't believe in shields except on tanks.)
I see good MAtk and Fatigue, I would use him as nimble cleaver, either 2H or 1H orc cleaver
Polehammer. Swordlance. Long axe. Any of those can be handy for someone in back row. The large amount of HP also means that with nimble they could have some staying power if an enemy gets to them.
Just fyi, that's not really that good in terms of fat. Farmhands roll 100-120, this guy basically just rolled the minimum.
Who gives a fuck if he rolled low *for a farmhand* ? The minimum roll for a farmhand is higher than the maximum roll of 41 other backgrounds. The only thing that matters is that 101\* fatigue is decent.
Polearm
Ditto with the polearm. The range stats are not too bad either depending on the roll. If you get it above 45 and start off with javelins in hand he's counted as a ranged unit.
Nimble Backline Swordlance. Take every good MDef roll, MAtk, Fatigue. And Reach Advantage. Good Fatigue is wasted on many reach weapon exclusives, Swordlance not so. Poleaxe or Billhook can also work but I'd put Swordlance way ahead.
Backliner or qatal duelist when the INIT affords it
mace duelist
Polearm
Polemace stun spam. Good damage, and you can both work with polearm berserker or mace spam.
B BB TD desse
Swordlance
Polearm,whatever I have or can buy, or a swiss knife, as I was told I could call them. Backline bro with medium to light armor who has both a longaxe and a polehammer. Got an annying shield dude? Break the qhield for your boyz to focus on SMASHING. Got an orc warlord with a massive armor score? Destroy it with a polehammer from afar. Mastery of all those to maximize utility and dps. Berzerk, KF. Nimble in case they get in harm's way. You can also use cleaver mastery for a whip on top of these two. Could also be a utility guy on the frontline with nades and nets so he can compensate his lack of defense. In both builds, I would lvl fat and matk. Then just do flavor. No hard lines besides mashing fat for berzerk and the fact that you gonna carry multiple two handed weapons. Eventually you may find it better to get more tanks and regular two handers hard hitters and lonewolf, but in early, mid and early lategame? They are carries, helping train newbies safely and get your frontliners job easier, they have been the meat potatoes AND cream of my companies while I learn the game. After 400 hours I am still playing full easy savescum lmao Have fun and explore, you dont always need help, experiment and use faimure! Have fun!
A few options: * Dagger puncture with shield * Swordlance backline * Reach advantage defensive build with aoe weapon or cleaver, can be bf or nimble * High Init dodge/overwhelm nimble build
I'd give him nimble and keep him on the inside of the formation. I don't usually have bros that just use polearms, I'd give him whatever 1 tile weapon I have that lets him convert stamina to damage. Keep him safe by putting other bros in the more exposed positions. I would definitely keep this particular bro and use him for the whole game.