Incline Battle Brothers + Beasts & Exploration, Warriors of the North and Blazing Deserts DLC Thread

[Disgruntled]

Thats true, one of the incentives of playing on ironman is the story element of playing out through real risk, adversity, deaths and keeping grizzled vets with missing eyes and legs. But restarting campaigns starts to burn one out, im currently on run 7 or 8 and at this point id rather do the odd reload to reach end game content.

Ive already abandoned a more honest ironman campaign on day 145 cause despite a full party and 5k gold, too many high level bros died and ive missed out on too much armor to keep up with the mobs at that point in the game.

 

[Tigranes]

I mean, if you've blown through like 8 runs in the last week, I wouldn't blame the game for being burnt out.

I also have 'abandoned' runs where the company throws the towel in, I think that's also a good way to end. Pyrrhic victories and all.

 

[AwesomeButton]

That's a great result. Any special tricks?

2-handers might be key to actually being able to bring down the shield every single turn, encouraging it to regrow it isntead of attacking you.

Do we know if the tree attack has same THC for all 3 squares? I suppose it must be, like Split & Swing?

I was lucky with positioning. The terrain was such that I could get my backline guys to higher ground, while the front line was keeping them protected. One of the schrats went into my formation and I managed to surround it almost completely. I broke down its shield and then got lucky with the RNG for my hits because it took me like one turn to take it down, surrounded from 5 sides and with billmen also hitting from the backline. In the meantime schrat #2 did some serious damage to one of my guys but by using Rotation, he was able to escape.

Yep, second best. Sometimes initiative is a double edged sword. Also I dont think I ve ever seen Schrats miss a turn and regrow the shield instead. Once i bash it open, open it stays.

They have been doing it in both fights I had. What I've never managed was to throw any kind of net over them. I read some pages back that this was very effective, but I've missed like 5-6 times so far.

 

[Parabalus]

Does anyone use throwing axes, javelins etc? They seem pretty bad but then having your entire front line able to do range could be good? Do throwing weapons use range or melee skill for hit chance?

On a related note I really hate the nets in this game, outside of the roman coliseum how often were nets actually used in ancient/medieval warfare? And yea I know its a 'fantasy' game but they still seem stupid...

Throwing weapons use 'Ranged' skill. The problem with them - still - is you'll need 'Quick Hands', 'Bags and Belts' and 'Duelist' (+ the weapon mastery, of course) to make them good. And even then they'll be outperformed by a good archer.

If you still use 'Quickhands' for your 2H Bros anyway - so they can use the silly shield swap - I guess you can try to give them a bundle of javelins or that one big anti-shield spear, but don't waste points on 'Ranged Attack' and create Hybrids. Not worth it.

In a run I experimented with a thrown specialist since I got a full set of uniques.

The throwing axes do extreme armor damage, they are good vs orcs, but even better vs ancient dead since they aren't piercing damage - you can use them to kill priests. Javelins can 1-hit fodder.

They do more damage than archers per AP, but they have to move around and are closer, so you can't just ignore defenses like on archers. Cool as a novelty.

What's wrong with shield swapping?

 

[Teut Busnet]

Does anyone use throwing axes, javelins etc? They seem pretty bad but then having your entire front line able to do range could be good? Do throwing weapons use range or melee skill for hit chance?

On a related note I really hate the nets in this game, outside of the roman coliseum how often were nets actually used in ancient/medieval warfare? And yea I know its a 'fantasy' game but they still seem stupid...

Throwing weapons use 'Ranged' skill. The problem with them - still - is you'll need 'Quick Hands', 'Bags and Belts' and 'Duelist' (+ the weapon mastery, of course) to make them good. And even then they'll be outperformed by a good archer.

If you still use 'Quickhands' for your 2H Bros anyway - so they can use the silly shield swap - I guess you can try to give them a bundle of javelins or that one big anti-shield spear, but don't waste points on 'Ranged Attack' and create Hybrids. Not worth it.

In a run I experimented with a thrown specialist since I got a full set of uniques.

The throwing axes do extreme armor damage, they are good vs orcs, but even better vs ancient dead since they aren't piercing damage - you can use them to kill priests. Javelins can 1-hit fodder.

They do more damage than archers per AP, but they have to move around and are closer, so you can't just ignore defenses like on archers. Cool as a novelty.

What's wrong with shield swapping?

Maybe you could give Archers you take with you against Orcs anyway some throwing axes. But without 'Bags and Belts' it'll be one bundle only, and without the weapon mastery the Warbow (50-70 damage, 35% ignore, 65% effective) is still better than Javelin (30-45 damage, 35% ignore, 75% effective) or axes (25-40 damge, 25% ignore, 110% effective). And the range of only 4 tiles will be a problem when you try to 'Snipe Priests'.

I'll again try to build a thrower if I find a fitting Bro just for the novelty, as you said, but I don't think he will be in the lineup for the most challenging fights.

As for what's wrong with shield swapping - nothing when it comes to uselfulness. But the idea of attacking with a big, heavy, two-handed weapon and then putting it away to get out a shield just to do the reverse moments later being beneficial in a fight makes me roll my eyes and breaks immersion. (Nevermind the micro-managing) To each his own, I guess.

 

[Jabber]

Throwers should have bows. That solves a lot of their "shortcomings". They have quick hands + B&B, so it only takes like one of 5 weapon slots they have.

The perk overlap with a standard bow archer is basically the same. Just give up bullseye, bow mastery, and [two other perks] to pick up duelist / quick hands / B&B / throwing mastery. Keep zerk / killing frenzy.

I'm not sure a thrower is better on the margin than another straight zerk archer, but they are fun and only slightly worse in most cases and significantly better in others. The damage and accuracy bonus at 2 hexes with javelins is brutal.

I've never felt the throwing axes thing was worth it. If you're throwing axes you should just be bringing somebody else that can actually deal with armor properly, or penetrating the armor with javelins. I don't think it makes sense to bring any ranged characters against ancient undead, unless something has changed in DLC.

My 2c.

 

[Thonius]

I got some recon. Apparently trade caravans and noble patrols got a chance to drop legendary Items.

 

[AwesomeButton]

I got some recon. Apparently trade caravans and noble patrols got a chance to drop legendary Items.

How can you attack patrols and caravans?

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

I got some recon. Apparently trade caravans and noble patrols got a chance to drop legendary Items.

How can you attack patrols and caravans?

Ctrl-click if I remember correctly.

 

[Sarissofoi]

Do we will get proper manual someday?
There is plenty of stuff hidden on purpose and when I like secrets and uncovering them I am less happy about hiding game mechanics that are practically impossible to uncover by normal means.
Like when all contracts on location replace local forces for one scaled to contract but you probably don't know that 1 and 2 star contracts also replace unique for generic loot but 3 star contract not. 2nd hand source but its supposedly come from raps himself.

 

[Reinhardt]

Do we will get proper manual someday?

Cleve is working on it.

 

[vota DC]

If there are many hidden things then manual will be released with modding tools.

 

[Parabalus]

Any way to read legendary locations position from the save file?

Can't seem to find any other than goblin + monolith, and the unhold graveyard. Do all 10 spawn on every map?

 

[Teut Busnet]

I just kited 8 Schrats in a camp with 15 Ancient Honor Guards.

After watching the battle end 15 - 0 for the barely touched Schrats, I ran.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

I just kited 8 Schrats in a camp with 15 Ancient Honor Guards.

After watching the battle end 15 - 0 for the barely touched Schrats, I ran.

I tried the same with 3 Unholds and Militia.
Poor peasants only made them confident.

On world map militia seems to be able to deal with such pack of not-trolls with only couple of casualties.

 

[Teut Busnet]

I just kited 8 Schrats in a camp with 15 Ancient Honor Guards.

After watching the battle end 15 - 0 for the barely touched Schrats, I ran.

I tried the same with 3 Unholds and Militia.
Poor peasants only made them confident.

On world map militia seems to be able to deal with such pack of not-trolls with only couple of casualties.

Yeah, 'World Map' fights are nonsense - maybe heavily weighted in favour of the 'Good Guys', Militia and Big Houses soldiers.

On a related note: 8 North-Unholds match up well with full 'Sea of Tents', I only had to clean up 2 Orc Warriors after they fought it out.

 

[Murk]

Just got the event for:

Spoiler

Hoggart's Memento

Never encountered this before, came with DLC I assume? It seemed similar to how the...

Spoiler

fight after you complete the sword from the Kraken quest line goes, but I had a witch hunter who helped me resolve it without a fight, and got a famed 2-hander with Hoggart's name on it

.

Sick.

 

[Tigranes]

I found some prophetic thing which says find the other piece of the weapon - but they had no clue as to where to find it? I guess you just go back to that hut when you somehow do?

 

[Vilain Joueur]

Just got the event for:

Spoiler

Hoggart's Memento

Never encountered this before, came with DLC I assume? It seemed similar to how the...

Spoiler

fight after you complete the sword from the Kraken quest line goes, but I had a witch hunter who helped me resolve it without a fight, and got a famed 2-hander with Hoggart's name on it

.

Sick.

Hoggart's Heirloom, you mean? It was there before. It can trigger during the Undead crisis, I believe.

 

[vazha]

I got some recon. Apparently trade caravans and noble patrols got a chance to drop legendary Items.

More info pls. What did you get?

 

[Murk]

Just got the event for:

Spoiler

Hoggart's Memento

Never encountered this before, came with DLC I assume? It seemed similar to how the...

Spoiler

fight after you complete the sword from the Kraken quest line goes, but I had a witch hunter who helped me resolve it without a fight, and got a famed 2-hander with Hoggart's name on it

.

Sick.

Hoggart's Heirloom, you mean? It was there before. It can trigger during the Undead crisis, I believe.

Yeah, Heirloom. Dunno why I thought it was an alliteration. I never got it before, I assumed it was new since the description was similar to the Rachegeist. Blue ghost in a body and all.

Anyway, main save now has done all three crises. Feels good, and I think I can set this one aside and go try some dumb shit with an all dagger group or something.

Seed I had has like 0 Hedge Knights. Got every other background, and quite a few good budget bros too, but never hedge knights =(

 

[Whiskeyjack]

First hedge I hired had triple melee attack and defense stars. I never get that lucky.

 

[tindrli]

why are hedge knights important?

 

[Parabalus]

why are hedge knights important?

Unlike Swordmasters they don't get old.

 

[vazha]

Then again, with the magic water thingie you find (cures everything bad, even old) you can now always allow yerself the luxury of having one swordmaster (who'll teach other bros of specific background - nobles, squires and apprentices iirc and at some point decide that he need to be paid half of what he's paid because he's old now (even though he aint anymore, after the magic water thingie)

UPD: Also, dont let yourself be deceived by that table. A highly talented cultist with good basic stats will most likely end up a better warrior than an averagely-talented sellsword or a hedge knight. Talented brawlers have been my go to background as of late. Dont know about exact boni, but lumberjacks arent half bad either.