Battle Brothers is Overhype Studios' turn-based mercenary company sim, released on 24 March 2017 and now published by Hooded Horse. You hire named men with backgrounds, eight attributes, and permanent death, take contracts across a procedurally generated world map, and try to be strong enough when the late-game crisis arrives. Four expansions extend it: Beasts and Exploration, Warriors of the North, Blazing Deserts, and the free Of Flesh and Faith.
Starting Battle Brothers can feel overwhelming. This guide tells you exactly what to focus on during your first hours so you don't waste time on things that don't matter yet. For the full progression path, see our walkthrough.
What Kind of Game Is This?
Battle Brothers is a strategy game built around Fatigue as the action budget and Permadeath and permanent injuries. The core loop involves mastering these systems to progress through increasingly challenging content.
What to expect: Time investment in learning mechanics, experimentation, and gradual mastery. The game rewards patience and knowledge.
Choosing Your First Build
| Build | Beginner Rating | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sellsword | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Hedge Knight | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Wildman | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Retired Soldier | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Squire | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
Our recommendation: Start with Hedge Knight. It offers the most forgiving experience while teaching core mechanics.
Avoid Squire as your first pick. It requires deep knowledge of game systems to use effectively. Once you're ready, check our classes guide for all options.
First Session Step-by-Step
Step 1: Learn Fatigue as the action budget
Every action costs fatigue, and heavy armor raises the cost of everything. A brother in full plate who swings twice may have nothing left for a shield wall, which is why armor weight is a tactical decision and not just a defensive one.
This is the foundation. Spend your first 15-30 minutes getting comfortable with how Fatigue as the action budget works before worrying about anything else. Our combat guide breaks this down further.
Step 2: Head to Noble house territory
The three noble houses hold the map's richest settlements and their contracts pay best. If the noble war triggers as your crisis, siding with one or two houses turns the whole campaign into large-scale battles with strong loot.
Clear the main content here before moving on. Everything teaches fundamentals you'll need later. See our maps guide for all locations.
Step 3: Get Your First Upgrade
Look for Billhook: it's the most accessible early upgrade. A reach weapon that attacks from the second rank and can pull enemies out of their formation. Turns a mediocre recruit into a contributor without exposing him to the front line.
Step 4: Understand Permadeath and permanent injuries
Dead brothers stay dead and injuries can permanently reduce attributes. A broken elbow follows a man for the rest of the campaign, while lighter wounds heal with bed rest at a settlement.
This is the system most new players overlook. Invest time here early. It pays off throughout the entire game.
Step 5: Push to Greenskin camps
Goblin and orc camps generate raiding parties, and during a greenskin invasion they besiege cities and can permanently destroy settlements if that option is enabled. Orc weapons and armor are among the best loot in the base game.
Essential Mechanics Explained
Fatigue as the action budget
Every action costs fatigue, and heavy armor raises the cost of everything. A brother in full plate who swings twice may have nothing left for a shield wall, which is why armor weight is a tactical decision and not just a defensive one.
Permadeath and permanent injuries
Dead brothers stay dead and injuries can permanently reduce attributes. A broken elbow follows a man for the rest of the campaign, while lighter wounds heal with bed rest at a settlement.
Eight attributes with level-up rolls
Each brother has eight attributes, and every level-up offers randomized increases plus one perk pick. Two men from the same background can end up on completely different ceilings, so check the stars on their attributes before investing.
Contracts and faction relations
Settlements offer dynamically generated contracts of varying difficulty, and taking sides changes how factions treat you. Reputation determines which contracts appear, so early cheap work is what unlocks the profitable jobs later.
Late-game crises
One of three crises escalates the campaign: a noble war between the map's three houses, a greenskin invasion of goblins and orcs, or an undead scourge. Players report the crisis being foretold around day 50 to 70 and starting around day 80 to 100, and you can pick which one comes first at campaign setup.
Common Beginner Mistakes
1. Putting heavy armor on a brother who cannot pay its fatigue cost every turn
This is a common trap that costs new players significant time.
2. Fighting every contract to the end instead of retreating from a fight that has turned
This is a common trap that costs new players significant time.
3. Investing level-ups in a brother whose attribute stars cap him out early
This is a common trap that costs new players significant time.
4. Assuming barbarians, arenas, or taxidermist crafting are in the base game when each needs a specific DLC
This is a common trap that costs new players significant time.
5. Triggering a greenskin invasion as your first crisis before your company can field a full line
This is a common trap that costs new players significant time.
First 5 Hours Checklist
- Understand Fatigue as the action budget and Permadeath and permanent injuries
- Choose Hedge Knight as starting build
- Clear Noble house territory main content
- Acquire Billhook or equivalent upgrade
- Reach Greenskin camps
- Know which content comes from where. Beasts and Exploration adds beasts, taxidermist crafting, and hidden locations; Warriors of the North adds barbarians and origins; Blazing Deserts adds the south, firearms, grenades, and arenas; Of Flesh and Faith is free and adds the Oathtakers and Anatomists origins.
- Of Flesh and Faith costs nothing, so install it regardless. Its two origins carry unique mechanics, story events, and equipment, and it was described as the most detailed pair of origins added since the feature arrived.
Tips for New Players
- Know which content comes from where. Beasts and Exploration adds beasts, taxidermist crafting, and hidden locations; Warriors of the North adds barbarians and origins; Blazing Deserts adds the south, firearms, grenades, and arenas; Of Flesh and Faith is free and adds the Oathtakers and Anatomists origins.
- Of Flesh and Faith costs nothing, so install it regardless. Its two origins carry unique mechanics, story events, and equipment, and it was described as the most detailed pair of origins added since the feature arrived.
- Attribute stars at hiring predict a brother's ceiling far better than his current numbers. A beggar with three stars in melee skill outperforms a retired soldier with none, given enough levels.
- Fatigue is the real constraint in every fight. Before you buy heavier armor, check whether the wearer can still act twice a turn, because a brother who cannot swing is worse than a lightly armored one who can.
- Choose the noble war as your first crisis when learning. It gives you the most time to build up, and its battles pay well without the settlement-destroying pressure of a greenskin invasion.
- Retreating is a legitimate tactic and the game is designed around it. Losing a contract costs money and reputation; losing four veterans costs the campaign.
- During an undead scourge, human enemies can reanimate mid-battle, so do not walk your line past bodies you have not finished with.
- Beasts and Exploration makes all beasts, including those from Blazing Deserts, drop crafting materials for taxidermists. That turns beast hunting from a side activity into an income stream.
- Polearm brothers in the second rank are the cheapest way to add damage to a small company, because they contribute without needing the defensive statline a front-line fighter requires.
- Nimble and Battle Forged pull in opposite directions. Pick one per brother based on his rolled defenses and stick with it, since a half-armored brother gets the worst of both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which DLC should I buy first?
Install Of Flesh and Faith immediately because it is free. Of the paid expansions, Blazing Deserts adds the most new systems with firearms, grenades, arenas, and a southern region, while Beasts and Exploration adds the most new enemies and the taxidermist crafting loop.
What are the late-game crises?
Three: a noble war between the map's three houses, a greenskin invasion of orcs and goblins, and an undead scourge. Players report the crisis being foretold around day 50 to 70 and starting around day 80 to 100, and you can choose which comes first when starting a campaign.
Do the origins need a DLC?
The origins system arrived with Warriors of the North and several origins are tied to it, including Lone Wolf, Peasant Militia, and the Davkul cultists. Blazing Deserts adds three southern starts, and the free Of Flesh and Faith adds the Oathtakers and the Anatomists.
Is permadeath really permanent?
Yes. Dead brothers do not come back, and injuries such as a broken elbow permanently reduce attributes. Lighter wounds heal with rest at a settlement, which is why keeping cash for downtime matters as much as buying gear.
Is it still worth playing in 2026?
Yes. The 2017 base game is complete, the expansions are finished rather than in progress, and it is now published by Hooded Horse. There is no live service element, so nothing about it expires.
More Battle Brothers Guides
- Battle Brothers Battle Brothers Overview
- Battle Brothers Best Builds
- Battle Brothers Tier List
- Battle Brothers Walkthrough
- Battle Brothers Tips & Tricks
- Battle Brothers Weapons Guide
- Battle Brothers Combat Guide
- Battle Brothers Boss Guide
- Battle Brothers Maps & Locations
- Battle Brothers Crafting Guide
- Battle Brothers Classes & Characters
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