Legends of Eisenwald Step-By-Step Video Guide

Overview

Detailed step-by-step video guide for Legends of Eisenwald covering each main aspect of the game. Consists of several short videos (currently 17 videos in total, each 5 to 8 minutes in length). Collectively these videos provide a detailed walk through for the first chapter of the main campaign. However, the videos can be viewed separately based upon the main focus of each particular video.

00 – How to Best Use this Guide

This guide serves two basic purposes for both new and experienced players alike:

Each video gives a detailed accounting of one or two aspects of the various game mechanics of Legends of Eisendwald.
The topics covered are similar to what is covered in the in-game tutorial screens, but more thoroughly. Even experienced players may learn some new aspects of the game or why the game operates in the manner that it does. In addition, various battle strategies are covered from simple concepts to more complex ones, such as anticipating and baiting of enemy movement. This guide emphasizes thinking ahead and being well-prepared for each battle.
Collectively, the videos form a detailed walk through of the first chapter of the main campaign.
This is not the main purpose of this guide,though. (Please see the walk through guide for a more rapid half-hour progressiong through the first chapter). Rather, this guide uses the introductory chapter and the challenges posed therein as a means to illustrate different game mechanics. Each battle is explained in detail, but some battles are used to emphasize certain aspects of game play compared to others. The strategies described in the various videos can be extended to battles in later chapters, since they are general in nature.

Not every aspect of the game is covered, since not all aspects of the game can be well emphasized using only the first chapter of the main campaign. Additional videos based upon later chapters may be added in the future to cover these missing gaps.

In terms of making the best use of the guide, the videos can either be watched in their entirety in sequential order, or more likely, the viewer can refer to the particular topics described regarding a particular video. The videos do reference each other to some extent, but each is mostly self contained. If the viewer has any experience playing the game, and especially if they have already played through the first scenario, then the videos can freely viewed in any order.

01 – Game Options and Hero Selection

Introduction to the main game options and choosing a hero for a new campaign:

Basic launcher options covered
Recommendation to add an exception or disable anti-virus software if having slow loading screens
Various ways to access in-game tutorial screens detailed
Effects of various game difficulty settings discussed
Description provided for the three different types of heroes (knight, baronness, and mystic)
Corresponding difficulty of each hero class accessed

02 – Game Overview

A high-level overview is provided, focusing on what makes Legends of Eisenwald special:

Basic game screen navigation
Controlling the rate of the flow of time
Accessing the inventory and army screen for unit placement
Overview of high-level battle strategy with respect to unit movement (or the lack thereof)
Movement and attack of the nearest enemy constituting a single action for melee units
When ranged units move in order to retreat
Spiritual units (including the mystic hero) being unable to move during battle
Importance of saving the game before (and even after) each and every battle

Minor correction: the battle grid has 30 hexes, not 36 as stated.

03 – Unit Placement

Factors affecting placement of units:

Basic unit statistics (health, melee/ranged damage, melee/ranged defense, etc.)
How damage is calculated
How inventory/army screen is used to place units
General strategies for initial placement of units preceeding a battle
Relationship of rows (front, middle, back) to different unit types (melee, ranged, spiritual)
Default rows for each unit type
Why the mystic may be placed in the front line

04 – Anticipating the Enemy

Anticipating enemy movement and attacks:

When to auto resolve a battle
How initiative controls the order in which units can act or attack
Considering how the enemy will, and sometimes, must move
Postponing a friendly unit’s action until the end of term
Postponing an attack of friendly melee units in order to “bait” enemy units to come closer
How to get the units to stand next to the mystic for his direct attack
General battlefield control of which enemy units attack and whom

05 – Battle Strategies

General strategies and battle considerations:

Determining both melee and ranged damage based upon unit statistics
Pre-calculating damage to prepare units for attack
Ranged unit distance penalties when either being too close or too far from target
Example strategic decision making for the first battle against the fugitive peasants
Taking advantage of the early surrender of the opponents

06 – Camera and Map Manipulation

Controlling the camera and using the map:

Changing camera perspective using the mouse
How camera angles are limited to prevent the player from seeing off the edge of the world
Description of the three nested square regions for a given scenario
1. Inner square region in which a play can move
2. Mid square region of the map
3. Outer square visual boundary
Accessing the map
Toggling map annotations to locate buildings and units
Zooming in and out of the map

07 – Journal and Quests

Using the journal to track quests:

How the journal tracks quests
When the journal is updated as quests are completed
Using the journal with the map in order to determine where to go next
Triggering quest progression
When some quests auto complete while others require returning to the quest giver

08 – Building Actions

Buildings and the actions they provide:

Typical actions available (hiring, buying, healing, etc.)
Actions differing by buildings (castles, villages, churches, etc.)
Example actions (hiring of a soldier, a low-level priest and a healing woman)
How number units are capped by the castle-supported number of slots
How liistening action is tied to a particular rather than a specific building
Unit availability (for some buildings) regenerating each day

09 – Items and Inventory

Purchasing items and managing inventory:

Sorting items by their type, separating weapons from armor and other item types
Background coloring (green/brown/red) indicating item usefulness for unit
Buying versus selling of items in a market
Amulets and hats enhancing unit attributes
Potions restoring health/spiritual power
Auto-equipping versus direct equiping of items in inventory
Equiping a horse and a lance, versus melee weapon, for a knight

10 – Inns and Rumors

Advantages to listening to rumors in inns:

Provides insight in how to complete main quests
Allows for mini side-quests based upon local gossip
Gains access to new places to engage in battle and find treasure
Generally free unless a particular good tip may cost a little gold

11 – Battle Healing

Healing strategies when in battle:

Having multiple healers can provide more choices when deferring healing
When to conserve friendly healing by either postponing or meditating
Accounting for healers only having two or three heals before having to meditate
Delaying attacks to cause enemy healer to waste their heal for turn
Determining which units are best to heal given past and anticipated damage

12 – Buffing

Stategies for priest and mystic buffs during battle:

Choosing the best unit to buff based upon potential damage
Determining whether to strengthen either the defense or the attack of a unit
Accounting for initiative when buffing vulnerable units
Combining priest and mystic defensive spells to provide a super defensive buff
Whether to buff or attack when mystic is (or will be by end of turn) adjacent to enemy unit

13 – Mercenaries

Hiring mercenaries from inns:

Inn hiring action available when mercenaries appear
Difference between castle-supported units, followers, and mercenaries
Negative income from daily upkeep for maintaining mercenaries
Stronger armies after all the castle-supported slots filled
Access to stronger units than may otherwise be available

14 – Sieging and Castle Assault

Factors when attacking a castle to gain control:

Automatic damage assigned to attackers based upon row placement and defensive statistics
Danger posed by ranged units with high initiative
Likelihood of loosing one or two units before or soon after battle begins
Initial unit placement needs to accomodate for extra initial damage
Postponing attacks to reduce counter-strikes from spear-wielding units

15 – Upgrading Units

Factors to consider when upgrading units:

Primary followers (like the knight) typically locked from upgrades
First upgrade limited to a single choice
Choice between two different paths for second upgrade
Improvement in statistics
Additional abilities gained by spiritual/healing units upon upgrade
Heroes have extensive upgrade trees
Mystic choosing “Stream” upgrade can next access “Punishing Fire” to move as a melee unit

16 – Castle Defense

Factors affecting castle defense while being assaulted:

Garrisoned units adding to overall defense
Garrison restricted from having either followers or heros
Archers being strongest defenders
Weakening of enemy units from automatic damage during the assault
Strong armored attacking units remaining a challenge to defeat

17 – Equipping to Preserve Inventory

Preserving gains when transitioning to next chapter:

Only hero, and possibly friend, transtion, while all other units lost
Only equipped items persist while inventory and gold disappears
Move best equipment to open slots on hero (and friend)
Limited by being only equip wearable items

Legends of Eisenwald Guide