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<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /><title>Battle for Wesnoth User’s Manual</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="./styles/manual.css" type="text/css" /><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.75.2" /></head><body><div xml:lang="en" class="book" title="Battle for Wesnoth User’s Manual" lang="en"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h1 class="title"><a id="id266323"></a>Battle for Wesnoth User’s Manual</h1></div></div><hr /></div><div class="toc"><p><b>Table of Contents</b></p><dl><dt><span class="preface"><a href="#_preface">Preface</a></span></dt><dt><span class="chapter"><a href="#_getting_started">1. Getting Started</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_the_world">1.1. The World</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_the_creatures">1.1.1. The Creatures</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_finding_your_way">1.2. Finding Your Way</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_game_modes">1.3. Game Modes</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_campaigns">1.3.1. Campaigns</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#scenarios">1.3.2. Scenarios</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#game_screen">1.3.3. The Game Screen</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_recruit_and_recall">1.3.4. Recruit and Recall</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_your_army">1.3.5. Your Army</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_life_and_death_experience">1.3.6. Life and Death - Experience</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_victory_and_defeat">1.3.7. Victory and Defeat</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_gold">1.3.8. GoldGold</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_save_and_load">1.3.9. Save and Load</a></span></dt></dl></dd></dl></dd><dt><span class="chapter"><a href="#_playing">2. Playing</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_controls">2.1. Controls</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_gold_2">2.2. GoldGold</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_recruiting_and_recalling">2.2.1. Recruiting and Recalling</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_upkeep">2.2.2. Upkeep</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_income">2.2.3. Income</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_units">2.3. Units</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_alignment">2.3.1. Alignment</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#traits">2.3.2. Traits</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_unit_specialties">2.3.3. Unit Specialties</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_abilities">2.3.4. Abilities</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_experience">2.3.5. Experience</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#unit_recall">2.3.6. Recalling units</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_moving">2.4. Moving</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_zone_of_control">2.4.1. Zone of Control</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#orbs">2.4.2. Orbs</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_ellipses_team_colors_and_hero_icons">2.4.3. Ellipses, Team Colors, and Hero Icons</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_fighting">2.5. Fighting</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_attack_types">2.5.1. Attack types</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_resistance">2.5.2. Resistance</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_healing">2.6. Healing</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_regeneration">2.6.1. Regeneration</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_poison">2.6.2. PoisonPoison</a></span></dt></dl></dd></dl></dd><dt><span class="chapter"><a href="#_strategy_and_tips">3. Strategy and Tips</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#basic_strategy">3.1. Basic Strategy</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_don_8217_t_waste_units">3.1.1. Don’t waste units</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_out_of_the_enemy_8217_s_reach">3.1.2. Out of the enemy’s reach</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#zoc">3.1.3. Shield with your zone of control (ZOC)</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_maintain_a_defensive_line">3.1.4. Maintain a defensive line</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_rotate_your_troops">3.1.5. Rotate your troops</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_use_the_terrain">3.1.6. Use the terrain</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_attacking_and_choosing_your_targets">3.1.7. Attacking and choosing your targets</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_time_of_day">3.1.8. Time of Day</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_experience_2">3.1.9. Experience</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_getting_the_most_fun_out_of_the_game">3.2. Getting the Most Fun Out of the Game</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_at_the_start_of_a_scenario">3.2.1. At the start of a scenario</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_during_the_scenario">3.2.2. During the scenario</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_healing_2">3.2.3. Healing</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_winning_a_scenario">3.2.4. Winning a scenario</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_more_general_tips">3.2.5. More general tips</a></span></dt></dl></dd></dl></dd></dl></div><div class="list-of-tables"><p><b>List of Tables</b></p><dl><dt>2.1. <a href="#id311714">Controls and hotkeys</a></dt><dt>2.2. <a href="#id312402">Time of the day and damage</a></dt><dt>2.3. <a href="#id313373">Experience bonuses for killing or fighting enemies of different levels</a></dt><dt>2.4. <a href="#id313631">Orbs</a></dt></dl></div><div class="preface" title="Preface"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title"><a id="_preface"></a>Preface</h2></div></div></div><p>The Battle for Wesnoth is a turn-based strategy game with a fantasy theme.</p><p>Build up a great army, gradually training raw recruits into hardened
veterans. In later games, recall your toughest warriors and form a deadly
host against whom none can stand! Choose units from a large pool of
specialists, and hand pick a force with the right strengths to fight well on
different terrains against all manner of opposition.</p><p>Wesnoth has many different sagas waiting to be played out. You can battle
orcs, undead, and bandits on the marches of the Kingdom of Wesnoth; fight
alongside dragons in the lofty peaks, elves in the green reaches of the
Aethenwood, dwarves in the great halls of Knalga, or even merfolk in the Bay
of Pearls. You can fight to regain the throne of Wesnoth, or use your dread
power over the Undead to dominate the land of mortals, or lead your glorious
Orcish tribe to victory against the humans who dared despoil your lands.</p><p>You will be able to select from among over two hundred unit types (infantry,
cavalry, archers, and mages are just the beginning) and fight actions
ranging from small-unit ambushes to clashes of vast armies. You can also
challenge your friends – or strangers – and fight in epic multi-player
fantasy battles.</p><p>Battle for Wesnoth is open-source software, and a thriving community of
volunteers cooperates to improve the game. You can create your own custom
units, write your own scenarios, and even script full-blown
campaigns. User-maintained content is available from an add-on server, and
the very best of it is incorporated into Battle for Wesnoth’s official
releases.</p></div><div class="chapter" title="Chapter 1. Getting Started"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title"><a id="_getting_started"></a>Chapter 1. Getting Started</h2></div></div></div><div class="toc"><p><b>Table of Contents</b></p><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_the_world">1.1. The World</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_the_creatures">1.1.1. The Creatures</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_finding_your_way">1.2. Finding Your Way</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_game_modes">1.3. Game Modes</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_campaigns">1.3.1. Campaigns</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#scenarios">1.3.2. Scenarios</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#game_screen">1.3.3. The Game Screen</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_recruit_and_recall">1.3.4. Recruit and Recall</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_your_army">1.3.5. Your Army</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_life_and_death_experience">1.3.6. Life and Death - Experience</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_victory_and_defeat">1.3.7. Victory and Defeat</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_gold">1.3.8. GoldGold</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_save_and_load">1.3.9. Save and Load</a></span></dt></dl></dd></dl></div><div class="section" title="1.1. The World"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a id="_the_world"></a>1.1. The World</h2></div></div></div><p>The known portion of the Great Continent, on which Wesnoth abides, is
generally divided into three areas: the Northlands, which are generally
lawless; the kingdom of Wesnoth and its occasional principality, Elensefar;
and the domain of the Southwest Elves in the Aethenwood and beyond.</p><p>The Kingdom of Wesnoth lies in the centre of this land. Its borders are the
Great River to the north, the Dulatus Hills in the east and south, the edge
of the Aethenwood to the southwest, and the Ocean to the west. Elensefar, a
once-province of Wesnoth, is bordered by the Great River to the north, a
loosely defined line with Wesnoth to the east, the Bay of Pearls to the
south, and the ocean to the west.</p><p>The Northlands is the wild country north of the Great River. Various groups
of orcs, dwarves, barbarians and elves populate the region. To the north
and east lies the forest of Lintanir, where the great kingdom of the
North-Elves keeps to its own mysterious affairs.</p><p>Over the land are scattered villages where you can heal your troops and
gather the income required to support your army. You will also have to cross
mountains and rivers, push through forests, hills and tundra, and cross open
grassland. In each of these areas different creatures have adapted to live
there and can travel more easily and fight better when they are in familiar
terrain.</p><div class="section" title="1.1.1. The Creatures"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_the_creatures"></a>1.1.1. The Creatures</h3></div></div></div><p>In the world of Wesnoth there dwell humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, drakes,
saurians, mermen, nagas, and many other races yet more obscure and
wondrous. In accursed lands walk undead and ghosts and specters; monsters
lurk in its ruins and dungeons. Each has adapted to particular
terrains. Humans inhabit primarily the temperate grasslands. In the hills,
mountains and underground caves orcs and dwarves are most at home. In the
forests the elves reign supreme. In the oceans and rivers mermen and nagas
dominate.</p><p>For game purposes, the races group into factions; for example, orcs often
cooperate with trolls, and elves or dwarves with humans. Some other factions
reflect divisions within human society — loyalists
vs. outlaws, for example. In most campaigns, you will control units drawn a
single faction. But sometimes factions make alliances with others, so you
may face more than one faction in a scenario.</p></div></div><div class="section" title="1.2. Finding Your Way"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a id="_finding_your_way"></a>1.2. Finding Your Way</h2></div></div></div><p>When Wesnoth first starts it displays an initial background and a column of
buttons called the Main Menu. The buttons only work with a mouse. For the
impatient, we recommend you: click the "Language" button to set your
language; then click the "Tutorial" button to run the tutorial; and then
play the campaign, "A Tale of Two Brothers" by clicking the "Campaign"
button and selecting it from the list provided.</p><p><span class="inlinemediaobject"><img src="images/main-menu-1.5.11.jpg" alt="Main Menu" /></span></p><div class="variablelist"><dl><dt><span class="term">
Tutorial
</span></dt><dd>
The tutorial is a real, but basic, game which teaches you some of the basic
controls needed to play the game. Winning or losing is not important here,
but learning what to do is. Click the Tutorial button to play. In the
Tutorial you are in the role of the prince Konrad or the princess
Li’sar, learning from the Elder Mage Delfador - pay attention or he
might turn you into a newt.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Campaign
</span></dt><dd>
Wesnoth was primarily designed to play campaigns. Campaigns are a series of
connected scenarios. Click this button to start a new campaign. You will be
presented with a list of campaigns available on your computer (more can be
downloaded if you wish). Select your campaign and click OK to start or
Cancel to quit. Each campaign has a difficulty level: easy, medium (normal),
and hard. We recommend medium as this level is challenging, but not
difficult. You may not change the difficulty during the campaign. In case
you have serious problems fighting your way through easy difficulty, the
guide about <a class="link" href="#basic_strategy" title="3.1. Basic Strategy">Basic Strategy</a> will surely
help you. Once you have selected the difficulty, you will start with the
first scenario of the campaign.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Multiplayer
</span></dt><dd>
Click this button to play single scenarios against one or more
opponents. You can play the games over the internet or at your computer,
against computer or human opponents. When you select this button a dialogue
will appear and allow you to choose how you want to play the scenario. To
learn more, see <a class="link" href="#scenarios" title="1.3.2. Scenarios">scenarios</a>.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Load
</span></dt><dd>
Click this button to load a previously saved game. You will be shown a
dialogue listing saved games. Select the game and click Ok to load and
continue, or Cancel to return to the Main Menu. If you select a replay game,
you can check the Replay check box. The loaded game will make all the moves
from the beginning while you watch.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Add-ons
</span></dt><dd>
Click this button to enter the content server where a whole lot of content
created by normal users is hosted. Among the things available there are many
campaigns, multiplayer eras (defining factions for multiplayer games) and
multiplayer maps. With the "Remove Add-ons" button you can remove them again
once you do not want them anymore.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Map Editor
</span></dt><dd>
Click this button to start the Map Editor where you can create custom maps
for multiplayer games or for building your own campaign upon.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Language
</span></dt><dd>
Click this button, select your language, and click OK to use it, or Cancel
to continue with the current language. The first time Wesnoth starts, it
defaults to English or your system locale if that can be determined, but
once you change it, it will start in that language.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Preferences
</span></dt><dd>
Click here to change default settings.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Credits
</span></dt><dd>
Click this button for a list of major Wesnoth contributors. You will often
be able to reach them in real time at irc.freenode.org:6667 on #wesnoth.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Quit
</span></dt><dd>
Click this button to close Wesnoth.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Help
</span></dt><dd>
Click this button to open the integrated in game Help System. It will
provide you with information about units and all other gameplay relevant
things of the game. Most of those things are mentioned in this manual.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Next
</span></dt><dd>
Click this button to read the next little tip from the "Tome of Wesnoth".
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Previous
</span></dt><dd>
Click this button to read the previous little tip from the "Tome of
Wesnoth".
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Envelope
</span></dt><dd>
Click this button (the icon of an envelope) to open a dialog where you can
enable or disable summary uploads which will help us to better balance
campaigns. All data submitted will be anonymous.
</dd></dl></div></div><div class="section" title="1.3. Game Modes"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a id="_game_modes"></a>1.3. Game Modes</h2></div></div></div><p>There are two basic ways to play Battle for Wesnoth:</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" type="disc"><li class="listitem">
Play a sequence of connected scenarios, known as a campaign, against the
computer.
</li><li class="listitem">
Play a single scenario against computer or human opponents.
</li></ul></div><div class="section" title="1.3.1. Campaigns"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_campaigns"></a>1.3.1. Campaigns</h3></div></div></div><p>Campaigns are sequences of battles with a connecting storyline. Typical
campaigns have about 10-20 scenarios. The main advantage with campaigns is
that they allow you to develop your army. As you complete each scenario, the
remaining units at the end are saved for you to use in the next scenario. If
you choose not to use a unit at all during a scenario it is carried over to
the next, so you don’t lose units you don’t use.</p><p>The campaign is the primary form in which Wesnoth is intended to be played,
is probably the most enjoyable, and is the recommended way for new players
to learn the game.</p></div><div class="section" title="1.3.2. Scenarios"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="scenarios"></a>1.3.2. Scenarios</h3></div></div></div><p>A single scenario takes about 30 minutes to 2 hours to complete. This is the
fastest way to play, but your units are not saved and you cannot use
campaign units. You can play scenarios against the computer or against other
players either over the internet or at your computer. Scenarios are accessed
through the "Multiplayer" button on the main menu.</p><p>In general multiplayer games are played against other players via the
Internet (you can also run them on your LAN if you have one). All these
games are co-ordinated through the Wesnoth multiplayer server. Multiplayer
games can take anywhere from 1 hour to 10 hours, depending on how many
players there are (and the size of the map). The average time is between 3
to 7 hours. Games can be saved and loaded as many times as you like. So,
it’s possible for some games to last 1 or 2 weeks, even though the
play time is only a few hours. You cannot carry over units in multiplayer
from one scenario to the next, so building up your army’s strength is
possible only within the scenario.</p><p>There are several possible options you are provided with when clicking on
the "Multiplayer" button:</p><p><span class="inlinemediaobject"><img src="images/multiplayer-1.5.11.jpg" alt="Multiplayer dialog" /></span></p><div class="section" title="1.3.2.1. Login"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a id="_login"></a>1.3.2.1. Login</h4></div></div></div><p>This will be your name on the multiplayer server. If you have an account on
the <a class="ulink" href="http://www.wesnoth.org/forum" target="_top">Wesnoth forums</a>, you
may use the same username and password for joining the official server. A
password box will pop up if a password is required for the current
username. You cannot use a registered name without the password.</p></div><div class="section" title="1.3.2.2. Join official Server"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a id="_join_official_server"></a>1.3.2.2. Join official Server</h4></div></div></div><p>This option directly connects you to the official server. You will end in
the lobby where you can create your games as you wish and where many games
are already open and maybe some players already waiting to join in a new
match.</p></div><div class="section" title="1.3.2.3. Connect to Server"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a id="_connect_to_server"></a>1.3.2.3. Connect to Server</h4></div></div></div><p>This option opens a dialog box allowing you to enter the address of the
machine to join. In this dialog there also is the button "View List" that
does show a list of official servers that can be used as backup if the main
server is currently not available.</p><p>A complete list of official and user setup servers is listed at this
website: <a class="ulink" href="http://wesnoth.org/wiki/MultiplayerServers" target="_top">Multiplayer
servers</a>.</p><p>You can also reach servers hosted by any other player with this menu
option. So if you got a server running in your local network, just enter
the address and port number (default: 15000). If you for example want to
connect to a server running on the machine with the address 192.168.0.10 and
the default port, you would enter this in the dialog: 192.168.0.10:15000</p></div><div class="section" title="1.3.2.4. Host Networked Game"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a id="_host_networked_game"></a>1.3.2.4. Host Networked Game</h4></div></div></div><p>To be able to start a multiplayer game without using an external multiplayer
server, you have to start the server, which is usually named
<span class="emphasis"><em>wesnothd</em></span>, yourself. This program is automatically
started in the background when selecting this option. It will be stopped,
once all players left the server. Other players need to be able to connect
to your port 15000 using TCP to play with you on your server. If you are
behind a firewall, you will probably need to change your firewall settings
to allow incoming connections to port 15000, and tell your firewall to
forward such traffic to the machine hosting the game. You should not need to
make firewall changes to join games hosted on a public server or by someone
else.</p></div><div class="section" title="1.3.2.5. Local Game"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h4 class="title"><a id="_local_game"></a>1.3.2.5. Local Game</h4></div></div></div><p>This creates a game just running on your computer. You can either use it as
hotseat game where everyone plays at the same computers by taking turns in
the <span class="emphasis"><em>hotseat</em></span>. Hotseat games will take about the same
time to play as games played over the Internet. Or you can just play a
scenario against AI opponents rather than human players. This can be a good
way to become familiar with the various maps that are used for multiplayer
games before playing against real opponents. It can also be used as a simple
way to explore the capabilities of units from the different factions by
choosing which faction you will play and which faction your opponents are in
these games. Of course, you can also mix both in one game. That is, play
together in a game with a friend against an AI opponent.</p></div></div><div class="section" title="1.3.3. The Game Screen"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="game_screen"></a>1.3.3. The Game Screen</h3></div></div></div><p><span class="inlinemediaobject"><img src="images/game-screen-1.5.7.jpg" alt="Game Screen" /></span></p><p>Regardless of whether you are playing a scenario or a campaign, the basic
layout of the game screen is the same. The majority of the screen is filled
with a map which shows all of the action that takes place in the
game. Around the map are various elements which provide useful information
about the game and are described in more detail below.</p><p><span class="inlinemediaobject"><img src="images/top_pane-1.5.7.jpg" alt="Top Panel" /></span></p><p>Across the top of the screen from left to right are the following items:</p><div class="orderedlist"><ol class="orderedlist" type="1"><li class="listitem">
Menu button
</li><li class="listitem">
Actions button
</li><li class="listitem">
Turn counter (current turn/maximum number of turns)
</li><li class="listitem">
Your gold
</li><li class="listitem">
Villages (your villages/total number of villages)
</li><li class="listitem">
Your total units
</li><li class="listitem">
Your upkeep
</li><li class="listitem">
Your income
</li><li class="listitem">
Current time or time left (in timed multiplayer games)
</li><li class="listitem">
Current hex position (x-coordinate, y-coordinate)
</li><li class="listitem">
Defense and movement of the currently selected unit on the marked hex
</li><li class="listitem">
Current hex type
</li></ol></div><p><span class="inlinemediaobject"><img src="images/right_pane-1.5.7.jpg" alt="Right Panel" /></span></p><p>Down the right of the screen from top to bottom are:</p><div class="orderedlist"><ol class="orderedlist" type="1"><li class="listitem">
Full map, scaled
</li><li class="listitem">
Time of day indicator
</li><li class="listitem">
Unit profile for last selected unit
</li><li class="listitem">
End Turn button
</li></ol></div></div><div class="section" title="1.3.4. Recruit and Recall"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_recruit_and_recall"></a>1.3.4. Recruit and Recall</h3></div></div></div><p>When you first start a scenario or campaign you will only have a few units
on the map. One of these will be your commander (identified by a little
golden crown icon). Your commander is usually placed in a castle on a
special hex called a keep. Whenever your commander is on a keep (not only
your own, but also the keep of any enemy castles you capture) and you have
enough gold, you can recruit units for your army. In later scenarios you can
recall experienced units that survived earlier scenarios. From here, you can
start to build your army to conquer the enemy.</p><p>The first thing you will probably want to do is recruit your first
unit. Press <code class="literal">Ctrl-R</code> (or right click on an empty castle hex
and select "Recruit") and you will be able to recruit a unit from a list of
all the units available to you. Each recruit is placed on an empty castle
hex. Once you have filled the castle, you cannot recruit any more until
units move off. Your opponent’s commander is similarly placed on its
castle keep and will begin by recruiting its troops — so
don’t dilly-dally looking at the scenery, there’s a battle to be
won.</p><p>At the end of each successful scenario, all your remaining troops are
automatically saved. At the start of the next scenario you may recall them
in a similar way to recruiting. Recalled troops are often more experienced
than recruits and usually a better choice.</p></div><div class="section" title="1.3.5. Your Army"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_your_army"></a>1.3.5. Your Army</h3></div></div></div><p>All game types use the same soldiers, called units. Each unit is identified
by Race, Level, and Class. Each unit has strengths and weaknesses, based on
their Resistances, current Terrain, and Level. Full details are in the in
game help.</p></div><div class="section" title="1.3.6. Life and Death - Experience"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_life_and_death_experience"></a>1.3.6. Life and Death - Experience</h3></div></div></div><p>As your troops gain battle experience, they will learn more skills and
become stronger. They will also die in battle, so you’ll need to
recruit and recall more when that happens. But choose wisely, for each has
strengths and weaknesses a cunning opponent will quickly exploit.</p></div><div class="section" title="1.3.7. Victory and Defeat"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_victory_and_defeat"></a>1.3.7. Victory and Defeat</h3></div></div></div><p>Pay careful attention to the Objectives pop-up box at the beginning of each
scenario. Usually you will achieve victory by killing all enemy leaders, and
only be defeated by having your leader killed. But scenarios may have other
victory objectives - getting your leader to a designated point, say, or
rescuing someone, or solving a puzzle, or holding out against a siege until
a certain number of turns have elapsed.</p><p>When you win a scenario, the map will gray over and the <span class="emphasis"><em>End
Turn</em></span> button will change to <span class="emphasis"><em>End Scenario</em></span>. You
can now do things like changing your save options or (if you are in a
multiplayer game) chatting with other players before pressing that button
to advance.</p></div><div class="section" title="1.3.8. GoldGold"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_gold"></a>1.3.8. GoldGold</h3></div></div></div><p>Your army does not fight for free. It costs you gold to recruit units and
gold to maintain them. You start each scenario with gold carried over from
previous scenarios (although each scenario ensures you have at least a
minimum amount of gold to start if you didn’t carry over enough from
previous scenarios) and can gain more by meeting scenario objectives quickly
and, during a scenario, by controlling villages. Each village you control
will give you two gold pieces income per turn. When you first start a
scenario it is usually worthwhile to gain control of as many villages as you
can to ensure you have sufficient income to wage war. You can see your
current gold and current income at the top of the screen as described in the
section on the <a class="link" href="#game_screen" title="1.3.3. The Game Screen">game screen</a>.</p></div><div class="section" title="1.3.9. Save and Load"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_save_and_load"></a>1.3.9. Save and Load</h3></div></div></div><p>At the start of each scenario, your game state is normally saved. If you are
defeated, you may load it and try again. Once you have succeeded, you will
again be asked to save the next scenario and play that. If you have to stop
playing during a scenario, you can save your turn and load it again
later. Just remember, a good Battle for Wesnoth player never needs to save
during a scenario. However, most beginners tend to do so rather often.</p></div></div></div><div class="chapter" title="Chapter 2. Playing"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title"><a id="_playing"></a>Chapter 2. Playing</h2></div></div></div><div class="toc"><p><b>Table of Contents</b></p><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_controls">2.1. Controls</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_gold_2">2.2. GoldGold</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_recruiting_and_recalling">2.2.1. Recruiting and Recalling</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_upkeep">2.2.2. Upkeep</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_income">2.2.3. Income</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_units">2.3. Units</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_alignment">2.3.1. Alignment</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#traits">2.3.2. Traits</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_unit_specialties">2.3.3. Unit Specialties</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_abilities">2.3.4. Abilities</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_experience">2.3.5. Experience</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#unit_recall">2.3.6. Recalling units</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_moving">2.4. Moving</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_zone_of_control">2.4.1. Zone of Control</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#orbs">2.4.2. Orbs</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_ellipses_team_colors_and_hero_icons">2.4.3. Ellipses, Team Colors, and Hero Icons</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_fighting">2.5. Fighting</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_attack_types">2.5.1. Attack types</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_resistance">2.5.2. Resistance</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_healing">2.6. Healing</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_regeneration">2.6.1. Regeneration</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_poison">2.6.2. PoisonPoison</a></span></dt></dl></dd></dl></div><div class="section" title="2.1. Controls"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a id="_controls"></a>2.1. Controls</h2></div></div></div><p>These are the default control keys. You can change them to your taste using
the Preferences menu.</p><div class="table"><a id="id311714"></a><p class="title"><b>Table 2.1. Controls and hotkeys</b></p><div class="table-contents"><table summary="Controls and hotkeys" cellpadding="4px" style="border-collapse: collapse;border-top: 2px solid #527bbd; border-bottom: 2px solid #527bbd; "><colgroup><col width="91pt" align="left" /><col width="382pt" align="left" /></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="" align="left">
F1
</td><td style="" align="left">
The Battle for Wesnoth Help
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Arrow keys
</td><td style="" align="left">
Scroll
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Left click
</td><td style="" align="left">
Select unit, move unit
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Right click
</td><td style="" align="left">
Main menu, cancel action
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Middle click
</td><td style="" align="left">
Center on pointer location
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Escape
</td><td style="" align="left">
Exit game, exit menu, cancel message
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Ctrl-r
</td><td style="" align="left">
Recruit unit
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Ctrl-alt-r
</td><td style="" align="left">
Repeat last recruit
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Alt-r
</td><td style="" align="left">
Recall unit
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
u
</td><td style="" align="left">
Undo last move (only deterministic moves can be undone)
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
r
</td><td style="" align="left">
Redo move
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
m
</td><td style="" align="left">
Message another player (in multiplayer)
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
ctrl-m
</td><td style="" align="left">
Message your allies (in multiplayer)
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Alt-m
</td><td style="" align="left">
Message everyone in the game (in multiplayer)
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Alt-c
</td><td style="" align="left">
View chat log
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
n
</td><td style="" align="left">
Cycle through units that have movement left
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
N
</td><td style="" align="left">
Cycle through units that have movement left, in reverse order
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Space
</td><td style="" align="left">
End unit turn and cycle to next unit that has movement left
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Shift-Space
</td><td style="" align="left">
Make currently selected unit hold position (end its movement)
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Ctrl-Space
</td><td style="" align="left">
End this player’s turn
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Ctrl-v
</td><td style="" align="left">
Show enemy moves (where the enemy can move next turn)
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Ctrl-b
</td><td style="" align="left">
Show potential enemy moves, if your units were not on the map
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Ctrl-j
</td><td style="" align="left">
Show scenario objectives
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Ctrl-f
</td><td style="" align="left">
Toggle full screen/windowed mode
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Ctrl-a
</td><td style="" align="left">
Toggle accelerated game mode
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Ctrl-g
</td><td style="" align="left">
Toggle grid
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Ctrl-c
</td><td style="" align="left">
Clear onscreen labels
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Ctrl-s
</td><td style="" align="left">
Save game
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Ctrl-o
</td><td style="" align="left">
Load game
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Ctrl-p
</td><td style="" align="left">
Go to Preferences menu
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Ctrl-q
</td><td style="" align="left">
Quit game
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
/
</td><td style="" align="left">
Search (find label or unit by name)
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
t
</td><td style="" align="left">
Continue interrupted unit move
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
+
</td><td style="" align="left">
Zoom in
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
-
</td><td style="" align="left">
Zoom out
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
0
</td><td style="" align="left">
Reset zoom to default
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Ctrl-n
</td><td style="" align="left">
Rename unit
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
1-7
</td><td style="" align="left">
Show how far currently selected unit can move in that many turns
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
l
</td><td style="" align="left">
Move to leader unit
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
d
</td><td style="" align="left">
Describe current unit
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Ctrl-g
</td><td style="" align="left">
Toggle grid
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
S
</td><td style="" align="left">
Update shroud now
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
D
</td><td style="" align="left">
Delay shroud updates
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Alt-l
</td><td style="" align="left">
Attach a text label to a terrain hex
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Ctrl-l
</td><td style="" align="left">
Set team label
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Alt-s
</td><td style="" align="left">
Show status table
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
s
</td><td style="" align="left">
Show statistics
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Alt-u
</td><td style="" align="left">
Show unit list
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Ctrl-alt-m
</td><td style="" align="left">
Toggle muting of game sounds
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
:
</td><td style="" align="left">
<a class="ulink" href="http://www.wesnoth.org/wiki/CommandMode" target="_top">Command mode</a>
</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br class="table-break" /></div><div class="section" title="2.2. GoldGold"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a id="_gold_2"></a>2.2. GoldGold</h2></div></div></div><p>Each side is given some amount of gold to begin with, and receives 2 gold
pieces per turn, plus 2 more gold pieces for every village that side
controls. In a campaign, starting gold is the greater of 80% of the gold you
ended the previous scenario with, and a minimum amount defined by the
scenario, which is typically lower as the difficulty level increases.</p><div class="section" title="2.2.1. Recruiting and Recalling"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_recruiting_and_recalling"></a>2.2.1. Recruiting and Recalling</h3></div></div></div><p><span class="inlinemediaobject"><img src="images/recruit-1.5.7.jpg" alt="Recruit dialog" /></span></p><p>The major use for gold is to build your army by recruiting new units or
recalling units from previous scenarios in a campaign. Units may be
recruited or recalled when the leader is on a keep whose castle has at least
one vacant castle hex.</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" type="disc"><li class="listitem">
Right-click in an empty castle hex and select Recruit to recruit new units
from the list that is presented. The cost to Recruit depends on the unit,
but is usually between 10 and 20 gold.
</li><li class="listitem">
Right-click in an empty castle hex and select Recall to recall units from
previous scenarios. Recalling costs 20 pieces of gold per unit. See <a class="link" href="#unit_recall" title="2.3.6. Recalling units">recalling units</a> for more information.
</li></ul></div></div><div class="section" title="2.2.2. Upkeep"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_upkeep"></a>2.2.2. Upkeep</h3></div></div></div><p>Each unit also has an upkeep cost. The upkeep cost is generally equal to the
level of the unit, unless the unit has the "Loyal" trait (<a class="link" href="#traits" title="2.3.2. Traits">see below</a>). Units that are not initially recruited -
i.e. the leader or those that join voluntarily - usually have the Loyal
trait. Upkeep is only paid if the total upkeep of a side’s units is
greater than the number of villages that side controls. Upkeep paid is the
difference between the number of villages and the upkeep cost.</p></div><div class="section" title="2.2.3. Income"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_income"></a>2.2.3. Income</h3></div></div></div><p>So, the formula for determining the income per turn is</p><pre class="literallayout">2 + villages - maximum(0, upkeep - villages)</pre><p>where upkeep is equal to the sum of the levels of all your non-loyal units.</p><p>If the upkeep cost is greater than the number of villages+2 then the side
starts losing gold, if it is equal, no income is gained or lost.</p></div></div><div class="section" title="2.3. Units"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a id="_units"></a>2.3. Units</h2></div></div></div><p>Battle for Wesnoth has hundreds of unit types which are characterized by a
rich set of statistics. In addition, individual units can have specific
<a class="link" href="#traits" title="2.3.2. Traits">traits</a> that make them subtly different from
other units of the same type. Finally, campaign designers can add unique
units to their campaigns to further expand the options available to players.</p><p>The basic statistics for a unit include its hit points (HP), the number of
movement points it has, and the weapons it can use and the damage they
do. In addition, units have other characteristics, such as alignment and
special abilities, that are described in more detail below.</p><div class="section" title="2.3.1. Alignment"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_alignment"></a>2.3.1. Alignment</h3></div></div></div><p>Every unit has an alignment: lawful, neutral, or chaotic. Alignment affects
how units perform at different times of day. Neutral units are unaffected by
the time of day. Lawful units do more damage during the day and less at
night. Chaotic units do more damage at night and less during the day.</p><p>The two "day" and "night" phases are differentiated as Morning, Afternoon
and First Watch, Second Watch, by the positions of the sun and moon in the
time of day graphic.</p><p>The following table shows the effects of different times of the day on the
damage dealt by lawful and chaotic units:</p><div class="table"><a id="id312402"></a><p class="title"><b>Table 2.2. Time of the day and damage</b></p><div class="table-contents"><table summary="Time of the day and damage" cellpadding="4px" style="border-collapse: collapse;border-top: 2px solid #527bbd; border-bottom: 2px solid #527bbd; "><colgroup><col width="48pt" align="left" /><col width="248pt" align="left" /><col width="133pt" align="left" /><col width="48pt" align="left" /><col width="42pt" align="left" /></colgroup><thead><tr><th style="" align="left">
Turn
</th><th style="" align="left">
Image
</th><th style="" align="left">
Day-phase
</th><th style="" align="left">
Lawful
</th><th style="" align="left">
Chaotic
</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td style="" align="left">
1
</td><td style="" align="left">
<span class="inlinemediaobject"><img src="images/schedule-dawn.png" alt="images/schedule-dawn.png" /></span>
</td><td style="" align="left">
Dawn
</td><td style="" align="left">
--
</td><td style="" align="left">
--
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
2
</td><td style="" align="left">
<span class="inlinemediaobject"><img src="images/schedule-morning.png" alt="images/schedule-morning.png" /></span>
</td><td style="" align="left">
Day (morning)
</td><td style="" align="left">
+25%
</td><td style="" align="left">
-25%
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
3
</td><td style="" align="left">
<span class="inlinemediaobject"><img src="images/schedule-afternoon.png" alt="images/schedule-afternoon.png" /></span>
</td><td style="" align="left">
Day (afternoon)
</td><td style="" align="left">
+25%
</td><td style="" align="left">
-25%
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
4
</td><td style="" align="left">
<span class="inlinemediaobject"><img src="images/schedule-dusk.png" alt="images/schedule-dusk.png" /></span>
</td><td style="" align="left">
Dusk
</td><td style="" align="left">
--
</td><td style="" align="left">
--
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
5
</td><td style="" align="left">
<span class="inlinemediaobject"><img src="images/schedule-firstwatch.png" alt="images/schedule-firstwatch.png" /></span>
</td><td style="" align="left">
Night (first watch)
</td><td style="" align="left">
-25%
</td><td style="" align="left">
+25%
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
6
</td><td style="" align="left">
<span class="inlinemediaobject"><img src="images/schedule-secondwatch.png" alt="images/schedule-secondwatch.png" /></span>
</td><td style="" align="left">
Night (second watch)
</td><td style="" align="left">
-25%
</td><td style="" align="left">
+25%
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Special
</td><td style="" align="left">
<span class="inlinemediaobject"><img src="images/schedule-underground.png" alt="images/schedule-underground.png" /></span>
</td><td style="" align="left">
Underground
</td><td style="" align="left">
-25%
</td><td style="" align="left">
+25%
</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br class="table-break" /><p>Keep in mind that some scenarios take place underground, where it is
perpetually night!</p><p>For example: consider a fight between a Lawful and a Chaotic unit when both
have a base damage of 12. At dawn and dusk, both will do 12 points of damage
if they hit. During Morning or Afternoon, the Lawful unit will do
(<code class="literal">12 \* 1.25</code>) or 15 points, while the Chaotic unit will do
(<code class="literal">12 \* 0.75</code>) or 9 points. During First or Second Watch,
the Lawful unit would do 9 points compared to the Chaotic unit’s 15.</p><p>If an equivalent Neutral unit were fighting, it would always do 12 points of
damage regardless of the hour.</p></div><div class="section" title="2.3.2. Traits"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="traits"></a>2.3.2. Traits</h3></div></div></div><p>Units have traits which reflect aspects of their character. Traits are
assigned randomly to units when they are created. Most units receive two
traits.</p><p>The possible traits for most units are as follows:</p><div class="variablelist"><dl><dt><span class="term">
Intelligent
</span></dt><dd>
Intelligent units require 20% less experience than usual to advance (Trolls
do not get this trait). Intelligent units are very useful at the beginning
of a campaign as they can advance to higher levels more quickly. Later in
campaigns Intelligent is not quite as useful because the After Maximum Level
Advancement (AMLA) is not as significant a change as advancing a level. If
you have many <span class="emphasis"><em>maximum level</em></span> units you may wish to
recall units with more useful traits.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Quick
</span></dt><dd>
Quick units have 1 extra movement point, but 5% less HP than usual. Quick
is the most noticeable trait, particularly in slower moving units such as
trolls or heavy infantry. Units with the Quick trait often have greatly
increased mobility in rough terrain, which can be important to consider when
deploying your forces. Also, Quick units aren’t quite as tough as
units without this trait and are subsequently less good at holding contested
positions.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Resilient
</span></dt><dd>
Resilient units have 4 HP plus 1 HP per level more than usual. Resilient
units can be useful at all stages of a campaign, and this is a useful trait
for all units. Resilient is often most helpful as a trait when it occurs in
a unit that has some combination of low hitpoints, good defense, or high
resistances. Resilient units are especially useful for holding strategic
positions against opponents.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Strong
</span></dt><dd>
Strong units do 1 more damage for every successful strike in melee combat,
and have 1 more HP. While useful for any close-combat unit, Strong is most
effective for units who have a high number of swings such as the Elvish
Fighter. Strong units can be very useful when a tiny bit of extra damage is
all that is needed to turn a damaging stroke into a killing blow.
</dd></dl></div><p>There are also some traits that are assigned only for certain units or only
for units of a certain race. These are:</p><div class="variablelist"><dl><dt><span class="term">
Dextrous
</span></dt><dd>
Dextrous units do 1 more damage for every successful strike in ranged
combat. Dextrous is a trait possessed only by Elves. The Elven people are
known for their uncanny grace, and their great facility with the bow. Some,
however, are gifted with natural talent that exceeds their brethren. These
elves inflict an additional point of damage with each arrow.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Healthy
</span></dt><dd>
Renowned for their vitality, some dwarves are sturdier than others and can
rest heal even when traveling or fighting. Healthy units have 1 HP plus 1
HP per level more than usual and rest heal the usual 2 HP after each turn
regardless.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Fearless
</span></dt><dd>
Does not suffer from a negative attack bonus during its unfavorable time of
day (Heavy Infantry, Necrophage, Trolls, Walking Corpses).
</dd></dl></div><p>There are also some traits that are not assigned randomly. These traits can
either be assigned by the scenario designer or are always assigned based on
the unit type:</p><div class="variablelist"><dl><dt><span class="term">
Loyal
</span></dt><dd>
Loyal units don’t incur upkeep. Most units incur an upkeep cost at the
end of every turn, which is equal to their level. Loyal units do not incur
this cost. During campaigns, certain units may opt to join the
player’s forces of their own volition. These units are marked with the
Loyal trait. Although they may require payment to be recalled, they never
incur any upkeep costs. This can make them invaluable during a long
campaign, when gold is in short supply. This trait is never given to
recruited units, so it may be unwise to dismiss such units or to send them
to a foolish death.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Undead
</span></dt><dd>
Undead units are immune to poison, also drain and plague doesn’t work
on them. Undead units generally have <span class="emphasis"><em>Undead</em></span> as their
only trait. Since Undead units are the bodies of the dead, risen to fight
again, poison has no effect upon them. This can make them invaluable in
dealing with foes who use poison in conjunction with their attacks.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Mechanical
</span></dt><dd>
Mechanical units aren’t alive and thus are immune to poison, also
drain and plague doesn’t work on them. Mechanical units generally
have <span class="emphasis"><em>Mechanical</em></span> as their only trait.
</dd></dl></div></div><div class="section" title="2.3.3. Unit Specialties"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_unit_specialties"></a>2.3.3. Unit Specialties</h3></div></div></div><p>Certain units have special attacks. These are listed below:</p><div class="variablelist"><dl><dt><span class="term">
Backstab
</span></dt><dd>
When used offensively, this attack deals double damage if there is an enemy
of the target on the opposite side of the target, and that unit is not
incapacitated (e.g. petrified).
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Berserk
</span></dt><dd>
Whether used offensively or defensively, this attack presses the engagement
until one of the combatants is slain, or 30 rounds of attacks have occurred.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Charge
</span></dt><dd>
When used offensively, this attack deals double damage to the target. It
also causes this unit to take double damage from the target’s
counterattack.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Drain
</span></dt><dd>
This unit drains health from living units, healing itself for half the
amount of damage it deals (rounded down).
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Firststrike
</span></dt><dd>
This unit always strikes first with this attack, even if they are defending.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Magical
</span></dt><dd>
This attack always has a 70% chance to hit regardless of the defensive
ability of the unit being attacked.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Marksman
</span></dt><dd>
When used offensively, this attack always has at least a 60% chance to hit.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Plague
</span></dt><dd>
When a unit is killed by a Plague attack, that unit is replaced with a
Walking Corpse on the same side as the unit with the Plague attack. This
doesn’t work on Undead or units in villages.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
PoisonPoison
</span></dt><dd>
This attack poisons the target. Poisoned units lose 8 HP every turn until
they are cured or are reduced to 1 HP. Poison can not, of itself, kill a
unit.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Slow
</span></dt><dd>
This attack slows the target until it ends a turn. Slow halves the damage
caused by attacks and the movement cost for a slowed unit is doubled. A unit
that is slowed will feature a snail icon in its sidebar information when it
is selected.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Petrify
</span></dt><dd>
This attack petrifies the target, turning it to stone. Units that have been
petrified may not move or attack.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Swarm
</span></dt><dd>
The number of strikes of this attack decreases when the unit is wounded. The
number of strikes is proportional to the % of HP/maximum HP the unit
has. For example a unit with 3/4 of its maximum HP will get 3/4 of the
number of strikes.
</dd></dl></div></div><div class="section" title="2.3.4. Abilities"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_abilities"></a>2.3.4. Abilities</h3></div></div></div><p>Some units have abilities that either directly affect other units, or have
an effect on how the unit interacts with other units. These abilities are
listed below:</p><div class="variablelist"><dl><dt><span class="term">
Ambush
</span></dt><dd>
This unit can hide in forest, and remain undetected by its enemies. Enemy
units cannot see this unit while it is in forest, except if they have units
next to it. Any enemy unit that first discovers this unit immediately loses
all its remaining movement.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Concealment
</span></dt><dd>
This unit can hide in villages (with the exception of water villages), and
remain undetected by its enemies, except by those standing next to it.
Enemy units can not see this unit while it is in a village, except if they
have units next to it. Any enemy unit that first discovers this unit
immediately loses all its remaining movement.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Cures
</span></dt><dd>
A unit which can cure an ally of poison, although the ally will receive no
additional healing on the turn it is cured of the poison.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Heals +4
</span></dt><dd>
Allows the unit to heal adjacent friendly units at the beginning of each
turn. A unit cared for by this healer may heal up to 4 HP per turn, or stop
poison from taking effect for that turn. A poisoned unit cannot be cured of
its poison by a healer, and must seek the care of a village or a unit that
can cure.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Heals +8
</span></dt><dd>
This unit combines herbal remedies with magic to heal units more quickly
than is normally possible on the battlefield. A unit cared for by this
healer may heal up to 8 HP per turn, or stop poison from taking effect for
that turn. A poisoned unit cannot be cured of its poison by a healer, and
must seek the care of a village or a unit that can cure.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Illuminates
</span></dt><dd>
This unit illuminates the surrounding area, making lawful units fight
better, and chaotic units fight worse. Any units adjacent to this unit will
fight as if it were dusk when it is night, and as if it were day when it is
dusk.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Leadership
</span></dt><dd>
This unit can lead friendly units that are next to it, making them fight
better. Adjacent friendly units of lower level will do more damage in
battle. When a unit adjacent to, of a lower level than, and on the same
side as a unit with Leadership engages in combat, its attacks do 25% more
damage times the difference in their levels.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Nightstalk
</span></dt><dd>
The unit becomes invisible during night. Enemy units cannot see this unit
at night, except if they have units next to it. Any enemy unit that first
discovers this unit immediately loses all its remaining movement.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Regenerates
</span></dt><dd>
This unit will heal itself 8HP per turn. If it is poisoned, it will remove
the poison instead of healing.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Skirmisher
</span></dt><dd>
This unit is skilled in moving past enemies quickly, and ignores all enemy
Zones of Control.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Steadfast
</span></dt><dd>
This unit’s resistances are doubled, up to a maximum of 50%, when
defending. Vulnerabilities are not affected.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Submerge
</span></dt><dd>
This unit can hide in deep water, and remain undetected by its enemies.
Enemy units cannot see this unit while it is in deep water, except if they
have units next to it. Any enemy unit that first discovers this unit
immediately loses all its remaining movement.
</dd><dt><span class="term">
Teleport
</span></dt><dd>
This unit may teleport between any two friendly villages using one of its
moves.
</dd></dl></div></div><div class="section" title="2.3.5. Experience"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_experience"></a>2.3.5. Experience</h3></div></div></div><p>Units are awarded experience for fighting. After obtaining enough
experience, they will advance a level and become more powerful. The amount
of experience gained depends on the level of the enemy unit and the outcome
of the battle: if a unit kills its opponent, it receives 8 experience points
per level of the enemy (4 if the enemy is level 0), while units that survive
a battle without killing their opponents are awarded 1 experience point per
level of the enemy. In other words:</p><div class="table"><a id="id313373"></a><p class="title"><b>Table 2.3. Experience bonuses for killing or fighting enemies of different levels</b></p><div class="table-contents"><table summary="Experience bonuses for killing or fighting enemies of different levels" cellpadding="4px" style="border-collapse: collapse;border-top: 2px solid #527bbd; border-bottom: 2px solid #527bbd; "><colgroup><col width="78pt" align="left" /><col width="72pt" align="left" /><col width="85pt" align="left" /></colgroup><thead><tr><th style="" align="left">
enemy level
</th><th style="" align="left">
kill bonus
</th><th style="" align="left">
fighting bonus
</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td style="" align="left">
0
</td><td style="" align="left">
4
</td><td style="" align="left">
0
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
1
</td><td style="" align="left">
8
</td><td style="" align="left">
1
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
2
</td><td style="" align="left">
16
</td><td style="" align="left">
2
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
3
</td><td style="" align="left">
24
</td><td style="" align="left">
3
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
4
</td><td style="" align="left">
32
</td><td style="" align="left">
4
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
5
</td><td style="" align="left">
40
</td><td style="" align="left">
5
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
6
</td><td style="" align="left">
48
</td><td style="" align="left">
6
</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br class="table-break" /></div><div class="section" title="2.3.6. Recalling units"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="unit_recall"></a>2.3.6. Recalling units</h3></div></div></div><p>After you complete a scenario, all surviving units will be available to
recall in the next scenario. You are not able to move or attack with a unit
on the turn you recruit or recall that unit. A Recalled unit retains its
previous Level, Experience Points, (sometimes) any magic items acquired, and
will arrive with full hitpoints.</p></div></div><div class="section" title="2.4. Moving"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a id="_moving"></a>2.4. Moving</h2></div></div></div><p>Clicking on a unit identifies all the places it can move on its current turn
by dimming unreachable hexes (pressing the number keys 2-7 will identify the
additional hexes that can be reached in that number of turns in a similar
manner). While in this mode, moving the cursor over a hex will identify the
path your unit will take towards that hex as well as additional information
on the defensive bonus of your unit on that hex and, if it will take more
than one turn, the number of turns it will take your unit to arrive. If you
do not wish to move the unit this mode can be cancelled by selecting a
different unit (by clicking on the new unit or using the
<code class="literal">n</code> or <code class="literal">N</code> keys) or by right-clicking
(Command-click on a Mac) anywhere on the map. The <a class="link" href="#orbs" title="2.4.2. Orbs">orbs</a> on the top of a unit’s energy bar provide a
quick way to see which of your units have already moved or can move further
in the current turn.</p><p>If you decide to move the selected unit, click on the hex you want to move
to and your unit will move towards that space. If you select a destination
which is beyond reach in the current turn, the unit will move as far as it
can in the current turn and enter <span class="emphasis"><em>goto-mode</em></span>. In
<span class="emphasis"><em>goto-mode</em></span> your unit will continue moving towards its
destination in subsequent turns. You can easily undo goto movements at the
beginning of your next turn. You may also change a unit’s destination
by selecting that unit and choosing a new destination or clicking the unit
again to cancel the <span class="emphasis"><em>goto</em></span>.</p><p>Moving onto a village that is neutral or owned by an enemy will take
ownership of it and end your move for that unit.</p><p>Most units exert a Zone of Control which affects the hexes your unit can
reach and the path your unit takes. These restrictions are automatically
reflected in both the path that is displayed for your unit and the hexes it
may move to on the current turn.</p><div class="section" title="2.4.1. Zone of Control"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_zone_of_control"></a>2.4.1. Zone of Control</h3></div></div></div><p>A unit’s Zone of Control extends to the six hexes immediately adjacent
to the unit, and units that move into an enemy zone of control are forced to
stop. Units with the skirmisher ability ignore enemy zones of control and
are able to move through them freely without being forced to stop. Level 0
units are considered too feeble to generate a zone of control and all units
are able to move through the hexes around an enemy level 0 unit freely.</p></div><div class="section" title="2.4.2. Orbs"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="orbs"></a>2.4.2. Orbs</h3></div></div></div><p>On the top of the energy bar shown next to each unit of yours is an
orb. This orb is:</p><div class="table"><a id="id313631"></a><p class="title"><b>Table 2.4. Orbs</b></p><div class="table-contents"><table summary="Orbs" cellpadding="4px" style="border-collapse: collapse;border-top: 2px solid #527bbd; border-bottom: 2px solid #527bbd; "><colgroup><col width="42pt" align="left" /><col width="261pt" align="left" /><col width="182pt" align="left" /></colgroup><thead><tr><th style="" align="left">
Orb
</th><th style="" align="left">
Image
</th><th style="" align="left">
Description
</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td style="" align="left">
Green
</td><td style="" align="left">
<span class="inlinemediaobject"><img src="images/orb-green.jpg" alt="Green orb" /></span>
</td><td style="" align="left">
If you control the unit and it hasn’t moved this turn
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Yellow
</td><td style="" align="left">
<span class="inlinemediaobject"><img src="images/orb-yellow.jpg" alt="Yellow orb" /></span>
</td><td style="" align="left">
If you control the unit and it has moved this turn, but could still move
further or attack
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Red
</td><td style="" align="left">
<span class="inlinemediaobject"><img src="images/orb-red.jpg" alt="Red orb" /></span>
</td><td style="" align="left">
If you control the unit, but it has used all its movement this turn
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
Blue
</td><td style="" align="left">
<span class="inlinemediaobject"><img src="images/orb-blue.jpg" alt="Blue orb" /></span>
</td><td style="" align="left">
If the unit is an ally you do not control
</td></tr><tr><td style="" align="left">
-
</td><td style="" align="left">
<span class="inlinemediaobject"><img src="images/orb-none.jpg" alt="No orb" /></span>
</td><td style="" align="left">
Enemy units have no orb on the top of their energy bar
</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br class="table-break" /></div><div class="section" title="2.4.3. Ellipses, Team Colors, and Hero Icons"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_ellipses_team_colors_and_hero_icons"></a>2.4.3. Ellipses, Team Colors, and Hero Icons</h3></div></div></div><p>Below each unit there will normally be a colored ellipses or base. The color
identifies its team; in a campaign game, the human-player color is red. The
team color will also show up in parts of the unit’s clothing, or
possibly on a shield insignia.</p><p>Usually the ellipse will be a solid disk. On level 0 units, you will see an
ellipse that has broken lines. This indicates that the unit has no Zone of
Control.</p><p>Some campaigns use a star-shaped base to indicate leaders and heroes (units
which are somehow special and for example not allowed to die in the course
of the scenario); others use a silver crown icon above the energy bar to
mark heroes. Still others have no specific hero indicator at all. Which (if
any) is used is a stylistic choice left to campaign designers.</p></div></div><div class="section" title="2.5. Fighting"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a id="_fighting"></a>2.5. Fighting</h2></div></div></div><p>If you move next to an enemy unit, you may attack it. Click on your unit
that is next to an enemy unit, and click on the enemy you want to attack -
this will bring up a window that presents further options for the
fight. Every unit has one or more weapons it can attack with. Some weapons,
such as swords, are melee weapons, and some weapons, such as bows, are
ranged weapons.</p><p>If you attack with a melee weapon, the enemy you attack will be able to
strike back at you with its melee weapon. If you attack with a ranged
weapon, the enemy will be able to strike back with its ranged weapon. If an
enemy does not have a weapon of the same type as the one you attack with,
they will be unable to strike back and do any damage to you in that fight.</p><p>Different types of attacks do different amounts of damage, and a certain
number of strikes may be made with each weapon. For instance, an Elvish
Fighter does 5 points of damage with its sword every time it hits, and can
strike 4 blows with the sword in one exchange. This is written as 5-4,
meaning 5 damage per hit, and 4 strikes.</p><p>Every unit has a chance of being hit based on the terrain it is in. For
instance, units in castles and villages have a lower chance of being hit,
and Elves in forest have a low chance of being hit. To see a unit’s
defense rating (i.e. chance not to be hit) in terrain, click on the unit,
and then mouse over the terrain you’re interested in, and the defense
rating will be displayed as a percentage value in the status pane, as well
as shown over the terrain hex.</p><p>You can obtain additional information, including the chance that the
attacker and defender will be killed, by clicking on the "Damage
Calculations" button in the fight window.</p><div class="section" title="2.5.1. Attack types"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_attack_types"></a>2.5.1. Attack types</h3></div></div></div><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" type="disc"><li class="listitem">
<span class="strong"><strong>Blade</strong></span>: Weapons with a cutting edge, used
to chop pieces of flesh from a foe. Examples: dagger, scimitar, saber, drake
claws.
</li><li class="listitem">
<span class="strong"><strong>Piercing</strong></span>: Weapons with a sharp point and
either a long handle or a missile, used to perforate foe’s body and
damage internal organs. Examples: Knight or infantry pike, arrow.
</li><li class="listitem">
<span class="strong"><strong>Impact</strong></span>: Weapons having neither a sharp
point nor a cutting edge, but heavy enough to break an enemy’s
bones. Examples: mace, staff, Troll fist.
</li><li class="listitem">
<span class="strong"><strong>Cold</strong></span>: Weapons based on cold or ice
missiles. Example: A Dark Adepts’s chill wave.
</li><li class="listitem">
<span class="strong"><strong>Fire</strong></span>: Weapons using fire to roast the foe
like a chicken. Example: A drake’s fire breath.
</li><li class="listitem">
<span class="strong"><strong>Arcane</strong></span>: An attack that dispels the magic
animating zombies, specters, and other undead creatures and
spirits. Example: A white mage’s magic attack.
</li></ul></div></div><div class="section" title="2.5.2. Resistance"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_resistance"></a>2.5.2. Resistance</h3></div></div></div><p>Each unit is more or less vulnerable to the different attack types. 6
figures in the unit description show strength and weakness of the unit
against the 6 attack types. A positive resistance figure indicates that the
unit will suffer less damages from the attack type. A negative resistance
figure indicates that the unit is especially vulnerable to this attack type.</p><p>Examples: Drake scales protect them from most of attack types except from
piercing weapon and cold weapon. Human Cavalry units are generally well
protected except from piercing attacks which are their weak point. Undead
are very resistant to blade and piercing weapon but very vulnerable to
impact attacks and arcane attacks.</p><p>Using the best attack type against enemy units will substantially increase
your chances of killing them.</p></div></div><div class="section" title="2.6. Healing"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a id="_healing"></a>2.6. Healing</h2></div></div></div><p>A unit may be healed a maximum of 8 hitpoints per turn. A unit that does not
move or fight during a turn is <span class="emphasis"><em>resting</em></span> and will recover
2 hitpoints. Hitpoints recovered through <span class="emphasis"><em>resting</em></span> are
added on top of hitpoints recovered through healing so it is possible for a
unit to recover up to a total of 10 hit points per turn.</p><p>There are two basic ways for a unit to be healed:</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" type="disc"><li class="listitem">
Waiting in a village. The unit will heal 8 hitpoints every turn.
</li><li class="listitem">
Being adjacent to units with the <span class="emphasis"><em>heals</em></span> ability. The
number of hitpoints healed is specified in the unit’s ability
description. This is invariably <span class="emphasis"><em>heals +4</em></span> or
<span class="emphasis"><em>heals +8</em></span>.
</li></ul></div><div class="section" title="2.6.1. Regeneration"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_regeneration"></a>2.6.1. Regeneration</h3></div></div></div><p>Trolls and Woses have the ability to heal themselves naturally through
regeneration. They will heal 8 points each turn if they are injured. Note
that because all units may only heal a maximum of 8 points per turn, Trolls
and Woses gain no additional benefit from being on a village or next to a
healing unit.</p></div><div class="section" title="2.6.2. PoisonPoison"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_poison"></a>2.6.2. PoisonPoison</h3></div></div></div><p>Some attacks can inflict poison damage on your unit. When this happens the
poisoned unit will take 8 damage each turn until it is cured. Poison can be
cured by waiting on a village or being next to a unit with the
<span class="emphasis"><em>cures</em></span> ability. Units with the
<span class="emphasis"><em>heals</em></span> ability can only prevent the poison from causing
damage that turn, not cure it. When poison is cured the unit does not gain
or lose hitpoints on that turn due to healing/poisoning. A unit can not be
healed normally until it is cured of poisoning. Resting is still allowed,
although it will not substantially diminish the poison’s effect.</p><p>Some other hints about healing:</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" type="disc"><li class="listitem">
A unit may take several turns to be fully healed.
</li><li class="listitem">
Healers (Elvish Shaman, Elvish Druid, Elvish Shyde, White Mage, Mage of
Light, Paladin) heal all wounded units around them, so you can keep units
close to the battle without losing them.
</li><li class="listitem">
Healers do not heal enemy units.
</li><li class="listitem">
Healers cannot heal themselves, but see next point.
</li><li class="listitem">
Use your healers in pairs, so they can heal each other if needed.
</li><li class="listitem">
Multiple healers from different allied sides can heal the same unit and
speed up healing.
</li><li class="listitem">
Trolls and Woses cannot regenerate other units.
</li><li class="listitem">
Trolls and Woses cure themselves from poison as a village does.
</li></ul></div></div></div></div><div class="chapter" title="Chapter 3. Strategy and Tips"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title"><a id="_strategy_and_tips"></a>Chapter 3. Strategy and Tips</h2></div></div></div><div class="toc"><p><b>Table of Contents</b></p><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#basic_strategy">3.1. Basic Strategy</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_don_8217_t_waste_units">3.1.1. Don’t waste units</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_out_of_the_enemy_8217_s_reach">3.1.2. Out of the enemy’s reach</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#zoc">3.1.3. Shield with your zone of control (ZOC)</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_maintain_a_defensive_line">3.1.4. Maintain a defensive line</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_rotate_your_troops">3.1.5. Rotate your troops</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_use_the_terrain">3.1.6. Use the terrain</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_attacking_and_choosing_your_targets">3.1.7. Attacking and choosing your targets</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_time_of_day">3.1.8. Time of Day</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_experience_2">3.1.9. Experience</a></span></dt></dl></dd><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_getting_the_most_fun_out_of_the_game">3.2. Getting the Most Fun Out of the Game</a></span></dt><dd><dl><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_at_the_start_of_a_scenario">3.2.1. At the start of a scenario</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_during_the_scenario">3.2.2. During the scenario</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_healing_2">3.2.3. Healing</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_winning_a_scenario">3.2.4. Winning a scenario</a></span></dt><dt><span class="section"><a href="#_more_general_tips">3.2.5. More general tips</a></span></dt></dl></dd></dl></div><div class="section" title="3.1. Basic Strategy"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a id="basic_strategy"></a>3.1. Basic Strategy</h2></div></div></div><p>The following basic combat principles and tips are intended to help starting
off your career as a Wesnothian battle veteran. The minor concrete examples
are somewhat tied to the "Heir to the Throne" campaign.</p><div class="section" title="3.1.1. Don’t waste units"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_don_8217_t_waste_units"></a>3.1.1. Don’t waste units</h3></div></div></div><p>Do not send wounded units to a sure death. Once a unit loses more than half
of its hit points (HP), you should seriously consider retreating it to
safety and either station it in a village for healing or give him to the
care of a healer (like Elvish Shamans or White Mages). Healers are very
useful!</p><p>This is for practical reasons: a heavily wounded unit cannot hold back or
kill the enemy. During attack and counterattack, it most often will
perish. Further, by sending it to its sure death, its gathered experience
points (XP) are lost. Recruiting a replacement may be impossible because the
leader is not in its keep or because funds are running low. Even if you can
recruit a replacement, it is most often far away from the battle front. So
don’t waste your units.</p></div><div class="section" title="3.1.2. Out of the enemy’s reach"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_out_of_the_enemy_8217_s_reach"></a>3.1.2. Out of the enemy’s reach</h3></div></div></div><p>How do you guard wounded units? They are best guarded by being out of the
adversary’s reach. No enemy can attack them if enemies cannot even
come near them. The next section about zone of control (ZOC) shows how to
restrict the enemy’s moves.</p><p>In the Action menu, you can select "Show Enemy Moves" to highlight all
possible hexes your adversary can actually move to. This takes your zone of
control into account. Thus you can check that your near death unit, which is
behind, indeed cannot be attacked as the enemy cannot move close to it.</p><p>When your armies meet, you may want to try to be the first to attack. So try
to end your move out of striking range of the enemy army. He cannot attack
but most likely will close into your striking range.</p></div><div class="section" title="3.1.3. Shield with your zone of control (ZOC)"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="zoc"></a>3.1.3. Shield with your zone of control (ZOC)</h3></div></div></div><p>Every unit of level 1 or higher maintains a zone of control (ZOC) covering
all 6 neighboring hexes. This means that once an enemy moves into one of the
six neighboring tiles, it is forced to halt and its movement phase ends
(only enemies with the rare skirmisher ability ignore this).</p><p>Because of ZOC, an enemy may not slip between two units which are aligned on
a north-south or diagonal line and have exactly 1 or 2 hexes between
them. By combining these pairs into a long wall or using them in different
directions, you can prevent the enemy from reaching a wounded unit
behind. He has to defeat the units imposing the ZOC first. If the enemy can
barely reach it, even a single unit may shield a small region behind itself.</p></div><div class="section" title="3.1.4. Maintain a defensive line"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_maintain_a_defensive_line"></a>3.1.4. Maintain a defensive line</h3></div></div></div><p>By lining up many units directly adjacent or with at most 1 hex space
between them, you can build up a powerful defensive line. Note that, because
Wesnoth uses hexes, a east-to-west "line" is not a straight line but a
zig-zag curve. The north south line and the diagonals are the "real" lines.</p><p>Coming from one side, the enemy may attack any single of your units in the
line with only 2 of his units at a time. As a rule of thumb, a healthy unit
without particular weakness can withstand an attack from two normal enemy
units of the same level or lower without getting killed.</p><p>Unfortunately, your line often has to bend to form a wedge or to fit the
terrain. At these corner points, 3 enemy units may attack. This also happens
at the ends of a line if the line is too short. Use units with high hit
point on proper terrain or with proper resistances to hold these weak
points. These are the most likely to be killed, so use units with no or few
experience points (XP) for this purpose.</p><p>Lining your troops up also prevents the enemy from surrounding any one of
them. For ZOC reasons, a unit with one enemy behind it and one in front is
trapped.</p></div><div class="section" title="3.1.5. Rotate your troops"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_rotate_your_troops"></a>3.1.5. Rotate your troops</h3></div></div></div><p>When a unit in the front line is heavily damaged you can move him safely
behind your defensive line. To hold up the line, you will most likely have
to replace him with a reserve, so hold a couple of units in back of the
front line. If you have healers, damaged units in the second line will
quickly recover.</p><p>Note that your units can pass through hexes containing your own troops.</p></div><div class="section" title="3.1.6. Use the terrain"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_use_the_terrain"></a>3.1.6. Use the terrain</h3></div></div></div><p>Try to position your troops so that they are attacking from a hex with high
defense against an enemy in a hex with low terrain. That way, the
enemy’s counterstrikes will be less likely to do damage.</p><p>For example, you might position your elves just inside of a forest edge so
that attacking orcs must stand on grassland while your elves enjoy the high
forest defenses.</p></div><div class="section" title="3.1.7. Attacking and choosing your targets"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_attacking_and_choosing_your_targets"></a>3.1.7. Attacking and choosing your targets</h3></div></div></div><p>Advancing and attacking is of course the most interesting part of your way
to victory. Kill or weaken enemies in your path and move your defensive line
forward. This can become tricky as the enemy gets to attack back on his
turn.</p><p>Often, you will throw several units at a single enemy unit to finish him
off, but these were forming your defensive line which is now partly
broken. Maybe this doesn’t matter because you are out of reach of the
next enemy unit. Maybe it does because you only managed to weaken a very
strong enemy and next turn, he is going to strike back. Perhaps a Horseman
can deliver the killing blow.</p><p>Striking first is an advantage because it allows you the choice of which
units will face off. Take advantage of enemy weakness: e.g. direct your
ranged attacks against foes without ranged weapons. Take advantage of
weaknesses like Horsemen’s vulnerability to pierce. But remember that
they get to attack back on their turn, so you might have weaknesses the
enemy may exploit.</p><p>For example, Horsemen can hold up the line against Orcish Grunts and Troll
Whelps very well because they have some resistances against blade and
impact. But your Horseman may quite quickly fall to Orcish Archers and
Goblin Spearmen.</p><p>It usually pays off if you can definitively kill (or almost kill) the faced
unit. If you are unsure of finishing off the enemy in one turn, either
ensure that your unit can weather the return attacks or decide that
you’re willing to lose that unit. To withstand the enemy’s
strikes next turn, it is often wise to attack at the range that allows the
enemy to do least damage to you, rather than choosing the maximum expected
damage to the enemy.</p><p>In particular, use your ranged weapons if the enemy has no ranged
attack. The computer’s default choice only looks for the most damage
you can deal, so using it will often result in your units taking more damage
than necessary.</p></div><div class="section" title="3.1.8. Time of Day"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_time_of_day"></a>3.1.8. Time of Day</h3></div></div></div><p>Remember that Lawful units like humans fight better at daytime and Chaotic
units like orcs or undead fight better at night. Ideally you want to first
meet the enemy when you are strong and/or he is weak. When the enemy has its
strong time, it often pays off to strengthen your lines and hold a favorable
defensive position. When its weak time is about to arise, your advance will
push forth.</p><p>For example, elves might hold out a forest during a nightly orcish onslaught
and advance on sunrise. You may even note that the computer AI actively
retreats his orcs during day.</p></div><div class="section" title="3.1.9. Experience"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_experience_2"></a>3.1.9. Experience</h3></div></div></div><p>Over the course of a campaign, it is critical that you build up a seasoned
force. Later scenarios will assume you have level 2 and 3 units available
for recall.</p><p>Your units gain most experience points (XP) from killing an enemy unit (8XP
per level of the unit killed). As such, it often makes sense to have your
higher level units weaken an enemy, but cede the kill to a unit more in need
of the XP. Healers in particular are often weak in combat and often need to
<span class="emphasis"><em>steal</em></span> kills in this way to advance levels.</p><p>At the beginning (when you probably have no high level units), try to give
most kills to a small handful of your units. This will fast-track them to
becoming Level 2 units, and they can then shepherd others.</p><p>Don’t neglect to earn your leader experience. You need to keep him
safe, but if you coddle him too much he will be too low level to survive
future scenarios anyway.</p></div></div><div class="section" title="3.2. Getting the Most Fun Out of the Game"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a id="_getting_the_most_fun_out_of_the_game"></a>3.2. Getting the Most Fun Out of the Game</h2></div></div></div><p>Remember, the idea of a game is to have fun! Here are some recommendations
from the development team on how to get the most fun out of the game:</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" type="disc"><li class="listitem">
Consider playing the campaign on "Medium" difficulty level, especially if
you have prior experience with strategy games. We feel you’ll find it
much more rewarding.
</li><li class="listitem">
Don’t sweat it too much when you lose some units. The campaign was
designed to accommodate the player losing some units along the way.
</li><li class="listitem">
Don’t abuse saved games. Long ago, Wesnoth only allowed saving the
game at the end of a scenario. Mid-scenario saving was added as a
convenience to use if you had to continue the game another day, or to
protect against crashes. We do not recommend loading mid-scenario saved
games over and over because your White Mage keeps getting killed. Learn to
protect your White Mage instead, and balance risks! That is part of the
strategy.
</li><li class="listitem">
If you must load a saved game, we recommend going back to the start of the
scenario, so that you choose a new strategy that works, rather than simply
finding random numbers that favor you.
</li><li class="listitem">
But remember, the aim is to have fun! You may have different tastes than the
developers, so do what you enjoy most! If you enjoy loading the saved game
every time you make a mistake, looking for the <span class="emphasis"><em>perfect</em></span>
game where you never lose a unit, by all means, go right ahead!
</li></ul></div><div class="section" title="3.2.1. At the start of a scenario"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_at_the_start_of_a_scenario"></a>3.2.1. At the start of a scenario</h3></div></div></div><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" type="disc"><li class="listitem">
First, read the scenario objectives. Sometimes you do not have to kill enemy
leaders; instead it is enough that you survive for a certain number of
turns, or pick up a particular object
</li><li class="listitem">
Look at the map: the terrain, the position of your leader and the other
leader(s).
</li><li class="listitem">
Then, begin to recruit units. Cheap units are useful to soak up the first
wave of an enemy’s attack; advanced units can then be brought in as
support. Fast units can be used as scouts, for exploring the map and to
quickly conquer villages.
</li></ul></div></div><div class="section" title="3.2.2. During the scenario"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_during_the_scenario"></a>3.2.2. During the scenario</h3></div></div></div><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" type="disc"><li class="listitem">
Try to capture and keep control of as many villages as possible to keep the
gold coming in.
</li><li class="listitem">
Keep units in packs so the enemy cannot attack from as many sides, and so
you can outnumber each enemy unit. Put your units in a line so that the
enemy cannot attack any one of your units from more than two sides.
</li><li class="listitem">
Different units have different strengths and weaknesses depending on terrain
and who they are attacking; right click on units and select "Unit
Description" to learn more.
</li><li class="listitem">
You can use lower level units as cannon fodder, to slow down enemy. E.g. you
can use them to block enemies reaching your important units.
</li><li class="listitem">
You can cause damage to enemies with advanced units and then finish them
with lower level units - to give them more experience (and finally make them
advance to next level).
</li><li class="listitem">
When you have a White Mage (advances from Mage) or Druid (advances from
Shaman), put it in the middle of a circle of units to heal them as they move
across the map (Shamans can do this too, but not as well).
</li><li class="listitem">
Losing units is expected, even advanced units.
</li><li class="listitem"><p class="simpara">
Time of day really matters:
</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" type="circle"><li class="listitem">
lawful units do more damage at day and less damage at night
</li><li class="listitem">
chaotic units do more damage at night and less damage at day
</li><li class="listitem">
remember to always check the time of day on the right side of the
screen. Plan ahead - think about what it’s going to be next turn as
well as this turn.
</li></ul></div></li><li class="listitem">
Some units are resistant or vulnerable to different kind of attacks. Mounted
units are weak vs pierce attacks. Fire and arcane attacks destroy undead. To
see how much a unit resists an attack type, right click on the unit, select
"Unit Description", then select "Resistance". It will show you how resistant
a unit is to different types of attacks.
</li></ul></div></div><div class="section" title="3.2.3. Healing"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_healing_2"></a>3.2.3. Healing</h3></div></div></div><p>An important part of succeeding at Battle for Wesnoth is keeping your units
healthy. When your units take damage you can heal them by moving them onto
villages or next to special healing units (e.g. the Elvish Shaman and White
Mage). Some other units you will encounter, such as Trolls, have the ability
to heal themselves naturally.</p></div><div class="section" title="3.2.4. Winning a scenario"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_winning_a_scenario"></a>3.2.4. Winning a scenario</h3></div></div></div><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" type="disc"><li class="listitem">
Advanced units are needed to quickly kill enemy commanders, and to avoid
losing lots of units.
</li><li class="listitem">
The quicker you win a scenario, the more gold you get; you will get more
gold from winning early than from all of the map’s villages for the
rest of the turns.
</li><li class="listitem">
Killing all enemy leaders usually gives instant victory.
</li></ul></div></div><div class="section" title="3.2.5. More general tips"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a id="_more_general_tips"></a>3.2.5. More general tips</h3></div></div></div><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" type="disc"><li class="listitem">
After slaughtering scenarios (where you take lots of punishment) there are
usually "breathing room" scenarios where you can rather easily gain some
gold and experience (advanced units)
</li><li class="listitem">
Advanced units have higher upkeep than lower level units (1 gp per level),
loyal units are an exception.
</li></ul></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>
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