Why your first company keeps dying
If your first Battle Brothers company was wiped out by an orc warband or a swarm of skeletons, you are not doing it wrong — that is the normal early experience. The game combines permadeath, heavy randomness and a learning curve it barely explains, so your weak, under-equipped starting band is fragile. The early skill is not winning hard fights. It is choosing which fights to take at all, and building a company steadily enough that the world stops one-shotting your line.
Treat the opening as careful company-building, not conquest. You are poor, your brothers are mediocre, and that is expected. Your job is to take safe work, train survivors, and grow your numbers and gear until you can stand toe to toe with the threats that crush you now.
Do not chase tempting high-pay contracts early. A contract to clear an orc camp or a large undead site can erase your whole company in one battle. The players who struggle most are the ones who punch above their weight too soon.
Your first hours, step by step
There is a reliable way through the opening. Build these habits and you will reach your first stable, leveled company instead of restarting in frustration.
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1
Take easy contracts only
Escort caravans and fight small bandit thug groups. Avoid anything mentioning orcs, ancient dead or large enemy numbers until you are stronger.
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2
Recruit for stats and value
Hire cheap backgrounds with good melee skill, resolve and fatigue. A few solid bodies beat one expensive hire while money is tight.
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3
Build a shield wall
Equip shields and spears, keep your brothers in a tight line, and use chokepoints so enemies cannot flank or surround you.
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4
Watch your economy
Wages are due every day, win or lose. Keep contracts flowing, hold a crown reserve, and sell loot you do not need.
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5
Level survivors deliberately
Keep your brothers alive to gain levels and stat-ups. A leveled, equipped veteran is worth far more than a fresh hire.
Recruiting: stats over reputation
It is tempting to spend everything on an impressive background like a Sellsword or Hedge Knight, but early on that is often a trap. Backgrounds set stat ranges and starting gear, but cheap recruits can roll excellent hidden stats — a Farmhand with high melee skill and fatigue can outperform a pricey hire and costs a fraction. Early, prioritise melee skill (to actually hit), resolve (to resist morale breaks), and fatigue (to keep acting), and value getting enough bodies on the field over one shining star. You will refine this as you learn; our Battle Brothers backgrounds tier list ranks who is worth the crowns.
The other half is patience. Recruits are randomized, and the world will not always offer good ones. It is fine to hold money and wait for better hires rather than filling slots with weak, expensive bodies.
| Priority | What to value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Melee Skill | Higher is better | Determines whether you actually land hits |
| Resolve | Higher is better | Resists morale breaks that lose battles |
| Fatigue | Higher is better | Lets a brother keep acting and wear armour |
| Cost | Lower early | Cheap bodies with good stats beat one pricey hire |
Economy, equipment and holding the line
Money is tight and unforgiving early. Every mercenary draws a daily wage whether you fight or not, and food and repairs add up, so income from contracts has to outpace your overheads. Do not overhire beyond what your contracts can fund, keep a reserve of crowns for emergencies, and sell surplus or looted gear to stay solvent. On equipment, a basic shield and spear on every brother is worth more early than a few fancy weapons — the spearwall skill and a solid shield wall keep your line intact, and an intact line is how you win.
In battle, the golden rule is do not get flanked. Fight in chokepoints — bridges, gaps, terrain — so enemies cannot wrap around your formation, keep your brothers adjacent so morale holds, and focus fire to drop one enemy at a time. A disciplined line of mediocre fighters beats a scattered group of good ones.
When a fight looks too dangerous, you can often retreat from the world map before committing, or flee the battle and accept some losses rather than a wipe. Living to fight another day is a valid, smart choice. For the deeper systems behind winning fights, see our Battle Brothers combat guide and perks guide.
