The rule that governs every build
Companions reach specialisation milestones at levels 2, 3, 5, 8, 10 and 12. Six choices sounds like room to experiment. It is not. Six choices is precisely enough to make a companion excellent at one job, and it is nowhere near enough to make them good at two.
Every build below therefore commits. Pick the role when you recruit the companion, take the milestone that reinforces it every single time, and when your warband is missing something, recruit for the gap rather than trying to convert someone who is already half-built.
Hedging is the single most common way players ruin a companion. A frontliner who also shoots a bit is worse at holding the line than one who did not split the investment — and holding the line is what actually wins Wartales fights.
Note also which level opens the named branch, because it differs by class:
- Level 2 named branch: Swordsman, Warrior, Brute
- Level 3 named branch: Archer, Ranger, Spearman, Pugilist
Swordsman — Protector (the anchor)
Take Protector at level 2.
This is the most reliable build in the game because it does the thing Wartales demands in every single fight. Engagement locks units in contact and punishes anyone who tries to leave, which means somebody has to stand where the dangerous enemies are. The Protector is that somebody, and Encouragement gives the role a supportive edge so the companion is contributing even on turns it does not swing.
How to play it. Move first, into the position that puts the most enemy threats into contact with you. Do not chase kills. A Protector that ends its turn engaged with two enemies has done more for the warband than one that killed a straggler.
Later milestones. Take everything that increases survivability and the ability to keep enemies locked down — defensive options at 3 and 5, then durability and retaliation at 8. At level 10, skip Second Weapon: a pure anchor gains nothing from a second range band.
Alternative: Swordmaster (Laceration) if you already have a dedicated anchor and want a sustained-damage frontliner instead.
Warrior — Executioner (the deleter)
Take Executioner at level 2.
Where the Swordsman holds, the Warrior removes. Cutting Maelstrom gives it the tool to break up clustered enemies, and the class as a whole is built to answer dangerous enemies by killing them before they act twice — which, in fights that never scale down to you, is frequently the correct answer.
How to play it. Identify the enemy that will hurt you most over the next two turns and remove it. The Warrior wants to be in contact with what it is killing, so it needs a frontline beside it rather than in front of it.
Later milestones. Reinforce damage and aggression at 5 and 8. At 10, Alacrity beats Second Weapon for a companion whose value is measured in how many priority targets it removes per fight.
Alternative: Barbarian (Overbearing Strike) for a heavier, slower version of the same idea; Sentinel (Ovation) if you want the Warrior to double as a support piece.
Spearman — Pikeman (control from safety)
Take Pikeman at level 3.
The most positionally elegant build in Wartales. Reach lets the Spearman strike past your own frontline without ever entering contact, and Spear Wall turns a corridor or choke point into ground the enemy has to pay for. It contributes damage while remaining free to reposition, which is the exact opposite of the trap most damage dealers fall into.
How to play it. Stand directly behind your anchors. Use the frontline as a wall and hit over it. Set your spear wall where the enemy must come through, not where you wish they would.
Later milestones. Take the options that extend control and reach at 5 and 8. At level 10, Alacrity or Unstoppable both serve better than Second Weapon.
Alternatives: Herald (Battle Cry) for a support-leaning Spearman; Harpooner (Piercing Throw) if you want to drag enemies out of formation; Halberdier (Controlled Whirlwind) for area damage at the cost of discipline.
Archer — Hunter (reliable single target)
Take Hunter at level 3.
The Archer's value is entirely conditional on never being engaged, so build it to make the most of the turns your frontline buys. Hunter is the focused single-target route, and Recoil Shot helps it maintain the spacing the whole class depends on.
How to play it. Deploy last, behind everything. Shoot the target your frontline has already engaged — a dying enemy stops acting, and enemies that stop acting are the only real damage reduction in the game.
Later milestones. Precision and accuracy-reinforcing picks at 5, then the options that improve output at 8. At 10, Anticipation is usually stronger than Second Weapon.
Alternatives: Infantryman (Barrage) for area pressure against grouped enemies; Beastmaster (ATTACK!) if you want a companion animal, which functions as much as a control tool as a damage source.
Ranger — Assassin (burst) or Strategist (utility)
Take Assassin at level 3 for damage, Strategist for utility.
The Ranger is the most flexible class and therefore the one to build around whatever your warband is missing.
Assassin (Right between the Eyes) is the straightforward pick: critical burst that removes a priority target. Build it exactly like the Warrior conceptually — decide who dies this turn, then make it happen.
Strategist (Smoke Screen) is the genuine utility build, and smoke is a real tactical tool because it changes what the enemy can reach and see. In a warband that already has enough damage, a Strategist prevents more harm than another attacker deals.
Later milestones. For Assassin, take everything that raises critical damage and mobility. For Strategist, take the picks that extend the reach and duration of your control effects. At level 10, Unstoppable suits the Assassin; Anticipation suits the Strategist.
Alternatives: Cutthroat (Frenzy) for sustained melee-range damage; Poisoner (Poison Vial) for attrition against durable enemies.
Brute — Destroyer (the can opener)
Take Destroyer at level 2.
Build the Brute for exactly one thing: opening up enemies that your damage dealers cannot otherwise hurt. Weakening Blow is the tool, armour is the target, and heavily armoured enemies in later regions are the reason this companion earns a slot.
How to play it. Hit the armoured enemy first, before your damage dealers commit. A Brute that debuffs the right target on turn one multiplies everything your warband does afterwards.
Later milestones. Armour Breaker at 5 and Guard-Breaker at 8 are the picks that keep it doing its job. Skip Second Weapon at 10.
Alternatives: Vanguard (Relentless Charge) as an aggressive opener; Smasher (Poisoned Impact) for poison-based attrition.
Pugilist — Wrestler (Pirates of Belerion DLC)
Take Wrestler at level 3.
If you own the DLC and want the unarmed bruiser fantasy, Wrestler with Takedown is the most distinctive route: a frontliner whose control comes from grappling rather than from weapon reach.
Be clear-eyed about the slot cost. The Pugilist does not fill a hole that Swordsman, Warrior or Brute leave open, so it is a variation for a second warband rather than a core pick.
Alternatives: Bruiser (Skullbreaker) for straightforward damage; Slayer (Aeterial Precision) for a precision-focused build.
The Second Weapon question
Most classes are offered Second Weapon at level 10. It is the pick that most often looks correct and most often is not.
Take it when a companion's job genuinely changes range band during a fight — a Ranger who opens at distance and closes, for example. Skip it on pure anchors, pure archers and pure armour-breakers, where the competing option makes them better at the one job you have spent nine levels building.
If you cannot state in one sentence why a companion needs a second weapon, they do not need one.
The recommended pick per class
| Class | Named branch | Milestone level | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swordsman | Protector (Encouragement) | 2 | Frontline anchor — owns engagement, moves first |
| Warrior | Executioner (Cutting Maelstrom) | 2 | Removes the priority target each turn |
| Brute | Destroyer (Weakening Blow) | 2 | Breaks armour before your damage commits |
| Spearman | Pikeman (Spear Wall) | 3 | Control from behind the line, never in contact |
| Archer | Hunter (Recoil Shot) | 3 | Single-target damage, kept clear of contact |
| Ranger | Assassin or Strategist | 3 | Burst damage, or smoke-based utility |
| Pugilist (DLC) | Wrestler (Takedown) | 3 | Grappling frontliner — variation, not a staple |
Putting the builds together
A warband that clears fixed-difficulty regions without drama usually looks like:
- Swordsman (Protector) — owns engagement, moves first.
- Warrior (Executioner) — removes the priority target each turn.
- Spearman (Pikeman) — controls the choke point from behind the line.
- Archer (Hunter) — finishes what the frontline has engaged.
- Brute (Destroyer) — opens armoured enemies before damage commits.
Swap the Brute for a Ranger (Strategist) in regions where the problem is enemy numbers rather than enemy armour. That is the only substitution most warbands need, and it is far more effective than rebuilding companions to chase whichever build a patch has just favoured.
If you are still deciding who to recruit rather than how to build them, start with the Wartales class tier list. The gear these builds assume comes out of your camp, which the camp and professions guide covers.
