Early Game Builds

Learn essential early game strategies for Songs of Conquest. Discover how to manage resources, optimize town builds, and leverage artifacts to dominate the battlefield from the start.

Alright, let's talk about getting a solid start in Songs of Conquest. The early game is all about setting yourself up for success, and a good build can make a huge difference. We'll cover how to manage your resources, what to prioritize building in your towns, and how to make the most of those sweet artifacts you'll find.

Gameplay Basics

First off, always explore. Seriously, don't leave any stone unturned! You'll find resources that boost your economy, capture buildings to get even more resources, and generally expand your vision on the map. Remember, if you're not looting, your opponent probably is. To make this even more efficient, try to increase your movement stat and get a secondary Wielder. This lets your main Wielder focus on fighting while your secondary Wielder can zip around and grab all the goodies, making your looting faster and more effective.

Pro-Tip: Hit that ALT key often! It's your best friend for showing you what you can interact with on the map. It can even reveal items hidden behind environmental objects, so use it liberally.

Make a Strategy

Before you dive headfirst into battles, decide on a plan. What units are you aiming for? What research do you want to prioritize? Focusing on a few key units means your research will be cheaper and you'll reinforce them faster. The trade-off is that you'll be less flexible and won't have as wide a variety of spells. For the early maps in most campaigns (maps 1-3), feel free to experiment! This is the perfect time to figure out what tactics and units you actually enjoy using, and it'll help you make a much better plan for those tougher later maps.

Make Use of Your Build Slots

Understanding how to build in your settlements is crucial. Here’s a quick rundown:

• Towns get: 7 small building slots, 3 medium building slots, and 2 large building slots.
• Large Settlements get: 3 small building slots, 2 medium building slots, and 1 large building slot.
• Small Settlements get: 2 small building slots and 1 medium building slot.

If you've got free building slots, think about your current situation:

• Resource Trading: If you're short on rare resources, consider building multiple Markets (up to 5). They offer better trade prices, which is essential for unlocking your highest-tier units, making upgrades cheaper and faster, and generally making everything more accessible.
• Reinforcements: If you're constantly running out of units, focus on one unit type and use Rally Points to reinforce your armies.
• Defense: If an enemy is on the warpath, build a Tower! They only take one turn to build and are incredibly powerful. You can use them to take down dangerous creatures like Cheluns or Necromancers. Even if you can't wipe out their whole army, softening them up can make a huge difference in your next battle.

Artifacts

You'll stumble upon a lot of Artifacts as you explore your campaign maps. Some are fantastic, others... not so much. But here's the thing: even a 'bad' artifact can be worth keeping. You can always sell it later at an Artifact shop or give it to another Wielder. Keep an eye out for artifact sets too – while they aren't enabled in the base campaigns (Arleon, Rana, Loth & Barya), they can be incredibly powerful, especially early on. If you see the opportunity, go for them!