Character Builds

How levelling actually works

A brother earns one perk point per level. Perks sit in seven tiers. Tier N only unlocks after you've spent N−1 points total — so at level 6 you can finally reach tier 6 (Battle Forged / Nimble), and tier 7 capstones open at level 7. Levels 8–11 are free picks from any unlocked tier.

Each path below reads left to right: the number is the level you take that perk, not its tier row. Gold-ringed steps are the fork perks (Battle Forged, Nimble, Berserk, Indomitable, etc.).

Name your brothers on hire

Tag every recruit the moment you know their role. In-game rename: click the brother → edit name. Use the three-letter build tag in brackets so you never forget the plan mid-campaign:

[ANV] Gunther · [HMR] Oskar · [BOW] Dietrich · [SGT] Konrad — tags match each build card below (ANV = Anvil, HMR = Hammerfall, etc.).

Tick builds in My Company (below) to pin the ones you're running — your picks save in this browser for quick jump-links without scrolling the full roster.

How to read a build — talents & stats

When recruiting, chase talent stars in a build's primary attributes: each star adds about +0.5 per level to that stat, i.e. roughly +5 by level 11 if you level it every time. A 1-star Poacher at 50 Ranged Skill ends up like a 0-star Hunter at 55. Starting values plus stars are what decide whether a recruit can reach the targets listed — not the background name alone. Always avoid the dealbreaker traits: Asthmatic, Dastard, and (on melee bros) Fainthearted/Irrational.

How attributes grow each level — the part the game hides

Levelling an attribute is a dice roll, not a fixed bonus. Every level-up you may raise exactly three attributes, and each is offered a rolled value inside its own band — so the same brother gains a different amount each level, and the "+" is never the same twice. You pick the three best rolls on the table.

A talent star shifts that band upward: 1★ adds +1 to the roll's floor, 2★ +2 to the floor, 3★ +2 floor and +1 ceiling. Over a run that's roughly +5 to the stat per star by level 11 if you raise it every time — so a 3★ Melee Skill recruit ends ~15 above a 0★ one. Above level 11 there's no perk point and rolls shrink to +1, so level 11 is the finished brother. Each build below lists the three attributes to prioritise every level.

How to read the compendium

The builds above are the curated company roles with tier-correct level paths. This compendium is the wide reference matrix from u/Fearstalker's perk table (community, ~v1.5.0.8) — every archetype in both BF and Nimble flavors, plus variants the narrated roster doesn't cover.

Notation: A / B = interchangeable picks for that slot · opt: = flexible final slot(s) · Path: BF = Battle Forged (heavy), Nimble = light armor + Nimble (fatigue bands →) · StatBuff = Gifted/Brawny/Backstabber etc.

Compendium perk lists are priority order within tier bands, not strict level-by-level paths — when a row shows Student, Colossus, Gifted… that's the pick sequence, but you still must respect tier gates (BF at earliest level 6). The narrated builds above have already been mapped to exact levels.

Stat targets are top-roll goals, not hard requirements. The Anvil above maps to Monolith Tank (BF); Hammerfall to Hammerer (BF).

A balanced company (12)

A clean default: 2-3 Anvils, 1 Banner Sergeant, 1 Wallpike, 3 ranged (mix Hawkeye / Bolt / Skirmisher), and 4-5 two-handers (Hammerfall + Reaper). Shift the ratio per enemy: more shields + bows vs Goblins; more two-handers and polearms (few shields) vs Orcs; shields-to-hold + two-handers vs the Ancient Dead, swapping bows for Wallpikes. See Enemy Tactics and Game Phases.