The Lamplighter's League Beginners Guide

Updated Version 4

Intro

Greeting fellow programs! I am writing this guide for two reasons:

First, I have really enjoyed my time playing Lamplighter’s League. Harebrained is a great studio and I’ve been a fan of their work, especially the Battletech and Shadowrun series. In my opinion, this is a great game with superb voice acting, outstanding writing, great music and sound effects, a good story, countless potential builds, and enough depth to fit any play style. I don't prefer the art style, the difficulties need to be tweaked, and the threat meters seem a bit off, but otherwise it's well-built...at least on the PC.

And second, currently there is a dearth of strategy guides for Lamplighter’s League at the moment. And by that I mean literally zero. Maybe I missed something.

So, without further ado, I’ll get started. I’ve decided to divide this guide into several sections, each covering a different but critical aspect of the game. After reading some of the discussion in the forums, I hope to pass on some in-depth information and strategies that have worked for me. My goal is to perhaps save you some time and effort in your strategic planning during the implementation of your campaign.

I have completed my playthrough and added the final two agent skill trees along with some load outs that synergize well with certain agent skills. My hope is that some other Lamplighter's fan is putting together a real strategy guide complete with all the gooey details. But as the old saying goes, “A bird in hand is better than two in the bush" so this is what you'll have to do with until then. (Yes, I’m old. I have a wife and four kids so you’re lucky I’m spending time on this. You’re welcome.)

Credit goes to NekoNoUnchi for the Status Effect list. Thank you.

Hideout Screen

Functionally this is your base.

Let’s talk about resources first. Each are gathered by collecting an item during a mission or as a reward for completing a mission.

Supplies- the currency for buying things from the supplier, Captain Nicky. It’s the money you spend at the store.
Intel-. I’ve usually found at least one per mission, but sometimes you can find more. Expedition missions can provide it as well. Intel is spent in order to go on certain expedition missions which advance the plot or find a recruit.
Healing Balms- allows you to heal agents who’ve been mortally wounded on the last mission so you can use them for the current mission.
Aether- the upgrade resource for your Allies.
Skill Points- the upgrade resource for your Agents.
Ink- the upgrade resource for your Undrawn Cards.
King’s Aether- the upgrade resource for the more powerful Ally skilltree unlocks. Rare.
Seric Steel- the upgrade for your Agent’s tempered weapon unlocks. This resource doesn’t seem to appear in missions or as a reward for a completed mission until you reach a certain threat. My experience was after at least one House reached over 20 threat. It seems that this resource is tied to mission difficulty. It can drop in missions with purple skulls. Only appears in certain missions. Rare.


Locke serves as the narrator for the story. I haven’t discovered any other role for him.

Captain Nicky is your supplier. You don’t have to go on a mission to recruit him. He offers consumables such as grenades and healing kits, but will also sell you armor and weapon attachments.

All agents start with one consumable slot, one armor slot, one accessory slot, and one weapon mod slot. You can unlock two additional consumable slots via the central upgrade tree from your allies Mother Amina and Danys Belfort. Yes, this means doing their recruiting missions. However once you acquire them the unlock has only one prerequisite and is fairly cheap. I highly recommend it because three slots per agent is a game changer.

On a side note, as far as I can discover there is no way to sell back items. I don’t know why the developers chose not to implement this. Sad.

Nicky’s starting menu looks like this:

Bandages- Targeted. Heals 40 HP. Cost 15.
Flash Bomb- Grenade. Applies Marked and Blinded. AOE 3. Cost 15.
Smoke Bomb- Grenade. Creates Smoke(-25% hit chance for any unit inside). AOE 5. Cost 10.
Fire Bomb- Grenade. Creates Fire. Applies Burning(25 damage DOT). AOE 3. Cost 20.
Light Armor- Armor. +5 armor. Cost 100.

As you progress, Nicky’s store improves as you unlock more items. This is done by upgrading your Allies in the Hideout. Here is what I have currently in my store:

Frag Grenade I- Grenade. 40 damage, shreds 10 armor. AOE 3. Cost 30.
Frag Grenade II- Grenade. 55 damage, shreds 15 armor. AOE 3. Cost 50.
Vitality Gear I- Armor. Max HP +30, max stress +2. Cost 200.
Vitality Gear II- Armor. Max HP +60, max stress +3. Cost 450.
Thunder Bomb I- Grenade. Knock Down. AOE 3. Cost 25.
Thunder Bomb II- Grenade. 40 damage and Knock Down. AOE 3. Cost 50.
Body Armor I- Armor. +10 armor. Cost 250.
Body Armor II- Armor. +15 armor. Cost 500.
Speed Suit- Armor. +1 speed(movement). Cost 200.
Accuracy Talisman I- Weapon Mod. +10% hit chance. Cost 150.
Accuracy Talisman II- Weapon Mod. +17 hit chance. Cost 250.
Critical Talisman- Weapon Mod. +10% crit chance. Cost 100.
Armor Shred Talisman I- Weapon Mod. +5 armor shred per attack. Cost 150.
Armor Shred Talisman II- Weapon Mod. +10 armor shred. Cost 300.
Stress Flask I- Grenade. Inflicts 2 stress. AOE 3. Cost 25.
Stress Flask II- Grenade. Inflicts 4 stress. AOE 3. Cost 50.
Stress Remedy I- Targeted. Heals 3 stress. Cost 20.
Stress Remedy II- Targeted. Heals 5 stress. Cost 40.
Hasten Flask I- Targeted. +1 AP. Cost 38.
Vigor Tonic I- Self Targeted. Buff. Refills one signature charge. Cost 60.
Healing Elixir- Targeted. Heals 50 HP to all agents in target area. AOE 3. Cost 30.
Dynamite- Grenade. Explodes after 1 round. AOE 5. Cost 60.
Medical Kit I- Targeted. Heals 75 HP. Cost 30.
Medical Kit II- Target. Fully heals self or adjacent target. Cost 60.
Ammunition Talisman I- Weapon Mod. +1 ammo. Cost 125.
Ammunition Talisman II- Weapon Mod. +2 ammo. Cost 300.
Damage Talisman I- Weapon Mod. +10% damage. Cost 225.
Damage Talisman II- Weapon Mod. +15 damage. Cost 450.

In addition, I’ve found some consumables and accessories that only spawn in certain missions and towards the end of your campaign.

Uncanny Grenade- Grenade. 250 damage. Shreds 20 armor. AOE 3.
Lamplighters Tonic- Targeted. Heals 70 HP, -4 stress, and grants 1 AP(Don’t unequip this. It disappeared when I tried and I had to reload. Possible bug.) AOE 3.
Skirmish Talisman- Weapon Mod. +1 Speed. + 10% crit.
Skirmish Talisman III- Weapon Mod. +1 Speed, +10% crit, +10% weapon damage.
Ammunition Talisman III- Weapon Mod. +3 ammo, +10% weapon damage.
Accuracy Talisman III- Weapon Mod. +25% to hit.
Marteau Talisman II- Weapon Mod. Weapon gains +75% to inflict Shocked on hit. +8% damage.
Marteau Regalia II- Armor. +15 armor. Incoming Shocked damage reduced by 100%.
Nicastro Talisman II- Weapon Mod. Weapon gains +75% to inflict poison on hit. +8% damage.
Strum Talisman I- Weapon Mod. Weapon gains +25% to inflict Burning on hit. +5% damage.
Strum Regalia I- Armor. +10 Armor. Incoming Fire damage is reduce by 50%.
Vitality Gear III- Armor. Max HP +90. Max Stress +4.
Assassination Talisman II - Weapon Mod. +15% crit chance. +60% crit damage.


I will try to add to list as I discover more items, but hopefully this gives you an idea of what to expect.

Allies

A couple of notes here. In order to recruit an Ally, you must first find them and then complete their rescue mission. One of the first missions you choose after the tutorial is an ally recruitment mission. After that, these missions take time, resources and doing them will increase all the threat meters. Don’t let that dissuade you from going after them. Allies are important. If you get the opportunity to recruit them, do it. Their upgrade trees make a huge difference in your Agents power level. I cannot state this enough. There is a noticeable difference in having the extra carry slots for your agents, the passive skills, and the individual accessories and weapon mods, especially in longer fights against higher level enemies. If you have to prioritize, choose Danys first, Amina second, and Mei last. Danys weapon upgrades are game changing. Prerequisites are indicated below each skill tree.

Here they are in no particular order:

DANYS BELFORT- WEAPONSMITH

Central Upgrade Path

A. Weaponsmith Items I- Frag grenade and Thunder Bomb I. Unlocks tier I consumables and weapon mods with Nicky. Cost 1 Aether.
B. Hidden Compartments- +1 agent consumable slot. Cost 2 Aether.
C. Weaponsmith Items II- Frag grenade II and dynamite. Unlocks tier 2 armor and weapon mods with Nicky. Cost 3 Aether.
D. Bombadier’s Brace- Accessory. Passive. Grenade abilities refund 1 AP. Cost 3 Aether and 1 KA(King’s Aether? I can’t remember what this stands for and there is no tool tip.)
E. Weaponsmith Items III- Vitality Gear II and unlocks Tier 3 armor and weapon mods. Cost 3 Aether and 1 KA.
F. Adamantine Lining- Armor. +15 armor. Elemental damage is reduced 50%. Cost 4 Aether and 1 KA.
G. Electromechanical Optimizer- Weapon Mod. +15% damage. +5 Armor shred. +8% hit chance. +8% crit chance. Cost 4 Aether and 1 KA.

Prerequisites A-->B--> C--> D, C-->E, D-->F, D-->G

Left Upgrade Path

A. Mechanical Vambrace- Accessory. Passive. Melee attacks gain 33% chance to reduce cooldowns 1. Cost 1 Aether.
B. Transmutive Tempering- Melee attacks that crit shred 5 armor. Cost 2 Aether.
C. Efficient Assembly- Weaponsmith consumables cost 25% less. Cost 3 Aether.
D. Reactive Metallurgy- Melee attacks have 10% chance to grant 1 AP. Cost 3 Aether and 1 KA.
E. Trauma Battery- Accessory. Passive. Melee attacks have +25% to grant 1 AP. Cost 4 Ather and 1 KA.

Prerequisites A-->B-->C-->D-->E

Right Upgrade Path

A. Vitality Engine- Accessory. Passive. When using a buff or debuff consumable, gain 1 AP. Cost 1 Aether.
B. Ability Optimizer- Accessory. Passive. Reload abilities reduce cooldowns by 1. Cost 2 Aether.
C. Adaptive Mechanisms- After missing and attack, gain 15% hit chance for the next attack. Cost 3 Aether.
D. Endless Bandolier- Accessory. Passive. Attacks gains 33% chance to reload 1 ammo. Cost 3 Aether.
E. Ballistic Calculation Device. Accessory. Passive. Reload abilities give +100% crit chance on next attack. Cost 3 Aether and 1 KA.
F. Automated Reload Mechanisms- Reload actions give 33% chance to gain 1 AP. Cost 4 Aether and 1 KA.

Prerequisites A-->B-->C, B-->D, C-->E-->F

MOTHER AMINA- HEALER

Central Upgrade Path

A. Recovery Items I- Medical Kit I and Hasten Flask I. Unlocks Tier 1 items with Nicky.(I’m not sure if this unlocks grenades too. I got her after Danys.) Cost 1 Aether.
B. Pilgrim’s Burden- +1 Agent consumable slot. Cost 2 Aether.
C. Recovery Items II- Medical Kit II and Healing Elixir. Unlocks Tier 2 items with Nicky. Cost 3 Aether.
D. Reflective Charm- Accessory. Passive. When using an healing item or ability, agent heals 40 HP. Cost 3 Aether and 1 KA.
E. Magdalie Charm- Accessory. Passive, Targeted. +50 max health. Once per mission can fully heal all teammates in target area. AOE 3. Cost 4 Aether and 1 KA.

Prerequisites A-->B-->C-->D-->E

Left Upgrade Path

A. Therapeutic Tradition- Signature abilities heal 30 HP to the agent. Cost 1 Aether.
B. Efficient Healing- Recovery consumables cost 25% less. Cost 2 Aether.
C. Prayer Beads- Accessory. Passive. Attacks heal 3 HP. Cost 3 Aether.
D. Ancient Reliquary- Accessory. Passive. When critically hit, agent has 50% chance to heal 100 HP. Cost 3 Aether and 1 KA.
E. Embroidered Handwraps- Accessory. Passive. Heals 20 HP when agent crits. Cost 3 Aether and 1 KA.
F. Lifebloom- Healing abilities and items have 20% chance to fully heal target. Cost 4 Aether and 1 KA.

Prerequisites A-->B-->C-->D, C-->E, D-->F

Right Upgrade Path

A. Rejuvenation- Healing abilities clear debuffs. Cost 1 Aether.
B. Cord of the Unknown Mother- Accessory. Passive. Being healed increases armor by 3. Cost 2 Aether.
C. Soothing Touch- Healing abilities and consumables remove 2 stress. Cost 3 Aether.
D. Viriditas Amulet- Accessory. Passive. When receiving a heal, agent gains 1 AP. Can activate 2 times per round. Cost 3 Aether.
E. Charm of the Eternal Aeon- Accessory. Passive. When using a healing item or ability, gain 1 AP. Cost 3 Aether and 1 KA.
F. Cleansing Ritual- Reload and evades clear debuffs. Cost 4 Aether and 1 KA.

Prerequisites A-->B-->C, B-->D, C-->E-->F

MADAME MEI- CARTOMANCER

Central Upgrade Path

A. Expanded Inventory I- Stress Remedy and Stress Flask and unlocks these items with Nicky. Cost 1 Aether.
B. Mindfulness- All agents gain +1 max stress. Cost 2 Aether.
C. Expanded Inventory II- Stress Remedy II and Stress Flask II and unlocks these items with Nicky. Cost 3 Aether.
D. Expanded Horizons- Unlocks 3rd Undrawn Hand slot on all agents. Cost 3 Aether and 1 KA.
E. Foresight- All agents gain +2 max stress. Cost 4 Aether and 1 KA.

Prerequisites A-->B-->C-->D-->E

Left Upgrade Path

A. Improved Fortunes I- Increased chance of uncommon card from Undrawn Hand. Cost 1 Aether.
B. Windfall I- Receive an additional card when completing a mission. Cost 2 Aether.
C. Superior Fortunes I- Increased chance of rare card from Undrawn Hand. Cost 2 Aether.
D. Improved Fortunes II- Significantly increased chance of uncommon card. Cost 3 Aether.
E. Windfall II- Receive a second additional card when completing a mission. Cost 3 Aether and 1 KA.
F. Superior Fortunes II- Significantly increased chance of rare card. Cost 3 Aether and 1 KA.
G. Serenity Charm- Accessory. Passive. Reduces incoming stress by 1. Cost 4 Aether and 1 KA.

Prerequisites A-->B, A-->C, B-->D-->E, D-->F, E-->G

Right Upgrade Path

A. Refractive Lens- Accessory. Passive. Upon suffering a stress break the agent’s next attack does double damage. Cost 1 Aether.
B. Potential I- Max card level is 4. Cost 2 Aether.
C. River of Ink- Gain 50% more when discarding a card. Cost 3 Aether.
D. Underworld Idol- Accessory. Passive. Upon killing an enemy heal 1 stress. Cost 3 Aether.
E. River of Ink II- Gain 50% more ink when discarding a card. Stacks with River of Ink I. Cost 3 Aether and 1 KA.
F. Potential II- Max card level is 5. Cost 4 Aether and 1 KA.

Prerequisites A-->B-->C, B-->D, C-->E-->F

The Undrawn Hand

Tapping into the lore of Lamplighter’s League, the Undrawn Hand is a new and welcome addition to the genre. This mechanic is interesting in that it lets you assign unique abilities to agents that can increase the efficiency of their role or allow them to step outside the bounds. Agents start with 3 slots, only one of which is unlocked. The second slot is unlocked after you complete your first Ally recruitment mission. The third slot is unlocked deep in Mei’s central upgrade tree. One Undrawn Hand card is earned at the end of every mission. On most maps I’ve been able to find an item called “Mote of Fate” which looks like a swirling black ball. It’s usually hidden well and out of sight but if you find it, you’ll get an extra card draw at the end of the mission. A second and third card draw is unlocked in Mei's left skill tree.

Cards are drawn randomly and come in three flavors: common, uncommon, and rare. As you can probably guess, their abilities scale depending on the rarity. Cards can also be leveled, improving their abilities up to five times. This can be done either by drawing a duplicate of the same card on an agent that you took with you on the current mission, or by using ink. Ink is the Hideout resource that allows you to upgrade a card without using a duplicate. This method is accessed through the Agent menu, selecting the Undrawn Hand menu to the left of the agent, and then selecting the card to upgrade. The first upgrade is cheap, however they get significantly costlier quickly.

1st tier- 32 Ink
2nd tier- 128 Ink
3rd tier- 512 Ink
4th tier- 2048 Ink

Ink is acquired in several ways. Discarding cards you do not wish to keep at the end of a mission nets you small gains(around 4 ink for a level 1 common card). Higher rarities provide more ink. A level two rare card that is discarded will get you 96 Ink. Replacing a card already assigned to an agent for a different one refunds the ink based on the level of the card you are replacing.

Another way to gain ink is by allowing an agent to get “stress broken” and then taking them on the next mission. A stress broken or injured agent acquires a RED UNDRAWN HAND card that covers up one of their current Undrawn cards, replacing it with a negative effect for 3 in-game weeks. These cards are assigned based on the type of agent. For instance, if a Bruiser gets a RED CARD, it is usually something like “Half Speed”. If a Saboteur gets a RED CARD, it may be something like, “After attacking, 50% chance to be DAZED.” They are designed to be punitive and increase the difficulty of the mission. However, if you can keep that agent from getting stress broken again, the RED CARD is removed, and the agent will acquire a large amount of ink. The last time this happened, I received 96 ink.

Even though the agents in Lamplighter’s League have unique play styles, their abilities usually fit the class the agent belongs to, i.e. Bruisers are tanky melee folk, Sneaks are best at dealing single target damage, ect. The Undrawn Hand is how you can make each agent your own creation. There are a dizzying amount of cards and combinations that can turn your agents into scions of destruction. You can give ranged attacks to Bruisers, melee attacks to Sneaks, or create AOE fire at will. You can create an AP machine, crit machine, or stress machine. At one point, my Ingrid had two abilities that created stress, one from being the target of an attack and another from a targeted AOE. She was making whole squads run in terror.

There is a great list of individual cards in the Lamplighter reddit forums by grimtoothy titled, "Undrawn Hand". Highly recommend it.

Intro to Agents

You will start the game with three agents: Ingrid, Eddie, and Lateef. After your first playthrough, you can choose to recruit any four agents as your starting crew. Agents fall into three categories, each with different real time abilities and in-combat focuses.

Sneaks are granted stealth when not moving and have three charges of “Sucker Punch”, a real time ability that allows them to take out single targets from behind. Sneaks should primarily take the role of scout. They are best used ungrouped from the rest of the team gathering resources and discovering the map. Recon mode is nice, but there is no actual in-game map in Lamplighters League. In my opinion, recon mode should only be used to give you a general sense of which direction to go.

Sneaks should be doing most of the work figuring out what the situation is and from which direction your next attack will come from. Keep your other agents far enough back that so if you decide to take someone out they won’t be discovered and trigger combat prematurely. The AI is smart. Single guards will often present tempting targets, however patrols typically composed of two or three units covering a well-defined route will probably stumble upon the body and set off alarms. This is why you should keep your other agents hidden far back until you are ready to enter combat. Once the enemy has been alerted, they will search FAR AND WIDE for you. If this happens and your other agents are just hanging out around the corner or behind a nearby tree, you will most likely be facing a premature combat situation where your team is split up and unable to support each other. Beware of giving your sneak TOO much leash. If they get far enough away from the other members of their team, you may leave them vulnerable, alone, and outnumbered. Use your best judgement, but don't get too cocky.

Bruisers are your melee units. Their real-time ability is “Slam”, a rushing attack that can take out up to three units in a single line regardless of HP. This ability is best used against the roving perimeter guards that usually travel in groups of twos or three’s. Just make sure you pick a place that won’t draw attention or that you can retreat easily from in case you make too much noise.

Saboteurs are your mid-range, all purpose units. They have a real-time ability called “Shock Mine” which allows them to throw a trap mine that draws the attention of nearby units in a large radius and kills the first enemy who steps on it. The range on this ability is very good and this is a great way to take out the annoying “radar” units which prevent your Sneak from infiltrating too far into the enemy position. (They look like skinny sniper units with white glowing eyes and have regular white pulsing waves that emanate from them. Be aware that Sneaks can be discovered even when in stealth by these units, so taking them out should be a priority to ensure you start combat on your terms and theirs.) Once the mine triggers, every enemy who was drawn to investigate is put on alert and will immediately go hunting the map far and wide for you. Have a plan when you throw them.

A word of caution, elite units and scions are immune to ALL of these take-down abilities, but not to the effects of destructibles, grenades, signature abilities and other consumables. Sometimes an elite will accompany two other normal units as a patrol. Your Slam ability will probably kill the normal units but you'll get knocked down if it comes in contact with the elite.

Agent Tier List (subject to change)

Here is a short summary and a few of my thoughts on each of the recruitable agents according to their skills.

Purnima is a Sneak who functions as an A rank sniper. With the right setup and a teammate with The Herald, she can completely take out an elite and two or more normal units halfway accross the map in one turn without using her signature. (Hint: use Eddie to Mark and then activate The Herald for Inspired, granting 1 AP. Using Kill Shot against a Marked enemy will refund 2 AP, one for the kill and one for hitting a Marked target. Use Aimed Shot. On kill you should get another AP. Use Snapshot, hope for the extra AP from The Great Wind.) She's a monster. I clocked 420+ damage hits from her regularly.

Ana is a Saboteur who functions as a healer that can dole out AP. Her AP skills are superb, but there are enough healing kits on every map to make her healing skills redundant and her damage is too lackluster to compete with the other Saboteurs. So while on her own I would rank her B tier however, as my friend Whydidilose states, “If you give her cards that can buff other characters, those cards can be used more frequently with Ana due to her cooldown reduction. That’s what she’s designed for. Example: Use Ana’s ability that grants inspired to all agents, then use the card that gives all inspired agents an additional AP. Then use Ana’s ability to give 3 other agents an additional action. That turns her 2 AP into 3 AP, which then translates to 6 AP for your other 3 agents. She can generate 6 AP for your best 3 agents from her 2 AP. There’s nothing more efficient in the game, outside of Ingrid’s endless chain kills.” She is the best support character in the game and so when paired with a good team, I rank her a solid A+.

Fedir is a Bruiser who functions as an S+ rank tank/cleaner. He carries a shotgun and has one of THE BEST signature moves in the game. (Hint: start combat with Manhandle, wait for AI to move, use Manhandle to throw into a group of clustered enemies; gain AP, rage, and +damage. The shotgun can target multiple enemies and crits as well. His abilities allow him to heal off the shotgun damage.) Viriditas Talisman for the AP generation and Adamantine Lining for the speed are a must, I was on the Ingrid band-wagon for a long time. She’s absolutely insane. But Fedir is better. He controls the battlefield like no one’s business. Especially matched with a closer like Jianyi or Celestine. Plus his voice actor is superb and his character is my fav.

Celestine is a Sneak who specializes in poison and mind control. I didn't play her at all but she synergizes well with several strategies, especially if your team is focused on stress-breaks. One of her abilities allows her to gain another charge of Mesmerize on killing a stress broken enemy. This along with her AP generation skill, Occult Gambit, which is akin to Ingrids, make her very overpowered, albeit with a different playstyle. S rank.

Nocturne is an A rank Saboteur who specializes in debuffs and multi-target damage. The problem is she is competing with Eddie for the Saboteur spot on my team. Eddie is so good at what he does it's a hard sell. But if you play a control-style squad and are aggressive, Nocturne can be deadly. Her Translocate is a great opener that allows her to penetrate deep and punish the enemy without putting her at risk. Her gun hits really hard, especially when cloaked, but only starts with one ammo. I would slap an Ammunition Talisman and Vitality Engine on her early game, but late game I recommend switching out for the Bombadier’s Brace and anything that gives +damage. Along with Jianyi, she is the only other Agent that can recharge her Signature without consumables, so use it often…right after Translocate in the middle of a bunch of enemies is best. The Fallen solves her early game ammo problems and The Conduit is nice for the on-call debuff.

Judith is a Bruiser who functions as a tank/provoker. I didn't play her because her skills seem a distant 3rd among the Bruisers, however I've heard she is unparalleled at keeping aggro and herself alive. She would be a strong pick for those teams who need a true tank while they DPS.

Jianyi is an interesting pick. Early on he suffers from ability deficits and his superb movement ability acts as a liability because it can get him in hot water. Ingrid outclasses him in almost every way during the early game. That said, if you have the patience to build up his skills and give him the right loadout, he’s actually better than Ingrid as a finisher. Equipped with Trauma Battery, The Great Wind, The Bull, and an Assassination Talisman, he becomes Jet-Li. His ability, Furor, procs AP when he crits and he hits FAR harder than Ingrid(147 per swing). Early game he is a solid B, but late game he transforms to S+ rank.

The Alexandrite is a Saboteur who functions as a hard-to-hit debuff/fire mage. Although his abilities to stress and debuff seem strong, he is competing with Eddie for the Saboteur spot on my team. Sorry dude. I would possibly consider taking him if I were going for a stress-break team.

As you probably already know, the three starting units are Ingrid, Lateef, and Eddie. As promised, here is some commentary on them as well.

I'll start with Ingrid. Wow. I can't count how many times she cleared the map during my campaign. Ingrid is a Bruiser who functions as an S+ rank finisher. Once fully leveled and kitted with Trauma Battery, Adamantine Lining, and Skirmisher III, she is able to kill almost anything that has already taken damage. Save her knockdown skill for any elites, then roll from enemy to enemy gaining back AP as you kill. Use Stick and Move if she gets in too deep. Because she is running from enemy to enemy, Adamantine Lining is perfect for her to reduce fire/shock/poison damage and grants additional movement.

Lateef is a good starter unit, but lacks key elements to be S or A rank. While he does have good takedown skills, he doesn't really have any AP generating skills. This, coupled with the fact that he has to flank an enemy to proc his +crit cripples him as a Sneak. Additionally, his lack of movement compared to Jianyi and his lack of reach compared to Purnima hamper him significantly. He is very useful combined with Ana's AP skills if you want to steal-rush the exit. B rank.

And finally, there's Eddie. What a jerk. I love him. Eddie is a Saboteur who functions as a multi-target, debuff DPS machine. He has medium range, but his ability to flush out targets from cover, mark them, apply debuffs(Hint: The Leech and The Forsaken), shred armor, and damage up to six targets with 1 AP are unparalleled. Plus he has an ability that is a guaranteed hit and crit. And on top of it, his signature is top tier. Equip The Herald if you can find it for the nice +15% to hit, the Endless Bandolier for ammo conservation, and top it off with the Electromechanical Optimizer for +to hit, +to crit, +weapon damage and shred. S rank.

Agent Skills Part 1

Agents start with several skills and have 3 branching skill trees similar to Allies. To upgrade your agents, select the AGENTS tab in HIDEOUT, choose which agent you prefer, and then select the “Skills” menu on the upper left of the screen.

I'm not going to list the starting agent skill trees because everyone has access to view them day one. Below is a list of the recruitable agent skill trees in no particular order. Each upgrade also increases the Agent's HP and damage by a small amount(2-6%).

Ana Sofia- Saboteur

Starting Abilities
- Restore I- Signature. Completely heal all teammates within large radius. AOE 6.
- Healer- Passive. Restores 50% more when healing with an ability or consumable. Stabilize is upgraded to Rekindle which heals additional HP to teammates in Mortal Danger.
- Commitment I- Passive. Attacks have a 20% chance to reduce cooldowns by 1.

Bless I- Buff. Applies Inspired and removes debuffs on teammates in a large radius. AOE 6.
A. Commitment II- Passive. Attacks have a 35% chance to reduce cooldowns by 1.
B. Bless II- Buff. Applies Inspired and removes debuffs on all teammates in a large radius
and resets all cooldowns. AOE 6.
C. Commitment III- Attacks have a 50% chance to reduce cooldowns by 1.
D. Motivate I- Buff. Target teammate gains 1 AP.
E. Motivate II- Buff. Two targeted teammates gain 1 AP.
F. Restore II- Signature. Completely heal all teammates in a large radius and restore 1
signature charge. AOE 6.
G. Caregiver- Passive. Gain 1 AP when healing a teammate with an ability or consummable.
H. Justice- Passive. Kills reduce Ana's cooldowns by 1.
I. Restore III- Signature. Completely heal all teammates in a large radius and restore 1
signature charge. AOE 8.
J. Tempered Weapon- Fallen Angel- Increased hit and crit chance. Higher ammo cap.
K. Atonement I- Passive. Attacks have a 25% chance to shred 5 armor.
L. Condemnation- Passive. Attacks have a 25% chance to cause Bleed.
M. Fortitude- Passive. Max stress +2.


Prerequisites: A-->B-->C; D-->E,F-->G,H-->I,J; K-->L-->M

Purnima- Sneak

Starting Abilities
- Trick Shot I- Signature. Choose two locations to map a path for Purnima's shot. All targets along the path take damage. Cost 2 AP.
- Lockdown I- Overwatch. Long cone, 1 shot. Shreds 10 armor. Ends turn.
- Deadeye- Passive. Attacks made from higher ground gain +25% crit.
- Snapshot- Ranged Attack. Shreds 10 armor. Reduced chance to hit but more accurate at closer range. Cost 1 AP.
- Aimed Shot- Ranged Attack. Shreds 10 armor. +100% chance to hit and 100% increased damage. Cost 2 AP.

Zero In I- Buff. Purnima becomes Invisible. Applies Marked to all targets up to 12 tiles away. AOE 4. Cost 1 AP.
A. Practiced- Passive. Upon reload Purnima becomes Inspired.
B.Nimble- Passive. While Invisible +3 Speed.
C. Zero In II- Buff. Purnima becomes Invisible. Applies Marked to all targets up to 18 tiles
away. AOE 5.
D. Opportunist- Passive. Upon receiving a buff, Purnima gains 1 AP. Once per round.
E. Kill Shot 1- Ranged Attack. +30% crit chance. Misses graze target for 50% damage. When
hitting a Marked target, gain 1 AP. Cost 2 AP.
F. Kill Shot II- Ranged Attack. +30 crit chance. Misses graze target for 50% damage. When
hitting a Marked target or killing any target, gain 1 AP. Cost 2 AP.
G. Stalker- Passive. Attacks against Marked targets reduce the cooldown of Kill Shot by 1.
H. Trick Shot II- Gain an additional Signature charge. Cost 2 AP.
I. Trick Shot III- Signature. Choose 3 locations to map a path for Purnima's shot. All
targets along the path take damage. Cost 2 AP.
J. Tempered Weapon- The Deadeye- Increased damage and hit chance and ammo
cap. Significantly increased crit chance.
K. Lockdown II- Overwatch. Increased AOE cone. 1 shot. Shreds 10 armor.
L. Fortitude- Passive. Max stress +2. Ends turn.
M. Lockdown III- Overwatch. Long cone, 2 shots. Shreds 10 armor. Ends Turn.

Prerequisites: A-->B,C-->D; E-->F,G-->H-->I,J; K-->L-->M

Nocturne- Saboteur

Starting Abilities
- Vigilant- Passive. At the end of the round, Nocturne enters Overwatch if her weapon has ammo. Cannot trigger if Invisible.
- Savage Discharge I- Signature. Deals minor damage and inflicts Dazed on all nearby enemies. AOE 4. Deals major SHOCK damage to all enemies with Shocked status regardless of range.
- Dynamo- Immune to Shock damage. Shock status lasts +1 round. While Shocked, +1 speed.
- Charge Up- Buff. Nocturne becomes Shocked, triggering Dynamo.
- Veil- Buff. Applies Invisible for 2 rounds.
- Recharge- Passive. Automatically reloads 1 ammo at the beginning of each round.

Translocate 1- Movement. Switch positions with another character. If used while Shocked, apply Shocked to all enemies in a small radius. AOE 4.
A. Resonant- Passive. While Shocked, basic attacks have 15% to cost 0 ammo.
B. Generator- Passive. When Nocturne is hit with an attack she becomes Shocked.
C. Live Wire- Passive. When Shocked expires, Nocturne has a 33% chance to become
Shocked again.
D. Stasis 1- Debuff. Freezes Nocturne or an enemy in Statis. Units with Stasis cannot take
actions and are not affected by abilities or hazards for 2 rounds.
E. Fortitude- Passive. Max stress +2.
F Stasis II- Debuff. Freezes ANY target in improved Stasis. Units with Stasis cannot take
actions and are not affected by abilities or hazards for 2 rounds. All debuffs are removed.
G. High Voltage- Passive. While Shocked and Invisible, attacks have +75% increased
damage.
H. Savage Discharge II- Signature. Deals minor damage and inflicts Dazed on all nearby
enemies. AOE 6. Deals major SHOCK damage to all enemies with Shock status
regardless of range.
I. Conductive- Passive. Nocturnes outgoing Shock damage is increased by 50%.
J. Feeback Loop- Passive. Kills while Shocked and Invisible have a 30% chance to
restore 1 Signature charge.
K. Tempered Weapon- Pulsefinder- Increased hit and crit chance. Higher ammo cap.
L. Eidolon- Passive. +25% crit chance while Invisible.
M. Translocate II- Movement. Switch positions with another character and become Invisible. If used while Shocked, apply Shocked to all enemies in a large radius. AOE 6. She can now target any unit within line of sight of her teammates.

Prerequisites: A-->B-->C; D-->E,F,G-->H,I-->J,K; L-->M

Agent Skills Part 2

Celestine- Sneak

Starting Abilities
- Mesmorize I- Signature. Convert target enemy to ally for 1 round.
- Cruel Release- Passive. When landing a crit, apply +1 stress. Regain 1 signature charge when landing a Coup de Grace.
- Occult Gambit 1- Gamble. Gain either 1 AP or 3 stress. Cost 0 AP.
- Evade- Buff. Gain 1 stack of Evade.

Curse- Debuff. Place hex on target causing 1 stress and Curse status. Cursed enemies receive +1 stress when attacked. Lasts 1 round.
A. Satisfaction- Passive. Whenever Celestine attacks a Poisoned enemy, she heals 1 stress.
B. Fortitude- Passive. Max stress +2.
C. Umbral Edge- Passive. Attacking a Cursed enemy with a basic attack restores 30 HP.
D. Dark Delight- Passive. +50% chance to heal 1 stress when using a debuff ability.
E. Whispering Knife I- Ranged Attack. Deal damage and apply Poisoned.
F. Serpent's Caress- Passive. Killing an enemy with Cursed status resets the cooldown of
Whispering Knife.
G. Occult Gambit II- Gamble. Gain either 1 AP or 3 stress. Can be used twice per round. Cost 0 AP
H. Whispering Knife II- Ranged Attack. Deal damage and apply Poisoned. Deals additional damage per point of target's stress.
I. Mesmorize II- Signature. Convert target enemy to ally for 2 rounds.
J. Occult Gambit III- Gamble. Gain either 1 AP or 3 stress. Can be used unlimited times per round. Cost 0 AP.
K. Tempered Weapon- The Laurier's Vengeance- Increased damage and significantly
increased crit chance.
L. Precision- Passive. +10% crit chance.
M. Melee Overwatch I- Passive Overwatch. Triggers 1 time per round within melee range.

Prerequisites: A-->B,C-->D; E-->F,G; F-->H; G-->I-->J,K; L-->M

Fedir- Bruiser

Starting Abilities
- Manhandle I- Signature. Move to target and grab enemy. Throw them to target location inflicting Knockdown in medium radius. Gain Rage status.
- Short Fuse- Passive. Fedir gains Rage whenever he is attacked. Rage triggers additional ability effects.
- Bludgeon I- Melee. Move to target enemy and perform melee attack. Can only be used when at 0 ammo. +15% crit chance. Deals 20 damage to Fedir.

Provoke I- Buff. Provoke nearby enemies. Incoming damage reduced by 50%. Lasts 1 round.
A. Brutality- Passive. Melee attacks heal 1 stress.
B. Provoke II- Buff. Provoke nearby enemies. Incoming damage reduced by 50%. Negates 1
point of stress each time he is attacked. Lasts 1 round.
C. Iron Will- Passive. Max stress +3.
D. Headbutt I- Melee. Move to target enemy and perform melee attack, inflicting Dazed. If
performed while in Rage status, heal amount of damage dealt.
E. Bludgeon II- Melee. Move to target enemy and perform melee attack. Can only be used
when at 0 ammo. +15% crit chance. Deals 20 damage to Fedir. If performed by while in
Rage status, reduce all cooldowns by 1.
F. Headbutt II- Melee. Move to target enemy and perform melee attack, inflicting Dazed. If
performed while in Rage status, inflict Knockdown and heal amount of damage dealt.
G. Rancor I- Passive. While in Rage status, attacks gain +25% damage.
H Spite- Passive- While in Rage status, shotgun attacks heal for each target hit.
I. Rancor II- Passive. While in Rage status, attacks gain +25% damage and shred 10
armor.
J. Rancor III- While in Rage status, attacks gain +25% damage, shred 10 armor, and
gain +2 speed.
K. Tempered Weapon- The Wolf- Increased damage and significantly increased crit.
L. Manhandle II- Signature. Move to target and grab enemy. Throw them to target location
inflicting Knockdown in large radius. Gain Rage status. Increased AOE and throw range.
M. Manhandle III- Signature. Gain an additional signature charge.

Prerequisites: A-->B,C; D-->E,G; E-->F; G-->H,I-->J,K; L-->M

Judith- Bruiser

Starting Abilities
- Challenge I- Signature. Provoke all enemies. AOE 8. Heals stress. Gain 20 armor for 1 round.
- Inexorable I- Passive. Immune to Overwatch damage. +5 armor.
- Sticky Grenade I- Grenade. Attach grenade to enemy target which explodes when enemy is hit by a ranged attack or performs an action, dealing damage and shredding armor. AOE 3.
- Shield Bash I- Melee. Perform melee attack that pushes enemy 1 tile. Collisions cause Knockdown.

Fortify I- Buff. Create defensive area for 3 rounds. All teammates are cleansed of debuffs and have 50% reduced damaged. AOE 4.
A. Challenge II- Signature. Provoke all enemies. AOE 8. Heals stress. Gain 30 armor for 1 round.
B. Fortify II- Buff. Create defensive area for 3 rounds. All teammates are cleansed of debuffs
and have 50% reduced damage. Attacking enemies heals 1 stress. AOE 4.
C. Challenge III- Signature. Provoke all enemies. AOE 8. Heals stress. Gain 40 armor for 1 round.
D. Shield Slam I- Melee. Targets all adjacent enemies. Deals damage and pushes enemies back 1 tile. Collisions cause Knockdown. For each enemy hit, Judith gains 10 armor for 1 round.
E. Shield Slam II- Melee. Targets all adjacent enemies. Deals damage and pushes enemies
back 2 tiles. Collisions cause Knockdown. For each enemy hit, Judith gains heals 1 stress
and gains 10 armor for 1 round.
F. Ironclad- Passive. When hitting an enemy with a basic attack, 50% chance to gain 5 armor
for 1 round.
G. Unbreakable- Passive. When Judith kills an enemy she gains 15 armor for 1 round.
H. Inexorable II- Passive. Immune to Overwatch damage. +15 armor.
I. Tempered Weapon- Iron and Steel- Increased hit chance and ammo cap.
Significantly increased crit chance.
J. Sticky Grenade II- Grenade. Attach grenade to enemy target causing -50% speed. Grenade
explodes when enemy is hit by a ranged attack or performs an action, dealing damage and
shredding armor. AOE 3.
K. Iron Will- Max stress +3.
L. Shield Bash II- Melee. Perform melee attack that pushes enemy 2 tiles. Collisions cause
Knockdown. If target has a sticky grenade attached, Judith gains 25 armor for 1 round.
M. Sticky Grenade III- Grenade. Attach grenade to enemy target causing -50% speed.
Grenade explodes when enemy is hit by a ranged attack or performs an action, dealing
damage and shredding armor. AOE 3. Deals double damage to targets with Knockdown.

Prerequisites: A-->B--C; D-->E,F-->G-->H,I; J-->K,L-->M

Agent Skills Part 3

Jianyi- Sneak

Starting Skills
- Whirling Blade- Melee. Sweeping slash that grows stronger with more Flow.
- Steel Tempest I- Signature. Dash to a location, dealing melee damage to each enemy along the way. Each stack of Flow increases damage +15. Does not trigger overwatch.
- Flow- Passive. Each stack of Flow increases crit chance +10%. Lose one stack at the end of each round.
- Furor I- Passive. Gain 1 AP when landing a Melee crit. Limit 1 AP per round.
- Evade- Self-Buff. Gain one stack of Evade.
- Flowing Shot I- Ranged. Adds one stack of Flow, but doesn't add crit damage. Mid-range.

Center- Self-Buff. Gain three stacks of Flow. Lose all debuffs.
A. Gathering Winds- Passive. Gain one stack of Flow when reloading or killing an enemy.
B. Distant Thunder- Passive. Using a ranged ability has a 33% chance to grant one stack of Flow.
C. Veil of Mist- Passive. When an attack misses Jianyi, gain two stacks of Flow.
D. Lightning Shift- Ranged. Perform ranged attack then teleport to target. Grants one stack of Flow. Does not trigger overwatch.
E. Unending Storm- Passive. Kills with Lightning Shift reset its cooldown.
F. Furor II- Passive. Gain 1 AP when landing a Melee crit. Limit 2 AP per round.
G. Agility- Passive. +1 Speed.
H. Furor III- Passive. Gain 1 AP when landing a Melee crit. Limit 3 AP per round.
I. Tempered Weapon- Weapon upgrade. Breeze and Rain. Increased damage and hit chance. Higher ammo cap.
J. Melee Overwatch II- Passive. Melee overwatch ability. Can proc 2 times per round.
K. Fortitude- Passive. Max stress +2.
L. Steel Tempest II- Signature. Dash to two locations, dealing melee damage to each enemy along the way. Each stack of Flow increases damage +15. Does not trigger overwatch.
M. Melee Overwatch III- Passive. Melee overwatch ability. Can proc 3 times per round.

Prerequisites: A-->B-->C; D-->E,F; F-->G-->H,I; J-->K,L-->M

The Alexandrite- Saboteur

Starting Skills
- Beckon I- Signature. Create two Phantasms with 50 HP each that fight independently and fade over time.
- Slip Mind. Passive. Gain Invisible after taking damage.
- Tether- Debuff. Tether two units together. Each suffers 1 stress every round. If one unit becomes Stress Broken, the other suffers the same. Lasts 3 rounds.
- Energy Gain- Passive. The cane regenerates 1 ammo every round.

Ghostfire- Debuff. Creates a Ghostfire hazard that places an Illusory Burn on enemies. AOE 3. Close range.
A. Dread Embers- Passive. Enemies suffering Illusory Burn take an additional +1 stress.
B. Fortitude- Passive. Max stress +2.
C. Feed the Flames- Passive. Deal an additional +20 Fire damage to enemies suffering Illusory Burn.
D. Second Sun- Passive. The Alexandrite's fire abilities deal 50% more damage. This includes consumables and Undrawn Hand abilities.
E. Warp Image I- Debuff. This unit's teammates will consider it hostile until it has been attacked 2 times. Enemies attacking this unit suffer 1 stress. Lasts 1 round.
F. Warp Image II- Debuff. This unit's teammates will consider it hostile until it has been attacked 3 times. Enemies attacking this unit suffer 1 stress. Lasts 1 round.
G. Slip Mind II- Gain Invisible after taking damage and create one phantasm.
H. Multiplication- Passive. Whenever an enemy suffers a stress break, create one phantasm.
I. Phantasmagoria- Passive. Upon landing a crit, all phantasms gain +25 HP.
J. Tempered Weapon- Weapon Upgrade. The Staff of Dreams. Increased damage, hit chance and crit chance. Higher ammo capacity.
K. Beckon II- Signature. Create two Phantasms with 75 HP each that fight independently and fade over time.
L. Beckon III- Signature. Create three Phantasms with 75 HP each that fight independently and fade over time.
M. Beckon IV- Signature. Create three Phantasms with 75 HP each that fight independently and fade over time. Their attacks ignore armor.

Prerequisites- A-->B,C-->D; E-->F,G-->H-->I,J; K-->L-->M

Team Synergies

Your initial team consists of one of each of the three types of agents. I highly recommend you include each type on every mission. There are areas that only Sneaks can access, walls that only Bruisers can break, and doors that only Saboteurs can open.

That being said, you can choose to shake things up if you wish. If you want to roll with three Bruisers, be my guest. But you will eventually run into a situation where you wish you had a more balanced team. Your starting agents are quite good. In fact, you could actually finish the campaign without ever recruiting another agent. Their signature abilities are all very nice and their passives incredible. In the case of Ingrid, I would even say borderline OP.

As you play, you'll come to see how certain agents work better with others. A great example is The Alexandrite, Celestine, and ANY Bruiser equipped with The Tyrant. Who cares if you don't put out a lot of damage when you are stress breaking everything for a 0 AP Finisher? Most enemies HP and damage scales with their respective house's threat meter, but not their stress gauge! Their hit points really don't matter when your stress breaking them. As Rubidium states- "Celestine is so bonkers powerful (possibly the single most broken agent) with her ability to regain her Mesmerize signature whenever she finishes a stress-broken enemy (and no associated cooldown), and her ability to use Occult Gambit to generate as many AP as she can take the stress for (at an average rate of 1.5 stress per AP, usable unlimited times per turn at max level). Extra credit for the card "The Sadist" which heals stress and HP whenever an enemy gets a stress break, which she obviously wants to do a lot."

Obviously, as stated before, Eddie and Purnima are a great combo because of his ability to flush and Mark. Any of the Bruisers will synergize well with them. Tag 'em and bag 'em.

Eddie and Jianyi also pair well together. Eddie can coax enemies from cover, marking them for an easy kill with Jianyi's Lightning Shift, followed by a crit from Whirling Blade to gain another AP. Rinse and repeat. Jianyi benefits greatly from Trauma Battery, The Sage, and The Great Wind. The aim is to gain even more AP as he dances around the map.

Fedir is a powerhouse. His ability to provoke and gain %50 damage reduction to draw enemies to him is great when followed up with Manhandle. Usually you can knock down 3-5 enemies, making them easy targets. He pairs well with Ana who can give him extra AP to finish off multiple enemies, Purnima who nets easy kills, or Jianyi who can clean up the leftovers. Equip the Viriditas Amulet to synergize with his rage heals, and Shred Talisman II(or better). In the latter half of the game, try to equip him with an Ammunition talisman II or better. You’ll find his AP generation enough to warrant the extra shotgun shells. I highly recommend The Herald on him for the extra move so that he can reach the targets that would maximize his Manhandle ability. Pair it with The Great Wind for even more AP.

Ana also pairs quite nicely with the Alexandrite. Her heals affect the Phantasms in addition to her teammates and grant her AP, making them essentially free. She is the best support unit and probably the best filler on 4-man missions. She can improve everyone and keep their signatures up which means easy clears on the hardest missions. Watch the cooldowns though.

If you want the full round of debuffs, you could choose Eddie, Nocturne, and The Alexandrite. Let the Phantasms tank for you while you apply Mark, Burning, Shocked, Stress, Dazed, and Bleeding. I'm sure you can find a couple Undrawn Hand cards to cover Poison and Blinded as well. Lol. Just be careful with Eddie, though. He can't turn Invisible at will like the other two.

Because of his +crit ability, Lateef wants to attack enemies not focused on him or flanked by him. This means that both Judith and Fedir are good combinations for him to team up with. They can provoke, drawing enemy attention and allowing Lateef to flank. Lateef and Ana paired together are the best at stealth runs for the exit. He can throw down his signature, she can give extra movement and recharge it.

The Invisible-At-Will team would be Lateef, Purnima, and Nocturne. Not a bad combination, if you can keep feeding Lateef Vigor tonics. His Decoy can draw enemies in and tank for a round or two while everyone lines up their shots. Nocturne benefits from having enemies bunched up, causing Shocked status and setting up her more powerful abilities, High Voltage and Savage Discharge. Everyone benefits from Purnima's Marked ability. Equip Lateef with Bombadier's Brace and unload on the hoard, shredding armor, then picking off the elites with the higher damage shots from each of them. Nice.

The overwatch team consists of Jianyi, Ingrid, and Eddie. Try to set up his melee attacks so that you end in the middle of three or four enemies who will move past you, triggering overwatch. Eddie can soften/shred while Ingrid finishes anyone left behind. Set them all up on a reinforcement pad right before it activates and watch the show(7 free hits). It's incredible.

World Map

This menu is mainly about your overall campaign progress and mission selection. It shows a map of the world and will have markers that represent missions scattered across it. There are several key ideas here that I wish to share.

First, you'll notice at the top of the screen the three threat meters associated with each House.

Zorana Nicastro is the sea-loving, C'Thulu emo goddess of scratching you to bits. Marteau is Ironman gone bad, a genius billionaire flapperboy who has a thing for the undead and machines. And finally there is Strum, a fully-fleshed 1930's version of Hitler and the Third Reich, complete with book burning parties and rows of parading soldiers. Hmmm. There isn't much character development here so don't go looking for it. Although I do find Zorana's story the most interesting, the bits of lore scattered around each map help build the backstory quite well. I liked the twist at the end of the Strum Heist, and Marteau's shenanagins during his Heist mission were hilarious. ("You didn't need to destroy that generator!")

The threat meters represent the progress of each House toward ruling the world and cap out at 40 points. As you can see, there are breakpoints for each meter that make the respective House units more powerful during missions. In addition, the scions of each house will randomly appear in the missions on the world map. Don't despair, if you see them appear it's actually a GOOD thing.

Why you say? They are so hard to take out!

Well, that leads me to my second point. There's a secret for extending your game and beating the timers: defeating scions reduces their threat meters by a moderate amount. They aren't that difficult to kill with the right set up. You may struggle with them in the early missions, but my Purnima was one shot-ing them later in the game.

In addition to this, try to focus on missions that produce the largest amount of threat. Each week there will be several missions related to a House with a small red meter above it representing the amount of threat that mission will generate if not completed. One will be low(1-2 points), another will be medium(2-3 points), and one will be high(3-4 points). Focusing on the high threat missions can buy you weeks of time and defeating scions sets their House meters back 4-5 points.

If you get into trouble and trigger a loss, the game generates a mission called "Last Stand" that will reset that house threat meter back to its last breakpoint.

There are also missions called "Crossroads". One generates for each house and if completed, they reset the timer back to the last breakpoint. The nice thing is that these can be used at any point or saved for later depending upon the current map situation. This gives you some room to breathe as well. My first playthrough on standard difficulty in week 18 I had 9/40 threat from Nicastro, 10/40 threat from Marteau, and 9/40 threat from Strum. I ended the campaign on week 45 doing only one Last Stand mission(40/40 Nicastro, 37/40 Marteau, and 34/40 Strum). It's doable people.

Third, be careful when you take a Hijack mission. These have variable rewards based on how far you a willing to push it.(Usually a King's Aether or a Seric Steel. Be aware that there is a bug where the game shows the Seric Steel reward but only gives you a King's Aether. This is perhaps because I believe you can't receive Seric Steel until at least one House Threat meter is above 20. Further testing is needed to confirm this.)

In addition, if you choose to try to redirect the third shipment be prepared for an onslaught. Your team should be able to take out a whole patrol in one or two rounds by now, but you'll need every advantage including thunderbombs, firebombs, signature abilities, and some good ol' luck to make it out. Near the end of the last timer the AI drops in a patrol every turn and it may include up to two elites. Save your consumables and signature abilities for this phase of the battle. It doesn't matter if you are being swarmed, get your team to the escape area and you will automatically win.

1. Don't attempt the third shipment until you are confident in your team and your skills. Understanding how things work and how best to use your Agents is imperative to success.
2. Don't attempt the third shipment until your Agent's are leveled up. You don't need every skill, but your builds should be close to finished.
3. Have an agent ready to activate the next pad on the very next turn after the last shipment is sent. Hijack missions get harder the longer they run. There is a huge difference between turns 15 and 18. The goal should be to finish on turn 15(5 turns a shipment), and bug out turn 16.
4. You don't have to kill every unit after you send the last shipment. Just get your agents to the escape area and they are somehow beamed out immediately, despite being surrounded, poisoned, and on fire.
5. Strike teams should consist of agents that can clear 6 unit reinforcement squads including 2 elites in 1 round. (If you leave a straggler that's ok.) Ideally you need a finisher who can zip around the map, an agent that has multi-targeting skills, and an agent who has superior single target damage for the elites. AP generation skills are a must.

And for those who doubt, my first play through I ended the campaign on week 45 with no less than 6 fully completed Hijack missions(3 shipments). My team consisted of:

1. Eddie. Flushed and Marked, softening up to six targets while applying Bleed and Dazed. His second AP was used to shred armor on high profile elites.

2. Purnima. Kitted right she will never use Invisibility. Kill Shot 1st elite. Gain 2 AP. Aimed shot 2nd elite. Gain 1 AP. Soften third target. Possibly a fourth and fifth depending on RNG.

3. Ingrid. Clean up. Move to the next reinforcement zone so that her Overwatch skills get used.

Good luck. You'll need it.

As a final note, make sure you gather enough Intel to do Expedition missions. These net you nice rewards for just assigning a single Agent to them. You should try to recruit at least 2, preferably 3 additional agents to assign to these. Keep pumping skill points into your A-team, and let your B-team do the Expedition missions since they don't need to be leveled up to complete them.

You can get intel, new recruit missions, critical campaign missions, aether, heals, supplies, ink, and various consumables as rewards from Expedition missions. The markers look like a small diamond shaped pip and have either a house symbol or a ? inside them. The house symbol is free stuff. The ? symbol requires a small amount of intel to activate.

Mission Exploration and Combat

I only have a few things to say here. Maps are procedurally generated. I have yet to play the same map I have played the same map, however it seems to be rare, much like XCom. Some maps are crowded and difficult to explore, and some are more linear and easier to navigate.

Usually you'll face several enemy encampments with varying amounts of enemies. Encampments may include elite units with special abilities. Some encampments may include a reinforcement pad or two with varying countdown timers.

My advice is to explore the map as fully as possible. Items, grenades, motes, and secret areas full of supplies are critical to kitting out your agents and keeping them in the best gear. Don’t rush through the maps. Take your time and use your sneak to scout out the area. Get your agents into position. Take out a few guards. Then choose to enter turn-based mode when you're ready.

Most maps also include an item called "Second Wind". This resets an Agent's Signature and Takedown charges. I've found up to three of them on a single map. Use them. Charges not used by the end of them mission are wasted.

During combat, be aware of crates of dynamite, barrels of oil, pools of water, and other destructibles. These are keys to turning the tide of battle in your favor. A crate of dynamite will knock down every unit in its radius, buying you time to focus down an elite or clear out the garbage. A shock grenade will electrify everyone standing in the water it lands in. A well placed fire bomb can block a path and make enemies take a long detour. And everyone should have at least one thunder bomb for that moment they need to get some space between them and the onrushing horde.

Also, pools of oil and water create sound. Be careful moving through them.

Here is the list of status effects that I promised, courtesy of NekoNoUnchi.

Status Effects

Bleeding: Debuff On moving or using melee abilities, this unit suffers -20 health.
Blinded: Debuff. Hit chance -50%.
Dazed: Debuff. This unit has -1 AP for 1 round.
Evade: The next attack attempt made against this unit automatically misses. Lasts for 1 round. Stackable.
Inspired: Buff. +15% hit chance, +15% crit chance for 2 rounds.
Invisible: Buff. Enemies cannot see or target this unit.
Knockdown: Debuff. This unit has fallen down. Knocked down units can't perform actions until they're back on their feet. and are significantly easier to hit. Getting back on their feet costs 2 AP. Another agent can help them back up if they are in range which refunds the action point spent. Nice!
Marked: Debuff. Incoming attacks on this unit have a +15% hit chance.
Smoke: Incoming attacks against units in smoke have a -25% chance to hit and -25% to crit.

DoT Effects

Cursed: Debuff When this unit is attacked, they receive an additional +1 stress.
Poisoned: Debuff This unit receives 10 damage and 1 stress per round.
Burning: Debuff This unit suffers fire damage (25 base dmg) each round until extinguished.
Shocked: Debuff This unit suffers 10 Shock damage per round, and has -50% speed.

General Effects

Stress Break: After a stress break, human enemies flee combat and cower. Non-human enemies go berserk and attack anything in their path, even other enemies. Broken enemies will come to their senses in a few turns. Any agent can defeat a broken enemy(if they are in range) with the Finisher ability which costs 1 AP regardless of the enemy hit points, and refunds that AP much like helping a teammate up. This is useful for taking down those high HP elite units. If you have Ingrid on your team you can tap them each, wiping out the entire encampment.

A word on elite enemies and their abilities.

The floating tentacle units have a ranged poison attack, but their signature ability is a one round AOE that causes slow. If you don't move your units out of the effect by the next round, it will collapse causing a stress break to all units inside.

The big red dudes carrying a flamer are slow, but will move toward whoever attacks them. Never attack them with ranged abilities while they are close and never melee them unless you can kill them or knock them down. They will react and knock down your agent and then proceed to set them on fire. When killed they explode doing 40 or so damage in a large radius and setting the ground on fire. The best way to deal with them is to knock them down and then unload while they’re lying prone, unable to react. They explode the next round.

The white dog looking things have a medium range bark that can push back units, usually resulting in a knockdown. They also have a melee overwatch ability. Be care moving or performing actions next to them. Their signature ability allows them to attack multiple units for devastating damage that also applies poison. They can move from one agent to the other as they attack, so be aware of this. Knock them prone and prioritize them.

Scuba dudes are have a targeted stress attack and when killed will immediately explode, dealing stress to all agents units within a small radius.

Uniformed officer units are actually easy to deal with. They have relatively low health and armor for an elite and a meager ranged attack, but they can call in two machine gun units as reinforcements. This takes them a turn, so it's plenty of time to catch them and finish them off. In addition to removing them from the field, when you kill them they will demoralize all enemy units within a large radius by adding a 4-5 stress. Use this to your advantage.

Pharoah fire dogs are troublesome. Try to kill them quickly because they will summon scarabs that travel around the map healing enemies for 20 HP or damaging your agents. Hit them with agents that can shred their armor first. The scarabs don't count as kills, however Trauma Battery will proc off them. In addition, they will lob a fireball at your agents, doing damage and setting them on fire

The fire skeletons are interesting. If you hit them, they will explode the next round much like a firebomb grenade, doing damage to all within 3 spaces, but they are immune to fire. In addition, if you kill them, they aren't dead, you have to hit them once more to finish them off or they come back the next round with full hit points.

The floating ghost things that teleport around shoot lightning in a straight line that causes shock status. I think they take 2X fire damage, however like the fire skeletons, once you finish them off you have to kill the floating ball they leave behind or it will explode on the nearest agent doing moderate damage.

Final Thoughts

Well, there you are.If I've missed something, please let me know. Suggestions are always welcome.

I hope you enjoy Lamplighter's League as much as I am. It's got a lot of potential and I'm sure the developers will fix the small quirks that hold it back from becoming truly exceptional. Even so, in my opinion they earned their pay. It's not often I get to play such a rewarding turn based tactical strategy game. These days they are few and far between. Cheers.

Good luck and good hunting.

v.2 10/15 Redacted several wrong pieces of information. Added additional information on enemies, consumables, threat meters, and other minor changes.

v.3 10/23 Added several consumables, updated Agent section. Added Agent Skills sections and synergies. Added Tier list.

V.4 11/6 Added items only found in endgame mission rewards. Updated Agent Tier List and Synergy section. Cleaned up format.

Please do not copy or reproduce this guide in any way without my express written permission. Thanks.

[S.Jensen.F.O]

Great guide, thanks . However I would like more recommendations on what gear and upgrades of weapons to use on the different agent. Also specific main weaknesses of each house and exceptions of this. Would really make this guide more complete

[TroubleProne]

@winz
I believe you have to clear that mission first before the others will spawn. Cheers!

[Serenami]

Dude, you came in clutch for me. I've just been kiting those flame skeleton bastards around thinking I couldn't kill them. It didn't make sense to me why I couldn't. Turns out my gut feeling was right. S+ tier guide my friend.

[winz]

Hello,
I’m in now in week 65. Since Week 50 I almost have the same missions. I made the missions for Lockes plan: Storm but i still couldn’t make the mission Marteaus Persephonit and Nicastros Abyssus necatar for Locke. They don’t appear!! What have I done wrong? Please help me. Thanks
Br
Pat

[TroubleProne]

Yes, you can opt to do the Intro mission as long as you have chosen not to skip it in your options menu.

[lyyki]

"After your first playthrough, you can choose to recruit any four agents as your starting crew."

Do I still have to do the intro mission with Ingrid, Eddie and Lateef? I would like to start again with agents I barely tried before but if it's the 3 of them again I'd probably wait.

[Freeman]

Great guide for a great game, appreciate it.

In this game I wouldn't worry too much about optimizing. It's not battle brothers hard, not by a long mile. Just pick crew you like.

[The-Lost-Viking]

My first encounter with the Scion resulted in one agent wounded 2nd agent incapacitated. I highly recommend to pick your fight wisely. I attacked Strum in the middle of the map and that pulled all enemies from two locations (16 enemies!). That was close fight. Too close. I won but I used all signature abilities and consumables. I'd say that was fun but better clear map first than attack patrolling scion :D

[dark]

Like @Rubidum said - Celestine is absolutely bonkers OP. I would add another bonus tip for her - give her the viriditas amulet (+1 AP on heal, triggers twice in a round) and unlock heal when using signature ability upgrade. Now whenever she applies mesmerize or hits a cursed enemy, she gets +1 AP :D Well, twice per round max, but still, coupled with her AP generation it gets just ridiculous.

In most fights when I had her+Alexandrite I was stopping myself on purpose from mesmerizing more enemies, because I was ending up with a situation in which I had more "allies" (clones not included) than targets. And thats on the hardest difficulty...

[TroubleProne]

@Rubidum

Thank you for the comments. I will add this to the guide! That’s an amazing combo that I hadn’t discovered because I don’t play her much.

Cheers!