The village is the between-campaign hub where you turn permanent resources into a stronger starting position. Before launching another run, choose a hero and weapon, review the battalion, spend only on upgrades that solve the next obstacle, and check whether a newly unlocked building has changed your options.
There is no universal village purchase order. A player losing soldiers needs a different upgrade from one who reaches bosses healthy but cannot finish them.
What to do every time you return
Use this short loop:
- Check for newly unlocked heroes, weapons, companions, or buildings.
- Refill and review the commander roster.
- Confirm the infantry, spearmen, and archer mix for the next campaign.
- Spend permanent currency on the current bottleneck.
- Reopen War Preparations and verify every slot before departure.
Do not confuse Silver Coins with village resources. Coins buy campaign-only help such as merchant items and food; unspent Coins are not a permanent village fund.
Village areas and what they change
The buildings visible to you depend on progression and the Early Access version. Walk up to a locked location to read its current requirement before saving currency for it.
| Village area | Use it when you need | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Hero houses and weapon screens | A stronger or better-practiced hero baseline | Active hero, weapon, skills, and available permanent upgrades |
| Barracks | More useful army preparation | Commander capacity, campaign slots, troop-command upgrades, roster quality |
| Market | Better merchant choices during campaigns | Charm stock, discounts, and any one-run purchase shown by the current screen |
| Cartographer | More control over maps and events | Newly available encounters, Shrines, and route-generation options |
| Companion area | A stronger named ally | Which companion is active and what role its bonus serves |
| Castle Records | Progress and codex information | Accomplishments, statistics, and unlocked entries when available |
Some locations shown in village data or future-facing menus may not yet be usable in the public Early Access build. The prompt in your installed version is the deciding instruction.
Best early upgrade priority
Early spending should create a complete campaign setup before chasing small bonuses.
- Fill missing preparation slots. A battalion or commander option you can actually deploy affects every battle.
- Support the hero you can already play. Improve a familiar weapon or action before spreading rare resources across every hero.
- Fix repeated army losses. Use Barracks upgrades when the battalion collapses before the boss.
- Improve access only when you can use it. Market or Cartographer options matter when the route and economy can reach their rewards.
- Save for a clear unlock. If the next purchase does not change a run, keep the currency until a meaningful branch is available.
Ruadh is not unlocked by a village building. On the current standard build, defeat Iseult the Banshee and complete the transition. Use the Ruadh unlock guide if older information sent you toward a different requirement.
Barracks and battalion priorities
The Barracks affects the army layer: the commanders you can keep or bring, companion capacity, troop-command strength, and the quality or traits available to the roster.
Choose purchases by the failure you see:
- Not enough coverage: add campaign or roster capacity when available.
- Commands feel weak: strengthen the troop type whose command you use reliably.
- Good commanders rarely appear: improve recruitment quality after basic capacity is comfortable.
- The army dies before the hero: protect the composition and stop sending every group into the same hazard.
Infantry, spearmen, and archers have different battlefield value. A balanced mix is an easy starting point, but changing the distribution can emphasize survival, utility, or ranged support. Test one change at a time so the result is visible.
Heroes, commanders, companions, and battalion
These are related but not interchangeable:
- Hero: the player-controlled fighter and weapon kit.
- Commander: a recruitable named ally connected to a troop group and Ally Commands.
- Companion: a separate named support character with its own bonus or behavior.
- Battalion: the broader infantry, spearmen, and archer force fighting around the hero.
When a guide says “upgrade the army,” check which layer it means. Increasing commander capacity does not automatically improve a hero weapon, and a companion bonus does not replace troop composition.
Market and Cartographer spending
Market upgrades are economy tools. They can improve the travelling merchant’s Charm selection or discounts, which only helps if the campaign reaches a merchant with enough Coins to buy something.
Cartographer upgrades influence map generation, special events, or Shrines. Unlocking more events can increase variety, but more options do not guarantee that a route will be safer. If Threat and detours are ending runs, learn to skip a reward before investing heavily in a wider event pool.
Mid-game priorities after Act 1
Once Gilles is no longer the main obstacle, identify why Act 2 fails:
| Failure | Village response | Campaign response |
|---|---|---|
| Army disappears before Iseult | Barracks capacity, command, or roster improvements | Shorter route; protect troop groups |
| Hero reaches the boss at low health | Hero baseline or survival upgrade | Save Coins for recovery; avoid a greedy detour |
| Build never comes together | Improve reward access only if available and affordable | Commit to one Emblem interaction earlier |
| Shielded enemies stall objectives | Practice a weapon answer and troop command | Route toward a relevant reward |
| Co-op clients start with missing army slots | Recheck Barracks before embark | Let the host enter preparation first and confirm slots |
After the first full clear
After Harold, broaden the village rather than abandoning the setup that worked. Develop a second hero, unlock more campaign variety, strengthen underused troop roles, and plan challenge or achievement runs. Keep enough resources for new Early Access buildings rather than buying minor branches simply because they are available.
The systems overview explains which forms of power are permanent and which must be rebuilt inside each campaign.
Frequently asked questions
Are village upgrades permanent?
Village purchases and account unlocks form the permanent progression layer. Coins and Emblem choices belong to the current campaign.
What should I upgrade first?
Fill useful preparation capacity, support one familiar hero, then address repeated battalion losses. Do not follow a fixed tier list that assumes a different problem or build.
Does the village unlock Ruadh?
No building purchase is required for his current unlock. Defeat Iseult the Banshee and finish the post-battle transition.
Why is a village building unavailable?
Walk to it and read the unlock prompt. Some village areas require progression, while others are not yet active in the current Early Access build.
Should I spend every currency immediately?
No. Save when the available purchase does not improve the next attempt or when a meaningful unlock is close.
Sources
- Official Early Access feature list Accessed 8/2/2026
- Current Early Access village and campaign footage Accessed 8/2/2026
- Launch-build village building data Accessed 8/2/2026
- Player discussion of permanent and campaign currencies Accessed 8/2/2026
Last updated August 2, 2026