Tips And Tricks For Beginners In Those Who Rule

Those Who Rule is a title that cleverly mixes traditional turn-based mechanics with the tactical RPG genre that keeps things fresh and exciting. Throughout the game, you’ll encounter different enemies and wield unique weapons and abilities to make your way through.

A game with such a rich narrative and combat mechanics is bound to feel challenging, especially for those who are new to the genre and find turn-based combat intimidating. However, certain tips and tricks can help simplify the process, letting you brave a world where weapons, group formations, strategies, and classes matter.

Mastering The Art Of Combat Engagement

Those Who Rule relies heavily on where and when you engage in battle. The moment an encounter takes place, you’ll be given a good look at the battlefield you’re dealing with. Each tile matters, and you need to make the best of your movement abilities. Before moving any character, look closely at which enemy you want to deal with first.

In many cases, it’s good to let enemies approach you first. Is an enemy approaching you alone? Are they in a group? Which angle are they going to attack you first? Knowing the answer to these questions will help you decide where you need to move your characters.

Instead of immediately scattering them across the battlefield, maybe it’s a good idea to wait it out. Simply click on your characters, and choose the hourglass symbol when doing so.

Make sure you’re always facing an enemy when ending your turn. When the green tiles start highlighting, face the direction of any enemy that’s close by.

Use Terrain To Your Advantage

Terrain plays a huge role in Those Who Rule. Whether it’s a bush you’re trying to hide in or a barrel you’re crouching behind — placing your characters in a certain terrain type makes all the difference. For instance, being in a bush grants you a massive dodge bonus. This means that when an enemy tries to attack you, there’s a good chance they’ll miss you simply because you’re in a bush and not another tile.

In another example, behind behind cover (such as a barrel) can limit movement for both, you and your enemy. This helps you close some gaps and stay weary of any incoming attacks. Instead of dealing with four or five open tiles, you’ll just have to take care of a few. Choose your tiles wisely, and certain terrain types can boost your survivability.

Make sure you loot chests as you navigate through different terrains. Some chests can be hiding in tricky spots!

Healing On The Go

When starting out, you’ll usually have two options for healing. First, through light or heavy bandages. Second, through your party’s Healer (most likely Phoebe). You need to stay aware of both these options and when they are applicable. There’s a neat way of going about this.

Whenever you move a character that’s battle-ready (such as Markus or Illyana), also move your healer with them. When one character has just fought an enemy, get their HP back through your Healer. On the other hand, if your character doesn’t have a Healer around, try sparing that turn and focus on applying bandages.

This can be a bit tricky, so make sure your vulnerable character is surrounded by stronger ones just for safety.

Understanding Core Stats

Core stats determine a character’s performance in battle. Based on these stats, you can choose where to place them, what actions they perform, and which weapons are best equipped for a certain character type. There are a total of six stats to keep in mind, and these improve when a character levels up during a battle.

Keep these stats in mind before proceeding with a battle. The more informed you are, the better decisions you’ll take each turn. On that note, also provide your team with the items and weapons they need before a battle starts

The Best Team Composition

Every character in the game belongs to a certain class, and should be equipped accordingly. Soldiers and Fighters act as tanks in the game (like Marcus) who excel at being at the frontline, and should be moved alongside weaker characters so everyone can sustain damage. Otherwise, sending a lone ranger (such as a Skirmisher) alone for too long can become overwhelming. However, your entire party cannot move as one with just awesome swordsmen.

On the other side of this composition are Defenders, Archers and Medics. These characters keep some distance from enemies, while also being resourceful to the team. Defenders can move alongside your warrior heroes, Archers can deal damage at range, and Medics switch their location based on anyone and everyone who needs healing. So, try to keep these characters a bit versatile when it comes to their movement.

Improve Tactical Flexibility

Once you’ve mastered a team composition that works for you, next is a skill that’s applicable on the battlefield with each passing turn. Every turn, you’ll need to study your enemy’s movement and move your characters accordingly. This is where you’ll need to be a bit flexible. Depending on the map (and situation), you may have to use a character’s class in a different way than intended.

For example, if your Healer is next to a Fighter who is low on health, naturally, you’ll want to heal them up. But, in some cases, it’s better to defeat the enemy next to them if the Fighter is low on health, and they’re out of moves. This works better than healing because it eliminates the enemy’s future moves rather than waiting another turn for your Fighter to make a move.

This is when flanking plays a major role. Always try to hit your enemies from behind (like a backstab), as this will give you an additional bonus for any damage you can do.

Predicting Enemy Behavior

Those Who Rule’s enemy AI is indeed clever, and will outsmart you depending on how experienced you are with turn-based games. However, there are certain things that you can predict, and act accordingly. Some enemies rarely move if they’re trying to guard a chest (or a particular location). You can deal with them later on in the game, once the immediate threats are dealt with.

Other enemies like to close the gap, and will often try to overwhelm you through a group. Stay mindful of the weapons and tactics they use each turn. Some dual-handed weapons can damage two characters at once! You’ll want to make sure that the moment your turn is about to end, all your heroes are facing a direction that has an enemy in sight, otherwise, they can backstab you. More importantly, if you see enemies resembling Soldiers or Fighters moving towards you, hold back and refrain from breaking away from your squad.

Instead of attacking with your weapon, you can use movement-based actions to make the best of a situation. So, don’t ignore those!

Utilize Weapon And Class Proficiency

An underrated and often overlooked part of the game is how forging and inventory management work. Between different chapters, you’ll have the luxury to sit back and sort these things out. Make sure you’re buying the right weapons, shields, and other gear for the right characters. For instance, two-handed weapon wielders do great with large, iron-forged weapons, while an Archer will be the happiest when you give them a much-needed bow.

Each character also has active and passive skills that are useful on the battlefield. You can view this information when sorting through the list of members in the Manage menu. Once you’ve read through these and equipped the best weapons for each character, you can add refinements to different weapons. This is based on the playstyle of your choice, and the importance you give to each class. For a few players, having the strongest Healers and Defenders may just be the best form of offense! Experiment with these, and choose what works for you.

Don’t forget to browse through different conversations when not on a mission. These can provide valuable information about upcoming quests.