Welcome to the First Blood Training Grounds!

This article is the first in a series for veterans and newcomers alike, intended to give our insights on how we at Para Bellum approach the battlefield in our games of First Blood. This week highlights how to Muster your Warband and what decisions go into it.

For the basics on how to Muster your Warband, read this Article first!

https://www.para-bellum.com/first-blood-mustering-a-warband/

Here are some thoughts on what to consider and think about during the listbuilding process from our First Blood game developers:

Jacob: Due to the variety and player choice that goes into Scenarios of First Blood, I find it wise to prepare for anything. A force that includes some shooting, some solid or expendable troops, and some heavy hitters stand a fair chance into many different circumstances. I typically like to start my Warband with these roles covered then go from there.

Another thing I keep in mind is how I can be able to divide my Warband on the battlefield if the situation arises, a Battle is rarely decided on a single front! Terrain and Scenarios can require difficult snap decisions to be made on the Battlefield. Characters and Standard Bearers are the glue that holds your Warband together, able to form impromptu regiments on the Battlefield through their Command Abilities and increased Resolve.

Many Warlords and Heroes synergize with specific types of Warriors on the Battlefield (both thematically and gameplay-wise), it is important to include some of their preferred warriors to make the most out of their abilities!

Joel: When building your warband, you must consider what kinds of warriors you are going to potentially go up against and what kind of force you want to field. To use an analogy, you can think of this concept as “questions” which need to be answered. Example questions that you need to consider when building your warband are: What is my plan when facing high defense warriors? Can I handle both hordes of enemies and elite enemies? What is my battleplan when staring down a monster?

Questions have answers, and this is where you need to look at what warriors you have available in your collection to answer them. Each faction and personal playstyle will have multiple ways of fielding a solution. Bringing along high Cleave and Armor Piercing warriors against defensive enemies, or fielding expendable troops to tarpit your opponent’s heaviest hitters are examples of the thought process that goes into army building. It is important to remember to “ask your own questions”, and not get too caught up trying to counter everything you may face.

In a balanced force, your warband will be flexible and even in its approach to what your opponent fields in their warband. Another route you can go with is what is known as a “skew” list; whereby doubling down on one aspect of your warband you overwhelm your opponent. However, this all-eggs-in-one-basket approach leaves you susceptible to bad matchups. Examples of a skew tactic would be bringing all Impact cavalry to try to break your opponent in one decisive charge, or by drowning your opponent in a sea of cheap troops. This is a high-risk high-reward playstyle; preference for either balanced or skew lists comes down to the player and what they find engaging. Some of the most fun in wargaming is experimentation and theory crafting with different army lists, and First Blood provides tons of options to tailor to your own playstyle.

Have an idea for a Warband and want feedback on it? Join us on our official Discord where you and other First Blood generals can come together and share your army lists as part of our growing community.