Learning to play this game was very hard for me. I’ve put many hours into other turn based strategy games like Civ IV or XCOM, but these games had a tutorial. Battle Brothers currently does not (I don’t consider the Scenarios as tutorials, as tutorials are aimed to teach you, not drop you headfirst on a different battlefield each time and tell you, “Have fun, good luck!”).
When I first started playing Battle Brothers and was tasked to kill Hoggart the Weasel, I might also add that I continuously missed ~40% hits. I got a streak of 8 misses in a row one time. I counted (As my soldiers died and I lost the battle). This was not likely. However, I could unknowingly have improved those chances.
Every game that I now start, I always recruit 3-4 more mercenaries (increasing my company’s total headcount to 6-7 soldiers). So far, I’ve always been able to purchase a pitchfork from one of the nearby settlements. Most of the time, I’m also able to purchase either a throwing net, or a fisherman who brings along a throwing net. I always move the pitchfork man, and my archer, behind the first line of soldiers in the company’s character screen. At this point, I have at least 1-2 axemen with shields (armor helps, but doesn’t matter that much in this battle) and 2-3 spearmen (spearmen have shields, except for the net-thrower).
When I set out to kill Hoggart the Weasel, I equip Fangshire helm to my one archer, and wait for night to fall (Sometimes camping right outside Hoggart the Weasel’s rundown house, staring right into his beady little eyes every time he looks out the window). As soon as it’s dark, I attack. (I wait for it to be dark so that Hoggart’s one archer can’t one shot kill my soldiers like he did on a previous playthrough) Fangshire keeps my one archer both able to hit targets in the night, and have the added bonus of additional ranged damage, since it’s night.
Once the battle starts, I always let all enemies move first. If I’m lucky, I’ll be able to kill the leading thug before the end of my first turn. Always surround an enemy as best you can before you begin your attacks. I’d stay out of Hoggart’s range the first turn, if at all possible (Count four tiles from Hoggart, and that’s where he could move to). The second turn I’ll net Hoggart with that fishing net. Try to kill Hoggart’s melee men now that he’s immobilized (Hoggart is the most dangerous enemy in this battle). Third turn finish off Hoggart’s melee men and start surrounding Hoggart, then attacking. If his shield is blocking too much damage, split it with one of your axemen. Fourth turn is for finishing off Hoggart or chasing down his archer, before his archer flees, that is.
Hopefully this helps someone kill Hoggart the Weasel, and if anyone has anything to add, or correct me, feel free. Happy Weasel hunting!
"It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live." ~Marcus Aurelius
Game: "Characters with a height advantage against their opponents are harder to hit"
Me: "That's not true, and my short axeman is living proof!"
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