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Songs Of Silenceoffers a fresh take on a classic formula, with quick turns and tense auto-battles against a beautifully-imagined backdrop. Like any good strategy title, it has a bit of a learning curve; even if you’re familiar with games likeHeroes of Might and MagicorSongs of Conquest, Silence might take a little getting used to.
Before you set out into the Thousand Kingdoms, spare a moment to read these tips. Going into battle prepared is the first step toward victory. After all, you’ll need all the help you can get when the Crusade is at your doorstep!
Songs Of Silence is currently in Early Access as of this guide’s publication; gameplay mechanics may change as the development process continues.
Drop Off Loot In Cities
Even with several settlements under your control, you’ll find that your Gold income per turn is generally quite low compared to other games. To make up the difference, you’llneed to earn loot from winning battles.However, loot doesn’t just get added to your treasury; instead, it takes the form ofLoot Wagons, non-combat units that join the victorious army’s Reserve column.
Defeating an army that has Loot Wagons in tow will allow you to seize the caravan for yourself! Just remember that your Reserve column only has seven slots!
When an army arrives in a city (not just any location, but a proper city), all its Loot Wagons are converted into Gold. This can result in a large influx of cash when an army returns from a successful campaign.
Try sending a small, mobile army to run Loot Wagons between your main force and your capital so that you don’t have to keep trudging back home.
Use Battle Cards As Often As Possible
You havevery little controlover the flow of combat once a battle begins. In fact, your only option for influencing the outcome is toplay your Hero’s Battle Cardsonce they’re charged and ready. Each has a fairly long cooldown, so they should be used right away for maximum impact rather than waiting for just the right moment.
Cards likeFlyandKnightly Chargeare especially useful because they let youreposition troops on the field, whileHold The LineandDefensive Fireallow more traditional benefits like buffs and area damage, respectively. An unplayed card is a wasted card!
Garrison Key Locations
While it’s no substitute for a proper army led by a Hero, a Garrison of even a handful of units can prevent you from losing an important location like a Bridge or a Mine, or weaken the invading army enough that retaking it is easy. This goes double for your Capital;if it falls, you lose the game, so you should always have a strong Garrison at home even if there’s no apparent danger.
Using a low-level Hero as a runner is a great way to shift units between locations and keep Garrisons topped up.
Having Garrisons at key strategic locations also lets your Heroesswap out depleted unitsfor fresh ones. The injured units can heal up while on Garrison duty (as long as their location has a Supply rating), and the Hero can get back into the field without waiting to recuperate.
Bring Reserves To Swap In
If your Hero is going to be traveling far from home territory, it’sessential that they bring Reserves.Units in the Reserve column don’t usually fight, but they can be switched into the main army from the map. This is a great way to keep your forces at full strength between battles while marching on an enemy Capital.
If your Hero has theCall ReservesBattle Card, they can use it to summon the unit in their Reserves with the highestPower. Hard-hitting cavalry are great for this, as they can join the fray quickly once deployed.
Autosave Is Your Friend
Battles in Songs Of Silence can bepretty RNG-heavy at times, especially if the two armies are evenly matched. Sometimes, even a battle that should be a sure thing can go sideways due to some bad rolls. Luckily, the gamekeeps the last three turns as Autosaves by default.
Obviously, you may’t go loading autosaves in multiplayer, but losing a hard-fought campaign to bad luck in singleplayer never feels good. Don’t be afraid to reload a turn or two, if for no other reason than tosee if your loss was a flukeor if you really did need to rethink your strategy.
Artifacts Make A Huge Difference
Artifacts, usually found by exploring Adventure locations like Wyldwoods and Towers, arecarried in the Reserve columnof an army like Loot Wagons, but don’t disappear when brought to a City. Instead, theyprovide a persistent buffas long as they remain with the army.
Like Loot Wagons, Artifacts can also be captured!
You can assess an Artifact’s power by the color of its aura on the map; it uses the standardgreen-blue-purplehierarchy. Many artifacts givePower increasesto units with specific Keywords, or evenreduce the Power of enemy units. In either case, if you have an opportunity to get an Artifact, do so!
Even if an Artifact is of no use to you,store it in your Capitalso that your opponents can’t use it!
Build Around Your Heroes' Strengths
Most Heroes have at least one Perk that enhances units of one or more Keywords (Knights, Firstborn, and so on). You may not have too many options in the early game, but as a campaign progresses, you shouldalways aim to ensure that a Hero’s entire army consists of their favored Keyword, with perhaps one or two exceptions for artillery or support.
This is especially true if they have theLeaderPerk, whichgrants a Power buff.Power is the single most important consideration in combat, so you want to maximize it wherever possible. If you can get an Artifact that further enhances the chosen Keyword, few will be able to stand against you!
Counter The Enemy’s Formation
Before going into battle, it’s a good idea toinspect the enemy armyand, if possible,adjust your formation to counter theirs.For example, if they have units withSlayer: Cavalry, it’s a good idea to start your mounted troops as far from those as possible, with a wall of infantry in between.
Look for opportunities toexploit holes in their lineorset up counters, and you’ll have a much easier time winning battles with minimal losses.
