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| The Banner Saga created by Stoic. Images used for educational purposes only. |
Main Walkthrough
- For good or ill, you leave Einartoft. As you wander down a long hill you'll spot an incoming caravan of varl. Ubin! He'll add 30 Supplies and 15 Renown. Sounds good. If Gunnulf survived Chapter Three, he'll also join your party. Iver is also back on the team, and even though he's short an arm he'll be no weaker than usual.
Summer Path
- DECISION. Up ahead is a small split in the path, and each way you can go is populated by dredge. You can scout out the Summer Path, cut a way through the dredge, or go around everything, past Haukstorp. (Ubin advises this last.) If you send scouts you'll lose a Fighter but gain 5 Renown, and ultimately see it's a poor idea. You can take the Summer Path regardless, but Haukstorp is the safer route (and you'll avoid a battle).
TAKE THE SUMMER PATH
If you go straight you'll get into a War with a force of dredge over 200 souls strong. You'll face two very difficult battles, and win or lose, pushing a third time will cause your caravan to take off on Rook. You will also lose Hogun or Mogun, if they joined your party. Prepare for Morale drop. So, uh, don't bother with the Summer Path unless you're really hurting for Renown.
HEAD TO HAUKSTORP
- A village lingers in the distance, and 68 Clansmen here will join your caravan if asked or otherwise permitted. You can buy more items and supplies from the Market, speak to Gunnulf if he's with you, and Rest is ever an option. Onward! (Dredge will invade the village shortly after you arrive, so, uh, yeah. Anyone who stayed behind is dead meat.)
- DECISION. If you allowed Oddleif to train Archers, the primary one she trained - Nid - will start picking off dredge. You can use this opportunity to return to the village to look for survivors, let her shoot some more dredge, or leave. Let Nid keep firing and she'll join your party. Ooo. If you opt to return to the village after the dredge invade you'll find some survivors who will join your caravan - though you'll also face a small battle.
- DECISION. Remember the little girl you found half-frozen before? She's recovered, and she's drawing pictures. You can hush her or try to understand her, and if you observe her drawings of dredge you can ambush a force of the things.
- DECISION. Godstone ahoy! Iver suggests resting here. You can stay the night or keep going. Stick around and you'll find a puzzle box; you can only open it by attempting to solve it once, but then going to bed after the first attempt. You'll gain the Puzzle Box of the Twin Rivers.
Haukstorp
- DECISION. Haukstorp looks largely dead. If you choose to stop here you'll lose a day's progress, and the dredge will be all over you as soon as you enter town. Sigh.
- Enraged Grunt
- Dredge Slag Slinger
- Slag Slinger Marksman
- Flame Slinger
- Dredge Scourge
- Dredge Stoneguard
- Stoneguard Colossus
Despite the sheer number of large dredge in this fight, it's not that difficult. Why? Because none of them hit especially hard. Create a defensive perimeter for your archers to sit behind while they fire at the incoming dredge. Wipe out the beefy guys first, then go after the Slingers. If you can, lure the Flame Slinger into laying down traps - he loves doing that. It's very easy to damage dredge with these bombs.
- All you'll find here, assuming you're victorious, is an old man who seems to be in shock. Gain one Clansmen. There's a Market here, too, but the prices on supplies are pretty terrible. You can also speak to Nid, if you recruited her earlier. The content of the conversation changes depending on whether Ekkill is still alive or not.
- DECISION. Godstone! Interesting developments here, what with a dredge baby and all. You can put its fate to a vote, keep it, leave it behind, or ignore the whole debacle. If you keep it you'll receive the Vadrun Silver Brooch, though people will be... cross. Any other choice will see it left behind.
- There's a debate outside town. Assuming he's still with you, Krumr wants to deal with the dredge - and unless you stop him he and most of the varl will leave your caravan. Yikes. Fortunately, they will be successful in their endeavour a few days later, buying you some extra time. You'll gain 20 Renown and Dundr's Hand.
- On the way down the hill a number of your caravan will begin to sing. You can join in, ignore the competition, or tell them to clam up. Joining in, particularly if you add a verse of your own, is good for morale.
- Shortly thereafter you'll be approached by outlaws. They'll offer to fight for you in exchange for food. If you don't bring them into the fold they'll steal some of your supplies.
Sigrholm
- You arrive in town and find it not looking so hot. A debate rages. Once you can roam, you can check around for supplies, talk to Eyvind, and Rest... or Leave. Leaving will not appease Eyvind, but he won't put up too much of a fight.
- DECISION. If you Rest, thieves will be accused of stealing five Supplies. If you pursue the matter, well, battle time.
- Archers
- Raiders
- Bowmasters
- Backbiter Veterans
Outnumbered? Don't worry. These guys are terrribly weak. Sweep most of your team left to deam with the bulk of the enemy forces while one, maybe two characters head right to face off against the more advanced enemies. (I went with Egil. Iver would probably work too.) There isn't too much Armor to chew through, so with your special abilities you can probably wipe out these guys without targeting Armor. Period. Uuuuunfortunately, the fight will keep you away from the caravan, and twelve more Supplies will be stolen when you return. Sigh...
- If you continue to Rest, agreeing to support Eyvind, your people will start to leave. You can wait as long as you want, but Juno won't show up.
- Tell Eyvind that she's not coming and Iver will raise the point of how to proceed. You can try to ford the river, caulk the wagons and float across, pay the locals to help, or detour around. (Some of this should sound familiar to Oregon Trail fans.) Caulking, at least, goes badly, and purchasing help isn't much better. Best you go around instead, gaining 5 Renown, though you'll lose a few days in exchange.
- As you travel you'll enter a forest. Onef will approach you here, assuming he's in the party. If he is... well, the conversation isn't great, and you kinda get into a bit of a fight maybe. You'll also lose Egil permanently and Oddleif temporarily, and Alette will be out of the battle. Yikes.
- Raiders
- Thrashers
- Thrasher Veterans
- Bowmaster Veterans
The difficulty of this battle ranges from simple to really, really annoying, depending on how much you relied on the characters you just lost. You're currently surrounded, so make the most of that by surging towards a single point in the enemy ranks (probably to your left) and quickly wiping out the strongest enemy characters. The Archers are a priority, as well, since they go down rather quickly. Eyvind is really helpful here with Arc Lightning if you manage to line up your foes properly, though be wary of Archers with him on your side. Not that tough, but so frustrating.
- DECISION. In the aftermath you can have a look around camp and speak to both Ekkill and Oddleif. You can kick Ekkill out, if you wish, but after all that... why...?
- Past this little plain you'll find a town. The villagers are not eager to pick up and leave with you, though 15 Clansmen will join you anyway. Have a look at the Market if you need some supplies - almost certainly a yes on that one - then head out.
- DECISION. A godstone waits in the distance. If Hogun is in the party he'll begin collecting berries. You can inspect the godstone, join the merrymakers who are suddenly delighted to be here, join Hogun in collecting berries, or put a lid on it all and prepare to leave. Everyone will be happy to stay, and if you help Hogun you'll receive a Tistelberry. This is a great place to improve morale for the last leg of your journey.
Reynivik
- DECISION. Upon arrival you'll find the place largely empty, save for a single, crazed man who locks himself in the local longhouse. The longhouse is surrounded by dredge. You can either leave quickly while the dredge are preoccupied, rush to stop the dredge, or try to lead them away.
RUSH TO HELP
- Scourge Warriors
- Sun / Blind / Flame / Inferno / Slag / Spark Slingers
- IMPORTANT DECISION. After the battle you can take off, ask everybody there if they wish to join up, or inquire about the hall's mead. Asking about the mead earns you 20 Supplies and 10 Renown. If you invite the folks along, Sigbjorn will have a massive hangover the next day; help him recover (losing Supplies in the process) and he'll basically swear off the drink and join you properly. You'll also gain Bjorulf's Blessing. Alternately, you can ditch Signjorn altogether.
- And what's that? What lies in the distance? Why, it's no less than Boersgard! You've made it! Now all you have to do is get inside…
Chapter Seven
Main Walkthrough