5 tips for beginners in Unicorn Overlord

Unicorn Overlord is an incredible strategy game. Many of its facets and mechanics are going to be familiar to long-time strategy fans, and it never hurts to have some extra information about what you’re getting into.

You might not want to spare characters, even if they were evil or wronged your party, for example. How you approach the game is, of course, up to you. These are just our tips for beginners getting into Atlus and Vanillaware’s Unicorn Overlord.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinions.

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Tips and strategies for beginners in Unicorn Overlord

1) Expand units as soon as possible

Having a few large formations early is a game-changer (Image via Atlus)

The more spots you have in a formation, the better. Perhaps the most important thing you can do as a beginner in Unicorn Overlord is to start expanding your formations immediately. You can do this at any Fort you control by selecting “Expand Unit.”

I tried to balance having two or three expanded units, getting those to three, then worrying about having one at four and extra units going up to three. It’s so important to have multiple characters in a unit/formation. This helps you cover up for some specific unit's weaknesses, making battles much easier. You’ll have to grind Honor in Unicorn Overlord to really start doing this, but it’s worth it.

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2) Activate Auto-Pause in settings

I cannot stress how important this feature is (Image via Atlus)

As soon as a stage starts, the enemy units of Unicorn Overlord will start moving and getting into position. This is a real-time strategy game, so this can put you into unfortunate positions right out of the gate.

As soon as you have access to the Options, the first thing you should change is under “Stage.” Turn on “Auto-Pause at Start of Stage.” There have been stages where I didn’t pay attention for a few seconds at the start, and suddenly I was overwhelmed.

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3) Spare/Recruit all defeated enemy characters

There are so many amazing characters you can recruit with kindness (Image via Atlus)

You’re going to encounter quite a few characters who have sob stories in Unicorn Overlord or who will ask you to spare them. Some will also ask you to take their lives for their failures. Spare and recruit these people whenever you can. This gives you incredibly useful, powerful characters of all archetypes without having to do quite as much leveling.

For example, early in the game, you’ll come across a Thief named Gammel. Your instinct might be to turn him in, but don’t - instead, spare him. He’ll come back later, alongside another NPC, and you can recruit both of them. It’s how I have such powerful units - I recruit everyone that even gives me a chance to.

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4) Use your Valor Points wisely

Some Valor Skills are definitely better than others (Image via Atlus)

Some Valor Point abilities in Unicorn Overlord are much more powerful than others, and one of the most important beginner tips is to keep this in mind. For me, Aubin’s Vitalize (and later Vitalize II) was such a game-changer. It immediately grants 2 Vitality to a unit/all units in an area.

If you have healing items, prioritize those over wasting Valor Points on a healing ability. Instead, I look to abilities like Arrow Rain, Teleport, Vital Absorb, and Wild Rush as some of the strongest abilities. Even if you have 0 Stamina, you can use movement/attack abilities to get you into position and defeat enemies.

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5) Build a variety of formations, but don't be afraid to change them

Build formations that fit the strategy you wish to employ (Image via Atlus)

One of the greatest beginner tips for Unicorn Overlord is that you can adjust your formations anytime. If a unit hasn’t already been deployed, you can put it in another formation. I didn’t realize this until I was about done with the game. When it comes to base formations, I do two things.

I built five to six formations composed of units that complement each other. Having leaders that were Archers and Witches, for example, for ranged assists. Each character is strong and weak versus something, so having units that balance all that out makes for deadly fighting forces. Having a few powerful, balanced groups makes it easy to get some of the battle-themed trophies in Unicorn Overlord.

On normal difficulty, I can clear most maps with about three main units that roll through every foe like unstoppable juggernauts. You definitely don’t have to play that way, though. I also like having one or two units that have very direct focuses - such as being able to fly over obstacles or smash through them.

You can spar with various mercenaries on the map too, or spar in Fortresses, so you can always test your formations to see how they work.

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Unicorn Overlord is a game with endless tactical possibilities. It is now available on multiple platforms, and you can learn more about it in our Unicorn Overlord review.