Battalions: assignment restrictions and exploration dispatch

Assign Battalions for the current class

For Battalion stat bonuses and Gambits, assign them to infantry or armored infantry meeting Authority requirements. Mounted units cannot carry them.

Horse riders, Ornius riders, and flying mounted units are all restricted. After changing to a mounted class, remove Battalion stat bonuses and Gambits from the loadout calculation too.

Battalions unlock in Part 1 Chapter 4 on Theodora’s route, and eligible allies can also receive them. Each unit can have one Battalion, gaining stat bonuses and a limited-use Gambit. Recruited troops can also gather materials when not deployed.

Which infantry and mounted classes can equip battalions?#

Restrictions depend on the current class. Armor is not universally banned, and carrying a spear does not guarantee eligibility. Armored infantry can receive Battalions, while Cataphracts remain restricted as mounted units. Keep separate infantry and mounted loadouts, counting Battalion stats and Gambits only in the infantry setup.

Assignment menu and Authority requirements#

After Authority improves, compare options in the assignment menu. If a higher-rank Battalion is unavailable, train Authority and use a lower-rank one meanwhile. Tactics Manuals obtained through transport must be used on the intended character to raise Authority.

Stat bonuses and choosing a battalion#

The Strength, Magic, Speed, Dexterity, Defense, Resistance, Luck, and Charm in Battalion tables are base-stat bonuses after assignment, not level-up growth rates. Novice Hunters grant Strength +1, Dexterity +1, and Charm +3. Strength +1 adds current Strength, not 1% growth. Dexterity +1 must still pass through the Hit formula. Do not add Battalion bonuses twice if already included in the displayed stats.

Extra bonuses to the same base stat, such as Strength, share a +10 cap. Once character skills, equipment, battalions, and battlefield buffs reach that cap, further bonuses to that stat add nothing. With Strength +8 already active, a Strength +3 battalion can add only 2 more. Consider covering Dexterity, Defense, or Charm instead. Effects that directly increase physical Attack or Protection are calculated separately from base stats.

When choosing battalions, consider stat gaps and gambit coverage together. Theodora already has a straight-line Blaze Art, so a diagonally oriented gambit can cover her blind spots. Prioritize movement control if enemies are reaching your back line. Tobias can carry a healing gambit when positioned near the front. Simply choosing the highest rank can leave you without the function your team currently needs.

These four teams provide immobilization, blocking, healing, and magic attacks respectively. See the Battalion database for the full list.

Novice Hunters are useful for learning immobilization and anti-flying tactics. Rookie Vanguard offer a way to block routes. Fighting Clergy supply area healing. Aragonian Mages suit characters who need Magic and Resistance and can exploit the Protection bonus after hitting. Compare the area diagram and Authority requirement before choosing.

Gambit formations and remaining uses#

Once a battalion is assigned, its gambit appears in the combat action menu. Your position, the target’s position, and the formation must match the range diagram. A target being within normal attack range does not guarantee that you can use a gambit. Each gambit has its own number of uses, and gambits cannot be used in Clashes. Offensive gambits do not trigger a counterattack from that attack, but other enemies can still threaten the unit after its action ends.

Novice Hunters’ Disrupting Shot shows 1/1 uses, prevents movement on hit, and is effective against fliers. Some healing teams have two uses. See Gambits in battle for formations, legal targets, and positions after control.

Recruitment, dispatch, and transport#

Keep enough battalions for battle before sending the surplus to gather. Dispatched battalions cannot do other work while away. Battalion rank and destination affinity affect gathering yield; see exploration dispatch for your choices.

Recruitment depends on both location and Renown. Recruitment at a settlement takes several turns. Renown level 5 unlocks rallying speeches, which you can give at a settlement where recruitment is still underway to improve your chance of recruiting higher-rank soldiers. Renown levels 7 and 9 further raise recruitable ranks and the simultaneous dispatch limit. Recruit and gather along your existing quest route to avoid extra trips for a single recruitment.

Transport handles surplus stock. Sending away troops grants military supply points. Each 100 points yields a Tactics Manual to use on someone needing Authority. Transport consumes the entire Battalion sent away. Keep teams needed for assignment and dispatch before converting surplus into books.

Match exploration dispatch affinity to the destination#

Consider priest-type battalions first when short on ingredients, and mage-type battalions when short on ore. Make the final choice by comparing the dispatch menu’s yield and upward triangle at that destination. Affinity increases the amount of material the battalion can bring back. Dispatching to a dungeon node also gathers that dungeon’s ore without requiring you to enter it yourself.

Dispatch destination	Battalions to consider first	Effect on yield
General resource exploration point	Support types such as priests and clergy	These battalions are better at resource gathering; prioritize a yield marked with an upward triangle
Ore exploration point	Magic types such as mages	A good affinity increases ore yield
Dungeon node used for mining	Magic types such as mages; then compare the yield shown at that node	Dispatch from the world map to collect dungeon ore
Part 3 settlement restoration	Dispatch from the force that includes Theodora	Shortens restoration time; plan this separately from material gathering

At E rank, a normal affinity has a gathering cap of 8, while a good affinity raises it to 10. The upward triangle in the dispatch menu marks suitability for the current destination. Do not judge solely by the battalion’s name.

Rank sets the gathering cap#

These are gathering caps. Within a rank, prioritize affinity. Across ranks, compare the numbers directly: a D-rank good-affinity yield of 12 is still below a C-rank normal-affinity yield of 14. An E-rank good-affinity yield of 10 equals a D-rank normal-affinity yield. Consider a high-rank battalion’s battlefield value too. Do not send away every battalion needed for the next battle just to gather a few extra materials.

Dispatched battalions return after several turns#

Exploration dispatch unlocks in Part 1, Chapter 5. A dispatched battalion returns with materials after several world-map turns. While away, it cannot be assigned for combat or used for another activity. Check its status under Information → Dispatch information. Reserve enough battalions for the next battle, then choose gathering teams from your standby soldiers.

Theodora’s Renown	Change to simultaneous exploration dispatch slots
Level 5	Limit +1
Level 7	Another +1; a total of 2 more battalions than before level 5
Level 9	Another +1; a total of 3 more battalions than before level 5

This increases the number of battalions working away from your army at once. You can send them to different gathering points. It is separate from the number of characters in a combat force.

Gather what your current quests need first#

Spending the wait on other tasks saves more turns than repeatedly traveling for stock with no planned use.