Each of your followers has a different strength and weakness. Learning these abilities can greatly improve your strategies and give you a head start over your opponents. Remember to keep an eye on your followers. They are people and tend to do stupid things.

 SHAMAN:

The Shaman is the leader of the tribe and the character you play throughout the game. She is on a quest to become a god and only by defeating all the enemy tribes can she succeed. She is the only member of the tribe who can fire spells and only within a certain range. Luckily, although she can be killed, she can Reincarnate her soul and return on the Reincarnation Site. This can only happen if she has any remaining followers on the world; if she does not, she will die and the game will be lost. She is immune to some enemy spells, including Swarm, but also unaffected by some of her own, such as Shield and Invisibility. She is as vulnerable as any other follower to the attacks of enemy followers is, although she is strong enough to win against a Brave. Keep an eye on the Shaman icon on the panel and make sure her health doesn’t reach dangerous levels. She will regain her health if she is left alone.

You can protect the Shaman by guarding her with your followers. To do this, select some followers and press g. They will then surround the Shaman and attack any enemy who approaches. To stop them guarding, deselect any followers and press g again. A good trick is to surround her with Warriors or Firewarriors and then fire Shield on her. Although she won’t be affected, her guards will and become even more formidable. You can defend against this attack by casting a Lightning spell on the enemy Shaman. Not only will the lightning kill her but it will kill her guards as well.

 BRAVES:

Braves are the foundation of your tribe. Only they can build, gather wood and maintain your Huts. They are quite weak but can still defend your settlement if attacked. Braves also generate four times more Mana than any of the other followers, but only when building or resting in Huts. Keep as many Braves as you can in your Huts, especially when your tribe is large, to produce as much Mana as possible.

 WARRIORS:

Warriors are the toughest of your followers but not blessed with any special abilities. They can be a formidable foe to any attacking force but one Preacher can disable them all. They should not be used on their own to either defend or attack active enemy settlements. If only one or two get converted, it can spell disaster for your settlement or other followers. When defending your settlement, use Warriors as your last line of defence, behind the Guard Towers containing Preachers and Firewarriors. Also, keep a few Preachers guarding with them to stop any enemy Preachers slipping through. You can set down two Guard Posts either side of a valley opening and have the Warriors patrolling between them.

 PREACHERS:

Preachers, though weak, are a surprisingly powerful follower who can stop an attacking army in its tracks. If you are the attacking army, you should keep a sharp eye out for any Preachers that could scupper your plans. Defensively, Preachers are best kept out of the way, but still close enough to convert the enemy with ease. Send them to your Guard Towers so they have a wider range and be away from the enemy during an attack. Also, put one or two in the Huts near your settlement entrances. Not only will they help defend when the enemy attack but they will also convert any Spies who try to sabotage your buildings. If any Preachers have penetrated your settlement, they can cause havoc if not dealt with. Your Preachers are immune to enemy Preachers so command any nearby to attack them. When they do, any followers who were under the spell of the enemy will also start fighting and you will quickly kill the enemy Preacher.

If you don’t have any Preachers nearby either train some quickly before too many of your followers are converted or Blast them with the Shaman. Use either the Blast spell or the Swarm spell to stop them preaching but still keep an eye on them; they can survive the Blast or Swarm and continue preaching. You can also use Lightning but you run the risk of killing your own followers. The best thing to do is keep some Preachers in your settlement. Not only will they help your defeat any enemy Preachers who might invade but they will also help you convert any enemy forces that might attack. Invisible Preachers are a good method of converting some of the enemy followers without his knowledge. You only need one Preacher to convert a few Braves, or better still Warriors, and you can begin to destroy the enemy buildings. Remember though, Invisible Preachers become visible as soon as they begin preaching. Make sure you have enough time to convert a few enemy followers before any retaliation.

 FIREWARRIORS:

Firewarriors are best placed a little away of any enemy followers. While their Blast spell ability is powerful, they are relatively weak and do not last long in battles.
When attacking the enemy, try to keep them away from the battle and on high ground where their range is greater. Keep about five or six together, as one on his own will do little damage to an approaching Warrior. If in doubt, construct some Balloons and place your Firewarriors inside. The enemy Warriors won’t be able to attack them and they will be free to lay waste to the enemy settlements. Shielded Firewarriors in Balloons are even more formidable. Firewarriors are better used as defenders as their special skill make them ideal for placing in Guard Towers. One or two Guard Towers around an entrance with Firewarriors inside will provide you with ample warning and defence in the event of an attack. If you command some additional Firewarriors and some Warriors to guard just behind the Towers, you’ll have an excellent defence that can destroy any attacking army before it reaches you.

 SPIES:

Spies are sneaky followers who can cause massive damage to the enemy if used correctly. They are best used during the first half of the level when each player is still setting up their settlements. Spies will help delay the enemy’s progress and lower his Mana rate. The only problem with Spies is that the enemy will often unmask them quickly and then your Spy will be doomed. Sending a Spy into an enemy settlement is often a suicidal mission. Groups of Invisible, Shielded Spies are probably your best bet, as the enemy won’t see them until they reappear again and you’ll have more than one should something go wrong. Keep them out of the way of Preachers, though. Enemy spies, when masked, look like normal Braves. To unmask a suspected enemy Spy, right-click on him. You can tell if an enemy Spy is sabotaging your buildings because some will suddenly burst into flames. To find a masked enemy Spy, look around your base and try and find any Braves that shouldn’t be there. Look for Braves running around to the back of Huts and stopping. Look for Braves that are running in the opposite direction from everyone else. If in any doubt, just right-click on any Braves you can see to make absolutely sure.