Songs of Conquest: Barya Faction Guide

by Falagar / Songs of Conquest, Articles / 21 May 2022

Barya threw off the chains of the Empire and allied with Harima to farm independent merchant states. Now contracts are law, and anyone, human or Harima, can rise by their deals and their deeds. The art of the tinkerers keeps them one step ahead of their enemies, and the sound of the Hellbreath brings terrors to all.

Barya Faction Overview

Focuses on strong ranged units that also deal AOE damage. However, melee units are comparatively weaker.

It’s not easy to play with units from the Barya faction, and unit placement takes some thought because they are squishy and can die quickly.

Focus on recruiting lots of wielders to have a constant supply of armies and better map control.

Wielder Selection

Wielder	Starting Skills & Specialization	Verdict
Aleah	Archery, +15 Ranged Offense	Not so powerful in the early game due to the lack of high defense. She is the perfect leader for a ranged army, but it is best not to hire her right away. Aleah is a powerful support Wielder, and she is best used when you have large stacks of melee and ranged ready to be drafted.
Bihgli	Chaos, +1 Chaos	A Wielder who specializes in Chaos spells. You should only use him if your defense is strong, as he is not as effective.
Everthink	Cunning, +40% Spell Damage Resistance	Everthink’s spell damage resistance and the low starting troop count is not too useful in the early game. There are better Wielders available.
Mehry	Learning, +1 Range	She is a well-balanced Wielder because her learning ability allows you to quickly level your troops.
Nimander	Combat Training, Income +200 Gold	Due to the starting army, damage buffing skills, and bonus income, this Wielder is very well-rounded. He is perfect for both beginners and advanced players, especially in the game’s early stages.
Rosewater	No Starting skill, +1 Destruction.	He is not a very powerful Wielder since he starts out with low troop stacks and no starting skill. Not at all recommended at any stage of the game.
Sanaz	Guard, +20 Defense to Human troops	She adds a lot of defense to Barya’s already shaky/weak defense. Also, if you’re playing this faction for the first time and want a safe option that increases your chances of winning, this is the Wielder for you.
Skilspool	Melee, +1 Order	Skilspool buffs melee offense and grants +1 Order generation, which aids his army’s offensive and defensive capabilities. Choose him as your first Wielder only if you have a solid grasp on troop positioning during the battle, as your defense is still low.
Soughtfor	Scouting, +20 Melee Offense to Harima Troops	Soughtfor is a high-skill cap Wielder who excels in the early game. Scouting allows you to cover more of the map faster than the others. So, with proper planning, you can level faster, but you’re also taking the glass-cannon route, as Harima troops aren’t particularly defensive. Choose him only if you are familiar with troop placement during battles.

We also have a Wielders guide, covering all troop modifiers that wielders grant to their armies.

Songs of Conquest: The Ultimate Wielder Guide

Recommended Skills and Powers for Barya

Barya is a difficult faction to balance because they have a strong offense and a weak defense.

Cunning – Probably the best option for Barya since Cunning boosts both offense and defense. It gives them enough protection to prevent losing too many units while allowing them to quickly take down enemies.

Melee/Archery – Based on your leader and army comp. It’s better to focus on Archery since Barya’s ranged units deal a ton of damage.

Guard – Barya’s units lack defense, so adding some resistance is always a good idea.

Command – Get to Command level 5 as soon as possible. After that, upgrading Command every 3-4 levels is recommended.

Order – Barya relies heavily on Order, but don’t prioritize it until you have a strong enough army.

Find the Meteors – Barya structures and units require a large amount of Celestial Ore, so the sooner you get this, the better.

Brutal – Brutal synergizes nicely with Barya’s propensity and expertise to deal lethal damage relatively quickly.

Essence Shield – An excellent option for keeping your troops alive while also utilizing your resources for development.

Spell Selection

Barya has access to three different spell essences: Order, Chaos, and Destruction.

Single essence spell – Barya synergizes nicely with Protection, Pacify Rally, Chain Lightning, Boiling Blood, Aggression, Ice Bolt, and Sabotage.

Multi essence spell – Fury, Burst of Strength, Justice, Apocalypse, Onslaught, Rapid Fire.

The majority of the spells deal damage, but you can choose a defense-focused Wielder depending on your playstyle. Just make sure you have enough troops to compensate for the lack of spell damage.

Unit Breakdown

Units	Specialty	Verdict
Pipers/Steam Pipers	Pipers have a very strong ability (stackable) that increases your friendly units’ melee and ranged offense.	Perfect for buffing your damage dealers each turn. Two stacks of Steam Pipers significantly increase your overall DPS each round.
Pikeneers/Veteran Pikeneers	Pikeneers have increased melee attack range.	Their ability allows them to automatically attack troops who approach their strike range. So, they can get a free attack despite not being ranged units (like archers or musketeers).
Musketeers/Veteran Muskeeteers	Musketeers are standard ranged units with the ability to increase their range and damage.	Quite effective at long-distance encounters, but they need to reloaded after each shot. So make sure you have enough melee units to protect them.
Dreaths/Dire Dreaths	Dreaths always retaliate first, and their upgraded version allows them to do so indefinitely.	Possibly the best melee units in Barya’s arsenal. Since Dreaths always retaliate first, you simply move them close to the enemy at which point the enemy are bound to get hit first. They also have a great synergy with Pipers.
Brutes/Scarred Brutes	Upgraded Brutes reduce enemy defense and initiative that are within 1 hexagon range.	They are the highest defense units in Barya that also deal a respectable amount of damage. However, they can be quite expensive to recruit. It is best not to keep more than 1-2 stacks of these units.
Tinkereres/Artificier	Tinkerers can erect stakes and also place mines when upgraded. They also deal damage to units behind the target.	Flame Attacks are unreliable because it’s difficult to line up a shot because you never know when the enemy will line up. Mines can be useful, but they can also harm your troops.
Sassanids/Shadows	When upgraded, Sassanids can postpone attacks, prevent enemy troops from retaliating, and ignore zone of control.	They are the second-best unit after the Dreaths. They can quickly whittle down the enemy forces when paired with a few pipers.
Hellbreaths/Hellroars	Hellbreaths need to reload and they also cannot retaliate. Late-game unit with tremendous damage potential. You will, however, require at least 3-4 stacks of melee units to hold the line during the Hellbreaths rain down fire on its enemies.	Late-game unit with tremendous damage potential. You will, however, require at least 3-4 stacks of melee units to hold the line during the Hellbreaths rain down fire on its enemies.

Research Priority

Due to the lack of innate offense and defense of Barya units, it’s better to boost those stats across the board rather than increasing troop numbers. So start with the Foundry instead of the Merchant’s Guild.

Steel Bullets is a nice upgrade option since it buffs the ranged offense of your ranged human units.

Buffing the damage of your Dreaths and Sassanids is also a good call since you’ll be most likely using them in every team comp.

Finally, you can equip your Pikeneers and Sassanids with Refined Armors and Endure Punishment to make them last a little longer on the battlefield.

City Building Tips for Barya Faction

Songs of Conquest: Arleon Faction Guide

In our Arleon Faction Guide, you can learn the fundamentals of city-building. For a more general approach to constructing buildings, the Barya faction offers the following:

Piper’s Post & Dreath Den – Two great early game units that synergize very well. The sooner you arrive, the better your chances of quickly capturing the map’s key locations.

Mercenary Quarters – Contains Pikeneers and Musketeers that are also great for the early-mid game.

Fortalice – You will need the Sassanids during the mid-game. The Brutes are mostly useless and you’re better off using Pikeneers.

Foundry – Foundry is the better option because it allows you to buff your Sassanids and Dreaths. The Factory can be built, but it requires a lot of resources. Check your resources before making a final decision.

Bazaar – If you’re running low on resources and need to trade in some surplus items for necessities (Celestial Ore and Amber).

Barya is a bit tricky to play since your troops aren’t high on defense. You’ll need to plan your attacks and the Postpone ability to its fullest extent. The faction focuses on evasive maneuvers at close range with support fire from a distance.

Songs of Conquest: Beginner’s Guide: Essential Tips & Tricks

Falagar

He is the founder and editor of Magic Game World. He loved gaming from the moment he got a PlayStation 1 with Gran Turismo on his 7th birthday.
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