Commander's Field Guide
"Veni, Vidi, Vici... and then I signed a book deal."
Welcome to Insular Imperium, a turn-based strategy game where you lead the glorious Blue Legion against the slightly-less-glorious Red AI and the definitely-not-glorious Orc tribes.
Your goal? Total domination of the archipelago. Whether you prefer crushing your enemies under the hooves of a cavalry charge or slowly suffocating them with superior road infrastructure (the Roman way!), this guide will teach you how to not die in the first three turns.
Victory Condition A
Defeat all units. Leave nothing but dust and very small pebbles.
Victory Condition B
Capture all Forts and Ports. Turn the map blue through superior real estate management.
Getting Started
From the Main Menu to the Massacre.
Choose Your Difficulty
Easy is for learning. Normal is for players. Hard is for people who enjoy being shouted at by pixels.
Pick Your Map Size
Micro (25x25) for a quick coffee break, or Large (100x100) if you don't plan on sleeping this week.
Recruit Heroes
Pick up to 2 heroes. They are like regular units, but with better hair and magical powers.
Assemble Your Army
Spend your 2,500g wisely. 100 healers might seem funny, but they won't win you a war.
Naval Deployment
Place your ships. Try to put them in the water. Land-ships are notably less effective.
Commander's Note:
"Budget management is the most dangerous spell a general can cast."
Geography & Cartography
Know where to stand, and more importantly, where not to stand.
Terrain isn't just scenery; it's a weapon. Use forests for cover, roads for speed, and avoid bridges unless you really, really like being shot by everyone at once.
| Terrain | Look | Cost | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grass |  | 1 | Standard ground. Smells like victory. |
| Forest |  | 2 | 25% damage reduction. Great for hiding from taxes and arrows. |
| Mountain |  | ∞ | Impassable. Only for mountain goats and very lost mages. |
| Sand |  | 2 | It's coarse and rough and gets everywhere. |
| Road |  | 0.5 | Fast travel. Built by exhausted Engineers. |
| Bridge |  | 0.5 | 25% MORE damage taken. Basically a "kick me" sign for units. |
| Water |  | Ship Only | Moist. Land units will drown. Use a boat. |
| Fort |  | 1 | 50% damage reduction, +3 DEF, heals 20% HP. Like a spa, but with swords. |
| Port |  | 1 | Heals 10% HP. Repairs ships. Smells of salt and regret. |
| Orc Camp |  | 1 | Spawns Orcs. Highly recommended to not live here. |
The Legion & The Horde
Your soldiers. Their targets. The statistics of war.
Blue Legion (The Good Guys)
Infantry
Knight
Archer
Mage
Healer
Spearman
Catapult
Ballista
Engineer
Red Empire (The Mirror Match)
The Red Empire uses the exact same technology as you, but with more anger and a questionable taste in primary colors. They have the same stats, the same units, and the same desire to see you fail.
Infantry
Knight
Archer
Mage
Healer
Orc Tribes (The Wildcards)
Orc Infantry
Orc Mage
Orc Rider
Orc Spearman
Orc Healer
Special Rule: Orcish Frenzy
Orcs get +50% ATK when their HP drops below 50%. Do not "poke" an orc. Either finish them or leave them alone. A wounded orc is a very fast way to lose a unit.
Art of War
How to hit things until they stop moving.
🧮 The Formula
Simple, right? Just make sure your ATK is bigger than their DEF. If you hit a 50 DEF fort with 10 ATK, you'll deal 1 damage. We call that "tactical futility."
🛡️ Counter-Attacks
If the defender survives, they hit back at 50% damage.
Pro-tip: Archers and Mages don't trigger counters if they shoot from outside the enemy's range. Cowardice pays off!
🤝 Flanking
Surround your enemy! More units adjacent to a target means higher damage and weaker counter-attacks.
Leveling Up
Units gain 10 EXP per hit and 25 EXP per kill. Leveling up increases their base stats. Keep your veterans alive—a Level 5 Spearman is worth more than a handful of fresh recruits who haven't even learned which end of the spear to hold yet.
Legendary Heroes
Special units for special commanders.
Heroes aren't just powerful; they have Auras. Any friendly unit within 4 tiles of a hero gets massive stat boosts. Position your hero in the middle of your army and watch as your peasants suddenly fight like demigods.
Hover for details • Click to recruit (in-game)
The Undead Menace
Death is just a temporary career setback.
When the moon turns blood-red, the Vampire Lords arrive. These aren't your friendly neighborhood vampires; they lead legions of skeletal warriors and have a nasty habit of turning your fallen soldiers into their new best friends.
Tiberius
He doesn't want your gold. He wants your bones.
Naval Warfare
How to not sink in 3 easy steps.
Liburna
"Light scout vessel. Fast and cheap, but fragile."
Galley
"Standard warship. Balanced speed, firepower, and troop capacity."
Trireme
"Capital ship. Massive hull, devastating bombardment, huge crew."
Boarding & Capacity
Ships have Deck Slots and Hold Capacity.
Units on deck can shoot ballistae or throw insults at the enemy. Units in the hold are safe from combat but are basically just cargo.
WARNING: If a ship sinks with units on board, they have 3 turns to evacuate to land or another ship before they become fish food.
The Treasury
War is expensive. Winning is slightly more expensive.
Capture Orc Camps for loot!
Don't build more than you can feed.
200g for a full Fort!
The Maintenance Death Spiral
"I have 50 Knights! Why am I bankrupt?" - A Very Poor General.
Knights cost 12g per turn. If you own no territory, you will lose money every turn. When your gold hits zero, you can no longer build units, repair buildings, or buy that fancy new Trireme you wanted. Manage your budget or your soldiers will find a new boss who actually pays them.
Logistics & Engineering
Rome wasn't built in a day, but we have a deadline.
👷 Engineer Actions
Fort Production
Large forts (9 tiles) can build any unit. Tiny forts (3 tiles) can only build Infantry. Size matters. If you want a Knight, you need a big castle. If you want a guy with a stick, a small shed will do.
War Room Options
Customizing your conquest.
Difficulty Levels
AI has 80% HP/ATK. Aggro range is 10 tiles. For commanders who like to win without sweating.
100% stats. 15 tile aggro range. The intended experience.
AI has 120% stats. 20 tile aggro range. They will hunt you. They will find you. They will kill you.
Map Sizes
Coffee break.
Lunch break.
Standard battle.
See you next year.
Save & Load
The game features Quick Save (F5) and Quick Load (F9). It also autosaves at the start of every turn, just in case you make a decision you immediately regret (like standing on a bridge).
The Command Deck
Master the interface, master the world.
Mouse
- Left ClickSelect / Move / Attack
- Right ClickCancel / Deselect
- Scroll WheelZoom In / Out
- Click & DragPan Camera
Keyboard
Commander's Wisdom
Advice from people who survived longer than you.
Spearmen are Knight-Shredders
Spearmen take half damage from Knights and deal massive bonus damage to them. If you see a horse, bring a spear. If you see a spear, maybe don't bring a horse.
The Catapult Meta
Catapults deal 100% bonus damage to forts. Trying to capture a fort with just infantry is like trying to eat a steak with a spoon. It's possible, but it's painful and everyone will laugh at you.
Hero Auras Stack
If you have two heroes close together, their auras stack. You can create a literal "Death Ball" of soldiers that are basically invincible. It's not cheese, it's "Tactical Concentration."
Roads Win Wars
An army that moves twice as fast is twice as dangerous. Build roads. Your units will thank you. Your enemies will hate you. Your shoes will last longer.
Protect the Healers
The AI hates your Healers. They will go out of their way to kill them. Surround your Healers with beefy Infantry. A dead healer heals exactly zero people.
Bridge are Traps
Seriously. Don't end your turn on a bridge. You take 25% more damage. You are a target. You are a pincushion. Stay on the grass.