Standard Draft

8 units are chosen at random from the pool of possible units. Each player picks 4 total units in the following order:

• P1: One unit
• P2: Two units
• P1: Two units
• P2: Two units
• P1: takes remaining unit

Elimination Draft

Starting with the first player, each player gets to eliminate (ban) one unit from the 10 units on offer. Then, drafting proceeds the same as standard draft

Standard Draft Tips

Unit strength varies greatly depending on which other units are available. Assess the relative strength of each unit and formulate an overall plan.

Contextual strength example:

• Pikeman vs a field with no ranged units
• Crossbowman vs a field with no fast units like Scout and Light Cavalry
• Herald and Earl are significantly better together
• Knight and Bishop can put your opponent in an awkward spot
• Swordsman triggers from Marshall's special ability
• Scout with Redeploy decree

Note which units counter each other

Counter Examples:

• Pikeman vs Berserker, Warrior Priest, Siege Tower
• Ranged units vs Pikeman
• Cavalry vs Bannerman
• Bishop vs Siege Tower

Elimination Draft Tips

When first player:

• Break up any power combo like Earl + Herald and Light Cavalry + Scout
• If there are exactly three top or second tier units, banning one will result in a 1 & 1 split. If your opponent bans another, you are left with the only top tier unit as first pick
• If there is exactly one bottom tier unit, banning it will keep you from being stuck with it as the last unit
• If there are exactly 3 bottom tier units, banning one will help your opponent by sticking them with one bottom tier unit instead of 2

Unit Strength

While there is much disagreement about relative unit strength, several are a cut about the rest:

Top tier units

• Berserker
• Bannerman
• Warrior Priest

Second tier units

• Light Cavalry
• Cavalry
• Herald
• Mercenary
• Earl

Bottom tier units

• Trebuchet
• Footman
• Lancer
• Marshall

Bag Management

A common new player mistake is taking too much recruit actions early. The more coins in your bag, the less consistently you will draw the specific unit you want to be active. A common strategy is to pick 1 or 2 units which will be active, and 'bolster off' the starting coins of your worst units leaving them inactive on the board.

If you have the choice between recruiting a unit and bolstering a unit you aren't developing, bolstering actually increases your chance of drawing a unit remaining in your bag compared to recruiting a new copy of that unit.

General Strategy

A common strategy will involve capturing the 3 points closest to your spawn location, and targeting one of your opponents points to flip as point 6.

War Chest is a game about capturing 6 locations, not about killing off enemy units. Losing sight of your plan to capture locations in favor of just killing enemy units is an easy way to lose a game.

Being the first player is generally a disadvantage during gameplay. As the second player, you have the ability to seize initiative with your first or second coin. This lets you take your third action and first action of the next round in a row, which breaks the normal turn symmetry. This is extremely powerful and many games are ended with this pattern.