FIELD GUIDE 02
Band composition: survival, damage and equipment
The interesting question is not simply “Which adventurer is strongest?” It is “What does this band need for this journey?”
When survival is the problem
Look at who falls first and how that changes the fight. Protection and recovery only help if they arrive where and when the band needs them. Check skill descriptions and equipment effects together before replacing a damage dealer with another support adventurer.
When damage is the problem
A team can be safe without being effective. Compare its damage sources with the enemies it meets. Try one change in class or equipment, then review another run in the same destination.
When a new item changes the answer
Read the effect, not just the primary stats. An item with a condition may reward a different team or a different journey. Ask which ally benefits, when the effect activates, and what you give up by equipping it.
A repeatable composition experiment
- Choose a destination you have already attempted and keep it fixed.
- Record the classes, equipment and result of your current band.
- If a member falls early, change one defensive choice. If the band survives but cannot finish, change one damage choice.
- Run the same destination again before changing a second variable.
For a Footman promotion decision, compare the Sergeant and Shield Sergeant skill descriptions against the problem you observed. These are branches to evaluate, not a universal best-build ranking. Enemy matchups, item rolls and available promotions change the answer.
Keep alternatives
A successful band is a useful starting point, not a reason to stop experimenting. Keep notes about the destination, equipment and result. That makes the next unusual item a new possibility rather than an unexplained number.
