Soldiers
Build your Pax Autocratica army — recruit soldiers, roll traits and lifespans, equip gear and lead your Leader into battle with tank, DPS, support, melee and ranged squad roles.
Introduction
Soldiers are the armed arm of your state. Every expedition and battle is fought by a squad drawn from your roster, and the quality of that roster determines how far you can push into the Tyris System. Your Leader is the playable commander — if the Leader falls, any surviving soldier can revive them with a crafted item. Other soldiers come with traits and a lifespan that shape their combat role and work stats, and each fills a role in squad composition: tank, DPS, support, melee or ranged. You recruit soldiers by conscripting citizens, capturing enemies and hiring mercenaries, and you equip them with weapons and armor to match their role.
Soldier Roles
| Role | Focus | Best Squad |
|---|---|---|
| Leader | Commander, revivable | Always present |
| Tank | Absorbs damage | Bullet-hell fights |
| DPS | High damage output | Elites and bosses |
| Support | Healing and buffs | Long expeditions |
Roster Roles
Leader
Your playable commander — your playable commander and squad anchor
Tank
Damage sponge for the squad — the damage sponge who protects the team
DPS
The damage dealers — the damage dealers who end fights
Support
Keep the squad alive — keep the squad alive and fighting
Core Mechanics
The soldier system centers on traits, lifespans and squad composition. Every soldier rolls traits that shape their combat role and work efficiency, plus a lifespan that determines how long they remain effective — older soldiers gain the Aged status and eventually retire. Your Leader is the exception: losing them is not permanent if a surviving soldier revives them with a crafted revival item. Soldiers are recruited by conscripting citizens, capturing enemies and converting them, or hiring mercenaries at the Drakon Mercenary Camp. They level up, are promoted, and are equipped with weapons and armor matched to their role, and a balanced squad of tank, DPS, support, melee and ranged soldiers is the difference between a cheap victory and a squad wipe.
Advantages
The soldier system gives you deep control over your army. Traits create unique soldiers so no two squads are identical, the lifespan system forces you to plan for retirement and train replacements, and the revival mechanic makes the Leader a meaningful asset rather than a fragile liability. Because roles are distinct and gear is customizable, you can build a squad tailored to any expedition, boss or play style. The multiple recruitment sources — conscription, conversion and mercenaries — mean you are never permanently stuck with a weak roster. The depth means there is always a better squad to build, which gives long-term goals to players who enjoy optimizing.
Challenges
Soldiers are a constant drain. Each one needs gear, food and management, and the lifespan system means even your best soldiers will eventually age out and need replacement. Losing a well-equipped squad to a failed expedition is a major setback, and reviving the Leader requires a crafted item you may not always have on hand. Trait rolls are random, so you cannot always build the exact squad you want, and a string of bad recruits can leave your army weaker than your colony deserves. Budget for the ongoing costs of a standing army, and accept that variance in trait rolls is part of the intended design.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I recruit more soldiers?+
What is the Leader and can they die?+
What are soldier traits and lifespans?+
Quick Tips
Keep at least one crafted revival item on hand for every major expedition — losing the Leader ends most fights, and the revival item is the only thing that saves the run. Treat it as emergency insurance and restock it the moment you use it. Restock the item the moment it is used.
Train a replacement for every veteran soldier before they hit the Aged status. The lifespan system is unforgiving, and a soldier who retires or dies without a trained successor leaves a hole in your squad that takes expeditions to fill. A trained pipeline keeps your army battle-ready. A steady pipeline of trained replacements keeps your army always battle-ready.
Match gear to role: tanks want armor and shield abilities, DPS want the best weapons and cores, support wants utility items that heal and buff. Equipping a soldier for the wrong role wastes gear that a correctly-built soldier would use to carry a fight. Correct gear makes ordinary soldiers excellent.
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