Conquest Battles: Turning the Tide of War in Ancient Greece
Conquest Battles are monumental, large-scale engagements that serve as the dramatic culmination of your efforts to destabilize a region in Assassin's Creed Odyssey. These epic clashes between the Athenian and Spartan forces offer not only thrilling combat but also significant rewards and the power to directly influence the political landscape of Ancient Greece.
Triggering a Conquest Battle
Before you can participate in a Conquest Battle, you must first weaken a region's controlling faction. This is achieved by reducing the Nation Power bar, visible on the world map when hovering over a region. Methods to decrease Nation Power include:
- Killing the Nation Leader: This is the most impactful action, significantly reducing power. Leaders are typically found in well-guarded fortresses.
- Destroying Supplies: Look for large red supply caches (often marked with a flame icon) in forts and military camps. Interacting with them gives you the option to "Raid" (gain resources) or "Burn" (reduce Nation Power). Always choose "Burn" if your goal is a Conquest Battle.
- Sinking Warships: Naval combat against the controlling faction's warships contributes to weakening their hold.
- Killing Elite Soldiers: Captains, Polemarchs, and other high-ranking soldiers found in forts and camps will slightly reduce Nation Power upon defeat.
- Completing Quests: Some side quests specifically task you with weakening a region, directly contributing to the Nation Power reduction.
Once the Nation Power bar is sufficiently low (typically when it turns red and a notification appears), a Conquest Battle icon will appear on the map, usually near a major city or fort within that region.
Choosing Your Allegiance: Attacker vs. Defender
Upon arriving at a Conquest Battle marker, you'll be presented with a crucial choice: fight for the attacking side or the defending side. This decision has direct implications for both the difficulty and the rewards you receive.
| Allegiance | Difficulty | Reward Multiplier | Impact on Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attacking Side | Harder (usually outnumbered, more elite enemies) | Higher (e.g., 1.5x XP, more Drachmae, better chance for Legendary gear) | If victorious, the region's allegiance flips to your chosen attacking faction. |
| Defending Side | Easier (usually have numerical advantage, fewer elite enemies) | Standard (e.g., 1x XP, standard Drachmae, good chance for Epic gear) | If victorious, the region's allegiance remains with the current defending faction. |
Recommendation: For maximum rewards and a greater challenge, always choose to fight for the attacking side. If you're struggling or simply want to quickly complete the battle for a quest, the defending side offers a more forgiving experience.
Conquest Battle Mechanics: How to Win
The objective of a Conquest Battle is to deplete the enemy army's morale bar before your own is depleted. This is achieved by defeating enemy soldiers, particularly their elite units.
- Army Morale Bar: Located at the top of the screen, this bar represents the overall strength and morale of each army. When it reaches zero, that side loses.
- Enemy Captains/Polemarchs: These are the most important targets. They are marked with a gold icon above their heads and deal significant damage. Defeating them causes a large chunk of the enemy morale bar to disappear. Prioritize them!
- Standard Soldiers: While less impactful than captains, defeating regular soldiers still contributes to depleting the enemy morale bar.
- Allied Captains: Protect your own captains! If they fall, your morale bar will take a hit.
Strategy & Tips for Dominating Conquest Battles
Conquest Battles can be chaotic, but with a solid strategy, you can turn the tide in your favor:
- Prioritize Elite Targets: Always focus on the enemy Captains and Polemarchs first. Use your abilities to quickly dispatch them. They are the key to victory.
- Manage Adrenaline: Adrenaline is your most valuable resource. Use it for powerful abilities like Hero Strike (Hunter/Assassin), Overpower Attacks (Warrior), or healing abilities like Second Wind.
- Warrior Builds: Focus on area-of-effect (AoE) abilities like Ring of Chaos to stun groups and Overpower Attacks to quickly eliminate elites.
- Hunter Builds: While less ideal for direct melee, use Devastating Shot or Multi-Shot to thin out groups or snipe elites from a distance before engaging.
- Assassin Builds: Use Hero Strike for massive single-target damage against elites. Consider equipping a Warrior secondary weapon for better crowd control.
- Utilize Environmental Hazards: Look for opportunities to kick enemies off ledges or into environmental traps (though these are less common in Conquest Battles than in forts).
- Heal Strategically: Don't wait until you're almost dead to use Second Wind. Use it proactively when your health drops significantly, especially after taking hits from multiple enemies or an elite.
- Stay Mobile: Avoid getting surrounded. Use dodge and parry to mitigate damage and reposition yourself.
- Equip Appropriate Gear:
- Warrior Gear: High armor and damage are crucial. Look for engravings that boost Warrior damage, critical hit chance, or health regeneration.
- Legendary Sets: Sets like the Spartan War Hero Set (Warrior damage, crit chance) or the Greek Heroes Set (all resistances) are excellent choices.
- Call for Reinforcements (Lieutenants): If you have recruited Lieutenants for your ship, some of them can be called into battle using the D-pad (console) or corresponding key (PC). They act as temporary allies, drawing aggro and dealing damage. This is especially useful when facing multiple elites.
Rewards for Victory
Winning a Conquest Battle yields substantial rewards, making them a highly efficient way to progress:
- Experience Points (XP): A significant boost to your level, especially when fighting for the attacking side.
- Drachmae: A large sum of currency, useful for upgrades and purchases.
- Gear: You'll receive several pieces of rare (blue), epic (purple), or even legendary (gold) gear. Fighting for the attacking side increases the chances of obtaining legendary items.
- Orichalcum Ore: A small amount of this rare resource is often awarded, which can be traded for legendary items at the Oikos of the Olympians.
- Lieutenants: Occasionally, defeating a particularly strong enemy captain during a Conquest Battle might allow you to recruit them as a Lieutenant for your Adrestia, provided you knock them out non-lethally (e.g., Spartan Kick, Fists, Paralytic Arrows) and then interact with them.
Conquest Battles are a core part of the Assassin's Creed Odyssey experience, offering dynamic combat and tangible rewards that directly impact your journey through the Peloponnesian War. Master these battles, and you'll truly become the hero (or villain) Ancient Greece needs.