Dune: Spice Wars is a sci-fi real-time strategy (RTS) game set on Frank Herbert's fictional desert world of Arrakis. As one of a number of powerful factions, players will contest the region and battle against rivals in a bid to secure vital resources from a hostile, inhospitable planet. For most factions, a degree of expansion will be essential to ensure prosperity, since even trade requires resources and Solari to begin with. In order to control a territorial sector, players will need to occupy its main Village, which can usually be found using Ornithopter reconnaissance.
Once the Village has been located, players will need to deploy troops and order them to attack in order to capture it. For players looking to take a more peaceful approach, House Atreides has the ability to Peacefully Annex neighboring territories, which will reduce the chances of rebellions and uprisings once a given territory has been conquered.
Capturing Territories
First, players will need to recruit Military Units to fight for them. This can be done using the faction panel on the right-hand side of the screen. Each territory sector is controlled by a Village, meaning that whoever occupies the Village will control the resources within that given sector. Most villages will have at least two units defending them, so it is advised to send in a minimum of 3 Military Units when trying to capture a new territory. In the early game, some villages can still be taken with just two units, but it is best to have them in varying classes (i.e one Trooper, one Ranger). This will force the enemy to be preoccupied with the melee units, whilst sustaining double damage from the ranged units.
Once the enemy Militia has been defeated, players can select the Annex button, represented by a flag icon, to begin the transfer of power in that particular territory. Players must keep their Military Units close to the Village until the Annexation process has been completed. Once the village has changed hands, players can start building there and recruiting a Militia of their own to defend it.
Peacefully Annexing with House Atreides
House Atreides is the only faction that can annex territories without military force. This can be done by pressing the Peaceful Annexation button displayed in the settlement details panel in the lower left of the screen. Using this ability will cost varying amounts of Water and Influence depending on the structures within the chosen territory.
Retaining Territories
Following a successful siege, the Military Units involved in the assault will begin to regenerate health, as long as they are left close to the newly acquired Village. Players can also strengthen the defense of Villages by recruiting local Militia Units. These come in a number of forms, including Ranged and Demolition Militia at varying recruitment costs. Having a strong Militia is essential for retaining any captured territories, which will otherwise be overthrown very easily if left unguarded.
Villages and their surrounding resources can also be additionally fortified with the use of the Missile Battery construction. This will automatically engage any hostile units coming into the area and cause large amounts of explosive damage to any targets they attack. For territories that are under severe threat of being overrun, despite Militia and building defenses, it is advisable to send it a sizable military force to support them.
Dune: Spice Wars is currently available on PC.