In This War of Mine, players are tasked with ensuring the survival of three to four people in a makeshift bunker. Players will have to fend off bandits, soldiers, hunger, depression, and other kinds of misfortunes during a siege that lasts more than a month. Players will get random team members with no pattern, but, after a few retries, some might realize that they can keep restarting until they get the characters they want.
This is incredibly useful, as not all characters in This War of Mine are made equally. The survivors come from different walks of life. Some are fitter and others are savvier. While all of them contribute to the group in their own way, others do so more seamlessly and can determine whether the playthrough extends throughout late-game or winter. With that in mind, these team combinations in This War of Mine prove quite effective for survival.
4 Bruno, Pavle, Katia
In their first playthrough, players don't even have to restart too often to get the group they want. Sometimes, the game will throw them one of the most efficient trios in the game. Bruno, Pavle, and Katia have everything the players want and need for a balanced playthrough. That means a few looting spots here and there and a general aversion to violence. The last part is particularly important since the group doesn't have a bonafide fighter.
Their focus is mostly on getting resources smoothly and spending them as thriftily as possible. Still, Pavle can fight if push comes to shove, but that's not what he's made for in this kind of situation. Because of the balanced nature of this team, there's a chance that players might not receive a random fourth group member or perhaps someone whose skills are less desired. As such, players will want to achieve the best that they can with this combination if it ever is thrown at them.
Division of labor
In order to best utilize each member of the group, here's how players should assign tasks.
- Bruno - He's mostly here for conserving resources since he's a Good Cook. Beyond that, he can make for a pretty decent guard at night who interchanges watch duty with Katia.
- Pavle - Since he's a Fast Runner, Pavle will be the group's workhorse. He'll perform the supply runs (ideally every other night) and gather everything from materials to food. He does have a limited inventory, so players should make sure to prioritize materials in the early game until the base is shored up.
- Katia - Katia is there to raise morale using the guitar and to conserve resources when trading. She's not that good of a guard, so Bruno's going to have to take up the watch more often than not, but Katia can be a decent substitute whenever Bruno needs a rest.
3 Marin, Katia, Bruno, Marko
Another complete and balanced team in This War of Mine would be Marin, Katia, Bruno, and Marko. It functions similarly to the starter team above but takes a lot more luck to achieve through restarts. Marko can be difficult to obtain for a lot of players as his chance of an appearance is somewhat low. However, Marko is the glue that holds this team together thanks to his huge inventory size.
This ensures that players don't have to take too many risks with supply or scavenging runs. Everyone else does their duty well as a stay-at-home member of the group. This team has a high success chance and a lot of players typically report completing the game using this setup or something similar with Marko in the group. As always, this team is only as good as each of the members in their dedicated roles.
Division of labor
- Marin - Marin is a Handyman, which means he'll be busy at the start of the game, shoring up defenses and crafting tools. Thankfully, his usefulness doesn't end there, as he can also be a good guard at night.
- Katia - Katia fulfills the same role here as in the team above. Her job is mostly waiting for the trader to arrive every two to three days and grabbing as much as she can at the lowest price available.
- Bruno - Bruno is the chef version of Marin and is mostly great for cooking. Apart from that, he can also be a substitute guard for when Marin becomes too tired.
- Marko - Marko is the ace of the group and the most active character on the team. While he doesn't have Pavle's speed, he can carry considerably more items back to the base on a nightly supply run.
2 Roman, Boris, Zlata
There are playthroughs when players will want to take off the gloves and survive violently. That means killing bandits, soldiers, and other people in scavenging sites if need be. This will ensure a conflict-free source of resources and a less nerve-wracking supply run. Thankfully, such a team is possible in This War of Mine.
Players will need specific characters that have a combat background. They will then need to be paired with someone who is great at boosting morale because characters who kill people end up getting depressed or, in some extreme cases, making the entire group depressed.
Division of labor
- Roman - Thanks to his affinity for combat, Roman will do most of the dirty work in this group. He'll be the usual scavenger, except players won't have to worry about danger too much as Roman can kill enemies fast and without much repercussion for himself. He also makes a good guard.
- Boris - Boris is similar to Marko. He also has a good inventory size and makes a good guard. The only downside is that he's slow, so his role is mostly relegated to guard duty. If Roman is too sick or tired, however, Boris can pick up the items from scavenging sites.
- Zlata - Zlata is there for when any of the team members start feeling the heavy moral weight of Roman's killings. She makes group-wide sadness go away significantly and she can also play the guitar.
1 Arica, Boris, Marin, Katia
For players who want to build a bulletproof base while also having safe and smooth supply runs, this team should perform admirably. It's not combat-focused unless players anticipate some rough invasions from bandits, because the team will shine in that department.
In any case, seeking trouble in This War of Mine is almost unnecessary thanks to certain characters' skills. Players can substitute Arica for Marko if they don't care much about sneaking around in scavenging sites, although having Marko and Boris in one team can be difficult to achieve.
Division of labor
- Arica - Team synergy is different here because of Arica. She doesn't carry as much, but she's quiet and fast. Any materials or resources she leaves behind can be piled up near an exit point for another character to pick up later.
- Boris - Boris can be the mule for the items that Arica leaves behind. That is assuming he won't be doing guard duty during particular nights.
- Marin - Marin can be a substitute guard for when Boris needs to pick up Arica's hoard in scavenging sites. He'll also ensure maximum base defensiveness at the minimum cost.
- Katia - Katia, as always, will just bargain with the traders for discounted resources.
This War of Mine is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and Mobile.