Sure, I'll take a shot at a beginner's guide to the basic game. There are several others, but it seems like writing one myself might be interesting. I'm gonna assume you're playing a Classic game without stuff like Items and Forsaken, for simplicity's sake.
There are two things you're progressing in a basic single run of the game, which both reinforce the other: Your upgrades, and the Chosen's corruption. More/better upgrades makes it easier to damage the Chosen more which makes them easier to corrupt and makes them generate more EE, which you can spend on more upgrades.
A quick terminology reference (to be expanded on later):
"Break" means breaking one of a Chosen's 4 Vulnerabilities, and Breaking a Chosen permanently renders them more vulnerable to both associated damage types - i.e., breaking DIG will leave them taking more SHAM and EXPO damage for the rest of the campaign. Breaks are divided from T1 to T4, with different conditions for each. T1 and T3 Breaks involve the Chosen adapting to what you do, and can be triggered more or less accidentally (though it is possible to control them). They also can briefly make the Chosen harder to corrupt by unlocking new options for them. T2 and T4 Breaks are only triggered by certain actions on your part, and have no associated strengthening effect on the Chosen.
The game can generally be divided into a few stages, which can overlap with each other to some degree. For the purposes of explaining the basics, I'm gonna ignore Distortions when it comes to these stages. Distortions are an optional mechanic you can also ignore for now. First, let's lay out the stages. Then, we'll discuss how to approach them - goals, tools, and challenges
Stage 1: From Day 1 to whenever the third Chosen shows up. In this stage, you're limited in your ability to make major progress by the lack of available targets. Sometimes, you can get significant work done here, but mostly, it's a preparatory stage and you shouldn't expect to achieve major corruption. Your Chosen are probably generating 1 EE/day here.
Stage 2: From whenever your third Chosen arrives to when you've managed a couple T2 Breaks. In this stage, you're probably most limited by lack of EE/upgrades to use powerful Commanders against the Chosen. Your Chosen may be generating between 1 and 5 EE/day here.
Stage 3: From whenever you've managed T2 breaks on most/all Chosen to when you start achieving T3 Breaks. Your Chosen will be generating 5-15 EE/day here, probably. This is probably the shortest Phase, depending on how you count it!
Stage 4: From T3 Breaks to T4 Breaks and the Final Battle. Your Chosen will reach 50 EE/day by the end of this stage.
You progress through each Stage slightly differently, but some aspects are common to all of them. EE is good. Commanders are powerful, but expensive enough you can't use them recklessly. Days are a valuable resource, so saving at the start of each day is important. Multiple attempts at a battle - even to the point of reloading the day and changing your upgrades/commander around - are normal and important. Angst is important, but rarely your top priority. Some Chosen are more vulnerable to certain strategies than others. Long-term planning is valuable.
That said, it can be hard to put those larger strategic ideas into practice without a focus on the details, so let's get into some of those.
In Stage 1, there are three rules for your play that you should follow unless you have a very good reason to break them, in order from least to most important, more or less:
1: Always maximize the length of each fight in terms of turn count. This is best achieved against 1 Chosen, usually, by setting up a Surround in the early turns by inflicting 1 level each of DISG, PAIN, and SHAM, using Slime, Attack, and Taunt then activating that surround the turn before the fight would otherwise end. Depending on the Chosen's vulnerabilities/stats, you may only be able to inflict 1 level of 1 or 2 of these, but the strat generally still holds. Against multiple Chosen, you may have to sacrifice a turn here or there to follow the next rule.
2: Get 1 EE/day from your Chosen whenever possible. This is achieved by maximizing the trauma you inflict to them. 200/Chosen/fight is generally enough, but occasionally you can get away with less, especially on the second Chosen, because of group activities. This has the helpful side effect of increasing their ANGST, which increases their damage taken. Missing 1 EE in a day is a good reason to reload and try a different strategy for the day.
3. Don't buy Commanders without a very good reason. Getting one +2EE bonus from bringing a Core Circumstance to level 2 is probably not a good enough reason. Getting 2 of them you otherwise wouldn't get that day probably is, if the Commander is only 1 or maybe 2 EE. Getting a T1 Break might be. Getting a T2 break (fairly unlikely, but possible) almost definitely is, unless you're saving that break for later (there are reasons to delay Breaks, which will be covered in Stage 2 - this is never required, but it can make the game easier later).
All of these rules are about maximizing your EE income and setting you up for an early and explosive start to Phase 2. Your ability to progress corruption here is limited by your lack of upgrades and targets, so we're not primarily concerned with it. If you can get a nice +2EE from a Core "T0 Break" (not a real thing, just a way to think about the extra objective on Core Vulnerabilities), do so. Otherwise, be patient. Rules 2 and 3 are good to follow at the start of Stage 2, as well!
As an additional resource, I'll play a quick game alongside writing this guide and note down the day by day strategy. It'll be Classic, ignore Distortions, and try not to go for anything too finnicky (limiting myself on lengthy reloads/retries).
D1: Axiom is my first Chosen. Thanks to the Retry button, it's easy to determine that she's weakest to SHAM, followed by PAIN, followed by FEAR, followed by DISG - and even the last of these would only take 3 rounds to achieve level 1. I can't quite achieve level 1 on all 3 before Extermination ends, so I attack twice, taunt 4 times, then take a 2-round surround. She's left with 840 unresolved trauma and I get my day 1 EE.
D2: I make a save, then grab Fast Breeders, since I think it'll give me an extra turn pre-extermination, which will give me an extra surround turn as well. It does - I attack twice, taunt twice, slime 3 times, then do a 3-round surround. She's left with 2769 unresolved Trauma this turn.
D3: Another save, then Wide Deployment, which may give me another turn pre-extermination. My second Chosen, Void, shows up on Round 5. She's fairly vulnerable to FEAR, DISG, and SHAM (all take 2 turns to hit 100), so I can get a surround on both of them this time. I do 2 attacks, 2 taunts on Axiom before Void shows up, 2 slimes on Void, then capture Axiom. One Threaten on Void (unfortunately can't get 2 in), then a 1-turn Surround. Not sure that's better than another Slime or Threaten, but it's enough to get my +1EE from both, so it's fine.
D4: Another save. First, I grab Psychic reading to verify what I expected: Void has a pre-existing T2 MOR break. It's also MIN, and so is her CON - which makes her extremely vulnerable to CON breaks. I could probably get T1 or even T2 there before the third Chosen, but for the sake of the guide, I'll wait on that. I reload to the start of the day, and grab Enhanced Polymorphism to hopefully get some slightly longer surrounds. I hit Void first, get Fear, DISG, and SHAM to level 1, then delay surrounding till I can get Axiom first. I'm only able to get a 1-rounder on her, but it sets up Void for a 3-rounder. Another easy 2 EE.
D5: I save. Since neither Psychic Reading nor Focus benefit me this week, and I can't afford any on the next level, I hold my EE. This week's fight is a carbon copy of the last one, and leaves both Chosen hovering at around 3k unresolved Trauma.
D6: I save the game! I'm not sure if there's a chance I can have the third Chosen show up yet (it may not have been enough rounds), so I grab Psychic Reading and Weakness Sense (leaving me with 1 EE left) and get to experimenting. It quickly turns out Freedom shows up on Round 5. Since Axiom is a little easier to set up for a 3-turn surround, I start with her, use the first 4 rounds to get the Surround ready, and then work on Freedom. She has no pre-broken vulnerabilities, but her MOR core is so strong a single Threaten is enough to set her up for a surround. I have plenty of turns to build Trauma on Freedom to get her past the 1EE threshold, but if I were struggling, I could have reloaded and gotten Coordinated Deployment or Eager Breeders instead.
That's the end of a nice and quick Stage 1.
This has taken a while to write and has gotten kinda long, so later Stages may have to wait for another time. It's been an interesting exercise, though, so I probably will come back to it.
There are two things you're progressing in a basic single run of the game, which both reinforce the other: Your upgrades, and the Chosen's corruption. More/better upgrades makes it easier to damage the Chosen more which makes them easier to corrupt and makes them generate more EE, which you can spend on more upgrades.
A quick terminology reference (to be expanded on later):
"Break" means breaking one of a Chosen's 4 Vulnerabilities, and Breaking a Chosen permanently renders them more vulnerable to both associated damage types - i.e., breaking DIG will leave them taking more SHAM and EXPO damage for the rest of the campaign. Breaks are divided from T1 to T4, with different conditions for each. T1 and T3 Breaks involve the Chosen adapting to what you do, and can be triggered more or less accidentally (though it is possible to control them). They also can briefly make the Chosen harder to corrupt by unlocking new options for them. T2 and T4 Breaks are only triggered by certain actions on your part, and have no associated strengthening effect on the Chosen.
The game can generally be divided into a few stages, which can overlap with each other to some degree. For the purposes of explaining the basics, I'm gonna ignore Distortions when it comes to these stages. Distortions are an optional mechanic you can also ignore for now. First, let's lay out the stages. Then, we'll discuss how to approach them - goals, tools, and challenges
Stage 1: From Day 1 to whenever the third Chosen shows up. In this stage, you're limited in your ability to make major progress by the lack of available targets. Sometimes, you can get significant work done here, but mostly, it's a preparatory stage and you shouldn't expect to achieve major corruption. Your Chosen are probably generating 1 EE/day here.
Stage 2: From whenever your third Chosen arrives to when you've managed a couple T2 Breaks. In this stage, you're probably most limited by lack of EE/upgrades to use powerful Commanders against the Chosen. Your Chosen may be generating between 1 and 5 EE/day here.
Stage 3: From whenever you've managed T2 breaks on most/all Chosen to when you start achieving T3 Breaks. Your Chosen will be generating 5-15 EE/day here, probably. This is probably the shortest Phase, depending on how you count it!
Stage 4: From T3 Breaks to T4 Breaks and the Final Battle. Your Chosen will reach 50 EE/day by the end of this stage.
You progress through each Stage slightly differently, but some aspects are common to all of them. EE is good. Commanders are powerful, but expensive enough you can't use them recklessly. Days are a valuable resource, so saving at the start of each day is important. Multiple attempts at a battle - even to the point of reloading the day and changing your upgrades/commander around - are normal and important. Angst is important, but rarely your top priority. Some Chosen are more vulnerable to certain strategies than others. Long-term planning is valuable.
That said, it can be hard to put those larger strategic ideas into practice without a focus on the details, so let's get into some of those.
In Stage 1, there are three rules for your play that you should follow unless you have a very good reason to break them, in order from least to most important, more or less:
1: Always maximize the length of each fight in terms of turn count. This is best achieved against 1 Chosen, usually, by setting up a Surround in the early turns by inflicting 1 level each of DISG, PAIN, and SHAM, using Slime, Attack, and Taunt then activating that surround the turn before the fight would otherwise end. Depending on the Chosen's vulnerabilities/stats, you may only be able to inflict 1 level of 1 or 2 of these, but the strat generally still holds. Against multiple Chosen, you may have to sacrifice a turn here or there to follow the next rule.
2: Get 1 EE/day from your Chosen whenever possible. This is achieved by maximizing the trauma you inflict to them. 200/Chosen/fight is generally enough, but occasionally you can get away with less, especially on the second Chosen, because of group activities. This has the helpful side effect of increasing their ANGST, which increases their damage taken. Missing 1 EE in a day is a good reason to reload and try a different strategy for the day.
3. Don't buy Commanders without a very good reason. Getting one +2EE bonus from bringing a Core Circumstance to level 2 is probably not a good enough reason. Getting 2 of them you otherwise wouldn't get that day probably is, if the Commander is only 1 or maybe 2 EE. Getting a T1 Break might be. Getting a T2 break (fairly unlikely, but possible) almost definitely is, unless you're saving that break for later (there are reasons to delay Breaks, which will be covered in Stage 2 - this is never required, but it can make the game easier later).
All of these rules are about maximizing your EE income and setting you up for an early and explosive start to Phase 2. Your ability to progress corruption here is limited by your lack of upgrades and targets, so we're not primarily concerned with it. If you can get a nice +2EE from a Core "T0 Break" (not a real thing, just a way to think about the extra objective on Core Vulnerabilities), do so. Otherwise, be patient. Rules 2 and 3 are good to follow at the start of Stage 2, as well!
As an additional resource, I'll play a quick game alongside writing this guide and note down the day by day strategy. It'll be Classic, ignore Distortions, and try not to go for anything too finnicky (limiting myself on lengthy reloads/retries).
D1: Axiom is my first Chosen. Thanks to the Retry button, it's easy to determine that she's weakest to SHAM, followed by PAIN, followed by FEAR, followed by DISG - and even the last of these would only take 3 rounds to achieve level 1. I can't quite achieve level 1 on all 3 before Extermination ends, so I attack twice, taunt 4 times, then take a 2-round surround. She's left with 840 unresolved trauma and I get my day 1 EE.
D2: I make a save, then grab Fast Breeders, since I think it'll give me an extra turn pre-extermination, which will give me an extra surround turn as well. It does - I attack twice, taunt twice, slime 3 times, then do a 3-round surround. She's left with 2769 unresolved Trauma this turn.
D3: Another save, then Wide Deployment, which may give me another turn pre-extermination. My second Chosen, Void, shows up on Round 5. She's fairly vulnerable to FEAR, DISG, and SHAM (all take 2 turns to hit 100), so I can get a surround on both of them this time. I do 2 attacks, 2 taunts on Axiom before Void shows up, 2 slimes on Void, then capture Axiom. One Threaten on Void (unfortunately can't get 2 in), then a 1-turn Surround. Not sure that's better than another Slime or Threaten, but it's enough to get my +1EE from both, so it's fine.
D4: Another save. First, I grab Psychic reading to verify what I expected: Void has a pre-existing T2 MOR break. It's also MIN, and so is her CON - which makes her extremely vulnerable to CON breaks. I could probably get T1 or even T2 there before the third Chosen, but for the sake of the guide, I'll wait on that. I reload to the start of the day, and grab Enhanced Polymorphism to hopefully get some slightly longer surrounds. I hit Void first, get Fear, DISG, and SHAM to level 1, then delay surrounding till I can get Axiom first. I'm only able to get a 1-rounder on her, but it sets up Void for a 3-rounder. Another easy 2 EE.
D5: I save. Since neither Psychic Reading nor Focus benefit me this week, and I can't afford any on the next level, I hold my EE. This week's fight is a carbon copy of the last one, and leaves both Chosen hovering at around 3k unresolved Trauma.
D6: I save the game! I'm not sure if there's a chance I can have the third Chosen show up yet (it may not have been enough rounds), so I grab Psychic Reading and Weakness Sense (leaving me with 1 EE left) and get to experimenting. It quickly turns out Freedom shows up on Round 5. Since Axiom is a little easier to set up for a 3-turn surround, I start with her, use the first 4 rounds to get the Surround ready, and then work on Freedom. She has no pre-broken vulnerabilities, but her MOR core is so strong a single Threaten is enough to set her up for a surround. I have plenty of turns to build Trauma on Freedom to get her past the 1EE threshold, but if I were struggling, I could have reloaded and gotten Coordinated Deployment or Eager Breeders instead.
That's the end of a nice and quick Stage 1.
This has taken a while to write and has gotten kinda long, so later Stages may have to wait for another time. It's been an interesting exercise, though, so I probably will come back to it.
