Slotbound Spearman Build: Promotions and Team Guide

Start a Spearman run through the mercenary contract and promote every five levels, choosing Raider or Spearguard first, Guard next, then Barbarian or Viking-tier promotions on your advanced units. A player video shows a full Spearman-only run winning on Forest Hard in the demo, though the creator notes Spearman felt weaker than cavalry or warriors — you win by volume, promotion tiers, and positioning rather than raw unit power.

Spearman promotion paths

In a recorded demo run, every five levels opens a promotion choice. All of this comes from one player video on the 0.4-era demo, so treat names and numbers as player-reported:

• Raider: Bleeding Strikes lashes an enemy for 20% damage each second for 3 seconds; strong on the first attack. The player paired it later with opening strike (+60–75% first-hit damage) and finishing blow.
• Spearguard: Down Strike hits for 140% damage and comes with Battle Fervor (4% damage per stack every 2 seconds after combat begins).
• Guard: Impact Strike for 170% damage plus knockback.
• Later tiers: Barbarian and Viking promotions appeared on promoted Spearmen, with Battle Cry (+20% damage for 3 seconds) and Outlaw (130% slash, stronger bleed, 170% if already bleeding) as trait pickups.

Making a Spearman-centered team work

1. Secure your first Spearman

   Take the mercenary contract so a Spearman arrives immediately; a 15% chance exists per Spearman line-up to pull an advanced unit.

2. Prioritize advanced units

   Always feed merges to advanced Spearman first; ordinary Spearman are fodder. Never absorb a unit with the Concentration trait — it does not count toward unit capacity.

3. Bend the reels

   Use twisted belt or old crown style Cores to raise Spearman appearance chance (one run pushed it from 20% to 25%), nudge columns down to complete lines, and use swap cores like Crooked Fang to fix near-misses.

4. Position correctly

   Put your tankiest promoted Spearman front center, keep units you plan to absorb in the back row, and use frontline armor or broken shield so the frontmost ally takes reduced damage.

5. Shop for bosses

   Take Hunter's Mark (+8% damage to the highest-HP enemy) before boss waves, plus battle cry (+10% damage while five or more allies live).

An alternate single-carry approach from another player video: build one Spearman with AoE and poison, buff it constantly, and protect it — viable but fragile, and ranged enemies are the main threat.

FAQ

Is the Slotbound Spearman build actually viable?

Yes. A player cleared Forest Hard with only Spearman in the demo, but reported getting reasonably lucky early and that Spearman underperform cavalry and warriors.

Which first promotion should I pick?

Both work. The recorded run picked Raider for early burst, then took Spearguard on a later unit to cover both branches.

Do Spearman promotions differ between units?

Yes — the same unit level offered different classes and traits each time (Spearguard, Raider, Guard, Barbarian, Viking), so compare the two cards at every promotion.

What if I keep losing Spearman in elite fights?

Add tanking items like frontline armor, heal with first aid at low HP, and hold a 500-gold reserve for interest income between fights.

Check note: promotion details come from the player video "Can You Win With ONLY SPEARMAN?!" on YouTube and a second single-unit challenge video; version and Early Access dates come from the official Steam page. Exact promotion trees beyond what these runs show remain unconfirmed.