Character Skills

Character Skills Guide for This War of Mine

In This War of Mine, characters do not have traditional skill trees, spells, or cooldowns. Instead, each playable survivor comes with a unique set of innate traits and backstory-driven abilities that influence their effectiveness in various survival tasks. These skills are passive – they always apply and cannot be learned or upgraded. Choosing the right team composition is critical for long-term survival.

This guide covers all official playable characters from the base game and major expansions (The Little Ones, Father’s Promise, etc.). Each entry includes:

• Background & Role – A brief description of the character’s story and typical role.


• Unique Skill – The passive trait or ability that sets them apart.


• Gameplay Effects – How the skill translates into mechanics.


• Synergies & Combos – Which other characters or playstyles benefit from this skill.


• Recommended Builds – Suggested playstyle and priorities.


• When to Use / Avoid – Situations where the character shines or struggles.


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Base Game Characters



#### 1. Pavel (The Cook)

• Background: Former chef, always thinking about food.


• Unique Skill: Efficient Cooking – He uses fewer ingredients and fuel when preparing meals and distilling alcohol/moonshine.


• Gameplay Effects:

- Cooking a meal with Pavel requires 1 less raw food unit (e.g., 1 vegetable + 1 meat becomes 1 vegetable only).
- Distilling alcohol uses 1 less water and 1 less wood/plant parts for fuel.
- Affects all cooking and brewing stations.

• Synergies: Works well with characters who scavenge food or grow vegetables (like Bruno). He makes the group less reliant on large food stores.


• Recommended Build: Focus on building a kitchen early, then rapidly produce high-quality meals (e.g., stews). Use extra food for trading.


• When to Use: Always good, especially in larger groups (3-4 survivors) where food is a constant pressure.


• When to Avoid: Not essential if you have only two survivors or if you rely heavily on foraging mushrooms and rats (less cooking needed).


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#### 2. Bruno (The Scavenger)

• Background: A former warehouse worker, strong and pragmatic.


• Unique Skill: Efficient Scavenging – He finds more items when looting containers (drawers, cupboards, trash bins, etc.) outside of his home base.


• Gameplay Effects:

- On average, +25% loot quantity from all non-craftable containers during scavenging runs.
- Does not affect items found on the ground, on shelves, or in fixed loot spots.
- Applies to every location visited.

• Synergies: Pairs well with Arica (stealth) for quiet looting or with Marko (courage) to explore dangerous zones.


• Recommended Build: Send Bruno on every scavenging expedition; prioritize locations with many containers (e.g., Supermarket, Construction Site).


• When to Use: Essential for early-game resource accumulation.


• When to Avoid: If you have other scavengers, but Bruno is still useful.


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#### 3. Marko (The Veteran)

• Background: Ex-soldier, hardened by war.


• Unique Skill: Combat Veteran – Marko deals more damage in melee combat and has higher morale tolerance (less likely to become sad or depressed).


• Gameplay Effects:

- +1 damage with all melee weapons (knife, shovel, crowbar, etc.).
- He can take two hits from most enemies before dying (compared to normal one-hit death).
- His morale decreases slower when witnessing violence or tragedy.

• Synergies: Great with Roman (fighter) to form a deadly raiding pair. Also works with Marin (builder) to protect the group during raids.


• Recommended Build: Equip Marko with a knife or crowbar and send him to clear dangerous locations (e.g., Military Outpost, Sniper Junction).


• When to Use: High-risk situations; required for fighting hostile NPCs.


• When to Avoid: If you prefer peaceful stealth, Marko’s combat strength may not be needed.


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#### 4. Arica (The Burglar)

• Background: A thief who survived the city’s underworld.


• Unique Skill: Silent Steps – She moves without making noise, allowing her to sneak past enemies and open doors quietly.


• Gameplay Effects:

- Footstep sounds are reduced to zero for the player’s perspective (enemies still have a chance to detect her if they turn around).
- She can open creaking doors without alerting nearby enemies.
- Enemies have a shorter detection range for her.

• Synergies: Pairs with any other character; best used alone at night to loot undetected. Avoid pairing with loud characters like Roman.


• Recommended Build: Night-time solo scavenger; invest in lockpicking skills. She can clear the Quiet House location without alarm.


• When to Use: Any location with guards (e.g., Sniper Junction, Construction Site) – she can often complete looting without combat.


• When to Avoid: Groups that plan to fight often; her skill is wasted if everyone else is loud.


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#### 5. Roman (The Fighter)

• Background: A violent criminal, aggressive and unpredictable.


• Unique Skill: Brutal Combat – Roman deals massive damage and can kill most enemies in one hit. He also intimidates NPCs (they flee or surrender).


• Gameplay Effects:

- With a knife, Roman can kill any normal enemy with one attack (two if wearing armor).
- Enemies he approaches often hesitate or run away, reducing the chance of a prolonged fight.
- He has a chance of becoming sad after killing (especially if he enjoys it) – watch his morale.

• Synergies: Strong with Marko for group combat or with Cveta (healer) to patch him up. Avoid pairing with Arica – they conflict (Roman is loud).


• Recommended Build: Use Roman as the primary attacker for hostile locations. Give him the best weapons and armor.


• When to Use: When you need to take over a shelter or kill defenseless bandits without mercy.


• When to Avoid: Peaceful runs, as Roman’s presence can trigger fights and lower morale of the group.


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#### 6. Cveta (The Nurse)

• Background: A hospital nurse, compassionate and skilled.


• Unique Skill: Medical Efficiency – She uses fewer herbs and bandages when healing the sick or wounded. Also, she can treat serious wounds with a higher success rate.


• Gameplay Effects:

- Healing a serious wound uses 1 less bandage (or herb for herbal remedy).
- Treating illness (e.g., cold, infection) consumes 1 fewer herb.
- She can stabilize a critically wounded character in one action (otherwise it takes two).

• Synergies: Works well with any group, especially those who take damage often (Roman, Marko).


• Recommended Build: Keep Cveta at home mostly, but she can scavenge if needed. Prioritize building a medical station.


• When to Use: Always – efficient healing saves resources. Use when you have limited herbal medicine or bandages.


• When to Avoid: Not needed if you avoid combat completely and have ample medical supplies.


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#### 7. Marin (The Builder)

• Background: A construction worker, handy with tools.


• Unique Skill: Resourceful Builder – He builds and upgrades structures faster and uses fewer materials (wood, parts, etc.).


• Gameplay Effects:

- Crafting time for all constructions is reduced by ~30%.
- Material costs for building/upgrading are reduced by ~20% (rounded up).
- Affects everything from beds to stoves to fortifications.

• Synergies: Pairs with any character; especially good with scavengers who bring materials (Bruno).


• Recommended Build: Have Marin be the primary builder; he can rapidly fortify the shelter and build essential tools.


• When to Use: Early game to get shelter upgrades quickly; mid-game to refortify after raids.


• When to Avoid: If you have no plans for heavy building (rare), but still useful.


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#### 8. Zlata (The Musician)

• Background: A pianist, artistic and sensitive.


• Unique Skill: Morale Boost – When she plays the guitar (or piano, if available), she significantly raises the mood of all nearby survivors.


• Gameplay Effects:

- Playing an instrument with Zlata provides a strong immediate morale boost (+2 to +3 bars) for the whole group.
- Her performance also reduces sadness in herself slowly.

• Synergies: Crucial for groups with melancholic or traumatized survivors (like Boris or Roman). Works with any group.


• Recommended Build: Keep Zlata safe at home; have her play music every evening to keep morale high. Build a guitar early (requires wood and parts).


• When to Use: When group morale is dropping (multiple sad or depressed survivors). Essential for long-term survival.


• When to Avoid: If you have very high morale already, or you have other morale boosters (like giving gifts).


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#### 9. Boris (The Heavy)

• Background: A former merchant, overweight but strong.


• Unique Skill: Great Strength – Boris can carry more items than anyone else. He also moves slower in combat.


• Gameplay Effects:

- Base carry capacity is 18 (normal is 12). This allows him to carry two additional items per slot.
- He takes up more space in shelters (can only sleep in double-sized beds, but there are no single beds – just beds).
- His combat speed is reduced, making him vulnerable in melee.

• Synergies: Pairs well with Arica (scavenging – Arica sneaks, Boris carries loot). Also good with Marin (building heavy fortifications).


• Recommended Build: Use Boris as the primary hauler during day – he can move lots of materials between stockpiles. At night, if he scavenges, be careful with combat.


• When to Use: When you need to transport many looted items (e.g., after clearing a location).


• When to Avoid: Combat-heavy runs; his slowness can be deadly.


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#### 10. Emilia (The Lawyer)

• Background: A lawyer, intellectual and melancholic.


• Unique Skill: Persuasive Talk – Emilia can sometimes defuse conflicts at the shelter door (traders, strangers). She has a higher chance of convincing NPCs to leave peacefully or give better trade deals.


• Gameplay Effects:

- When a visitor comes to the door (e.g., a starving mother, a soldier), if Emilia talks to them, she often gets a positive outcome (they leave without conflict, or offer lower prices).
- In trading with traveling merchants, Emilia can haggle for slightly better rates (10-15% lower prices).

• Synergies: Good with anyone; best used as the home-based trade facilitator.


• Recommended Build: Train Emilia in trading and use her for all negotiations. Keep her fed and rested to keep her morale stable (she’s sensitive).


• When to Use: When traders appear; when you want to avoid combat with visitors.


• When to Avoid: If you plan to rob or kill every visitor (Emilia will become sad).


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Expansion Characters (The Little Ones and Father’s Promise)



#### 11. Henry (The Craftsman) – The Little Ones

• Background: An engineer, inventive.


• Unique Skill: Inventive Crafting – He can craft advanced items (like a metal workshop) without needing the book “Engineering Basics”. Also, he builds faster.


• Gameplay Effects:

- You can build the Advanced Metal Workshop from day one if you have materials.
- Crafting speed for all items is increased by 20%.

• Synergies: Works well with scavengers who bring metal parts.


• Recommended Build: Set up workshop and produce tools for trade.


• When to Use: Any game where you need advanced crafting quickly.


• When to Avoid: Not a problem; always beneficial.


#### 12. Isabelle (The Mother) – The Little Ones

• Background: Mother to a child (the little one).


• Unique Skill: Protective Mother – She gains a combat boost when her child is threatened, and she has a higher chance of surviving deadly situations.


• Gameplay Effects:

- If the child is present in the shelter, Isabelle deals +1 melee damage and has +1 health (can take an extra hit).
- She is less likely to die from injuries (she has hidden resistance).

• Synergies: Keep her with the child; do not send her solo scavenging.


• Recommended Build: Protect the child at all costs; use Isabelle for home defense.


• When to Use: In The Little Ones scenario.


• When to Avoid: In base game without children.

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Character Synergies & Combos

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Recommended Builds & Strategies

• Minimalist Stealth Run: Use only Arica and Cveta. Avoid fighting entirely. Arica scavenges at night, Cveta heals any colds. Build a guitar for music. No fighting.


• Full Combat Run: Roman, Marko, Bruno. Attack every hostile NPC. Loot everything. Deal with morale via Zlata (if available) or gifts.


• Efficient Builder Run: Marin, Bruno, Pavel. Focus on shelter upgrades. Build a metal workshop early. Trade excess tools for food.


• Emotional Stability Run: Zlata, Emilia, Cveta. Keep morale high through music and conversation. Ideal for long, peaceful games.

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Conclusion

Each character in This War of Mine brings a unique utility that can dramatically shift your survival strategy. There is no “best” character – the optimal team depends on your playstyle and the scenario. Understanding these skills and combining them wisely is the key to enduring the war. Remember that traits are fixed, so plan your group composition carefully from the start. Good luck – and stay human.