Into the Breach is, so far, my favorite game of the year. If you haven’t played it yet, you really should check it out. It’s an addictive mix of tactics and roguelike. Maybe you are playing, but are having some trouble. In that case, I’ve compiled a short list of tips and tricks that I’ve picked up while playing.
>Only the last hit point matters
Mechs will restore to full health at the end of a mission, so do not be afraid to take some damage. Really only the last hit point matters for Mechs. If necessary you may need to sacrifice one, but only do so on the last turn of a mission. Being without a mech for more than that will be very disastrous as the game is balanced around always having 3 mechs.
Pilotless mechs don’t gain the same bonusses that piloted mechs do, but there are some advantages. You can consistently use a pilotless mech as a consistent sacrificial lamb to powerful attacks. You may be able to give it the self-destruct button upgrade, which kills the mech, but also any other unit next to it. While I haven’t tried out this strategy yet, it could be very effective.
>Emerging Vek
Be careful about blocking too many at once, as then you may end up facing a humongous wave all at once. For example: Let’s say on the first turn I clear the board of Vek, and block all 3 emerging Vek with my mechs. On the next turn 3 more spawn, in addition to the 3 that would have spawned last round. Unless I want to take more damage on my mechs, I will have to face 6 full health Vek at once. This is a pretty extreme example, but you get the idea.
An exception to the above is if you’re on the 2nd to last turn. Vek will always flee after the last turn, so blocking their emergence the turn before effectively eliminates them. Even in this situation you may want to let them emerge if you want more XP for your pilots, or the bonus objective is killing Vek.
>Focus on achievements.
Each squad has 6 achievements to earn. While you are learning the game the 3 victory coins can be very difficult to acquire. Instead focus on special achievements. Not only do these let you progress through unlocks while learning the basic, you may pick up some tricks while attempting them.
>Switch your teams
Each squad is specialized around a particular aspect of the game. For example, Rusting hulks utilize smoke. After playing them for a while you will get a better feel for using smoke when playing on the desert island. So, it’s good to switch around your teams often when learning the game. By learning the specializations of each team, you learn how to utilize their niche when it pops up on other runs.
>Squad unlock order
Because of the above point I recommend unlocking the elemental squads first: Flame Behemoths, Frozen Titans, and Rusting Hulks. After this get Steel Judoka if you like messing with positioning. Get Blitzkrieg or Zenith guard for heavy firepower. I’d recommend saving Hazardous Mechs for last, they are the most difficult to utilize.
>Try to complete every bonus objective.
Completing every bonus objective earns you a handy bonus after completing the final mission on an island. Doing this for this first island is usually pretty easy, and acts as a great boost into the later stages. This also provides incentive to choose the low risk, low reward missions with only one bonus objective.
>Upgrade Damage
Later enemies will have much more health than those in the early game. Positioning tactics are less effective against bosses because they can’t be insta-killed. HP and Movement upgrades are handy, but rarely necessary. The primary way the game scales up difficulty will be through enemy HP and numbers. Increasing the damage output of your units will let you remove enemies from the field much more efficiently.
Cantrip 