Endless Legend 2 is the latest entry in the Endless series, blending grand strategy, empire management, and tactical combat into one massive game. For beginners, it can look intimidating at first—menus everywhere, strange resources, and factions with unique playstyles. But don’t worry.
This Endless Legend 2 Beginner Guide Wiki will walk you through the basics step by step so you can start building your empire without feeling lost.
Endless Legend 2 Beginner Guide Wiki
2. Choosing Your First Faction
There are five factions available at release. All share the same core gameplay but each leans toward a specific playstyle:
Aspects – Diplomacy-focused. They can force truces, assimilate cheaper, and fight well in groups. Best for players who like negotiation and harmony.
Kin of Sheridan – The tutorial faction and a strong defensive choice. Great for learning the basics, since their military thrives in tight formations.
Last Lords – Economy-focused. They don’t eat food, relying entirely on dust (the game’s currency). Strong economy = survival.
Tahoos – Science specialists. Build observatories on mountains for research boosts and rely on ranged units.
Necrophage – Aggressive expansionists. They can only have one city, but that city grows far larger than any other. Perfect for relentless conquest.
Beginner tip: Start with the Kin of Sheridan via the tutorial. They’re defensive, forgiving, and show you all the basics.
3. Understanding the User Interface (UI)
At first glance, Endless Legend 2’s UI feels like information overload. But here’s what you really need to care about early on:
Top left: Faction focus bar – playing toward your faction’s strength fills this and unlocks bonuses.
Empire summary: Details about your traits, units, approval, and demographics.
Victory menu: Tracks win conditions—whether through territory, science, conquest, or score.
Quest journal & deeds: Keep track of quests and milestones (rewards for being first).
Top right: Resources. The big two are Dust (currency) and Influence (diplomacy & expansion).
Bottom right: End Turn button, plus hero management, research, diplomacy, and army controls.
4. Resources and Economy Basics
Dust = Money. Needed for everything: rushing builds, unit upkeep, diplomacy.
Influence = Political power. Used for border expansion and treaties.
Food = Population growth.
Industry = Construction speed (units and buildings).
Science = Unlocking technologies.
Luxury and rare resources show up later—luxuries give temporary buffs, rares are used for advanced units/buildings.
5. Settling Your First City
When you begin, you don’t have a city yet—just a few units. Instead of dropping a city immediately, explore first. The longer you wait, the stronger the Prepared Settlement buff (bonus income for early turns).
Look for city spots with:
A balance of food, industry, and science.
At least one strong resource cluster nearby.
Once settled, keep exploring with your scout to reveal resources, minor factions, and expansion opportunities.
6. Minor Factions and Protectorates
You’ll encounter weaker minor factions scattered across the map. You can:
Parlay (diplomatic quest): Complete their quest → they’re pacified and can be assimilated as protectorates. Grants access to their citizens, counselors, and unique units.
Bribe: Pay dust for a quick pacification of a single village. Good in emergencies but expensive.
Attack: Destroy their village. Only useful in niche cases or for specific factions.
Beginner tip: Always try to pacify and assimilate—protectorates give you long-term economic and military advantages.
7. City Management and Growth
Cities are the heart of your empire. Key elements include:
Approval: High approval = faster growth and production. Keep it high with districts and luxuries.
Outputs: Cities generate food, industry, dust, science, and influence. Balance them based on your faction’s needs.
Districts: Build them on tiles matching their type (e.g., industry district on industry-rich tiles).
Population assignment: Different pops specialize in certain roles. Mix and match for efficiency.
Construction queue: Always have something building—whether it’s units, improvements, or districts.
Early build order: Focus on industry (for faster construction) and food (for population growth).
8. Early Game Priorities
Explore and settle your first city.
Establish industry and food production.
Pacify a nearby minor faction for extra citizens/units.
Research basic techs that align with your faction (economic for Last Lords, science for Tahoos, etc.).
Keep scouting for new city spots and resources.
9. Diplomacy and War
Diplomacy is simple but powerful:
Treaties: Share maps, sign alliances, or agree to non-aggression pacts.
Declarations: Close borders or declare war. Costs influence.
Opinion meter: Improves with treaties and worsens with hostile actions.
Wars are based on war score—you gain it by winning battles and capturing settlements. Peace can come via:
- White peace: No tributes, just a reset.
- Surrender demand/offer: One side pays dust to the other.
10. Combat Tips
Battles play out on tactical maps, but keep it simple at first:
Melee units → Hold the front line and protect your ranged troops.
Ranged units → Deal damage safely from behind.
Heroes → Level them up often; they unlock abilities that can heal, buff, or deal massive damage.
Manual battles → Better outcomes than auto-resolve, especially if you position units smartly.
Endless Legend 2 might look overwhelming at first, but once you break it down into faction choice → city building → resource balancing → diplomacy/warfare, it becomes much more approachable.
Your first few games should be about experimentation:
- Try a defensive run with Kin of Sheridan.
- Test economic mastery with Last Lords.
- Or go all-in on conquest as the Necrophage.
Whichever path you choose, remember: the only real way to master Endless Legend 2 is to play, fail, learn, and try again.