This guide includes permanent-death and equipment-lock advice. Some exact visual markers and item recommendations are documented by the community rather than by a current official manual, so those details are identified as such.
Fast answer
The answer before the background
To unlock items and traits quickly, start a campaign, scan the map for an item island or a commander whose banner has the special unlock marking, then defend that island successfully. The item or trait is added to your permanent Codex and can be selected for future starting commanders when the reward is marked as a starting unlock. You do not need to finish the entire campaign for that individual unlock, according to community-tested guidance, but you must complete the island and secure the reward. Because reward placement is randomized, restart short early campaigns when a marked reward is reachable, rather than forcing a long run for an ordinary item island.
Unlocking
How acquisition works
Jotunn Edition added meta progression: items and commander traits discovered during campaigns can become options for your starting commanders in later campaigns. The official patch notes also added the Codex, which records upgrades and traits you have seen.
On the campaign map, prioritize islands offering an item or a commander. The reward is not automatically a permanent starting option every time. Community documentation distinguishes ordinary discoveries from starting unlocks by their map and reward markings: an item with the additional white outline is eligible to unlock as a starting item, while a commander banner with a white background identifies a starting-trait unlock.
Defend the island successfully and recruit the marked commander when applicable. The unlock is tied to completing that island, not to carrying the commander through the rest of the campaign. If the island only reveals an ordinary item or trait, you can still use it during the current run, but it may not appear in the starting loadout screen afterward.
- Check the Codex after each reward to confirm whether it is merely discovered or available for future starts.
- Do not confuse a visible item icon with a permanent starting unlock; look for the extra marking.
- Expect randomness. There is no verified way to select a particular item or trait on demand.
- For speed, replay early campaigns and take short routes toward marked rewards instead of completing every island.
| Reward type | Where to find it | What success gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Item | Item island or item reward | The item for the current campaign; a special marking can make it a permanent starting option. |
| Trait | Commander island with a marked banner | The commander and, when marked, a permanent starting-trait option. |
| Ordinary discovery | Unmarked item or commander reward | Current-run access or Codex information, but not necessarily a future starting option. |
The official update confirms unlockable items and traits, but the exact border-reading rules are most clearly documented by community references and player testing. Treat the markings as the practical in-game rule, and verify the result in the Codex.
Database
Items and their best use cases
Bad North’s item pool includes Bomb, Holy Grail, Jabena, Mines, Philosopher’s Stone, Ring of Command, Warhammer, and War Horn. The official Jotunn Edition announcement specifically confirms Mines, Jabena, Philosopher’s Stone, and Holy Grail as the four additions.
Most active items are used during a battle, while the others provide campaign or squad-level benefits. Choose equipment according to the commander’s unit class and the islands you expect to face.
- Bomb: A ranged explosive for damaging and disrupting groups. It is strongest when several enemies leave a boat together, but its travel time rewards prediction.
- Mines: Placeable explosives that punish landing points or narrow approaches. Use them before a wave reaches the shore, especially when terrain funnels enemies.
- Warhammer: A fast impact ability that damages and knocks units back. It can interrupt dangerous attackers or throw enemies into the water, but careless use can harm friendly squads.
- War Horn: Immediately calls replacement soldiers from a chosen house. It is especially useful for infantry that loses troops while holding a frontline.
- Ring of Command: Increases a squad’s maximum size. It is particularly valuable on archers because extra soldiers increase ranged output while the unit can often remain out of direct combat.
- Philosopher’s Stone: Generates an additional coin from defended islands. It is an economy item, so equip it early if you expect enough remaining islands to repay its opportunity cost.
- Jabena: Lets one commander deploy on two islands in a campaign turn. Use it on a flexible commander when the map forces you to cover separate routes.
- Holy Grail: Resurrects one dead commander. Save it for a high-value veteran or a commander carrying a crucial item; it is a recovery tool rather than a combat ability.
| Item role | Best situation | Main caution |
|---|---|---|
| Battle control | Bomb, Mines, Warhammer | Timing and friendly-fire positioning matter. |
| Reinforcement | War Horn | Its value is highest when a squad is actively losing soldiers. |
| Squad scaling | Ring of Command | Larger squads take longer to replenish. |
| Economy or campaign utility | Philosopher’s Stone, Jabena, Holy Grail | These do not directly solve every island’s combat problem. |
Community references report that items cannot normally be removed after assignment to a commander. Plan the loadout before confirming it, especially for expensive or campaign-wide items.
Traits
How to pair traits with equipment
Traits are passive commander buffs rather than separate battle items. The known pool includes Collector, Energetic, Fearless, Fleet of Foot, Heavy Load, Heavy Weapons, Ironskin, Mountain, Popular, Rousing Speeches, Sharp Weapon, Skillful, and Sure-Footed.
The strongest pairings depend on the unit. Energetic is broadly useful because faster ability recovery improves active items and class skills. Heavy Load is specifically useful with Bomb, Mines, and War Horn, because it grants an additional use for those consumable-style abilities according to the community trait reference.
For an economical opening, Collector can reduce item upgrade costs, while Skillful favors commanders whose class skills are central to the plan. Ironskin and Sure-Footed are safer frontline choices, while Heavy Weapons can help pikes or archers create knockback. Treat these as recommendations rather than mandatory builds; the island layout and enemy mix still matter more than a theoretical combination.
- Infantry: Ironskin, Sure-Footed, War Horn, Bomb, or Warhammer support sustained frontline fighting.
- Pikes: Heavy Weapons or Energetic with Bomb, Mines, or Warhammer can reinforce chokepoints and punish landings.
- Archers: Ring of Command, Heavy Weapons, or Fleet of Foot can improve output, positioning, or disruption.
- Economy start: Collector with Philosopher’s Stone is a long-run investment, not an immediate combat answer.
- Avoid Fearless as a deliberate target unless you understand the trade-off; community documentation describes it as preventing a commander from fleeing rather than providing a simple power increase.
| Goal | Good starting direction | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Hold the beach | Infantry plus Ironskin or Sure-Footed | Reduces the risk of losing formation under pressure. |
| Control landings | Pikes plus Heavy Weapons and Mines | Creates knockback and danger zones near boats. |
| Maximize ranged pressure | Archers plus Ring of Command | Adds soldiers and therefore more potential shots. |
| Recover from attrition | Infantry plus War Horn | Replenishes troops at the point of need. |
Traits and item rewards are randomized. A usable item on a safe, well-upgraded commander is usually better than delaying a campaign for an ideal pairing.
Efficiency
Fast farming route for new unlocks
The quickest legitimate approach is repeated short attempts, not marathon campaigns. Start with the safest available commanders, inspect the first few map branches, and identify whether a marked item or trait is reachable without crossing too many dangerous islands.
If the early map offers no useful marked reward, restarting is more time-efficient than investing in a full run solely for unlock hunting. When a marked island does appear, prioritize survival over gold: preserving enough commanders to reach and clear the reward is the real objective.
Use checkpoints and replayable levels when you are learning a route, but do not assume they change the random reward pool. The official update confirms these campaign conveniences; it does not promise a deterministic item sequence.
- Take the shortest safe path to a marked item or trait.
- Use low-risk islands to level the commander who will carry the reward.
- Avoid equipping a rare item on a commander likely to die before the unlock route is complete.
- Confirm the unlock in the Codex before beginning another farming attempt.
- Once the desired reward is available at campaign start, stop farming and build a normal run around it.
No official source located for this guide gives item or trait drop rates, a fixed seed, a guaranteed island location, or a code that unlocks equipment. Any guide claiming a universal sequence should be treated cautiously.
FAQ
Common questions
Do I need to finish the whole campaign to unlock an item or trait?
No full-campaign requirement is documented for the individual island reward. Community testing indicates that successfully completing the marked item or commander island is enough, after which the reward can appear as a starting option. Check the Codex to confirm.
Why can I use an item now but not select it at the start?
You probably found an ordinary item reward rather than one marked for permanent starting unlock. Jotunn Edition separates items seen in the Codex from items unlocked for starting loadouts.
Can I choose which item appears next?
There is no verified official method to choose the next item. Island routes and rewards are randomized, so the practical method is to replay short campaigns and prioritize the marked reward when it appears.
Can I remove an item after equipping it?
Community references report that equipment is normally locked to the commander once assigned. Treat every assignment as permanent and choose a commander whose class and survival prospects fit the item.
Which item should I unlock first?
For immediate combat safety, Bomb, Warhammer, or War Horn are reliable priorities. Ring of Command is excellent for archers, while Philosopher’s Stone is better when you want an economy-focused opening. The best first unlock depends on your preferred unit and difficulty.
Sources
What we checked
Official listings establish current availability and product facts. Community pages are used for mechanics and build history, then labeled separately.