Journey to Ormsdalr | Chapter 8 The Banner Saga 2 Guide

Key moments during the journey

With time, Rugga will gave conversations with you.. He will also accompany you in your journey, but not as a hero.

During the first says of the journey, you will have to make a camp (tutorial objective). There is no point in resting for longer than a day (for all intents and purposes, there is no point in doing that at all, at the beginning of the journey). After a short introduction, start preparing to leave after two strangers enter a conversation with you (Rugga, the governor of Boersgard and his guard).

The statue of the goddess - you find an artifact here

The journey will take around 10 days (it is a good idea to prepare yourself for that and calculate the supplies that you are going to need), and get to the mainland. You find a statue of a goddess here and this, as it has been mentioned in the guide, is always a good opportunity to find some valuable loot. There are three things that you can do:

• Listen to more of Aleo's tale - this decision takes you further and you can still backtrack from there (but there are no reasons to fear here). Pull on one of the stronger ropes and increase the morale. Also, you obtain the Aselei's Trail artifact later on.
• Search around the stone for anything of value - this kind of behavior is not welcome in a temple, but you can do this with impunity. However, you do not receive the Aselei's Trail artifact later on.
• Pay your respects and leave - along the caravan's route, you will receive the Aselei's Trail artifact.

You receive Aselei's Trail artifact [+2 to strength, +2 to willpower] after you return to the bank of the river (your character finds it in his pocket). After you make a compulsory camp here, the game instructs you to train some warriors - basing on your decisions 50/100/200 (you do not need to many of them, as of now, so you can set aside as many clansmen as you want to, to pick supplies so that you do not lose resources during the training). Also, remember to participate in the challenge in the training tent, if you want to - for completing the training, you receive around 14 renown points.

You can lose many people, and even more supplies, during your pass over the chasm.

Either way, the river that you are going down ends in a waterfall. One of your options here means losing, as many as, several tens of units of various classes (and losing morale, at the same time), The other one means gaining 5 renown points, increasing the morale and losing merely around 10 random warriors. First of all, you are doing into a fight in which you should adopt a offensive strategy. During the battle, you learn about new opponents - Sculler - small critters that can hide and attack by surprise. To prevent any more loses in your ranks, you need to do one of the following:

• "Oddleif, can you help keep the dredge off us?" - Oddleif can cover you as the seventh hero. However, you cannot control her. Therefore, you will be unable to include her in your ranks for the battle.
• "We could use some help from the Ravens, Bolverk!" - this is not a good option. Of course, mercenaries can help you, at the cost of 10 renown points. By choosing this option, and then the first one after that (We'll take whatever help we can get), you receive Falka as a heroine for selection. The second option (Wave off the deal and prepare for a fight) turns down the offer (just like the fourth option before).
• "Griss, make an opening in their ranks!" - this is one of the better strategic options. It positions your units much closer to the opponent, thanks to which you can attack straight away without letting the opponent to prepare his strategy.
• You can also decide to command your armies on your own (Follow me! We'll push them back). This one is a good option in that it allows you to gain some experience for your warriors. Also, the fight is not too difficult. However, if you simply do not feel like it, use another option.

If you feel up to a fight, do not waste your supplies

After a short conversation with Hakon and Juno, you need to take the final (and key) decision. You will have to fight back a sizeable monster attack and you can set aside some of your supplies to building a barricade. I recommend that you go for this solution unless you feel well enough to accept the challenge and attack.

During the battle, the enemy will receive reinforcements two times.

Your main opponents are Dredge Grunt and Scourge and they will have advantage in numbers over you (they will be receiving reinforcements of two of each kind, during the battle). Even though Eyvind is struggling with the passage, you will not be able to stop the fight after it is complete - you will have to defeat all of the opponents in the battlefield.

Additional events

Problems will start as early as on the next day of the journey

As the new leader of a big unit, you do not seem to be an experienced hero. This backfires already on the second day of your journey, where you notice that your subordinates do not trust you and they do not want to follow you.

• Ignore them -21 clansmen will leave as a result. Unlike in the case of the below options, you do not receive any bonuses.
• Assume the position of a proud leader: let leave those that maintain they are dissatisfied (Leave now before I decide not to let you) - only five will leave and you receive 5 renown points for your attitude.
• Change the topic. By mentioning your father you calm the people down ("My father was great; I hope to be remembered as fondly") and increase the morale.

Decide what you want to tell the people. The decisions are of little importance but they make a good start.

A moment later, before the day is out, Aleo asks you about the reason for the journey to the capital.

• Pick Arberrang's walls have never been breached to receive a slight rise in morale for your honesty.
• The second option (The Valka, Juno, says the menders there can protect us) also grants you an increase in morale.
• The third option (It's the furthest place from the dredge) results in a slight increase in morale.
• The last option (It just is. Now, help row) causes a slight drop in morale.

Your first important decision connected that determines how you are going to fight

Soon after you set out, around the fourth day of the journey, you encounter an obstacle of fallen trees that form a barricade on the river. There are three available options of overcoming it and the course of the rest of this stage will hinge heavily on your decision:

• "Row hard - we'll break through!" - the first option cause a drop in morale and it causes you to lose 12 units of your supplies. After you pick this option, you can pick another one that concerns dispatching an axeman to cutting through the logs. Also in this case, you will have to prepare for a battle.
• Bank the ships and set all axemen to chopping. - read on. You will have to prepare for a fight with monsters.
• Prepare for portage. We'll carry the ships around - this is your safe option without any fight. It is going to take some time, though, and it is going to require taking some rest in the camp, just like the second option (it also ensures you with a rise in morale).

Regardless of whether you start the game as Alette or Rook, the hero make-up of your army is initially the same.

In the case of the second option, you will have to protect axemen against monster attacks (mainly Dredge Scourge). game developers assume that you have already completed the first installment of The Banner Saga, which is why difficulty level of this battle is higher. However, if you do not have any game saves, your heroes do not start from the first level.

Use elements of the surroundings. By using the tree, you can lock the big opponent in place.

After you have made the selection of the units that are going to participate the battle (remember about the initiative - units on the left start first), press the ready button and deploy your units in the battlefield. It is the standard arrangement, which is why you can adopt any defensive, or offensive, strategy. It is best to arrange them in a straight line, in a group and wait for the enemy units incoming from the right. Since Dredge Scourges are sizeable, you can try to block them in place by standing in front of one, which makes it impossible for another one to reach you in the same turn. Thanks to this, you win time and the number of attacks. You should remember that they can heal (strength). They need some time for that and you should prevent that from happening, at all costs.

It is a good idea to fight back one more attack, if you feel up to it. Thanks to this, you gain some renown.

After the battle, you can make a choice:

• "Continue to stand your ground with those around you" - decide to stop the regrouping enemy forces, thanks to which the rest reach safety on the boats - this will have you fight one more battle. This time, you will have to fight back a smaller wave of Stoneguard Colossus and three smaller enemies. They will all be approaching, but try to attack the bigger one, one by one, because he has a special attack with the shield. Not only does it knock back everyone around him, but also it deals high damage to armor. It is necessary that you weaken his armor in the first place, before you attack his strength (spare no Willpower of your heroes, while attacking).
• "Get to the ships!" - have all retreat. Picking the second option makes 28 clansmen, 12 warriors and 2 Varls leave. Unlike in the first option, you will not have to fight more opponents.

Now it's time for a forced rest at the camp. The Training tent appears in the camp. For completing instructions of the training program, you can start sparring challenges (around 14 renown points extra). After a while, after you set out, you gain around 30 supplies extra, which has been picked by clansmen (event), which translates into around 2 more days of food for your units.

Kids are always a nuisance, especially on a ship

After you overcome the obstacle on the river, you will have to decide what to do with children that are obstructing works on ships. Pick one of the following:

• Remind everyone that this will soon be over - Picking this one results in a slight increase the morale.
• Say nothing - no discernible effects of this choice.
• "Keep your kids by your side. We're at war until Arberrang." - no discernible effects of this choice.
• Move families to specific longship - this one is a good decision, with no downsides to it. However, moving people around will take half a day.

A small event connected with fishing. It does not affect the course of events.

While fishing, clansmen pull something out of the river. Your task is to take a swift decision on what to do with it:

• Fire an arrow into the mass - regardless of the possible danger, fire an arrow into the object. You receive 2 renown points as an appreciation of your decision, but Bolverk's commentary results in a slight drop in morale.
• Keep watching as the man hauls it out - Selecting the second option causes a drop in morale. Therefore, it is worth considering the third and the fourth options.
• "Release your net!" - nothing happens.

People waving at you from the land provide another opportunity to grow your forces

Also, along your way, you will encounter a group of people that seem to have escaped the attack. You can either offer to help them or turn them away, but they are trustworthy and you do not need to worry about them.

• Toss supplies to them as you pass, but don't stop - by handing them 10 supplies, you only receive an increase morale.
• Slow the boats and ask their needs - it is your opportunity to act, picking this option allows you to listen to their needs and pick one of further options. It is best if you took them along ("Come abroad. You'll have food and safety"). This will provide you with 12 additional fighters and clansmen and a Varl (also, this decision increases your morale).
• Ignore them - After you pick this option, you ignore the men and go on with your journey. There are no negative nor positive effects of this choice.

Not always do you benefit from help you render, which you learn about near the ravaged village, if you do not do the right thing.

Soon after meeting the refugees, you notice smoke billowing from a town. You can try to help the people there, by unloading, or stay safe and go past the village, which is what Iver recommends.

• "We'll help as many as we can"
• "They might resupply us for our trouble"
• "You want me to turn my back on them?"
• Ignore the village and head down river - after you ignore the village, you simply sail on. There are no negative effects o this choice.

Coming down from the boats (option 1, 2, 3) requires you to take further decisions on marching towards the settlement. Your people are right - if you decide to ransack the village, or sail away too late, you will be robbed (around 15 supplies) and your morale will drop slightly. This is why you should steer away from the village by picking option 4.

The monster that you spot on the bank may take you to an artifact

This is not the last of events at this stage. When your people demand to set a camp on the bank, your suspicions may help you avoid an ambush:

• Get the entire caravan back on the ships - As a result, you receive supplies (18) and your morale will drop slightly.
• Kill it before it alerts other dredge - you find 18 supplies there, but your morale will drop and you do not find the artifact.
• Watch the dredge, track it if possible - this one is the best option. Follow the monster in hiding and he will take you near Gormr Statue [+1 to strength, +2 to willpower after you kill the monster, attack on strength knocks the opponent back by 3 fields]. Approach it after you have taken additional decisions. Also, you find 40 supplies, obtain 5 renown points and increased morale there.
• Back away, leaving dredge alone - it wins you nearly as much as the third option does: 5 renown points, 40 supplies and increased morale.

The river ends in a waterfall and therefore, you should expect loses in men and supplies

This is not the end of your problems, though. After you make the compulsory camp by the goddess's statue, and return to the trail afterwards, it will turn out that there is a leakage in one of the boats (random event). You have to do something about it:

• Bank the longship for repairs - you do not lose any men, but your morale drops.
• Have the clansmen board other ships - this process will go seamlessly, morale will rise.
• Dump supplies to make room on other longships - you lose 20 supplies but everyone survives.
• Ask shipwrights for advice - the game often requires you to take quick and good decisions. Asking someone else for advice results in a commotion and you lose 7 crewmembers. Also, your morale drops.

Take a quick decision but, under no circumstances, should you bother Eyvind

The last stage of the journey in this chapter requires you to take several more important decisions. You do not need to worry about them that much, but they affect the number of people you will have left under your command, as well as of supplies. You may even reach your destination with no food... First, you decide what to do about the remnants of the enemy forces that have been following you:

• Find lines of dredge to dispatch with your arrows - there are no losses resulting from this decision and it provides you with 10 renown points.
• Ask Varl to carry those struggling - you lose several pieces of supplies, but otherwise everything goes as planned.
• Shout at Eyvind to drop back of the bridge - after you pick this option, you lose 28 clansmen, 7 warriors and a Varl.

Again - allow Eyvind to focus and decide yourself what to do next

The second decision, halfway through, requires you to raise morale of the caravan.

• Everyone look forward! Move! - this is not the best of the options, because not everyone hears your call (as a result, you lose up to several tens of units)
• Rip a weeping man away from the falling edge - selecting the second option results in a considerable increase in morale.
• Ask Eyvind how you can help him - it is imperative that you do not take this decision. Eyvind is busy and you mustn't distract him (as a result, you will lose morale and up to several tens of units).
• Run to the back and push people forward - the last option results in a slight increase in morale, but you lose a Varl and several clansmen.

The effect of both decisions is the same, but your men will view you differently.

The third decision is to discard of ballast:

• Dump more food! - you will only lose several units of supplies but you will improve on morale. You can do well without it (there is no other choice).
• Bolverk, throw that cart over the edge! - be prepared for the first option - Juno will tand against discarding the cart, as a result of which you lose men.

Before you reach the city, you will lose several more men and you cannot do anything about it ...

Right before you reach Ormsdalr, Eyvind will go weak and Juno will suggest leaving the end of the caravan to its fate, in order to save the mage. You will lose more men. Regardless of what you decide, the effect remains the same, but this is the end already.