Brigandine Abyss uses materials to level up controlled strongholds; those upgrades provide unit bonuses and support recruitment and stronghold services. This page explains the upgrade loop, what is confirmed versus still unknown, and practical guidance for what to upgrade first.
Quick Answer
Section titled “Quick Answer”- Materials level up controlled strongholds and provide unit bonuses.
- Idle Leaders can Explore to gather resources, money, and experience.
- Strongholds let you hire Leaders and Monsters and offer local services.
- Traveling Merchant sells weapons and armor—check them for gear needs.
- Pick which stronghold to invest in based on recruitment, quest, and unit value for your current frontline; use gear fixes for immediate losses.
[IMAGE: Stronghold overview screenshot]
Stronghold Upgrade Loop
Section titled “Stronghold Upgrade Loop”| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Gather materials and money (use Idle Leaders to Explore and mission rewards). |
| 2 | Open Base Development (in‑game) and spend materials to raise the stronghold level. |
| 3 | Apply the new unit bonuses and service changes your stronghold grants. |
| 4 | Recruit Leaders/Monsters or buy equipment (Traveling Merchant) as the stronghold allows. |
| 5 | Return idle Leaders to Explore again to replenish resources and experience. |
What Stronghold Upgrades Do
Section titled “What Stronghold Upgrades Do”| Effect | Confirmed | Unknown / Verify in‑game |
|---|---|---|
| Grant unit bonuses | Confirmed (materials level up strongholds and provide unit bonuses) | — |
| Improve recruitment options | Observed by players (association reported) | Not verified level‑by‑level—check Base Development screen in your game |
| Unlock services or caps | Strongholds support hiring Leaders and Monsters | Exact unlocks, per‑level costs, and caps: read the Base Development screen |
Explorations
Section titled “Explorations”Idle Leaders can Explore to bring back resources, money, and experience. Use this to fund upgrades and to raise Leader experience while you prepare long‑term stronghold growth.
Recruitment
Section titled “Recruitment”Strongholds are where you hire Leaders and Monsters. When choosing which stronghold to upgrade, prioritize the one whose recruitment, quest, and unit pool best fills your current gaps rather than following a fixed base‑first rule.
Traveling Merchant
Section titled “Traveling Merchant”The Traveling Merchant sells weapons and armor. When facing immediate losses, buying or upgrading frontline gear from the merchant can be a faster remedy than investing heavily in long‑term base levels.
What Should You Upgrade First?
Section titled “What Should You Upgrade First?”Situational guidance: don’t default to one universal order. If you need short‑term combat power, invest in gear and unit readiness. If you can weather current fights, upgrade the stronghold that gives you the best recruitment/quest/unit value relative to your current frontline needs. Always verify specific upgrade effects, costs, and level caps on the Base Development screen.
Mission objectives
Section titled “Mission objectives”Mission Mode includes objectives such as Strengthen Strongholds, Collect Designated Items, Collect Monsters, Gather Allies, Repay Debts, and Defend Strongholds—see /mission-mode/ for details.
Common mistakes
- Blindly upgrading a single starting base without checking what each stronghold offers.
- Ignoring frontline gear and equipment when fights are being lost.
- Leaving Leaders idle instead of sending them to Explore.
See also: /combat-tips/, /monster-list/, /factions/.