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TraitsCodex

Traits as seen in the Codex. Unknown traits are marked with a dot. Known traits are shown, and Unlocked traits have a white background.

Bad North - (Traits) Acquiring a new trait from a Commander

Acquiring a trait (Sharp Weapons - Rose) from a Commander


Traits are passive buffs that give commanders a slight advantage. A Trait will be added to your Codex once you have recruited a commander with said trait.

There are 13 Traits, each with a unique effect and flag design. Successfully defending an island and recruiting a commander with a trait flag that has a white background will allow the player to use it as a starting trait when beginning a new campaign.

Traits were added with Jotunn Edition.

List of Traits[]

Trait Name Trait Image Trait Description Trait Recommendation(s)
Heavy Weapon
Heavy Weapon (Boar)
Basic attacks from the squad deal increased knock-back and stun effects. Works best with Pikes or Archers. (Arrows are likely to knock shielded enemies off of their ships.)
Rousing Speeches
Rousing Speeches (House)
Reduces the time taken to replenish troops by about 33%. (1.34 seconds per soldier.) Great with Infantry, as they often lose men. A squad with a level one Ring of Command and this trait will require near the same time to replenish as a normal sized squad, making the Ring of Command even better in tandem with this trait.
Collector
Collector (Chest)
Receives a 50% discount on all item upgrades. Works well when paired with Ring of Command (Highest priced item), or Philosopher's Stone (Better investment in the early game).
Mountain
Mountain (Bear)
Commander has the same stats as a Brute at level 3 infantry. (The higher the unit level, the stronger the Commander.) Best when used with Infantry, as the commander fights with their soldiers. Not great for Archers and Pikes, because their commanders tend to stay out of combat.
Skillful
Skillful (Eagle)
Receives a 50% discount on all skill upgrades. Best for Pikes or Archers, as they have more reliable skills.
Fearless
Fearless (Donkey)
Commander can never flee from battle. Does not have a secret upside, it's purely negative and it has been confirmed by the devs.
Ironskin
Ironskin
Reduces the amount of damage taken. Makes the most sense with Infantry, as they are the most likely to take damage.
Sharp Weapon
Sharp Weapons (Rose)
Basic attacks deal increased damage, but with reduced knockback and stun effects. Works well with Infantry, since their usefulness is centered around damage output. Pikes and Archers rely more on knockback.
Popular
Popular
Increases maximum unit size by 1. Slightly better with Infantry or Archers. Infantry will have an edge in combat while Archers will be more likely to land their shots.
Energetic
Energetic (Hourglass)
Reduces cool-downtime on all abilities by 33%. Pairs well with any class.
Heavy Load
Heavy Load (Clover)
Allows 1 extra item use per island. (Only works with Bomb, Mines and War Horn.) Any usable item can use this without downsides.
Sure-Footed
Sure-Footed (Tree)
Grants significant resistance to knockback, stun and launch effects. Pikes and Infantry can stand where ships beach without breaking formation or being knocked over. Infantry can take Brute hits and block Brute Archer shots without getting knocked back as far. The comander/infantry can also take more hits from enemies without getting stunned. Useful against Dual Wielders. Quite pointless for Archers.
Fleet of Foot
Fleet of Foot (Hare)
Increased movement speed for the whole squad. Works well with any class. Archers and Pikes can get to their positions much faster, while Infantry can close in on the enemy quickly.
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