Assassin’s Creed Odyssey takes place during the Peloponnesian War. Greece is unstable, and the Spartans and Athenians are constantly at each other’s throats. Being a mercenary, you can choose to side with either faction when exploring a region. Fighting in these conquests is a major element in the game and can offer great rewards for you whether you choose to help the attacking nation or the curren tone.
Nation Power
When you view the map and hover over a region, you can see who currently controls the region. Three bars under the nation’s name represent that nation’s power. When all three bars are full, the leader of the nation will be heavily guarded and nearly impossible to eliminate. To weaken a nation’s power, simply attack soldiers of the nation that is currently in power, steal the national treasury, destroy grain silos and weapon racks, and burn war supplies found in forts, military camps, and the leader’s house.
Once all three of the nation’s power bars are empty, the leader’s level lowers, and they are left exposed, with few or no guards providing protection. This makes assassinating them a trivial matter. Once the nation’s power is low, you can join a battleground on either side to determine the fate of the region.
Battlegrounds
When a battleground is a available there are two locations you can visit to join in the conquest of the region. If you choose to join the attacking nation, the upcoming fight is harder but you receive more rewards when you succeed. If you choose to instead help the defending nation, you receive fewer rewards but the conquest battle is much easier.
After you decide which nation to side with, talk to the commander at the battleground of your choice to initiate the fight. Doing this transports you to the ongoing battle between the nations. There are tons of enemies and allies on the screen, and you can choose to attack any enemy currently engaged with your ally. However, at least two enemies always break from their combat to constantly harass you during this fight.
Battle for Power
As the battle starts you can see each nation’s current strength at the top of the HUD, represented by two bars. As soldiers get defeated these bars are depleted. Once one of the bars is reduced to nothing, that army is defeated and the other army wins the battle.
To ensure that your side wins the conflict you should avoid fighting normal soldiers whenever possible and hunt elite soldiers. Defeating the elite soldiers significantly lowers the enemy’s army strength, and regenerates your own health. During some battles you may also encounter an enemy army hero (who is a mercenary). If an enemy hero is on the battlefield, focus all your efforts on defeating that foe, who is a much greater threat than regular or elite soldiers.
Succeeding at this battle (by reducing the enemy army strength to zero) grants you random epic gear equal to your level. If you were part of the attacking nation you are awarded two pieces of gear, while fighting for the defender offers only one piece of gear. Once the battle is resolved, the victorious nation takes power in the region and a new leader is assigned.
