How To Be The Ultimate Zombie General In Graveyard Keeper 2

Battles are a huge part of Graveyard Keeper 2 and one of the biggest additions compared with the original. While players get to choose when they fight, battles are necessary to progress through the story, unlock more of the map, and unlock new technology. This complete guide will walk players through when and where battles can be fought, preparing fortifications, recruiting soldiers and zombies, brewing battle potions, and the ins and outs of how to win battles in Graveyard Keeper 2.

When & Where To Fight Battles In Graveyard Keeper 2

Battles can only be fought on Sloth days (gold moon on blue), although players can prepare during the week. You can find battles by looking for blue shields on the map. They are usually just outside the town or inside it. Here you should be able to talk to a soldier to start a fight.

You will be able to select your squads for the fight, and as long as you meet the minimum Defense Power, you can begin. If you don’t meet this rating, you need more soldiers, better equipment for them, or better fortifications.

Preparing For Battles In Graveyard Keeper 2

Graveyard Keeper 2 battles are mostly won or lost in the preparation phase. As Sun Tzu said, “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war.” There’s a lot to prepare, and as there’s no rush, just wait till the week after if you’re not ready. Almost all of this preparation is carried out at the Barracks.

Paying Mercenaries

Paying the mercenaries in the barracks is something you will want to do before every battle. At first, they will only require money, which isn’t too much of an ask, but later on in the game they will request Gold-quality Wine, meaning you’ll want to get your vineyard up and running, while using the best fertilizers and farming Perks to aim for perfect quality.

Preparing Fortifications

In the barracks, you can use the blueprint table to prepare fortifications. Your space is limited, but you can fit 2 archer towers and 2 barriers here. More space can be unlocked with Victory Banners, won in certain battles.

Below is a table of every fortification you can build and the materials required for them. You will need to find and mine a lot of Iron for the best defenses.

Brewing Battle Potions

Do not underestimate how important combat potions are. The strongest healing potion, and plenty of it, can make or break a fight, not only because you must survive, but also because you are by far the strongest warrior out there. If you’re able to get in the thick of things and heal, you’re more likely to win. There are also damage potions and AOE buffs for your troops.

You can brew these potions in the Alchemy Tower at the Laboratory. The recipes can be seen in the Folio, but must be unlocked first in the Alchemy Tech Tree.

Recruiting Zombie Soldiers

Zombies can be resurrected from corpses in Graveyard Keeper 2​​​​​, and while most will be put to work, you can also turn them into soldiers.

To do so, equip them with armor and either a bow or a spear. This is done via the Inspect function. You can then carry the recruit to the Barracks and place them in one of the squad slots. More zombie squads can be unlocked by giving Defender Emblems to the ram after gaining them in victory.

Zombie soldiers cannot die even if they fall in battle, so don’t worry about losing good workers, and you can always swap them out, upgrade their gear, and unlock combat Perks for them.

Craft The Best Weapons & Armor For Yourself

You’ll want to replace the Rusty Armor and Sword given to you at the start of the game, and also craft a bow. This is all the personal equipment required for battles.

As soon as you unlock Bronze, Iron, or Steel gear, make sure to craft new sets and equip them.

Unlock Combat Perks

Some of the Metallurgy Perks in Graveyard Keeper 2 are combat-focused, so if you’re struggling to win battles, consider unlocking a few of these.

How Battles Work In Graveyard Keeper 2

Each battle is slightly different, but usually there are around 3 objectives to capture, and you must hold them by the end of the timer.

Building Defenses

When starting a battle, the first step is to use the red table to build your defenses. There’s not too much choice, as barriers and archer towers have predefined places they can be built. However, you can opt for more towers in the place where barricades would be.

Use the bars at the top of the screen to determine where the biggest attacks will be, and place your best defenses in the corresponding lanes.

Moving Squads With Banners

Before you press play, get acquainted with how the banners work. Each squad has a banner and will follow it to their death. Banners can be placed in certain locations, such as at objectives.

This means you can leave squads in place to capture or defend objectives. You can also walk around with banners to have a squad follow; however, you can only carry a single banner at a time.

Studying The Battle Plan

At the top of the screen, there are bars for each of the battle lanes. Sometimes there’s only one, but there can be up to three. The red areas show when and for how long the zombies will attack.

Use this knowledge when forming your strategy. For example, if all lanes are attacking at the start, stay back and fight the zombies at your defenses. You can then plan to push and capture during lulls.

Starting The Battle

When you’re all prepared, go up to the red table and choose to start. From this moment, you will have over 5 minutes to capture and hold all objectives, all while not dying or losing your base.

How To Win Battles In Graveyard Keeper

Once combat has started, you’ll want to stick to your battle plan and keep an eye on the bars at the top. There’s no rush to capture flags straight away, and the sooner you do so, the longer you have to hold them.

Usually you can let the enemy throw themselves at your defenses, and when they are wiped out, push on. At times, you will want to split up your squads if the enemy is attacking from two lanes at once. Make sure you run back and forth between your squads to help them out.

You Are The Strongest Fighter

Unlike your zombies, you have a brain and excellent damage, making you by far the strongest soldier on the field. Make sure you are always in combat, even if it’s just with your bow and arrow.

Chop down large groups of enemies to save your squad, and keep chugging health potions to stay in the fight.

Battle Tips

• Watch out for UI notifications that you’re losing a flag.
• Don’t make your archers follow you into a melee brawl.
• Flags are captured faster with more soldiers present.
• Make sure your potions are on the hot bar.
• Don’t wade into a brawl with low combat stamina.
• Protect your archer towers.
• Banners can be placed on Barricades and Spiked Barricades.
• Scout the battlefield before starting.

Battle Rewards In Graveyard Keeper 2

Other than progressing the story, there are a number of rewards for winning battles in Graveyard Keeper 2, although they vary each time. Rewards can be seen before starting a fight.

These battle rewards include:

• Town Gratitude
• Zombie Goo
• Keys for Looters
• Victory Banner
• Defender’s Emblem

Some battle victories also open up more of the town, allowing players to repair houses and industry, leading to a population increase and a higher Town Gratitude limit.

Released

September 22, 2026

ESRB

Teen / Blood, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs and Alcohol, Violence

Developer(s)

Lazy Bear Games

Publisher(s)

tinyBuild