The first time I witnessed a Tidefall, I felt a mix of awe and terror. The very ocean, which I had relied upon for defense and sustenance, began to recede with a thunderous roar, revealing alien landscapes and forgotten secrets of Saiadha. It was in that moment I truly understood: this is not just another strategy game.
This is a fight for survival on a world that is actively dying, a race to uncover ancient truths before the very map beneath your feet vanishes forever. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the sheer depth of ENDLESS Legend 2, you are not alone. The learning curve can be steep, but the reward—the feeling of bending a doomed world to your will—is unlike any other in the 4X genre.
You’ve landed on Saiadha. The ocean heaves, the map changes beneath your feet, and five very different civilizations eye the same patches of newly-exposed land. Endless Legend 2 is big, beautiful, and unapologetically weird — a 4X that rewards curiosity, patient planning, and a willingness to be surprised by the world.
This guide walks you through the essentials I wish I’d known when I first opened the fog: how the game differs from other 4X’s, the systems you must master early, faction picks for learning the ropes, practical opening sequences, and the habits that separate a nervous turtler from a confident empire-builder. (I’ve flagged official sources for the key facts so you know I didn’t make up the tidefalls or factions.)
Quick orientation — what is Endless Legend 2 right now?
Endless Legend 2 launched into Early Access on September 22, 2025. It’s a turn-based 4X set on a new world called Saiadha where “tidefalls” (the ocean receding and revealing new land) actively reshape the map during a game. The Early Access build debuted with a small roster of asymmetric factions (five at launch, more planned) and leans heavily into narrative-driven, faction-specific quests — the game deliberately trades breadth of factions for deep, unique playstyles. If you played the first Endless Legend, expect familiar foundations (hexmap, camps ➜ cities, pop/district management) but with new systems and tactical changes.
Understanding the World of Saiadha – More Than Just a Map
The Tidefall: A World in Flux
The most important concept to grasp is that the world of Saiadha is not static. The Tidefall system is the game’s signature mechanic. Periodically, a great monsoon will sweep across the land, shrouding it in darkness, only to be followed by a cataclysmic event where the ocean levels drop dramatically.
This isn’t a minor graphical change; it fundamentally alters your strategic reality. That impassable ocean that protected your western border? It may become a vulnerable land bridge. The coastal city that enjoyed rich food yields from adjacent water tiles could find itself landlocked. New landmasses, rich with strategic resources, Minor Faction villages, and dangerous lairs, will rise from the depths. The greatest rulers of Saiadha do not fight this change; they anticipate it. They scout during the monsoons, identifying where new land will appear, and are poised to strike when the waters recede. Your ability to adapt is your greatest weapon.
The FIDSI System: The Five Hearts of Your Empire
Every decision you make fuels your empire through five key resources, collectively known as FIDSI. Understanding their flow is the first step to mastery.
- Food 🍖: This resource drives population growth in each individual city. A surplus leads to new citizens, which can be assigned to work different jobs. Without enough food, your city will starinate, halting growth and crippling its productivity.
- Industry ⚙️: This is your production capacity, generated city-by-city. It is used to construct buildings, train units, and create districts. Crucially, unlike stockpiled resources, any unused Industry at the end of a turn is lost, so efficiency is key.
- Dust 💰: The universal currency of the Endless universe. Dust is stored empire-wide and is used for a multitude of purposes: paying army upkeep, instantly buying out constructions in cities (“rushing”), trading on the marketplace, and engaging in diplomacy. A rich empire is a flexible empire.
- Science 🔬: This resource fuels your technological progress. All Science generated across your empire is pooled together to research new technologies. Staying ahead technologically is often the difference between victory and defeat.
- Influence 🌐: The currency of soft power. Influence is used to expand your cities’ territories by placing Foundations, conduct diplomacy with other major factions, assimilate pacified Minor Factions into your empire, and pass powerful Empire Plans that provide faction-wide bonuses every 20 turns.
For beginners, a strong early game hinges on prioritizing Food and Industry. More citizens mean more workers, and more Industry means you can build the infrastructure that boosts all other resources. It’s a virtuous cycle that creates a powerful foundation.
Laying Your Empire’s Foundation – The First Crucial Turns
The choices you make in the first handful of turns will echo throughout your entire campaign. This is the time for scouting, shrewd placement, and setting a clear trajectory.
Choosing Your First Faction: A Beginner’s Path
While all factions are viable, some offer a much smoother learning curve. I strongly recommend starting with the Kin of Sheredyn. These formidable warriors excel at defensive play, allowing you to “turtle” behind powerful fortifications while you learn the game’s complex systems. Their Entrenchment mechanics reward you for playing defensively, giving you breathing room to make mistakes without being immediately punished. Alternatively, if you prefer a more diplomatic approach, The Aspects offer a unique playstyle focused on spreading coral across the map, which provides economic benefits and makes other empires more amenable to your offers.
For your first game, I would advise avoiding The Necrophages. While a devastating faction in the right hands, they rely on a complex “Larvae” mechanic where your base unit evolves into different forms, and their unique “Corpses” currency is generated primarily through combat. They also cannot negotiate with Minor Faction villages, forcing you into constant early conflict. This added complexity can be overwhelming when you’re still learning the basics.
Beginner-friendly faction comparison
| Faction | Playstyle snapshot | Beginner-friendly? | Notes / sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kin of Sheredyn | Defensive builder / fortress economy | ★★★★★ | Designed as approachable; great to learn city/district loops. |
| Aspects | Diplomatic / coral-spread map control | ★★★★☆ | Strong at treaties & influence play, needs planning. |
| Necrophage | Aggressive swarm / combat-first | ★★★☆☆ | High combat payoff; punishing if choke-pointed. |
| Last Lords | Dust-driven economy / vampiric mechanics | ★★★★☆ | Unique economy — great once you master Dust management. |
| Tahuks | Science + faith hybrid (narrative/tech) | ★★★★☆ | Excellent for players who like tech trees and quest synergy. |
The Perfect Starting Location: Your Capital’s Forever Home
Where you place your capital is the single most important decision of the early game. The ideal location balances immediate yields with long-term potential. Your priorities, in order, should be:
- Anomalies: These are visually distinct, high-yield tiles. Founding your city on or immediately adjacent to an anomaly provides a massive and permanent boost to your starting resources. An anomaly with high Food and Industry is a dream start.
- Resource Clusters: Look for regions with a high concentration of tiles that naturally produce Food and Industry. A river valley with fertile grasslands is often superior to a mountainous region rich in strategic resources you can’t yet use.
- Room to Grow: Avoid placing your city in narrow peninsulas or tight valleys. You will need open space to build districts in a compact, efficient pattern (which we’ll discuss later). A wide, open area is your canvas for a megacity.
Early Expansion: From Camp to City
Unlike other 4X games, you don’t build settlers. Instead, any army can spend Influence to establish a Camp in a territory. This Camp acts as a small outpost. Later, you can spend more Influence to either upgrade it into a full-fledged City or attach it to an existing city you already own, expanding that city’s territorial reach. This unique system allows for incredible flexibility in how you manage your empire’s footprint.
Mastering Your Cities and Technology
in ENDLESS Legend 2 A thriving economy is the engine of conquest, diplomacy, and scientific achievement. Managing your cities and research queue effectively is what separates a growing empire from a dominant one.
The Art of District Planning: Geometry is Power
City districts are not just buildings; they are a geometric puzzle that directly impacts your empire’s happiness and efficiency. Each new district you build costs your city 10 Approval. Low Approval leads to serious penalties, stunting your growth.
The key to overcoming this is district leveling. When a district is surrounded by four other districts (which can include the city center), it upgrades to Level 2. This upgrade not only removes the Approval penalty but also provides significant yield bonuses. Therefore, the goal is not to sprawl randomly, but to build in tight, interconnected clusters.
- Inefficient Strategy: Building districts in a long, snaking line toward a resource. This creates multiple Level 1 districts that cripple your Approval.
- Efficient Strategy: Building districts in a compact block, like a triangle or a solid rectangle. This ensures that interior districts are quickly upgraded, maximizing yields and keeping your citizens happy.
Think of it like a game of Tetris. Plan your city layout several steps ahead to create as many Level 2 districts as possible. This single piece of advice will dramatically improve your economic power.
Managing Population and Production
in ENDLESS Legend 2 Your population are the workers who generate your FIDSI resources. You can manually assign them to work different jobs (Farmer, Worker, Scientist, etc.) to tailor your city’s output to your immediate needs. If you need to quickly produce a unit, shift workers to Industry. If you need to grow, assign them to Food.
In your city’s construction queue, you will see an option to convert excess Industry into other resources. Use this sparingly, as it consumes production time. The ideal is to have just enough Industry to complete your builds each turn, but this button is a useful safety valve for balancing your economy.
The tech tree in ENDLESS Legend 2 is divided into eras. You only need to research a certain number of technologies in your current era to unlock the next one; you do not need to research them all. This is a critical strategic point. Technology costs increase with each one you research, so it’s more efficient to prioritize 8-9 essential techs per era and then move on.
Your early research priorities should be:
- Era I Infrastructure: Technologies that boost Food and Industry, such as those that unlock buildings like the Mill Foundry and Seed Storage.
- Unlocking Core Features: Beeline technologies that give you access to the Marketplace and basic diplomatic options.
- Military Essentials: One technology that provides an upgraded military unit for your faction is wise, especially if you have aggressive neighbors.
Commanding Armies and Heroes
On Saiadha, diplomacy and economics can only take you so far. Eventually, you will need to defend your claims or take what you need by force.
ENDLESS Legend 2 Army Composition and Basic Tactics
A balanced army is a successful army. A good rule of thumb is to have a core of melee units to protect your more fragile but powerful ranged units. In tactical battles, the terrain is your ally.
- High Ground: Ranged units attacking from elevated positions deal significantly more damage.
- Forests: These tiles provide substantial defensive bonuses, particularly against ranged attacks. Use them for cover when advancing.
- Focus Fire: Instead of spreading your damage across multiple enemy units, focus all your attacks on a single target to eliminate it from the fight quickly. A reduced enemy army deals less damage overall.
For any important battle, fight manually rather than auto-resolving. The tactical advantage you gain from smart positioning can turn the tide of a seemingly even fight.
The Roles of ENDLESS Legend 2 Heroes: Specialist vs. Generalist
Heroes are unique, powerful leaders who can be assigned to one of two critical roles. It is essential to specialize them early.
| Hero Role | Primary Function | Key Attributes & Skills | Best for your first hero? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | Stationed in a city, providing massive boosts to its FIDSI yields and overall efficiency. | Skills that increase specific resource outputs, reduce construction costs, or improve population growth. | Yes – A governor in your capital accelerates your entire early game economy. |
| General | Leads armies on the map, participating directly in combat and providing stat bonuses to nearby units. | Combat-oriented skills, increased damage, defense, and powerful active abilities used in battle. | No – Your early army can handle minor threats; the economic boost is more critical. |
Do not try to create a hybrid hero who is mediocre at both roles. Commit to making each hero a master of their domain.
Strategies for a Changing World
As your empire stabilizes, your gaze must turn from mere survival to achieving victory. This requires engaging with the wider world and planning for the long term.
Diplomacy and Minor Factions in ENDLESS Legend 2
Minor Factions are the indigenous peoples of Saiadha. Initially, their villages will spawn hostile armies. You can pacify them through quests, bribery (unless you’re the Necrophages), or conquest. Once you have pacified at least one village of a specific faction, you can spend Influence to assimilate them. This grants you three key benefits:
- An empire-wide bonus that scales with the number of their villages you’ve pacified.
- Access to their unique military units, which can complement your own forces.
- Their population will join your cities, increasing your workforce.
When dealing with other major factions, early diplomatic actions like Non-Aggression Pacts can buy you the precious time you need to build up your infrastructure without fear of invasion.
Planning for Victory
ENDLESS Legend 2 offers several paths to victory. It’s wise to keep multiple options open in the early game and then pivot based on your empire’s strengths and the actions of your rivals.
- Scientific Victory: Research all the technologies in the final era.
- Economic Victory: Accumulate a massive stockpile of Dust.
- Expansion Victory: Control a vast percentage of the world’s regions.
- Diplomatic Victory: Achieve through peaceful relations and diplomatic maneuvering.
Common Beginner Mistakes to Avoid
- Hoarding Resources: Dust and Influence that sit in your treasury generate no value. Use Dust to rush key buildings or hire heroes. Use Influence to assimilate Minor Factions and pass Empire Plans .
- Expanding Too Fast: Building new districts or cities without a plan for Approval will lead to an unhappy, unproductive empire. Expand slowly and deliberately .
- Ignoring Faction Quests: Your faction’s questline is not just a story; it provides powerful rewards and is essential for the Narrative Victory. Pursue it diligently .
I still remember the satisfaction of my first major victory, achieved not by brute force alone, but by carefully managing the ebb and flow of Saiadha’s tides, by turning the revealed land into a thriving, approved metropolis, and by leveraging the unique strengths of my chosen faction. ENDLESS™ Legend 2 asks more of you than most strategy games, but the reward is a far deeper and more memorable experience.
Use this guide as your starting point. Internalize these principles of FIDSI management, strategic expansion, and tactical adaptation. But most importantly, let your own curiosity guide you. Explore the ruins, engage with the story, and don’t be afraid to fail. Each Tidefall is a new beginning, a new chance to write your name into the history of this beautiful, doomed world. Now go forth, and build an empire worthy of legend.
you can also check Era One Beginner Guide: First 30 Minute, and Essential Tips