Dune Spice Wars is a Real Time Strategy game that can be paused. It has four factions, each vying for control of the universe’s most precious resource, Spice. At the time of this article the game was still in early access, but it was still a lot of fun playing it.
There are four playable factions in Dune Spice Wars, House Atreides, House Harkonnen, The Smugglers and The Fremen. Each faction has its own unique perks and playstyle. Each faction can choose two of the four Councilors available at the start of the game to give them a few added perks.
This is an early access game and some of this will change. When the game is officially released I will update this post accordingly.
Hegemony
Since the opening screens in Dune Spice Wars refers to Hegemony it’s a good idea to understand what that means. Hegemony is a measure of how powerful your faction is on Arrakis, the higher the number the more powerful you are and the closer to victory you are. Reaching certain levels of Hegemony unlocks benefits which are shown at the start up screen for each faction.
House Atreides
House Atreides is the “nice” faction of the group and their reputation is second to none due to their “fair and honorable” leader, Leto. They can annex villages peacefully with enough Authority and Influence rather than marching their military in and taking over forcefully. Typically, when factions make treaties with each other they lose some Authority, which is needed to take control of Villages but this is not the case for House Atreides. Factions can enter into as many treaties with the House Atreides as they’d like and suffer no penalties. Out of all the houses Atreides benefits the most from having a high standing in the Landsraad Council.
At 5K of Hegemony they gain a 10% increase in Solari production when a positive resolution is passed for them, but if there is a negative resolution in effect for them their units lose 10% of their power.
At 10K Hegemony they can ignore Charters Prerequisites except for the all-important Landsraad Standing.
Of the four Councilors available to House Atreides one is classified as “Hard” while the other three are “Easy.” Two of the four Counselors can be chosen for the added benefits they give to your faction.
House Atreides Councilors
Lady Jessica is classified as “Hard.” She will allow you to impose treaties on other factions at the cost of 50 Influence. They will need 100 Authority to refuse your offer and if they don’t have that amount the treaty is imposed. You will also have a treaty automatically unlocked for you at the start of the game, the Non-Aggression Pact Treaty. A good Councilor to have if you simply want to use her to drain other factions of their Authority.
Duncan Idaho is classified as “Easy.” All relations with the Sietch are increased by 100% and it costs 10% less in Authority to annex a village when he is one of your Councilors. He is the House Atreides ambassador to the Fremen.
Thufir Hawat is classified as “Easy.” When employed he gives your Agents one more trait. Atreides Villages also gain a 20% increase in resource production for two days when their region is targeted by at least one operation. He is known for being both cunning and honorable, not bad for someone who is the Master of Assassins for the House Atreides.
Gurney Halleck is classified as “Easy.” He unlocks the Veteran Militia unit for use in House Atreides Villages and all military units start with an additional experience level. He’s not really very good-looking but he has great singing and fighting abilities. Combine that with his unwavering loyalty and he makes a valuable addition for the House Atreides.
House Atreides Special Developments
Each faction has four special Developments, one in each branch, except for the Fremen, who have a total of 9 special developments.
In the Intelligence/Diplomacy branch House Atreides has Atreides Delegations. Once you gain this development other factions lose 100% more in Landsraad standing than they normally would for breaking a treaty with you. House Atreidies can also assign one more agent to all factions and the Council Chamber building is unlocked.
In the “Generalized” branch (for lack of a better term) House Atreides has Understand the Beauty. They get a 20% increase in Influence production plus their Militia power is increased by 20% in special regions.
In the Economic branch Atreides Merchants are available. House Atreides gets 5 Solari for every other faction it has a relationship with that is above 80, an additional 5 Solari for every Sietch it has a relationship with that is above 80 plus they receive 50% more resources when trading with the Sietch.
In the Military branch House Atreides has New Homeland. This increases their military unit’s power by 20% when they are inside their territory. It also reduces Militia training time by 80% and increases Missile Battery power by 20%.
House Harkonnen
House Harkonnen is the militaristic faction of the group and the nastiest. They can oppress their villages to force more output, at the expense of a possible rebellion later. They also gain 5% in a village’s production for each Militia they have stationed there. Through their vast contacts on the planet Arrakais they know how much Influence each faction has and where it comes from.
At 5K of Hegemony they get a 10% increase in unit power and a 100% increase in Agent recruitment speed if at least one of their ally’s Villages is being oppressed.
At 10K of Hegemony they can assign an agent to a mission to reduce cost and preparation time, at the cost of the Agent, of course.
House Harkonnen Councilors
Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen is classified as “Hard.” This enables House Harkonnen to use Corruption in the Landsraad, which creates a loss in Landsraad Standing for the targeted faction. House Harkonnen also gains 10 Influence every time it kills a rebel. He is an unmatched duelist and charismatic leader.
Piter De Vires is classified as “Hard.” He gives Stealth Unit Probes the Infiltration Drone trait, which means there is no supply limit, and they get an additional Intel production when in enemy territory. House Harkonnen Ornithopters get the Infiltration Ornithopter trait, making them invisible until they get within close range of an enemy unit, and they also get an additional Intel production when in enemy territory.
Rabban Harkonnen is classified as “Easy.” He gives an additional Militia slot to each Harkonnen Village. He also allows Villages to be oppressed 5% longer than they normally would. He was nicknamed “The Beast” after murdering his father.
Iakin Nafud is classified as “Easy.” If employed 50% of the cost of every military unit that is killed gets refunded. He also reduces the cost of Combat Drugs missions by 50%. He is the Captain of the Guard but is hopelessly addicted to Semuta.
House Harkonnen Special Developments
In the Intelligence/Diplomacy branch Cruel Reputation is available for the House Harkonnen. When they use an operation, it reduces the cost in Authority to annex a Village by 10% for two days. Also, when an enemy faction is targeted by an operation House Harkonnen gains 10 Influence. This development also unlocks the Interrogation Center building.
In the Generalized branch Instill Fear is available. After gaining this development pillaging a village does not increase the cost to annex it. It reduces the Authority cost by 5%, plus it reduces the Authority cost by 50% if you must capture it again.
In the Economic branch Martial Economy is obtainable. It provides a 30% reduction in both Military unit upkeep and cost in Solari.
In the Military branch Central Command is available. It gives 8 additional command points and allows the House Harkonnen to deal out 20% more damage to Militia units. On top of that, every time a unit dies allied units fighting nearby receive a Bloodbath bonus of 5% in their power. Once this development is obtained House Harkonnen can also assign one more agent to CHOAM Infiltration.
The Smugglers
The Smugglers can provide anything to anybody if the price is right. They hope to someday become a part of the Landsaard Council. They can build Underworld Headquarters right underneath another faction’s villages. They can place bounties on Landsaard resolutions and have a favored trade status with the Black Markets on Arrakis. Their access to the Landsraad is limited.
At 5K of Hegemony they gain the ability to unlock Contraband Special Events and they gain 50 votes in the Landsraad, hopefully the beginning of the realization of their dream, to be a full-fledged member of the Council.
At 10K Hegemony they can train Mercenary units plus their Mercenary units get an increase of 20% in power.
Smugglers Councilors
Staben Tuek is classified as “Hard.” With him as one of your Councilors Smuggler Underworld Headquarters produce 5 more Solari per regions that are next to regions also containing an Underground Headquarters. In other words, if an Underground Headquarters is next to two regions containing an Underground Headquarters, then it’s Solari output is increased by 10. The Smugglers also gain .5 Influence for every Underground Headquarters they establish.
Linger Bewt is classified as “Easy.” He reduces the cost in Authority to annex a Village and the cost of building an Underground Headquarters depending on how much Water is available.
Drisq is classified as “Easy.” When hired she gives all Agents the Merchant trait, and their Infiltration level can never be below 1.
Bannerjee is classified as “Easy.” He provides a 30% gain when pillaging a village plus The Smugglers also gain Plascrete when pillaging a Village.
Smugglers Special Developments
In the Intelligence/Diplomacy branch The Smugglers have Underworld Bribes available. For every faction having less Influence than The Smugglers they gain 20 in Solari production. They also gain 20 Intel when pillaging a Village and +2 Intel per day for every Underground headquarters they have.
The Generalized branch has Underground Network ready for research. It offers distance-based Authority reductions for annexing a Village of 40%. The Smugglers also regain 20% Supply for helping with a kill and their military units get a 20% boost in power at night.
The economic branch has Underworld Contacts. This allows a gain of 20% in Solari when pillaging a Village. It also unlocks the Processing Plant building and unlocks the Black-Market Branch building.
In the military branch The Smugglers have access to Guerilla Tactics. This increases their damage to Militia units by 20% plus Villages that are pillaged have their annexation costs penalty reduced by 100%. The Smugglers also gain access to the Weapons Facility building.
The Fremen
The Fremen are the planet’s native population and would like nothing more than to see all the alien invaders gone from their planet. By knowing their planet so well they are better able to live off the land, meaning their military units use less supplies per day. They can form alliances with Sietch’s outside of their territory and can actually learn to ride the sandworms using Thumpers, giving them the ability to move much faster through the deserts than the other factions.
At 5K Hegemony Thumpers are generated passively plus they attract larger Sandworms that can be ridden farther.
At 10K Hegemony Military unit power increases as your Hegemony increases. It is capped at a 20% gain when Hegemony reaches 25K.
Fremen Councilors
Chani Kynes is classified as “Hard.” This Councilor can use the Incite Rebellion ability on Landsraad Resolutions which can create rebellions in other factions if the resolution passes. The Fremen also gain .5 intel production for every neutral region they are next to when this Councilor is employed.
Stilger Ben Fifrawl is classified as “Hard.” With him as part of your inner circle every time you capture a Village your Sietch detection gets better. You also gain 1 Authority for every Spice field you harvest.
Mother Ramallo is classified as “Easy.” With her the Shai-Temple is unlocked and the position of all Spice Fields are revealed. She is a revered mother figure among the Fremen.
Otheym is classified as “Easy.” She gives the Fremen units a 10% increase in speed and if there are no allied units nearby their units gain Sand Killers. These give their units a 20% boost in power and 2 more points in Armor.
The Fremen Special Developments
The Fremen get 9 special developments versus the four other factions receive.
In the Intelligence/Diplomacy branch there are two special developments available, Sketch Network and Desert Shadows.
The Sietch Network enables The Fremen to get 5% more Intel for every Sietch they are allied with. Agent recruitment speed is increased by 50% for each allied Sietch and it unlocks the Al-Gaib Temple building.
Desert Shadows provides a 30% reduction of an agent being captured when an operation is detected. The Smugglers can also assign one more agent to CHOAM Infiltration and one more Agent to Counterintelligence.
In the Generalized branch two special developments are obtainable, Dune Wanderers and Desert Mastery.
Dune Wanderers gives a 30% reduction in Water upkeep and a 30% reduction in daily Supply usage for military units. It also grants access to the Recycling Vats building.
Desert Mastery reduces the daily supply drain of military units when they are in deep deserts. They also gain Camouflage when in deep deserts.
In the economic branch there are four special developments available.
Arrakis Secrets allows one more crew to be assigned to harvesting teams. It also unlocks the Spice Silos building and the Bazaar building.
Spice Market allows another crew member to be assigned to harvesting teams. Military units and Villages become more resistant to sandstorms.
Spreading the Faith increases Solari production for the Fremen by 2 for every neutral Village on Arrakis. The Fremen also gain 1000 Solari whenever they liberate a Village plus the Shai-hutud building is unlocked.
Spice Hegemony increases the harvesting team’s gathering rate by 10% for every Sietch the Fremen are allied with. Fremen Villages in the same region as an allied Sietch get one more building slot.
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In the Military branch The Fremen special development is Desert Command. Command points are increased by 8, units gain 20% in power per Spice Collector in the same region and camouflaged units use 80% less supply.
Military Units
| Unit | Health | Power | Armor |
| Atrteides Trooper | 400 | 17 | 4 |
| Atreides Ranger | 300 | 16 | 2 |
| Atreides Heavy Weapon Squad | 400 | 12 | 5 |
| Atreides Support Drone | 600 | 8 | 6 |
| Atreides Warden | 600 | 18 | 7 |
| Harkonnen Trooper | 400 | 18 | 3 |
| Harkonnen Gunner | 400 | 15 | 4 |
| Harkonnen Vanguard | 300 | 20 | 2 |
| Harkonnen Probe | 200 | 12 | 2 |
| Harkonnen Guard | 600 | 19 | 6 |
| Smugglers Scavenger | 400 | 18 | 3 |
| Smuggler Wrecker | 400 | 12 | 2 |
| Smuggler Sniper | 300 | 20 | 0 |
| Smuggler Drone | 500 | 15 | 5 |
| Smuggler Free Company | 600 | 20 | 4 |
| Fremen Warrior | 600 | 18 | 3 |
| Fremen Skirmisher | 300 | 14 | 1 |
| Fremen Infiltrator | 300 | 20 | 1 |
| Fremen Kulon Caravan | 800 | 7 | 1 |
| Fremen Fedaykin | 800 | 19 | 4 |
