Ten Steps to Success as an Evil Overlord

Published June 27, 2007

Laying the foundation for widespread fear and world domination is thirsty and difficult work in Overlord™. Water from the tap and a large glass will solve your first problem, but for the second, the following tips might be more useful.

Survey the chaos.

Straggle
Remember, you're no hero in Overlord, and therefore, there's no need to charge forth and display your courage. Send your minions into the throes of danger from afar and keep a safe distance. Go ahead, step in and swing your mighty axe at a Halfling or two when the mood strikes you, but when the enemies are fierce and many, caution is the word of the day.

Demolish Everything
If it can be broken, do so. Not every jar, crate, table, and barrel will reveal untold riches but enough do so to make widespread destruction a worthy tactic. Health, mana, essence, and gold will all be uncovered, so once the enemies are defeated, set your minions to work breaking up nearby objects.

Designated Attacks
Initially, it works fine to send your minions in a jumbled mass at an enemy force, but eventually you'll need to get more organized. Simply target a designated enemy with the left trigger, and then tap or hold down the right trigger to send just a few minions at them. This way, your forces are more equally distributed during more dangerous and complex encounters.

Looks like a job for minions!

Nooks and Crannies
The world of Overlord is not as linear as it may first appear. Make sure to check every side path, abandoned room, and offshoot hallway before heading off to the next objective. In addition to standard treasure and powerups, you may also track down restoration pieces to upgrade your bedraggled fortress.

At Full Force
When heading into combat, don't worry too much about sparing the lives of your minions. That's why they're minions. Scattered throughout each area are several "wells" from which to summon replacements. You're an evil Overlord after all, so send your troops to certain death with a clear conscience. They wouldn't have it any other way. Backtrack after an encounter if you must to a minion well and replenish your forces.

Closing Spawns
Before long in Overlord, enemies will charge forth from never-ending spawn locations. Tackle the first wave of enemies if you must, but your primary focus should be on closing down the spawn-points. For example, nearby Halfling houses will spew forth replacements at an alarming rate. Send a minion or two inside the house and bar those doorways to prevent any further spawning.

Stay back and stay alive.

Big'uns First
When encountering larger enemies such as giant trolls that are surrounded by peon Halflings, make sure you fell the big guys first. Set the whole of your army on one giant enemy at a time. This may be the time to enter the battle yourself to speed the process along.

When Innocents Must Die
Sometimes, it is wise to associate with a group of innocents, such as the villagers of Spree. Inevitably, this feeling will pass. Perhaps they are beginning to irritate you and you decide to destroy them. Hold down the left trigger before tapping A to convert a swift kick into a mortal wound with your axe.

Where You Can't, They Can
From itty-bitty alleyways to a small crevice between rocks, your minions can squeeze through areas the bulkier Overlord can't. Make sure you navigate and explore each area more with your minions and less with the Overlord, lest you miss out on secret paths.

A More Subtle Approach
A direct assault is not always the wisest tactic. Sometimes, the enemy force is simply too large to take head-on, but in such cases, the environment will always provide an alternative solution. For example, while raiding a Halfling party house early on, you'll stumble onto a massive gathering of the little blighters. However, surrounding the gathering is a long line of bulging baskets containing enormous, ill-mannered rats. Break open the baskets with your minions and the loosed rats will take out their frustrations on the unsuspecting Halflings.

Article by Ryan Treit