Totally Accurate Battle Simulator: Complete Guide

Everything you need to win campaign battles, understand factions and units, hunt secret units, beat friends in multiplayer, and make the most of the Unit Creator and Workshop.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the December 2024 bug-fix patch (Landfall has said no more content updates are planned). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Status: TABS is finished and stable. Landfall announced in 2022 that it would stop adding content after a small Neon update, and called the July 2024 Quality of Life patch "most likely" the last major one; a small workshop/bug patch followed in December 2024. A mobile version, TABS Pocket Edition, launched on August 7, 2025. The PC game turned 10 (counting from its 2016 game-jam origin) in July 2026.

Quick Start

Every battle has a budget. Campaign levels give you a fixed amount of gold (and sometimes a unit cap). Spend it wisely rather than filling the board.
Look at the enemy first. Before placing units, fly the camera over the enemy army. Counter what's there.
Melee in front, ranged behind. The oldest rule still works. A wall of tanky melee units protects archers and gunners.
Spread out vs. area damage. Catapults, bombs, and explosive units punish clumps.
Use terrain. Hills give ranged units better lines of sight. Narrow gaps funnel enemies.
Test in Sandbox. Sandbox has no budget restrictions; it's the place to learn how units actually behave.
Find secret units. Many units are hidden in maps and must be found by exploring with the free camera.
Replay campaign levels. Winning cheaply is a fun optional challenge.

Controls (PC, default)

Action	Input
Move camera	WASD
Look	Mouse
Place unit	Left click
Remove unit	Right click
Start battle	Start button (top of screen)
Possess a unit	Aim at a unit and press the possess key (see Controls in Settings)
Slow motion / time controls	Available during battle (see Settings)

TABS offers "traditional" and "radial" control schemes on PC. The July 2024 patch added an in-game explanation of both.

Game Modes

Mode	What it is
Campaign	A series of set-piece battles per faction, each with a budget and fixed enemy army
Sandbox	Place any units on any map with no limits
Custom Campaigns	Player-made campaigns from the Workshop and in-game browser
Multiplayer	Online or local battles against friends
Unit Creator	Build custom units from props, weapons, and abilities (added December 2020)
Map Creator	Build custom battlefields (added November 2022)

Factions

TABS has 14 playable factions. The historical ones unlock through campaign progress; Secret and Legacy come from exploration and extras.

Faction	Style	Example units
Tribal	Cheap brawlers and a big finisher	Clubber, Protector, Spear Thrower, Stoner, Bone Mage, Chieftain, Mammoth
Farmer	Cheap and silly, surprising value	Halfling, Farmer, Hay Baler, Potionseller, Harvester, Wheelbarrow, Scarecrow
Medieval	Classic combined arms	Bard, Squire, Archer, Healer, Knight, Catapult, King
Ancient	Formations and heavy hitters	Shield Bearer, Sarissa, Hoplite, Snake Archer, Ballista, Minotaur, Zeus
Viking	Aggressive melee	Headbutter, Ice Archer, Brawler, Berserker, Valkyrie, Longship, Jarl
Dynasty	Ranged fire and fast melee	Samurai, Firework Archer, Monk, Ninja, Dragon, Hwacha, Monkey King
Renaissance	Tech and fencing	Painter, Fencer, Balloon Archer, Musketeer, Halberd, Jouster, Da Vinci Tank
Pirate	Firearms and explosives	Flintlock, Blunderbuss, Bomb Thrower, Harpooner, Cannon, Captain, Pirate Queen
Spooky	Undead and tricks	Skeleton Warrior, Skeleton Archer, Candlehead, Vampire, Pumpkin Catapult, Swordcaster, Reaper
Wild West	Guns and gadgets	Dynamite Thrower, Miner, Cactus, Gunslinger, Lasso, Deadeye, Quick Draw
Good	Angelic, holy-themed units	Check the in-game unit bar; several are unlocked rather than available from the start
Evil	Demonic, dark-themed units	Check the in-game unit bar; several are unlocked rather than available from the start
Secret	Hidden units from maps	Found by exploring
Legacy	Units from the old alpha versions	Nostalgia picks

Unit names are listed from cheapest to most expensive in each faction's lineup where possible; check the in-game unit bar for exact costs.

Core Strategy

Budget thinking

Value per gold. Expensive units aren't always better. Ten cheap spear throwers can beat one expensive hero.
Counter, don't copy. If the enemy is all melee, invest in ranged and blockers. If they're all ranged, send fast melee or tanks at them.
Spend it all. Leftover gold in a campaign battle isn't used for anything but bragging rights.

Unit types

Type	Strengths	Weaknesses
Cheap melee	Numbers, soak damage	Fold to area damage
Tank melee	Holds the line	Expensive; can be kited
Ranged	Damage from safety	Dies fast if reached
Artillery	Area damage; breaks clumps	Friendly fire; slow
Heroes / big units	Massive stats or abilities	Expensive, can be swarmed
Support	Heals or buffs	Useless alone

Formations

Screen your ranged units. Put a line of melee units in front; ranged units sit behind.
Flank. Fast units on the flanks can reach enemy archers.
Don't clump. Spread against catapults and explosives.
Use terrain height. Archers on high ground see further and are harder to reach.

Common counters

Problem	Try
Big single enemy (e.g., Mammoth, giant units)	Lots of cheap ranged units or high single-target damage
Swarm of cheap units	Area damage (catapults, bombs, Hwacha)
Ranged-heavy enemy	Shields, fast melee, or artillery
Explosives	Spread out; send cheap units first
Healers	Target them with ranged or fast units

Campaign Tips

Scout the enemy army first. Each level's enemy is fixed; you can plan exactly.
Watch your unit cap. Some levels limit how many units you can place.
Try the "funny" solution. Many levels have clever answers, like cheap farmers swarming an expensive enemy.
Replay for mastery. Beating a level with less gold is a satisfying personal challenge.

Secret Units

Many units are hidden across the maps.
How to find them: use the free camera to explore maps in Campaign or Sandbox. Look for odd objects (weapons, props) placed on the map. Clicking them unlocks the unit.
Unlocked secret units are available in Sandbox and custom content.
If you want a fresh start, the July 2024 patch added a feature to reset campaign and secret unit progress.

Multiplayer

Online or local, head-to-head.
Each player has a budget and places units on their side; then the battle runs.
Adapt between battles. When you play several battles in a row against the same person, watch what they favor and counter it next time.
Mind-games. Players who always go ranged-heavy can be punished by fast melee.

Unit Creator and Workshop

Unit Creator. Pick a base body, weapons, abilities, props, and cost. Custom units can use abilities from existing units.
Faction Creator. Group custom units into a faction.
Map and Campaign Creator. Build your own maps (added November 2022) and campaigns.
Workshop. Landfall's 10th-anniversary post (July 2026) says players have made over 3 million downloadable campaigns and units.
Troubleshooting. If subscribed items won't load, use the Workshop refresh button (added July 2024) and, if needed, verify game files. The December 2024 patch added clearer errors for "unsupported" custom units and a Validate Custom Content toggle in Gameplay settings.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

All melee, no support. Melee spam loses to anything with area damage.
Clumping. A single catapult shot can wipe a clump.
Ignoring the camera. Not scouting leads to bad counters.
Spending all gold on one hero. A single big unit is easy to swarm.
Forgetting friendly fire. Artillery and explosives hurt your own units too.

Advanced Tips

Possession. Taking control of a unit mid-battle can swing fights: aim your Zeus or Deadeye yourself.
Slow motion. Useful for studying unit behavior and for epic clips.
Bait. Cheap units in front draw fire and attacks while your damage dealers set up.
Stacking buffs. Support units like the Bard boost nearby allies; place them close to your main line.
Custom campaigns. Challenge yourself with community campaigns, and use the in-game search bar (added July 2024) to find specific battles.

FAQ

Is TABS still getting updates? No new content. Landfall announced in 2022 that content updates would end after a small Neon update, and the last patches shipped in 2024. The game is stable and the Workshop is still active.

Is there a TABS mobile version? Yes. TABS Pocket Edition launched on iOS and Android on August 7, 2025.

How do I unlock secret units? Explore maps with the free camera and click hidden objects.

Does TABS have multiplayer? Yes, online and local head-to-head battles, added at the full release in April 2021.

Can I make my own units? Yes, with the Unit Creator. You can also create factions, maps, and campaigns.

How many units are there? Over 100 official units across the factions, plus a nearly endless supply from the Workshop.