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.

Sources

• TABS on Steam
• Wikipedia: Totally Accurate Battle Simulator
• Quality of Life update (July 2024)
• Bug-fixing patch (December 2024)
• TABS Pocket Edition launch (August 2025)
• TABS turns 10 (July 2026)