Factions are the main draw of Darkness Hero Rance. On this page, you'll find a general overview of every faction and a directory to more in-depth descriptions
of each faction's gimmicks and unique units.
The map on "Full" mode.
The map on "Consolidated" mode.
The Kingdom of Leazas Led by Queen Lia Parapara Leazas, they specialize in knight units which are capable of both offensive and defensive play. It's a good faction for new players, as a significant portion of their
unique units cannot be killed in combat and what remains is quite sturdy. Knight units in the Leazas faction gain an extra five troops at the start of every turn.
The Kingdom of Zeth Led by Chizuko Yamada in lieu of King Ragnarokarc Super Ghandi. They specialize in mage units which deal some of the highest damage in the game but lack the footsoldiers to fully defend them.
Therefore, any enemy unit that can target the back line is a very significant threat. They have civilian units, but they lack the crucial "guard" skill.
The Helman Empire Led by Sheila Helman, the puppet of Stessel Romanov. The playstyle of Helman is a very defensive one, as they have copious troops to throw at just about any situation. Most of their units are
footsoldiers and what remains is divided pretty evenly between ninjas, archers, warriors, and tacticians. Fighting as or against Helman, expect a long war.
The Leazas Rebellion Led by Leazas' former White Army General, Ex Banquet. The Leazas Rebellion has a very comfortable starting position, allowing them to breathe easy during the early game. Their army is made up almost
entirely by adaptable frontline attackers, and as a result the playstyle of the Leazas Rebellion is one that relies on overwhelming the enemy and maintaining a strong initial advantage.
The Pentagon Rebellion Led by Nelson Server, an anti-mage activist. Pentagon's army is a very adaptable one, but doesn't excel in any one type of play. Scouting is highly recommended to best adapt to each battle. Generic
archer units in Pentagon have "Anti-Mage Arrows", which deals increased damage to mages, and they have the ability to cause riots in neighbor countries, which may cost them a turn.
The Patton Faction Led by Patton Misnarge, the true heir to the Helman throne. Despite having a pretty rough starting place on the map, the Patton Faction can hold their own due to their incredibly strong units. The
gimmick of the Patton Faction is that it's unique units gain buffs when paired with other unique units. Patton and Hunty are an excellent team for tougher battles, so put them to good use.
Nippon Led by the Fiend Xavier in the body of Oda Nobunaga. Quite possibly the strongest human faction, playing as them will likely be a quick and comfortable run. Their units don't gain buffs when sent out
into battle together, but their inherent strength more than makes up for this. Just never forget the following when up against Nippon, "The musket unit is the strongest you know".
The Hornet Faction Led by the Fiend Hornet in hopes of unifying the Continent. Her army is composed of significantly weaker fiends than her rival Kayblis, but they are much less likely to be killed or captured in battle.
The Hornet Faction also has the unique unit Miki, who can't be killed or captured under any circumstances since her troop count can't hit 0. If used well, she is the perfect defense.
The Kayblis Faction Led by the Fiend Kayblis in hopes of conquering the Continent. His army is composed of some of the strongest living things on the continent, and they're all more than capable of killing thousands in a
single motion. This comes at a cost however, should they be defeated in combat they are likely to be captured if not outright killed as a result, so play as or against them carefully.
Pencilcow Led by the latest Kalar Queen, Pastel Kalar. Easily the most difficult faction in the game since it borders the Kayblis Faction, the Hornet Faction, the Patton Faction, Helman, Zeth and Shangri-La. As such,
they're a very defensive faction, with diviner units that specialize in damage nullification and removing enemy buffs at the start of combat. Gets a bonus to female unit recruitment at the detriment of male unit
recruitment.
Shangri-La Led by King Luce Descoco the 378th with the help of the genie Aladdin. While they have a very poor starting location, they have powerful cavalry units to cover their bases. Namely the Kaiju Twins, a terror
in both singleplayer and multiplayer. The genie Aladdin is the main draw of Shangri-La, as the player can make wishes in battles where he's present. Namely to boost army morale, extend the length of a battle or cut
it short.
Custom Led and defended by the Four Witches of Custom, Shizuka Masou, Eleanor Ran, Maria Custard and Mill Yorks. Shizuka, Eleanor and Mill being most of the few mages on the eastern half of the continent. Maria and
her trainee Kasumi are cannon units, which deal high damage and can attack any enemy unit regardless of position. Milli, Mill's sister, gains units at the start of every turn and quickly becomes a threat.
The Rance Thieves Led by the famously brutal adventurer Rance. Him and his slave, Sill, get a hefty buff at the start of battle if they're together. Female units under the Rance Thieves flag receive a free five troops every turn.
Their generic troops are decently powerful but have a very mediocre troop count as a result. There's a handful of oddities among their army, namely a few individuals who claim they can "translate", whatever that means.
The Al Church Led by the Al Church Pope Crook Moofus. The perfect faction for a slow, defensive playstyle. They start bordering a single faction, Ice, who is an absolute non-threat in the early game. The Al Church faction lives
and dies by hordes of devoted knights and footsoldiers, with some of the most powerful healers on the continent backing them up. Territory of the Al Church is a wall that stands as solid as the religion it manages.
The O Home of the Hero of the Continent, Arios Theoman. Starting as a bottom-of-the-barrel Free City, it's an easily conquerable faction with a focus on tacticians with a handful of troops outside of them for defense.
However, if taken on by a player, they have the option to have Arios take up the mantle of Hero. With this, you will have a man who becomes stronger the lower the human population gets, ultimately becoming totally unrivaled.
Portugal Led by a strange traveling merchant named Pluepet. Being Nippon's only major trading partner, Portugal is a country of merchants and untold wealth. While they do have mediocre troops, they make up for it in their
ability to replenish and build forces at a rate that no other faction in the game can dream of. Though, they have a terrible position, sandwiched by the Free Cities to the west and north while Nippon sits to the east.
Ice Led by the guild of Keith Gold. It's two unique units, Athena 2.0 and Bernard, are focused on unit growth as a mechanic. Bernard receiving permanent stat bonuses as random events and Athena 2.0 growing more powerful
by fighting alongside stronger units. It's the closest faction to being a player-driven sandbox, since they have to use significantly less resources than other factions to generate custom units.
Red Led by the Al Church priestess Sel Curchgolf. Not much is going for them outside of two of the three factions they border managing to be weaker. There's a handful of very strong units protecting Red. One being a giant of a man calling himself "Punisher Mito", a famously efficient spy named Crane and a handful of ruffians that take enemy actions when in battle together. Rumor has it the ruffians want a leader.
