Salutations, colonisers!
Last time, we talked about the Keepers - their origins, beliefs, and why they guard the crash site of the Ulysses with such zeal. Today, we’re diving deeper into their forces. Let’s explore the units you’ll use to establish and defend your colony.
Every Keeper colony begins the same way: with a Chieftan. For the Keepers you will begin with a Justiciar, their warrior monks. If the Keepers have a leader, it’s a Justiciar. A towering figure clad almost permanently in heavy armor, a Justiciar is more than just muscle - they are a living embodiment of their faith. On the battlefield, they bellow sacred litanies as they charge, turning each fight into both a sermon and a slaughter.
Their blades are prized relics, forged from metal recovered from old escape pods and wielded by the original founders of the Keepers. Lose a Justiciar, and you’ll feel the weight of that mistake - your expansion will slow, your settlers will lose heart, and your enemies will sense blood in the water.
The Justiciar isn’t simply a juggernaut of the battlefield - he’s a living embodiment of the Keepers’ philosophy: discipline, vigilance, and duty above all else. He can pick up a hammer to speed up fortifications, rally settlers while harvesting crucial resources, or lead an advance into enemy territory. But he can't be everywhere at once, so choose what works best for your playstyle. Those early game choices can have significant impact when it comes to mid and late game.
Before you dream of armies, you’ll rely on simpler folk. Colonists are the foundation of any Keeper settlement. They build your structures, gather resources, and slowly turn a handful of supplies into a fortified enclave.
They’re not fighters - far from it. Unarmored and untrained for combat, colonists will scatter or fall under the lightest assault. Protecting them is crucial. And speaking of protection…
To keep your colonists safe, you’ll need soldiers. The Keepers train three primary types of combat units early on: footmen, bowmen and swift riders - their basic melee, ranged and cavalry units.
These three form a balanced triangle of strength and weakness, following a classic rock-paper-scissors dynamic. No unit is without a counter. Footmen beat riders, riders outmaneuver bowmen, and bowmen cut down footmen. Mastering this balance is key to any Keepers campaign - it ensures there’s never one perfect army, only smart tactics and positioning.
Not every Keepers unit is built purely for battle. Rangers can fight in a pinch, but that’s not why you’ll want them. Quick and sharp-eyed, rangers excel at exploration. They can scout far ahead of your main force, revealing the dangers or opportunities that lie hidden across Hastaris.
They’re lightly armored, fragile, and best kept out of heavy combat. Think of them as your forward eyes and ears, mapping the unknown and giving your armies the advantage of preparation.
These are just the first chapters in the Keeper arsenal. As your settlement grows and your technology advances, more specialized and devastating units will become available. But that’s a story for another time. To unlock those future forces, you’ll first need to understand how the Keepers build - from their fortified walls to their towering temples.
And that sounds like the perfect topic for our next blog.
Want to see these units up close and play with them? Try our demo, now:
There are multiple server instances and all of them support up to 25 players, for now. Play the demo, let us know your thoughts and leave a review.
Wishlist Coloniser on Steam to follow the development of the Keepers and the other factions.
Next time, we’ll be back with a look at Keeper architecture, and how each building is designed to turn your settlement into an unbreakable bastion. Demo is up for two more weeks - after that, we will be focused on private playtests. If you want to join the playtest, request it on Steam and join our Discord so you can let us know that you want to play the game.
Cantos Games