Devlog 9 - Army Level Systems Overview

Hey everyone, welcome back to another dev log.

Originally, this month was going to be about stat tracking. I had planned to walk through how units track Health Points (HP), Action Points (AP), status effects (SE), all of that. But the more I looked at it, the more I realized that stat tracking doesn’t really make sense in isolation. It only matters because of the systems around it.

So instead, I want to take a step back.

Today is about the army-level systems in the game. The parts that sit above individual units and combat actions. These are the systems that shape how an army functions as a whole, and how you as the player influence the battlefield outside of unit activations.

There are three core pieces to this: Army Morale, Battle Orders, and Command Traits.

Individually, each of these systems is simple. There’s no complicated bookkeeping or layered timing puzzles hidden inside them. But together, they define how an army feels to play. They’re what turn a collection of units into something that behaves like an actual force with structure, and identity.

So before we get into how stats are tracked or how information is managed during play, I want to walk through these systems at a high level. What they are, how they work, and what they’re meant to add to the experience.

Let’s start with Morale.

Army Morale

What Morale Is

Morale in Beyond Space is tracked once per army, not per unit. It’s a single shared value that represents the army’s overall cohesion, command integrity, and ability to function as a unified force once the battle starts.

Every army starts the game at 30 Morale Points (MP). That value can go up and down during play, but it never goes above the starting value and never below zero.

What I Wanted Out of This System

I didn’t want morale to feel like a constant chore or a background stat you’re babysitting every turn.

I’ve seen morale systems in other games that feel abrupt, overly punishing, or just annoying to track. Sometimes you lose control instantly. Sometimes the penalties feel disconnected from what actually happened on the table. And sometimes morale is technically there, but it’s so noisy that it stops being meaningful.

Here, morale is meant to be a pressure layer. It’s present and it matters, and you can’t ignore it, but it’s not firing off nonstop. Big moments move it. Smaller interactions nudge it. Most of the time, it’s something you’re aware of rather than something that’s constantly demanding attention.

When Morale Changes vs When It Matters

Morale can change at any point during the turn, but the consequences don’t apply immediately.

Instead, morale is evaluated once per turn during a dedicated Morale Phase, which happens after the Command Phase and before activations begin. That’s when you check your current morale, see which threshold you’re in, and apply the effects for that turn.

So if morale drops in the middle of a turn, you’re not suddenly losing actions mid-activation. You see the value move, you know why it moved, and you know what that’s going to mean when the next turn starts.

Morale Thresholds

Morale is broken into thresholds that apply increasing pressure as morale drops.

Above 20 Morale, there are no penalties. Once morale hits 20 and below, the system starts pushing back in clear stages.

At higher thresholds, the pressure is mostly about efficiency. Units may begin the turn with fewer Action Points, tightening your options without shutting systems off entirely. As morale continues to fall, the penalties stop being about AP and start becoming structural.

At lower thresholds, the army begins losing access to higher-level tools. Battle Orders shut off. Command Traits can disable. Behavior rules stop working.

At 0 Morale, the army enters Morale Collapse. Almost all command structure is gone, including all Battle Orders, traits and Behavior rules all at once. The game doesn’t instantly end, though. The army is still fighting, recovery is possible with the right tools.

How Morale Thresholds Are Actually Applied

At any given time, your army has a single Morale value. During the Morale Phase, you take that number and compare it to the morale threshold table.

Whatever threshold your morale falls into is the only one that applies for that turn.

You don’t stack effects from higher or lower thresholds. You don’t partially apply anything. You check the number, find the matching threshold, and that’s the state your army is in until the next Morale Phase.

This is an important detail, because it keeps morale readable and easy to manage during play.

Threshold Example

Here’s a simple example.

Let’s say your army starts the turn at 6 Morale.

When you reach the Morale Phase, you check that value against the thresholds. At 6 Morale, your army is in a low morale threshold where command structure has begun to fracture. That means Tactical Battle Orders are no longer available and Captain-level command effects are disabled. (Command Trait)

Those are the only effects that apply for the entire turn. Nothing above that threshold matters anymore, and nothing below it applies yet.

Now imagine that later in the turn, you manage to restore morale through a Battle Order or a unit ability, and your morale goes back up to 9. That change happens immediately, but it doesn’t alter anything right away.

When the next turn begins and you reach the Morale Phase again, you check morale against the thresholds once more. At 9 Morale, your army is now in a higher threshold. Some command structure comes back online, and the penalties for the turn are less severe.

The system always works the same way:

• One morale value
• One threshold
• One set of effects per turn

Morale Events and Morale Effects

Morale changes come from two sources: Events and Effects.

Morale Events are major battlefield moments. These are big, meaningful outcomes that only happen once per condition. A clear example is losing your Commander. When that happens, morale takes a significant hit immediately. These events are rare, but they matter a lot.

Morale Effects are smaller, more situational changes. These come from things like unit abilities, Battle Orders, support units, or special rules. For example, a unit might use an ability that lowers the enemy army’s morale by 1, or a Bannerman might help stabilize morale after losses. Some Battle Orders and Command Traits can also raise or suppress morale.

These effects aren’t constantly firing off, and they’re not meant to swing morale wildly on their own. They exist to apply pressure over time, reinforce certain playstyles, and reward attention without turning morale into a constantly fluctuating number.

In both cases, the morale value changes immediately. The consequences still wait for the Morale Phase.

Example

A clean example of how this plays out:

Your opponent manages to kill your Commander. That triggers a Morale Event right away, and your army’s morale drops sharply. Nothing breaks mid-turn, but you immediately feel the weight of that loss.

When the next turn begins and you reach the Morale Phase, you check your new morale threshold. Maybe your army now starts the turn with reduced AP. Maybe Tactical Battle Orders are no longer available. The important part is that the cause and effect are clear. You know exactly why morale dropped, and you know exactly what that means for the turn ahead.

This also makes targeting command units a real strategic choice. You’re not just removing a powerful model. You’re attacking the army’s ability to function.

How It’s Meant to Feel

Morale is there to create tension without confusion.

You can see it building. You can plan around it. You can choose when to push, when to stabilize, and when to accept risk. It’s not meant to end games on its own. It’s meant to make the state of the battle matter at the army level.

Battle Orders

Battle Orders represent direct, high-level commands issued by the player. They’re not unit abilities, and they don’t replace normal activations. Instead, they sit above the battlefield as strategic interventions that let you influence the flow of a turn at specific moments.

If Morale represents how well an army is holding together, Battle Orders represent how much direct control you can exert over the battlefield.

What I Wanted Out of Battle Orders

Battle Orders exist to give players meaningful intervention points without taking over the game.

I didn’t want army-wide commands that are either forgettable or overwhelming. Battle Orders are meant to matter when they’re used, but they’re limited enough that timing and restraint are always part of the decision. You’re choosing when to step in, what to commit, and what you’re willing to give up later by spending Order Points now.

They’re a pressure layer that sits on top of normal gameplay, not a replacement for it.

What Battle Orders Are

Battle Orders let you reinforce the battlefield, affect positioning, respond to specific threats, or alter how a turn unfolds.

Units still move, attack, and resolve combat normally. Battle Orders modify the context around those actions rather than overriding them.

Each army has access to twelve Battle Orders total:

• Six Grand Battle Orders
• Six Tactical Battle Orders

Each army has 12 total, eacg are largely distinct from one another from army to army. While some Orders are shared across armies, most are faction-specific and are designed to reinforce how that army is meant to play.

All Battle Orders are fueled by a shared resource called Order Points (OP).

Order Points (OP)

Order Points represent a finite pool of command authority available during a match.

You start the game with a fixed amount of OP based on game size. Once spent, those points are gone. They don’t regenerate, and an Order still costs its OP even if it fails or is countered.

For reference, OP starts at:

• Skirmish: 20 OP
• Battleline: 30 OP
• Warfront: 40 OP

Because OP is limited and public information, every Battle Order is a commitment. Spending OP early creates immediate leverage, but it also reduces the options you’ll have later when the situation changes.

You’re never required to spend OP. Unused points simply remain unused.

Two Types of Battle Orders

Battle Orders are split into two categories.

Grand Battle Orders are issued during the Command Phase. Each player can issue at most one per turn. These Orders are proactive and shape how the current turn plays out.

Tactical Battle Orders are used at specific timing windows throughout the turn. Each player can issue at most one per turn. Tactical Orders are situational and are declared at the moment their timing allows.

Both types draw from the same OP pool.

Tactical Timing Windows

Each Tactical Battle Order specifies when it can be used.

Some are used during the Command Phase. Others are used during a unit’s activation to modify that activation. Some are reactionary and are declared immediately after a triggering action, resolving before that action completes.

Tactical Battle Orders cannot react to other Tactical Battle Orders, and you cannot issue more than one per turn. Once you commit to a Tactical Order, that’s your intervention for that turn.

This keeps timing clear and prevents long interrupt chains.

Examples

Here are some Grand and Tactical Battle Orders that will ship with the Beta. (All is subject to change)

Lorian Knight Order

Grand Battle Orders

• Emperial Bastion: Until the end of this turn, friendly units cannot be displaced by enemy Actions or Combat Effects.
• Knightly Discipline: Until the end of this turn, your army ignores the effects of its current Morale Threshold.

Tactical Battle Orders

• Alchemical Purification: Select one friendly unit. Remove all negative Status Effects from that unit.
• Burden of Duty: When a friendly unit would suffer damage, you may choose another adjacent friendly unit. That unit suffers the damage instead.

Araashi Knight Order

Grand Battle Orders

• Artillery Bombardment: Target three tiles in a straight line. Roll to deal damage to each targeted tile.
• Shock and Awe: Until the end of this turn, the enemy army cannot increase Morale.

Tactical Battle Orders

• Overclocked Systems: Select one friendly Vehicle unit. Until the end of this turn, that unit gains +1 Range on all Combat Actions.
• Coordinated Assault: Select one enemy unit. Until the end of this turn, friendly units gain +1 Accuracy when attacking that unit.

Exalted Crusade

Grand Battle Orders

• Champion’s Call: Select a destroyed friendly Champion unit. Deploy it into your Deployment Zone with 1 HP.
• No Return: Until the end of this turn, friendly units cannot move backward or end their activation without moving. Friendly units gain +1 Physical Damage and +1 Movement.

Tactical Battle Orders

• Cleansing Incense: Select one friendly unit. Remove all negative Status Effects from that unit.
• Divine Blessing: Select one friendly Champion unit. Until the end of this turn, that unit cannot be destroyed and cannot be reduced below 1 HP.

Hellforged Legion

Grand Battle Orders

• Thirst for Blood: Until the end of this turn, whenever a friendly unit deals damage, restore 1 HP to that unit.
• The Great Harvest: Until the end of this turn, whenever a friendly unit destroys an enemy unit, restore X Morale to your army.

Tactical Battle Orders

• Too Angry to Die: When a friendly unit would be destroyed, that unit is instead reduced to 1 HP. This Order may only affect each unit once per game.
• Culling the Weak: Sacrifice one friendly Demon unit. Select one adjacent friendly unit. Restore that unit’s AP to its maximum.

Battle Orders and Morale

Battle Orders are directly tied to morale.

As morale drops, access to Battle Orders begins to disappear. Tactical Battle Orders are disabled first. At full Morale Collapse, Grand Battle Orders are also unavailable.

Reaching zero Order Points is itself a Morale Event, reflecting the loss of effective command authority.

As pressure builds, Battle Orders become harder to access, reinforcing the connection between morale and battlefield control.

How They’re Meant to Feel

Battle Orders are meant to feel deliberate.

They give you the ability to intervene at key moments, but only a limited number of times per game. Each use carries opportunity cost, and each decision shapes how much control you’ll have later.

They add another layer of decision-making without introducing constant overhead, and they reward awareness, timing, and restraint.

Command Traits

Command Traits are army-wide rules that define your army’s playstyle. They’re one of the main ways you shape how your force functions before the game even starts.

They aren’t unit abilities and they aren’t positional effects. They apply to your whole army and they’re meant to be easy to remember during play.

Command Traits are tied directly to the Commander and Captain you choose during army creation.

Every army includes:

• One Commander
• One Captain

Each of those units comes with a specific, unique Command Trait. You are not selecting traits independently. You are choosing a Commander and a Captain, and their traits come with them.

That choice is one of the most important parts of building an army.

When you select a Commander or Captain, you’re choosing what kind of army you want to play. Different Commanders and Captains support different unit mixes, different strengths, and different approaches to the game. This is where flexibility comes from. It allows armies to branch into different playstyles instead of feeling rigid or locked into a single direction.

What I Wanted Out of Command Traits

I wanted army building to matter in a real way.

I didn’t want commanders to just be strong units with aura bubbles, and I didn’t want list-building to come down to small, forgettable stat tweaks. Command Traits exist to give each army a clear direction before the game even starts.

Your choice of Commander and Captain should:

• Influence what units you bring
• Reinforce how your army fights
• Support the kinds of decisions you want to make during the game

This is one of the main ways two players can bring the same faction and still end up with very different armies on the table.

Commander Traits vs Captain Traits

Commander Traits and Captain Traits serve different roles, but they work together.

Commander Traits

• Come from the Commander you select
• Define the army’s primary direction
• Often influence list building or core army behavior
• May interact with army-wide systems like morale or damage types

Captain Traits

• Come from the Captain you select
• Are more focused and localized in effect
• Reinforce specific unit types or combat roles
• Do not affect army construction

You always have one of each, and together they shape both the structure and the feel of your army.

Global and Non-Positional

Command Traits are:

• Army-wide
• Always on
• Non-positional

They don’t rely on ranges, tiles, or formations. They aren’t tied to whether the Commander or Captain model is alive. The only thing that disables them is morale.

As morale drops and command structure breaks down, Captain Traits disable first, followed by Commander Traits. If morale recovers, those traits come back online during the next Morale Phase.

Examples

Here are some examples from each army.

Lorian Knight Order

Commander Traits

• Arcane Supremacy: Friendly units gain +1 Magical Resistance. Arcanist and Spellblade unit caps are increased.
• Iron Bastion: Friendly Knight archetype units cannot be forcefully displaced by enemy effects. Knight and Runesmith unit caps are increased.

Captain Traits

• Runic Steel: When a friendly Lorian Spellblade or Runesmith unit performs a melee Combat Action, replace 1 point of Physical Damage with 2 points of Magical Damage.
• Ballistic Calibration: Friendly Lorian Ranger, Bannerman, and Alchemist units gain +1 Accuracy when performing ranged Combat Actions.

Araashi Knight Order

Commander Traits

• Shogun of Steel: Friendly Vehicle units gain +1 Accuracy when performing ranged Combat Actions. Ironclad and Lancer unit caps are increased.
• Stormfront: When a friendly Knight, Blademaster, or Swiftblade destroys an enemy unit, it gains +1 AP at the end of that action. Knight, Blademaster, and Swiftblade unit caps are increased.

Captain Traits

• Steel Edge: Friendly Araashi Knight, Blademaster, and Swiftblade units gain +1 Physical Damage when performing melee Combat Actions.
• Targeting Matrix: Friendly Araashi Ranger, Eliminator, Scout, and Bannerman units gain +1 Accuracy when performing ranged Combat Actions.

Exalted Crusade

Commander Traits

• Heaven’s Chosen: Your army may include one additional Champion unit beyond normal limits. Harvester's unit cap is increased.
• Sanctified Armor: Friendly units gain +1 Physical Resistance. Templar and Bannerman unit caps are increased. Templars and Bannerman unit cap is increased.

Captain Traits

• Consecrated Will: Friendly Exalted Templar and Bannerman units gain +1 Accuracy.
• Pilgrimage of Steel: Friendly Exalted Pilgrim, Faithbearer, and Warden units gain +1 Physical Damage.

Hellforged Legion

Commander Traits

• Azruun’s Chosen: When a friendly unit deals Magical Damage, it ignores 1 point of Physical Damage. Magus and Shaman unit caps are increased.
• Endless Slaughter: Whenever a friendly unit is destroyed, gain +2 Army Morale. Hellsmith and Hellbreaker's unit caps is increased.

Captain Traits

• Warplated Abomination: Fallen Knights and Warmasters gain +1 Physical Resistance.
• Tides of Blood: When a friendly Hellknight, Hellbringer, or Hellbrute destroys an enemy unit, it may immediately move 1 tile.

How Command Traits Fit With the Other Systems

Command Traits define how an army wants to function. Morale determines how well it can keep doing that under pressure. Battle Orders give you moments of direct control when it matters.

As morale drops, those identity-defining traits start to shut off. When morale is stable, the army fully expresses its chosen playstyle. When morale collapses, that structure disappears.

More Commanders & Captains

This is the initial set of Commanders and Captains. More will be added over time alongside new units for all armies.

How These Systems Fit Together

All three of these systems live at the same level of the game. They don’t replace unit actions or combat. They shape how your army functions as a whole over time.

Command Traits establish direction before the game even begins. When you choose your Commander and Captain, you’re locking in how your army is built and what it leans into. Those traits remain active throughout the game unless morale reaches a threshold that disables them.

When that happens, only the trait effects are disabled. Army construction elements, like increased unit caps, are not removed mid-game. The structural identity remains, but the army loses access to the benefits those traits provide until morale stabilizes.

Battle Orders are your active layer of control. They’re the moments where you step in and influence a turn directly. As morale drops, access to those tools begins to disappear. Tactical Battle Orders disable first. At lower thresholds, even Grand Battle Orders become unavailable.

Morale is what governs that entire process. It tracks how much coordination and command authority your army can maintain. As morale falls, you don’t just lose numbers — you lose systems. First intervention. Then command structure. Eventually, the army is still fighting, but without the layers of coordination it started with.

None of these systems operate in isolation. Command Traits define how the army is supposed to function. Battle Orders let you actively shape key moments. Morale determines how much of that structure you’re able to keep.

When morale is stable, your army operates as designed. When morale collapses, you’re playing with fewer tools.

That relationship is deliberate. The state of your army matters, and maintaining that state is part of the game.

Closing Thoughts

Thanks for taking the time to read through this one.

These systems are now in a place where they’re solid enough to be shown and discussed, but they’re not locked. As the game moves into beta and people start playing matches and I get data, morale, battle orders, and command traits will all go through tuning, balance passes, and potential adjustments. That’s expected, and it’s part of the process.

In the next dev log, I’ll be diving into stat tracking. A lot of what was discussed here feeds directly into that, so having this context in place first felt important.

If you have feedback, questions, or want to dig into any of this in more detail, feel free to reach out in the Discord. I’m always happy to talk through design decisions and hear how these systems are landing.

Until the next dev log, thanks for reading.