Codex
Your field guide to running a nation. Every part of the game, explained by your advisors in plain words.
First steps
What the game is about, how a game starts and how it ends.
Every great leader starts somewhere. The wise ones start by reading the briefing.
Welcome, LeaderYou lead a real country on a real map of the Earth. Win the world with friends, or by force.
Starting a new gamePick your nation, your leader and your rivals, then choose the rules.- DifficultySandbox, Realistic or Nightmare: how hard the world pushes back.
- Time and speedThe world keeps turning, unless you pause it.
- Saving and loadingYour game records itself as you play, and you can save whenever you like.
Winning and losingUnite the world in friendship, or bring it to heel. Just keep your leader alive.
Your nation
Money, taxes, people and the land you rule.
Money is not everything. But try fighting a war without it.
- The War BudgetYour nation's money. It pays for everything, from barracks to gifts for other leaders.
TaxesEach nation you hold has its own tax. More tax means more money, but grumpier people.- Respect and moodHow the people of each nation feel about you. Happy people pay up and stay; angry ones do not.
- PeopleMore people means more taxes. Look after them and they will grow.
- Reputation and opinion abroadWhat the world thinks of you, at home and abroad.
An empty treasuryTroops expect to be paid. Run out of money and they lose heart.
ResourcesOil, gas, metals and food lie all over the world. Hold them and refine them for extra money.
Supply routes and convoysTrucks and cargo ships carry resources from faraway fields to your refineries.- Land and territoryYour home country is yours while your leader lives. Empty lands go to whoever builds there first.
Bases and buildings
Your strongholds on the map, and everything you can build in them.
A good base is like a good pair of boots. You only notice it when it lets you down.
BasesYour strongholds. They hold buildings, train forces and guard the land around them.
Calls for help at homeYour people will sometimes need you. Answer their call.
Founding a new baseSend a Construction Supply Convoy somewhere new and build a base on the spot.- Building and sellingFill your base's slots with buildings, one at a time.
PowerMost buildings need a working Power Plant. No power, no factories.
Damage and repairsDamage stays until someone fixes it. Engineers and the right buildings do the fixing.- Garrison and rally groupsTroops standing at a base defend it. New units gather where you tell them.
- Training unitsBarracks, War Factories, Shipyards and Airfields turn money into forces.
PortsA base with a Naval Shipyard becomes a port, where ships are launched and convoys change from land to sea.
BarracksThe home of your infantry.
War FactoryWhere tanks and other vehicles roll off the line.
Naval ShipyardBuilds your navy and turns the base into a port.
AirfieldHome of your air force.
RefineryTurns oil, gas, metals and food into money.
Reinforced BunkerThick concrete for your infantry.
Perimeter WallA strong wall around the whole base.
Machine Gun NestCheap and cheerful defence against infantry.
Anti-Tank Missile BatteryStops tanks in their tracks.
Anti-Air Gun BatteryKeeps enemy aircraft out of your skies.
Coastal Missile BatteryGuards the coast against enemy ships.
Missile Interceptor BatteryShoots incoming missiles out of the sky.
Power PlantKeeps the lights on.
Forces
Your army, navy and air force: how to move them and what each unit does.
Know what your troops can hit, and what can hit them. The rest is paperwork.
- GroupsYou command groups of units, not single soldiers. Each group is a round marker on the map.
- Moving and giving ordersSelect a group with a left click, then right click where you want it to go.
- Selecting and control groupsPick groups quickly with the mouse and the number keys.
- Sharing units between groupsMove units between your groups, split a group in two, or merge two into one.
Transports and cargoSome units carry others: across the sea, through the air, or into battle.
FerriesAnchors on the coast mark civilian ports. Their ferries carry your armies across the sea.
Your leaderThe most important person in your nation. Lose them and the game is over.
Assault SquadTough foot soldiers: the backbone of every army.
Missile SquadInfantry with rockets on their shoulders.- Engineering SquadBuilders and mechanics in uniform. They carry tools, not rifles.
TankHeavy armour that rolls over the opposition.
Armoured Personnel CarrierAn armoured taxi for your infantry.
Anti-Aircraft SystemAir defence that travels with your army.
Missile Defence SystemA shield against missiles for your army.
Missile ArtilleryLong-range rockets that strike far beyond the horizon.
Construction Supply ConvoyA whole new base, packed into a convoy.- Logistics Transport VehicleThe trucks and cargo ships of your supply routes.
SubmarineA silent hunter beneath the waves.
Destroyer WarshipThe fleet's bodyguard.- Landing Platform DockA ship that carries an army across the sea.
Aircraft CarrierA floating airfield.
Air Superiority FighterRules the skies.
Attack JetA fast jet that strikes ground forces and ships.
Strategic BomberFlattens buildings and armour.
Transport AircraftThe fastest way to move troops.
War
Battles, missiles, bridges and the rules of a fight.
Battles are won before they start, usually by whoever brought the right units.
- Influence circlesEvery base and group has a circle of influence: the area it watches over and defends.
BattlesWhen enemy circles overlap, the shooting starts. Battles take hours, not seconds.- The Battle OverviewWatch a battle unfold and tell your units what to shoot.
- Who beats whomEvery unit has something it is good against, and something it should fear.
Capturing basesDefeat a base's defenders, then march infantry in to take it.
Missiles and interceptionMissile Artillery strikes from far away. Missile defences shoot the missiles down.
Rivers and bridgesBig rivers slow armies down. Bridges are the quick way across.
Rivals at warNo two rival leaders fight alike. Learn their habits before they learn yours.- Attacking a friend or a neutral nationBefore the shooting starts, their leader calls and asks what on earth you are doing.
- Invasion and trespassMarching into someone else's country without asking gets noticed.
Being spottedRival leaders only know what they have seen. Use that.
Diplomacy
Friends, rivals, deals, calls and the art of persuasion.
Words are cheaper than tanks. Usually.
- RelationsEvery leader is friendly, neutral or hostile towards you, and that can change.
- The Diplomacy screenTalk to every leader in the world: propose deals, or call them in person.
Alliances and treatiesAllies fight beside you, trade with you and open their airfields to you.- Calling a leaderTalk to another leader in your own words, like a private chat.
- Threats and blackmailSometimes leaders pay up out of fear. Sometimes they declare war.
- Secrets and leaksEvery leader hides something. Find it out, then decide what to do with it.
- Asking allies for helpMilitary allies can defend, attack, patrol, or even build units for you.
- Financial aidA good friend may send you money when you are short. You will owe them a favour.
- Visits and summitsMeeting in person builds trust like nothing else.
Shelter and exileWhen home is in danger, a leader can shelter in an ally's base.- The agent of chaosYour sworn rival. It will not be your friend, and it wants the world against you.
- Rival leadersEvery rival is a person with a personality, a memory and a plan.
Your advisors
Five experts who work for you, whichever nation you lead.
We tell you what we know. What you do with it is up to you.
Screens and controls
Finding your way around the map, the panels and the settings.
A good map and a quick hand. That is half of every operation.
- The map and its modesThe Military View is a living map of the world. Change how it looks with the map toolbar.
- Panels and listsEvery big panel opens from the dock along the bottom of the screen, or with its own key.
- Important eventsA list on the map of everything that needs your attention.
- Keyboard shortcutsAlmost everything has a key. Press the help key for the full list.
- Tutorial and tipsYour advisors can walk you through your first game.
- SettingsSound, display, controls, gameplay and the AI's quality.
News and Truth Xquare
What the world says about you, and what you say back.
Back to the chapters