Antihero - Beginner's Guide to Currency, Units, and Buildings

A complete beginner's guide to becoming a master thief in Tim Conkling’s new indie game, Antihero. 

If you recently picked up Antihero, you may find yourself searching for a beginner’s guide on gameplay elements such as currency, units, and buildings. On the surface, Antihero is a relatively approachable strategy game where you control a rising Thieves Guild.

As you proceed through the game, the difficulty ramps up with new challenges and puzzles. To help get you started, we’ve put together a beginner’s guide to Antihero that will help answer all of your questions regarding in-game currency, units, and buildings.

Antihero - Beginner’s Tips and Tricks

Just getting started in Antihero? No problem, here are a few tips and tricks to keep in mind! 

In Antihero, you’re free to choose whichever strategy works best for you, although there are a few beginner’s tips and tricks to keep in mind. For example, infiltration of a Trading House should typically be your first move as you’re unable to anything without first having Lanterns. Additionally, it can be wise to build up one specific Victory Point type.

If you’re planning to prioritize controlling Churches for Blackmail, prioritize scouting for Orphanages. If you’re planning to use Assassination, invest in Daggers and Ganges. On the subject of Scouting, try to make a habit of scouting Businesses occupied by the enemy using the last of your Master Thief’s actions.

In doing so, you’ll avoid sacrificing productivity should you fall into a Saboteur trap. Continuing the subject of productivity, being frugal with your actions is key. To help give you an edge, you’ll want to add additional actions to your Master Thief in order to do more with each turn. Now that you know a few important things to keep in mind while playing Antihero, let’s move on to more specific details.

Antihero - Currency

You can spend currency like Gold on additional units, such as Urchins, in Antihero.

Considering the game deals with thievery, the first topic we’ll cover in our Antihero beginner’s guide is currency. In Antihero there are two types of currency: Lanterns and Gold. As you make your way through the game, you’ll be able to steal and spend both forms of currency. However, there are slight differences between Lanterns and Gold in Antihero that are worth noting.

Lanterns

In Antihero, Lanterns are a form of currency used to purchase upgrades and victory conditions. Certain districts will produce Lanterns each and every turn. In order to rapidly earn Lanterns and grow your stockpile, you’ll want to focus on these districts. In addition, you can earn Lanterns passively using the Lamp Lighters upgrade, or you can steal Lanterns if you find yourself in need. Speaking of upgrades, if you choose to not buy an upgrade during a turn, you can take the “Charity” upgrade. When using Charity, you’ll be able to choose between gaining two Lanterns or four Gold instantly, so definitely keep this option in mind!

Gold

In Antihero, Gold is one of the main forms of currency you steal, and can be used to purchase units. While theft is the easiest way to earn Gold, you can also earn Gold by infiltrating Businesses that provide Gold bonuses each turn. Alternatively, you can kill enemies for Gold, although this is definitely risky. When budgeting your Gold, keep in mind that advanced units are often expensive, so you’ll want try and maintain a good balance when spending Gold. This is because every time you spend Gold on a unit, the price of units increases. The same rule applies when purchasing upgrades using Lanterns.

Antihero - Victory Points

You can earn Victory Points in Antihero by assassinating high-value targets.

While there are a variety of ways to win a match in Antihero, one of the primary methods is to reach a set amount of Victory Points. The way in which you reach these Victory Points depends on how you choose to play the game, although there are set ways in which you can earn Victory Points. Below, we’ve listed the main ways in which you can earn Victory Points in Antihero.

  • Blackmail: You can upgrade Churches by adding Urchins. Once three Urchins have been added, Churches will reward you with the Blackmail Victory Point. The maximum amount of Blackmail Victory Points depends upon the amount of Churches on the map.
  • Assassination: In Antihero, there are neutral targets cloaked in purple that will randomly populate the map. Many are easy to beat including Thugs, however there are high-value targets such as Lords and Ladies who will give you something better than Gold, Victory Points. You will earn one Victory Point per high-value target.
  • Bribe: Finally, Bribes are a unique, non-upgrade use for Lanterns in Antihero. Purchasing a Bribe using your Lanterns will award you with one Victory Point. Each Bribe will cost you five Lanterns each. Note that a maximum total of three Bribes can be purchased between both players.

Buildings

There are a variety of Buildings to make note of while playing Antihero.

While playing Antihero, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the game’s many Buildings. For example, dark Buildings can be burglarized for Gold, with some even allowing you to hit them twice (though the second attempt at theft will award less Gold). Most Buildings in Antihero are distinguished and zoned by color-coded Districts. These districts indicate the type of Businesses within. There are several other variant Buildings, which we’ve listed below.

  • Churches: You’ll find Churches in Grey Districts. You can earn one Gold per turn when infiltrating Churches. Once fully upgraded, you’ll earn one Blackmail Victory Point for as long as you remain in control of the Church.
  • Strangefellows Pub: You’ll find Strangefellows Pub in Brown Districts. You can earn one Gold discount when infiltrated with Thugs. Once fully upgraded, your Gangs and Thugs will gain a health bonus.
  • Banks: You’ll find Banks in Yellow Districts. These are the most common Building to infiltrate. Doing so will award you with one Gold per turn, increasing to three Gold per turn when fully upgraded.
  • Orphanages: You’ll find Orphanages in Blue Districts. You’ll earn one Gold discount when infiltrating Orphanages with Urchins. Once fully upgraded, Urchins will gain the ability to evict enemy Urchins from Businesses.
  • Estates: You’ll find Estates in Purple Districts. You’ll earn high Gold and Lantern bonuses when infiltrating estates, although you’ll find Estates to be occupied by neutral Thugs every once in awhile.
  • Trading Houses: You’ll find Trading Houses in Green Districts. You’ll earn one Lantern per turn when infiltrating Trading Houses. Once fully upgraded, you’ll earn two Lanterns per turn.

Antihero - Units

Aside from the Master Thief, there are a variety of Units in Antihero with a plethora of useful skills.

The next thing you need to familiarize yourself with in Antihero are units. In the game, your primary unit is the Master Thief. However in the Antihero campaign, your primary unit will either be Lightfinger or Emma. When it comes to the Master Thief, they can scout through hidden streets, reveal enemy units, and scout buildings to control later on. Furthermore, they can burglarize buildings for currency including Lanterns.

At the end of each turn, your Master Thief will return to the safety of the Thieves Guild, meaning they cannot be killed. Other units to keep on your radar while playing Antihero which are listed below.

  • Thugs: These units are the muscle used to occupy certain objectives and block road tiles. They cost three Gold each and will start out with one health, which can later be upgraded using Lanterns. After two turns, Thugs will return to the bar to have a drink.
  • Saboteurs: These units can rig Businesses with traps to ward off enemy scouts and other attempts to displace your infiltrators. Saboteurs cost three Gold per unit. The traps placed by Saboteurs last two turns, and should an enemy encounter one, they’ll be stunned for one turn. This can be beneficial, as Master Thieves lose their remaining actions when other units are stunned. After the Saboteur has finished his duties, he’ll depart.
  • Assassins: These are your primary offensive units in Antihero, as they deal six damage to the opposition. You’ll want to utilize your Assassins for specials tasks, such as killing high-value targets for Assassination Victory Points. However, you’ll want to be cautious with your Assassins, as they cost eight Gold each and can only be used once before they disappear.
  • Urchins: You’ll want to use Urchins when turning Businesses for profit. They’re priced at three Gold each, and are (as you probably surmised) able to infiltrate Businesses and harvest resources. Be cautious, though, as Urchins can be evicted from Businesses thus requiring you to purchase more.
  • Truant Officers: Speaking of evicting units from Businesses, your Truant Officers are the ones who do the evicting in Antihero. If you’re looking to shut down an enemy, the Truant Officer is extremely helpful. They’re a bit expensive at eight Gold per unit, especially considering they can only be used once, however they’re great to have on hand when needed.
  • Gangs: Lastly, Gangs are a unit that work in a similar manner to Thugs, albeit more offensively. Gangs can attack enemies and evict Urchins. Every time they do so, they’ll gain a level. With every level gained, you can select what action they get better at. While they don’t deal as much damage as the Assassin, Gangs are highly useful for offense. They cost three Gold each, and you can boost their health by having Thugs join their ranks. Note that you can only control one Gang at any given time.

There you have it, a beginner’s guide to Antihero. What tips do you have for new players? Let us know in the comments below!

By reading through this beginner’s guide, you should now know the basics of Antihero including currency, Victory Points, units, and buildings.

Morgan is a writer, indie game lover, and socially awkward coffee addict. Need something? Morgan can be reached at morgan.shaver@allgamers.com or if you like, you can say hello using GIFs on Twitter.

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