Phase 4: mercenaries, barricades, the Magic bell and the port battle

Checklist

Hire the mercenaries

1. In the Barracks, talk to the mercenary with the prompt. The group comes with its own gear — you only pay. Choose Pay for a battle: 5 silver the first time (check the price shown).
2. Paid, the four of them are worth 8 military strength. Unpaid, they’re worth nothing even standing there. A victory clears the payment and the fee goes up, so budget for rehiring them before every battle.

Build two Barricade I

1. The material chain:
   1. Oiled wood (20 red, 20 green; needs Tool Rack): Melted Fat x1 + Wooden Plank x4 → Oiled Plank x4 at the workbench, Building 4.
   2. Reinforced Plank research (45 red; needs 20 Herbert reputation and the Bronze Forge research, 20 red after the 30-red Bronze Works tier):Oiled Plank x1 + Bronze Detail x2 → Reinforced Plank x1 at an anvil, Hammer, Smithing 4.
   3. Simple Barricades research (60 red, 25 green).
2. Make the barricades from the Barracks building desk (not a workbench): each Barricade I is Bronze Nails x6 + Short Log x2 + Reinforced Plank x2. For two: 12 nails, 4 short logs, 4 reinforced planks.
3. They’re stored as defences (no Hammer job) and add 2 strength each. Placing them on a battlefield comes later.
4. With the mercenaries paid and both barricades made, tell Herbert We’re ready.. If the option is missing, the mercenaries aren’t paid or the barricades only exist as ingredients.

The Magic bell

1. Recipe: Blood x1 + Bronze Ingot x1 at any anvil, Hammer, Smithing 3. No Faith, no extension.
2. Blood comes from autopsies, and not every body has it — don’t dig up the tutorial corpse. If Donkey is waiting at the morgue, finish his conversation and let him go, then check later deliveries.
3. Stuck at Smithing 2? Swapping the Rusty Hammer for a Bronze Hammer raises the tool bonus from 1 to 2.
4. Give it to Herbert with The Bell: Town Gratitude and Pilgrim’s Clothes.

Break Through to the Port

1. With both reports done, talk to Herbert in front of the Barracks (Everything seems ready...). He hands you two healing potions.
2. Interact with the guard post and choose Start Battle. You need a sword and body armour equipped. The screen allows 1 squad and needs 12 strength; the paid mercenaries are already selected.
3. In the preparation phase, use the battlefield building menu to place your barricades across the route to your base. (Retreat cancels and returns you outside — do that before starting if you need to change gear.)
4. Carry the squad’s banner to lead the mercenaries and drop it where they should hold. The bars at the top of the screen show when and where the next zombies arrive. Clear enemies around a flag and stay near it to capture it; more friendly troops capture faster.
5. Protect your base and your health — losing either ends the attempt. Drink a potion early rather than late, and don’t chase stragglers so far that the next wave walks into your base.
6. Lost? This area is secure now, so retry whenever you like: shift the barricades to the route that broke through, or stay with your squad instead of fighting alone up front.
7. Victory gives 1 Defender’s Emblem, 6 Zombie goo, 4 Town Gratitude and the First Blood achievement. Keep the emblem: it unlocks another squad slot at the Barracks.
8. Once the port is secured, talk to Herbert again for Our Military Plan: 10 Herbert reputation, Town Gratitude, and the start of the southern campaign (Phase 8). Your next stop is Jack, in Phase 5.