Throneward Nomad Guide

Nomad playstyle: a brawl with a plan

Nomad is Throneward's direct-combat legion. It does not build a shared meter like Inferno's Ignite. Instead, its five fighters cover distinct jobs: ranged multi-target damage, wounded melee pressure, a targeted attack-speed buff, close-range area damage and a heavy stun.

The roster is approachable because its payoffs are visible, but “more damage” is not the whole plan. Nomad wins when durable contact, target selection and attack-speed buffs keep the right fighter active through the next wave.

How Enrage and Bloodlust actually choose targets

Shaman does not simply choose the nearest ally or a fixed unit type. The target must have dealt some damage already and must not currently be under a haste buff. If Blademaster is your damage leader, she is a likely recipient; if Centaur has done more, Shaman can choose the Centaur instead. The decision updates as the fight develops.

Berzerker's dying buff is different: it seeks the nearest living allied fighter. Place the Berzerker close to the carry you want to inherit that burst, but not so far forward that it disappears before it has contributed. If both effects reach one fighter at different times, the newer haste sets that fighter's active haste rather than adding the two multipliers together.

All five Nomad units and current stats

Tier 5 · 40 gold · DPS

Centaur: cheap, protected pressure

Spear Volley deals 50 ability damage to its target and up to two more nearby eligible enemies. It chooses other victims by proximity to the Centaur rather than piercing a straight line. Its 11-range basic attack keeps it contributing behind a wall, but 190 HP makes an exposed Centaur a poor substitute for frontline.

Tier 4 · 90 gold · DPS

Berzerker Troll: an opening bruiser, not an immortal tank

At under half health, Enrage raises its own attack speed by 1.7×. When it truly dies, the nearest surviving ally gets a stronger 2.2× boost for four seconds. The 540-HP body can handle first contact early, but later you want it beside or behind Cyclops, where it can fight longer before passing on its fury.

Tier 3 · 150 gold · Support

Shaman: reward the damage leader

Bloodlust grants 1.8× attack speed for six seconds to the eligible ally with the most damage already dealt this battle. The Shaman attacks from 10 range to build mana, but its 360 HP calls for a protected rear position. Buy it when you already have a carry doing enough damage to justify the buff.

Tier 2 · 230 gold · DPS

Blademaster: the close-range wave clearer

Whirlwind deals 70 ability damage to every enemy within a 2.4-unit radius around her. Her 52-damage basic hits and fast 0.9-second cooldown make her a compelling Bloodlust target. Put her close enough to reach the pack, but not alone in the lead: 820 HP buys less time than Cyclops's 1,300.

Tier 1 · 330 gold · Tank

Cyclops: the wall and the pause button

Cyclops has the roster's largest health pool. Stone Throw aims at the densest reachable enemy cluster, then deals 60 area damage and stuns enemies caught within 2.2 units for two seconds. That pause protects the melee core and gives Centaur and Shaman more attack time. A lone Cyclops still needs damage behind it.

A practical Nomad formation

Bring the wave to a centered front. Cyclops is the preferred first-contact anchor once you can afford it. Keep Blademaster and Berzerker close enough to join the same fight but staggered so they do not absorb every first hit together. Place Shaman behind the wall and split your Centaurs across the rear so one area attack cannot erase all ranged damage.

This is a role map, not a required final board. Earlier, a Berzerker occupies the lead tile. Once Cyclops arrives, place the Berzerker close to the fighter you want its death buff to reach. Proximity influences that handoff; Shaman's target depends on battle damage, not formation distance. The unit placement guide explains first contact and anti-area spacing in more detail.

A sensible Nomad opening

The first five waves move from a small swarm to a fast rush, heavy Cinder Golems and a boss. Recheck what survived after each clear; a single-fighter opener can leak even when the King saves the round. The beginner guide gives the broader wave-reading framework.

Spend on the fighter that keeps your tempo

A worker costs 60 gold and generates mythium on later waves. That long-term return matters, but spending 60 on economy when the only frontline is already leaking removes almost an entire Berzerker's cost from immediate defense. Prioritize a stable clear, then use the economy guide to judge when a worker is affordable.

Nomad's difficult wave types

Nomad in PvP and arenas

In PvP, defend the scheduled wave before an opponent's mercenaries arrive at its tail. A durable send can outlast your first Enrage window; an area slam can hit several tightly packed Nomad melee fighters at once. Scout the available mercenaries and keep the formation capable of fighting after the first target falls. Read the mercenary guide for send and defense rules.

After waves 10 and 20, arenas copy your placed formation against another player's army. Cyclops should absorb first contact so Blademaster reaches close range and Centaurs can attack from behind. A Shaman buff follows actual damage dealt during that arena battle—it does not remember the creep-wave damage chart. If Berzerker dies, nearest-ally placement can decide whether its four-second handoff reaches a carry or a low-damage support.

Seven Nomad mistakes to avoid