Lycanthropes, also known as Werewolves, are one of the most unique and aggressive unit types added in Wartales: The Curse of Rigel expansion. Unlike standard mercenaries, these units use transformation-based combat and are set up for raw DPS and aggression. If used correctly, Lycanthropes can become devastating frontliners or off-tanks that shred enemies once transformed. So, this complete Lycanthrope guide covers how to recruit, capture, manage, cure, and optimally build both regular and Hypertrophied Lycanthropes in Wartales.
How to Recruit Lycanthropes in Wartales
Lycanthropes become available through The Curse of Rigel storyline in the Rigel region. Early in the expansion, the King’s Prime Surgeon hands you a quest to investigate the spread of lycanthropy and search for a cure. As you progress through this questline, you’ll encounter Werewolves as hostile enemies.
Once defeated, these Lycanthropes can be captured and recruited, similar to human enemies or animals. After recruitment, they permanently join your troop as a special unit type and no longer require wages, instead consuming food like animals.
How to Find & Capture Lycanthropes in Wartales
Regular Lycanthropes are encountered primarily in the Weald forest areas of Rigel during story missions and side encounters. To capture one, you need to weaken it during combat and use 1 Rope to restrain it.
Hypertrophied Lycanthropes are rarer, stronger variants encountered later in the questline. These need at least 1 Chain instead of a rope to capture. They cannot be specialized further, but come with extremely powerful base skills that make them valuable endgame units.
How To Cure Werewolf Companions in Wartales
As part of the Rigel storyline, you need to research lycanthropy using the Scientific Research system at a Field Laboratory. By collecting Grafts and completing research objectives, you eventually unlock methods to cure lycanthropy.
Curing a Lycanthrope permanently removes their werewolf abilities and transformation skills, turning them into a standard human unit. This is usually not recommended unless you are roleplaying or restructuring your troop, as cured units lose their defining strengths.
Best Builds for Lycanthropes in Wartales
Now that you know what Lycanthropes are and how you can get them in Wartales, you should know the best builds for them and how you should use them in your team.
Best Lycanthrope Build
Regular Lycanthropes are ideal for stacking Bleeding and Blood Charge to sustain themselves while dealing heavy damage over time. Here's how you should build them:
| Type | Recommended Choices |
|---|---|
| Core Role | Off-Tank |
| Skill Choice | Bleeding, Artery Bite |
| Passive Choice | Blood Charge Healing, Guard |
| Positioning | Second line |
This build focuses on the skills Sharp Fangs and Lycan Thirst, letting your Lycanthrope apply Bleeding consistently and heal through Blood Charge. Protective Fur turns those stacks into Guard, letting the unit survive longer. Taking the Remarkable Organism passive at higher levels prevents death from DoT effects, which synergizes well with drawn-out fights.
Best Hypertrophied Lycanthrope Build
Hypertrophied Lycanthropes, on the other hand, are much tankier and thus can be used as pure damage dealers with no specialization tree, making their role very clear. Here's how you should build them:
| Type | Recommended Choices |
|---|---|
| Role | Burst Melee Damage Dealer |
| Skill Choice | Bloodthirsty Rage |
| Passive Choice | Monstrous Roar (Relentless) |
| Positioning | Frontline |
This variant is ideal for dealing with frontliners with Bloodthirsty Rage skill, especially against full-health enemies, followed by Monstrous Roar to grant Fury and Relentless to nearby allies. Opportunistic Predator passive also ensures AoO applies Bleeding, feeding into Blood Charge generation naturally.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
In raw damage and mobility, yes. However, they lack flexibility, specialization depth, and are vulnerable to poison, making them situational rather than universally superior.
Yes. While some skills prevent death from damage-over-time or allow survival mechanics, Lycanthropes can still be killed if overwhelmed or poorly positioned.
Generally no. Curing removes all werewolf abilities and transformations. It is only recommended if you no longer want to manage their playstyle or for narrative reasons.
For more on Wartales, check out How to Tame Fierce Animals in Wartales or Complete Wartales Fief Guide (2025) – Best Government, Alignments & More on Pro Game Guides!
