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Dicevaders Guide

The Duchess Commander Guide

Role: Board expansion and a chess army — builds to the fourth row with unique chess units.

Availability: Playable in the demo now

Starter Perk: The Art Of War

Artifacts:Full artifact kit by commander

Kit Overview

The Art Of War lets you build up to the fourth row and gives access to the Duchess's unique chess units — Queen, King, Bishop, Knight and Pawn. Every non-Token unit you spawn gains a shield and gives +10 XP to the artifact in its column.

Kit Overview
ItemRarityEffect
En PassantLegendary artifactWhen you destroy a non-Token unit, get +1 Chrono and +2 Mini-Dice.
Stone ChiselUncommon artifactWhen gained and when it levels up, a Pawn spawns on a random tile with +20 STR; each new Pawn gives all units +10 STR for each Pawn on the grid.
Blitz ArmorLegendary artifactWhen you score a unit with a Shield, break its Shield to gain +1 Budge and +10 Mult.
FortressRare artifactWhen you spawn a non-Token unit, build a random tile and give +30 STR to a random unit.
UsurperPerkCapturing and sacrificing grants +50% STR.
TableflipperPerkWhen your turn begins, trigger the "On Bought" or "On Spawn" abilities of all units in the bottom row.

How The Duchess Plays

The Duchess plays wider and taller than anyone else. The fourth row doubles your placement options, chess units give the board a cast of special pieces with their own behaviors, and shields from the starter perk feed Blitz Armor for Budge and Multi refunds. En Passant turns destruction into resources — Chrono and Mini Dice for every non-Token unit you give up.

Strategy Notes

  • Spawn non-Token units early and often: each one is a shield battery for Blitz Armor and an XP battery for the column.
  • Stack Pawns through Stone Chisel, then keep them alive — every Pawn on the grid amplifies the next one.
  • Usurper makes deliberate sacrifices profitable: capture and destroy on your own terms.
  • Tableflipper wants a busy bottom row — treat it as prime real estate for On Spawn units.
The Duchess joined the demo in the Tiny Teams Fest update and stars in the official Infinity Challenge — reach Infinity with her and you will understand board scaling.

Last updated: September 27, 2026