MENACE Best Starting Squad Leaders: Early Game Picks

Who Are the MENACE Best Starting Squad Leaders?

Start with Jane Darby, Edwin Pike, and Charles Lim, then add Renu Rewa as your vehicle pilot. The MENACE best starting squad leaders help you control dangerous enemies, stretch your supply budget, and recover when positioning goes wrong. Build your MENACE best starting squad leaders lineup around those practical advantages before chasing expensive weapons or fully promoted builds.

These characters cover different jobs without demanding that every squad become a damage dealer. Darby scouts and disrupts, Pike supplies emergency action points, Lim offers cheaper promotions, and Rewa brings a vehicle that gains accuracy and discipline through kills.

Leader	Opening role	Main reason to include them
Jane Darby	Recon and disruption	High Value Targets disables enemy special abilities for one turn
Edwin Pike	AP support	Taking Command grants another squad leader 40 AP
Charles Lim	Infantry with cheaper promotions	Aspiring reduces promotion costs by 30%
Renu Rewa	Vehicle combat	Gains accuracy and discipline as she destroys enemies

This lineup prioritizes early reliability and resource efficiency. Darby carries a substantial supply cost, so balance her inclusion against the equipment and manpower you can afford across the rest of the force.

Version context: The perk changes below reflect v0.7.16 and Hotfix #13, v0.7.17. Older builds differ, particularly for Lim, Pike, and Rewa.

Official page: MENACE (menacegame.com)

Use Darby and Pike to Control Difficult Turns

Jane Darby: Scout, Disrupt, Then Commit

Darby earns her place through more than damage. Her starting perk, High Value Targets, makes her attacks disable enemy special abilities for one turn. That gives you a direct way to interrupt a dangerous unit before it uses its strongest tools.

Use that control deliberately. Identify an enemy whose abilities threaten your position, attack it with Darby, then concentrate the rest of your force where the fight needs attention. Avoid spending her entire contribution on an easy target while a more disruptive enemy remains free to act.

Her development also supports concealed attacks. Covert Ops improves her stealth, while Ambush increases damage when attacking from concealment. Shotguns and SMGs support a close assault role; silenced weapons support a more distant approach.

Choose equipment that matches how you intend to engage. Keep a concealed shooter at a useful firing position instead of moving closer simply because Darby can.

Darby’s high supply cost is her main opening tradeoff. Include her for reconnaissance, disruption, and offense together, then keep the rest of the roster affordable.

Edwin Pike: Keep an AP Reserve

Pike is the safety net among the MENACE best starting squad leaders. Taking Command grants another squad leader 40 AP, creating an opportunity to finish an enemy, reposition, or disengage.

His early deployment cost is 20 supply, and his high discipline helps him resist suppression and morale problems. Those qualities make him useful without requiring an expensive offensive build.

Think about the recipient before using Taking Command. An extra action matters most when it changes the outcome of the turn.

• Give AP to a squad that can eliminate an immediate threat.
• Help an exposed leader reach a safer position.
• Support a withdrawal when an attack leaves someone stranded.
• Keep Pike away from unnecessary frontline exchanges when his support ability is the priority.

When manpower is tight, shift squaddies toward your combat squads and use Pike primarily for support. Protect him carefully in that role; fewer squaddies give you less reason to expose him to direct fire.

Develop Lim and Rewa Without Overextending

Charles Lim: Spend Promotions Carefully

Lim brings Aspiring, a starting perk that reduces promotion costs by 30%. That makes him appealing when you want an infantry leader who can develop without demanding as much promotion spending.

Keep promotion cost and deployment supply in mind separately. Promotions permanently increase supply costs, so cheaper advancement still requires planning around the force you intend to deploy.

For your MENACE best starting squad leaders lineup, promote Lim toward a defined combat job. Choose upgrades that support the weapon and positioning you already use instead of buying every attractive option.

His Run and Gun perk is available at tier 1 and supports improved shooting efficiency. Berserk adds AP after kills, giving him a path toward a more aggressive infantry role as he develops.

Lim also has Zig-Zag again in v0.7.17. Hotfix #13 replaced Solid Grouping with Zig-Zag after the preceding balance update had replaced his original Zig-Zag slot with Sprint.

Use his defensive tools to support controlled aggression. Move him into useful range with other squads ready to help, and avoid leaving him to absorb an entire enemy force’s response.

Renu Rewa: Build Momentum With Your Vehicle

Rewa gains 6% accuracy and discipline per enemy destroyed, stacking up to five times. That rewards a vehicle that stays involved in the fight and secures kills.

Roadkill doubles damage from running enemies over and increases the number of enemy elements hit. This gives her another offensive option while conserving ammunition.

Use run-over attacks when the route and ending position make sense. Avoid chasing an isolated kill that leaves the vehicle exposed to enemy anti-tank fire.

Rewa’s development includes vehicle damage tools such as Tankbuster, while Drive By and Berserk support mobile offense. Her Rage perk increases damage at the cost of accuracy, making her accuracy gains relevant as a fight progresses.

Early vehicles also provide mobility and protection for transported troops. Plan the vehicle’s movement alongside your infantry so that its contribution supports the whole force rather than pulling the battle in two directions.

Update Your Perk Plans for v0.7.17

Several older build recommendations need adjustment after v0.7.16. Revisit perk choices before copying an established setup, especially on an existing campaign with refunded promotions.

Image: Steam / Overhype Studios

Leader or perk	Current change	Tactical consequence
Darby	Standby replaced by Sprint	Adds a dedicated movement option
Pike	Standby replaced by reworked Take Aim	Supports delayed activation with accuracy and critical bonuses
Lim	Zig-Zag restored in v0.7.17, replacing Solid Grouping	Restores the defensive option removed in v0.7.16
Rewa	Commando replaced by Shooting Gallery	Changes the perk options behind older builds
Wetteroth	Agility increased from 57 to 63; AP increased from 85 to 90	Gives him more AP than his earlier version

These changes matter when choosing MENACE best starting squad leaders because the same character can offer different options across patches.

Sprint costs 40 AP, moves a unit up to five tiles, and applies Winded afterward. Use it for a purposeful relocation. Account for both the AP expenditure and the resulting status before committing.

The reworked Take Aim postpones the active unit’s turn and grants +10% accuracy and +30% critical hit chance. Delay Pike’s activation when the later shot offers more value than acting immediately.

Critical hits also gained 50% increased armor penetration in v0.7.16. That gives critical bonuses another relevant benefit against armor.

Sharpshooter now reduces enemy cover level by two, but applies only to special weapons and vehicle weapons. Match it with eligible equipment when planning a build around cover reduction.

Existing saves remain compatible with these updates. The balance update refunded promotion points, while Hotfix #13 reset and refunded Lim’s perks and promotions. Reassign them before deployment.

Compare Alternatives and Prepare Your Opening Force

Your MENACE best starting squad leaders choices should fit the equipment, supply, and combat roles you intend to use. Several other leaders offer clear reasons to change the opening lineup.

Leader	Relevant strengths	Tradeoff
Marta Carda	Low deployment cost, high growth, and special-weapon potential	Weak starting stats
Jean Sy	Low supply demands, Economics 101, and extra loot through Trinketing	Limited starting Agility and slower growth than Marta
J. G. Wetteroth	Low deployment cost, Big Game Hunter, and scouting tools	His v0.7.16 AP increase changes comparisons with older builds
Achilleas Kainoo	Strong offensive perks, Shield Wall, and Fortify	Very high supply cost and no way to handle defects in his described kit

Marta suits a campaign where you are willing to develop a weaker starter. Her later options include ATGM and Tripod Auto-Cannon roles. Pair her special-weapon plan with ammunition support when those tools become part of your loadout.

Jean offers immediate economic value. Use her lower supply demands to preserve room elsewhere in the force, and account for her limited AP when positioning.

Kainoo has powerful vehicle perks, but his supply burden makes him a more demanding opening choice. Avoid building a force whose pilot leaves too little room for infantry and equipment.

Weiwu, Corlain, and Murdock require trust with their respective factions to unlock. Plan those recruits around faction progress rather than treating them as immediate starting replacements.

Check the Force Before Deployment

Use this preparation order to turn your MENACE best starting squad leaders selection into a workable team.

Preparation check	What to do
Combat roles	Assign Darby reconnaissance and disruption, Pike AP support, Lim infantry combat, and Rewa vehicle duties
Promotion spending	Choose upgrades around an intended role and review the resulting supply cost
Weapons and perks	Match weapon restrictions and perk effects before deployment
Vehicle condition	Review damage and defects; the game warns about vehicles below 25% HP

Preserve manpower as carefully as ammunition. The First Aid perk now adds a 20% squaddie rescue chance, with a minimum rescue of one. The separate IFAK infantry accessory increases its unit’s rescue chance by 25%, also ensuring one squaddie is rescued.

Consider those tools when casualties are draining your force. Keep the distinction between the perk and accessory clear when assembling loadouts.

FAQ

Who are the MENACE best starting squad leaders for beginners?

Start with Jane Darby, Edwin Pike, and Charles Lim, supported by Renu Rewa as your vehicle pilot. Together, they provide ability denial, extra AP, cheaper promotions, and vehicle offense.

Is Darby worth her high supply cost?

Darby combines reconnaissance, concealed attacks, and one-turn enemy ability denial. Include her when you can afford that combination while keeping the rest of your force equipped and staffed.

Does Lim still have Zig-Zag?

Yes. Hotfix #13, v0.7.17, restored Zig-Zag to Lim by replacing Solid Grouping. His perks and promotions were reset and refunded with that change.

Should I choose Marta Carda instead of Lim?

Choose Marta if you want a cheap leader with high growth and are prepared to work through weak starting stats. Choose Lim for his 30% promotion discount and an infantry path that includes Run and Gun.