MENACE Squad Leaders: Roles, Perks, and Build Choices

Which MENACE Squad Leaders Should You Use?

MENACE squad leaders can turn the same equipment budget into a concealed ambush, a sustained firing line, or a devastating vehicle assault. Choosing leaders whose perks support your mission matters because action points, weapon uses, and supply costs shape what your force can accomplish. Start with MENACE squad leaders who cover distinct jobs: Darby for concealed attacks, Pike for support, Lim for mobile infantry, and Carda for special weapons.

Build around those jobs before chasing a universal ranking. A leader who delivers immediate firepower solves a different problem than one who needs time to develop or specializes in collecting loot.

The guidance below incorporates v0.7.17, including the restoration of Lim’s Zig-Zag perk. That matters when rebuilding characters after the broad promotion reset in v0.7.16.

Squad leader	Defining tools	Role supported by those tools
Jane Darby	Covert Ops, Ambush, Vanguard	Concealed attacks and forward deployment
Edwin Pike	Action-point support, This Is My Rifle, Firing Line	Supporting allies or sustained rifle fire
Charles Lim	Run and Gun, Berserk, Counter Strike	Mobile infantry and repeated attacks
Marta Carda	High growth, Share the Load, Full Send	Special-weapon fire with expanded ammunition
Sachin Singh	Strength in Numbers, Suppressive Fire, Firing Line	Suppression with a large squad
Kody Griefinger	Bonuses against healthy targets, Deploy Decoy, Tankbuster	Opening attacks and offensive pressure
Tekko'Beo Phosa	Special weapons without deploying, Die Hard	Mobile special-weapon attacks
Jean Sy	Economics 101, Trinketing	Supply efficiency and loot collection

Darby’s concealment and Ambush reward attacking before enemies detect her. Equip her for the distance you intend to fight: shotguns and SMGs support close attacks, while silenced weapons support a quieter approach. Use Vanguard to establish an opening position that serves the objective.

Lim’s Run and Gun reduces the next standard attack’s cost by 10 AP after moving. Move with a firing position in mind, then use the discount to keep pressure on the enemy. His 30% promotion discount also supports investing in his perk tree.

Carda demands more patience. Her starting attributes are weak, but her growth supports a substantial improvement over a campaign. Give her special weapons that benefit from Share the Load’s additional uses, and develop her alongside leaders who already perform reliably.

Official page: MENACE (menacegame.com)

Match Your Pilots to Their Vehicles

Pilots deserve the same attention as infantry leaders. Offensive perks, protection against defects, and movement bonuses can push a vehicle toward very different battlefield roles.

Image: Steam / Overhype Studios

Choose the pilot before spending the rest of the vehicle’s supply budget. Rewa’s offensive kit supports aggressive attacks, while Exconde’s defensive abilities support absorbing enemy attention.

Pilot	Important mechanics	Build consideration
Renu Rewa	Accuracy and discipline increase with kills; Tankbuster, Drive By, Berserk	Equip for sustained offensive pressure
Achilleas Kainoo	Additional AP as vehicle HP falls; Lancer and Shield Wall	Balance increased offense against remaining health
Garry Boganwright	Juryrigged repairs the most severe vehicle defect	Preserve vehicle function after damaging hits
Gabriel Exconde	Additional vehicle cover, Unbreakable, Divine Intervention	Build around protection and vehicle durability
Ivey	Barrage reduces heavy-weapon AP cost; Full Send rewards consecutive uses	Pair heavy weapons with target designation

Rewa gains 6% accuracy and discipline per destroyed unit, up to five stacks. Feed her attacks into targets she can finish, then use the accumulated bonuses to support further engagements. Her v0.7.16 perk tree replaces Commando with Shooting Gallery.

Kainoo’s missing-health mechanic creates a more demanding decision. His additional AP increases his offensive potential, but damaged vehicles also leave less room for mistakes. Shield Wall limits HP loss from a single attack; it does not make a badly damaged vehicle safe from repeated attacks. Check the remaining threats before committing him.

Exconde offers a defensive alternative. Divine Intervention prevents HP damage from the first attack each round, although armor can still take damage. Use that protection deliberately, and consider his movement-focused setup without medium or heavy weapons when building a protective vehicle.

For Ivey, combine Barrage and Full Send with a heavy weapon you can afford to keep firing. Bring target designation support to complement Direct Fire. Account for ammunition as carefully as AP: additional attacks still need rounds to fire.

When choosing MENACE squad leaders and pilots together, assign someone to identify targets, someone to suppress threats, and someone to deliver the decisive attack.

Unlock the Faction Squad Leaders

Three faction-affiliated characters arrived with SL Update #1: Weiwu, Corlain, and Murdock. Each requires trust with the corresponding faction before recruitment becomes available.

Their kits add distinct options to your roster. Corlain focuses on objectives and concealment, Weiwu rewards aggressive fighting under pressure, and Murdock combines vehicle combat with mission utility.

Character	Callsign	Recruitment requirement	Notable tools
Weiwu	Backbone	Trust with his corresponding faction	Additional squaddie HP, damage scaling with lost HP, Spear of the Spine
Corlain	Dice	Trust with his corresponding faction	Free sabotage, increased capture-zone contribution, concealment-based defenses
Murdock	Mock	Trust with her corresponding faction	Buyout, Insurance, Overtime

Corlain’s innate abilities make him especially relevant to objective play. Sabotage costs him 0 AP, and he counts as two units in capture zones. Build his route around cover: Door to Door adds concealment in cover, while Ice in the Veins converts concealment into defense and damage reduction.

Use his projectile accessories alongside Backup Plan when developing that part of his kit. Its bonuses apply to projectile-based accessories such as pistols, with rocket weapons excluded.

Weiwu gains additional squaddie HP and ignores the encumbered effect from heavy armor and weapons. His later Spear of the Spine perk grants 40 AP and 100% critical damage once per turn when he finishes movement adjacent to an enemy. Plan the approach before committing to that close position.

Murdock brings Insurance, which automatically completes an unfinished or failed secondary objective at mission end. Buyout can recruit eligible battlefield units and add manpower, while Overtime enables a free follow-up attack when its enemy-health condition is met.

Choose these MENACE squad leaders around the abilities you intend to use. Corlain’s capture mechanics, Weiwu’s adjacent-enemy trigger, and Murdock’s mission utility each call for a different plan.

Rebuild Around the Latest Perk Changes

The v0.7.16 balancing update refunded promotion points and required promotions to be assigned again. Hotfix v0.7.17 then reset and refunded Lim’s perks and promotions when restoring Zig-Zag.

Image: Steam / Overhype Studios

Review the current trees before recreating an older build.

Change	Current effect or replacement	Practical adjustment
Lim’s perk restoration	v0.7.17 replaces Solid Grouping with Zig-Zag	Reassign his refunded promotions
Standby and Take Aim merge	Delay activation for +10% accuracy and +30% critical-hit chance	Plan a later activation with the attack bonus
Sharpshooter rework	Reduces enemy cover by two levels for special and vehicle weapons	Check weapon compatibility before investing
Die Hard rework	30% incoming damage reduction for the whole unit	Reconsider builds centered on the former 90% leader protection
Grenadier improvement	Adds one use to grenade accessories	Equip grenades to benefit from the extra use
Hotwire improvement	Survives the first otherwise-destroying hit with 10% HP, alongside its existing effect	Include the survival effect when evaluating the perk
Wetteroth attribute increase	Agility rises from 57 to 63; AP rises from 85 to 90	Recalculate his movement and attack budget
Sprint introduction	Costs 40 AP to move up to five tiles, followed by winded	Budget for both the movement and its aftermath

Sharpshooter deserves particular attention. Its current cover reduction works with special weapons and vehicle weapons. Avoid building a standard rifle squad around that cover-reduction effect.

Tech’s durability also needs a fresh look. Die Hard now protects the whole unit at 30% damage reduction. Equip and position him around that current protection when using his ability to fire special weapons without deploying.

Other leader changes include Sprint replacing Standby for Darby and Sachin, Grenadier replacing Demolitions Expert for Tech, and Vanguard replacing Steady Gun for Exconde. Murdock receives Minimize Silhouette in place of Fortify.

Several surrounding mechanics affect MENACE squad leaders too. Damage reduction is capped at 90%, movement costs at least 4 AP per tile, and critical hits gain 50% increased armor penetration. Check the final action budget and weapon behavior when rebuilding.

Turn Individual Leaders Into a Working Force

Start mission preparation by assigning each unit a concrete task. Then spend equipment and promotion points on tools that support it.

Pair suppression with finishing attacks. Sachin’s Suppressive Fire increases suppression from squad weapons by 50%. Keep his Strength in Numbers mechanic in mind: larger squads support his accuracy and discipline, while falling below five squaddies penalizes them. Use his fire to control enemies before committing your attackers.

Separate opening attacks from cleanup. Griefinger gains accuracy and damage against healthy targets. Yazhov’s No Mercy rewards attacks against wavering or fleeing enemies. Let Griefinger open an engagement, then direct Yazhov toward enemies whose morale has already broken.

Use decoys with visibility in mind. Griefinger’s Deploy Decoy can draw enemy attacks. Place it where enemies can see it, and use cover to improve its staying power. Avoid placing it behind terrain that prevents it from serving its purpose.

Make Jean’s loot perk part of your attack sequence. Trinketing adds 30% item drop chance when she destroys an enemy. Leave her suitable finishing opportunities when collecting equipment is a priority. Her supply savings and loot generation give her a different job from a dedicated damage dealer.

Vamplew offers another equipment-focused option. Flamboyant reduces armor supply cost by 30%, while Shooting Gallery rewards attacking enemies outside cover. Use the armor discount to support a flanking setup, then seek exposed targets.

Wetteroth’s Big Game Hunter applies to large targets, including vehicles. Deploy Wire Slings now reaches four tiles, has eight uses, and causes trapped units to receive 30% more damage. Place traps where your other units can follow up.

Before deploying MENACE squad leaders, check:

• Attack order: Who benefits from hitting a healthy target, and who should finish it?
• Weapon compatibility: Does the selected perk affect the equipped weapon?
• Special-weapon uses: Can Carda’s Share the Load support the mission’s ammunition demands?
• Positioning: Does the plan require concealment, cover, adjacency, or remaining stationary?
• Survival: Can exposed units withstand the enemies still able to act?

In Ironman, account for the v0.7.16 rules: quitting during a mission aborts it, and reloading cannot reverse squad leaders being downed or killed during that mission. Commit to exposed positions only after checking your support and escape options.

FAQ

Which MENACE squad leaders should beginners focus on?

Start with clearly defined roles: Darby for concealment, Pike for support, Lim for mobile attacks, and Sachin for suppression. Develop Carda alongside them if you want a special-weapon specialist whose attributes improve substantially over time.

Does Charles Lim still have Zig-Zag?

Yes. Hotfix v0.7.17 restored Zig-Zag by replacing Solid Grouping. The change reset and refunded his perks and promotions, so reassign them before deploying him.

How do you unlock Weiwu, Corlain, and Murdock?

Earn trust with each character’s corresponding faction. All three are faction-affiliated recruits introduced in SL Update #1, and Murdock is a vehicle pilot.

Why does an older squad leader build work differently now?

Version 0.7.16 changed numerous perks and leader trees. Sharpshooter now applies its cover reduction to special and vehicle weapons, Die Hard provides 30% damage reduction to the whole unit, and Take Aim combines delayed activation with accuracy and critical-hit bonuses. Rebuild around those current effects.