House Atreides

Recommended Counselors: Lady Jessica & Thufir Hawat

• Lady Jessica: Can spend influence to force a truce, making it costly for enemies to attack. Ideal for defensive and diplomatic playstyles.
• Thufir Hawat: Grants two agents an additional trait, and allows spending Solari to hasten mission progress and building construction. Great for boosting espionage and infrastructure.
• Alternative Option: Duke Leto for a simpler, more beginner-friendly experience with additional knowledge and military buffs.

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House Harkonnen

Recommended Counselors: Feyd-Rautha & Pieter De Vries

• Feyd-Rautha: Can use corruption on Landstraad resolutions, reducing enemy standing. Increases influence and agent recruitment speed while a village is under oppression.
• Pieter De Vries: Each sacrificed agent permanently reduces mission cost and provides additional Solari, making espionage-based assassinations much cheaper.
• Alternative Options:
  • Rabban: Increases construction speed and grants bonus Solari when killing rebels—great for economic and military playstyles.
  • Captain Nefud: Enhances military strength in regions with active Harkonnen oppression, ideal for conquest-focused playstyles.

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House Smugglers

Recommended Counselors: Staban Tuek & Lingar Bewt

• Staban Tuek: Buffs Underground HQs, increasing profitability and adding an extra extension slot, making them much more effective.
• Lingar Bewt: Grants +10 water and unlocks the Water Network and Water Seller extensions in Underground HQs, which help sustain the economy.
• Alternative Options:
  • Drisq: Agents generate Solari per infiltration level, making it a long-term economic boost, but harder to optimize early on.
  • Bannerjee: Improves pillaging rewards, ideal for aggressive Smuggler players who want to maximize raiding income.

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House Fremen

Recommended Counselors: Mother Ramallo & Stilgar

• Mother Ramallo: Can incite rebellions on Landstraad resolutions, causing chaos for enemy factions. Grants additional intel per harvest team.
• Stilgar: Reveals all Sietches from the start and reduces the Authority cost for alliances, making expansion much easier.
• Alternative Options:
  • Chani: Grants +1 water per empty building slot and reduces Solari costs when maintaining high water reserves.
  • Jamis: Grants Authority for liberating villages and boosts military power outside your territory, ideal for aggressive Fremen playstyles.

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House Corrino

Recommended Counselors: Princess Irulan & Finring

• Princess Irulan: Allows construction of duplicate buildings in villages, making expansion more efficient. Grants +2 crew for Harvesters.
• Finring: Speeds up investigation of points of interest, which increases early-game resource acquisition and espionage.
• Alternative Options:
  • Hasimir Fenring: Increases truce power, useful for controlling political maneuvering.
  • Wensicia Corrino: Doubles vote effectiveness when affecting an edict, helpful for political victories.

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House Ecaz

Recommended Counselors: Masterpiece Architect & Landstraad Diplomat

• Masterpiece Architect: Grants additional Solari for each Sanctuary and increases Authority production in neighboring villages.
• Landstraad Diplomat: Can use Landstraad Immunity to negate harmful resolutions and earns bonus standing when building Masterpieces.
• Alternative Options:
  • Elite Military Commander: Grants upkeep-free max-level military units, useful for aggressive conquest.
  • Resource Manager: Can abandon villages and refund Authority, useful for flexible expansion strategies.

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House Vernius

Recommended Counselors: Tess Vernius & Verus Strategist

• Tess Vernius: Reduces infiltration requirements, turning excess knowledge into intel, making assassinations easier.
• Verus Strategist: Boosts influence generation based on knowledge and grants Landstraad standing when engaging in conflicts.
• Alternative Options:
  • Vernius Expansionist: Reduces expansion costs, ideal for territorial control strategies.
  • Industrialist: Allows constructing additional buildings in villages, beneficial for economic development.

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Conclusion

Each House has distinct strengths and weaknesses, and the right counselor choice will enhance your preferred strategy—be it military conquest, political manipulation, or economic dominance. Consider your long-term goals and playstyle when selecting counselors. Happy ruling on Arrakis!