Welcome, fellow gamers, to the ultimate guide on optimizing your start with the Fremen faction in Dune: Spice Wars. The Fremen excel at mobility, desert traversal, and guerrilla warfare, making them a powerful faction that thrives in the harsh environment of Arrakis. This guide will cover the ideal build order, village priorities, tech progression, and preparation for mid-game expansion, ensuring you start strong and set yourself up for domination.

Choosing the Best Counselors

For this guide, the best counselors to choose are:

1. Stilgar – Provides additional Authority production, making expansion and village annexation easier.
2. Mother Ramallo – Enhances Sietch relations, which will be explained further in this guide.

This combination ensures both rapid territorial expansion and early diplomatic advantages.

Step 1: Early Game Priorities and Exploration

1. Deploy Your Ornithopter Wisely

• Send your Ornithopter to scout for Spice fields immediately.
• Look for high-value resource villages with Plascrete or Fuel Cell bonuses.
• Identify Sietches early on, as they can become useful allies.

2. First Unit Production & Combat Tactics

• Build two Warriors to take your first village.
• If enemy militia includes ranged units, focus your melee units on them first.
• Use the Fremen’s desert movement to avoid unnecessary supply loss.

Step 2: Capturing Your First Villages

Prioritizing Villages Based on Resources

The first few villages you annex will determine your economic strength. Prioritize villages with:

• Spice Fields (Primary objective) – Essential for Solari generation.
• Plascrete Deposits – Reduces construction costs, vital for early expansion.
• Fuel Cells – Powers advanced buildings and ensures efficient resource production.
• Water Wells – Crucial for both expansion and diplomacy with Sietches.

Once you have a Spice village secured, immediately construct a Refinery and set your Harvester to manual recall to minimize Sandworm losses.

Step 3: Optimal Tech Progression

The right research path will maximize Fremen strengths. Here’s the recommended early tech order:

1. Survival Training – Increases military unit resilience in the desert.
2. Composite Materials – Reduces building costs.
3. Water Sellers Contacts – Boosts water generation for future expansion.
4. Local Dialect Studies – Reduces Authority cost for annexing villages.
5. Fremen Economy – Enhances Solari generation and resource efficiency.

Step 4: Preparing for Mid-Game Expansion

1. Strengthening Economy & Resource Management

• Build Plascrete Factories in at least one village to sustain development.
• Ensure water production is stable before annexing additional villages.
• Trade excess resources with Sietches to gain bonuses and allies.

2. Military Expansion & Defense

• Construct a Military Base near contested zones to reinforce defensive positioning.
• Train additional Warriors and Skirmishers to maintain control over expanding territory.
• Establish thumpers to ensure rapid movement across the dunes when necessary.

Final Thoughts: Mastering the Fremen Playstyle

The Fremen are a faction that rewards strategic planning and adaptability. Their ability to navigate the sands of Arrakis without supply depletion gives them unparalleled mobility, making them deadly in ambushes and skirmishes. By focusing on the right expansion tactics, village prioritization, and tech progression, you will dominate the early game and be well-positioned for mid to late-game success.

Stay prepared, control the spice, and lead your Fremen forces to victory!