Horde battle guide

The Horde Battle is the very first skirmish Simon and his allies take part into. At such it is relatively simple in comparison to what's to come, with no in-battle choices, and most relevant past decisions happening just before.

Variables

 * Army Size and Quality
 * Which mercenary companies, if any, were invested into exactly (in addition to their army size/quality bonus)
 * If you recruited both the Succubi near Stineford and the group at Withered Mountain
 * If you recovered Stark's head
 * If you spared The Impaler

Synergy bonus
A hidden Synergy bonus is calculated from your recruitment:
 * for having both the AriGarda and Iron Cudgel.
 * for having both the AriGarda and Dusty Horde (stacks with above).
 * for having both the Withered Mountain Troops and the Succubi Tower, but only if you talk with them outside the dark tower to trigger their scene.
 * for having both Orcent and Impaler, but only if you watch their cutscene outside the Abandoned Fortress.
 * for having Orcent and Stark's head, but only if you talk to Orcent twice outside the dark tower in order to show it to him.

Outcome
Orcent gives you a variable amount of money based on your Army Size and Synergy bonus:

The succubi village gives you various gear based on Army Quality:

Additionally, you get Yarra, Aka , Hilstara , Trin , Varia and the Orcent Orgy scene for having Synergy + Size + Quality &ge; 12.

Carina's men are saved if and only if you hired (at least) one mercenary company. They reward you with a Shining Armor and will have a minor role in the Third Arclent War.

If you do the maximum to reinforce your nonhuman troops without getting mercenaries, factoring in synergy bonuses, Quality grows up to 4: you get 3,000 Sx, the Orcent Orgy scene and the relationship points bonuses. If you hire Iron Cudgel, Quality grows up to 5, and Carina's men survive. If you hire AriGarda, Quality is bigger so you get maximum reward. You can get the 5,000 Sx reward by simply hiring the Dusty Horde, but you don't get the full reward from the succubi. In order to maximize both rewards, you must hire the AriGarda and at least one other mercenary company.