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The strongest all-purpose thralls are usually named Tier 4 fighters. The names most often associated with top melee performance are Relic Hunter Treasure Seeker, Dalinsia Snowhunter and Cimmerian Berserker. Which one is “best” depends on when you recruit it, how it scales, and whether you need a fighter, crafter or archer.
You can obtain thralls by knocking out hostile NPCs and breaking them on a Wheel of Pain, freeing prisoners from cages, recruiting at taverns, buying from merchants or completing companion quests. The procedure below covers each route, the equipment required, and the current-patch issues that can make an old spawn or stat guide misleading.
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What makes a thrall the best?
“Best” is not a single in-game rating. Compare candidates on four separate axes:
#1 Best Overall
- EXPLORE A VAST WORLD: Explore a giant world, from the burning desert in the south to the snow-capped mountains in the north. Discover ancient cultures, ruins, and dungeons
- SURVIVE: Stay warm, cool yourself down, drink and eat, weather scouring sandstorms, prevent your mind from being corrupted when exploring dark dungeons, and battle vicious monsters to stay alive
- BUILD: Harvest resources to craft tools and weapons, then build anything from a small home to entire cities piece by piece. Build walls, traps, elevators, and more, then deck out your creations with a wide variety of different furniture, crafting stations, and NPC guards
- DOMINATE: Wage war against your enemies, use siege weapons and explosives and see their walls crumble to dust, then unleash your savage fury in violent and brutal combat
- BUILD AN ARMY OF THRALLS: Capture NPCs, drag them back to your base, and use the Wheel of Pain to break their will. Turn them into archers, crafters, entertainers, and more for your settlements
- Role: Fighters protect you and your base, crafters improve production, and archers provide ranged support.
- Tier and naming: Named Tier 4 NPCs are generally the targets of end-game hunting. A named thrall is not automatically superior in every situation, but it is the tier most often sought for maximum potential.
- Level scaling: Some fighters have exceptional starting health and damage, while others gain more as they level. A recruit that dominates at low level may not be the top choice after extensive training.
- Acquisition risk: A solo spawn is easier to secure than a crowded camp, and a Purge can be more dangerous than either. The safest target is often the one you can capture without losing the rest of your supplies.
No primary publisher figures establishing universal damage, health or capture-rate rankings were available. Treat numerical tier lists from community pages as patch-sensitive guidance rather than permanent game rules.
Best fighter thralls
| Thrall | Why players seek it | Best use | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relic Hunter Treasure Seeker | Frequently reported to out-scale other high-end fighters at high level | Long-term melee companion or base guard | Scaling claims come from guides, not a published primary-stat table |
| Dalinsia Snowhunter | Reported to have the highest base health and damage at lower levels | Early investment that is immediately strong | Her advantage can change as different fighters gain levels |
| Cimmerian Berserker | Repeatedly named as a top fighter option | General combat and defense | Exact ranking varies by patch and growth rolls |
| Daicas | Listed as a strong alternative in fighter guides | Combat when the primary targets are unavailable | Guides disagree on the epithet: “the Sand-strewn” and “the Sharp” both appear |
| Lian | Included among strong fighter choices by one guide | Practical substitute for a named Tier 4 hunt | Do not infer a fixed ranking from a single list |
Relic Hunter Treasure Seeker
This is the high-level scaling pick in the commonly cited fighter comparisons. If you are building a companion for prolonged leveling rather than immediate use, this candidate is often preferred. You still need to check the live game’s attributes and growth, because no primary source supplied a universal end-game damage number.
Dalinsia Snowhunter
Dalinsia is the lower-level power choice in one comparison table: she is described as starting with the highest base health and damage. That makes her valuable when you need a dependable bodyguard before you have time to level several recruits. A solo-spawn approach, such as the Stargazer’s Crest example cited by a guide, can reduce the chance of being overwhelmed while you perform the knockout.
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This named fighter appears repeatedly in community recommendations and is a sensible target when you encounter one before the other two. Use the same evaluation process as for any Tier 4 fighter: inspect its current attributes, consider the level at which you will use it, and keep a spare replacement rather than risking your only companion.
Daicas and Lian
These are credible alternatives when a preferred camp is occupied, a named spawn does not appear, or a solo player cannot safely manage the encounter. The conflicting descriptions of Daicas are a warning not to rely on a page’s title alone; confirm the NPC’s name and tier in the current game.
Best crafter thralls
Tier 4 Blacksmiths
A named Tier 4 Blacksmith is the target when your priority is weapon and metal production. The important benefit is not combat damage: high-tier crafters can unlock recipes and production advantages that a fighter cannot provide. Place one at the appropriate crafting station and compare the station’s available recipes before replacing it.
Tier 4 Armorers
Tier 4 Armorers are the equivalent priority for armor production. If your settlement has limited space, assign the best crafter to the station that supports your current bottleneck instead of treating every Tier 4 recruit as interchangeable.
Recommended Free Tools
Crafting guides often use “best crafter” to mean “highest tier,” not a universal named individual. The evidence here identifies the role and tier, but does not establish a definitive ranking of every Blacksmith or Armorer.
Rank #2
- Includes a 6 inch Conan the Barbarian polyresin figurine, a custom comic book, 3 soundtracks featuring the music from Conan Exiles as well as the music from Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures and Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer, an artbook, a map of the world of Conan Exiles, a code to unlock 6 full-color digital comic books from Dark Horse Comics, a code to unlock the digital rule book created by Modiphius for their Conan pen and paper RPG, and a code to unlock the “Coming of Conan” eBook!
- Dominate the Exiled Lands - Carve out your piece of the Exiled Lands, taking it from other players if you must! Build siege weapons and use explosives to break down the walls of your enemy’s city.
- Survive in a Savage Land - Dress well or light a campfire to stay warm and make sure to cool yourself down in the heat. Hunt, cook, eat, and drink to stay alive. Build a shelter to weather scouring sandstorms.
- Brutal, Bloody Combat - Fight vicious monsters and other players using an action-oriented, combo-based combat system. Dodge, block, and learn to master the true art of combat to become the greatest fighter in the Exiled Lands.
- Play Together or Alone - Play alone locally or fight for survival and dominance in persistent multiplayer on public servers. You can also host your own server and invite others to join you in a world where you have full control of the rules and settings. Want to play with just handful of friends? Try co-op mode!
Best archer thralls
A 2024 community list names Black Dragon Master Archer, Colvric the Blade and Accursed Berserker. That list is older and its original authority is not confirmed, so use the names as leads rather than guaranteed current winners. Check the recruit’s tier, attributes and behavior in your present build before investing rare equipment.
Archers are most useful when their line of sight is reliable. A theoretically strong archer placed behind a wall, on an obstructed platform or in a position where enemies quickly reach melee range may contribute less than a lower-profile recruit with a clear firing lane.
Every way to get thralls
Capture hostile NPCs
This is the standard route for named fighters and crafters. You knock an NPC unconscious, bind it, carry it back and break it on a Wheel of Pain. The full procedure is in the next section.
Free prisoners from cages
Cages scattered around the map can contain prisoners. Freeing one avoids a knockout fight, but the available recruit is determined by the cage encounter rather than by your preferred camp. Check the prisoner’s role and tier before committing station space or follower gear.
Recruit at taverns
Tavern recruits provide a convenient alternative when you are not ready to assault a camp. Availability can vary, so treat a tavern as an opportunity rather than a guaranteed source of a particular named Tier 4 fighter.
Buy from merchants
Some merchants sell recruits. This can save preparation time compared with a capture, but the purchase route depends on what the merchant offers. Inspect the recruit’s role and tier before paying.
Complete companion quests
Companion quests are another route. The official wiki identifies Freya and Liu Fei as current companions. Quest availability and rewards can change with updates, so follow the objectives shown by the current game rather than an old walkthrough.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsHow to capture a thrall step by step
1. Unlock the basic tools
One progression guide places the Thrall Taker feat at level 10 and lists a Lesser Wheel of Pain, a truncheon and bindings as early unlocks. Your exact unlock path can differ with edition or server settings, but you need the equivalent equipment before attempting a camp capture.
Rank #3
- Explore a giant world, from the burning desert in the South to the snow-capped mountains in the North
- stay warm, cool yourself down, drink and eat, weather scouring sandstorms, prevent your mind from being corrupted when exploring dark dungeons, and battle vicious monsters to stay alive
- harvest resources to craft tools and weapons, then build anything from a small home to entire cities piece by piece
2. Prepare a non-lethal weapon
Use a truncheon, blunted arrows or blunted javelins. These deal concussion damage rather than lethal damage. Do not switch to a normal weapon when the target is nearly unconscious: a final lethal hit removes the recruit you were trying to save.
3. Isolate the target
Choose a named camp or a solo spawn when possible. A guide specifically cites Stargazer’s Crest as an example of a location where Dalinsia can be approached without a large surrounding group. Clear or distract nearby enemies, keep an escape route open and avoid beginning the knockout beside additional archers.
4. Knock the NPC out
Strike with the blunt weapon until the concussion meter is depleted. Pause between attacks if necessary so you do not accidentally kill the target with another damage source. Watch for environmental hazards and friendly followers that may continue attacking.
5. Bind the unconscious NPC
Equip bindings and interact with the unconscious body. The bound NPC follows while tied. Move directly toward a prepared route or base; unnecessary detours increase the chance of another enemy interrupting the carry.
6. Place the captive on a Wheel of Pain
Put the bound recruit into an available Wheel of Pain and add food. Gruel is the usual fuel listed by capture guides. Without food, the breaking process cannot progress normally.
7. Add a Taskmaster
A Taskmaster assigned to the wheel reduces breaking time. Higher-tier Taskmasters provide larger bonuses, so assign your best available one when the captive is valuable or when you need the wheel for repeated recruits.
8. Wait for the break to finish
Higher-tier NPCs take longer to break than low-tier captives. The exact duration depends on the wheel, the captive and the Taskmaster bonus; no reliable universal time figure was established. Keep the wheel protected and stocked rather than removing the recruit early.
9. Move and equip the finished thrall
When the process completes, place the thrall at a guard position, crafting station or follower slot. Give a fighter equipment appropriate to the enemies it will face, and test a new guard’s pathing in a controlled area before leaving it alone with valuable storage.
Rank #4
- Explore a vast world: explore a giant world, from the Burning desert in the south to the snow-capped mountains in the north. Discover ancient cultures, ruins, and dungeons
- Survive: stay warm, cool yourself down, drink and eat, weather scouring sandstorms, prevent your mind from being corrupted when exploring dark dungeons, and battle vicious monsters to stay alive
- Build: harvest resources to craft tools and weapons, then build anything from a Small home to entire cities. Build walls, traps, elevators, and more
- Dominate: wage war against your enemies, use siege weapons and explosives and see their walls crumble to dust, then unleash your savage Fury in violent and brutal combat
- Play together or alone: play alone locally or fight for survival and dominance in persistent multiplayer on public servers. You can also host your own server and invite others to join you
How long does a Wheel of Pain take?
There is no single answer for every capture. Breaking time increases with NPC tier, and a Taskmaster shortens it; a higher-tier Taskmaster shortens it further. A Lesser Wheel of Pain and a named Tier 4 captive should therefore be expected to take longer than a low-tier recruit on a more advanced wheel. Because published guides do not provide a dependable current table of durations, plan around the progress shown in your wheel rather than an online timer.
For a predictable workflow, run several wheels or process low-tier recruits while a valuable Tier 4 captive breaks. Keep enough Gruel in the inventory for the entire queue and protect the wheel from raids or other base threats.
Where to find named Tier 4 thralls
Named NPC camps
Guides place named Tier 4 spawns at major faction areas, including the Volcano, the Black Galleon, Sepermeru and the Mounds of the Dead, as well as other faction camps. Spawn tables can change, so scout the location in your current version and confirm the NPC’s name before starting a fight.
Purges
Purges can produce named Tier 4 thralls. One guide reports that Tier 4 recruits obtained during a Purge have higher stats than equivalent world spawns. Treat that as a guide claim rather than a guaranteed rule, and do not trigger or join a Purge solely for a stat advantage unless you can defend the base and recover the captive safely.
Solo-capture planning
Solo players should favor a spawn where the target can be separated from its camp. Bring bindings, a blunt weapon, food for the wheel and a route that does not pass through additional hostile groups. A failed knockout costs more than time: the named NPC may die, despawn or require another spawn cycle.
Choosing a thrall for your situation
| Your priority | What to seek | Why | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immediate combat power | A named Tier 4 fighter with strong starting attributes, such as Dalinsia Snowhunter in the cited comparison | Useful before extensive leveling | Another fighter may scale better later |
| Long-term follower | A high-scaling named fighter, with Relic Hunter Treasure Seeker commonly cited | Potentially stronger after leveling | Requires more time and safe experience |
| Base protection | Any reliably acquired named Tier 4 fighter, positioned and equipped correctly | Availability and survival matter more than a small ranking difference | Camp and Purge captures are riskier |
| Weapon production | Tier 4 Blacksmith | Provides crafting recipes and benefits unavailable to fighters | Does not replace a combat follower |
| Armor production | Tier 4 Armorer | Improves armor crafting capability | Requires a dedicated station |
| Ranged support | A current, verified archer recruit with a clear firing position | Can damage enemies before they reach the base | Older archer lists may be stale, and line of sight is critical |
Current-version warnings for 2026
Enhanced Edition attribute fix
The Enhanced Edition fixed a problem in which some Tier 4 crafting thralls had zero attributes and zero growth. The correction applies only to newly placed thralls. If an older crafter still shows the faulty values, replacing or newly placing it may be necessary; do not assume an already placed recruit was retroactively corrected.
Legacy of the Giant-Kings updates
The first Legacy of the Giant-Kings chapter, reported for July 2026, added better death notifications for downed thralls. That helps you identify when a capture attempt or follower has been lost, but it does not establish a new fighter ranking.
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Quick Recap
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Using lethal damage: Keep the normal weapon sheathed once the target is low. Use only concussion tools until the knockout is complete.
- Arriving without bindings: A successful knockout is wasted if you cannot tie and carry the NPC.
- Underestimating the return trip: Clear a route before you start. The captive cannot defend itself while bound.
- Running an empty wheel: Add Gruel or the wheel will not process the recruit as expected.
- Skipping the Taskmaster: Assign one when the captive is high tier or your wheel queue is long.
- Trusting an old spawn map: At least one thrall page is more than 1,000 days old. Verify the live spawn, name and tier in your current patch.
- Mixing up similar names: Daicas has conflicting epithets in guides. The official wiki lists Dalina the Shielded under Relic Hunters, and no source confirmed a “Dalinsia Treasure Seeker.” Use Dalinsia Snowhunter as the supported name in this guide.
- Assuming every Tier 4 is a fighter: A Tier 4 Blacksmith or Armorer is valuable for recipes, not follower damage. Select the role you actually need.
- Leaving a new follower untested: Check pathing, attack behavior and survival in a safe area before assigning an irreplaceable guard post.
A practical hunting checklist
- Decide whether you need a fighter, Blacksmith, Armorer or archer.
- Choose a current named camp, solo spawn, cage, tavern, merchant or companion quest that can supply that role.
- Pack a truncheon, blunted arrows or blunted javelins, bindings and enough survival supplies for the return trip.
- Scout for nearby enemies and identify an escape route.
- Knock out the target without lethal damage, bind it and carry it home.
- Prepare a Wheel of Pain with Gruel before placing the captive.
- Assign the highest-tier Taskmaster available.
- Protect the wheel while the recruit breaks.
- Verify the finished thrall’s role, name, tier and attributes in the current patch.
- Equip and test it before committing it to a dangerous follower route or valuable base position.
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