Queen's Hand

The Queen's Hand Trial

Overview

The Queen's Hand is a new perma-death mode specially crafted for the most experienced Viceroys. In this mode, players have only one Cycle to reforge the Adamantine Seal. Viceroys need to have completed the Adamantine Seal on Prestige 20 to unlock this game mode. The trial is accessible via the Profiles button in the main menu, and contains 3 slots. These profiles are entirely seperate from your Main Game Profiles.

These slots each have a unique seed map. Players can only reset the seed if they have won at least 4 settlements in that seed - so if they fail on the 3rd Settlement, they will not be able to reroll a seed upon resetting the profile slot.

If players abandon a settlement or fail to reforge the Seal in time, all unlocks are reverted and the whole meta progression resets. Those who emerge victorious will be awarded the title of Queen's Hand and will be granted a rare audience with the Scorched Queen herself.

Unlocked Upgrades:

•   All Buildings except Species Housing and Field Kitchen
•   All Cornerstones
•   All Species
•   Consumption Control
•   Rainpunk
•   Traderoutes,Trading and all Traders except Dullahan Warlander

Upgrades Menu

This game mode features a revamped Upgrade system, with Viceroys only being able to choose 25 Upgrades for the entire run. Two types of Upgrades exist, Re-Rollable and Fundamental. The Re-Rollable Upgrades will follow a tier-based system explained below. Each Fundamental Upgrade can only be upgraded once, meaning a Viceroy can for example, only choose "Blueprint Reroll" once, and "Cornerstone Pool Increase" twice.

Fundamental Upgrades

These upgrades can only be bought once per choice of Upgrade. Costs scales upwards with each Upgrade you acquire.

Re-rollable Upgrade Draw Pattern

The re-rollable picks will roll in the followig Tier pattern:

There are 3 Tiers:

• Low
• Medium
• Intermediate
• High

Intermediate Tier Upgrades are much the same as Medium Tier Upgrades, but only appear in later Rolls to make sure Upgrade options are relevant to the Viceroys' needs in late-game stages.

Rolls
1 - 6	7 - 11	12 - 14	15 - 18	19 - 21	22 - 25
1. Low	7. Medium	12. Medium	15. Intermediate	19. Low	22. Intermediate
2. Medium	8. High	13. High	16. High	20. Intermediate	23. High
3. High	9. Low	14. Low	17. Intermediate	21. High	24. Intermediate
4. Low	10. Medium		18. High		25. High
5. Medium	11. High
6. High

Re-rollable Upgrade Tiers

There are multiple Upgrades that can stack, for example the "+1 Embarkation" appears multiple times, as does "+5 Storage to all Buildings" etc. It is important to note that each Tier will have randomized picks within that Tier when they Roll.

Low Tier Upgrades Cost: 20
Brass Forge Expansion: +2% Global Production Speed
Embarkation Bonus: Planks Bricks Fabric
Embarkation Bonus: Parts
Dim Square Expansion: +3% Trader Arrival Speed
Embarkation Bonus: Amber
Embarkation Bonus: Pack of Provisions
First Dawn Headquarters Expansion: +1% to Double Yields
Embarkation Bonus: Vegetables Meat
Embarkation Bonus: Herbalists' Camp
Embarkation Bonus: Small Farm
Embarkation Bonus: Plantation
Embarkation Bonus: Herb Garden
Monastery of the Vigilant Flame Expansion: +2% Fuel Burn Duration in Hearth
Embarkation Bonus: Clay Stone
Embarkation Bonus: Coal Clay
Embarkation Bonus: Scrolls Delivery Line Incense Delivery Line
Obsidian Archive Expansion: -2 Queen's Impatience Speed
Embarkation Bonus: Foragers' Camp
Embarkation Bonus: Trappers' Camp
Vanguard Spire: +1 Charge to Resource Nodes
Embarkation Bonus: Ale Delivery Line Training Gear Delivery Line
Embarkation Bonus: Wine Delivery Line Tea Delivery Line

Medium Tier Upgrades Cost: 35 + 4
Brass Forge Expansion: +2% Global Production Speed
Trade Route: Brass Order
+5 Storage Capacity to all Buildings
+1 Carry Capacity to All Workers
Dim Square Expansion: +3% Trader Arrival Speed
Embarkation Bonus: Planks
+1 Cornerstone and Blueprint from Traders
+1 Trade Route Slot
10% Blueprint + Cornerstone Discount via Traders
+20% Resources to Embarkation Resources
First Dawn Headquarters Expansion: +1% to Double Yields
Embarkation Bonus: Villagers
Trade Routes: First Dawn Company
Haulers in Main Warehouse Unlocked
Haulers in Small Warehouse Unlocked
Monastery of the Vigilant Flame Expansion: +2% Fuel Burn Duration in Hearth
+10% Sacrifice Burning Time
Embarkation Bonus: +5 Fabric
Pioneers Gate Expansion: +2% Villager Speed
+1 Embarkation Point
+20% Resources to Embarkation Resources
Increased Town Vision Range
+10% Villager Speed
+1 Embarkation Point
Vanguard Spire: +1 Charge to Resource Nodes
Embarkation Bonus: +5 Bricks
Newcomers brings more Resources
Trade Route: Vanguard of the Stolen Keys

Intermediate Tier Upgrades Cost: 35 + 4
Brass Forge Expansion: +2% Global Production Speed
Trade Route: Brass Order
+5 Storage Capacity to all Buildings
+5 Storage Capacity to all Buildings
+1 Carry Capacity to All Workers
Dim Square Expansion: +3% Trader Arrival Speed
Embarkation Bonus: Planks
+1 Cornerstone and Blueprint from Traders
10% Blueprint + Cornerstone Discount via Traders
10% Blueprint + Cornerstone Discount via Traders
10% Blueprint + Cornerstone Discount via Traders
+1 Trade Route Slot
+1 Cornerstone / Blueprint slot from Traders
+20% Resources to Embarkation Resources
First Dawn Headquarters Expansion: +1% to Double Yields
Embarkation Bonus: Villagers
Trade Routes: First Dawn Company
Haulers in Main Warehouse Unlocked
Haulers in Small Warehouse Unlocked
Monastery of the Vigilant Flame Expansion: +2% Fuel Burn Duration in Hearth
+10% Sacrifice Burning Time
Embarkation Bonus: +5 Fabric
Pioneers Gate Expansion: +2% Villager Speed
+1 Embarkation Point
+1 Embarkation Point
+1 Embarkation Point
+1 Embarkation Point
+1 Embarkation Point
+1 Embarkation Point
+1 Embarkation Point
+20% Resources to Embarkation Resources
+10% Villager Speed +1 Embarkation Point
Vanguard Spire: +1 Charge to Resource Nodes
Embarkation Bonus: +5 Bricks
Newcomers brings more Resources
Trade Route: Vanguard of the Stolen Keys

High Tier Upgrades Cost: 8 + 10
Brass Forge Expansion: +2% Global Production Speed
Hearth Upgrade: Neighbourhood
Mine Upgrades Unlocked
Hearth Upgrade: District
Beavers Starting Ability Unlocked +1 Trade Routes with Neighbours
Beaver House Upgrades Unlocked
First Dawn Headquarters Expansion: +1% to Double Yields
Humans Starting Ability Unlocked Highlight Nearest Soil
Human House Upgrades Unlocked
+1 Farm Range (All)
Monastery of the Vigilant Flame Expansion: +2% Fuel Burn Duration in Hearth
+1 Cornerstone reroll per Settlement
Lizards Starting Ability Unlocked 10 Tools upon Embarkation
+1 Cornerstone reroll per Settlement
+1 Cornerstone reroll per Settlement
Lizard House Upgrade Unlocked
Obsidian Archive Expansion: -2 Queen's Impatience Speed
+10% Citadel Resources after Settlement
+10% Citadel Resources after Settlement
+10% Citadel Resources after Settlement
Field Kitchen Unlocked
+1 Caravan Choice on Embarkation
Last Stand Unlocked
Last Stand +30 seconds
Last Stand +30 seconds
Pioneers' Gate Expansion: +2% Villager Speed
Foxes Starting Ability Unlocked Nearest Geyser Location
Fox House Upgrades Unlocked
Vanguard Spire Expansion: +1 Charge to all Nodes
Human House Blueprint
Beaver House Blueprint
Lizard House Blueprint
Harpy House Blueprint
Fox House Blueprint
Harpies Starting Ability Unlocked 50 Coats upon Embarkation
Harpy House Upgrades Unlocked

Lori Dialogue

 Aunt Lori's dialogue changes when attempting the Queen's Hand. She becomes strangely hostile and melancolic during conversation. This could be because of her tragic history. Speak with her to find out more.

Meeting the Queen

After reforging the Seal, Viceroys should visit the city and enter the Citadel to meet the Scorched Queen.

Unique Achievement

   After meeting the Queen, Viceroys will achieve a new Steam Achievement and unique in-game decoration for their Home. This achievement can only be won by those who have ventured and proved their worth.

Strategy

Viceroys are advised to follow the following guidelines when attmepting the Queen's Hand:

• Map out settlements and caluclate the years you have for each settlement.
• Treat reserve Embarkation Points sparingly, as you will always find yourself short.
• Do not attempt to embark new settlements on the highest difficulty, look at difficulty vs rewards. Higher Prestige is not always worth it.
• Be very cautious when attempting world events, not all world events will be achieveable with the years you have left.
• There are 4 seals per map, when attempting to re-do a seed map, you do not have to follow the same path.
• Don't give any traders arms or legs in a trade, you will need them when you meet the Queen.

Queen's Hand Trials

On Dec 4th 2023, the Queen's Hand Trials were announced. Running from December 4 - 8 2023, this competition was created to showcase the release of Version 1.0 of Against the Storm. 13 Content creators entered the trials to see who could achieve becoming the Queen's Hand first.

Prizes included Steam Decks for the first 5 winners, if 5 winners could not be achieved, their Seal Fragments would be counted and a winner would be selected from the creator with the highest amount of fragments at the end of the competition.

The Queen's Hand Trials Announcement Video

References

Thank you to Erbamat, Jhazrun and RonEmpire for the help in setting up this page, as well as Tel Hurin!