Pokémon Conquest Warrior and Warlord Recruitment
Know which defeats can lead to recruitment and when a special Warrior must land the last hit.
Edition covered
Original 2012 Nintendo DS release. Uses Conquest links, one-move Pokémon and Ransei battle rules; main-series levels and four-move sets do not apply.
Unlock recruitment through the story
Recruitment is introduced after the opening battles. Early scripted encounters do not necessarily allow every defeated opponent to join; read the post-battle recruitment screen rather than assuming all enemies are recruitable.
Meet a qualifying battle condition
Normal Warriors can qualify when defeated within four turns, with a super-effective attack, or without having damaged your allies. These are alternatives, but story and army conditions can still prevent recruitment.
| Condition | How to aim for it | Caution |
|---|---|---|
| Defeat within four turns | Move directly toward the target | Do not waste opening activations |
| Super-effective finishing move | Bring the correct matchup | The final hit must qualify |
| Target dealt no damage | Disable or defeat it quickly | Earlier damage can remove this route |
| Special Warrior target | Use a special Warrior's final hit | Also meet a qualifying battle condition |
Use a Warlord for a Warlord
Special Warriors need a special Warrior to defeat them in addition to a qualifying condition. Plan the final hit in advance: weakening the target with another ally is useful, but giving that ally the knockout can spoil the recruit.
Check the enemy army and episode
An opposing army that still has another kingdom can retreat instead of joining. Episode availability also changes who can be recruited, so the main story is not a complete recruitment checklist for every Warlord.
| Cause | What happened | Next approach |
|---|---|---|
| Story restriction | The episode protects that character | Try an eligible later episode |
| Enemy owns another kingdom | Its Warriors retreat | Finish conquering that army |
| Wrong final attacker | A normal Warrior defeated a Warlord | Assign the finishing blow correctly |
| No qualifying condition | The defeat did not meet a recruit rule | Plan timing or type advantage |
References
| Reference | Website |
|---|---|
| Nintendo instruction manual | csassets.nintendo.com |
| Conquest reference | www.serebii.net |
| Recruitment rules | www.serebii.net |