Grow. Expand. Exterminate.

Grell

You expand by spreading roots and biomass across the battlefield rather than just planting more bases. Territory is the resource; ceding ground costs you more than it costs other factions.

Updated 2026-08-11 · Facts checked against Steam and the official site

Who they are

The Grell are a tide of highly evolved plant life that seeds raw flux crystals across the galaxy — humanity's first contact with alien life. Once passive, they now flood across worlds as outside powers strip flux for faster-than-light travel.

Grell biomass spreading across a field with plant-creature units massing on it — Grell forces in the field. Official screenshot · Starlance Studios

At a glance


Role	Evolved plant swarm
Identity	Territory and biomass
Difficulty	Map-control heavy
Signature units	Harbinger, Reaver, Spreading biomass
In the campaign	Not playable in the Early Access campaign. Community asks about this constantly; the roadmap does not currently list a Grell campaign.

Playstyle

You expand by spreading roots and biomass across the battlefield rather than just planting more bases. Territory is the resource; ceding ground costs you more than it costs other factions.

How they actually win

By owning more of the map than you. Grell expansion is not just a second base — it is biomass spreading across terrain, which turns map control into a compounding advantage. The flip side is that a Grell player pinned into a corner is in far more trouble than any other faction would be in the same position.

What to expect fighting them

Pressure early and deny the spread, or accept that the mid game will be fought on ground of their choosing. Their evolutions range from the acidic Harbinger to the rampaging Reaver, so a composition that beat them ten minutes ago may not still work.

Should you pick them?

Pick them if

You like reading a map, taking space early, and winning through position rather than a single decisive fight.

Look elsewhere if

You would rather turtle on two bases — that is the one thing the Grell do badly.

The other three

Protectorate armour column and walkers advancing across a shallow riverbed

ProtectorateA Caelo Ad Terram

The most conventional army in the game. Infantry, armour and air that all behave the way an RTS player expects, with siege-style firepower to punish a static defence.

A large Legion engagement, beam weapons streaking across a red desert battlefield

LegionAcross a Million Worlds, We March

Drown the opponent in expendable bodies, then follow up with the Terror Tank — a mobile fortress that reconfigures as the fight changes. You trade units freely and win by never letting the enemy reset.

A dense sci-fi base laid out around a flux crystal formation

Xol BetaFor Purpose. For Survival.

The newest and least settled faction. Expect the most balance churn here — builds that work this patch may not survive the next.

Frequently asked

Questions people actually ask about this, pulled from the Steam discussion boards and search data.

Is the Grell good for beginners?

You like reading a map, taking space early, and winning through position rather than a single decisive fight. You would rather turtle on two bases — that is the one thing the Grell do badly.

Can I play the Grell in the campaign?

Not playable in the Early Access campaign. Community asks about this constantly; the roadmap does not currently list a Grell campaign.