Quick Links
The native Fremen have seen their world conquered by the Imperium in Dune: Spice Wars. With the arrival of House Atreides shaking up the established order, it's time for the people of Arrakis to take the planet back. The Fremen get almost no say in the Landsraad, so they need to rely on military means to make their voices heard.
Not only are the Fremen the best faction in the game for rapid expansion, but their ability to strike from almost anywhere makes them dangerous to have as an enemy. If you're looking for a combat-heavy campaign, the Fremen are the way to go.
Updated on March 12, 2024 by Matt Arnold: The Fremen have sent their greatest Heroes to the battlefield with the latest update to Dune: Spice Wars. As a result, two new Councilors have been added to the faction - check them out below!
Fremen Traits
Fremen maneuverability is increased further by their Worm Riding ability. Instead of building Airfields to shuttle units across the map, the Fremen can deploy Thumpers to summon a Sandworm and ride it across the surface of Arrakis. The Worm Riding units must begin and end their journey on sand, but otherwise can travel anywhere within the Sandworm's radius from their starting point.
The Fremen can have up to three Thumpers in reserve at a time but are unable to replace those they use until they reach five thousand Hegemony score.
The Fremen can ally with a Sietch even if it isn't in their territory, provided they have built up a high enough relationship score with the target. Additionally, maintaining a Sietch alliance costs a consistent upkeep of Water and Authority per day rather than the presence of an Agent to serve as emissary.
Despite all this, the Fremen are a militaristic faction rather than an economic one; their VIllages can support one fewer building slot than their rivals.
Hegemony Bonuses
In addition to the ability to replenish Thumpers at five thousand Hegemony, the Fremen can also travel further via Worm Riding once they reach this threshold. When the Fremen control all the Regions surrounding a Deep Desert, they are considered to control the Deep Desert if they have five thousand or more Hegemony. This counts toward their number of controlled Regions, and means that they can travel through the Deep Desert without losing supply!
At ten thousand Hegemony, the Fremen always know which player a Sietch is allied with, if any. Additionally, each the Fremen can construct one of the following Industries in a Sietch to whom they are allied:
Industry |
Effect |
---|---|
Fremen Trade Hub |
|
Fremen Goldsmithery |
|
Melange Mixing Mill |
|
Hidden Plascrete Factory |
|
Thumpers Factory |
|
Raid Gathering Site |
|
Desert Training Centers |
|
Master Knife Makers |
|
Gossip Barterers |
|
Desert Analysis |
|
Underground Lakes |
|
Terraforming Research Hub |
|
Fremen Councilors
Like their rivals, the Fremen choose two Councilors from four available at the start of each campaign, tailoring their strengths to the player's individual play style.
Shimoom
Shimoom always knows exactly how much water is available to his Sietch, and can extract every last drop from Arrakis. He allows every Fremen Village to produce one Water per unused building slot. If a Village produces twelve or more Water, all Solari upkeep costs for the faction are reduced by three percent.
Shimoom's upkeep discount stacks, so try to get as many Villages producing 12 Water as you can!
Stilgar Ben Fifrawi
Stilgar is the most respected of the Fremen Naibs, and his word carries weight across the planet. He allows the Fremen to start the game knowing the location of all Sietches on the map. He also halves the Authority cost of maintaining Sietch alliances.
Mother Ramallo
Mother Ramallo knows the power of the Spice better than any living Fremen. Harvesting Teams produce three Intel while she is on the Council. Additionally, she can rouse the Fremen to war by targeting Resolutions in the Landsraad. If the targeted Resolution passes, rebels will rise up in enemy villages.
Jamis
Though he is perhaps most famous for teaching Muad'dib his first important lesson of life among the Fremen, Jamis is a loyal but stubborn warrior. His presence on the Council allows the Fremen to exchange Authority for Manpower, and earns fifty Authority when liberating a Village from enemy rule.
The Village must be returned to neutral control in order to get the bonus, rather than annexed by the Fremen.
Jamis is a veteran of desert warfare, and he provides Fremen units with a ten percent damage buff as long as they are outside of Fremen territory.
Chani and Otheym have been removed from the list of available Councilors, and can now be recruited as Heroes.
Fremen Buildings
Fremen culture holds Arrakis with reverence and respect, and as such, they do not industrialize the planet as the offworlders do. Some Fremen buildings operate differently than those of their enemies, usually giving up one benefit for another.
Building |
Replaces |
Effect |
---|---|---|
Shai-Hulud Temple |
Fuel Cell Factory |
The Temple's Region and allied adjacent Regions produce twenty percent more resources. |
Ceremonial Caves |
Airfield |
Can only be built in Regions with Geothermal Energy or in certain Special Regions Increases the Combat Power of all Fremen units by three percent but reduces the Fremen's overall Spice production by three percent. |
Recycling Plant |
Spacing Guild Branch |
Allows exchanging Solari or Plascrete for Scrap. Scrap can be used to recruit Fremen aircraft, and is functionally identical to Guild Favors. |
How To Collect Spice As The Fremen
Unlike the other factions, the Fremen cannot construct Refineries or Harvesters. Instead, Fremen can recruit Harvesting Teams at their Main Base. This is done by clicking on the plus sign on the right side of the screen, where Harvesters would be listed for other factions.
Once fully trained, a Harvesting Team can be ordered to a Spice Field in a Region they control or a neutral Region by moving them like any other unit. When they arrive, the Harvesting Team will set up camp and begin extracting Spice. Harvesting Teams extract Spice slower than industrial Harvesters, but are never attacked by Sandworms, ensuring that production never stops.
Harvesting Spice in neutral Regions is a great way to boost your income, but you'll lose the Harvesting Team if another faction takes control of the Region!
Fremen Developments
The Fremen have more unique Developments in their tech tree than any other faction, allowing them to further exploit their singular play style.
Development |
Tier |
Prerequisite |
Effect(s) |
---|---|---|---|
Arrakis Secrets |
Economy (Yellow), Tier 2 |
Composite Materials |
|
Freedom Fighters |
Economy (Yellow), Tier 2 |
Composite Materials |
|
Sand Brotherhood |
Economy (Yellow), Tier 3 |
Freedom Fighters |
|
Shared Transcendence |
Economy (Yellow), Tier 3 |
Freedom Fighters |
|
Desert Trekkers |
Military (Red), Tier 3 |
Mechanization |
|
Iday Alakrab |
Military (Red), Tier 4 |
Desert Trekkers |
|
Fremen Solidarity |
Statecraft (Blue), Tier 1 |
N/A |
|
Sand Diplomats |
Statecraft (Blue), Tier 2 |
Fremen Solidarity |
|
Sietch Network |
Statecraft (Blue), Tier 3 |
Sand Diplomats |
|
Heir Of Arrakis |
Expansion (Green), Tier 2 |
Local Dialect Studies |
|
Desert Wisdom |
Expansion (Green), Tier 2 |
Local Dialect Studies |
|
Desert Watchers |
Expansion (Green), Tier 3 |
Desert Wisdom |
|
Early Game Strategies And Tips
The Fremen have an ace up their sleeve when it comes to the early game - as long as they pay their Spice Bribe on time, they get a boost to their Authority income. This allows them to easily conquer choice Villages and expand further from home than other players. Since the Fremen don't harvest Spice as efficiently as the offworlders, you may need to take an early hit to your Solari income to get your first payment in on time.
Unlike their enemies, for whom the best early strategy usually involves consolidating power around their base, the Fremen should strike out in a single direction. using your extra Authority income to take Special Regions. This will provide powerful bonuses and extra Hegemony.
Your first important goal is to gain control of one or more Deep Deserts by annexing all the Regions surrounding them. Once that's done, rush the Heir of Arrakis development to significantly increase your Authority and get some exceptional economy bonuses.
The Fremen don't have any way of generating Influence at a level comparable to the other factions, so you're better off selling what little you do produce to the highest bidder. This means a Political victory is out of the question.
Late Game Strategies And Tips
Continue to claim Villages when you're able, especially if they have high winds and can produce even more Water, letting you support more Villages and troops. Use the excess Water to trade with every Sietch you can and forge alliances with them.
While building up Hegemony, it's important to check the expansion of your rivals. Intercede whenever possible to prevent them from taking neutral Villages, and liberate border regions whenever you have the opportunity. If a rival gets enough land to qualify for Dune Governorship you'll have a hard time stopping them. At that point, you may need to go for the throat and assault their capital if you want to stay in the game.
Eventually, even the Fremen will have trouble coming up with the requisite Authority or Water to annex far-flung Villages. However, you can get some powerful bonuses for liberating them instead - always keep that option in mind when deciding the fate of a conquered Region!
If you went the Domination route, be sure to research the Spreading The Faith Development by the time you eliminate your first enemy faction. The sudden increase in the number of neutral Regions will give you a big boost to your Solari income. If you can swing it, negotiate a Trade Treaty with one of your remaining rivals to further increase this windfall.
The other rival is your next target - keep expanding your army and rush the Military tech tree as you push closer to their base. Expect a tougher fight than the previous enemy since they will have had more time to solidify their position. By this time, though, you should be able to phase out Warriors in favor of Fedaykin, which will make battles go much smoother for you.
Once your second opponent is dispensed with, repeat the process to overwhelm and defeat the final faction so that you can bask in victory.