Beyond All Reason

What Is Beyond All Reason?

Beyond All Reason (BAR) is a free, open-source sci-fi real-time strategy game built on the Recoil Engine, a fork of SpringRTS. Think Total Annihilation meets Supreme Commander — every projectile, explosion, and terrain deformation is simulated in real time.

Three factions:

• Armada — Speed and stealth. Fast bots, cloaking, hit-and-run. Best for beginners.
• Cortex — Brute force. Heavy armor, raw firepower, frontal assault.
• Legion — Experimental faction with multi-functional units. More complex.

Battles range from 1v1 up to 8v8 (community events have hit 110 players). The Commander is your king — lose it and you lose.

PCMag called it "the best RTS release in years." Rock Paper Shotgun ranked it #20 in their all-time favorite strategy games. Download free at beyondallreason.info.

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Essential Settings (Before You Play)

Open the settings menu before your first match and toggle these on:

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How to Play

The core loop is simple: establish a stable metal-and-energy economy, use that income to keep factories producing, expand toward new resource points, and pressure the enemy without exposing your Commander. The opening below turns that loop into a practical first-match plan.

Pre-Match: Commander Placement

Once you load into a map, the match doesn't start immediately. Use this time wisely.

1. Pick your faction. Armada for learning, Cortex once you understand the flow, Legion after you've mastered the basics.

2. Choose your spawn — look for metal clusters. Left-click on the green part of the map where you see 3-4 closely packed metal deposits (small white circles with a number inside). That number shows the income a metal extractor will generate on that spot.

3. Plan your build queue before the match starts. Hold Shift and left-click buildings in the menu, then left-click the ground to place them inside your Commander's build range (the green circle around it). If you make a mistake, left-click a new building on top of the old one to replace it.

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Opening Build: Adapt to the Map

BAR has no universal build order. Your opening depends entirely on wind conditions.

Wind Map (wind speed > 0)

1. Metal extractor × 2 (on the best nearby spots)
2. Wind turbines × 3 (inside Commander's build range)
3. More metal extractors (expand outward)

Check the wind info card:

• Top number = minimum wind speed
• Bottom number = maximum wind speed
• Low maximum wind? Add 1-2 solar collectors to your opening build as backup

No-Wind Map (wind icon crossed out)

Wind turbines are disabled. You must build solar collectors instead:

1. Metal extractor × 3 (even if they're close together)
2. Solar collectors × 2-3

With no wind, building 3 metal extractors upfront is fine — they drain your energy reserve, but solar collectors don't require energy to build, so you won't stall.

General Rule

The lower the maximum wind speed, the more solar collectors you need in your starting build. Always check the wind before committing.

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Understanding the Streaming Economy

BAR uses a streaming economy — resources aren't spent in batches. They trickle from your stockpile as you use them.

The resource bars at the top of the screen show five numbers:

When the bright red number > middle red number → you're draining your stockpile. That's a warning sign — build more production.

Energy stalling is worse than metal stalling. When you run out of energy, all construction and unit production slows to a crawl. Keep energy positive at all costs.

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First Production: Bot Lab

Once your economy is stable, build a Bot Lab (easier for beginners than Vehicle Lab — fewer units, more focused roles).

You can queue units before the lab finishes building. Click the lab in your build queue, open its menu, and start ordering.

Recommended opening lineup:

1. Constructor bot × 1 (can build things your Commander can't)
2. Scout bot (Tick) × 5 — fast, wide line of sight, tiny gun
3. Constructor bot × 3
4. Pawn infantry × 10 — more firepower and HP than scouts

Commander assist: After the lab finishes, select your Commander and right-click on the lab. His build power speeds up unit production. Warning: this drains extra energy — monitor your stockpile.

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Expanding Energy Production

Wind turbines are your main energy source on most maps. Mass-place them efficiently:

• Shift + left-click drag → draw a line of turbines
• Alt + hold → double or triple lines at once
• Z → add spacing between turbines (prevents chain explosions)

Combine them: Shift + Alt + left-click drag + Z for a spaced double line.

The gap spacing persists in future matches, so set it once and forget it.

Solar collectors produce constant energy regardless of wind but cost metal. Use them on no-wind maps or when wind suddenly drops.

Emergency adjustment: If wind drops and you're stalling, Spacebar + left-click a solar collector to bump it to the front of the build queue.

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Build Power as a Third Resource

Build power is effectively a third resource. More build power = faster construction = faster army.

Sources of build power:

• Commander — strongest builder, but risky to expose
• Constructor bots — produce from your lab, assist construction
• Construction turrets — 200 build power in range, can finish projects without a builder present (but can't start them)

Tip: Let your first constructor bots build a construction turret near your base. It passively speeds up all nearby construction and repair.

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Energy Converters

When you have excess energy but can't expand to new metal spots, build Energy Converters. They convert 70 energy → 1 metal at Tech 1.

The white box on your energy bar shows the converter cutoff point:

• Move right → more energy goes to converters (more metal)
• Move left → limit converter draw (protect other buildings from stalling)

Toggle the Energy Converter Usage option (settings → Interface) to see how efficiently your converters are running.

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Controls

BAR uses familiar RTS controls, but its queueing and area-command shortcuts are especially important:

• Right-click to move, attack, assist, or interact with a target
• Shift + click to queue commands and building placements
• Mouse wheel to zoom from the tactical map to individual units
• Ctrl + number to create a control group
• Alt + number to create a group that automatically receives matching new units
• Shift + drag while placing structures to create efficient building lines
• Spacebar + click to prioritize an urgent item in a build queue

Unit Groups

Ctrl + 1-9 to create a control group. Alt + number to create a group AND auto-assign all future units of the same type to it.

This is critical for mid-game management — your frontline, your artillery, your scouts all need dedicated groups.

The Factory Dock (right side of screen) shows what's currently producing in each lab. Click it to queue orders remotely without returning to base.

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Tips

• Keep energy income positive; an energy stall slows nearly everything you do.
• Scout early so your economy decisions match the opponent's expansion.
• Spend resources continuously. A full stockpile usually means unused momentum.
• Add build power only when your economy can support the faster resource drain.
• Use control groups from the opening minutes instead of sorting a large army later.

Beyond the Basics

This guide covers the most critical first 10 minutes. Master these before moving on:

1. ✅ Economy never stalls
2. ✅ Build queue planned during pre-match
3. ✅ Energy production scales with your army
4. ✅ Constructor turrets deployed early
5. ✅ Unit groups set up from minute 1

Once you're comfortable, explore: geothermal energy, tidal generators, tree harvesting, air combat, naval tactics, and Legion faction mechanics. The rabbit hole goes deep — BAR has more depth than any commercial RTS on the market.

Guide based on community tutorial video by BAR content creator. Last reviewed by Game How To Editorial.

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System Requirements & Installation

Before diving in, make sure your system can handle BAR's large-scale battles.

Minimum Requirements

How to Install

Windows: Download the installer from beyondallreason.info/download and run it. The launcher handles updates automatically.

Linux: Use the AppImage (universal) or your distribution's package:

# AppImage (works on any distro)
wget https://github.com/beyond-all-reason/Beyond-All-Reason/releases/latest/download/Beyond-All-Reason-x86_64.AppImage
chmod +x Beyond-All-Reason-x86_64.AppImage
./Beyond-All-Reason-x86_64.AppImage

# Ubuntu / Debian
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:beyond-all-reason/ppa
sudo apt update
sudo apt install beyond-all-reason

The launcher will download the game engine and assets on first launch. This takes about 10-15 minutes on a standard connection.

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Best Mods & Game Modes

BAR's open-source nature means a thriving modding scene. These mods are worth trying once you've mastered the basics:

Recommended Mods

Finding & Installing Mods

1. Launch BAR and click Play → Missions & Mods in the main menu
2. Browse the in-game mod repository
3. Click Install on any mod — it downloads and activates automatically
4. Filter by category: Game Mods, Maps, AI Skirmish, or Widgets

Mods are stored separately from the base game, so uninstalling one never breaks your installation.

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Multiplayer Tips & Community

BAR's multiplayer is where the game truly shines. Here's how to get started without getting crushed.

Finding Games

The in-game lobby shows active matches with player counts and map names. Look for:

• "Noob friendly" or "New players welcome" in the game title
• 1v1 or 2v2 (easier to learn than 8v8 chaos)
• Moat or Red vs Red maps (simple, symmetrical layouts)

Beginner-Friendly Multiplayer Tips

• Watch the first 3 minutes of replays from top players on your map. Copy their opening build exactly — it's the fastest way to learn.
• Communicate. BAR has built-in team chat. Call out enemy scout positions and your planned expansion.
• Focus on economy first, army second. A new player's #1 mistake is building army before the economy can support it.
• Don't quit early. Even if you lose your Commander, teammates can rebuild you. Stick around.

Where to Find Help

The BAR community is one of the most welcoming in competitive RTS. Ask questions freely — experienced players are surprisingly happy to help new blood.

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FAQ

Is Beyond All Reason really free?

Yes. BAR is free and open source, with downloads available from the official website for Windows and Linux.

Which faction is best for a beginner?

Armada is the easiest starting point because its mobile units and straightforward roles make early mistakes more forgiving.

Should I build bots or vehicles first?

Bots are a strong beginner choice. Their smaller, clearer roster makes it easier to learn economy, scouting, and unit control before adding more specialized vehicle play.

Why does my base suddenly build so slowly?

The most common cause is an energy stall. Check whether your energy spending is higher than your income, pause nonessential construction, and add wind or solar generation immediately.