Graveyard Keeper 2 Town Battles Walkthrough: Barracks Defenses and Zombie Squad Upgrades

Prepare town defenses at the Barracks, deploy barricades, and spend Defender's Emblem tokens to unlock zombie squads in Graveyard Keeper 2.

Unlocking the Barracks and Preparing Defenses

The Barracks is a fortified staging ground situated at the Crossroads, unlocked after completing the quest Fighting Spirit Required. At this post, the Keeper prepares defensive lines before sounding the call to war on Sloth day (as noted in the days of the week guide). Constructors can erect sturdy wooden barricades to stall incoming waves or recruit additional manpower. Hiring mercenaries needs 5 Silver Coin and adds 8 swords.

Unlocking Squads with the Battle Ram

Expanding offensive capacity requires collecting a rare battle token known as a Defender's Emblem. A total of 4 emblems can be obtained across the campaign, with the initial emblem awarded upon completing the quest First... Sludge?. Delivering a Defender's Emblem to the Battle Ram on the right side of the Barracks increases your available squads by 1. Under Patch 1.006, developers prevented players from destroying these key items, safeguarding essential progression.

Equipping Zombie Squads and Battlefield Banners

Each unlocked squad can hold up to 4 zombies. Outfitting reanimated soldiers (created via our guide on how to make zombies) with crafted weapons and armor substantially elevates their combat performance. During town engagements, the Keeper carries a red banner forward to guide friendly units into position behind spiked barricades. Standing defenses slow down incoming waves while squads engage hostile units and secure contested flags across the combat zone.

Campaign Purges and Multi-Stage Battles

Municipal recovery advances through distinct district engagements with strict combat ratings. Early skirmishes include the Eastern Districts Purge (yielding 6x Zombie Goo, 4x Town Gratitude, and a Victory Banner) and the Market Square Purge (granting 6x Zombie Goo and 4x Town Gratitude — see how to spend tokens in our town gratitude guide). Each battle enforces minimum Defense Power ratings and squad limits across the campaign: the 2-squad Eastern Districts Purge requires Defense Power 20, while the 2-squad Market Square Purge requires Defense Power 22. Confronting the 2-squad Central Districts Purge: Part I requires Defense Power 36 and rewards another Defender's Emblem. Advancing to 3 squads, Central Districts Purge: Part 2 demands Defense Power 56. Later operations escalate in difficulty: Operation POTATO: Part I and Operation POTATO: Part II each require 3 squads and Defense Power 72, paying out 10x Zombie Goo and 16x Town Gratitude as Part II transitions directly on the active battlefield with reset surviving defenses before the 4-squad Final Battle at Defense Power 144.