Noble Fates Best Race: All Five Races Ranked
Which race should you start in Noble Fates? Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, Halflings and Humans compared for mining, farming, combat and beliefs.
Dwarves are the easiest first race because stone, mining and underground building carry the early game. Halflings are the easiest food race. Orcs are the best combat start. Elves are strong on forest maps but demand more micro. Humans are the flexible default. Race matters less than principles; it mostly decides which jobs start strong.
Noble Fates gives you five starting races: Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, Halflings and Humans. The choice is not cosmetic. It shapes starting skills, which jobs your first nobles do well, how nearby kingdoms judge you, and how well you can recruit outsiders under a race-based principle.
How race actually works
Race does three things in this game:
- It biases starting skills and aptitudes. A dwarven court starts with better mining and stonework; a halfling court starts with better farming and cooking.
- It sets expectations. Kingdoms hold beliefs about race, and they measure you against them. A human supremacist clan will not love a mixed kingdom.
- It constrains recruitment. Under a purity principle, recruiting outside your race costs more loyalty and causes friction. Under a mixed principle, diversity is easier but purity-minded neighbours dislike you.
You are not locked in. You can recruit other races later, and your kingdom can change its stance. But your first twenty hours will be shaped by the starting race.
The five races, ranked for a first kingdom
1. Dwarves - best overall start
Dwarves are the safest pick because the early game is a resource game, and dwarves are good at the two resources that matter most: stone and metal.
- Mining and stoneworking aptitudes mean faster tunnels, faster blocks and fewer stalled builds.
- Underground bases are natural for them, which solves winter and raid exposure at the same time.
- Iron and silver access comes earlier, so gear and trade start earlier.
The downside is food. Dwarves do not magically farm better, and underground farms need light and water management. Pair a dwarven start with a serious farming plan→ or you will mine a beautiful fortress and starve in it.
2. Halflings - best food economy
Halflings lean farming and cooking. If your problem in colony sims is always food, this is the fix.
- Strong farming start means earlier surplus crops and less winter panic.
- Cooking aptitude improves meal quality, which improves mood across the whole court.
- Small-stature flavour fits cozy hill settlements and round-door architecture.
The downside is combat and heavy industry. You will lean on allies, mercenaries or a dedicated guard corps, and your first iron comes later.
3. Orcs - best military start
Orcs are the aggressive option. Better combat aptitudes mean your first guards survive fights that would wipe a halfling militia.
- Combat strength makes early raids and beast attacks less lethal.
- Good fit for raider kingdoms built around pillage petitions and conquest.
- Strong synergy with harsh principles, which unlock a different diplomatic game.
The downside is that combat is not the bottleneck in the first three days. Food and beds are. Orc starts often win the first fight and lose the first winter.
4. Elves - map-dependent
Elves are excellent on forest maps and awkward on barren ones. Ranged and foraging aptitudes shine when there is game and cover.
- Strong ranged combat and foraging.
- Good fit for forest settlements with lots of trees and berries.
- Long-lived flavour pairs well with a dynasty-focused playstyle.
The downside is fragility. Elven nobles are not built to hold a gate house line, and forest maps are harder to wall efficiently.
5. Humans - the flexible default
Humans have no dramatic weakness and no dramatic strength. They are the "learn the systems" race.
- Balanced aptitudes make any job assignment viable.
- Easy to mix with other races later.
- Good choice if you do not know what your kingdom will become.
If you are undecided, pick Humans or Dwarves. Both forgive early mistakes better than Elves or Orcs.
Race and principles: the real decision
The race choice is a starting bias. The principle choice is a permanent political stance, and it interacts with race more than any stat does.
| Principle stance | Best with | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Racial purity | One-race kingdom, high cohesion | Cannot recruit outsiders easily; neighbours of other races dislike you |
| Mixed kingdom | Humans, trade-focused play | Purity neighbours dislike you; some nobles grumble |
| Cannibal sect | Orcs, raider play | Good neighbours refuse alliances; morale issues with soft nobles |
| Honourable kingdom | Dwarves, Elves, Halflings | Harder to profit from prisoners and raids |
The principles guide→ covers the full system. The short version: do not pick a race and a principle that contradict each other, unless you want a court full of resentful nobles.
Which race for which map?
- Mountain map: Dwarves. You will live underground anyway.
- Forest map: Elves or Halflings. Foraging and wood are abundant.
- Plains or river map: Humans or Halflings. Farming and trade.
- Desert or badlands: Orcs. Tough terrain rewards tough nobles and raiding neighbours.
- Snow map: Dwarves. Underground stays warm, and stone insulates.
If the Resettle Step→ gives you a map that contradicts your race, reject it. A dwarven kingdom on a treeless desert is a slow death.
Sources
Official source: Noble Fates on Steam ↗
- Steam store page ↗ for the five-race feature list.
- 1.0 patch notes ↗ for the Resettle Step and principle additions.
- Steam Workshop ↗ for race mods such as Lizardmen and Fantasy Races.
FAQ
Can I recruit other races if I start as a dwarf?
Yes. Recruitment is limited by principles and opinion, not by your starting race. A purity principle makes it expensive; a mixed principle makes it normal.
Does race change lifespan?
Elves and dwarves are long-lived in flavour, and lifespan affects how long a ruler or noble stays in the story. Lifespan can also be extended with mage magic. It is not a hard strategic timer.
Is there a best race for combat?
Orcs have the strongest combat bias. Dwarves hold walls well because of gear and stone fortifications, but orcs win open fights more easily.
Do mods add races?
Yes. Lizardmen, Fantasy Races and No Humans are all popular Workshop mods. They add principles as well as appearance, so read the mod page before installing.