Combolands Secret Guilds: How to Unlock Rogues & Arcane (Spymaster Explained)
Beyond the 7 guilds you can pick at the start, Combolands hides two unlockable guilds: Rogues and Arcane. Both are unlocked through in-run actions, and both then stay available in future runs. This page walks both unlock chains step by step — including what the Spymaster actually is.
Spymaster, Explained in One Table
| Thing | What it is | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Spymaster | A city councillor you can recruit | Gives the council request that unlocks Rogues |
| Council request | "Collect 75 gold during a milestone" | Completing it rewards a Spymaster vote |
| Spymaster vote | A one-time reward item | Spend it to permanently unlock the Rogues guild |
| Rogues guild | Hidden guild — triggering + money-collecting buildings, usually with minor drawbacks | Considered one of the strongest guilds once unlocked |
Unlock Chain 1 — Rogues via the Spymaster
- Recruit the Spymaster councillor (council requests rotate — check the request text for the 75-gold milestone task)
- Prepare gold income: commercial guild + merchant councillor is the community-recommended pairing (buy a vote for 3, it returns 5)
- Collect 75 gold during the milestone window and finish the request
- Spend the rewarded Spymaster vote
- Rogues is now in your building pool for this run and all future runs
Unlock Chain 2 — Arcane via the Jewellery Box
- Obtain the jewellery box heirloom — via the shop, heirloom chests, or most reliably the antiquarian councillor (who can also supply gems)
- Collect 8 gems into the box — gems do not need to be unique
- Sell the completed box → you receive the "lost crown" heirloom
- Sell the lost crown → you receive a Wizard vote
- Spend the Wizard vote → the Arcane guild unlocks permanently
Both Chains Need Gold — Run Preparation
Community guidance (Steam guide by Cube, Sep 4 2026) recommends entering these quests with a strong economy. Martial + commercial is the guide's suggestion (ballista and gold pan secure the first big gold pile); some players find martial + industrial easier for the Spymaster quest specifically. Since unlocks apply after the run ends, a loss does not waste your progress — in endless mode the achievement triggers on your next restart.
Achievements Tied to the Secret Guilds
| Achievement | Global unlock rate | How it is earned |
|---|---|---|
| Rogues guild unlock | 10.2% | Finish the Spymaster's request and spend the vote |
| Arcane guild unlock | 8.6% | Complete the jewellery box → crown chain and spend the Wizard vote |
| Bribery and Corruption (secret) | — | Earned by unlocking the Rogue guild |
After Unlocking: How the Secret Guilds Play
Rogues buildings specialise in triggering and money collection, usually with minor negative effects attached — a high-power, high-attention toolkit. Arcane covers the wizardly end of the pool. Because neither can be picked at the start, think of them as pool expanders: they widen what your two opening guilds can chain into, which pairs naturally with the commit-to-one-combo rule in our builds guide.
FAQ
Is the Spymaster a guild in Combolands?
No. The Spymaster is a city councillor. Completing the Spymaster's council request rewards a Spymaster vote, and spending that vote unlocks the hidden Rogues guild for current and future runs.
How do I unlock the Rogues guild?
Complete the Spymaster's council request: collect 75 gold during a single milestone. A commercial-guild run with the merchant councillor makes this easy, since buying a vote costs 3 gold and returns 5. The reward is a Spymaster vote; use it and Rogues is unlocked.
How do I unlock the Arcane guild?
Find the heirloom jewellery box (shop, heirloom chests, or the antiquarian councillor), fill it with 8 gems (they do not need to be unique), then sell the completed box to receive the Lost Crown heirloom. Selling the crown grants a Wizard vote that unlocks Arcane.
Can I pick Rogues or Arcane at the start of a run?
No. Neither secret guild can be chosen as an opening pair — they enter the building pool after you unlock them, adding their buildings to runs rather than replacing your starting picks.
How rare are these unlocks?
Steam global achievement stats (October 2026): 10.2% of players have unlocked Rogues and 8.6% have unlocked Arcane. Both also feed the secret achievements — "Bribery and Corruption" is earned by unlocking the Rogue guild.