You should feel like the chief of your tribe

Leader combat should be fun and powerful but still grounded. This isn't Dynasty Warriors.

You should care about your army. Commanding them should be simple and intuitive.

Battles should start small scale and ramp up into large epic encounters.

Each campaign should end on a climax

Many satisfying vectors of progression

Make decisions interesting, plentiful, and varied

Mask systems within game fantasy. Trying to bring new players to the strategy genre, make it intuitive.

Many rogue-likes have a one-direction tree structure for a series of battles. Battle Lads is different, take advantage. Each battle is helping to shape the map of an active war. Bring more meaning to each fight, make strategic choices for long-term war goals.

Tribes should feel unique

There should be lots of feedback after choices are made, especially if they are important

Support many playstyles

Players should envision many different kinds of builds while playing through with a faction

Early decisions matter

Try to create interesting variance through your opponents and world events. Most rogue-likes feel focused on replayability through your own build / power, try to press this in other directions.

No meta power progression, focus on content and difficulty progression

Track accomplishments for meta goals (like DCSS tournaments)

Express myself and my dumb humor

Game should feel different

Keep content costs low to allow for lots of options