Tyranny Guide: How to get every achievement in the game

There are a lot of ways to finish Obsidian Entertainment's Tyranny. Due to the exhaustive reputation and faction system, no two playthroughs will look completely alike. This means that obtaining some of the specific achievements can be confusing, due to needing a specific alliance or to be on the route towards a specific ending in order to obtain certain ones. This guide is to help you know which achievements to be on the lookout for based on your route and the choices you can make.

Note that some of the route specific achievements may also be possible on other routes, but I will list where I thought it was the easiest to complete. Also note that I have mixed in all the Achievements including hidden ones, so there may be some light spoilers.

Achievements you Cannot Miss:

Building a Reputation

Gain your first reputation ability - This one will be impossible to miss, every companion and faction has reputation abilities. 

The Mountain Spire

Gain control of the Mountain Spire in Vendrien's Well - Gained automatically at the end of Act I.

Master of Ascension (Act I)

Lay claim to Ascension Hall in Kyros' name, ending the Overlord's Edict of Execution - Gained automatically at the end of Act I.

Exarch (Act II)

Issue an Edict from the Mountain Spire, establishing yourself as an Exarch - a potential Archon - Gained automatically at the end of Act II.

Corresponding Course

Send your first missive - The only way you miss this is if you completely ignore the missives menu throughout the entirety of the game. Simply respond to a missive from either one of the other Fatebinders or from Bleden Mark.

Legendary

Acquire an Artifact - You will pretty much have to kill either Graven Ashe or The Voices of Nerat on your playthrough and each drops and artifact, not to mention there are several others in the game.

General Achievements

A Slow Death 

Have Tarkis Demos executed in Edgering Ruins - Simply make the choice at the start of the game to execute him, and NOT conscript him into the Scarlet Chorus. You will gain Disfavored reputation with this choice.

Charismatic

Reach Maximum Favor with a faction - Simply make choices the will max out positive reputation with a faction. Probably easiest done when completing a Disfavored or Scarlet Chorus playthrough and maximizing with that faction, otherwise maximizing Tunon.

Intimidating

Reach Maximum Wrath with a faction - Simply make choices the will max out negative reputation with a faction. Probably easiest done when completing a Disfavored or Scarlet Chorus playthrough and maximizing with the opposite faction, otherwise pissing off Tunon at every chance. 

Some Assembly Required

Construct an upgrade on one of your spires - Simply take a spire and  choose to build a Forge/Library/etc on it.

Loremaster

Create a spell with a high Lore requirement - You simply need to create a spell with a Lore requirement of over 100. Simply add enough accents to reach the limit. 

Perceptive

Discover 25 Hidden Objects - Hidden objects are found based on the Subterfuge stat, with a higher chance to locate while sneaking (left alt). More likely to find with someone like Verse in the party, wearing equipment that raises her Subterfuge. And simply be thorough partaking in quests and exploring the maps.

I Am The Law

Become a seasoned adjudicator - This basically means you have to solve disputes, usually between the Disfavored and Scarlet Chorus. There are numerous opportunities in both Acts I and II, simply hold tab and look for named npcs in the camps or towns and make sure to pick a side rather than selecting the options to not get involved. There are a lot of opportunities in Act I specifically at the two factions' camps, so make sure to revisit them and talk to everyone before assaulting Ascension Hall.

Cry Havoc!

Defeat every Havoc in the game - There are actually four Havocs in the game, but this achievement requires you to kill three. This is possible on multiple routes, though likely not possible on the Disfavored route.

• Both the Blade Grave and Twin River Oldwalls each have a Havoc that you will kill automatically if doing the quests in Stalwart or Lethian's Crossing for any faction. The Blade Grave oldwalls Havoc is necessary to kill in order to get the Stalwart Insignia in order to breach the Edict of Storms, and the Twin River oldwalls Havoc will be found right after fighting Raetommon for the Magebane Helm. 
• The Burning Library Havoc can be fought only if you retrieve the Silent Archive without destroying the Library by swapping it with another Artifact (which you cannot do if allied with the Disfavored.)
• The Stonewalkers initiation will also involve killing a Havoc (you cannot do this if allied with the Disfavored.)

Capstone

Learn the last talent in any of the player's 6 talent trees - Easy enough to obtain, simply dump all of your talent points into the tree most suited to your class / playstyle and you should have this before Act III.

Arsenal

Acquire 5 Artifacts - Pretty easy to find five throughout the game, there are many more than five available. See the Overkill section for some specific locations. 

Overkill

Acquire 10 Artifacts - Still should be pretty easy if you are thorough and use the Library and Forge once or twice to create additional artifacts. 

Here are some Artifact locations, though this is not meant to be an exhaustive list because there are many, many Artifacts in the game:

• Azure Shield - Dropped by Red Fang of the Stonestalker Tribe
• Banner of Ardent - Found in the Burning Library if you end the Edict without destroying the Library
• Binding of Shadows - Dropped by Bleden Mark
• Dauntless - Found at the Infested Oldwalls
• Final Scream - Dropped by The Voices of Nerat
• Gravebow - Found in the Blade Grave Oldwalls near the Ocean Spire
• Magebane Helm - Acquired Automatically as part of the Lethian Crossing quest line
• Peacemaker - Dropped by Graven Ashe
• Staff of Hours - Found at the bottom of the Burning Library
• Steadfast Insignia - Found in the Blade Grave Oldwalls as part of the Stalwart quest line
• Sunlance - Found in the Twin Rivers Oldwalls 
• Tempest - Found in the Twin River Oldwalls near where you fight Raetommon
• You can also use the Library and Forge Spires to research/craft other Artifacts such as the Commander's Plate, Scales of Mercy, Alchemist Gloves, Nightwalkers Boots, and others. More research is available if you hold onto the Silent Archive from the Burning Library. 

All You Survey

Gain Control of every Spire - You will always have the opportunity to reach the top of the Spires in Act 3, even if you do not fulfill the general questline in that spire's region. Just map out the proper rune pattern and visit the top (you do not need all of the charcoal rubbings or notes for the game to recognize the proper pattern.)

Look On My Works, Ye Mighty

Construct an upgrade on every Spire - Once controlling all the Spires, just construct an upgrade on each. 

Made to be Broken

Break all of Kyros' Edicts - The three Edicts needs to break for this achievement are the Edict of Stone, Edict of Storms, and Edict of Fire. In order to do this, you may need to ignore Lethian's Crossing's questline since there is no Edict there and for many of the paths Act III will start once you complete three of the four possible areas. 

• Edict of Fire - Any trip to the Burning Library will end the Edict of Fire as long as you take the Silent Archive, whether the library is destroyed or not.
• Edit of Storms - Any trip to Stalwart and completing the quest line there will end the Edict of Storms EXCEPT sending Amelia and her baby to the Voices of Nerat if you are allied with the Scarlet Chorus.
• Edict of Stone - Killing Cairn by destroying the three Disfavored totems OR allowing the Disfavored ritual to process will both end the Edict of Stone.

Arcanist

Create a spell from all 11 schools of magic in a single playthrough - You may have to be a bit diligent looking for opportunities to buy spell cores for elements you do not already have. Once you have all eleven, simply make at least one spell from each. As long as you check each merchant for new cores and are thorough interacting with objects in the various dungeons you should find all eleven. Here is a work-in-progress doc with spell core locations. 

Final Judgment

Emerge victorious from your trial with Tunon the Adjudicator, forcing him to submit to your rule - Throughout the game you will find evidence for the Trial of the Archons as well as have opportunities to gain Loyalty among your followers. Near the end of the game as long as you are respectful towards Tunon and bring three followers that are highly Loyal to you, it should be relatively easy to be found innocent at the final trial. 

Companion Achievements

Magnetic Personality

Recruit every Companion character in the game - I believe you will run into all of the companions automatically with the exception of Sirin, who you will have to recruit in Lethian's Crossing at the start of Act 2. Otherwise, do not turn down down opportunities for companions to join you (Kills-in-Shadows) and do not kill Eb in Act I. 

Tyrant

Reach maximum Fear with a Companion - Simply piss off a Companion at every chance through the game. One easy way to do this is to keep Barik with you on the Rebellion route, since he will pretty much hate everything you do along that path.

Inspiring Leader

Reach maximum Loyalty with a Companion - It is pretty easy to maintain high Loyalty with Verse on pretty much every route, especially when siding with the Scarlet Chorus. 

By Our Powers Combined

Successfully use a combo ability with each Companion in the game - Once you have recruited all seven companions, simply earn enough loyalty or fear with each to unlock a companion ability, and use each in combat. There should be easily enough opportunities for reputation simply by exhausting dialogue options, even if you never play with that companion during quests. 

Easter Egg Achievements

This! Is! Tyranny!

Kick someone off of your Spire - When you make it to the top of your first Spire, simply choose the option to attach a letter to the leader of whoever you are going against (usually of the Vendrien Guard, but could be someone else if on the Rebellion route) for an amusing little easter egg.

Boom!

Distract the Forge-Bound smith in Lethian's Crossing until he loses control of his magic - Keep talking to the NPC hammering away in Lethian's Crossing at the Forge-Bound building until...yeah. 

Solo Performance

Spend some time alone in the brothel in Lethian's Crossing - This will only be available to you if you give Lethian's Crossing to the Scarlet Chorus during the Conquest at the start of the game. Otherwise the brothel will not be open. I've read that it works by giving the Crossing to the Disfavored too, but this was not the case in my experience. Note that you do not have to side with the Chorus, just give it to them during the conquest even if you go on any other route. Talk to the npc and choose the last option for a solo performance. 

Day of Swords

Allow Kyros' Day of Swords to arrive without taking Vendrien's Well - Simply sleep over and over again in one of the camps in Act I instead of progressing the game. 

Disfavored Route Achievements

To start on this route, simply side with Graven Ashe and the Disfavored when taking Ascension Hall at the end of Act I, and never select to Betray Alliance from that point on.

Lawyered

Exploit a legal loophole to keep Amelia's baby alive - Once you discover that Amelia has a baby, you'll talk to Graven Ashe and he will send you to the Burning Library to find a way to end the Edict of Storms without having to kill the baby. Otherwise you can pass a high lore check. 

Feel the Burn

Destroy the Burning Library - While the Burning Library can be visited, and thus destroyed, on multiple routes, you will have to visit for the above achievement anyway and there is no option to end the Edict without destroying the Burning Library while alliead with the Disfavored, so you might as well do this here. Simply make your way to the bottom and take / destroy the Silent Archive. 

Might Makes Right

Convince Graven Ashe to submit to your rule, swaying his allegiance from Kyros - When siding with the Disfavored, towards the end of the game, when Graven Ashe confronts you about your loyalty after casting an Edict, simply talk him down and mention all of the work you've done for him and with high enough reputation with Ashe and the Dishonored, he will bow to you.

Legion of Victory (Act III)

Complete the game as an ally of the Disfavored - Side up with the Disfavored to finish Act I and never betray them through the rest of the game. 

Scarlet Chorus Route Achievements

To enter this route, simply side with the Scarlet Chorus when assaulting the Ascension Hall at the end of Act I and never betray them throughout the rest of the game.

The Prosecution Rests

Convinct an Archon in Tunon's Court - You will have opportunities to do this on multiple routes, but siding with the Scarlet Chorus is especially conducive to this result. Near the end of the game you will have to present the evidence you've found to convict either Graven Ashe or The Voices of Nerat. As long as you have done some sidequests in the various regions and have thoroughly looted various bodies and containers, you should have enough evidence to convict either Archon. On the Scarlet Chorus path it doesn't really matter which you convict because they do not care if you turn against Nerat and obviously don't care if you convict Ashe. 

Savage Stone

Survive the Rite of Savagery and Stone, joining the Stonestalker tribe - This may be possible on the Rebellion route also, but I did it with the Scarlet Chorus. Simply complete the initiation by siding with the Stonestalkers instead of the Disfavored in the Stone Sea area and complete the various quests. This is not possible on the Disfavored route since the Stonestalkers will hate you outright, and I believe not on the Anarchy path due to needing to get the Azure Shield for Bleden Mark.

Paved With Good Intentions

Sacrifice one of your Companions to the Voices of Nerat, taking control of the Archon's Mind - and the Scarlet Chorus - When aligned with the Scarlet Chorus, near the end of the game the Voices of Nerat will confront you after you cast an Edict. You will have the opportunity to "trade" a companion to him in order to have him swear fealty to you. Simply offer up Landry with a Loyalty of at least 3 and watch what happens :) . (This may work with other companions also, but Landry for sure works.) 

Chorus of Victory (Act III)

Complete the game as an ally of the Scarlet Chorus - Simply beat the game after aligning with the Scarlet Chorus in Act I and never betraying them. 

Rebellion Route Achievements

This is probably the hardest route to enter. What you need to do to enter this route is to allow both Matani Sybil and Pelox Florian go free instead of capturing or killing them for the Disfavored or Scarlet Chorus in Act I (these are the quests in Echocall Crossing and Tripnettle Wilderness). Once you do both of these things you will receive a missive to meet the Vendrien Guard leader Tarkis Arri to start on this route.

How the Mighty have Fallen

Defeat each of the Archons in a single playthrough of the game - This is actually more easily doable than it sounds, and is possible on multiple routes. This means you have to kill Graven Ashe, The Voices of Nerat, Tunon the Adjudicator, and Bleden Mark in a single playthough. Sirin and Cairn do not count. The rebellion playthrough requires you to defeat the first two anyways, Bleden Mark will always pick a fight with you unless you side with him in the Anarachy route, and Tunon can always be attacked even if he swears fealty to you at the end of the game. You can also complete this on the Scarlet Chorus route if you find Nerat guilty since you can kill Nerat without betraying the Chorus.

Eternal Suffering

Keep Cairn alive, suffering from the effects of Kyros' Edict - Most of the routes will require you to kill Cairn and end the Edict of Storms (or otherwise ignore the quests in the Stone Sea area), but during the Rebellion route you can choose to recruit the Stone Stalkers and push out the Disfavored and achieve this result. Just make sure not to visit three other areas before going to the Stone Sea because otherwise Act III will start and you will lose the opportunity. 

Unconventional Materials

Cut the rune from the Sage's chest in the Burning Library - This may be possible on other routes, but it seems to be easiest to obtain when sided with the Sages instead of the Disfavored or Chorus, and thus makes the most sense to visit the Burning Library on the Rebellion route. I got this by issuing the Edict to the Burning Library on the final year of Conquest (not confirmed if needed) and then at the second floor of the library, visit the far south east side of the second floor with Landry in your Party and you should get a dialogue pop up where you find a Sage npc. Here you can cut the rune out of his chest (to Landry's dismay). Note that holding tab does not show the sage, just physically move your character to that corner of the screen. 

Victorious Alliance (Act III)

Complete the game after forging an alliance among the rebel factions of the Tiers - Simply complete the game after aligning with Tarkis Arri using the method above and never betraying that alliance. 

Anarchy Route Achievements

You have many opportunities to start on the Anarchy route, the earliest being turning against either the Disfavored or Scarlet Chorus upon taking Ascension Hall at the end of Act I, though there will be numerous other occasions throughout Act II. Any dialogue option with the tag [Betray Alliance] will set you on this route. 

Bane of the Crossing

Claim the Magebane Helm after defeating the Havoc inside the Oldwalls by Lethian's Crossing - Bleden Mark will require you to get this item on the Anarchy route, so that is the easiest chance to get this. It can be easily obtained in the other routes as well as long as you do not ignore the Lethian Crossing / Sunset Spire region for too long and the story pushes into Act III.

Taking a Stand

Claim Sentinel Stand Keep for yourself - This is simply finishing the Stalwart questline while on the Anarachy route. Note that you can betray the Disfavored right before taking the keep, so you can split save to get this achievement that way.  

Shattered Stone

Kill Cairn while on the Anarchist Path - While on the anarchist path, Bleden Mark will ask you to retrieve the Azure Shield from the Stonestalkers, and while he does not seem to explicitly tell you to do anything with Cairn, you can still engage the Disfavored in the area and make your way to the sleeping Archon. Fight the Disfavored and when at the Archon, simply take the crystal out of him without disrupting the three Disfavored totems and you should get this achievement. 

From The Shadows

Gain Bleden Mark's loyalty and have him turn on Tunon the Adjudicator - Simply follow the Anarchy path to the end and have Tunon find you guilty at the final trial. Bleden will step in before Tunon goes to attack you.

Chaotic Victory (Act III)

Complete the game without any allies - Note that this means to complete the game on the Anarchy route, NOT to complete the game without companion characters. When on any of the other three paths, choosing  to Betray Alliance at multiple opportunities throughout the game (the earliest being at the Ascension Hall in Act I) will place you on this route, where you will work with Bleden Mark to overthrow Tunon the Adjudicator. I personally created a split save where I betrayed the Disfavored about 3/4th of the way though the game  so that I didn't need to complete a full extra playthrough. 

Other Achievements

Iron Victory

Finish the game on Trial of Iron mode - Trial of Iron mode means that you get one save and lose it if your party dies, turning the game into a quasi-roguelike. Simply play a game on easy mode with Trial of Iron and this should be easily doable. 

Zero Consumption

Complete the game without ever using a Health Potion - This should be easily doable on any easy mode playthough. Simply spec Landry as a healer instead for in-battle cures. 

Victory of the Damned 

Finish the game on the Path of the Damned difficulty setting - Beat the game on the hardest difficulty! Good luck.