CA's Total War: The Celtic-Han-Lizardmen alliance that never was

[Slurktan]

I've been playing some Three Kingdoms again.  Its just a better actual game than Warhammer 2 but lacks the replayability since most of the factions are just the same thing.  Currently doing a Yuan Shu campaign where I filled his legitimacy bar by turn 10 and got Sun Ce in the faction through marriage.  But now everyone hates me and is attacking me from all sides.  Kind of annoying.

[Heartofice]

I think I'd done with Warhammer 2 actually. Even though there are so many factions I barely tried and never got very far with, the whole dynamic of the game feels very samey to me now, to the point where I was not very excited by Warhammer 3. That Daemon creator has gotten me excited again though. 

[Corvinus85]

21 minutes ago, Slurktan said:

I've been playing some Three Kingdoms again.  Its just a better actual game than Warhammer 2 but lacks the replayability since most of the factions are just the same thing.  Currently doing a Yuan Shu campaign where I filled his legitimacy bar by turn 10 and got Sun Ce in the faction through marriage.  But now everyone hates me and is attacking me from all sides.  Kind of annoying.

I pretty much agree that it is a better game from the flaw you mentioned and a few other flaws:

- I find the map to be lackluster and difficult to navigate.

- The game allows for way too many armies so the late game becomes a huge clusterfuck. This is true of most TW games, but in Warhammer it's easier to push through the grind.

19 minutes ago, Heartofice said:

I think I'd done with Warhammer 2 actually. Even though there are so many factions I barely tried and never got very far with, the whole dynamic of the game feels very samey to me now, to the point where I was not very excited by Warhammer 3. That Daemon creator has gotten me excited again though. 

Well besides this Daemon feature there are other reworked mechanics for which to be excited.

Diplomacy is now more complex bringing it closer to 3K. One cool aspect which is completely new is outpost building. You build outposts in your allies' province capitals which allows you access to their units, even full fledged armies if you have enough of this new allegiance currency and you have a full military alliance. So it's much more worth wile to make alliances now and actually figure out which allies benefit your faction most. 

The reinforcement mechanic which I described before is also something I'm eager to try out.

[Fez]

1 hour ago, Heartofice said:

This is absolutely nuts! I saw a video of this working and its looks brilliant! The only downside is I want this for every single character and race in the game.

Yeah, the only problem I have with this is that's Chaos, who I have zero interest in playing.

1 hour ago, Heartofice said:

I think I'd done with Warhammer 2 actually. Even though there are so many factions I barely tried and never got very far with, the whole dynamic of the game feels very samey to me now, to the point where I was not very excited by Warhammer 3. That Daemon creator has gotten me excited again though. 

This is why I'm so glad 3 is showing up on Gamepass. Especially since, IIRC, mortal empires isn't coming at launch so it doesn't matter I won't have access to 1 and 2 in my steam account. If the game's good enough I'll eventually buy it on steam. And if it feels like too much of the same as before, I'll get my fill quickly for free instead.

[Slurktan]

So I'm doing a Sun Jian campaign in Three Kingdoms trying to complete all the challenge quests. First Huang Zu and Cai Mao, then Liu Yao, then Shi Xie, now I have to get Liu Bei and Cao Cao which I don't know if I can do it without winning the game first.

Wu is way too easy though.  I'm not even talking the wide swaths of land they get for free.  The Mercenary troops make them way too strong. Have a full stack army of mercs in Jian Ye, disband them all and have a full army of mercs (that do not muster) in Shi Xie's lands the next turn. Bonkers.

[Slurktan]

1 minute ago, Slurktan said:

 

 

[The Winged Shadow]

I started yet another Dino campaign, this time Nakai vortex. It's a really short campaign but that last battle is pretty difficult. I went for a mostly kroxigor army (+heroes and a couple of dinos) and it struggled hard. I made it at the end, but the army took a massive beating. One of Nakai's quest battle is also pretty friggin difficult (the one defending a suicidal fat toad in Itza.....). I lost that one twice before i found a strategy to beat it, pretty fun and challenging overall.

Now I've moved onto my first ever Empire campaign. Their roster never really interested me (no cool beasty units) so i never played them. So far, I am playing them like i play Dwarves, arties+gunners+hero tanks+ some spearmen for flanking protection. Just got access to the much hyped rockets, so pretty keen to see how that works out. I am still running mortars at the moment. Bloody vamps have wiped out two elector counts so my Imperial Authority is tight and can't confederate anyone without going negative. I was going to focus on the vamps, but i fell for the massive trap that is Marienburg. It was taken over by one of the shitty Norsca tribes and i took it back, but then Rakarth declared war on me and I am getting battered on that side by dark elves and norsca. My shitty archers need to be upgraded to crossbowmen or gunners ASAP. I can't handle his beasts as they just plow through my crappy spear frontline. Not sure if the halberdiers will be any better. I haven't managed to handle Norsca any better either. They are bringing those anti-infantry berserker units that just shit on my spearmen. I might need to just get some heroes in there as frontline at this stage.

[Heartofice]

1 hour ago, The Winged Shadow said:

I started yet another Dino campaign, this time Nakai vortex. It's a really short campaign but that last battle is pretty difficult. I went for a mostly kroxigor army (+heroes and a couple of dinos) and it struggled hard. I made it at the end, but the army took a massive beating. One of Nakai's quest battle is also pretty friggin difficult (the one defending a suicidal fat toad in Itza.....). I lost that one twice before i found a strategy to beat it, pretty fun and challenging overall.

The Nakai campaign gets a lot of flack but I actually really enjoyed it, its like a Horde campaign but with added security that you don't just have people colonising the settlements you razed. CA have fixed that with the Beastmen changes, but I think Nakai still works because of its simplicity. I also like that hes just a massive Croc with a massive Hammer. 
 

1 hour ago, The Winged Shadow said:

Now I've moved onto my first ever Empire campaign. Their roster never really interested me (no cool beasty units) so i never played them. So far, I am playing them like i play Dwarves, arties+gunners+hero tanks+ some spearmen for flanking protection. Just got access to the much hyped rockets, so pretty keen to see how that works out. I am still running mortars at the moment. Bloody vamps have wiped out two elector counts so my Imperial Authority is tight and can't confederate anyone without going negative. I was going to focus on the vamps, but i fell for the massive trap that is Marienburg. It was taken over by one of the shitty Norsca tribes and i took it back, but then Rakarth declared war on me and I am getting battered on that side by dark elves and norsca. My shitty archers need to be upgraded to crossbowmen or gunners ASAP. I can't handle his beasts as they just plow through my crappy spear frontline. Not sure if the halberdiers will be any better. I haven't managed to handle Norsca any better either. They are bringing those anti-infantry berserker units that just shit on my spearmen. I might need to just get some heroes in there as frontline at this stage.

The Empire Campaign is the one I've done the most, and the one I keep coming back to. I think their roster is great actually, because it's so flexible and you can customise it the way you want. Sure it specialises in big guns but I built out some fun armies with cav or flagellants, however you want. 
 

The campaign is also very interesting because it prevents you from just trying to paint the map in the normal manner, and you need to be very careful about who you confederate and when. I would repeatedly have issues with Imperial Authority because the vamps would wipe out Elector Counts. So my main task was to run around the map reinstating them, because you get big bumps in IA for doing that.

Eventually I would confed Nuln and Talabecland and end up with those endless grindy battles against Vlad or Mannfred where they just seem to be able to bring 20 blood knights or Varghulfs and just rush you. The real trick to beating the Vamps is figuring out how to kill their cav, because my tactic of bringing 3 Hellstorm Rocket Batteries is pretty useless.

[The Winged Shadow]

4 minutes ago, Heartofice said:

The Nakai campaign gets a lot of flack but I actually really enjoyed it, its like a Horde campaign but with added security that you don't just have people colonising the settlements you razed. CA have fixed that with the Beastmen changes, but I think Nakai still works because of its simplicity. I also like that hes just a massive Croc with a massive Hammer. 
 

The Empire Campaign is the one I've done the most, and the one I keep coming back to. I think their roster is great actually, because it's so flexible and you can customise it the way you want. Sure it specialises in big guns but I built out some fun armies with cav or flagellants, however you want. 
 

The campaign is also very interesting because it prevents you from just trying to paint the map in the normal manner, and you need to be very careful about who you confederate and when. I would repeatedly have issues with Imperial Authority because the vamps would wipe out Elector Counts. So my main task was to run around the map reinstating them, because you get big bumps in IA for doing that.

Eventually I would confed Nuln and Talabecland and end up with those endless grindy battles against Vlad or Mannfred where they just seem to be able to bring 20 blood knights or Varghulfs and just rush you. The real trick to beating the Vamps is figuring out how to kill their cav, because my tactic of bringing 3 Hellstorm Rocket Batteries is pretty useless.

I like playing Nakai because I am not heaps into empire building as it gets samey after a while. I really enjoy building different dino army, and Nakai allows me to get that up and running super quick (and super cheap to boot), after which i can just go wherever and smash whoever. My favourite Nakai ME campaign was to get the Sword of Khaine + Kroak and two man everything in sight while the rest of army just chilled and watched. I played Nakai so many times in ME, but this was the first time I played Vortex with him and i enjoyed it quite a bit. It was lot easier than having to deal with chaos and snow attrition of Norsca.

I do find that after 1200+hrs, i tend to go for the horde factions more. Nakai and Dreadfleet are my favourite, but i haven't played Beastmen after their update, but i anticipate i will like it alot. But I caved and started Empire as it is one of two campaign i have never done (other being woodelves) and I want to get those out of the way before WH3.

Re: Empire, I am currently running 3 armies, with the one sitting at Marienburg being the weakest. It only has 12 or so Archers, with the frontline coming from the garrison. I have two armies to the east, one is kind of defending my territory from Vamp attacks and consists mostly of spearmen and crossbowmen (no cav or arties) and my main army which is 4 spearmen, 8 gunners, 3 mortars, 1 reiksguard, 2 hero, 1 mage and Karl Franz. So far it has been super effective, but not sure how well it will go against Cav spam armies.

 

 

[Heartofice]

1 minute ago, The Winged Shadow said:

I like playing Nakai because I am not heaps into empire building as it gets samey after a while. I really enjoy building different dino army, and Nakai allows me to get that up and running super quick (and super cheap to boot), after which i can just go wherever and smash whoever. My favourite Nakai ME campaign was to get the Sword of Khaine + Kroak and two man everything in sight while the rest of army just chilled and watched. I played Nakai so many times in ME, but this was the first time I played Vortex with him and i enjoyed it quite a bit. It was lot easier than having to deal with chaos and snow attrition of Norsca.

Yeah I agree. Most of what I've seen said about Nakai is that it's all a bit lacklustre because its so simplistic.. but that is really it's strength. You can just get into it and start rampaging with massive beasts. Empire building kind of sucks in Warhammer anyway, there are very few choices, you end up having just put walls and growth buildings everywhere at first and it's just a matter of upgrading. Almost no strategic decisions and no real visual improvements from anything you built. Very meh. You also get no real bonuses from specialising regions or settlements, there's almost no thought put into it.
 

4 minutes ago, The Winged Shadow said:

Re: Empire, I am currently running 3 armies, with the one sitting at Marienburg being the weakest. It only has 12 or so Archers, with the frontline coming from the garrison. I have two armies to the east, one is kind of defending my territory from Vamp attacks and consists mostly of spearmen and crossbowmen (no cav or arties) and my main army which is 4 spearmen, 8 gunners, 3 mortars, 1 reiksguard, 2 hero, 1 mage and Karl Franz. So far it has been super effective, but not sure how well it will go against Cav spam armies.

Yeah Marienburg has become a real pain since the new Rakarth faction. I took it after Greenskins razed it and it almost ruined my campaign because I was stretched too thin trying to defend it whilst holding back the massive onslaught of vampires on the other side of my empire. 

The hard part against the Vamps is not only are the Lords super powerful but they can just raise dead and come back in one turn with a brand new, massive full stack. It becomes relentless. 

[The Winged Shadow]

Well, the vamps are dead. They are so aggressive, they had zero armies defending their original region. So I just look all their territory while they were dicking around up north. Then it was a matter of getting some temporary armies recruited to defend their multiple stacks for a few turns.

Their cav stacks are so damn nasty. Lost a battle where the cavs just rolled over my arties and gunners and my heroes got trapped fighting their crappy zombies. Did not go well that battle!

[The Winged Shadow]

For Empire, what do you do after you take out the vamps? Greenskins are hooning the dwarves (Thorgrim has got 2 settlements east of the vamp territory and thats it) so i am trying to take out some of his enemy, but i really don't wanna pick a fight with Grimgor, specially with Norsca and Darkelves coming from west. I am kinda leaving the golden order alone for a bit as they are helping the dwarves by fighting Grimgor.

I am thinking of just picking on the smaller greenskin factions and help the dwarves a little while i wait for confederation opportunities. But i feel like i will need way more armies to defend my norther border if i confederate the northern electorates, not to mention pick a fight with the two woodelf factions. Drycha is a bit aggressive atm.....

[Werthead]

Medieval II is getting the mobile treatment, which is not so interesting in itself, but it is interesting from the POV that this is the trajectory Rome I took, getting a mobile remake which then springboarded into the full remake of the game on PC. So it looks like Medieval II is going to go through the same thing, which is great, though some also seem to be taking it as another nail in the coffin of their hopes of getting Medieval III any time soon.

[Corvinus85]

13 hours ago, The Winged Shadow said:

For Empire, what do you do after you take out the vamps? Greenskins are hooning the dwarves (Thorgrim has got 2 settlements east of the vamp territory and thats it) so i am trying to take out some of his enemy, but i really don't wanna pick a fight with Grimgor, specially with Norsca and Darkelves coming from west. I am kinda leaving the golden order alone for a bit as they are helping the dwarves by fighting Grimgor.

I am thinking of just picking on the smaller greenskin factions and help the dwarves a little while i wait for confederation opportunities. But i feel like i will need way more armies to defend my norther border if i confederate the northern electorates, not to mention pick a fight with the two woodelf factions. Drycha is a bit aggressive atm.....

What is Clan Moulder doing in the north-east? They often become your enemy sooner or later as they tend to smash fake-Kislev and the Empire provinces. Unless it's one of those weird scenario when someone took care of them. 

If Thorgrim is weak I don't think the Golden Order can lost long. It may look like that now, but with the Greenskins it can often turn.

Ultimately the primary goal is to have all the Empire provinces. I prefer to fight a defensive war against the Norscans just because it's annoying to go into their lands to finish them off. So I would keep armies there to keep them in check, maybe destroy Rakarth, but focus my expansions southwards.

Depending on what your campaign options were, the armies of Chaos may be a problem, too.

As for the Wood Elves - Drycha usually needs to be dealt with but I try to leave the ones up north in peace unless they get aggressive. 

[The Winged Shadow]

3 minutes ago, Corvinus85 said:

What is Clan Moulder doing in the north-east? They often become your enemy sooner or later as they tend to smash fake-Kislev and the Empire provinces. Unless it's one of those weird scenario when someone took care of them. 

If Thorgrim is weak I don't think the Golden Order can lost long. It may look like that now, but with the Greenskins it can often turn.

Ultimately the primary goal is to have all the Empire provinces. I prefer to fight a defensive war against the Norscans just because it's annoying to go into their lands to finish them off. So I would keep armies there to keep them in check, maybe destroy Rakarth, but focus my expansions southwards.

Depending on what your campaign options were, the armies of Chaos may be a problem, too.

As for the Wood Elves - Drycha usually needs to be dealt with but I try to leave the ones up north in peace unless they get aggressive. 

It's a weird campaign. Bonerattlaz are fighting against Moulder over Kislev region and they are keeping each other busy. Grimgor is fighting against Golden Order, Clan Angrund and......Naggarond (lol). Malekith has sent like 3 armies through my territory to fight Grimgor. Grimgor is losing ground at the moment (Black Crag got taken by Naggarond), but it looks like he wiped out Eshin, so he might focus west now and get rolling again. Golden Order regained Karaz a Karak and Thorgrim just wiped out one of the greenskin factions (forgot the name but they had a green flag with red spear) and recovered a few settlements in the mountain area. So it's not looking good for old mate Grimmy.

I am tempted to let them fight it out and go sort out Rakarth or Drycha as you've said. Got a ton of imperial authority so i can start confederating some electorates soon.

[Heartofice]

21 hours ago, The Winged Shadow said:

For Empire, what do you do after you take out the vamps? Greenskins are hooning the dwarves (Thorgrim has got 2 settlements east of the vamp territory and thats it) so i am trying to take out some of his enemy, but i really don't wanna pick a fight with Grimgor, specially with Norsca and Darkelves coming from west. I am kinda leaving the golden order alone for a bit as they are helping the dwarves by fighting Grimgor.

I am thinking of just picking on the smaller greenskin factions and help the dwarves a little while i wait for confederation opportunities. But i feel like i will need way more armies to defend my norther border if i confederate the northern electorates, not to mention pick a fight with the two woodelf factions. Drycha is a bit aggressive atm.....

My general plan is to role play it a bit and only fight in wars that help to restore elector counts until I get to the point where I have confederated everyone. Can be a bit janky as one play through I had +3 IA and a lot of fealty but the confederation decision  never came up. I started again after that.

Do you have Chaos invasion on? If so that will take up most of your time for a while. 
 

Otherwise I like to have Karl Franz wandering around putting down rebellions and fighting Greenskins and Volkmar headed north to fight chaos ( I have already dealt with vampires)

[The Winged Shadow]

1 hour ago, Heartofice said:

My general plan is to role play it a bit and only fight in wars that help to restore elector counts until I get to the point where I have confederated everyone. Can be a bit janky as one play through I had +3 IA and a lot of fealty but the confederation decision  never came up. I started again after that.

Do you have Chaos invasion on? If so that will take up most of your time for a while. 
 

Otherwise I like to have Karl Franz wandering around putting down rebellions and fighting Greenskins and Volkmar headed north to fight chaos ( I have already dealt with vampires)

That is what i am doing as well, mainly focused on the empire territory. Otherwise I could easily head south or north and kick some ass.

I do have chaos turned on and they have showed up, so lets see how that goes. So far, my meat shield border territories (skaven, greenskins, ostland) are dealing with them. I got Karl in ambush stance waiting for them to come into the empire.

I just finished dealing with Rakarth and Drycha. So all focus on Chaos and keeping an eye on Grimgor, who took back Black Crag. But Thorgrim has headed down now and Queek is taking lots of territory from Grimgor as well. More interesting exchange happening in that area than in my empire lol

 

[The Winged Shadow]

17 hours ago, Heartofice said:

Can be a bit janky as one play through I had +3 IA and a lot of fealty but the confederation decision  never came up. I started again after that.

Hmm, I have basically two electorates left to confederate, but I am no longer getting events that give Imperial Authority. So its a bit annoying just wrecking chaos armies and just....waiting. I keep pushing back confederation 20 turns because otherwise I'd be at -6, which triggers war? Although i guess all the electorate will be confederated, so not sure if it matters?

[Corvinus85]

Warhammer III's prologue campaign is, I think, the longest tutorial campaign I've seen. I finished in about 6 hrs. Unfortunately it did very little to teach any of the new mechanics, mostly focusing on stuff experienced players already know. That being, it had a pretty good story so no regrets doing it. Now to dive into an actual campaign.

[Heartofice]

1 hour ago, Corvinus85 said:

Warhammer III's prologue campaign is, I think, the longest tutorial campaign I've seen. I finished in about 6 hrs. Unfortunately it did very little to teach any of the new mechanics, mostly focusing on stuff experienced players already know. That being, it had a pretty good story so no regrets doing it. Now to dive into an actual campaign.

Yeah the prologue was actually quite good if annoying as a veteran player.

Ive tried out most of the campaigns so far and I don’t yet love the game. 
 

I’ve found the minor settlement battles  a bit slow and tedious, and I just grind through them because they require so much micro