
Missile units are both a cheap and extremely versatile way of padding out your armies early on. There’s a reason archers were recorded as being the most popular unit in Three Kingdoms. And chances are the faction you declared war against will ask for peace eventually, for which you can also exact a hefty sum. You can gain money and make them like you, allowing you establish trade and allies quickly, without ever having to lift a finger. Joining wars with other factions is especially useful when it’s against factions who are far away. The same goes for declaring war - if you already plan to go to war with a faction anyway, why do it for free?įind a faction who is already at war with them and make them pay you to do it. Money can often be hard to come by during a campaign, hence my favourite tip: when dealing with other factions in diplomacy, squeeze them for as much as they’re worth. It is one of the greatest ways of quickly breaking an infantry fight and as a general rule, the heavier your hammer, the better. Then you move your cavalry (‘the hammer’) around the side and charge them in the rear.

‘Hammer and anvil’ is when you engage an enemy on one side (usually with infantry) who become ‘the anvil’. War never changes, and this most revered and universal battlefield tactic will serve you well no matter the game. If you are playing one of the bigger ones though, why not start with our Total War: Warhammer 2 Lizardmen guide or our Total War: Three Kingdoms Lu Bu guide? Hammer and anvil Those who picked up Total War Troy for free may want to check out our Total War Troy Paris guide. Since this is quite a general guide that applies to many Total War games, there may be specifics that are unique to the Total War game you are playing. Just make sure you also account for the differences in design imposed by specific games. We’ve tried to stick to more general principles so that, no matter which Total War game you’re actually playing, these will help you in both your campaigns and tactical battles. These games are not going to get simpler any time soon.ĭon’t despair however, for we’ve compiled a list of top tips and tricks picked up over thousands of hours of Total War goodness. Just looking at recent instalments between Total War: Three Kingdom’s empire management and spying systems, or the new tactical dimension of magic and monsters in Total War: Warhammer there’s now a lot more to consider. Many of us grew up with Total War, but it can still be a struggle to appreciate how much more complicated the series has become over time.

Whether that’s learning how to micromanage a huge variety of units in the chaos of the battlefield, or governing those conquests, maintaining public order and engaging in diplomacy on the campaign map.

The Total War series can be difficult games to get into.
