Total War: Warhammer 2 felt like a total revamp of the original classic game.
With its new campaign and diverse cast of units streamlined under four factions, the game feels new but still retains what the classic game was known for. For new players, this can be a new challenge to simply understand the game.
The tutorials do a good job at introducing new players to the game but there are still many other elements that need to be discussed even further to get you started in the game. Here are some tips on getting started.
- Learn the Different Units
- Damage Types
- Use the Unit Information Panel to Your Advantage
- Play Custom to Better Understand Your Army
- Learn to Focus Fire
Learn the Different Units
Total War would not be the game that it is today without the diverse units. The game offers a very complex cast of units with each of them having its own set of unique intricacies. One of the most important units in the game is the Lord.
The Lord acts as the general that leads the entire army to battle meanwhile the Hero which is more adept at both 1-on-1 battles or in a group. Melee infantry units are the basic units that are very common. They are often used against other units in the game but are very vulnerable to monsters and cavalries.
Long-ranged units like archers and missile infantries deal damage from afar. Cavalries are fast-moving units that are used to charge and create opportunities for combat. Artilleries are mechanical weapons used to deal a large amount of damage but are also very slow.
There are still a lot more types of units like flying units, monsters, and war machines that offer more options for the player. It is up to you to learn each type of unit and see where you excel.
Unit Formation
Unit management is considered as the bread and butter of Total War: Warhammer 2. The way you control your units will result in either a victory or defeat. With so many units available during battle, it can be very difficult to control all units at once.
This is the reason why the game features an option where you can group certain units and control them. Pressing Ctrl + 1 to 9 will assign a group of units together. You can then toggle between numbers to control them when in battle.
Don't forget to toggle the Guard mode as well unless you want your units to go after the enemy when they disengage in battle. This will make your army more vulnerable making the Guard mode all the more important options to always be toggled on.
Damage Types
Alongside many different units used in Total War, these units also deal different types of damage. Each unit will have its specific damage type but others can have both layered on top of each other.
However, these overlapping damage types tend to have one major damage type and a weaker one. There are four damage types in the game. These are regular, armor-piercing, fire, and magical. Regular damage is the most common and armor reduces the incoming damage.
Armor-piercing damage ignores armor while fire damage is meant to counter nature-based units. Magical damage is effective against units with little to no magical resistance.
Units that have hybrid damage are very useful in battle. They are often utilized to deal with different types of enemy units and become effective at what they do.
The Different Spells to Use
Spells are used in the game to change the tide of battle. Normally, players would cast their spells to either help their struggling units, diminish the opposing army, or immediately deal damage to make an advantage.
There are three types of spells in Total War: Warhammer 2. These are buffs, debuffs, and damaging spells. Buffs help your units by increasing their capabilities in battle. Meanwhile, debuffs cast a negative effect on the enemy and damaging spells do damage to the enemy.
Damaging spells are very useful in battle especially since they are weak against physical resistance. Players who take advantage of damaging spells in battle then buff their units tend to have a greater chance at winning the game.
Use the Unit Information Panel to Your Advantage
The unit information panel offers a lot of information that you can easily take advantage of especially during battle. When you're able to understand the different information found on the panel, you'll have a different perspective on how to play the game.
Normally, players would simply dive into battle without having to understand the panel first and end up losing a lot of units. This panel serves to inform you of the status of each unit.
Some stats are quite self-explanatory but there are others like leadership that are quite essential during battle. Leadership helps increase morale and lower the chances of your units retreating in battle.
Hover your mouse over each stat and understand how it will affect your unit and play around with it.
Be Careful with Fatigue
Total War: Warhammer 2 utilizes a fatigue system that brings balance into the game. Fatigue happens when your units are not well-rested and are immediately placed into battle.
This will immediately decimate your forces since they do not have the energy or stamina to fight off the enemy. It can be very detrimental to your forces if you do not know how to control fatigue within your army.
To avoid fatigue, make sure that your units are well-rested. You can do this by having them stand still for a few minutes before you order them to battle. Check all of your units first before you head to war and see if there are groups that have low stamina and are close to getting fatigued.
Play Custom to Better Understand Your Army
The campaign mode can be quite unforgiving for players especially those who are not yet well-versed with their units. There will be times when you are forced to try out different things to suit each situation from the campaign.
However, the campaign mode is not a suitable practice ground, or else you'll pay for the cost very dearly. For this reason, it is always best to try and experiment with your units in battle by playing the custom mode instead.
Look at how you can recruit better units at the best possible time and use them to their utmost potential.
Seek out better battle formations and even use a different strategy to see if it would be effective to use when you play the campaign.
Stick to the Ancient Strategy
There is a strategy utilized during ancient battles that are still being used up to this very day in battle. This comprises basic units such as foot soldiers and tanks at the front and center of the battle.
Cavalries are positioned at the sides to prevent enemy flanks while the ranged units and other vulnerable high-damage units are surrounded and protected right in the middle and the back. There is a reason why this strategy still exists and is still being used today.
It is highly effective and plays like a battering ram in battle with the frontline serving as the force that breaks the enemy. The long-ranged units at the back deal a lot of damage while the cavalries at the side often defend and chase out the stragglers.
Learn to Focus Fire
There is a reason why archers and many other long-ranged units are highly regarded units in this game. They are often used to target specific opponents from a long range. Take this opportunity to focus your fire on specific enemy units especially those that are vulnerable.
Focusing your fire on specific units makes them more vulnerable. More adept warlords also use these long-ranged archers at the start of the battle to weed out the front line and slowly disintegrate their forces before they clash with their frontline units.
This gives them the advantage of having more units on the battleground. You may also use archers to focus fire on stragglers especially when they are running away. Just make sure that you protect them at all costs.
Take Advantage of Diplomacy
Getting your resources, especially money can be very difficult to do when playing the campaign. Unlike other games, the campaign is heavily focused on the storyline and often forces players to use diplomacy instead of fighting an all-out battle against the enemy.
There are a lot of advantages in using diplomacy against a would-be enemy. One of which is a scenario where your opponent will offer money so you won't start a war against them. Take full advantage of this when the opportunity comes.
Squeeze them out of their money until they fully give in to your wishes. This way, you will get all of your resources from them and never lose a single unit from fighting. Throw your morals out the window and be as greedy as you want. After all, it's your faction that's at stake here and not theirs.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this information will help you get a better start at Total War: Warhammer 2. With all the complex strategies, layered gameplay, and diverse units involved, you'll have a better chance of surviving and winning more games.
