Total War: WARHAMMER

We waited, we believed. And our faith was rewarded! Announcement Total War: WARHAMMER took place! The skeptics were put to shame, and the Vachomans rejoiced! But the developers have already managed to tell a lot of details on the forums. Was it first known? that this will not be one game, but a trilogy flavored with a whole bunch of add-ons and additional paid and free content. Secondly, there will be only four factions (Empire of Sigmar, Greenskins, Dwarves and Vampire Counts), but they promise to make them as detailed as possible, rich in units and really different from each other in gameplay. Thirdly, the heads of factions are now not just generals whom you don’t mind losing in battle. Now these are the Legendary Lords (Karl Franz, Grimgor, Thorgrim and Mannfred von Carstein), heroes with unique weapons, mounts, items and a set of quests. They also promise such new items as flying units, magic, tanks, cannons and muskets... in general, yummy! In general, we are waiting for more information and hope that the game will become a breakthrough in the series.

Well, we hasten to reassure apologists of historicity - a separate team is working on Warhammer. Historical games Total War, the production of the fantasy game is not slowing down.

More details about

Total War: Attila

The announcement of Total War: Attila, on the one hand, surprised us a lot, and on the other hand, it once again proved that SA is following the beaten path. After all, Attila is essentially a sequel to the “Barbarian Invasion” addon for Rome 1. However, this time they did not become modest and called it a “new game”. Ok, we won't argue. A separate game about the invasion of barbarian tribes on the civilizations of the ancient world is wonderful. It should be noted that the developers really did a great job. According to most players, Attila really turned out to be a worthy product that allowed you to plunge into dark eras.

More details about Total War: Attila Part 1 And Part 2

Total War: Rome 2

The announcement of Rome II Total War took place on July 2 and it caused a real storm of delight in our community! People were so hungry for hand-to-hand combat and legionnaires that the announcement of the sequel was perceived as a real miracle and a “dream come true.” To again lead legions bound by iron discipline, unshakable Greek hoplites and Macedonian sarissophorians into battle, trample enemies with elephants and throw severed heads at them - isn’t this happiness! But the new Total War games are also sea battles. And there will be a lot of fun here, because the developers promise active interaction between the ground and naval forces. Mutual shelling between coastal fortifications and warships in the roadstead will give a new degree of freedom to the “strategos” of the ancient world.

The key to successfully completing Total War: Attila can be the correct choice of faction, among which you will have to fight. Our knowledge base will introduce you to the main factions provided in this game project. Each of them is endowed with its own unique units and special bonuses, which provide them with all possible assistance on the global map.

The complexity of the gameplay for any of the states is determined by the geographical location where it is initially located. Neighboring countries and the number of controlled provinces also have a great influence.

So, let's take a closer look at the presented factions of Total War: Attila.

The game in the north of modern Germany was started by the ancestors of the British. They had at least three ways to expand. You can, for example, make an attempt to unite the closest tribes of the Germans under your leadership. Only at the same time, diplomatic relations with other barbarian kingdoms become significantly more complicated, which instantly react to the fact, indignant that the Saxons are killing people like them. An alternative to this situation is to enter into alliances with the most benevolent neighbors and seek glory in the south - in the Western Roman Empire. Under pressure from a large horde of savages, the Romans are unlikely to be able to offer serious resistance. It is also worth considering the fact that there has never been much fertility in the lands of Central Germany. Therefore, with the onset of severe cold weather, the young kingdom of the Saxons in their new territories is going through difficult times.

The best way to start playing for this faction is to repeat their historical path, that is, sailing to Britain. Its provinces with their wealth are an ideal base for conquest. The ocean cut off the British Isles from the European continent, so for some time the Saxons felt absolutely safe. Even the bloodthirsty Huns are unlikely to be able to wander that far. You have time and, of course, resources. After which you can attempt to invade the continent. Already in the territories of the continent, you can continue to expand the empire or subject foreign cities to mass destruction. (The Saxons are awarded additional money for buildings that are destroyed during the siege of a village - this is their unique feature.)

To capture Britain, you need to spend as little time as possible, because there are a huge number of people who want to take possession of these territories. The Scandinavians and the local Celts also want to take possession of these valuable islands. The happiness of the Saxons is that they have one of the most powerful armies of the northerners. Their main strength is the heavy armored swordsmen from the shock infantry units. Their weapons are two-handed axes. Equipped with pikemen. They are capable of stopping the onslaught of any enemy cavalry. In addition to this, the Saxon mercenaries - dart throwers, are practically not inferior to similar Roman units.

Playing as the Franks is a lot like playing as the Saxons. Representatives of this faction should also maintain good relations with their barbarian neighbors. Therefore, military action should begin with the conquest of weakened Rome. Moreover, the lands of the modern Netherlands, where the Franks were based, are only an arm's length from fertile Britain, which definitely gives them an advantage in conquering the islands. Also, at the beginning, playing for the Franks, it is worth making your first moves deep into Western Europe, for example, to Spain, where it is quite possible to build a future superpower.

In the battles of the Franks, what sets the barbarians apart from other barbarians is their unique ability: the greater their losses among the warriors, the better they fight. Thanks to this, faction representatives can play a more risky and aggressive game. But even without this bonus, the Franks are still a formidable force. They have first-class infantry, armed with axes instead of swords, which makes it possible to deal with enemy foot units with high efficiency. The cavalry, the “sacra of Francis,” also deserves special attention. These knights in shining mail are some of the best horsemen in the game.

The Ostrogoths, like other nomadic tribes, have neither cities nor provinces at the beginning of the gameplay. Their horde had to run away from the cruel Huns in search of new lands for their own kingdom. In the campaign, the Ostrogoths were awarded, perhaps, one of the best bonuses: they were not accrued additional discontent of the population when the Romans occupied the city. Moreover, in addition to its own barbarian fighters, in occupied territories this faction can hire Roman units to serve in its army.

For the Eastern Goths, it is best to establish a kingdom on the territory of Italy - the Adriatic Sea makes it easy to defend the territories of the Apennine Peninsula. Having settled in Italy, the Ostrogoths get enough time to create one of the strongest armies in this gaming space.

The Eastern Ostrogoths include experienced Germanic horsemen, Roman legionaries, dangerous Thracian warriors and the toughest pikemen. One squad of such warriors, armed with long spears, will not have any particular problems destroying hundreds of enemy units when its flanks are covered by swordsmen and ordinary spearmen.

The gameplay for the Western Goths begins in the very heart of the Byzantine Empire - Greece. The Visigoths have the opportunity to be among the very first to attempt to destroy local megacities in order to quickly profit. The presence of the Roman army in this region does not pose a great danger to them. Having devastated the lands of Greece, the Visigoths were faced with the question of finding a permanent place of residence for their barbarians. Spain, Italy and even Egypt may well be suitable as a new homeland for the Visigoths. On the way to the intended goal, the best way for the Western Goth tribes to use fire and sword is to make their vassals out of other savage tribes. This will make it possible to receive additional gold from your subjects at every turn.

Although the Visigoth troops cannot be called weak, they still cannot compare with the Ostrogoth army. For example, the Visigoths do not have access to top pikemen and Roman units. The Visigoths compensated for this deficiency with slinger throwers and mounted skirmishers. Only these fighters are not assigned the most important role in the combat confrontation.

Today, the Alans represent one of the weakest nations in Total War: Attila. Playing for them on the global map is far from easy. To defeat the enemy, you need to hold two regions that are located at a remote distance: one near the Caucasus Mountains, and the other in the south of France. It is very difficult to defend these territories, because the units in the Alan army are quite mediocre.

Although the cavalry of this faction is awarded certain additional bonuses, the riders of the Alan army are still much inferior to the same units of other barbarians. True, this moment from a historical point of view is not at all true. Thus, horse archers do not have the critical “Parthian Shot” skill: they do not have the ability to shoot while galloping at enemy horsemen pursuing them.

The Vandal faction begins its gameplay on the territory of Poland, from these territories it is most profitable for them to go on a campaign through the territory of Italy with the aim of colonizing northern Africa or the Mediterranean islands of Crete and Rhodes. The magnificent fleet is the main force of the Vandals. It is the representatives of this faction that are able to build the best ships in the Total War: Attila gaming space. It is through this that the kingdom of the Vandals must have access to the sea in order to protect the territory of the state from attacks by numerous armies with the help of powerful ships.

On land, the Vandal troops also fight with dignity. Each of their half-naked berserkers fights to the last. Their fighting qualities can outshine similar Scandinavian units. More often than not, their elite riders are superior to even those of the Huns.

On the global map, the Huns faction under the control of artificial intelligence is the most powerful and dangerous Total War: Attila. All this happens precisely because during the leadership of Attila, the Huns do not need to pay money for the maintenance of units, so they hire the strongest fighters in large numbers into the ranks of their army. But if the Huns are controlled by a player, then the situation changes dramatically.

In the absence of cheating bonuses, these nomads are no longer such a formidable tribe. They differ from other peoples that constantly migrate across Europe in that they do not have the opportunity to found their own state in unoccupied lands. This leads to a number of problems. For example, the troops of the Huns, who at the same time play the role of mobile settlements, are quite vulnerable to enemy agents. A handful of spies with their actions can confuse the entire Hun tribe so that they will never budge.

In addition, steppe warriors are growing very slowly in their numbers, and they need a lot of money to support them. Almost always, the army of the Huns is inferior in size to the army of the barbarian kingdoms. This fact should be taken into account when declaring war: if you make a large number of enemies, the Huns’ army may find itself in the minority, and as a result, more than a dozen enemy troops will chase you across the entire global map.

During historical events, the glory of cavalry thundered throughout the world. In this game project, the cavalry is not represented at the highest level. Almost all riders have a small number of lives, and the armor is the lightest. Because of this, they can lose in battle to even the simplest German riders. But their strength is the infantry. That is why, in order to defeat the enemy, it is worth hiring the majority of foot soldiers into the Huns' army.

Starting the game as the Western Roman Empire means dooming yourself to real challenges. You will have to try with all your might to keep your entire gigantic country intact, which is being torn apart by various barbarian tribes from all sides.

First of all, you have to come to terms with the fact that it will not be possible to keep all the provinces within a single state. Britain may be the first to be lost. It will be followed by Spain, where popular discontent develops into an uprising throughout the region.

The best tactic to repel barbarian attacks is to sow discord among their ranks. In the initial stages, it is worth using some of your money and trying to get different factions to start a war among themselves. This will help weaken the external threat and give you more time to prepare your defense.

It’s not at all easy to play for this faction precisely because its army is weak. Incredibly powerful crossbowmen are available to you, but heavy infantry and cavalry lag significantly behind similar representatives of barbarian peoples.

This state lasted much longer, unlike its western sister. The army of this faction is the strongest in Total War: Attila. The Byzantines are capable of defeating any enemy. This opportunity is given to them by excellent cavalry, which is considered the best in this world, cheap but very effective archers and the best infantry in the civilized world. Plus, the Byzantine state dominates the sea, because it uses warships with “Greek fire” - a liquid that ignites and burns enemy ships in a few seconds.

On the global game map, the Eastern Roman Empire is in a better position, unlike the Western. But you shouldn’t relax, you need to always be prepared for the fact that a lot of enemies will appear during the gameplay. First of all, it is worth breaking the military alliance so that you are not later drawn into hostilities with the huge barbarian troops of Europe.

It is worth noting that the savages will appreciate this diplomatic gesture with lightning speed, which will entail their favorable attitude towards the eastern emperor. In this case, there is even the possibility of concluding a truce with the Huns. The fewer conflicts occur in Europe, the more opportunities there are to pay attention to the situation in the east, where the Iranian Sassanid state is located. It is worth remembering that sooner or later the vassal countries of a given state may declare war.

The Eastern Roman Empire is endowed with a unique bonus - with each move it receives 5% of gold depending on the amount that is in the treasury. For example, having forty thousand gold in the treasury at the end of each season brings an additional two thousand, and this is not counting other sources of income. That is why it is worth accumulating large sums of money in the treasury in order to receive significant interest.

Only the neighboring Sassanid state could compete with Byzantine power. Ancient Iran had a good source of income - vassal countries, from which double tribute was collected. This makes it possible to develop infrastructure and create a large army without much hassle. Thanks to increased sanitation in cities, the stability of the state is only strengthened, because the chances of an outbreak of plague in Persian villages are reduced.

It is worth noting that starting the gameplay for the Sassanid faction for beginners will be the best decision. Playing for them is quite simple, because the state is surrounded on all sides by more loyal subjects. It is located in a safe region where the only potential threat can only be the peoples of the Eastern Roman Empire. The same tribes of the Huns rarely go on campaigns such long distances. All this gives you plenty of time to build up strength to set out to conquer the west. The army is armed with war elephants and heavy cavalry.

To successfully advance through the gameplay, you need to avoid civil war by all means, prevent outbreaks of the plague and, most importantly, survive global cooling.

• It costs more crossbowmen to be recruited into the army. In this game project, the key role on the battlefield is not assigned to heavy infantry. The main striking force is the armored cavalry. Archers also appeared in the background, along with various kinds of dart throwers. Instead of them there are now crossbowmen. These arrows are not particularly fast-firing. Their weapons are crossbows with high destructive power. Therefore, just a couple of salvos are enough to completely destroy the enemy’s elite units. Crossbows in Total War: Attila are absolute death machines. Especially when using fire bolts, which greatly demoralize the enemy.
• When playing for the horde faction, you should not completely destroy the cities of your opponents. For nomadic tribes, for example, the Alans or the Huns, robbery is the main source of income to support military and economic power. Therefore, after making another raid and robbing the area, do not destroy it. After some time, the owner will be able to rebuild the city and you will have the opportunity to once again profit from its territories. If you raze this province to the ground, then there will be nowhere to return. You will have to look for other ways to feed the horde, which will be less effective.

• Fight corruption and manipulate taxes. A good way to quickly replenish the treasury is to increase taxes to the maximum level, and then return them to the previous level. This way, you will be able to earn more hard coins for a new army, and the dissatisfied population will not have time to rebel. To constantly receive a large income, you will need to restore order to the country's economy. This is possible through the construction of various commercial buildings, and especially by studying the civil branch, which reduces corruption. It is the greed of officials that is the great scourge of all great empires. For example, the Western Roman Empire campaign starts with a huge corruption rate of 80%. this means you only get a small fraction of the potentially high profits.
• To advance your career, choose loyal generals. For important military positions, you should choose the commanders who are most loyal to you. If a general who is unfaithful to the ruler is in an influential position, then most likely he will try to seize power, taking advantage of his social position. The consequence of this will be civil war. But there is also an opportunity to gain the trust of a recalcitrant commander. For example, marry one of the ruler’s daughters to him. An alternative to this would be to order a potential rebel from hired killers.
• Monitor the sanitation of the city. A plague epidemic in your state can lead to catastrophic consequences. A region with a sick population does not bring in much money or food, which leads to the destabilization of order in the state. Spare no expense and build necessary structures such as aqueducts, baths, sewers and many others that increase the level of sanitation in the provinces. The healthier and cleaner your population is, the less likely you are to encounter a plague epidemic.
• Divide the nomadic armies into groups. The army of barbarian migrants is both an army and a mobile village. At any time, nomads can stop, set up a camp, build yurts and raise livestock. Traveling across the continent in a large horde is much safer, but it is a big economic waste. When nomadic troops set up camps, a large consumption of food begins, thereby completely depleting the local province's supplies. The lack of provisions leads to a decrease in the horde, and the army is not replenished with new recruits. The best solution would be to divide the troops and send them to conquer different parts of Europe in order to avoid competition for food within.
• Christianity should be abandoned. When playing as the Western or Eastern Roman Empire, it is best to first raze the Orthodox and Catholic cathedrals to the ground, and make Roman paganism the state religion. To maintain Christian churches, you will need a lot of money, but in turn, these majestic buildings provide an absolutely ridiculous bonus. In the absence of cathedrals, the state's income increases at least twice, and with a return to pagan traditions, access to aqueducts and baths of the highest level will open, with which the joy of the people increases more effectively.
  
• Keep an eye on global cooling and adjust to the changing seasons. A talented commander must always think everything through in advance, and before starting a military campaign against another state, it is worth paying attention to even such a nuance as the time of year. Going on a campaign to enemy territories in the fall or even in winter is tantamount to suicide: the cold leads to large losses for your army of hundreds of warriors. Moreover, it is important to remember global cooling, which historically led to the great migration of peoples. Every year the temperature on the continent drops lower and lower and the lands bear less and less fruit. It is very important for nomads to quickly migrate to the south, otherwise losses among the ranks of the horde cannot be avoided due to lack of food. For those factions that are tied to their original territories, for example, the Saxons or Franks, it would be appropriate to reduce the size of their armies to balance the lack of water.
• There is no need to rush to improve units. By studying new technologies, you have the opportunity to improve old units to the level of cooler and more elite warriors. By the end of the game, peasant cavalry can be turned into heavy cataphracts, and simple city militias can be turned into invincible guards of the sovereign. But it is worth considering that large amounts of money are needed to pay for the services of the strongest units. Plus, if you open top units, then from now on hiring their cheaper predecessors will be closed to you. Therefore, if there is little money in your treasury, then you should hold off on the upgrade.
• Playing as the Romans should be avoided. Probably the most important advice for most Total War: Attila newcomers is that you shouldn't play as the Roman Empires. The campaigns for both Roman factions are the most difficult in the history of this game project. Once a great country, there are now two halves of it that hang almost on the brink of destruction. They are constantly under attack from dozens of barbarian factions and suffer from frequent outbreaks of plague. And within the state, conspiracies arise between competing political parties to overthrow their rulers.

List of information for downloading in the knowledge base

• Guide to the Visigoths in Total War: Attila.
• Guide (guide) for passing Total War: Attila for the Huns.
• Guide to the Western Roman Empire.

Video resources for walking through Total War: Attila

Walkthrough for the Scandinavians

Walkthrough for Danov

Here they are galloping, Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Four? Give it up. There are hundreds of thousands of them, and they multiply faster than your slaves can clean up after their master’s orgy. While you are finishing your first morning cup of wine, a dozen more Horsemen of the Apocalypse are jumping into the saddle and anticipating how they will burst into your villa, slaughter the servants, quarter you alive and burn the whole house for the glory of Heaven. Because a roof that cannot be rolled up and put in a cart is the roof of a tomb, and the tomb is inhabited exclusively by the dead.

Approximately such ominous predictions were probably heard by the imperial Roman nobility basking in luxury at the end of the 4th century of our troubled era. It is at that time that it begins.

The air was filled with smoke and blood

Total War: Attila did not become a “name” part of the series, like , where the campaigns were based entirely on the adventures of the cunning Corsican. Attila inspired by another page in the series' history Total War- addition Barbarian Invasion, and is even dedicated to the same era, which foreshadowed one of the darkest nightmares of the civilized world. Only here this era was shown in all its perishable splendor. And with all the modesty of visual means.

The small clump on the left is the Huns' camp. In addition to production functions, it is useful because the units in it do not suffer from the vagaries of the weather. Even from frost!

But the most noticeable difference from Rome 2- artistic. It catches your eye right from the splash screen in the main menu: against the backdrop of a red glow, endless hordes are galloping from distant flames, warlike Mongolian music is playing. Demonization in the flesh, although the Huns, the perpetrators of the Great Migration, did not plunge Europe into the darkness of the “Dark Ages” for occult reasons. But who cares when the world is collapsing?

Each of the playable factions was provided with a mournful introduction, where the player is reminded: comrade, the hour of reckoning for free days is approaching. Or vice versa - we will burn the Eternal City and trample the crops! On the campaign map, the colors are faded, red and black dominate, and fire blazes everywhere as a symbol of reckless, destructive force. Fire colorfully devours the lands that you chose to completely destroy. The boundaries of the zone of aggression around the army are marked by dancing flames.

In battle, fires have freedom. Archers with fiery arrows burn not only enemies who come under fire, not only houses and barns - even the trees in the forest where the skirmishers are hiding will flare up from arrows flying through the foliage.

The eye can't get enough of it! The dynamics of the fire are even more impressive. And very useful, by the way, if you don’t want to leave potential enemies behind.

At the same time, the desired mood is not achieved with the success that the developers hoped for. Partly because of the caution of artists who did not dare to go against reality and, for example, add crimson tones to the skies. Partly because the game is more difficult than usual, but only due to the wrong properties Total War: Attila what was advertised in the first place.

My name is Horde

Taking the lead roles in the action of the new Total War- of course, the decaying Western Roman Empire and its enemies, the Hun tribe that came from Mongolia. Byzantium will have time to mothball and fall only in the 15th century, all sorts of Franks, Saxons, Goths are just a backup dancer for the people of Attila, and the eastern Sassanid empire wasted all the fun and went to be devoured by the future Arab Caliphate.

Therefore, Rome and the Huns are played completely differently than before.

In 395, the Eternal City controlled almost all of Europe, excluding Scandinavia, Northern Germany and the territory of the future Scotland and Ireland. But the greatness of Rome is fragile: unwashed savages from all sides are testing the boundaries, and some are gnawing at the empire from the inside. The army of Rome is small, the income is negligible, and the popularity of the Senate and Caesar himself in the regions is falling. The elite is split, control is slipping away... in short, playing for Rome will turn into a painful struggle with the rules of history. Just have time to fight off the barbarians, retreat deep into the domain and frantically count the denarii, shuddering at the cost of provisions.

The symbols are now even clearer, but it can be difficult to separate infantry from spearmen in a crowd.

The Huns faction is not so much difficult to manage as it is to understand. Steppe nomads are really Nomads, they don’t have cities, but they can’t capture them. Because the horde! In fact, this trick has already been used in Barbarian Invasion, and in Attila just slightly modified.

Each army of the Huns (as well as other nomads) serves as a mobile city, where yurts for various purposes are assembled and the Hun hordes are trained. For the “parking” functions to work, the horde will have to be camped. To do this, you should hold back a quarter of the army's movement points: that is, advance three-quarters of the route - and pitch tents.

At the same time, a lot of little things come to light that might not have come into view. Thus, several hordes cannot be kept in one area at the same time: they quarrel and receive powerful fines to add to their already meager income, and they eat beyond all measure. It is better to keep the hordes at a distance and bring them into a cavalry fist only for mass battles.

In terms of income, the standard profit from buildings is always higher if the horde is camped. Many incomes are not available to her: from trade, for example. The method of earning money recommended by the game - raiding every little thing and demanding tribute - works poorly: the tribute is ridiculous, barely enough for travel, and the tributaries strive to form an alliance with your enemies and start the war all over again. Re-reasoning them again wastes valuable moves, resources and people.

Close combat always turns into a fight. This is especially dangerous for the cavalry, which will be dismantled for offal in no time, as soon as it stops.

The military doctrine of the Huns is pure horse fetishism. Horse archers, horse swordsmen: why brake infantry when there is maneuverable cavalry? That’s why battles on behalf of the Huns are demanding on fine motor skills. Run, fire a couple of volleys, run away; swoop in, clinking blades, and gallop away, dropping manure. Even small villages become a cemetery for small Hunnic forces, because there is nowhere to turn around, and the enemy has many opportunities to create a dump and fetter the actions of the cavalry. Let us mournfully remain silent about the sieges: more than one cavalry company found its stupid death at the gates.

Playing for the Huns is perhaps as intense as playing for the Roman Empire, but much more mobile, flexible and multi-variant. If you want, rush to the Caucasus, butt heads with the Sassanids, if you want, chew on Byzantine merchants, if you want, become a hooligan in the Gallic forests. Everywhere it will be equally difficult for the Huns, and equally interesting for us.

Who will remember the old

Something in Total War: Attila returned on the urgent advice of the public (fans simply knocked down the score on Metacritic). For example, a family tree. Now there is more fuss with domestic politics, and promoting the right people and persecuting unnecessary people has become a routine.

Similar dilemmas will confront you if you like the path of intrigue and careerism. The range of actions is small, but the consequences for the elite are large.

Diseases and epidemics have returned in a new form: now they do not fall on you “by the will of the gods,” but serve as a direct and logical consequence of poor sanitation and high pollution. For example, good workshops and populated urban centers generate more and more garbage and sewage, and wells, as well as ditches and other primitive means of removing sewage, are useful to neutralize them. One more headache.

The professional growth of commanders is now expressed in a full-fledged skill tree (armies have the same joy at their disposal). The perks include both standard increases in zeal, authority and cunning, as well as percentage increases to any parameters, be it the maintenance of mounted units or the speed of movement on the campaign map. True, these bonuses are distributed confusingly throughout the tree, and you will have to take some extra perks to get to more useful things.

A family tree is more like a return of an old debt than a generous gift. Who wants illegitimate children?

But the promised brutal street battles with barricades and crowds in squares did not work out. That is, formally there are barricades in the game, they are allowed to be built, but not enough to correct the course of enemy troops. And there are probably too many streets to make a tricky labyrinth out of them.

But still, the rules of the siege have changed a little: the blockade of the city has lost its meaning, since it lasts ten, or even twenty moves. Help will eat up all your baldness until the townspeople finally surrender, and the military ranks will noticeably thin out.

Any Total War fan knows that in almost every game in the series, all the factions available to choose from are significantly different from each other: kingdoms and empires have their own unique units and special bonuses that help them on the global map. The difficulty of playing for any state is determined by its initial geographical location, neighboring countries and the number of provinces under its control. In this article we will talk about the main factions of Total War: Attila (DLC powers are not included in this guide), their strengths and weaknesses, and give some tips on how to achieve success for each nation.

The ancestors of the English begin the game in the north of modern Germany. They have at least three ways to expand. You can, for example, try to unite the closest tribes of the Germans under your leadership, but then it will be more difficult to conduct diplomacy with the rest of the barbarian kingdoms, which will immediately be outraged by the fact that the Saxons are killing their blood brothers. The alternative is to form alliances with the most benevolent neighbors and go south to seek glory in the Western Roman Empire. Under pressure from numerous savages, the Romans are unlikely to offer serious resistance. But it should be borne in mind that the lands of Central Germany are not particularly fertile, therefore, as soon as the severe cold hits, the young kingdom of the Saxons with its new territories will have a hard time.

The best way to start a campaign for the Saxons is to retrace their historical path and sail to Britain. The rich provinces of Foggy Albion are an ideal base for future conquests. The British Isles are cut off from Europe by the ocean, thanks to which most of the time the Saxons will be absolutely safe: even the bloodthirsty Huns are unlikely to wander that far. The player will have the time and resources to evolve and then invade the continent back. And already there you can either continue the expansion of the empire, or organize the mass destruction of other people's cities (the Saxons receive additional money for buildings destroyed during the siege of a settlement - this is their unique feature). You need to conquer Britain quickly, since there are an incredible number of people who want to grab a piece of the sweet pie: the Scandinavians and local Celts will probably be the first to try to conquer the valuable islands. Fortunately for the Saxons, they boast one of the most powerful armies of the North. Their strength lies in heavily armored swordsmen, shock infantry units armed with two-handed axes, and pikemen capable of stopping the onslaught of any enemy cavalry. In addition, the Saxons hire pretty good dart throwers, who are not much inferior to similar Roman units.

The campaign for the Franks in many ways repeats the game for the Saxons: they, too, should not spoil relations with their barbarian neighbors, and therefore it would be better for the player to start a war not with their German brothers, but with a weakened Rome. In addition, from the lands of the modern Netherlands, where the Franks settled, it is a stone's throw from fertile Britain, which definitely gives them a head start in conquering the islands. Also, the Franks should make their first moves deeper into Western Europe, say, further south, into warm Spain, which may well serve as the core of a future superpower.

In battle, the Franks stand out from other barbarians because of their unique feature: the more losses their troops suffer, the better they fight. This pushes the player towards a more risky and aggressive play style. But even without such a bonus, the Frankish troops are still a formidable force. Thus, they have access to first-class infantry, which uses axes instead of swords and is more effective at dealing with enemy foot units. The heavy cavalry of the Franks, the “Sacra Francisca,” also deserves special praise. Clad in shining mail, these forerunners of medieval knights are some of the best horsemen in the game.

The Ostrogoths, like other tribes roaming Europe, do not own cities and provinces at the beginning of the game. Their horde is forced to run away from the cruel Huns and look for new lands for their kingdom. In the campaign, the Ostrogoths received one of the best faction bonuses: they do not receive additional discontent from the population when they occupy Roman cities. In addition, in addition to their own barbarian fighters, in the occupied territories the Ostrogoths could hire Roman units for service. The Eastern Goths should establish a kingdom in Italy: the Apennine Peninsula is easy to defend thanks to the Adriatic Sea. In Italy, the Ostrogoths will have enough time to create one of the strongest armies in the game: the army of the Eastern Goths consists of experienced Germanic horsemen, Roman legionnaires, dangerous Thracian warriors and the toughest pikemen. One squad of such warriors, armed with long spears, can easily destroy hundreds of enemy units when its flanks are covered by swordsmen and ordinary spearmen.

Visigoths

The campaign for the Western Goths starts right in the heart of the Byzantine Empire - in Greece. The Visigoths may be the first to try to destroy local cities for the sake of quick profit: the Roman army in this region does not pose much of a threat. After the devastation of Greece, the player should think about a permanent place of residence for his barbarians. The new homeland of the Visigoths could be Spain, Italy, or even fertile Egypt. On the way to the intended goal, the Western Goths should use fire and sword to turn the remaining tribes of savages into vassals in order to receive additional gold from their subjects every turn.

Although the army of this faction cannot be called weak, it cannot be compared with the army of the Ostrogoths: for example, the Visigoths do not have access to top pikemen and Roman units. As compensation, they were given good sling-throwers and mounted skirmishers, but these fighters play far from the most important role in battles.

In the current version of the game, the Alans are one of the weakest nations in Total War: Attila. It is not easy to play for them on the global map, since to win you need to hold two regions remote from each other: one in the south of France, the second near the Caucasus Mountains. It is especially difficult to protect these territories due to the fact that the Alans received rather mediocre units. Although the cavalry of this faction receives certain additional bonuses, the Alan riders are inferior in every way to similar units of other barbarians, which is completely untrue from a historical point of view. Thus, the Alan horse archers do not have the critical skill “Parthian shot”: they cannot shoot while galloping at the enemy horsemen pursuing them. In general, it is better to wait with the campaign for the last descendants of the Sarmatians until the release of the next patches, where, we believe, they will pay more attention to the balance of units.

The Vandals begin the game in modern-day Poland: from there, it would be best for them to set off on a military campaign through Italy with the goal of colonizing northern Africa or such Mediterranean islands as Crete and Rhodes. The strength of the Vandals lies in their magnificent fleet: they can build the best ships in Total War: Attila. That is why their kingdom must have access to the sea so that powerful ships protect the state from numerous invading armies.

On land, Vandal units also deserve respect. Their half-naked berserkers always fight to the last and can outshine similar Scandinavian units in combat qualities, and their elite riders are in many ways superior to even the horsemen of the Huns.

On the global map, the computer-controlled Huns are the most powerful and dangerous faction in the game. The reason for this is that when the bloodthirsty nomads are led by Attila, the artificial intelligence is actively cheating: the Huns do not pay money for the maintenance of units and en masse recruit the strongest fighters into their armies. But if a person plays for the Huns, the situation changes dramatically.

Deprived of cheating bonuses, Attila's nomads are not such a formidable tribe. Unlike other peoples migrating across Europe, they cannot establish their own state on the occupied lands. A number of problems are associated with this fact. For example, the armies of the Huns, who also act as mobile settlements, are vulnerable to enemy agents: the actions of a handful of enemy spies can lead to the fact that the formidable Hun tribe will never move. In addition, the horde of steppe warriors is growing at an extremely slow pace, and it takes a lot of money to support it. Almost always, the army of the Huns will be inferior in size to the armies of the small barbarian kingdoms. This must be taken into account when declaring war: if you make too many enemies, the Huns will quickly find themselves in the minority, and as a result, the player will be pursued across the entire map by dozens of enemy armies.

Historically, these Asian nomads were famous for their cavalry, but in the game their cavalry leaves much to be desired: almost all of the Huns' horsemen have a small number of lives and very light armor, which is why they lose in battle to even the cheapest German riders. But, oddly enough, the Huns can boast of the best infantry in the game. Therefore, to win, the player's army must consist primarily of foot soldiers.

Western Roman Empire

The campaign for the Western Roman Empire is a real challenge, where the player desperately tries to keep his giant country intact, torn apart by barbarian tribes. The main thing is to come to terms with the fact that it is unlikely that you will be able to hold all the provinces that ZRI controls at the beginning of the game. Britain would likely be lost first, followed by Spain, where popular discontent would quickly lead to revolts throughout the region.

The best thing a player can do to repel a barbarian invasion is to cause them to quarrel among themselves. In the first few turns you should use some of your money and try to get the different factions to go to war with each other. This will weaken the external threat and give more time to prepare the defense.

The Western Roman Empire is difficult to play, primarily due to its weak army. The ZRI has incredibly powerful crossbowmen available, but in terms of heavy infantry and cavalry it lags far behind the barbarian peoples.

Eastern Roman Empire

The Byzantine Empire lasted almost a thousand years longer than its Western sister, and playing Total War: Attila you can see why. Without a doubt, the army of the Eastern Roman Empire is the strongest in the game: the Byzantines can defeat anyone thanks to excellent cavalry (the tagmata cavalry is considered the best in Attila), cheap but very effective archers and the best infantry in the civilized world. In addition, Byzantium dominates the sea, as it uses warships with “Greek fire” - a flammable liquid that burns enemy ships in seconds.

On the global map, the Eastern Roman Empire is doing better than the Western Empire, but you should still be prepared for the fact that Byzantium will make many enemies as the game progresses. In the first moves, you should break the military alliance with the second Roman Empire, so as not to be drawn into wars with the numerous barbarians of Europe. The savages, by the way, will immediately appreciate such a diplomatic gesture and will begin to treat the eastern emperor more favorably: it may even be possible to conclude a truce with the Huns. The fewer conflicts in Europe, the more attention can be paid to the situation in the east, where the Sassanid state is located - this Iranian power and its vassal countries will sooner or later declare war on Byzantium.

A unique bonus of the Eastern Roman Empire is that every turn the power receives 5% in gold from the amount stored in the treasury. That is, for example, forty thousand gold will bring an additional two thousand coins at the end of each season, and this is in addition to other sources of income. Therefore, it makes sense to save large sums of money for the sake of higher interest rates.

Sassanid State

The economic power of Byzantium can only be surpassed by the neighboring Sassanid Empire. Ancient Iran receives double tribute from vassal countries, which allows it to develop infrastructure and create large armies without unnecessary hassle. The stability of the power is also ensured by increased sanitation in cities: the chance that plague will break out in Persian settlements is very low.

Overall, the Sassanid State is a great faction for beginners. The Iranians are very easy to play as their country, surrounded on all sides by mostly loyal subjects, is located in a safe region where the only potential threat is the Eastern Roman Empire. The same Huns rarely travel this far to the southeast of the map. The Sassanids had more than enough time to build up their strength and set out to conquer the west using war elephants and heavy cavalry.

Total War: Attila is a challenging strategy game, especially when playing as certain factions. To successfully complete the campaign, you need not only to understand the intricacies of the game mechanics, but also to be able to use the strengths and weaknesses of each nation to your advantage. Without the necessary knowledge, the player will most likely lose easily, and his state will never leave any trace in history.

Total War: Attila is a continuation of the popular strategy series from Creative Assembly and one of the best games of the first half of 2015. In our review, we gave it 8 points out of 10. In this material, we collected the most popular questions about the game and answered them.

How to play

The goal of the game for barbarians is simple and global: to go through all the lands of the world, plundering, devastating and burning everything to the ground. If you choose a more civilized state, you will have to fight off the nomads and then go on a counter-offensive.

What's new

If in previous games you first built your empire, then in Attila in many cases you start the game with already developed civilizations. The massive kingdoms of Attila will have to defend their own lands, the barbarians will have to plunder their neighbors, and the nomadic Huns will have to sweep across Europe like a swarm of locusts.

A threat to your rule may also appear within the country. In the campaign, you will be represented by members of your ruling family, whose loyalty is bought through appointments and marriages. Balance is important in governing: by keeping everything under your thumb and cracking down on opponents, you bring tyranny closer, and by using carrots, you only convince supporters of your weakness.

Attila's most notable innovation is hordes. The horde mechanic allows the player to create mobile settlements. When a horde is on the move, it is no different from a traditional army. However, at any moment this army can settle down and begin to train troops and study new technologies. More than half of the game's factions, including the fearsome Huns, can turn into hordes.

Where to buy and download

You can buy the game on Steam.

When will the pirate come out?

Gmbox does not support piracy.

How to play online

Online play is available in the licensed version of the game.

Like Rome 2, the game's multiplayer features both individual battles and a campaign mode that takes place on the same map as the single-player mode. Also in multiplayer you can take part in nine historical battles.

Total War: Attila crashes, what should I do?

If every time you start the game it gets stuck on the loading screen and at times returns you to the desktop, update your video card drivers.

If you get error 53, disable your antivirus firewall and start the game. This error occurs because the program does not allow the exchange of information with the game server.

If the game does not launch at all, check the integrity of the game files on Steam.

When will the patch come out?

Two patches have already been released for Total War: Attila: one on February 4, and the other on February 25. While the first patch mainly contains performance improvements, gameplay fixes, and patches to fix persistent crashes, the second patch adds new content to the game, fixes balance, improves the interface, and optimizes the game. It is still unknown when the next patch will be released, however, most likely, it will be released along with new DLC.

Where are the saves?

Approximate path: C:\Users\*username*\AppData\Roaming\The Creative Assembly\Attila\save_games

What to build

Different factions differ from each other in starting conditions and gameplay in general, so there is no universal path for development. The Roman economy, for example, is in poor shape at the start, so when playing as them and having a break between the barbarian raids, it is worth considering the construction of trade buildings. Unable to settle down, it was better for the Huns to divide into hordes and develop them separately.

All factions, however, should think about constructing buildings that improve sanitation in the regions - this will help prevent the plague epidemic.

How to move or change the capital

No way. Even after migration, your capital will be the first settlement you occupy.

How to defeat the Huns

After defeating Attila several times, you will receive a message saying that Attila's next defeat will be his last. After defeating him again, another message will appear confirming his death. Such a loss will reduce the Huns' ability to produce armies and allow you to defeat the nomads.

How to unlock all factions

There are only 10 factions available in the main game. The remaining nine are unlocked by purchasing three DLC packs (Culture Packs): Viking Forefathers, Longbeards and Celts.

How to appoint a governor

Only male members of your faction can be appointed to the position of governor. Go to the “Family” tab in the faction window, select the required character and transfer him to the position from the list panel on the right.

How to change religion

A change is possible if 35% of your population are representatives of the religion you need. After that, open the “Factions” window, go to the “Summary” tab and click on the “Convert” button next to a specific religion. Destroying the temples of your current religion, such as Christian cathedrals in the Western Roman Empire, will help speed up this process.

Why are barricades needed?

Barricades are used during siege to protect your cities. They, however, are placed only in predetermined places and are not particularly durable.

Where to watch political events

Political events after they first appear can be reopened by clicking on them in the upper right corner.

Where to get wood

Trade the wood with a faction that has the supply, or capture a city that has it near it. Then build the building needed to produce it.