Total War: Three Kingdoms

Alright, let's dive into Part 2 of our guide for Medieval II: Total War. This section covers some really useful resources and concepts that'll shape how you approach the game.

First up, we've got something called the FAUST. Think of it as the ultimate unit encyclopedia. It breaks down every single unit in the game – land forces, navy, even mercenaries. You'll find details on their attack power, armor upgrades, special bonuses against cavalry, and pretty much anything else you'd want to know. It's a PDF file, and the creator, BrandyBarrel from the totalwar.com forums, did a fantastic job. If you're serious about understanding your units, this is a must-have.

You'll also want to keep an eye on the official Total War website. They regularly release patches, and trust me, you'll want to grab the latest stable release (version 1.3 was the latest as of May 16, 2008) as it often brings significant improvements. For general discussion, information, and especially if you're curious about modding, Total War Center is your go-to fan site. I've personally found some great map expansion mods there that really add to the game's replayability.

Speaking of modding, it's a huge part of the PC gaming experience, and Medieval II has a ton of mods available, especially on TWcenter. While I can't cover every single mod, I'd strongly recommend playing the 'vanilla' (unmodded) game first. Get a feel for what the game is like originally, then you'll know what you're looking for in a mod. Keep in mind that mods aren't always perfectly stable. The game is designed to run a certain way, and messing with it can sometimes lead to crashes. If a mod does crash, don't immediately blame the creator. Instead, try to provide specific details about what went wrong – that's how they can improve it.

Now, let's talk about the core gameplay loop: the 'Real Time Turn Based Strategy' aspect. If you're new to the Total War series, this might sound a bit odd. Here's the breakdown: the campaign map, where you manage your empire, move armies, and conduct diplomacy, is turn-based. But when two armies clash? That's when it switches to real-time battles on a separate, detailed 3D map. This map is based on the campaign map's location, so you won't see deserts in snowy regions, for example.

On a personal note, I tend to favor heavy cavalry due to their powerful charges, using infantry mainly to counter enemy cavalry or spearmen. On the campaign map, my focus is usually on building up my population and economy through farming and town hall upgrades, often by lowering taxes to boost public order. While supply-side economics can work wonders for long-term growth, early in a campaign, I prioritize raising armies and building crucial upgrades, only lowering taxes if public order becomes an issue. Remember, it's called 'Total War' for a reason – the ultimate goal is to defeat your enemies. I've completed campaigns with France, Spain, and Egypt, and have played as Russia, Denmark, and Sicily. I personally fight about 85% of my battles, as the simulation option can often lead to unnecessary losses.

~1214: The Mongol Invasion

The Mongol Invasion brings large numbers of Silver Chevron (+2 to attack and defense) units with high command and high dread Family Members/Generals. They will arrive in one of the farthest east Provinces: Baghdad, Sarkel, Bulgar, Tbilsi, or Yerevan. Their Khan typically has only the Faction Leader Trait, making them less of a threat compared to other generals.

~1340: Gunpowder

This event allows the construction and recruitment of the third level of ports and naval units, Alchemist's guilds, cannon foundries, cannons, and gunpowder units (only available at cities). Gunpowder units ignore defense skill, shields, and half of armor bonuses, making older units significantly less effective. For example, it would reduce the Venetian Heavy Infantry's total defense from 16 to 4. Cannons can destroy Citadels, and Serpentines can decimate troop formations.

~1355: The Black Death

The Black Death affects almost every settlement over several turns, causing a -7.5% penalty to population growth rate and shutting down trade from affected cities. This can lead to a loss of 35%-55% of your total population and potential debt. All factions are equally impacted. The only way to deal with it is to let it run its course.

~1360: The Timurid Invasion

The Timurids arrive similarly to the Mongols, typically in more south/central eastern provinces like Baghdad. They are more powerful than the Mongols, featuring elephants and guns. They are considered your worst nightmare.

~1400: The World Is Round

This event enables the construction of level four port facilities and the recruitment of top-tier naval units. Only Carracks, Grand Carracks, and Baghlahs can sail to the New World, a journey that takes 8-10 turns. Subjugating the peoples there, especially the Aztecs, is challenging. You must rely on your initial troops as New World facilities take years to build, and mercenaries are not very effective. Bring priests and merchants for gold, chocolate, and tobacco. Priests or Imams are crucial to prevent religious strife from lowering public order. Reaching the New World requires building proper facilities, constructing the ship, and sailing, which can set you back decades even from Lisbon. You can reach the New World before 1492.

Other Events

Random events like localized plagues, earthquakes, floods, and storms can occur. Storms damage navies, earthquakes and floods damage buildings and kill citizens/soldiers, and localized plagues shut down trade and kill agents, generals, soldiers, and citizens.

This section of the guide focuses on making all factions playable in the Imperial Campaign of Medieval II: Total War. It also provides general tips for new players.

Important Notes:

• Do not play as the Aztecs, Mongols, or Timurids, as the game will crash immediately.
• Playing as the Papal States is buggy and likely to crash, removing the Papacy from gameplay.
• Press F1 during gameplay to view a list of available shortcuts.
• Consider playing the tutorials or reading the guidebook to familiarize yourself with the game's menus and functions.
• To test factions, set up a Custom Battle. For example, test anti-infantry capabilities against England/Venice and anti-cavalry/missile capabilities against France.
• The game is not historically accurate. Mods may exist to address this, but historical inaccuracies will not be discussed.
• Most game options are self-explanatory. However, advice levels, difficulty levels, and unit scale are important.
• Set the advice level to 'none' as the in-game advice is considered inferior to the guide's advice.
• Campaign difficulty affects the AI's ability to manage its empire, raise armies, and build its economy.
• Battle difficulty makes enemy units smarter, not stronger, unlike in Rome: Total War.

Battle Mechanics and Terms:

• Effective Against Armor/Armor Piercing: Attacks that ignore 50% of a target's armor bonus, effective against heavy units. Units like the Egyptian Naffatun have this trait.
• Bonus Fighting Cavalry: Units gain an attack bonus against cavalry (+4 or +8), useful for defending against charges. Typically spear/pikemen.
• Can form Wedge: A special cavalry formation that forms a triangle, intended to break infantry lines. Its effectiveness is debated.
• Can do Schiltrom: A circular phalanx formation where men form a tight circle with spears extended. Useful for defense from multiple sides, like in city squares or choke points, or for holding out for reinforcements. Vulnerable to missile units if unsupported.
• Can deploy stakes: A limited ability allowing archers to defend against frontal assaults. Useful when low on spearmen. Requires support or advantageous terrain against cavalry flanking. Particularly useful near rivers and mountains where flanking is limited.
• Can form Cantabrian Circle: A formation for ranged units to maintain a constant stream of fire. Can deter AI advances but is not widely used.