Gwined Welsh Kingdom in Total War Saga Thrones of Britannia Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia Guide & Tips
Last update: 19 June 2018
Playing through the campaign with Welsh Kingdoms is not easy. Gwined is in difficult situation. You start the game with a small number of regions, alongside a powerful rival. Even though you start with one ally, other kingdoms in your area are not willing to side with you. To the west, behind the sea, there is Dublin, which only waits to pillage and conquer its neighbors. To the south you will find the remaining Welsh countries, which can be conquered and allied, but the terrain structure favors defense here. To sum up, you do not have many options to expand your kingdom and you lack the resource to create a large army.
This faction is all about its cavalry and archer units. The units of the general are also of the cavalry type, in contrast to many other factions. Most of your armies should consists of 1/3 to half of cavalry units. Such a structure benefits combat on land, especially on open fields. Aside from that, you should have at least one army capable of effective siege.
First things first, try to upgrade your industry in the province, allowing you to gain more income. Afterwards, focus on developing farms. You can quickly increase the size of your kingdom if you invest in powerful (but expensive) units in your army. You lack food, but additional morale and powerful commander might increase your chances for victory. Conquering a small kingdom at the beginning of the game is within your reach. Observe the movement and numbers of your neighbors to attack at the best moment.
Recommended expanse routes:
(1) Conquering small Welsh kingdoms might be a good idea, but you need to go through mountains or try to attack from the sea. In most cases, battles on those terrains are about a single, decisive clash. Before you declare war, however, check if the potential enemy does not have powerful allies. Additionally, keep watch on your ally, who also likes to conquer new terrains.
(2) Dublin has lands on the island, as well as on the terrain of Ireland. Vikings almost always focus on fighting with the Irish Kingdoms and in most cases they fail. Conquering the Island is tempting, as in most cases there is no army there, only a garrison. At the beginning, the garrison consists of 10 units (about 500-600 soldiers), but you can attack it from the sea. This isolated terrain is easy to defend.
(3) Conquering small English kingdoms to the north of Mercia is also easy, as long as those countries are not allied with others on the island. Once conquered, defending those areas will be difficult. You will need to invest in two separate defensive armies. Passage through the sea increases the reaction time.
(4) You should delay expansion to Ireland. Until you have sufficiently developed military and economy, fighting with numerous countries at the same time will be problematic. Aside from that, bringing reinforcements will take several additional turns. It is worth to properly prepare your assault and conquer at least one province to strengthen your position.
(5) Attacking Mercia and other kingdoms inside England is not the best position, especially at the beginning. Before your kingdom will not become strong enough or your enemies will not weaken more powerful kingdoms, you have nothing to look for here. Create friendly relationships with neighbors and turn them into alliances. You can also wait for the border provinces to rebel against the current ruler.
Characteristics of the faction
Cultural and faction characteristics are a blessing for Gwined. It has very unique abilities that set them apart from others. All armies receive increased amount of supplies and higher morale. Thanks to that, your units will be capable of fighting longer and even the weaker units will be able to face off against stronger foes.
Heroism is a special characteristic of Welsh kingdoms. It is characterized by honor and knighthood. Winning a battle, fighting against stronger enemies, advancing heroes to higher levels and completing missions increases it. However, losing battles, running away from battles and pillage decreases heroism.
Gwined has stronger minions. With each level increase you can spend a skill point for a new minion. Each point is better than in the other factions. For instance, a single point for Commander gives two command points, instead of one. With this you are able to create really powerful heroes. What is more, GWI can show the true, legendary legacy of their ancestors, translating into additional missions to unique the Welsh.