General Advice | The Basics Total War: Warhammer II Guide
Last update: 02 October 2017
The Total War games are quite complex and challenging. They can also be very unpredictable - and even though you cannot consider every possibility in advance, the following tips should help the beginning player to develop their own style.
Character development
Make sure you've got order in your provinces. While the population will rebel only if the level of order reaches -100, you still should make sure the order in your nation is at least on neutral levels, because low order also causes some other penalties.
Keep your eye on the level of corruption. The ideal situation for most nations is no corruption at all, so make sure it's on the lowest level possible (except for nations that are actually aided by it). You can reduce corruption simply by constructing the right buildings.
Have entire provinces under your control. It will be easier to control civil unrest and the level of corruption, plus you will be able to issue commandments.
In the province capital, prioritize high-level buildings. These cities can be developed up to level five and have more building slots than other cities. Some buildings can only reach their top level (or can only be built) in a capital, so build them in these cities.
In the remaining settlements, prioritize economic buildings. This will let you quickly develop the population of a province as well as improve your treasury.
Raise defense buildings in exposed settlements. Smaller settlements should definitely have city walls (available from level 3). The province capitals can also use them, since it will improve their garrison.
Expansion and war
Try to prepare for wars before you cause them. It won't always be easy - the campaign of the Great Vortex is pretty demanding. But you should, at least to a certain extent, regulate your public order and secure the borders.
Try not to wage war against more than one country. Even if you're leading a strong country, it can be challenging to maintain the situation on numerous fronts - this can lead to you losing your newly acquired lands and suffering economically.
Don't start a war if you can't afford it. If you don't have much gold and your incomes are low, then don't start a war. Prioritize the economy first in order to make sure your country will be able to survive the war.
Try not to fight countries that are stronger than you. Although countries that are stronger, or equally powerful, are not impossible to beat, fighting a war with them is very expensive and exhausting to your troops, your economy, and the whole nation.
Army & Combat
Create diverse armies. This will provide you flexibility, which is very important in battles. Armies consisting only of ranged units or cavalry can be pestering, but they're much less effective than a well-balanced force.
Don't engage too many siege units. They really can decimate the opponent, but once their troops get too close, they become useless and without a strong army, you will lose.
Don't send your heroes in alone. No matter how powerful they are - if they get swarmed by hundreds of enemies, they will surely have to yield.
Keep your mages at the back. They can be very effective against concentrated enemy forces, but they're totally useless in melee combat.
Watch your units' discipline. If it gets too low, they will start to weaver and flee if they don't get reinforcements - which further undermines the morale of the remaining units.
Watch out for fatigue. Tired units fare much worse in battle, so try not to exhaust them. Try to give them a minute to catch their breath during the battle if you can, too.
Protect your ranged units. Most ranged units (including siege) are virtually defenseless. The only exception are units with hybrid weapons - they can both shoot from a distance and fight in direct combat.
Outflank and don't let them outflank you. Surrounded units get a huge morale penalty, and they can be broken in no time. You should use cavalry to outmaneuver the enemy - they're quick, and get a good bonus to charge if they attack from the side/back.
Magic
Think twice before randomizing the winds of magic. You may get more magic points; you may get much less. If you get a decent amount of magic points the first time, don't risk it.
Don't use more than two mages during a battle. Because their performance is restricted by the magic winds, there's no point having more than two of them - you'll run out of points and they'll be useless.
Use magic wisely. Powerful spells can decimate the enemy, but it may soon turn out that you've used too many points, and it would be more advantageous to boost your own army.
If the power of your army is based on magic then don't fight in the lands where the magic winds are poor. The Winds of Magic determine the amount of available magic points - their quality changes over time in provinces and they can become almost useless. Keep an eye on this factor.