Pestilens Clan - hints, advice and tips | Factions Total War: Warhammer II Guide

This chapter provides hints for playing as the Pestilens Clan commanded by Lord Skrolk.

• The starting situation
• Initial turns
• Next turns

The starting situation

Skrolk starts the game with one city - Oyxl. Your first enemy is a faction of Lizardmen - Guardians of the South. Their nearest settlement - Subatuun - has Pastures, so you can produce food. Watch out, however, because right nearby, there is an army of 13 units. Another settlement of this type is in Culchan Plains province to the South-East. Guardians of the South also have their lands there. Apart from there, there also are Skavens factions there (to the North of you), Dwarves (in the mountains, to the South-West) and a faction of High Elves on the peninsula to the South. Apart from that, farther North, there are more factions of Lizardmen.

Initial turns

The settlement with Pastures that you have nearly from the beginning is very useful, while playing as Skavens.

Start the game by developing Clan Pit in your settlement, and also develop a special building - Corrupted Spawning Pool (it will provide you with food, among others). Then, lead the army to the border with Guardians of the South (but stay out of reach of the army in Subatuun) and recruit several units of Clanrats.

In the next turn, seize that settlement and develop it to level 2 using food. Erect Bog of Rice there (it will provide you with food) and a defense building - Almar's Tunnel. Keep expanding your army.

If Lizardmen attack you now, fight them back and lead your army towards Skrolk, to Guardian of Time (at first, these are ruins, but Lizardmen should quickly seize it). After you seize it, you can develop it to level 2, with food - then, build Ratling Colony and Rubbish Pit there.

One you have a sufficient surplus of food, develop your capital - Oyxl and build Taskmaster's Platform there (this will increase social order). Now, you will have to spend several turns on stabilizing social order (although one rebellion will break out anyways and you will have to suppress it).

Note, if one of your settlements that is not defended by your army, has been attacked, try to play the battle, even if the ratio of forces is disadvantageous for you. The AI, apparently, does not consider using "Menace Below" in automatic mode, so you can win an apparently lost battle and defend the settlement.

Once you have stabilized the situation in the province command your army to the South and seize3 a settlement of Guardians of the South, then subdue the rest of the settlements in this province. The most important for you is Xlansec - there are Pastures there. After you seize it, use food to develop it to level 3 and build Putrid Rice Bog, Almar's Tunnel and Rubbish Pit there. Then develop those buildings. Do not bother about the lands of Guardians of the South to the North - most probably, they will be seized by Dwarves.

Your next target is Headhunters' Jungle to the North, on the coast. One of the settlements in the province - Marks of the Old Ones will most probably be occupied by Lizardmen. What is more interesting to you is the capital of the province - Altar of the Horned Rat - a ritual resource location. Most probably, it will be controlled by the Spittel Clan.

The other faction will, most probably, agree to confederacy, once you threaten their existence.

You will have to seize the first one of these settlements by force. But you can attempt entering a confederacy with Spittel Clan. The easiest way to do that is to weaken the faction (decimate their armies) or when they are under siege of another faction.

After you have seized Altar of the Horned Rat, build Warpstone there- this will speed up the rate of gaining points for Rituals.

Next turns

In the following turns, continue expanding to the North. In Tlaxtlan, there is another Ritual Resource Site. Here, you will mainly have to fight against Lizardmen, a Vampire faction by the Eastern coast should be amicable.

When it comes to the rest of Skaven factions, try to enter a confederacy with them when they are weakened. If your relations with them are low, simply seize their territories.

As for Dwarves of Spine of Sotek, Citadel of Dusk and Order of Masters of Magic - unless they declare war on you, it is best to stay away from them.