Total War: Pharaoh is the latest installment in Creative Assembly's popular RTS franchise. Set in the remote deserts of Ancient Egypt during the collapse of the once-great civilization, players can command a variety of unique factions, each with their own units and special abilities, as they seek to unite the territory under one banner. With less of a focus on resources and societal management, much of what makes a successful campaign in Total War: Pharaoh comes down to tactics used during war.

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Numerical advantage is not the only decisive factor when it comes to winning battles. Units with higher XP and favorable weather or terrain conditions can make a big difference, too, as can different prayer bonuses that players can acquire through worshiping different deities. Winning wars will require more than just strong armies, a careful selection of buildings and policies will also be required to outlast opponents in what are often grueling battles of attrition on the hot sands of Egypt.

6 Utilize The Terrain And Weather

Take Advantage Of The Dynamic Weather

One of Total War: Pharaoh's best features when compared to previous titles is the implementation of a new dynamic weather system. Rather than waiting at the start of battles for favorable conditions, weather can change during the battle and vary depending on the location of the battlefield.

Storms and rain may inhibit unit movement and reduce the accuracy of archers, but it will similarly grant bonuses to units with the Storm Warrior perk. Placing and moving units appropriately in accordance with the weather can make a huge difference, and will enable smaller armies to defeat much larger ones in many cases.

5 Keep Archers In Skirmish Mode

Reduces Micromanagement

As in previous Total War games, nothing is more frustrating than having a group of ranged units charge head-on into an enemy ambush after zealously pursuing a routed unit. To prevent endless micromanagement and pausing to reassign targets, players can activate Skirmish Mode, which will order the archers to remain at a distance.

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The Skirmish Mode icon can be found in the toolbar at the bottom of the screen when the unit is selected, along with other formation and tactical buttons. Even with this mode enabled, players may still need to manually retreat and maneuver archers who are coming under heavy attack.

4 Defend Flanks With Spearmen

Protection From Infantries

While cavalry may not play as much of a role in this game compared to other titles in the Total War series, many infantry and chariot types can be devastating when using flanking maneuvers. Many of the best units in the Canaanite faction have bonuses to flanking and charging, so it is important to be aware of this when facing them.

Fortunately, there are just as many units with defensive bonuses, particularly Spearmen units. As well as being able to defend against mobile enemies and shield more vulnerable units, having lots of Spearmen can open up a wide range of tactics on the battlefield, especially when balanced with alternative unit types.

3 Prioritize XP Gain

Experienced Warriors Make A Huge Difference In Battle

Throughout a campaign, it is possible for units to level up by earning XP, which can be done through fighting battles as well as different perks for army leaders, bonuses due to prayer, and building types in the region (unless hostile). Higher XP will significantly increase the stats of any given unit and can eventually transform some units into elite versions of themselves.

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Elite and veteran units will inflict more damage, suffer fewer losses, and be harder to rout than lower-ranked units. This can make a big difference over the course of a long war, since the units will replenish much faster in between battles when they have taken fewer losses, enabling armies to re-engage with enemies who may be in a more weakened state.

2 Pray To Religious Shrines

Earn Bonuses & Benefits

One feature that players should be aware of is the ability to pray to religious shrines to grant benefits to armies and generals. These can range from specific combat bonuses such as increases in Armor and Attack Damage, or they can affect armies more broadly with Morale boosts and Attrition Immunity.

To gain these bonuses, players must select the army and march them toward the Shrine or Temple; from there, it is possible to interact with the building and select the Pray option. The bonus for each Shrine will depend on the dedicated Deity to that particular building. This can be managed through the Deities panel at the top of the campaign screen.

1 Replenish Forces After Combat

Relocate To A Friendly Province

Even after a victorious battle, it is likely that armies will sustain some losses, particularly as a campaign progresses and wars begin to feature increasingly large and more experienced armies. For this reason, it is important to replenish any lost units between battles to ensure that a strong army is not ambushed and destroyed while in a weakened state.

Unit replenishment can be done by relocating the army into a friendly province. The rate of replenishment within a given province can be increased by constructing more medical buildings, such as the Midwife's House and Healing Hall.

Total War: Pharaoh

Platform(s)

PC

Released

October 11, 2023

Developer(s)

Creative Assembly

Publisher(s)

Sega

Genre(s)

Turn-Based Strategy , Tactical , Grand Strategy