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InTotal War: Pharaoh’sDynasties update, multiple new major factions are playable. Among them, Assyrian “King of the Universe” Ninurta-apal-Ekur is arguably the most brutal. To play as Assyria, to inhabit the role of Ninurta, is to set eyes upon the world and believe conquest to be mandatory.
That’s not to say there’s no room for more delicate hands through diplomacy and other intrigues. Assyria’s army is only as strong as the player in charge of its generals. After spending several hours as Ninurta, we’ve pieced together some dos and don’ts to help newly-minted Assyrian players on their path to glory.
Assyrians In Combat
If Agamemnon is Mycenae’s offensive counterpart to Troy’s defense,Ninurta is Assyria’s offensive counterpart to Adad’s defense.Most notable to new players and perhapsespecially toPharaoh veterans is the inclusion ofcavalry, which Ninurta can tap into quite early into the campaign.
The addition of quickly-gained horsemen gives Assyria a unique tactical advantage.Horsemen are deadly-swift and highly maneuverable, making them agile alternatives that can almost singlehandedly justify giving Ninurta a try.
Horsemen do follow what is effectivelythe Assyrian military’s golden rule: their units generally have lower numbers to them, but they’re highly specialized.(It’s all rather “professional” feeling, as befits Assyria.)
When dealing with the less professional Babylonians,note the placement of their Taskmasters,asbypassing thempositionally reveals just how relatively weak the Babylonian units on their own can often be.
Understanding Your Faction Command
A vital component of the Assyrian arsenal is its uniqueMilitary Training resource, which scales to the number of wars you’re engaged in.You’ll use this toupgrade units within armies.It’s like another “level up” aspect within Total War: Pharaoh’s framework; a routine source of further might.
But how do you accrue Military Training? ThroughAssyria’s active faction command, Military Escalation. With Military Escalation engaged,you’ll command your army to undergo training to increase the units' rank.
Higher unit tiers and ranks do cost more Military Training, butthe added cost should be outweighed by the perks of a more powerful armed force.
Military Escalation. Commands army to undergo military training to increase units' rank. Higher unit tiers/ranks cost more so use this when suitable but not as a rule.
If Military Escalation is not in use, thePrinciple of Conquestpassive is where your Military Training resource will build over time via the number of wars you’re engaged in.
At100 Military Training, you’ll gain a-10 percent reduction in recruitment cost across your entire faction. This canreallyadd up, and it’s why, in our estimation, it’s generally best tokeep building up your Military Trainingwhenever possible rather than always relying upon Military Escalation.
As Ancient Legacies go, few are quite so rad asSargon of Akkad. As Assyria’s court isthe King of the Universe followed behind him by four lesser kings, your group is appropriately diverse in its wellspring of shared power.
The Sargon of Akkad Ancient Legacyincreases your number of ambitions as well as the degree of direct involvement you have in dictating them. Importantly,there are rewards for focusing on specific archetypes of ambitions, with accrued points unlockingbonuses.
These bonuses will apply to the specific archetype you’ve built up. Which archetypes, then, should you bother with?Put points in them all to varying extents, but focus on warfaremost of all, at least on your first file. Play to Assyria’s natural strengths to bolster what ought to be anoffensively-oriented play stylewith Ninurta.
Gaining access toGrand Ambitionsgrantsmore challenging tasks, butthe tasks can provide Victory Points. Ergo, you’re summoning forth adirect impact on your ability to win the campaign.
We’ll have further tips for Ninurta in the days to come.
