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Who hasn’t heard of the Trojan War, right?Total War: Pharaohhas heaps of names that might not stick out in a memorable way for those who aren’t Bronze Age (and Greek Heroic Age) gurus, but surely, we all know Troy. Do we know its intricacies, however? Mythical though they largely may be?
Do you know the tales of Priam? Of Hector and Paris, of the great defensive gallantry of this Aegean realm? After spending some time in Trojan shoes, we’ve gained a foothold on what works for their faction, what seems to work but maybe-not-so-much, and how to get ahead of the curve.
Overview And Perseus' Ancient Legacy
Perseus; Ancient Legacyis diplomacy-centric,so it’s perfect for Troy.You’ll gain access toGlobal Recruitment.You’ll also be able to Host Games at the cost of ancillaries to force peace between warring factions and gain resources. Let’s break these both down.
Troy’s reliance on diplomacyis paramount to your understanding if you are to play them well as a beginner. Although this applies broadly across the board with myriad mechanics,Host Gamesis uniquely terrific. It works withmany factions, including Hittites, Canaanites, and Mesopotamians.
At minimum,treat this mechanic as a good source of economic resources, since you’ll gain rewards. Butenforcing peace accordsis fantastic.
Global Recruitment allows you to recruit from across the map via allies elsewhere; thus, you’re able to tap into a wellspring of abilities you would not otherwise have had - at least, not without a great deal of bloodshed.
You’ll want tobuild up your number of allies to gain more of the Unity resource, which, in turn, shoulders you up forgreater recruitment optionsas the game goes on.
The TrojanForeign Relations Officeprovides a+4 Diplomatic Relationsbonus- just another example of how pivotal diplomacy is for this faction (and it’s well worth constructing).
Performing Hecatombs
Unique to the Aegean factions (both Priam and Agamemnon) is the ability toperformhecatombs, ritual sacrifices whichrequire set amounts of food(the creatures being sacrificed) and are conducted in service toyour chosen deity.
Hecatombs are possible forany Aegean god,but both starting example Apollo and also Aphrodite are particularly keen, especially earlier on.
Hecatombs To Apollo
Hecatombs To Aphrodite
Note the importance of Apollo’s hecatombs towardmissile damage, ammunition, and reload speed. Many of Troy’s foremost boosts play straight into itsdefensive orientationandranged capabilitiesrather than prolonged melee boosts.
This isn’t to say those don’t exist; indeed, it would be a very difficult faction without close-range viability. Butbulking up your armies' range and defensive bulwark is key to victoryas a rule, as you’ll be unable to compete early on in head-first melee skirmishes unless you have ample and sturdy backup.
Play Troy to its strengths, especially diplomacy. Boosts in this regard are there for a reason. Seize the uses ofForeign Presencetogain gold, request aid, and lower your enemy’s capabilities.
