The Ultimate Powerhouses of Total War: Pharaoh – Revealed!

Highlights

Total War: Pharaoh introduces new leaders with their own unique buildings and abilities, adding variety to gameplay.

Several leaders, such as Bay, excel at diplomacy and expanding territories, while others, like Irsu, prioritize plundering and crushing empires. The unique strengths and weaknesses of each leader necessitate players to adapt strategies and effectively manage resources to ensure their success.

Introducing the latest addition to the highly popular Total War series - Total War: Pharaoh. This exciting new installment features a diverse lineup of leaders from Ancient Egypt, the Caanites of the Levant, and the Hittite Empire. As is customary in the Total War franchise, each leader possesses unique structures and characteristics that contribute to their territorial expansion. With a selection of 8 leaders to choose from, it becomes crucial to understand their individual abilities and assess their reliability and effectiveness in practice.

Furthermore, these leaders also deploy their own distinctive troops, tailored to complement specific playstyles and army compositions. Although all leaders are worth experimenting with, certain ones have proven to be considerably stronger than others in both short-term conflicts and lengthy campaigns. As such, we present to you an overview of the currently available leaders in Total War: Pharaoh, ranked based on their overall effectiveness.

8 Bay (The Schemer)

Bay is highly skilled at persuading others to support him in battle and throughout various campaigns. However, his exceptional speaking abilities come at the cost of time, as it takes a while to fully utilize his skills and construct necessary structures. Moreover, due to the unpredictability of diplomatic requests, playing as Bay entails a certain degree of risk. Fortunately, he can maintain the happiness of his citizens through events such as the Singing Competition and the Chief Scribe's Headquarters. Additionally, the Regional Flair ability enhances production rates, ensuring a stable economy and infrastructure.

Another advantage of Bay is that many of his units possess the Ambush trait, rendering them extremely difficult to detect. However, this advantage can only be fully leveraged by players who possess extensive knowledge of enemy weapons and units, enabling them to execute a devastating surprise attack. While Bay has the potential to be an exceptional leader in capable hands, his complexity and associated risks may deter some players from choosing him.

7 Kurunta (The Usurper)

Kurunta excels as a Leader in the game due to his expertise in exploiting enemy weaknesses, particularly in plots and sabotage. By automatically having plots one level higher than usual, Kurunta compensates for his lack of powerful units. To realize his full potential, players should prioritize building his Recruitment Office, which upgrades the rank of Kaskian, Native, and Phrygian members in his army.

However, Kurunta faces challenges due to his starting position. Although he is in close proximity to Cyprus and is encouraged to conquer it, the island is constantly under attack by Sea People, posing difficulties in management. Additionally, the time and resources required for travel between Cyprus and the mainland can be significant. As a result, Kurunta may struggle in the early game, but once his army is established, he can shine later on.

6 Irsu (The Ravager)

Irsu personifies chaos and has no interest in creating his own empire; rather, he delights in destroying existing ones. Consequently, he is lacking in empathy and concern for his subjects, resulting in low levels of happiness and diplomacy within his state. Due to his limited political influence and perpetual disadvantage, Irsu must act swiftly and loot as much as possible to remain competitive.

Fortunately, his Forced Labor Camps enable him to rapidly amass a sizable workforce, while the War Camps expand his recruitment capacity, facilitating the creation of a formidable army. When utilized effectively, he emerges as a genuine menace. However, if he ceases his constant invasions and fails to plunder sufficiently, he may find himself running low on resources. Nevertheless, his swift recruitment and powerful units make him a force to be reckoned with, as long as players can ensure the satisfaction of their citizens and prevent any catastrophic events.

5 Tausret (The Strategist)

Tausret doesn't have the largest or most intimidating army, but that doesn't matter too much because she starts with a stronger diplomatic relationship with Seti. This gives her access to a powerful force of units, as long as she can convince him. However, Tausret's true strength lies in her ability to build and utilize buffs and construction options, which greatly enhance her production.

Similar to Irsu, this focus on construction doesn't contribute much to her citizens' happiness. However, it does make her an exceptional defensive leader, capable of creating an impregnable fortress that her enemies can only dream of destroying. Furthermore, buildings like Tausret's Armory and Tausret's Goldsmith can strengthen her army, although it may take some time to fully utilize their benefits. It's important to note, though, that any mistakes or miscalculations will have a greater impact on Tausret compared to other leaders. Nevertheless, she is still a dependable commander who truly shines in the later stages of the game.

4 Suppiluliuma (The Defender)

Suppliuliuma outshines the other Leaders in the game with his versatility and strategic prowess. His Hittite Kingdom, though surrounded by enemies, can withstand sieges with ease, thanks to his Garrison Quarters and Royal Garrison Palace.

With his Army Supply Center, Suppiluliuma can expand his army, improving their melee defense and boosting their morale. Additionally, his Faction Commands enable him to increase the replenishment rate of his armies. While not the most exciting Leader, Suppiluliuma offers enough freedom for players to have a ton of fun experimenting with different strategies.

3 Amenmesse (The Gilded)

Amenmesse, a man with exceptional abilities, offers a solution for those struggling to acquire enough gold for their armies and constructions. Not only does he have a superior ability to generate gold from mines compared to his rivals, but he also begins in a secure area, allowing ample time for progression. His unique buildings are dedicated to generating wealth, although they may decrease his overall influence.

Furthermore, Amenmesse's Gold Markets have the capability to convert gold into legitimacy and other resources, effectively addressing one of his main challenges and making him exceptionally powerful once he accumulates a substantial sum. This ensures that he rarely faces resource shortages, as he can easily trade with others to acquire anything he may require. Additionally, Amenmesse possesses some of the most skilled archers in the game, particularly the Ta-Seti Longbowmen, who can eliminate entire groups of enemies before they even come close enough to initiate an attack. The only drawback to Amenmesse is the high cost associated with many of his units, but the investment is well worth it considering their devastating effectiveness.

2 Seti (The Brute)

Instead of spending a lot of time gathering his units, Seti starts with a large army, which is beneficial considering the variety of resource settlements surrounding him. This allows him to eliminate any remaining enemy camps that may have been eyeing these areas, therefore kick-starting his economy. As his nickname, "The Brute," suggests, Seti is a tough, militaristic leader who prioritizes sword fighting over diplomacy.

By constructing the Mustering Office, he gains more recruitment slots and reduces the cost of enlisting certain troops within a province. Additionally, the Recruitment Administration Center further decreases this cost, enabling him to build a massive army to compensate for any inevitable losses. Seti's most advantageous unique building is the Seti's Royal Palace, significantly increasing his influence and boosting his troops' morale. While he may not be focused on pleasing the people, his strategy revolves around overwhelming his opponents with as many inexpensive and weak units as possible to secure victory.

1 Ramesses (The Paragon)

Ramesses is designed to be the perfect Leader for newer players, making him user-friendly while also providing powerful buffs. One notable advantage is that he can take two court actions per turn instead of the standard one. This allows him to effectively manipulate enemies and hinder their progress. Ramesses also possesses unique buildings that enhance gameplay, such as the Necropolis of The Honored Dead which significantly boosts happiness and influence, and the Wine Market which improves production across all resources. Additionally, his Military Academy strengthens his army and reduces recruitment costs on a large scale. Ramesses's only minor drawback is his lack of specialization in a specific area. However, his immense power in both the courts and on the battlefield enables him to easily outperform his rivals when utilized correctly.

Total War: Pharaoh

Platform(s) PCReleased October 11, 2023Developer(s) Creative AssemblyGenre(s) Turn-Based Strategy, Tactical, Grand Strategy