Here is a breakdown of all factions in Total War: Pharaoh.
Total War: Pharaoh explores the rich history of Egypt that is marked by the downfall of an empire, the prolonged societal instability, and the never-ending invasion of foreign powers.
It is a turn-based strategy game developed by Creative Assembly Sofia and published by Sega. In this game, you get to immerse yourself in ancient Egypt at the apex of its power and see the events that changed Egypt unfold.
Read More: Top 7 Best Egyptian Units in Total War: Pharaoh
All the factions in Total War: Pharaoh belong to one of three different cultures. They are the Egyptians, Hitties, and the Canaanites. In general, Egyptian factions boast light armor, and they rely on hit-and-run tactics and depend on their chariots.
The factions from Hittites are armored soldiers who prefer head-to-head combat more than anything else. They rely on nothing but their sheer force.
Lastly, the Canaanite factions are considered as underdogs by the factions of the other two cultures, which is something that they turned to their advantage in battles.
There are 8 different factions across the three cultures. Four are Egyptian, two are Canaanite, and two are Hittite. Now, let’s dive into each of the factions themselves.
List of All Factions in Total War: Pharaoh
Remesses
Ramesses is known as the last great Pharaoh in the pages of history. He has been successful in defending against the countless invasions of the Sea Peoples, which have all led to bloody battles. He leads with speed and intuition, and through the countless battles he has won, he has prevented the collapse of Egypt.
Creative Assembly listed that Ramesses is ideal for new players and provided the following information about his faction:
- Use of war chariots
- Mid-level infantry and archers
- Elite and versatile unit roster
- Plentiful in resource
- Advanced technological progress
- Losses are additionally damaging
Amenmesse
In the books of history, Amenmesse was the Pharaoh of Egypt 10 years prior to Ramesses III. As the Viceroy of Kush, Amenmesse starts in the south of Egypt. He is another playable leader in Total War: Pharaoh.
Creative Assembly has cast Amenmesse and Seti II as half-brothers and bitter rivals. They have provided the following details about Amenmesse:
- Access to vast wealth
- Ideal starting position
- Competent archers
- Expensive units
- Vulnerable to rebellions
Tausret
Tausret, a splendid leader who spent her life fighting social prejudice. Many believe her to be the wife of Seti II. Competent and capable in war diplomacy, war, and finance, her faction very quickly gained power and became a dominant force in the region.
Tausret’s faction begins its campaign in the deserts of Yebu in Upper Egypt. Her faction is also believed to be the strongest chariot faction in the game.
Creative Assembly described her faction with the following characteristics:
- Strong economic connections and synergies
- Early access to the Nile
- Generally defensive
- Failures are punished quickly
- Best chariot faction
- Strongest army composition with proper development.
Seti
Husband of Tausret, Seti II (or Sethos II) was the fifth pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt. He had multiple confrontations with Amenmesse during his time as the pharaoh.
Seti starts his reign along the Nile in Lower Egypt.
His playstyle is described as follows by Creative Assembly.
- Targets to overwhelm opponents in battles
- Fast expansion
- Unlike his wife, he has no interest in diplomacy
- Abundance of weaker units
- Expendable units
Irsu
Irsu was an enigmatic historical figure. However, Creative Assemble took the freedom to add depth to his character in many aspects. He leads a destructive faction that does not care about unity and peace and relies on raids and plunder.
Features of Irsu’s factions are given below:
- Raiding and plundering
- Generate massive profits from battle
- Little land ownership
- Relies on battles to replenish resources
- Relatively strong armor
- Fast recruitment
Bay
Bay was a court official under Seti II. He was granted the right to construct his tomb alongside other prominent leaders in the Valley of Kings. He was also known as a survivor and a capable manipulator, as he would go to great lengths to show that he was weak in many ways so that his enemies would underestimate him.
Bay’s faction starts on the Canaanite coast.
Creative Assembly described his faction with the following characteristics.
- Mastery of court politics
- Strong diplomacy
- Unparalleled in battle
- Strong ambush units
- Access to Vanguard Stalk, Sneak, and Deployment
- Weak chariot forces
- Can take units from others
Suppiluliuma
Emerging from Hittites, Suppiluliuma is the great king of the Hittite Empire, who fought multiple battles at the same time to keep this throne. His respectable nature, connections, and reputation let him forge alliances with local kingdoms.
Suppiluliuma starts at Hattusa, the center of the Hittite Empire.
His playstyle is described as follows:
- Frequent battles
- Multiple battles at the same time
- Somewhat fragile economy
- Good number of medium and heavy units
- Powerful chariots
- Strong defense, weak ranged options.
Kurunta
Kurunta is described as a power-hungry leader with psychopathic tendencies. He seeks to exploit every possible advantage to bring Anatolia under his reign. Additionally, he also believes himself to be the avatar of a god.
His characteristics are described as follows:
- Relies on sabotage
- Good at plots
- Exploits non-combat weaknesses
- Struggles in direct engagements
- Heavily armored troops
- Weak in ranged battles
- Mercenaries
Read More: Total War Pharaoh: A Beginner’s Guide to Conquer Ancient Egypt
