Total War Pharoah – All Factions & Leaders, Explained

Do you want to become a legend? It's always intriguing to play Total War games, as it's infinitely more fun to learn about history by playing games. As with all the games from the Total War series, picking a faction is crucial for success, as you need one that aligns with your play style.

All Factions & Leaders in Total War Pharoah

In Total War: Pharoah base game, you can choose between eight factions from three ancient cultures: Egyptians, Canaanites, and Hittites. You'll face your enemies all across the Total War: Pharoah map.

Egyptian Factions in Total War Pharaoh

The Egyptians are the most influential culture in Total War: Pharaoh, as they were in this historical period. They have a strong military and economy, and their cities are well-developed. They are also the most expansionist culture in the game. There are four Egyptian factions/leaders:

Amenmesse - Egyptian Faction

Amenmesse is the wealthiest leader in the game. He likes to play it safe, gather resources, and strike from the distance with his mighty archers. Amenmesse is also great at diplomacy, which makes him a great potential ally. Amenmesse is my choice because he relies on archers.

• Access to vast wealth; safe starting location; susceptible to rebellions.
• Very strong archers; can defeat rivals from a distance; units are expensive.

Ramesses - Egyptian Faction

Arguably, the most famous Egyptian ruler, Ramesses, has access to elite units to help you win battles easily. This character is a good choice if this is your first Total War game.

• Quick progress; flexible and plentiful resources; ideal for new players.
• Elite and adaptable; strong medium infantry and archers; charging chariots; losses are additionally damaging.

Seti - Egyptian Faction

Seti is a son of Pharaoh Merneptah, but history lessons aside, he's all about employing the rush strategies. He's an aggressive leader who goes to war for the smallest thing and really dislikes diplomacy.

• Seeks to overwhelm opponents in battle; quick and easy expansion; no interest in diplomacy.
• High numbers of cheaper; weaker units; expendable units; risks running low on units after losses.

Tausret - Egyptian Faction

Tausret's faction in Total War: Pharaoh is arguably the strongest economic power. Planning is crucial as you can't solve all problems with battles. But the path to the throne is much easier if you're rich with powerful regional influence.

• Defensive; powerful economic and regional synergies; early Nile access; failures can quickly snowball.
• The best chariot faction; can achieve the strongest army composition given time.

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Hittites Factions in Total War Pharaoh

The Hittites are a Total War: Pharaoh culture with heavily armored units like spear chariots. Of course, their cities are not as well-developed as the Egyptians, but they are easier to defend.

Kurunta - Hittites Faction

The Hittite Kurunta's faction is an intriguing combination of offensive diplomacy (i.e., assassination) and defensive battlefield tactics.

• Sabotage, assassination, good at plots; Exploits weakness outside of battle; Struggles in direct engagements.
• Mercenaries; heavily armored units; frontal assaults; no ranged units.

Suppiluliuma - Hittites Faction

As one of the wisest leaders of the Hittite Empire, Suppiluliuma is focused on keeping his people safe. Because of that, he employs defensive tactics to deal with dangers from multiple angles.

• Measured campaign pace; frequent battles; faces war on multiple fronts; fragile economy.
• Numerous medium and heavy units; powerful chariots; strong defense; weak ranged options.

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Canaanites Factions in Total War Pharaoh

Canaanites are a trading culture with a strong diplomacy potential but relatively weak units cities that are inferior to the Egyptians or Hittites. But what they lack in army strength, they compensate with cunning and court politics.

Bay - Canaanites Faction

Canaanites Bay faction is all about scheming and finding angles to surprise the enemy. Because of the complex strategies needed for a win, I recommend playing with this leader only to Total War veterans.

• Master of intrigues and court politics; strong diplomacy; often outmatched in battle.
• Strong ambushers; access to Vanguard Deployment, Stalk, and Sneak; weak face-to-face units and chariots; can take units from others.

lrsu - Canaanites Faction

If there is a bad guy-type of character in Total War: Pharoah, then it's Irsu, the Canaanites' leader. This faction's playstyle is similar to Orcs in the Warhammer series, focusing on pillaging, destruction, and chaos. There's no place for diplomacy when your survival depends on constant battle.

• Sacking and plundering; vast profits from battle; little land ownership; resources dry up if he stops fighting.
• Tough, heavy units; strong armor; fast recruitment.

If you're more into Total War: Warhammer series, check out All unlockable Lords and Faction Leaders in Total War: Warhammer 3 on Pro Game Guides.