Best Factions for Beginners in Warhammer Total War 2?

Starting to play Total War: Warhammer II can be a daunting prospect for beginners. Even if you’re a seasoned Total War player, or a fan of Warhammer from Games Workshop’s tabletop games, knowing what factions to start out can be difficult. Take a look at some of the faction summaries below to help you pick the perfect faction for you.

Tyrion, Eataine 

Simple opening moves, a lot of space to expand, and some helpless Dark Elf settlements to ransack and take for your own, Prince Tyrion is the go-to for all beginners in Total War: Warhammer II. Beyond how easy his opening few turns will be, his faction effects make things even better.

A diplomatic relation bonus for High Elves makes confederation (taking over factions of the same race) incredibly easy. The recruitment speed bonus and upkeep reduction make building a huge army incredibly easy. And Flamespure Phoenix and Eagle Claw Bolt Throwers are some of the best Monster and Artillery units in the base game.

Teclis, Order of Loremasters

Teclis, High Loremaster of Hoeth, is Tyrion’s brother. And like his brother, he’s an ideal pick for first-time players and beginners. Starting to the western side of Ulthuan (The big donut/croissant in the middle of the map), Teclis also has a lot of Dark Elf armies and settlements he can quickly eat up and expand.

Again, just like Tyrion, his diplomatic relation bonuses make confederation easy. But the bonuses to relations with Men, Wood Elves, Lizardmen, and Dwarves, also means you’ll probably be able to get good trading relations and allies set up early. But beyond this, Teclis also receives a discount for Swordmasters of Hoeth and Phoenix units, making his specialist units cheaper by default. 

Related: How to get Regiments of Renown in Warhammer Total War 2

Malekith, Naggarond

A Dark Elves faction safely tucked away in the far corner of the map, Malekith of Naggarond benefits from an easy mop-up of surrounding enemies and vast amounts of space to expand. The ruins to the north are infested with Scaven, but you can quickly grow your army to deal with the threat.

Since your ultimate goal is crossing the sea and taking over Ulthuan, you can spend much of the early game expanding and confederating other Dark Elf factions. Then, when you’re feeling strong enough, you can cross over with Black Arks, knowing the High Elves will likely not have expanded beyond their donut.

However, note: Malekith’s faction effects will go from benefit to blight depending on your difficulty. On very hard or legendary difficulties, public order will be a big problem for Naggarond.

Kroq-Gar, Last Defenders

Lizardman units can be expensive to upkeep (someone's got to feed all those dinosaurs!). With two upkeep discounts as faction traits, Kroq-Gar is a solid choice for any beginner that wants to try out the Lizardman faction. The Last Defenders sit on the coast of the Bitter Sea and start surrounded by enemies. But this isn’t a disadvantage!

Able to quickly take control of the abandoned settlements to the north and south, you can then take your pick of more minor factions to crush at your leisure. This part of the map is filled with smaller factions that are largely cut off from whatever allies they may have. Take out the Beastmen, Skaven, and Greenskins, while cutting off the Dwarves of Karak Zorn from expanding. Then, when you’re strong enough, crush the dwarves and move on to taking over the continent! 

For more Total War: Warhammer II guides, check out the Best Factions in Warhammer Total War 2 on Pro Game Guides.