What race/faction to start with?

[Mivo]

Over the years, I bought the TW: Warhammer games and the DLCs (always on sale), but didn't properly dive into them. Mostly because the amount of content was a little daunting, so I kept procrastinating a little. I played the first three Total War games when they were new, but that was two decades ago when I had an easier time getting into big games.

Anyway, it's time to fix this. I've played the Prologue of TW3 and now wonder how to best continue. The game's "recommended first campaigns" are a campaign for the Grand Cathay and on the Immortal Empires map the campaigns for the Empire, the High Elves, and the Grand Cathay.

Which of these options is the easiest and most approachable? I'm looking to learn the game from the ground up with as few added complexities as possible for now.

Thanks!

[StrangestEcho]

Empire is not beginner friendly. Tyrion or Alarielle of the High Elves would be a good pick. Race is strong and there are a lot of allies in the region. The two male Cathay lords are not a bad starting point either. The Warriors of Chaos factions are also really strong, but they play quite differently from most of the other factions, so maybe not the first campaign.

[Falaris]

I would suggest going with the RoC campaign, possibly turning off the campaign objectives. Which faction you play doesn't matter THAT much, but I would recommend one with fairly normal game mechanics, like Cathay or Kislev, just to get properly started with something on a limited scale.

[jonoliveira12]

Tyrion, Alarielle, Miao Ying and Vlad are very easy to learn, and start with.
Be'lakor also has a very safe start, and both Archaon and Kolek are pathetically easy at the start, and will literally see you surrounded by a wall of allies, early on.

[Kapika96]

The Empire is definitely not a good choice to begin with. They have a pretty tough start. They're a lot of fun, but they are a challenge.

High Elves are a great choice. Tyrion was the recommended starter campaign for WH2 and it still works as that for WH3. It's a relatively safe starting position with no major threats, some nearby allies and little chance of having to fight a multi-front war. The High Elves generally are a strong race too. No major weaknesses and can be used in a variety of different ways. Their late game artillery sucks, but that's about their only roster issue, and is easily compensated for with magic/dragons. Pretty standard campaign mechanics too so nothing to confuse or surprise you.

Cathay are a great choice too. Similar to the High Elves they have a pretty well rounded roster and can be used in a variety of ways. They haven't got the diversity of the High Elves (yet, they're newer so haven't had as many updates/DLCs) but aren't too far off. They have some unique mechanics, but nothing that's difficult or anything, and their caravan mechanic is really good. All of their LLs are good picks.

Personally I'd recommend Zhao Ming from Cathay on the Realms of Chaos map for a first campaign. Pretty straightforward start to get you going as you learn the game. He's a strong character to play as and a lot of fun too. The Realms of Chaos campaign is criticised a lot, but IMO it's a lot of fun and the narrative part of it is interesting to see. The main problem is once you've completed it you don't really want to do it again. But for your first campaign that isn't a problem yet.

[jonoliveira12]

Originally posted by Kapika96:

The Empire is definitely not a good choice to begin with. They have a pretty tough start. They're a lot of fun, but they are a challenge.

High Elves are a great choice. Tyrion was the recommended starter campaign for WH2 and it still works as that for WH3. It's a relatively safe starting position with no major threats, some nearby allies and little chance of having to fight a multi-front war. The High Elves generally are a strong race too. No major weaknesses and can be used in a variety of different ways. Their late game artillery sucks, but that's about their only roster issue, and is easily compensated for with magic/dragons. Pretty standard campaign mechanics too so nothing to confuse or surprise you.

Cathay are a great choice too. Similar to the High Elves they have a pretty well rounded roster and can be used in a variety of ways. They haven't got the diversity of the High Elves (yet, they're newer so haven't had as many updates/DLCs) but aren't too far off. They have some unique mechanics, but nothing that's difficult or anything, and their caravan mechanic is really good. All of their LLs are good picks.

Personally I'd recommend Zhao Ming from Cathay on the Realms of Chaos map for a first campaign. Pretty straightforward start to get you going as you learn the game. He's a strong character to play as and a lot of fun too. The Realms of Chaos campaign is criticised a lot, but IMO it's a lot of fun and the narrative part of it is interesting to see. The main problem is once you've completed it you don't really want to do it again. But for your first campaign that isn't a problem yet.

The RoC campaign is actually great, specially to try out new factions, since the IE campaign has way too many factions in it often bogs you down a bit, and campaigns take so long you lose interest.
I do not want to play every faction for very long, only some can hold my interest past turn 100.

[fmalfeas]

The most standard mechanics + least ridiculous starting situation I'd say, unlike in 2, would be Imrik.

This is because while he does have the odd dragon mechanic, he's not on the donut where civil war is the way to go, while N'Kari rampages and Morathi and Noctilus are coming in fast. He's in an area full of enemies, but two of the biggest threats are VERY weak to ranged and fire. Which Imrik excels at far beyond being reasonable.

Imrik will absolutely massacre Ghorst and Kugath, the local minor ogres are no threat, Cathay is down for trade relations, and the chaos dwarfs are the real threat. A threat that High Elves are actually pretty decent at handling, even if Dark might do better at it.

[The Mole]

Random questions, I see many of you guys do recommend High Elf and Cathay as a Friendly Beginner factions if you are new to play TW: Warhammer 3 in Immortal Empire Campaign. But my question is this, would you guys think playing as any of the Greenskins factions, such as:
Grimgor's 'Ardboyz
Crooked Moon
The Bloody Handz
Broken Axe
Bonerattlez
, are a good Friendly Beginner faction that someone would be playing as? Or is their mechanics more harder to understand if you would choose to play as The High Elf/Cathay instead?

[fmalfeas]

Originally posted by The Mole:

Random questions, I see many of you guys do recommend High Elf and Cathay as a Friendly Beginner factions if you are new to play TW: Warhammer 3 in Immortal Empire Campaign. But my question is this, would you guys think playing as any of the Greenskins factions, such as:
Grimgor's 'Ardboyz
Crooked Moon
The Bloody Handz
Broken Axe
Bonerattlez
, are a good Friendly Beginner faction that someone would be playing as? Or is their mechanics more harder to understand if you would choose to play as The High Elf/Cathay instead?

Greenskins can't trade. Everyone hates them so you won't have friends.

[Torrens]

OGRES *BUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRP*

[The Mole]

Originally posted by fmalfeas:

Originally posted by The Mole:

Random questions, I see many of you guys do recommend High Elf and Cathay as a Friendly Beginner factions if you are new to play TW: Warhammer 3 in Immortal Empire Campaign. But my question is this, would you guys think playing as any of the Greenskins factions, such as:
Grimgor's 'Ardboyz
Crooked Moon
The Bloody Handz
Broken Axe
Bonerattlez
, are a good Friendly Beginner faction that someone would be playing as? Or is their mechanics more harder to understand if you would choose to play as The High Elf/Cathay instead?

Greenskins can't trade. Everyone hates them so you won't have friends.

Would that be a problem if it happens that I, as a example, do not really care much when it comes to trading. But do care a lot more when it comes to battles/fights?

[[MadTs] Phyrys]

Greenskins have a ♥♥♥♥♥♥ economy but their armies are straightforward. Gobbos try to murder things, orcs murder things, arrer boyz makes an effort to shoot then rush in melee to murder things, savage boyz savagely murder things and monsters monstrously murder things. You won't be confused by what to do, only by what's going on but for greenskins not being orderly is a given.

[franz]

High elfs .

[chronobomb]

Greenskins are great to start with. Your economy is all about fighting and building one building.

I would Recommend Grom or Grimgor as your starting faction. Their units are very cool but no matter what the game says, never melee with your ranged units.

The only downside is you really need to get comfortable fighting with 40 units to get the most out of the Waaagh mechanic. It's very easy to overwhelm your foes.

[Zeek]

Originally posted by MadTs Phyrys:

Greenskins have a ♥♥♥♥♥♥ economy

Absolutely incorrect.

Their economy buildings are of the most cost efficient and best in the game, and you can spam them everywhere.

Couple this with sacking and you should have 0 money problems from pretty much turn 1. It's actually pretty busted.

[Egro]

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ necromancers..