Which DLCs are actually a must?

[fox]

As per title. I'm planning to get Rome 2, but the amount of DLCs is mind-boggling. Which ones should I get in order to get a "complete product"?

[Welsh Dragon]

Short answer: There are no essential DLC for Rome 2. All the DLC factions and units get patched into everybody's games for the AI to use in the campaign, so you need only buy a DLC if you actually want to play as those factions, play those specific campaigns, or use those units in your army. e.g. You'll still get to fight against Spartans, Nomads, Black Seas Colonies etc in the Grand Campaign. even if you never buy a DLC.

Longer answer: Haven't updated this for Desert Kingdoms yet, but you may find it useful.

Rome II DLCs: A Quick Guide

I have all the DLCs (except Blood & Gore, as it doesn't interest me.) Really they depend on what you're after. I personally feel that they are all value for money based on the enjoyment I've got out of them, and when they're on sale even better.

As for the DLCs I'll split them into categories:

Culture Packs:

These each add 3 new factions that you can play. Different people will rate them differently. They each have different starting positions in campaign, unique traits and units, some have their own culture. Some also offer different playstyles (Nomadic Tribes are basically all Cavalry, Black Seas have hybrid rosters so a mix of units, Pirates & Raiders can hire mercenaries a lot cheaper, but their upkeep is also increased, and Greek States use Hoplites a lot.)

EDIT: Desert Kingdoms adds 4 new factions.

Campaign Packs:

These cost a little more, generally you get 3 new playable factions for Grand Campaign AND a campaign that can have it's own mechanics and challenges. The Campaigns are each fought on new maps, which provide a much more detailed environment and allows for all sorts of options you can't do in the main campaign. They can be played in single-player or two player multiplayer (either coop or head to head.)

CAESAR IN GAUL and HANNIBAL AT THE GATES both have focused campaigns in a shorter time span (so each turn is only a few weeks, rather than a year as is the case with Rome II.)

Each offer 3 new factions for the main game, some of which also feature in the DLC campaign, including two of my personal favourites Nervii (in Caesar, Belgian warriors who like to ambush) and Lusitani (in Hannibal, a faction that's low on armour, but high on javelins and guerilla warfare.)

WRATH OF SPARTA is set much earlier than even Rome II's start, and is played out across a more detailed map of Greece. If you really like Hoplite warfare and Greek history then it's meant to be a lot of fun. But some people really don't like it, so it's really up to you. NOTE: This DLC doesn't add any factions to the Grand Campaign (the main Rome II campaign.)

EMPIRE DIVIDED is the latest campaign pack and is set over 500 years after the start date of the Grand Campaign. It covers the Crisis of the Third Century, a less well known but important event in Roman history. It's a little different to the other three, as it's played out on a full Grand Campaign size map, covering the same area as the Grand Campaign and Imperator Augustus. It also has 10 playable factions, many of which only appear in this campaign, as well as new rosters fitting the 3rd Century setting, a new themed UI, and new gameplay mechanics such as squalor, plagues and banditry, which haven't featured in Rome 2 before. So whilst it doesn't add anything to the Grand Campaign, in my view it does offer a lot of new content and replayability. Even the three Roman factions are quite different, with Rome, Gallic Rome and Palmyra each using different units and tactics to achieve victory in battle.

Unit Packs:

Add units funnily enough. Beasts of War adds animal based units, which can be fun and I believe Suebi players specifically like the Wolf Warriors I think it adds. Daughters of Mars adds female units to the battlefield for some factions, which can fill some niches in those factions (Lusitani Swordswomen are one of my favourite units.)

Conclusion:

The Steam store pages for the different DLCs give you a good overview of what's in each DLC, and if you want an idea of the history/feel of the factions (and a useful guide to which factions are in which DLC) try here: http://wiki.totalwar.com/w/Factions

But really it depends how much you want to invest in your new game. I personally don't feel any of them are essential for single-player (I don't play multi) but at the same time I don't regret buying any of them because of the added variety and hours of enjoyment I've got out of them.

Hope that helps. Any questions please feel free to ask and I will try to answer them.

All the Best,

Welsh Dragon.

[fox]

Thank you for your answer! I was mainly planning to play the grand campaign with some big mod (such as Divide et Impera), as I recently finished playing thru Roma Surrectum II for Rome 1. I guess the base game will do for now, thank you again!

[Welsh Dragon]

Originally posted by fox:

Thank you for your answer! I was mainly planning to play the grand campaign with some big mod (such as Divide et Impera), as I recently finished playing thru Roma Surrectum II for Rome 1. I guess the base game will do for now, thank you again!

Happy to help.

All the Best,

Welsh Dragon.

[Welsh Dragon]

One more thing. Mods can't make a faction playable if it's in a DLC (as that would be functionally piracy.) So if you want to play factions in a mod such as DEI that are also in a DLC, you need the DLC to play as those factions in the mod.

All the Best,

Welsh Dragon.

[SnusHead]

Wrath of Sparta
Blood and Gore


Maybe hellenic faction pack but thats just my taste

[Mouse]

Desert Kingdoms is really good imo. Each faction is unique and have detailed rosters. Its a culture pack done right.

[Jeruzalem]

I find the woman of mars add some nice content. Though the suebi seem to receive the most out of it, and i am playing them extensively for now. Fighting romes best with armies of women feels strangely satisfying. Even half of my generals are women.

[Nero]

Play the game. Then decide which factions interest you. If you want more buy the mini campaigns. The rest is meh.

Wrath of Sparta is the worst, well maybe Black Sea is worse, or the ones that add new units which you'll never see.