The Trouble With Tomb Kings

[Secondhand Samurai]

Tried a few tactics I found on the forums and STILL can't get anywhere as TK. I would play as a different (and IMO easier) faction but it's too easy to fall behind in the rituals and lose.

I tried investing in leadership from my Lords/Heroes and that's fine for early to early-mid game. But by late-mid to late game the AI starts cheating (because it's been on the ropes since turn 1 XD) and my armies effectiveness starts to grind down. ( 1/4 power ballance bar against an army of 650 when mine is twice that number).

Also tried advanced army comps (chariots and cav with archers and skelies for "tar pitting" enemies).

TLDR: Nothing I try works. I havent played since Rome II/Shogun 2 and needless to say none of those army tactics work either. I know the AI cheats, I've seen it. What I don't know is how to counter a cheater while playing legit.

[SuperAmadeus]

... whats your army comp? seems like you are just left behind on the base building.. do you have tomb guards, scorpions, snake cavalry, anubis squad and the huge lazor eyez statues? the archers and the cav are waaaay too weak to be the main bulk of our army.

[Jerroser]

With the Tomb Kings it helps to move up to the contruct units as fast a possible, since the regualar skeleton units get outmatched pretty fast. Generally I try to go for Ushabti first since they are easiest to get hold of, having at least two, sometimes even four in my armies. Then to slowly phase out all of the weaker units in my main armies altogether.

If your playing as Kemri one of the main things that really helps is to forget about trying to be friends with most of the minor TK factions around you hand conquer them quickly.

[Panfilo]

Early game Tomb Kings have two challenges:

1.) Your units are Undead, so they'll crumble instead of rout. On one hand, this seems like an advantage; they're immune to fear/terror and never run away. But more often than not it is a hassle because it puts the burden on the player to micromanage units that are getting in trouble. There's also plenty of abilities now that can decrease leadership outside of fear/terror as well.

2.) Basic skeletons have a pathetic 30 leadership. While they are free and unlimited, you'll lose them as fast, if not faster, than you gain them if you play poorly. Low leadership undead is bad news for a faction with limited healing. The faster your ranks start to collapse, the faster every skeleton starts to fall apart.

How you play them depends a lot on what Lord you start as. My two favorites are Khatep and Khalida.

As Khatep, you have the potential to pump up skeleton units to respectable levels. They'll never be an endgame unit but his advantages, along with getting a lot more Liches, can keep them relevant longer.

Khalida is the archer specialist. Skeleton archers are super cost-effective for what they do, and Khalida's bonuses just push this further. Poison ranged units with plentiful ammo early on has a ton of utility and poison is an excellent force multiplier vs tougher opponents.

Overall though you really want to get a second army ASAP and perhaps also focus on trying to improve ambush chances in friendly territory with the hopes you chump an army going after one of your vulnerable settlements. Remember that since your units don't cost money all your income is funneled toward buildings and research, so make good decisions early on.

[Secondhand Samurai]

Originally posted by SuperAmadeus:

whats your army comp?

Mainly archers, spears and swords. With the unit caps as low as they are I don't really know what units to use. Or how many to get.

[ShoopDaBoofs]

The main problem is you have to focus on growth to get anywhere near the construct units, otherwise Khemri is going to roll you HARD, Since Settra is an irritating little ♥♥♥♥♥.

[Smash]

If you're in the end game and you're using skeletons, something has gone badly wrong. Spear and sword skeletons are the worst type of troop available - hence why you can get an unlimited amount for free. The game as Khemri is to get money to build buildings which grant you better troops. While you will still want infantry to tie up enemy troops, by the mid game you should be looking to replace them with Tomb Guards

Practically all of the limited slot troops are good in some regard, although Nekehara warriors and cavalry are situational and you may want to avoid.

You should include income related buildings in your provinces, make sure to complete quests and if you come across a decently built up city consider sacking it and then occupying on the next turn rather than just occupying it once you've won the battle. Sea treasure can also be good for several thousand gold if you don't have to go too far out the way. With that money you can then build up your unit recruiting buildings and field ebtter armies that aren't composed almost entirely of two of the worst units in the game - which seems to be the main problem

Also you mention using archer chariots, so make sure you're using them properly as chariots are one of TKs big early to mid-game advantages. With any type of chariot you should be riding them directly into your enemies, preferably from behind while said enemies are busy fighting your infantry. Once you've knocked everyone over, you disengage and then repeat.

Chariot charges are very effective is used in this manner and it's how you should be using archer chariots too - pretty much exactly the same as normal chariots but with the bonus that they can get off a few shots while they're doing this. Don't think that because they're archers they should sit back and shoot, using them solely as archers and skirmishers is a complete waste of their troop slot.

[Meow | Boeschner]

You say you have trouble with the rituals. You can just ignore them, once an enemy faction finished all it's rituals, you will fight it in a (very easy) final battle. If you defeat them, that faction cannot participate in the race for the vortex anymore. If you find playing TK no fun, try this instead. :)

[HellsHarlequin]

I recommend researching whichever tree gets you king Lammizzash or whatever his name is. Stack his army with a few ushabti (he gets amazing bonus) and have him piggyback your main force. The key to winning TK campaigns with me seems to have been just rolling with 2 Army groups whenever possible. Best of luck!

[Drakenson]

In the beginning, just spam Skeleton Spearmen and Archers, grab the whole province you start in, and play defensively until you can get Ushabti and Scorpions, as well as a 2nd army, (preferably an army from the tech tree). Ushabti and Scropions are fantastic anti-infantry units, and are very effective in a line of Spearmen fodder.

Don't forget to collect Canopic Jars, and many TK Legendary Lords start with some good DPS units, (Settra gets a Warsphinx, Khalida gets Necroserpents, etc.), so keep those units alive and well.

When the option comes to pick a free hero in the beginning, make sure to get a Liche Priest since they make the most impact in your battles as long as you don't autoresolve. As a bonus, make sure that Priest is either Lore of Death or Lore of Nehekhara.

Eventually, you should faze out many of your Spearmen in favor of a couple Tomb Guard and the rest being constructs and/or chariots if you want to roll that way.

[TaurusBully]

Don’t rely only on skeletons and archers, chariots is where early game is at.

A few rear charges with them while the enemy is engaged vs your sklies makes all the difference.

[Ruinae Retroque Rursus]

Originally posted by Smash:

If you're in the end game and you're using skeletons, something has gone badly wrong.

This.

Brettonian peasants probably beat skeletons.

[Prexxus]

Seriously? I found TK to be probably one of the easiest campaigns I've played to date. I actually got bored it was so damn easy I almost never had to fight any battle on map.

The constructs are insanely overpowered especially the Sphinx and if you are playing as Settra well I think it goes without saying this game is just dumb.

[reprodukTOOOOOOOOOOOR]

you get op, when you get your first ushabti building, dont worry, just survive until then...

[LaughingMan]

Tomb king is both the easiest and hardest race to play, no really let me explain

So early game to early mid they are rubbish like bad rubbish you have 1 army till you unlock a 2nd one, your income sucks, every one around you hates you and your starting units sucks ass

I would recommend playing settra or arkhan first as they have the easiest/best starts

With settra you want to just turtle khemri get your army to max and just defend against the onslaught from the top knots, this will give you great XP and money which you need to upgrade your building etc also when ever you get the option to take a prince, necrotect, wizard or money

ALWAYS TAKE THE NECROTECT

if the game gives you a ♥♥♥♥♥♥ one just stick him in your army and disband him, your looking out for necrotects that gives you + amount of constructs for later in the game also they gives you bonus income from the region they are in

Settra starts with a nice warsphinx and a gold mine so income is nice for him plus with the Top knots post battle income you can advance at a better pace eventually when you have a 2nd army ( i go for the 4th dynasty the lord gives you +2/3 extra ushabti which is awesome!) use your 2nd army to defend and level up while you take settra and attack west killing the silly brittonians and eventually arkhan

Arkhan is more or less the same except instead of top knots you have brittonians to fight straight away which is easy, you have a tomb scorpian, access to ghouls and fell bats, good magic but you dont start with a gold mine but with him you just want to head north and kill everything just leave the dwarfs to your right alone for now