Settra's Tips Of The Day™ for his (Im)mortal Empire

I've already done some Tips Of The Day™ (or short TOTD™) in obscure foreign lands and in antediluvian ancient times when the Tomb Kings still ruled over Nehekhara in flesh and blood. But now almighty Settra the Imperishable, Khemrikhara, Lord of the Earth, He Who Holds The Sceptre, High King of Nehekhara, Ruler of the Four Horizons, Monarch of the Sky, Mighty Lion of the Infinite Desert, The King of Kings, Great Hawk of the Heavens, Majestic Emperor of the Shifting Sands and Eternal Sovereign of Khemri's Legions beckons again and I will duly answer the call to share a modicum of his limitless wisdom like grains of sand in an infinite desert.

Introduction

This is my 4th Tips Of The Day™ guide for different games and after spending almost 400 hours with Warhammer 2 preferably commanding Settra and stomping everyone else with Khemrian Warsphinxes I feel secure enough that I might share some experiences giving more or less useful tips. That said these tips work for me and for Settra, in a normal vanilla Mortal Empires campaign (and probably Eye of the Vortex as well) and I wouldn't dare to presume they will help you, yet alone are compatible with your playstyle.
Settra agrees with me though, which makes your puny tentative opinion obsolete though.
But I wouldn't go so far as my favourite Necrotect saying: "I ignore the KRITIKS!" so you are welcome to enjoy and discuss my suggestions.
Nope, sorry, Settra just said it will have to do.




[Edit: And while Nehekhara has withstood the sands of time for more than one eternity this guide has been a testament to this greatness. Thanks for liking it, thanks for all the comments, I appreciate the validation, if only Settra would be not as furious and slightly less demanding...
Bwhahahaha, no, not really - Settra is more than perfect and far too peerless - above and beyond any reproach.

And while the everlasting agents of change tried to bring doom to this world, Khemri stood firm and this guide prevailed too. It is now June 2020 and after more than a thousand hours spend with Total Warhammer II it is time to update this guide a bit. I'm still not claiming to be an expert on all things Khemri, I still take my enjoyment playing on normal difficulties and I occasionally lose battles, cheese and savescum to get the results worthy of Settra. But playing as Khemri (Settra) is still most fun for me.
So watch out for [Edit] sections with the Pyramid symbol which I updated]

This is not over. This guide shall be Eternal, as is Settra's Reign. As I, almighty Settra commands. The whimsical will of the End Times which are upon us and their obscene and libellous chroniclers who wrote me out of history are nothing but dust in the endless storm of Nehekharan deserts. There can be neither rest nor respite until these written words fill out every crevice, every nook and every cranny, like coarse, rough and irritating sand that gets everywhere! Bwhahahahahahahah

Okay then, as of April 2021 I still have some ideas what to add to this guide, I started writing one about Drycha (and while as of today the campaign is nigh unplayable at the moment) I would appreciate if you would check it out and give it (or her) some love if you enjoy my content.
Here is a link: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2365921510 But I still have some ideas what to do next with this guide. Nehekara never sleeps.

Chapter I - Not Enough Gold

Settra's Faction does suffer from several bottlenecks that will slow down his progress, be prepared to avoid losing momentum and displease Settra with you incompetence!

Not enough Gold

This is a problem early on even though Tomb Kings' armies don't cost upkeep. That is really nice. Yet they don't produce much gold in settlement. That's not so nice.
Buildings are ludicrously expensive and gold rewards seemed to be reduced.
That's actually horrible. But there are options though:

• Build a Charnel Plaza in every region. It generates 50 gold and costs 400, giving you a return of investment after 10 turns (including construction time) and as bonus has a 240 gold refund should you want to demolish it later.[edit: While a focus on growth might be considered preferable this is about gold and for that you construct plazas]
  
  
• Sack cities, then conquer them next turn. Gives you more XP, more money and more canopic jars. Almost feels like an exploit, but rest assured Settra gave this a slight almost non condescending nod.
  [edit: There are bigger exploits awaiting you, Settra demands and thus it came to be]
  
  
  
• Research the Wisdom of the Third Dynasty that reduces costs and increases income from settlements.
  
  
• Go fishing, take your boat and sail to those interesting sights. Seriously I never had a bad experience with an "encounter at sea" event, and if you find an admiral's cache or something you might get way more than acquired otherwise.
  [edit: Nowadays the sea is polluted with Vampire rabble, that happens if the races drop their garbage in there all the time, so even if defeat is impossible for Settra you can retreat and sometimes still get the rewards in the aftermath]
  
  
• Focus on saving money and time with a specialist building squad:
  Recruit Thutep (of the Third Dynasty), try to have him watch the constructions so he becomes an architect and fill his ranks with levelled Necrotects and their Master Builder skill. That will shorten the building time and making buildings basically free of charge.
  Don't worry he can hold his own in a fight too, 7 or 8 Immortal Level 20 Necrotects pack quite the punch. Once the Empire is built up, Thutep is at the front lines building up newly "liberated" cities in a blink of an eye. Well, not really, but in a turn or two.
  Pro Tip: If you kill the stunty Grudgebearer with him you get an additionally -10% cost for all buildings oh and +10% to your research.
  The most useful thing ever coming from a Dawi Settra just added.
  Archarchitect Thutep and his finest Necrotects. Building stuff for free, and finishing it next turn. Awesome construction overkill in my humble opinion or as Settra puts it: "This one will have to do."

Chapter II - Not Enough Armies

Settra does not surf, Settra rules! So don't get him a surfboard, get him more armies!
Chop, chop!

Not enough Armies

This one is a big issue. You can't simply recruit another Tomb King, you can't confederate to get new armies either and while possible, I prefer not to have allies around Khemri, as Settra wants the territory and their canopic jars for himself.
Sorry let me try this again:
[...] as Settra wants all the territory and all their canopic jars for himself. There we go, fixed it.

• (Though not that obvious until late game) the most important thing to keep in mind:
  Hoard Canopic Jars!
  (a whole section will be devoted to this later)
  Canopic Jars can be used to create a new dynasty. It seems quite expensive at first but once research has been completed and the book of Nagash has been found, it is pretty much your only way to get more armies.
  
  
• Find the 5th book of Nagash that holds the wisdom of an additional Army. Its location is random, so maybe it is closeby.
  
  
• Research the Forgotten Dynasties, keep in mind that every dynasty reduces research by 30%. If you have a stable peace time and don't need a new army for some time (Why would Settra do that, Settra asks?) You can research two dynasties up to the last turn before completing the research, thus effectively gaining almost 30% more research.
  
  
• If you have a two front war going, or your armies are too spread out to arrive in time maybe have a replaceable King that just slows them down. He does not need to win, he only needs to distract them until reinforcements arrive. Important Kings of the forgotten Dynasties respawn, units cost nothing but time to recruit.
  
  
• Expedition Army got the Book of Nagash and is far away behind enemy lines? Disband them and recruit a fresh batch in Khemri.

[Edit: On the left you can see one of the Liche Priests laughing at one of those High Elven Supremacist players. Being obviously wrong does not make Settra forgive such moronic insolence. That one here will probably be resurrected, bound to a carrion unit, eviscerated and it's soul captured by a Soul Casket then laughed at again by the Liche Priests for the next few eternities coming, just saying]

Chapter III - Not Enough Powerful Units

Khemrian Units are quite unique. Obviously they are undead, so they crumble instead of routing and they cost nothing, not even maintenance - but they aren't easily available. You just need more buildings to unlock more of the unit type you want. So even in mid to late game you will field cannon fodder, simply because it can be replaced over the end turn. Let's make sure even that kind of chaff is up to Settra's otherworldly demanding scrutiny.

Not enough powerful units

You will want to recruit gold echelon units. without much problem, even as Global Recruitment while burrowed deep in enemy territory.

Here is how:

• Your king needs two skills: Attend Me! and Renowned & Feared.
  
  
  
  Every King should be attended properly. And thus every Skeleton under his commands gets an extra rank when being summoned to serve.
  
  
  
  While ultimate renown and infamy is reserved for Settra only, it might trickle down a bit to the forbearing kings before him as well. Once established only the most pristine Skeletons are chosen to serve.
  
  
  
• You king needs two (or three) level 10 wise Lichepriest with the Incantation of Preservation skills.
  
  
  
  What is a king without a retinue? Some wise retainers skilled in incantations and embalming rites are a fine addition if one wants to raise an sublime cadre of elite warriors barely worthy of Settra.
  The Wise trait is my personal favourite, even though Settra can't seem to notice a difference, everyone seems to be inadequate.
  
  [edit: While magic in the right hands is a game changer, it is -in my opinion- quite optional for the Tomb Kings. You can focus on knowledgeable heroes but then you need to be knowledgeable yourself, a good caster, with an acquired taste of magic and you definitely know what you are doing. You will displease Settra immensely by miscasting your spells, missing the mark completely or running out of magic at the most inopportune time, but then again you will always displease Settra - so good luck with your knowledgeable heroes.]
  
  [2nd Edit: There is a reason why the Grand Hierophant Khatep, wisest of all the Liche Priest, ancient beyond memory, arguably one of the most powerful Nehekeran spellcaster is EXILED. Yup, go figure!]
  
  
  The Liche Priests excel in many aspects, but my favourite one is the knowledge of incantion of preservations, which not only makes lords stronger but provides higher quality of units.
  
  
  
  Add a Proclamation of the 5th Dynasty for good measure (netting you another +1 XP level to all units) and you are getting +9 without the need to change anything else. Brutally efficient and easy to manage, no further commandments needed. Settra would be pleased if he didn't expect this kind of excellence from the start.
  
  
  
• So, in summary: you can Recruit maximum level troops with just a simple setup:
  One King, Two Liche Priest.
  
  Since Settra loathes everything that isn't of the highest echelons you can exchange your old beginner troops with elite ones, step by step.

Chapter IV - Not Enough Canopic Jars

Settra's knowledge is a like an ocean of sand, a vast dessert that streches endlessly among the dunes of Nehekhara. It can not be contained, especially not by the lacking and limited plattform of this guide. The character limit for such a single chapter is almost as low as Settra's patience...

[Edit: But as the immortal Nehekharan Kingdom itself, this guide prevailed, risen from the dead and reorganised for better readability. Almost bearable for Settra and immensely excessive for you.



Now, Canopic Jars are the most valuable resource for Khemri. You can craft powerful magic items, need it for the occasional dilemma popping up at the start of the turn but most importantly with enough of those delicious goodies you can field more armies. So what are you waiting for? Get as many of them as possible!]

Not enough Canopic Jars

• Harvest organs in canopic jars at every opportunity. Remember, the endless desserts of Nehekhara have a harvest season for enemy organs: Every turn is a harvest season!
  
  
• Attack single armies separately and repeatedly. Each victory means that 30 new canopic jars can be harvested. Don't exterminate an enemy if you could attack him next time for even more jars.

In antediluvian times Settra was asked what was best in life.
His reply was: "To crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear their lamentation while their viscera are put into canopic jars." This quote might have been wrongly quoted and falsely ascribed to some unworthy heathen now cowering in fear, always awaiting Settra's vengeance.
Settra does neither forget nor forgive. He doesn't even need an impracticable silly book of grudges for that.

• Lightning Strike is your most valuable tool for the harvest. Single out weak armies in enemy clusters and strike fast and true.
  [Edit: Some people prefer not to have Lighting Strike on Settra as he has so many worthy skills he doesn't have time to lighting strike the enemy. Settra doesn't care though and neither do I.]
  
  
• Focus the skill tree of your heroes that they steadily collect canopic jars each turn. Having wise heroes makes this even easier.
  Hire only those for a focus on canopic jars.
  [edit: Of course, of course, people say that you might want to consider other traits for heroes: Knowledgeable Lich Priest, Princes who are Chariot Masters or Sphinx-carving Necrotects but if Settra beckons even more canopic jars, Wise is the trait to go.]
  
• Pillage (enemy) provinces, oppress the populace and rile up the mob, each Rebellion is an army that can be harvested, a valuable resource like a fat calf, waiting to be slaughtered for Settra's lavish banquets.
  
  
• For other races there might be benefits fighting huge battles at once while trying to keep precious units alive while Khemri benefits from smaller, messier battles. Don't forget that armies cost nothing but time to replace. Winning two battles instead of just one big one means double the amount of canopic jars. In addition each round the enemies has still has an army he needs to pay upkeep.
  
  
• Now this tip is not for the faint of heart, but it is a real game changer. The factionwide effects of recruited lords remain even though they are not active on the map. If you recruit a Level 5 King and make him hoard canopic jars while afterwards replacing him with another lord he will continue to contribute his canopic jars per turn in utter reverence to Settra, as it should be. Why level five? Because you need one level for Route Marcher and 3 levels for Canopic Jars' hoarder to get the maximum benefit. But there is more, Settra's demand for greatness gives way for even greater feats of bravery.
  Mid to late game once the freshly recruited Kings hit level 10 you can improve Settra's heroic Princes on top of that. Hire a pious King worshipping Ptra the Great Father for two extra levels of each newly recruited Tomb Prince. Occasionally Settra wants a quicker recruitment process, he has waited long enough and his god-like impatience is half as infinite as his rightful ego. Thusly a King following Usirian granting +2 to local recruitment might help mitigate the recruitment times. Replace this King after the recruitment and let him provide Canopic Jars in supplication for all eternity.
  As one can clearly see here the Tomb Princes are the best what Khemri has to offer. Yet what infuriates Settra the most is that he only has a limited amount of his favourite sons resurrected at a time. So don't make them immortal until you know exactly what you are doing, you will be never able to replace them once they are. Just imagine the awkward family gatherings every Christmas I mean Mondstille. Especially since they have been around for several millennia, conversations get quite heated when cutting the traditional Nehekharan holiday roast. Settra's fiery demeanor melts away even the most embalmed fire resistant family member, and as the ferocious sandstorms of his vast kingdom Settra doesn't relent. As Settra always points out: "Only slaves worry about heat!"

Lastly, here you can see that in turn 123 there are quite some Canopic Jars produced by the dutiful reverence of minor kings. All hail almighty Settra the Imperishable, Khemrikhara, Lord of the Earth, He Who Holds The Sceptre, High King of Nehekhara, Ruler of the Four Horizons, Monarch of the Sky, Mighty Lion of the Infinite Desert, The King of Kings, Great Hawk of the Heavens, Majestic Emperor of the Shifting Sands and Eternal Sovereign of Khemri's Legions.

Chapter V - Not Enough Research

Every researched dynasty reduces the research rate by 30% but each dynasty allows you to field a new army and potentially valuable kings and heroes with it.

Not enough research

This is a tough one, but there some ways to improve your research.

• Expand! From the claustrophobic crypt to the towering necropolis every province capital improves the research rate. The level is the percentage added. 'nuff said.
  
  
  
• Kill! Seek out and destroy the legendary Lords which give your kings research traits!
  Both Ikit Claw and Thorgrim Grudgebearer comes to mind. You can murder them repeatedly with different kings to get the most out of this. Remember that this is a factionwide bonus that should persist if the King is replaced. The whole endeavour does take some strategy and effort but I told you this might be tough. On the plus side there is one of Nagash's books hidden in Skavenblight so you might as well stop by there and take it as well if you are going against Ikit Claw anyway.
  On top of that: Dealing with Karaz-A-Karak early, before he starts confederating all other "shorties" and becoming part of the infamous "Ordertide" might be helpful.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Stop Researching! Somewhat counter-intuitive and definitely not something I would do normally but if you want to research faster you could stop a turn before completing the research on one dynasty and switch to the next one instead. While you lose the ability to recruit a new army (which is the main reason I advise against this) you could technically have researched all six dynasties in less than 90 Turns. Settra is too impatient for that though.
  
  
  
• Build Monuments! The occasional pyramid or special monument offers a bonus to the research rate. These are rare and far away from Khemri, Settra had to travel to Lustria to build this one here and by that time research was no longer an issue. Then again, most monuments should be built immediately anyway, as they are after all a symbolic landmark presenting the greatness and divinely exalted exuberance of Settra the Imperishable, Khemrikhara, Lord of the Earth, He Who Holds The Sceptre, High King of Nehekhara, Ruler of the Four Horizons, Monarch of the Sky, Mighty Lion of the Infinite Desert, The King of Kings, Great Hawk of the Heavens, Majestic Emperor of the Shifting Sands and Eternal Sovereign of Khemri's Legions.

Afterword

That's basically it. If you have read this guide so far allow me to thank you. You have already proven to have more endurance than impatient Settra himself. Supposedly 90% of free content is never fully viewed and people get distracted before finishing it. It's great that you are different. Let me know what you think it's missing, or what you liked best. I might add a couple of few things or revise this again in the near future if I am able to do that. Maybe a FAQ for Khemri or a quick single line comment on each unit-type. Maybe I start to write a Restaurant Guide for Grom the Paunch. Depends on the feedback I get and the time I have at my disposal. Favourite, Like and Share and bladiblablahblablablablabla...

[WorldsApart]

Fantastic guide. Tomb Kings are super fun.

[Hexidecimark]

sack + occupy no longer works for jars

[Pimpin Pippin]

Thanks for the great and fun guide.
Would be lovely if you could give advice on the less popular TKing units such as Sepulcher Stalkers, Bone Giants, Hierotitan, Carrion, both types of Necropolis Knights and Screaming Skull Catapults (when to get them, how best to use them etc).

Also some advice about each of the unique spells of the Lore of Nehekhara would be great.
And perhaps some advice about High Queen Khalida, she has a notoriously difficult start and is overall possibly the weakest TK legendary lord.

[The Konrad]

Aye, that normally works for faction-wide bonuses. Retired lords still contribute in their absence.

[kinngrimm]

Some awsome tipps in there, i think also viable mostly for the other Legendary TK Lords.

One thing i did not quite get:
"The factionwide effects of recruited lords remain even though they are not active on the map ... while afterwards replacing him with another lord"
You recruit one, level him, then kick him and still get the bonuses may it be canopic yars or ranks?

[zorgSVK]

Really helpfull, Thanks for your time to do this.

[Agemouk]

Great guide to point newer Tomb Kings players towards, many thanks for taking the time to write it.

[silence_9]

Really great.. thx for taking your time to make it 👍

[Viondar]

This guide is awesome in every way. I would love to hear one for Imrik, as he has real troubles starting up. Although Khatep and Arkhan would be useful, too.
Actually... Any lord :D

[Swenny]

None of your sh*t is actually trademarked lol