Achilles has two unique mechanics, Fiery Achilles and Living Legend. The former causes unstable and sometimes violent mood swings that affect the entire faction, while the latter allows him to fight alongside the greatest heroes and challenge them.
Conditions for “Victory According to Homer”:
– Complete all 12 epic quests.
– Destroy the Trojan faction, kill Hector and Paris of Troy.
– Reach level 27.
Hot-tempered Achilles
During the Achilles campaign in Total War Saga: Troy, you will witness Achilles’ fickle, capricious and temperamental character. At first, he will have no pros or cons. In fact, the game will even indicate that he leads his armies wisely. Then, due to various events, epic quests or campaign stages, you will see serious mood swings that have a positive and negative effect on the entire faction.
Your actions or decisions made during the campaign will have a permanent effect until a particular mood reaches 100%. However, epic quests or events can cause an instant, 100% mood swing, the effect of which lasts for several turns.
Note : Sometimes you will be asked to give Achilles gifts to soothe and calm his emotions. This will return his mood to neutral.
All mood statuses:
– Proud (neutral). Default mood. Achilles can return to this status if you decide to give him a gift (spending some resources). No effects.
– Indignant. This status can be caused by low motivation of heroes, losing an assistant, spending time in the garrison, breaking diplomatic agreements, winning duels using the Living Legend mechanic, or refusing to duel. To maintain the status, you need to be in the garrison. Effects: +30% to all resource production across the faction, +10 to happiness (local province), -10 faction influence, -50 to diplomacy for all deals.
– Mourning. Achilles may get this mood due to the loss of units in his army, the destruction of a settlement, the killing of prisoners, the loss of favor of the gods, the injury or death of heroes and allies, or winning duels using the Living Legend mechanic. To maintain this status, Achilles’ army must have a priestess next to it. Effects: +20% favor from temples across the faction, +205 favor from priestess rituals across the faction, +200 experience points per turn for all units in Achilles’ army, and -7 happiness across the faction.
– Outraged. This status can be achieved by wars with neighboring factions, raids on regions, losing any battle with any army or garrison, agent actions against Achilles, falling into an ambush, winning duels through the Living Legend mechanic, and refusing duels. To maintain the status, you must fight opponents every turn. Effect: +40% melee attack for all units of Achilles’ army, +25% damage for all units of Achilles’ army, +100% loot after battle for the entire faction, +10% speed of replenishment of losses for the entire faction, +100% income from raids, looting, and pillaging for the entire faction, -30% resources, and -50 prosperity.
Living legend
Achilles is trying to prove to everyone that he is the greatest warrior the world has ever known. That is why he challenges other champions. This mechanic is similar to Lu Bu’s function from A World Betrayed, but there are some key differences. First, champions are often existing generals from other nearby factions. You can challenge them via the Living Legend panel. When a champion accepts the duel, Achilles must go on a journey that lasts 3 turns. During this time, another general will lead the army.
Also, when you click the challenge button for a duel, a champion may automatically lose the duel. This is probably due to a level mismatch. If someone refuses the duel, Achilles will have to defeat their army in battle. There will always be 3 champions in each list. Once you defeat them all, you will have a decrease in unit maintenance costs and an increase in influence for the entire faction for 10 turns. When the turns are over, you will be told that people have begun to doubt Achilles’ courage, and you will have to prove his strength again with three other champions.
Finally, after defeating three champions, you can get additional Myrmidon troops. You still need to pay for recruitment and maintenance, but the recruitment itself happens instantly, without the need to build any buildings.
Tips for completing the Achilles campaign
Achilles’ campaign is a tricky and difficult one, especially if you play him “as a regular hero”. That is, if you keep his mood at “Proud”, which provides neither advantages nor disadvantages. Instead, you need to be more aggressive. To start, offer several alliances and barter deals to Greek lords and other neighbors (e.g. Agamemnon, Odysseus, Menelaus, Ajax the Great or Small, Diomedes). Try to avoid defensive and military alliances at first. In addition to the Ellopians, other Greeks (Abantes, Thessaly, Magnetes, and Minesians) are likely to attack you in the first 15 turns. You can offer a non-aggression pact to Thessaly and Minesians. Chances are good that they will agree to it.
If you are surrounded on all sides, go into Resentment. Achilles’ Resentment state will give him incredibly effective buffs that will help him in his offense. You can use this early on against the Ellopians (just make sure to end each turn with a fight). One of the champions will even refuse to challenge Achilles to a duel, which will gradually lead to Resentment.
Later, you’ll encounter several epic missions that will instantly incur Achilles’ wrath. For example:
– Predetermined fate.
– News of the war.
If you are ever asked to appease Achilles’ wrath or let his wrath consume him, then aim for the “dark side” choice, as the bonuses are worth it.
Note : While Achilles is angry, you will receive fewer resources, and your population prosperity will suffer (population growth will take negative values). You can occasionally plunder enemy settlements to compensate for losses. Also, don’t forget about bartering options.
In a real battle, Achilles is strong, but he is not invulnerable. You can rush straight to the enemy general or other melee troops. Ranged units often will not waste their time on a lone Achilles, which means you can hit targets unhindered. A tasty morsel of this tactic is the siege of cities. Achilles can destroy gates, standing under defensive towers in blind spots. He can do this literally alone.
Then go along the walls and kill the soldiers located on them. They will bunch up, and the ranged units will still ignore you. Later, move the rest of your troops there. As soon as you reach level 6, take the skill “Divine Trial” (a little later – the skill “Armor”). It will force the enemy general to accept a challenge to a pseudo-duel, in which he has no chance of defeating Achilles. And while this is happening (the duel), other AI opponents will not even try to attack you.
As for other perks, choose those that will increase damage, defense and armor in close combat, give health regeneration. Also take the chariot for close combat and the upgrade of the reinforced chariot.
Achilles’ Epic Quests
Be aware of Achilles’ mood swings, which are caused by various epic quests. These quests will either help you along the way or completely ruin your aspirations due to the additional effects that each decision entails.
All Achilles Epic Quests:
– Grim news. Move Achilles to Iolkos. It is one of the regions north of your starting position. It is controlled by the Magnetes tribe.
– Predetermined fate. Make a decision. If you reject the prophecy, you will receive indignation. From accepting fate, you will be given indignation, and if you begin to mourn, then grief will be activated for you.
– News of war. Make a decision. Provide resources – indignation, reject the request – indignation, ignore the demand – a penalty to relations with the Greeks.
– Meeting of the wolves. You need to have a total of 10 units of any of these types: Aeginian Runners and so on (read the description in the game). The cheapest way to hire Aeginian Runners is because they do not require bronze to maintain. They are recruited through the military camp (yellow building). First, you need to upgrade the settlement to level 3. After completing this mission, you will be able to use Patroclus.
– The Fall of Skyros. Move Achilles to Skyros. It is an island located east of the starting position.
– Test of Dryops. Make a decision. Execute Dryops – experience points and war with Lycomedes faction, spare – alliance with Lycomedes faction.
– Troy Unconquered. Win 3 battles against any Pelasgian faction. These include Trojan factions, Dardania, Mithymna, Ephria, Agriophoni, Tereia, Pelasgians, etc.
– To victory. Destroy or sack two different settlements belonging to any Pelasg faction. Hopefully you haven’t captured all the weakest Pelasg settlements yet. Do that now.
– March on Troy. Move Achilles to Troy.
– Council of Kings. Decision. Reject the demand – some combat debuffs and serious penalties to diplomacy with the Greeks, refuse Briseis – indignation (but all the Greeks are happy).
– Patroclus’ plea. Solution. Deny Patroclus’ request – diplomatic penalty with the Greeks, cool armor created by Hephaestus. Lend his armor – the Greeks are happy, Achilles gets new armor, and Patroclus dies.