A detailed guide to the High Elves in Total War: Warhammer 2 – legendary lords, technologies, campaign features for Tyrion and Teclis, unique flying phoenix units
High elves love to be in the center of the action. In Total War: Warhammer 2, this quest was no exception, as it was they who created the Great Vortex, located in the center of the lands and at the heart of the story campaign. This Vortex is designed to drain the forces of evil and invade the army of Chaos.
On the one hand, it may seem that we are facing a “group of well-wishers” who want to resolve the issue peacefully. In fact, the High Elves want us to think so! They are true masters of intrigue and espionage. If you would like to see the real “Game of Thrones” in Total War , then choose the High Elves.
High Elves features
The High Elves (or Asuras) reside on the circular paradise island of Ulthuan, where they practice magic and gossip about who loves whom. At the center of this hideout is the less blissful Great Vortex that each faction is trying to capture, pursuing certain goals.
This is done through rituals (ceremonies) that advance the storyline of each of them. To do this, the High Elves need special “travel fragments”, which you will collect when completing missions and improving your settlements through the chain of main buildings (moving from an elven village to a city, etc.).
One of the best sources of resources for rituals is the unique places where settlements are formed, generating a large number of fragments each turn. They are denoted as such (glowing symbol of fragments). If you see such a settlement, be sure to conquer it.
The “trump card” of the High Elves is the influence you increase by choosing answers to questions in the pop-up dialog boxes. This influence is used to change the relationship between any two factions.
Due to this, you can save precious trade deals or, for example, set up two other factions against each other, while you collect an army in order to stab one of them in the back in the future. You can also spend influence on recruiting lords and heroes with special characteristics. For example, for 40 points of influence, I was able to get a mage who reduced local construction costs by 30%. I never even sent him into battle. What for? It is of great benefit in the capital too!
Another feature of the High Elves is espionage, which allows you to see what your trading partners are doing.
And here’s an example. By leveraging your influence to boost relations with the Bretons in the Southern Lands, you can cascade trade deals with them and explore half of the continent without leaving Ulthuan.
Also worth noting is the High Elven embassy building, which gives the faction a bonus to income from trade agreements. Make sure to produce every resource available and can actively trade them. Maintain the rating of a reliable partner at the highest level in order to have the highest chances of success in diplomacy.
Climate is one of the interesting new features in Total Warhammer 2 . Although the climate in the world is stable, each faction has its own preferences. Technically, you can settle in any region, but if you settle down where your people are uncomfortable, then you will incur penalties for the time of building and training troops, public order, population growth and income.
These fines become especially severe if you live in an uninhabitable area. Asuras, who like to be in frozen regions and islands with a temperate climate, do not use mountains, magic forests, jungles and will receive the largest penalties in the wastelands of Chaos, deserts and ordinary wastelands.
The unique position of the High Elves army is Lilith’s blessing, which, although it slows down movement on the campaign map, increases many other parameters, including the supply of Wind for using magic (by 15%). Therefore, if there is a mage or Teclis in your army, then this blessing must be used immediately before entering the battle.
High Elf Technology
The High Elven tech tree is divided into two branches – military and commercial. But these are a bit deceiving category names, as in the same trade development you will find several useful military technologies (such as the Great Weapon, which increases the weapon power of some elite infantry by 5%). However, for the most part, the success in trade is associated with the growth of the empire. The last level contains some useful gems such as “Empire of the Sea”, which provides visibility to coastal areas around the world. Or “Rapid Resettlement”, which reduces the cost of building buildings in reclaimed settlements by 15%.
Military technologies are divided into four phases, each of which can be unlocked after the construction of certain buildings. Early on in the game, it is wise to focus on technologies that complement each other and combine with the super abilities of certain units. Here you don’t have to fight with different armies, so you don’t need to worry too much about the diversity of your own (or getting stronger units). For example, in Tyrion’s campaign, Fire Phoenix and Eagle Claw will help you at these stages.
An example is indispensable! Take Wall of Spears and Marine Discipline. In addition to the effects that the technologies themselves provide, you will receive a 10% bonus to the strength of the Lothern Sea Guard, as well as five units to leadership and defense. While you don’t technically have better ranged archer units, the Marine Guard is one of the few ranged units that are also strong in melee. They are almost as good as your loyal archers, so we suggest getting access to them as early as possible, focusing on the technologies that will improve them. I am sure that you can win with sea guards even at the later stages of the game.
Legendary High Elven Lords
The High Elves offer you a choice between two leaders for two different campaigns – the Order of the Lore Keepers and Lothern. You will control one of the twin brothers, Tyrion or Teclis, who are descendants of the legendary Phoenix King and Chaos Slayer Aenarion. The pair have opposing views on how to defend the Great Vortex and the elven capital of Lothern against the Dark Elves.
Tyrion
Tyrion is a practical warrior who gains abilities related to fighting, agitating and managing an army, while Teclis is engaged in magic. He can learn dozens of spells, allowing you to use various combinations such as Amyntok’s Net and Kasandora’s Comet. Try it – it’s really destructive! He also gains a +10 increase in relations with High Elves and Humans.
Prince Tyrion’s campaign shows the defense of the High Elves’ homeland. This is one of the easiest campaigns in which you do not experience the difficulties of managing an empire in the early stages of the game, and the factions around you offer a huge number of opportunities for forming confederations. With that said, the various factions of the High Elves do not sit at the same common table, discussing their main opponent. Unfortunately, the race is fragmented into several parts, and if you do not manage them correctly, you may end up in a state of civil war altogether.
Teclis, despite being harassed by the curse of Aenarion, is an adventurer. He spreads the magic word throughout the empire and fights the evil that has enveloped the country. This is no easy task, so expect a rougher campaign than Tyrion’s. The campaign begins in the Turtle Isles, on the west coast of Lustria, and throws you into an almost instant conflict between the lizardmen and the Dark Elves. And here is one of the best tips for you – try to get to the Tlaxtlan settlement as soon as possible, where resources for rituals are being produced. This way, you can start obtaining precious fragments as soon as possible in order to continue chasing the Great Vortex.
High Elven Combat Tactics
The High Elves are a disciplined, flexible army with a good balance of infantry, cavalry, and some impressive air units.
Spearmen are the earliest units you will have access to. And this is a good place to start as these guys have some of the best defensive stats of any tier 1 unit. It is also worth unlocking long-range archers as soon as possible to get the classic composition of the army – spearmen in front, archers behind.
An excellent second-tier unit is the Hellyrian Rogues. These shock cavalry have the additional Forward Deployment bonus, which means that at the start of battles, you can place them anywhere on the field outside the enemy’s deployment zone. Hide them in the forest while the enemy is marching in the direction of the main army, and then, when the battle begins, attack the enemy from the flank or from the rear.
Even more serious units will appear later. The Dragon Princes are arguably the best shock cavalry in the game, while there is a very dangerous trinity of infantry units – Sword Masters, White Lions, and Guardians of the Phoenix. Swordsmen are devastating troops that are directed against enemy infantry, White Lions are mobile hunters with great protection against ranged attacks, Guardians of the Phoenix are powerful “tanks” capable of destroying large units, and one of the best infantry units in the entire game.
Phoenix High Elves
One of the most significant tactical advantages of the High Elves is the presence of flying units, which include the great eagles, dragons and phoenixes. You unlock the Fire Phoenix and Ice Phoenix at the same time, and with their help, you can create panic among the infantry and cavalry before they are completely demoralized by your melee troops. Unleash ice attacks with ice phoenixes to slow them down, then attack with a fiery phoenix while they are vulnerable.
Ice phoenix
The trade-off for all of this is that the High Elves only get one gun mount and have no ground monsters, so they cannot instill fear and confusion in enemy units. It is a discerning choice for those who believe that war should be fought in style and that troops should be equipped with luxurious outfits and winged helmets.
