Total War: Warhammer 3 guide – how to play Great Cathay.Definitive Faction Guide – Legendary Lords Miao Ying and Zhao Ming, Learning Technologies, and Best Faction Units.Cathay is an eastern faction surrounded by Chaos, Ogres, and Skaven. It has two legendary lords – Miao Ying and Zhao Ming. Both are magicians and are able to transform into a dragon and back into a human. Lords differ in bonuses. Miao Ying increases the ammo capacity of shooters and reduces their cost, while Zhao Ming increases the armor of melee fighters and reduces the upkeep of melee units.
Total War: Warhammer 3 guide – how to play Great Cathay
At the start of the Miao campaign, you need to learn the following technologies: “Combat Training”, “Harmonious Balance – Yang”, “Sturdy Bamboo”, “Harmonious Yin Discipline” and “Harmonious Yin Mastery”. Subsequent technologies depend on the style of play and the balance of Yin and Yang. For Miao herself, the first most important skills are “Blood of the Earth”, “Inspiring Presence”, “Experience of Hiking”, “Inspired Hiring”, “Wonderful Accuracy” and “Blossom of Life” in order of priority.
Zhao Ming needs to learn Camping Experience, Harmonious Balance Yang, Inspiring Presence, Master of Metal, and Encouraged Recruitment at the start of the campaign. The skill “Shan-Yang Lord” is worth learning only if you plan to use ogres. Keep in mind that the total content of ogre mercenaries for Zhao is reduced by 50%. Among the technologies, “Sturdy Bamboo”, “Combat Training”, “Harmonious Yin Discipline” and “Harmonious Yin Mastery” are the first to be studied. Subsequent technologies also depend on the style of play and the balance of Yin and Yang.
Faction mechanics
Trade routes are fraught with many dangers.
Cathay has two unique mechanics. The first is the Wu-hsin compass with four directions. For Miao, it is best to choose “Sky Lake” or “Great Stronghold”, and for Zhao, in addition to “Sky Lake” and “Great Stronghold”, “Warpstone Desert” can be useful.
The second unique mechanic is the Path of the Ivory. The lords of Cathay can send caravans along it, receiving gold for selling goods. However, caravans can sometimes be attacked, so the merchants are protected by a small army. After the battle, she cannot restore losses, but only upon arrival in the capital.
Army
Cathay units have a harmony bonus. Melee units belong to Yang, while archers belong to Yin. When they are next to each other, everyone gets bonuses. For melee units, this is melee defense and increased discipline, and for ranged units, a bonus to reload and discipline.
At the start of the campaign, there will not be enough money, so it is better to make up an army of 6 detachments of peasant archers, 4 jade warriors, 4 spearmen and 4 peasant riders. Toward the middle of the game, it is worth having 6 units of crane shooters, jade warriors, spearmen and jade hussars in the army. Expensive halberdiers and crossbowmen are best hired by the time the economy is fully established. However, when playing as Miao Ying, it is better to switch to crossbowmen already by the 25-30th turn, because their upkeep is cheaper for this lord.
In addition, in the army it is better to have a pair of Wu-hsin Combat Compasses. At first glance, they look like a useless combat unit, but they give a large bonus to harmony and increase wind magic. The only monster of Cathay in the face of the Terracotta Guard does not make sense to keep more than one copy. Given the powerful crossbowmen, Katai will be able to deal with large enemy targets with ease. As for artillery, it should be taken as needed and taking into account the balance of harmony. She is best suited to Miao Ying, who has a bonus to the amount of ammo.
