Choosing the right difficulty to play on can be difficult. There are 9 difficulty options in total. Five are for the campaign, and four are for 3D battles. The game sure isn't easy when it comes to harder difficulties, and it can be quite challenging even for veteran fans of the Total War series. 

The difficulties in this game affect the AI, the economy, starting funds, public order, line of sight, morale, and melee attack damage. That's quite a list of what difficulties do, so in this article, I'll be going over all the difficulties and explaining what each one does in detail so you can choose for yourself. So, in no particular order, let's get into it.

1. Easy Difficulty - Campaign

A walk in the park.

This one is amazing for getting achievements and steamrolling through the enemy on the campaign map. Your faction will gain increased control and upkeep, and the enemy armies will attack you even if they are at a disadvantage. 

Your starting funds will be 7,000, your base income will be 6,000, you'll have a +1 to public order, and your campaign line of sight will be 120%. You get a lot of bonuses and can easily dominate on the map without any issues. 

How It Works:

• You have increased public order.
• The enemy AI will charge at you even if it loses.
• You have increased funds.
• Your base income is increased.
• Your line of sight is increased.

Choose This Difficulty If:

• You want to get achievements.
• You want to steamroll through the campaign map.
• You don't want to bother with public order and politics on the campaign map.
• You want to have a complete advantage over the AI.

2. Medium Difficulty - Campaign

It’s an even playing field.

Now, at medium difficulty, nobody is at a disadvantage. It is a fair playing field between you and the AI, and nobody has it harder or easier. In my opinion, it is the best difficulty for beginner players to choose. 

You get 6,000 starting funds, and your base income is 5,000. The public order starts at 0, and your campaign line of sight is 100%. The AI doesn't get any bonuses or anything of those sorts; it is a fair playing field.

How It Works:

• Nobody has an advantage; it's a fair game between you and the AI.
• Your public order is at a 0.
• The campaign line of sight is 100%.
• Your funds are 6000.
• Your income is 5000.

Choose This Difficulty If:

• You want the AI and yourself to be on a fair playing field.
• You have played strategy games before.
• You want to have a bit of a challenge while playing.

3. Hard Difficulty - Campaign

This is still manageable.

Now, hard is unfair to you. The AI gets bonuses like a higher chance to steal an item, the occupation resistance is 50%, and they are smarter while playing. Additionally, their upkeep and recruitment costs are reduced, so they will have armies much bigger and stronger than yours. On the other hand, your campaign line of sight is only at 70%, so it will be harder to see. 

Your starting funds are only 5,000, and your base income is a measly 2,500 gold. Recruiting and upkeeping your armies will be much harder in the beginning. The public order starts at -2 and there is a high chance your people will start to rebel. This difficulty is not easy, but it is manageable. You just have to focus and try hard. Politics is a key thing while playing on this difficulty.

How It Works:

• Your public order is -2.
• The AI has a slight advantage.
• The AI is smarter at making choices.
• Your funds are 5,000.
• Your base income is 2,500.

Choose This Difficulty If:

• You are experienced at strategy games.
• You can manage politics easily.
• You can be aggressive in the early game to get a head start.
• You can manage your public order so that people don't rebel.

4. Very Hard Difficulty - Campaign

At this point, it has to be cheating right?

Oh boy, this difficulty is just a pain to play with. The enemy AI will have a huge advantage over you. They pay significantly less for recruitment and upkeep. Their hero and lord replenishment is 14% higher than yours. Also, the chance of stealing an item is 20% for them and -5% for you, so don't even try it at the beginning. 

Their global recruitment cap is +5, and their local recruitment cap is +3. Bearing the AI will take some huge skills. Now, the starting funds and base income are the same as in hard, but your public order starts at -4. Furthermore, your campaign line of sight is only 40% so you can easily get ambushed by the enemy AI. 

How It Works:

• The public order is -4.
• Campaign line of sight is 40%.
• The AI is much smarter.
• The AI has a higher chance of stealing items.
• The AI has an increased local and global recruitment cap.
• The AI has a higher replenishment rate.

Choose This Difficulty If:

• You know what you are doing.
• You don't mind the enemy being stronger than you.
• You don't mind playing it slowly and patiently.

5. Legendary Difficulty - Campaign

Okay, it has to be cheating now, there is no other way.

Who would love to play this? As usual, the enemy pays even less for recruitment and upkeep costs. They are smarter when it comes to attacking and defending the cities. They will ambush you more often. The lord and hero replenishment rate is 16% higher. The chance of stealing an item is 30%, while for you it is -10%. Their occupation resistance is also 70% so good luck occupying settlements. 

They also have increased global and local recruitment caps. When it comes to the player, the starting funds and base income are the same as in the previous two difficulties. Also, your public order is at -8, and your campaign line of sight is 0%. Seriously, playing this difficulty will be hell, and the best way to beat it is to be a master at strategy games and politics. Additionally, there is no manual saving or even issuing orders while the game is paused.

How It Works:

• Your public order is a -8.
• Rebellions will be a huge issue.
• Your campaign line of sight is 0%.
• The AI lord and hero replenishment rate is 16%.
• The AI chance of stealing items is 30%.
• The AI occupation resistance is 70%
• AI is the smartest at this difficulty.
• No manual saving.
• You can't give out orders while the game is paused.

Choose This Difficulty If:

• You have picked a strong faction that has good political and economic relations.
• You have picked a faction with a good and easy start.
• You can manage your gold and have enough for a strong army.

6. Easy Difficulty - Battle

The AI is just charging at me…

Alongside the campaign difficulty, there is also battle difficulty. Now, this only applies once you enter a 3D battle. When playing on easy, you don't have to do a lot and can just send your units to the enemy randomly, and you'll win. 

You don't have to do a lot of thinking. Alongside that, the enemy will have reduced leadership, their morale will be at a -4, and they will deal less damage. And the player will have increased morale by 4.

How It Works:

• The AI will have their morale lowered for the army.
• Your morale will be increased.
• The AI will deal reduced damage.
• You don't have to micromanage units to win.

Choose This Difficulty If:

• This is your first time playing a strategy game or a Total War game.
• You're not experienced at micromanaging units.
• You're not sure how to do formations and know which units counter which units.

7. Medium Difficulty - Battle

Now this is war!

Same as the medium difficulty for the campaign, this one as well doesn't give any advantages for the player or the AI. It is the fairest difficulty, and you can still steamroll through the enemy if you're good enough, but they will give you a bit of trouble and some challenge. Now, your morale and the enemy's morale will be at a 0 and the enemy won't deal reduced damage.

How It Works:

• Nobody has an advantage.
• The morale of your army and the enemy is at 0.
• Nobody has increased damage for the armies.

Choose This Difficulty If:

• You're experienced in 3D battles.
• You want a bit of a challenge while playing.
• You know how to do formations.

8. Hard Difficulty - Battle

Good luck defeating the enemy on hard.

Now this is where your strategic skills will be tested to the max, as the AI is playing to win. Even if the AI loses 99% of its army it will still try to win no matter the cost. 

The AI also gains +2 to increase the morale of their army, while you lose -4 morale. You will need to know how to counter enemy units, and formations, set up ambushes, and so on. The enemy army will also deal increased damage.

How It Works:

• The AI strives to win no matter what.
• Their morale has increased by 2.
• Your morale is lowered by 4.
• The enemy deals increased damage.

Choose This Difficulty If:

• You are experienced at strategy games.
• You know how to counter the enemy units.
• You know how to form formations with your armies.

9. Very Hard Difficulty - Battle

There is no way they can win this right?

Welp, good luck trying to beat the enemy while playing this difficulty. Trying to auto-resolve it won't help you out. In this difficulty, the enemy AI won't only try to win but it will try to destroy you. It will not spare you at all. You do need to know everything about the game and be a master at it to win. 

The enemy has a +4 to their morale, while you have a -8. Keeping your units alive will seem like an impossible task. To play on this difficulty you must know how to counter the enemy, set up ambushes and traps for the enemy to walk into, and most importantly you need to know how to micromanage your units no matter what faction you're playing if you want to win.

How It Works:

• The enemy is dedicated to destroying your whole faction.
• It has increased morale by 4.
• Your morale is lowered by 8.
• The AI has its damage increased even more.
• It is smarter and it wont mindlessly charge at you.

Choose This Difficulty If:

• You know how to micromanage every single unit.
• You can set up ambushes and traps.
• You know how to counter the enemy army.
• You know how to use the terrain and winds of magic to your advantage.

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