Against all odds: why the Empire is my favourite faction in the entire Total War series

As one of the best strategy war games out there, the Total War series is known for the variety and choices it offers. Different theatres of war across different eras for you to take part in, as well as various factions and unit types -- all to cater to the insatiate thirst for blood of the inner warmonger in you. For instance, Medieval Total War pits you against the power-hungry nations of the medieval times, with an array of theatres to get involved in, from the Crusades in the Middle East, to the bloody conflicts in the British Isles. Not into medieval history, but want to play shogun? Then there's Shogun Total War for you. Do you have a tough time commanding slow moving infantry? Well, play as the Mongols instead. Ride to war and watch as your ever-evasive horseback archers rain down arrows on the barbarians.

Every game brings something new and fresh to the table, but one thing remains the same: you're fighting human wars.

Then, came Total War Warhammer. No longer are you fighting exclusively against fellow men. Now, you're also pitted against foul humanoid beasts, zombie-summoning vampire lords, and creatures of the woods, to name a few. Mankind isn't the strongest faction anymore. They may have flying horses, wizards and sorcerers, but these are still nothing against the gigantic lizards that summon balls of fire from the sky. Tribal goatmen can travel underground and lay ambush on your cities when you least expect it. Giants and trolls pick up your helpless swordsmen and throw them a hundred feet away. Corrupted demons from hell break the spirits of your men before they even face each other on the battlefield.

And right in the middle of this chaotic war-torn realm is the Empire.

The Empire is meant to ease traditional Total War players into the crazy world of Warhammer Total War. Once they get comfortable with the new mechanics and setting of the fantasy-based of the game, most players start to try out other more interesting and specialized factions. In Warhammer Total War, the factions are radically different from each other, catering to many different playstyles and personal preferences. The Skavens come in great numbers, while the Chaos Warriors have relentless heavy infantry. The Lizardmen are monstrous, while the Dwarves are not only technologically advanced but also are tough as nails. Meanwhile, the Tomb Kings simply make you say, "Oh, hell no."

The Emperor's griffon and the demigryphs are the only fantasy units that the Empire has. Other than the griffons which are capable of flight, they are all basically just durable horses with beaks and claws.

The Empire has none of these clear advantages. Unlike their fellow men from the neighbouring Brittania, the Empire has no flying units. They have no dragons or ice giants that can scale city walls. They have no swarm units, like the Greenskins. They have decent cavalry choices, and even then, their best cavalry units come in small numbers. They do have decent artillery units, but nowhere as devastating as those of the Dwarves, who also have flying choppers, by the way. Their best war machine, the Steam tank, is clunky and looks like it's about to fall apart at any moment, until it does. Their wizards are fairly weak as compared to the Vampire Lords. They won't back down easily from a fight, but at the same time, they don't have crazy morale. 

Technically speaking, the Empire is meant to be the jack of all trades. They have all the basics that you need, but nothing that stands out. They're decent in everything, but a master of none. The Empire is like the restaurant with a huge menu: there's a lot to choose from, but they all come from the freezer. They're basically a traditional Total War faction that gets thrown into the fantasy realm of Warhammer.

Right in the middle of it, no less.

From the get-go, the Empire is surrounded by hostile factions, all looking to burn their cities down. It's most definitely not the worst starting position, but it is a difficult start, nonetheless. They have very little natural defenses, unlike the turtling Dwarves whose cities are guarded by impassable mountains and hills. Their capital Reikland is right there for the taking.

The Empire also lack unique campaign mechanics or quirky strategic gimmicks. Although you can assign your lords and generals to the Office according to their roles as you see fit, at the end of the day, it's pretty much a very basic mechanic that you can find in most of the previous non-fantasy Total War games, such as Total War Shogun 2. If you think about it, they're basically a traditional Total War faction that gets thrown into the midst of the chaotic world of the Warhammer fantasy.

Imagine carrying pikes and swords, going in to battle against these otherworldly monsters.

Yet they're my most favourite faction in the entire Total War series (sorry, House of Julii).

You see, that's their appeal. They represent the ordinary everyman in all of us who's fighting against odds and forces bigger than us. They're regular men fighting against zombies, vampire lords that summon said zombies, desert skeleton kings with terrifying giant scorpions, revengeful dwarves, demon warriors hell bent on total destruction, and against other regular men who ride flying horses and tanky mammoths.

They represent making do with what you have. They represent not being special in any unique way. And that's fucking badass.