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Thread: Rate the Single Player Campaigns from Least to Most Difficult

  1. #1

    Icon5 Rate the Single Player Campaigns from Least to Most Difficult

    I'm just curious what everyone thinks are the least to most difficult factions in the single player.

    I usually play on Normal/Normal for reference.

    Here's mine ...

    1) Orc

    The Orc campaign was such a straight steamroll for me. Once you start getting continuous, multiple Waaagh armies it just becomes very easy to beat any army the AI throws at you using shear numbers (maybe too easy?). Orc has an excellent, diversified lineup so you can adjust your armies depending on what you are fighting. I probably had 6+ armies going by the end of this campaign not even counting the Waaagh armies. So, yeah, to me Orc = easy mode.

    2) Beastmen

    I felt like the heroes in this faction when specialized into melee are so incredibly strong that they can destroy entire armies by themselves. In fact, I had several siege battles where basically only my heroes won the entire battle by fighting the entirety of the enemy army at the gate! The ambush mechanic is also pretty seriously overpowered for destroying enemy armies without taking many casualties. Then you have the Brayherd mechanic which generally allows you to outnumber the enemy and gives you a disposable army for cannon fodder (or beast fodder?).

    3) Dwarf

    Dwarf feels like a strong faction in single player due to the units having especially high armor. This means your front line can last a long time while you maneuver your ranged units in for flanking attacks, which the AI is not very smart about preventing. Dwarf artillery is also excellent and plentiful. The lack of fast units for chasing down fleeing units means they are somewhat more difficult than other factions, though a few gyrocopters can help in this regard.

    4) Chaos

    It seems with Chaos you just need to wait around long enough for the Empire to get destroyed by Beastmen and the northern tribes, but this faction I definitely found to be a step up in difficulty. The attrition mechanic when you are within range of another Chaos army can make it tricky to bring reinforcements to battles, and your early units are pretty weak. So early game for Chaos can be very touch and go. You are basically doing hit and run until human factions get ground down a bit. Once you get an army of Chosen though it seems like you outclass the other factions pretty significantly, and upgraded Archaon is a beast.

    5) Vampire Counts

    This is my second most difficult faction, basically because everyone hates you and your basic starting units of skeletons and zombies are very weak. Even when you outnumber the other side numerically in a battle, you have to be very careful or your entire army can crumble in 30 seconds. I have not managed to complete a campaign with this faction, though I feel it is *not* the most difficult one because of the vampiric corruption mechanic which means you can turtle a bit. And you have really good late game units, but I usually don't get that far! To me, the Long Campaign objectives of this faction also feel pretty tedious.

    6) Empire

    I find this faction the hardest in the current single player game. There are four "evil" factions which are against you from the beginning (Vampire Counts, Chaos, Beastmen and Orcs). Then, as if that isn't enough, you get the annoying northern tribes of Skaeling and Varg raiding your settlements. My campaigns with Empire usually go like this. I attack one or more of the human factions to gain some territory, so all the other ones turn against me. I don't see a great alternative to *not* attacking at least one or two of them to gain at least some additional territory. Then because of this, the dwarfs eventually turn against you and invade. All the while, the Beastmen are annoying you by razing your settlements which are expensive to rebuild. Finally, there is a tide of northern tribes like Skaeling and Varg that wreck all your settlements, and then Chaos invades to top it all off. At this point, I usually just rage quit. Playing empire to me is far too much like "wack a mole" right now. You might deal with an invasion by one enemy faction, but then a few turns later another one attacks you, usually on the other side of the map. Do I sound frustrated with this faction? Well, maybe I am a little. I just can't complete a game with Empire, sadly. I generally just give up. And hey, maybe that's working as intended, because the Empire gets wrecked pretty hard in the End Times.

    Anyways, I'd be curious to hear which factions others feel are more or less difficult.
    Last edited by jahjeremy; October 27, 2016 at 03:10 PM.

  2. #2
    KAM 2150's Avatar Artifex
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    Default Re: Rate the Single Player Campaigns from Least to Most Difficult

    To be honest, in my case it was the complete opposite of your experience, although I haven't played as Dwarfs yet.

    While Empire campaign was by far the easiest for me, the shortest one was as Vampire Counts. Chaos one was not that difficulty but very tedious and slow, while Beastmen are easier a bit early on (almost constant ambushes help a lot) but lack late game powerhouses of Chaos (still, Minotaurs own everything). So far the most difficult one was as Greenskins, although that might have been due to VH campaign. Other campaign were played at either hard or vh.
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  3. #3

    Default Re: Rate the Single Player Campaigns from Least to Most Difficult

    It is hard to evaluate over the entire campaign sometimes because the Greenskins or Dwarf start can be quite tough later in the campaign it is usually very easy.

    Overall I would say Empire is the 2nd toughest start consistently and the mid and late campaign can stay pretty tough as VC or Chaos usually challenges early as well the other elector count factions then Greenskins have a good chance of Waaagh! up into the Empire just after Chaos/VC is defeated so for the entire campaign Empire seems most likely to be tough.

    The 2nd spot is hard to say but I'd go with Crooked Moon IF you don't sprint toward the first objective. Staying in the Grey Mountains and fighting there requires a lot of strategy on maneuver and using agents precisely (the agents gaining XP so fast is maybe a bit too much but definitely helps). After Crooked Moon the Azhag start is quite a bit more challenging than starting as Grimgor who can win the early battles almost by himself even on Legendary.


    3rd for me was Dwarfs because the randomness of the start- sometimes it is easy but on VH and Leg 3/5 starts had 5+ full Greenskin armies converging before turn 20. Then there is the long march to pacify the south... the later Chaos invasion makes that much easier as before Chaos would be invading just when balance of power tips for Dwarfs in the south but occasionally if there is a Dwarf faction or some human faction that invites others into wars it can get sort of crazy. Also Vampires are obsessed with Zhufbar and will constantly attack if you don't either destroy, vassalize, or less optimal make friends.

    Chaos was next because the swarms of agents just make it a chore- even without armies traveling entire map I find the early game of Chaos unsatisfying though you do have to be careful scouting. There are a handful of hard battles but once you get 3 armies going not much can stop you.

    VC is the easiest of the original factions because of attrition, incredibly fast replenishment/recruitment of armies, one of the strongest magic lores and mix of units/heroes.

    Beastmen are the easiest faction overall simply because they have most of the strengths of Chaos with hardly any of the weaknesses + Brayherds.

  4. #4

    Default Re: Rate the Single Player Campaigns from Least to Most Difficult

    My experience:
    Easiest: ORCS. Waagh army+your army = instacapture settlement. Both heroes real beasts, decent magic, black orcs, boar riders and jihadis (doom divers) ... all you need to squash everyone fast and painful. I had chaos appear on turn 43 and get killed on turn 60.
    Quite easy: Vamps. Excellent armies and Manny is very tough, however, your line infantry is crap and necromancers are underwhelming. Also, your beasts have relatively poor morale (varghulf, looking at you!)
    Moderate: chaos. your are uber, super stomping tough, however, you need to fight almost all battles manually to avoid extensive casualties. Human mortars and cannons are annoying: they simply make you take somewhat more casualties, but are never a real factor in fights. I had most fun with this faction, in 20vs40 battles... super.
    Hard: empire. everyone hated me. really. I was at war with the bretons, wissenland, marienburg, vamps and orcs at some point. no cash, no nothing. Just franz with the hammer and poor-sod-spearmen. Still, after taking out marienburg and bretonia it got better and late game was easy. the beginning was harder than chaos or drafs.
    Very hard: Dwarfs. Endless sea of orcs. Endless. With doom divers and wolf riders and whatnot. Cash? No cash, because my little warriors need to be paid so well. A very tough campaign and an annoying grudge mechanic forcing your hand. The fact that you cannot blitz (you have no cav to cause excess casualties to routers) makes it so tough...

  5. #5
    SPARTAN VI's Avatar Campidoctor
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    Default Re: Rate the Single Player Campaigns from Least to Most Difficult

    Of the 3 I've played, from Easiest to Hardest.

    Dwarfs (Karaz a Karak) - Easiest campaign so far. Sturdy and impregnable. Their lack of mobility wasn't much of a weakness considering their powerful artillery and missile troops.

    Empire - More challenging than Dwarfs, but teaming up with Karak Norn and other humies concentrated my threats to the North (tribes) and East (Vampires). Ability to field well-rounded armies again (played this after Dwarfs and VC campaigns) simplified battle dynamics. Basically had army compositions that didn't vary much depending on the enemies I fought.

    Vampire Counts - Surrounded by enemies right off the bat, constant harassment from Skaeling and Varg, and taking the full brunt of the Chaos invasion made my VC simultaneously the most difficult and the most satisfying TW:WH campaign I've played thus far. The complete lack of missile infantry posed a very interesting tactical challenge for me, and I truly enjoyed crafting armies that were wildly different in composition to fight specific races. E.g. Dogs and bat foundation vs Chaos and Empire, then shock cavalry and heavy flyers vs Dwarfs.

    Dwarfs (Clan Angrund) - Starting with the grudge to retake Karak Eight peaks is awfully brutal; it's severity keep ticking away, kicking up unrest, and slowing expansion. Compounding matters is the fact that your capital makes trading with the outside world very difficult. A poor stroke of luck had Karak Norn eliminated by Crooked Moon within the first dozen turns. I haven't finished this campaign yet, but it's shaping up to be rather difficult.
    Last edited by SPARTAN VI; December 01, 2016 at 01:30 PM.

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  6. #6
    Påsan's Avatar Hva i helvete?
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    Default Re: Rate the Single Player Campaigns from Least to Most Difficult

    On VH id rate them thus

    Easiest
    Dwarf -Good economy, relatively easy start. Very unlikely to loose campaign.
    Orcs -Good economy, medium start, powerhouse later. Unlikely to loose.
    Vampire Counts -medium start, but struggles with public order throughout campaign and poor economy. Very unlikely to loose campaign.
    Beastmen -Got the tools to survive with hidden camp, but loosing is possible.
    Empire -hard start, once consolidated it gets significantly easier. Great trade and economy and relatively unlikely to loose.
    Chaos -Very hard start. Getting hunted down by superior stacks is a real possibility all campaign. Good economy but hard to grow fast.
    Skarsnik -Very hard start, weak units but numerus. Loosing early is likely due to poor first town.
    Clan Angrund -Very hard start. Very bad economy due to the upkeep and limited trade, and likely to loose until you get k8p.
    Last edited by Påsan; October 29, 2016 at 02:50 AM.

  7. #7
    LestaT's Avatar Artifex
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    Default Re: Rate the Single Player Campaigns from Least to Most Difficult

    Easiest for me are Dwarfs/Clan Agrund. Being more defensive type of player, Dwarfs suits my play style. Clan Agrund maybe a bit hard in the beginning but once 8 peaks has been taen, the rest of the campaign are pretty smooth sailing.

    The hardest for me must be Greenskins and now I'm playing the Crooked Moon. The need to be on offensive/raid all the time does not really suit my play style though I love the challenge. Haven't played Wuzzag yet but in my Skarsnik campaign I confederated Wuzzag's clan so now my 2 armies are led by both of them.

    Empire and Vampires are okay. Enjoyed the campaigns very much but will start a new Vamire campaign after my Skarnik is done.

    Haven't tried Chaos though.
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  8. #8

    Default Re: Rate the Single Player Campaigns from Least to Most Difficult

    Belegar is the most difficult, Beastmen is the easiest.

  9. #9

    Default Re: Rate the Single Player Campaigns from Least to Most Difficult

    I've completed a campaign as Dwarfs, and got to points where I've basically won as Orcs and Vampire Counts, but as Empire I've got nowhere. Every time I play as Empire I conquer the starting region early and then I don't know what to do. Whichever direction I go I end up getting attacked from the other direction. The other Empire factions will stab you in the back at the first hint of an opening. The Bretonnian factions will just attack you regardless it seems. Orcs armies randomly pop up at the most inopportune time. I haven't even tried an Empire game since Beastmen and Skarsnik etc were added but I imagine they're going to make it even more difficult. Still it's good, when I finally do complete a campaign as them it will be all the more satisfying.

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Rate the Single Player Campaigns from Least to Most Difficult

    Empire is all about not expanding quickly. You need to slowly build up and reinforce those villages with tier 2 walls and get Marienburg. Dont consolidate with the empire provinces at all, they are way too useful as buffer states. Personally I subjugated three bretonnian dukedoms as vassals and the musillon vamps before I even started going northeast.

  11. #11
    ostendadler's Avatar Miles
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    Default Re: Rate the Single Player Campaigns from Least to Most Difficult

    I'll have to agree with my above foxy poster regarding the Empire.

    It is a very tricky faction to play early in the game and if you don't pay attention to what you do things can get out of control and hence the rage quit of the OP.

    I found out that aside from Marienburg and the secessionists going to war with any of the elector counts is not gonna be making you any favors in your campaign. You first have to consolidate and then try and attack the none human factions that are surrounding you or your neighbors. This has two benefits:

    First the elector counts will like you thanks to your crusade against the undead/greenskin and beastmen

    second of all those elector counts and other races will destroy each other giving you ripe ruined cities to pick up and occupy without facing the tedious diplomatic juggling.


    I played some empire campaign role playing as the UN of mankind: I.E. fighting the threats of man kind (other races) and allying with all human factions when chaos steps in. My only territories are Reikland and marienburg region. It is a very challenging but fun style since you are constantly moving your armies up north or east to keep chaos and undead at bay. You're free to confederate or occupy destroyed lands but its just more fun to stick to your homeland.
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  12. #12
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    Default Re: Rate the Single Player Campaigns from Least to Most Difficult

    I sort of play the vassal game. I dont want others lands I want them as Vassals. Why? Beacuse as vassals you can trade with them and get a gold tribute and they provide you with armies you would never afford. They dont pick fights with other factions like millitary allies do and once you get them on good terms they'll stay happy vassals for the rest of the game.

    Securing Bretonnia as vassals and then sending them to burn Norsca to the ground is pretty grattifying.

    Conquer anywhere and Diplomatic options is a great mod and makes every campaign unique.

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