Preparing for War Guide

This 'Preparing for War Guide' will help you understand what steps you need to take before you go to war with another faction in Total War: Three Kingdoms.

At the start of the game you will fight alongside individual factions that pose no threat to your growing faction. This will soon change after several turns when you begin to face much larger opponents who may possibly have military alliances with their bordering neighbors. Before declaring war on this type of opponent it is important that you have taken care of the following.

Prepare the Economy of your Army

Make sure you take care of the state's treasury before starting the military expansion. It is important that you ensure that there is enough stock in your vault to get you through the war without the treasury dropping to 0. In the event that this happens your faction will enter into the stage of bankruptcy which will create several problems for you. Taxes will need to raised, you will not be able to recruit troops or construct new buildings and your public relations level with other factions will substantially decrease. Also, with each subsequent turn you will lose some of your troops and when public order falls to -100 there is the risk of an uprising that will lead to civil war.

Secure Adjacent Territories

Once you have created a stable economy you need to focus your attention to the protection of your territories. This basically means checking to see what garrisons you have on the outskirsts of your territories guarding the borders, particularly those near politically unstable nieghbours. Before starting a war test your diplomatic relations with the surrounding factions and if necessary offer gifts such as food to stabilise the situation. You may also want to consider beginning an alliance with another neighbor to help in the event you are attacked while at war.

Prepare the Army

The last thing you need to do is make sure your army is properly prepared for military conflict. Focus on the the most technologically advances units you have as these are the most powerful ones in the game and will give you an advantage over the enemy. Hire the most expensive units you can afford and ensure that the army you are putting together is a balanced one that consists of different types of units.

When to Retreat

If you find that the faction you intend to wage war against is too big and powerful you should refrain from attacking it. Before attacking it is important that you check out what kind of relationships your neighbors have with your potential target. If your economy is not ready for war or your lands are not sufficiently protected it is better to postpone your plans of conquest and focus on sorting out these problems first.

Check out our Best General page to find out what faction has the best leader in the game.