Total War: Pharaoh’s free High Tide update was officially unveiled today by publisher Sega and developer Creative Assembly. Set to release later this month, it introduces the playable Sea Peoples culture, giving us the ability to sow chaos instead of simply defending against it.
The Sea Peoples have been part of Total War: Pharaoh since launch, acting as an invading threat that regularly strikes across the entire playable map. The High Tide update lets us control two factions belonging to the culture, both offering different flavors of the horde playstyle we’ve seen in recent Total War games.
Total War: Pharaoh High Tide Update
Led by Iolaos, a young explorer hellbent on razing and sacrificing everything in his path as a tribute to the gods, the Sherden horde cannot settle, thriving instead on continuously decimating their opponents.
The new Spoils of War mechanic ensures that razing cities grants extra resources, while Nuraghe Camps help improve your armies as you move between targets.
The faction also has access to a new resource called Eminence, which helps it establish dominance over other Sea Peoples tribes and even absorb them into its ranks.
Some highlights from the Sherden’s roster include Nuraghe Warriors, who can form “an armoured turtle-like Kelone formation to protect themselves as they advance,” Harpooneers “who hurl deadly barbed javelins at your enemies”, alongside Sherden Archers whose sulphur-tipped arrows set the ground alight.
The Peleset, the second Sea Peoples faction introduced in Total: War Pharaoh’s High Tide update, are led by a hulking patriarch named Walwetes.
The faction is in search of a new home, which feeds into its a hybrid playstyle that enables its armies to camp, like the Sherden, but also occupy cities.
The Peleset also have access to the Spoils of War mechanic and Eminence resource, while their roster sounds a tad more flexible.
Oxen Carts are “a dismountable chariot capable of flanking the enemy, delivering Peleset shock troops into the heat of battle.”
Peleset Marines can soften up enemies from afar with javelins before delivering the killing blow in close combat, while Peleset Raiders are described as “elite and aggressive infantry who move fast and hit hard.”
Total War: Pharaoh’s free High Tide update is slated to launch on PC come January 25, 2024. In December 2023, Creative Assembly announced its decision to lower the price of the historical grand strategy game – partially refunding owners – and reassess its future plans for it.
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