Total War: Pharaoh Sea Peoples invasions

Overview: Sea Peoples invasions

The campaign in Total War: Pharaoh begins in 1205 BC, at the start of the Bronze Age Collapse. As part of the Bronze Age Collapse, the Sea Peoples are coming - and they are hostile, unless you are playing a Sea Peoples faction (Sherden or Peleset).

Understanding the Sea Peoples invasions

The invasions do not occur in the way that new players might expect, if you are used to endgame mechanics in previous Total War games, such as the Realm Divide in Shogun 2. In fact, it may be useful to know that this is not an endgame mechanic. From around turn 31, armies of Sea Peoples will start to appear on the campaign map - and a series of waves of invaders will appear afterwards. In fact, if you play as Ramesses, who starts near the coast of Sinai, you are likely to see Sea Peoples armies raiding coastal regions within the first few turns.

The Sea Peoples use horde armies

Horde armies are both armies and mobile settlements, which means that they can replenish in enemy territory.

The Sea Peoples behave differently after the Dynasties update

According to the Dynasties update patch notes, in Dynasties campaigns there are four waves of Sea Peoples invasions rather than eight, and different factions spawn in different areas of the map (rather than different factions per wave). The invading armies are less predictable in where they appear and the army compositions vary more.

When they attack cities successfully, Sea Peoples armies would previously sack or raze them - before the Dynasties update, they were not normally interested in occupying territory. However, a CA developers blog on July 11th 2024 said that, following the Dynasties update on July 25th 2024, "Sea Peoples invasions are now controlled by the campaign AI, which means they will make more strategic decisions and behave like real factions instead of scripted armies. They will even conquer territories and expand."

The Lukka, a Sea Peoples faction, settle in the Nile delta (from a Ramesses campaign)

The Sea Peoples contribute to the Collapse

By clicking on the Pillars of Civilization bar (in the middle of your screen, just below the top) you can see the current state of civilization - Prosperity, Crisis or Collapse. Some cities on the campaign map are surrounded by an orange circle - they are the Cult Centres/Centers - and when they are destroyed, civilization moves towards Collapse.

The Sea Peoples benefit from the Collapse

As the Pillars of Civilization move from Properity to Crisis and Collapse, the invading Sea Peoples and Nomadic Tribes acquire bonuses, and settled factions (such as Egyptian and Hittitde factions) get penalties. For example, Sea Peoples units get an increases charge bonus, morale and melee defence, while Nomadic Tribes an increased charge bonus and improved melee attack and melee defence, while settled factions have a morale penalty and slower replenishment.

The Sea Peoples are not the only invaders

As well as the Sea Peoples, the player is likely to see attacks by Nomadic Tribes. The Sea Peoples are usually described as Kinfolk, such as the Tjeker Kinfolk. The Nomadic Tribes are described as Invaders, such as the Libu Invaders. In a Q&A on the Total War Discord, Ivan (a developer) said that, following the Dynasties update, "the Kaska, Phrygian and Libu Invaders, along with the three 'land invader' factions in Mesopotamia that we're adding will all benefit from the same improvements as the Sea Peoples and will not be scripted."

The See Peoples invasions end

By around turn 140, a cut-scene appears reporting the end of the Sea Peoples invasions. However, this means that the Sea Peoples armies have stopped spawning on the campaign map - you may still be attacked by remaining horde armies. Also, the invasions by Nomadic Tribes will continue, even after the Sea Peoples invasions have ended.

How to defend against the Sea Peoples invasions

The early waves are usually relatively small armies. For example, Ramesses starts near Egypt's northern coast, so he is likely to encounter early Sea Peoples armies - and his early armies should be able to defeat them without great difficulty. However, after about turn 100, a Great Wave will occur. The Great Wave - and a subsequent Tejer Wave - include many large armies with elite units. By the time the Great Wave reach the coast, the Pillars of Civilization are likely to be in Collapse or Crisis, providing the invaders with bonuses.

Know your enemy

One way to understand the Sea Peoples is to build a warriors' refuge outpost, as they recruit random units occasionally which can include units from the Sea Peoples roster. (However, the player pays full upkeep for units in this type of outpost, they don't benefit from the upkeep reduction of units in a fort). Another way is to play as a Sea Peoples faction, the Peleset or the Sherden. Sea Peoples armies include well-armoured infantry, so using archers with composite bows are likely to be more effective than ordinary bowmen. The Marauder Slingers which used by some Sea Peoples armies have longer range than ordinary slingers, which may force the player to march towards them - and their armies can include archers with composite bows, so you may need to plan your approach carefully to avoid taking too many casualties. Their armies tend to lack chariots (although the roster of the Peleset, a playable Sea Peoples faction, does include chariots), so if your army has chariots, you may be able to disrupt their skirmishers.

Get larger garrisons

Constructing buildings that increase the size of your garrison, and building forts and warriors' refuges, can help to protect your settlements. Units in forts have reduced upkeep - this does not apply to units in a warriors' refuge. However, the units in a fort will only arrive as reinforcements if the region's city is attacked, while the units in a warriors refuge will reinforce your armies in any battle in the region.

Build a reserve of food, bronze and gold

When the elite armies of the later waves start to appear, you are likely to need elite units to counter them. If you can build up a reserve of food, bronze and gold, this will allow you to recruit more high-tier units. New players often find it difficult to have enough food - there are ideas on ways to build up a reserve of food, bronze and gold in our guide to managing resources.

Prepare to recruit good units quickly

As well as upgrading your barracks, and using buildings which give you more recruitment slots, there may be other ways to get good units. For example, if your faction takes part in the Egyptian Royal Court, if you build up enough Regard with the First Commander (for example by using the gossip action several times), you can request access to elite royal Egyptian units - which appear on the special recruitment tab for your armies. Alternatively, you can get access to elite royal Egyptian units by becoming the First Commander.

Create a network of outposts

Waystations and some other outposts enable your armies to move move quicky on the campaign map. The Sea Peoples armies can sometimes arrive by an unexpected route. For example in a Ramesses campaign, some Sea Peoples armies arrived overland through Canaan, followed by an invasion of other armies along the coast - in this situation, waystations can help you to re-deploy your best armies quickly.

Concentrate your forces

You may find yourself under attack from several Sea Peoples armies at once. If you attack a Sea Peoples army with two of your armies (preferably supported by units from a city or warriors refuge), you could win a decisive victory instead of a close victory. You may find yourself facing several Sea Peoples armies at the same time, especially if your territory is near the coast. Winning with fewer casualties means that your army will be in a better position for the next battle, and the one after that.

The Sea Peoples invasions: a threat, an opportunity or a source of frustration?

While the Sea Peoples are likely to be a serious threat to settled factions, their invasions can also generate opportunities. As they are likely to raze settlements, the player may have opportunities to claim empty regions. There can be downsides to colonising ruined cities. The invaders who burned the city might be nearby, and colonising a city normally costs warriors - so you may find yourself defending a recently re-estabished city with a weakened army and no garrison. There can be solutions, for example you could send two armies when you colonise a razed city, so that one army remains at full strength. Also, some generals (for example, some commanders of the Peleset faction) can acquire Settlers as followers - this enables your army to colonise a ruined settlement without losing men.

The Sea Peoples invasions can be relentless, and they can repeatedly raze the player's cities. If this is a source of frustration rather than an enjoyable challenge, you have options. You can turn off the Sea Peoples invasions (this is one of the campaign customisation options at the start of the campaign). Alternatively, you can play as either the Sherden or the Peleset. Playing as the Sea Peoples provides two useful advantages - you can have horde armies (which can replenish and recruit units anywhere, even in hostile territory, as they are mobile settlements), and the Sea Peoples may be less focused on attacking you.