Historical Battle
The Total War series allows players to attempt historical battle scenarios and take command of an army to either recreate or change the outcome of the Historical Battle in question. Traditionally, from Rome: Total War onward, the player generally takes command of the outnumbered army or the army which historically lost.
History
Historical Battles were introduced by the Mongol Invasion expansion pack to Shogun: Total War. They were implemented by way of Historical Campaigns in which the player could play 3 separate campaigns which were played through by way of famous battles fought in those campaigns, rather than letting the player control the campaign in the traditional Total War style. These 3 campagins were those of 3 generals in the Sengoku Jidai era, specifically:
- Toyotomi Hideyoshi
- Oda Nobunaga
- Tokugawa Ieyasu
Later on, as the Total War series progressed and Rome: Total War was released, historical battles became a feature available in the singleplayer menu, a tradition which has been followed in every Total War game to date. Rome Total War contained 10 Historical Battles; here is a list of those:
- Battle of Lake Trasimene
- Battle of Raphia
- Battle of Telamon
- The Siege of Gergovia
- Battle of the River Trebia
- Battle of Asculum
- Battle of Carrhae
- Battle of Cynoscephalae
- Battle of Teutoburg Forest
- Siege of Sparta
As per Total War tradition, the player generally took control of the outnumbered army or the army which historically lost.
The Barbarian Invasion expansion pack added two new Historical Battles:
- Battle of Chalons
- Battle of Badon Hill
With the release of Rome: Total War: Alexander, Historical Battles returned to their Shogun roots and once again became part of a Historical Battles campaign. The player played through famous battles in which Alexander the Great took part in order. The battles are unlocked sequentially as each previous battle is completed. The player can only play all the battles after he has completed the campaign. And unlike Rome: Total War, there is a special condition in these battles to ensure Alexander does not run away or get killed.
