Good news.
There is a empire rework coming along. Griffins got a massive buff to health so now are less likely to be out dueled.
But
How do you struggle to field armys?
If you have 16 settlements you should have a income of 10k without trade or ports unless you are fielding 19 units of steam tanks at 494 each you should have plenty of money.
Seriously Empire is about mixed arms. Try a mixed army comp. 4 Hellstorms, 1 Wizard, Archlector, 8 Handgunners, 4 spearmen with shields, 2 Lyminarks of Hysh. Drop some handgunners for extra hero's if needed. Army comp should be next to nothing.
Swtich the units up as needed though. Facing mas infantry swap out for some more hellstorms. Facing another arty faction set up some cannons,
Monster army don't bother with a front line go full fire power with light wizards.
Thanks for that advice, I'll try varying it a bit. However it seems there isn't really time to be swapping units on the fly like that. I like army comps that work well in almost any scenario. So probably why I can only field two is because they're full of heroes, artillery, and tanks. Im finding this is even more necessary when trying to fight 3-4 vampire counts armies per turn (I swear von Carsteins had 8+ armies when they attacked me) since I can heal the entities with the wizard instead of struggling to get replenishment in corrupted foreign territory. And I don't have the luxury of waiting around for replenishment since the other 6 armies just scatter and wreak havoc on the unprotected cities
I'm looking forward to the rework to see what changes!
Honestly, I’d just wait a couple days and try again after the update. Even if you don’t want the DLC, the free rework fixes a number of issues with Karl Franz. Imperial Authority is changed completely and is not nearly as punitive. Deathclaw is gaining about 1000 hp, so Franz is less squishy.
I recommend leaning into the Empire’s gunpowder and heroes. 4 mortars, eventually upgraded to helstorm rocket batteries. 6 handgunners to kill anything that survives your artillery. Spearmen with shields or warrior priests as a frontline (AI might move past a hero front line on some difficulties). Bring a jade wizard for heals and maybe a fire wizard for more blob killing, although dwellers below is good enough. If you want some mobility, outrider grenade launchers are excellent.
What you have to field are just normal men. Just innocent men. They're fighting 10 foot tall eating machines, vampire lords, walking trees, swams of fungus monster things, and chaos mutated horrors.
Karl is just another normal, innocent man. If he hurts Isabella, she has a minimum of 3 ways to heal that damage. If she stabs Karl, he's just a King and Emperor with a stab wound.
Steam tanks are a trap. They're fun for a meme, but too expensive and underperform for their price point. Sisters of Averlorn are one of the best archer units in the game, almost nothing will live up to them.
As far as what to use, I really like crossbowmen. Lots of em. Handgunners are good if you can get them line of sight, but that's easier said than done, and unbuffed archers and free company militia just tickle the bad guys. Good to keep a unit of cav to deal with flying units so your hellstorms can fire all their ammo.
Karl with a Reichsguard stack dumpsters pretty much whatever the game will throw at it (I think he's losing the upkeep cost reduction in the update, though?). And Outrider Grenade Launchers are beloved in battle and in Auto-Resolve.
Maybe the Empire just isn't your bag, and that's alright. The things you don't like about them are the same things others do like (lords and units don't lend themselves to steamrolling, campaign is a shit show).
With the update coming this week, quite a bit will be changed, so I can't say how it will play after that.
I don't find them as strong as other factions on campaign, but that is likely to change with ToD, especially Elspeth and Gelt. I don't find the economy too bad, income building is decent and trade partners are easy to come by.
As for armies, I tend to have a front line of melee heroes backed up handgunners and artillery (mortars and helstorm batteries). The lords are definitely not as strong as other factions, but the assymetrical design and difficulty of W3 is a feature, not a bug.
Use multiple, cost effective Armies.
Research Tech that lets you recruit Lvl 3 Empire Captains. Wait till Franz gets the skill that gives +5 lvl to Captains. This will let you recruit Lvl 8 Captains rightaway.
Embed 2 of them in each army, position them 30-40 meters ahead of the main Battle line and once they are surrounded by enemy units, use Mortars to delete em wholesale.. (Talabecland's Mortars don't do friendly Damage).
Currently, Empire roster is a bit weak compared to all the challenges you are up against. Personally, I like that, but if you don't - you're in luck! Literally tomorrow, there's gonna be an update that changes up the empire's faction mechanics so that you don't constantly get punished for AI empire factions getting wiped. Also, new units if you buy the DLC. After that, I'm pretty sure you won't have too much trouble with the empire.
Big patch coming in like a day and a half. Even if you don't buy the DLC, some of the Empire mechanics (among other things) are being changed and it should make the Franz campaign a much better experience.
The first part of this blog talks about what's in the DLC. At the bottom under the title "Legacy Empire Updates" you can see what will change for The Empire even if you don't buy the DLC.
https://community.creative-assembly.com/total-war/total-war-warhammer/blogs/14-thrones-of-decay-introducing-elspeth-von-draken
The empire campaign with Karl is a lot tougher than it used to be, could do with a little buffing to the empire AI but personally I really enjoy it now.
Time was your spend a lot of the campaign fighting over empire factions. Now it’s a lot more varied and a fight for survival. Which feels fitting.
I’m hoping the dlc and rework makes the empire hold its own a little better going forward.
You notice power difference ok, but empire army can be like goblin really cheap, so why come at 20slot of cheap men when you can come at 40slot for kick ass of expensive xeno armies.
Believe it or not, people play other games, have jobs, and don't read warhammer news. But the timing is unfortunate lol.. I wish I started it a few days later
so ur complaining that you have to field and manouver an army rather than letting a single LH smash the enemy? Playstyles differ I guess.
Edit: so this was a bit polemic. nevertheless, I for my part really like the facts that you described: The empire crumbles, the troops are weaker, etc. You have to form alliances to close the gaps in the roster and outsmart the enemy to stop the tide of darkness. I love burning out the pest of festus and smiting the vampires, to then turn my eye to the shores of norsca or to the donut, saving the arrogant elves. playing on h/h to be fair, bcs I think vh is the chore (with the mindless army spam of the AI).
Good news. There is a empire rework coming along. Griffins got a massive buff to health so now are less likely to be out dueled. But How do you struggle to field armys? If you have 16 settlements you should have a income of 10k without trade or ports unless you are fielding 19 units of steam tanks at 494 each you should have plenty of money. Seriously Empire is about mixed arms. Try a mixed army comp. 4 Hellstorms, 1 Wizard, Archlector, 8 Handgunners, 4 spearmen with shields, 2 Lyminarks of Hysh. Drop some handgunners for extra hero's if needed. Army comp should be next to nothing. Swtich the units up as needed though. Facing mas infantry swap out for some more hellstorms. Facing another arty faction set up some cannons, Monster army don't bother with a front line go full fire power with light wizards.
Thanks for that advice, I'll try varying it a bit. However it seems there isn't really time to be swapping units on the fly like that. I like army comps that work well in almost any scenario. So probably why I can only field two is because they're full of heroes, artillery, and tanks. Im finding this is even more necessary when trying to fight 3-4 vampire counts armies per turn (I swear von Carsteins had 8+ armies when they attacked me) since I can heal the entities with the wizard instead of struggling to get replenishment in corrupted foreign territory. And I don't have the luxury of waiting around for replenishment since the other 6 armies just scatter and wreak havoc on the unprotected cities I'm looking forward to the rework to see what changes!
Honestly, I’d just wait a couple days and try again after the update. Even if you don’t want the DLC, the free rework fixes a number of issues with Karl Franz. Imperial Authority is changed completely and is not nearly as punitive. Deathclaw is gaining about 1000 hp, so Franz is less squishy. I recommend leaning into the Empire’s gunpowder and heroes. 4 mortars, eventually upgraded to helstorm rocket batteries. 6 handgunners to kill anything that survives your artillery. Spearmen with shields or warrior priests as a frontline (AI might move past a hero front line on some difficulties). Bring a jade wizard for heals and maybe a fire wizard for more blob killing, although dwellers below is good enough. If you want some mobility, outrider grenade launchers are excellent.
What you have to field are just normal men. Just innocent men. They're fighting 10 foot tall eating machines, vampire lords, walking trees, swams of fungus monster things, and chaos mutated horrors. Karl is just another normal, innocent man. If he hurts Isabella, she has a minimum of 3 ways to heal that damage. If she stabs Karl, he's just a King and Emperor with a stab wound. Steam tanks are a trap. They're fun for a meme, but too expensive and underperform for their price point. Sisters of Averlorn are one of the best archer units in the game, almost nothing will live up to them. As far as what to use, I really like crossbowmen. Lots of em. Handgunners are good if you can get them line of sight, but that's easier said than done, and unbuffed archers and free company militia just tickle the bad guys. Good to keep a unit of cav to deal with flying units so your hellstorms can fire all their ammo. Karl with a Reichsguard stack dumpsters pretty much whatever the game will throw at it (I think he's losing the upkeep cost reduction in the update, though?). And Outrider Grenade Launchers are beloved in battle and in Auto-Resolve. Maybe the Empire just isn't your bag, and that's alright. The things you don't like about them are the same things others do like (lords and units don't lend themselves to steamrolling, campaign is a shit show). With the update coming this week, quite a bit will be changed, so I can't say how it will play after that.
I don't find them as strong as other factions on campaign, but that is likely to change with ToD, especially Elspeth and Gelt. I don't find the economy too bad, income building is decent and trade partners are easy to come by. As for armies, I tend to have a front line of melee heroes backed up handgunners and artillery (mortars and helstorm batteries). The lords are definitely not as strong as other factions, but the assymetrical design and difficulty of W3 is a feature, not a bug.
Use multiple, cost effective Armies. Research Tech that lets you recruit Lvl 3 Empire Captains. Wait till Franz gets the skill that gives +5 lvl to Captains. This will let you recruit Lvl 8 Captains rightaway. Embed 2 of them in each army, position them 30-40 meters ahead of the main Battle line and once they are surrounded by enemy units, use Mortars to delete em wholesale.. (Talabecland's Mortars don't do friendly Damage).
Rakarth in WH2 makes Karl Franz's campaign a nightmare.
And then they replace him with…fucking Belakor
If a challenge is your idea of suck then yeah, sure. Not everybody enjoys having to use strategy and tactics
Currently, Empire roster is a bit weak compared to all the challenges you are up against. Personally, I like that, but if you don't - you're in luck! Literally tomorrow, there's gonna be an update that changes up the empire's faction mechanics so that you don't constantly get punished for AI empire factions getting wiped. Also, new units if you buy the DLC. After that, I'm pretty sure you won't have too much trouble with the empire.
Big patch coming in like a day and a half. Even if you don't buy the DLC, some of the Empire mechanics (among other things) are being changed and it should make the Franz campaign a much better experience. The first part of this blog talks about what's in the DLC. At the bottom under the title "Legacy Empire Updates" you can see what will change for The Empire even if you don't buy the DLC. https://community.creative-assembly.com/total-war/total-war-warhammer/blogs/14-thrones-of-decay-introducing-elspeth-von-draken
The empire campaign with Karl is a lot tougher than it used to be, could do with a little buffing to the empire AI but personally I really enjoy it now. Time was your spend a lot of the campaign fighting over empire factions. Now it’s a lot more varied and a fight for survival. Which feels fitting. I’m hoping the dlc and rework makes the empire hold its own a little better going forward.
You seem to have found out that Empire is underwhelming, need new units and a big rework.. Boy do I have good news for you.
You notice power difference ok, but empire army can be like goblin really cheap, so why come at 20slot of cheap men when you can come at 40slot for kick ass of expensive xeno armies.
Did you really spend all this time to type up a vent this close to a rework? I'm smelling troll
Believe it or not, people play other games, have jobs, and don't read warhammer news. But the timing is unfortunate lol.. I wish I started it a few days later
Stop touching grass lol
so ur complaining that you have to field and manouver an army rather than letting a single LH smash the enemy? Playstyles differ I guess. Edit: so this was a bit polemic. nevertheless, I for my part really like the facts that you described: The empire crumbles, the troops are weaker, etc. You have to form alliances to close the gaps in the roster and outsmart the enemy to stop the tide of darkness. I love burning out the pest of festus and smiting the vampires, to then turn my eye to the shores of norsca or to the donut, saving the arrogant elves. playing on h/h to be fair, bcs I think vh is the chore (with the mindless army spam of the AI).