Total War Saga: Troy – Campaign progression
Tips when playing as Hippolyta
Once you start your Total War Saga: Troy campaign as Hippolyta’s Amazons, you’ll notice that you’re surrounded by several minors that no one really cares about. Just remember not to auto-resolve the first few battles because the Horsewomen would get annihilated if you do that.
After beating the first army and getting a few extra units, just blitz through Thyaira then Eyanthia. I should also add that something iffy is going on with Hippolyta’s ranged attacks. In some battles, she’ll completely stop firing at a target, and she just stands there like a statue.
Because of this, I prioritized level-up perks that’d have either faction-wide or army-wide boosts as opposed to those that’d improve her ranged combat capabilities. The most useful were:
- Rank 3: Artisanship (two perks) – This will net you additional Amazon Treasures from winning battles and sieges. These are must-have perks if you want to make the most out of those Amazon Kingdom milestones.
- Rank 5: Drill Expert – +1 recruit rank for all new units.
- Rank 7: The Nomad’s Way – +50% XP received in battle for all units.
- Rank 10: Wise – The food and wood/stone-per-turn bonuses are amazing when you consider that these resources are extremely necessary for your Amazon building upgrades.
Note: For your pick of generals, I would suggest Warlord – Commanders. They can get Artisanship, Nomad’s Way, and Wise very early when they level-up.
Another thing of note is that Troy/Priam, Hector, Paris, and Penthesilea are already visible to you. Because of positive relations, you could get a “free” multi-turn barter for resources without giving anything in exchange — do this before offering NAPs and military access. Later, go ahead and abuse the Diplomatic Gift boost from the Amazon Kingdom milestone.
Likewise, don’t bother with defensive or military alliances just yet. Let the Greeks declare war on the Trojan majors and for the conflict to engulf the entire map.
Regarding techs, you should prioritize Royal Granaries then Public Service (food and growth), followed by Royal Stone (uh, stone) and Treasure Hall (gold). For the Divine Will mechanic and religion, open up with a hecatomb and prayer to Athena so you can get your stack up and running.
Anyway, your starting province, Maeandros, is quite poor (only two settlements). However, your power base will end up becoming the territory from Kaestros (near your starting location) all the way to Astraeos to the north. Don’t forget to take over Ephesos, Kyme, Methymna, and their provinces.
If you abuse the barter deals and loads of free real estate from pushover factions, you should have a second army ready after a dozen turns or so. It takes roughly 35 turns to connect your empire to Hector’s lands. Unfortunately, I doubt you could get the Sacred Settlement in Pegaea before a Trojan Pillar grabs it.
Fast forward in your Total War Saga: Troy campaign as Hippolyta and you’re either:
- Going for the Total War Victory since you have no way of capturing the remaining Sacred Settlements without battling your allies.
- Pushing onward with the Homeric Victory by completing all other requirements first. Then, just beeline straight for any ally-controlled Sacred Settlements (ie Pegaea and Chele), “wardec” them, take the reputation hit, grab those Sacred Settlements, and finish the game.
If you’re still keen on trying a Homeric Victory, here are Hippolyta’s epic missions. Make sure you’re well prepared for these.
Hippolyta’s epic missions
| Epic Mission | Requirement | Additional Notes |
| Fabled Ephesos | Control the province of Kaystros | This province is close to your starting location. Its capital is Ephesos. |
| The Ruined Temple | “Rebuild the Temple” or “Ignore the Ruins” decision | Choose “Rebuild the Temple” to gain Amazon Treasures. |
| War’s Blessings | Have five of any units that are tier 2 or tier 3 | This is part of the Initiation Rites mechanic. |
| Tribe & Kin | “Chastise Hippolytus” or “Defend your Son” | The former gives you +1 recruit rank for all units in your army; the latter gives a +10% morale boost. |
| Lessons of the Past | Unlock the Heritage milestone | This is part of the Amazon Kingdom mechanic. |
| Beset by Enemies | Control the province of Teythrania | This is the province that has Kyme as its capital. |
| A Desperate Plea | “Support Priam” or “Turn Down Demand” | The former makes you spend resources to help Priam and gives you permanent diplomatic relations boost with other Trojan factions. The latter is an influence/morale buff for 10 turns. |
| Mother of the Gods | Have 250 favor with Hera | Pop a hecatomb or build a temple and have a priestess interact with it. |
| The Caves of Lesbos | Control the province of Lesbos | This is the province that has Methymna as its capital. |
| Amazon Walls | Ensure that the following have been constructed anywhere in your empire: Gate Bastion, Royal Stables, Temple of Mysteris, and Trial Gardens | These are tier 4+ buildings. |
| The Athenian Thieves | Move a spy to the Marathon region | N/A |
| Hippolyta’s Girdle | Control the province of Attica and make sure that Athina is destroyed or confederated by someone else. | N/A |
| A Queen’s Legacy | “Respect Tradition” or “Keep the Girdle” | You can see the bonuses for either decision in the image below. Also, the second option lets you obtain an ancillary that boosts army XP per turn and hero damage. |
A Total War Saga: Troy is available via the Epic Games Store. You can pick up the Amazons DLC by following the instructions in the official FAQ. For more information about the other factions, check out our guides and features hub.
