Total War: Warhammer II – Prince Imrik campaign guide

Total War: Warhammer II – Prince Imrik’s campaign progression

The first few steps in Prince Imrik’s Total War: Warhammer II Vortex campaign are quite easy enough. All you need to do is build a Rally Field and research a tech (both provide you +500 gold and +1 influence). The other mission is to occupy any settlement held by the Dune Kingdoms (+1,000 gold and +8 way-fragments to get you started on your rituals).

The next question is: Should you be auto-resolving battles? In my opinion, you shouldn’t try to as Imrik especially when you’re facing the Tomb Kings. Given their weakness to fire and your army’s propensity to scorch everything around them, you won’t find any issues trouncing early-game armies.

The general idea is to have Imrik and your Dragon Princes charge opposing forces head-on, provided that you’re not running straight towards spearmen. With this distraction, your other units should be able to advance unmolested. Don’t forget to have your Sun Dragon incinerate the undead with its breath attack:

Much later once Imrik and Mikaela have leveled up — and after you’ve recruited more infantry units — the goal is to let your lines clash with the enemy’s. With Imrik popping his armor-piercing, charge, and flame buffs, get Mikaela to cast The Burning Head or Flame Storm and watch hostiles melt like butter:

Note: You should stick to your own lands and recruit additional troops before you end turn 1 rather than quickly marching for Antoch. This will be important due to an upcoming quest.

Diplomacy and Confederation with Caledor part 1

On your second turn, you should get a very important quest to occupy, loot, sack, or raze six different settlements. Here are the rewards:

• +25 influence
• +1,500 gold
• A decision to confederate with Caledor

Confederating with Caledor is very important since it gives you a foothold on Ulthuan. Likewise, you’ll be able to play the diplomacy and influence game with the other High Elf factions (perhaps confederating with them in turn). Of course, you’ll control Vaul’s Anvil which lets you collect way-fragment resources for your Vortex ritual as long as you have an Ancient Waystone building.

Note: Now that this quest is active, capture Antoch and get 1/6 settlements in the tally done.

Moving onwards

You’ll get another set of quests on your third turn:

• Construct a Tower building (province capital) – +500 gold; +1 influence.
• Maintain 10 public order in the Shifting Sands province – +1,000 gold; +2 influence. You might need to exempt the province from taxation for a few turns (or at least use the Invocation of Asuryan once it’s available).
• Destroy the Dune Kingdoms faction within 12 turns – +2,000 gold; +3 influence; +10 way-fragments. You should be able to do this within your next turn since this faction only has Bhagar left under its control.
• Control the entirety of one province – +2,000 gold, +5 influence; +7 way-fragments. After capturing Bhagar, swing south to colonize the Plain of Tuskers and complete this objective.

After you take over Bhagar, you should be able to enact diplomacy with the undead factions. Go ahead and have trade agreements and NAPs with Settra (Khemri), the Rakaph Dynasty, and the Strygos Empire. Avoid defensive or military alliances so you don’t get embroiled in their conflicts.

You’ll get a couple of new missions in a few turns:

• Construct any of these buildings: Handmaidens’ Gallery, Archive, Grand Repository, Elven Gardens – +500 gold; +1 influence; +7 way-fragments.
• Search any ruined settlement – +500 gold; +1 influence; +6 way-fragments. You can do this before colonizing the Plain of Tuskers.
• Issue a commandment in a province – +500 gold; +2 influence. You’ll get this once you colonize the ruined settlement.

If you’re buddy-buddies with the shambling dead, then you should head south to eliminate the Leaf-Cutterz Greenskins. They’re likely at war with the Bowmen of Oreon, the Last Defenders, or Tlaqua (heck, they’re probably at war with all three). That should let Imrik make new friends with other races.

You’ll get even more missions after this:

• Capture Sun-Tree Glades (settlement in the Northern Red River province) – +2,000 gold; +4 influence; +13 way-fragments. Don’t forget that the Sun-Tree Glades settlement generates way-fragments as long as you have an Ancient Waystone building.
• Construct an Ancient Waystone building in Sun-Tree Glades – +1 influence; +6 way-fragments.
• Defeat the Teef Snatchaz rogue army – +2,000 gold; +5 influence; +13 way-fragments.

Note 1: You’ll likely have your first Dragon Encounter around this time as well, so head over to our Dragon Taming guide for more info.

Note 2: For Imrik’s unique item quest chain, check out our Armor of Caledor guide.

Diplomacy and Confederation with Caledor part 2

If you’re quick (and lucky), Imrik’s army can capture two additional settlements in the Northern Red River province (Cuexotl and Nahuontl) held by the Leaf-Cutterz before the Lizardmen factions do. This will complete the settlements tally (6/6) and the decision to confederate with Caledor will pop up. Here are the options for this dilemma:

• Favors Abound – -25 influence; +40 diplomatic relations with High Elves for 10 turns; confederation with Caledor.
• A Targeted Approach – -10 influence; confederation with Caledor.
• A Firm Hand – -20 diplomatic relations with High Elves for 5 turns; confederation with Caledor.
• Continued Independence – +50 influence; +40 diplomatic relations with High Elves for 10 turns.

The first option is easily the best since Ulthuan will remain relatively safe throughout your Total War: Warhammer II campaign. Caledor will be yours (along with its Waystone building), and you can start buddying up with the other High Elves of Ulthuan once the confederation penalty elapses. Just remember to disband some of Erethond’s troops because his army can be costly.

The Neverending Story

Although the luck dragon, Falkor, isn’t one of them, Prince Imrik is still able to field multiple unique dragons to his side. These powerful units will, undoubtedly, completely change the way you approach Total War: Warhammer II‘s campaign. Given his buffs to dragon units and Dragon Princes, as well as the Fire Mage Mikaela, you’ll soon become unstoppable, aggressively annihilating anyone who gets in your way. Now that Caledor is yours, Ulthuan is ready for the taking whether by force or by diplomacy.

As for the remainder of the Vortex campaign, be reminded to defend your fonts of power from intervention armies. If you secured your flanks in the Southlands (with the Tomb Kings to the north and the Lizardmen to the south), then you’re free to expand anywhere you please. Perhaps you could conquer Sudenberg to gain a port city and have trade agreements with your High Elven cousins.

In any case, after many turns, you’ll encounter even more unique dragons to battle. Knowing that you’ve leveled up and improved your army, you’ll be more than prepared to handle these challenges. Don’t forget that these unique dragons can be swapped back and forth your armies at no extra recruitment cost or turns, allowing you to muster all the “firepower” you need in areas that are being attacked by Chaos or intervention armies.

Total War: Warhammer II – The Warden & The Paunch is available on Steam. Since Prince Imrik is a free/FLC lord, you’ll simply need to download him separately. For more information about the latest add-on, check out our guides and features hub.