Total War: EMPIRE Definitive Edition bundles the 2009 gunpowder era Total War with every expansion, including the Warpath Campaign and the Elite Units packs. The Grand Campaign runs from 1700 to 1799 across three land theatres and four trade theatres, with eleven playable factions from Great Britain to the Maratha Confederacy. It was the first Total War where you command naval battles yourself instead of watching an auto resolve.
This guide covers everything you need: core mechanics, the best builds, equipment worth investing in, location progression, and the tips that actually make a difference.
Core Mechanics
Three land theatres plus trade theatres
The map splits into Europe, the Americas and India, with separate trade theatres at the Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Brazil and the East Indies where fleets sit on trade nodes for income. Armies cannot walk between theatres, so every reinforcement is a shipping decision.
Line infantry volley combat
Battles are decided by musket volleys rather than melee, and formation choice does more than unit stats. Fire By Rank lets every rank shoot in sequence instead of only the front, and Square Formation folds a battalion into a hollow box that makes a cavalry charge suicidal.
Real time naval battles
Fleets fight in real time with wind direction, sail damage and three ammunition types: round shot for hulls, chain shot for rigging and grape shot for crews. A First Rate carries over 100 guns but turns slowly, and boarding is settled by crew numbers.
Research through gentlemen and schools
Schools and universities house gentlemen who research along military, ordnance, naval, agriculture, industry and philosophy lines. Gentlemen can duel rival agents, and a rake can steal a technology outright instead of waiting for your own scholars.
Government types and revolution
Every faction runs an absolute monarchy, a constitutional monarchy or a republic, and rising unrest can trigger a revolution at home. You choose whether to fight for the government or the rebels, and the winner sets your government type and the bonuses that follow it.
For a deeper dive into how these systems interact, see our Total War: EMPIRE Definitive Edition combat guide.
Builds Overview
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Key Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Britain | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| France | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Prussia | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Russia | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Ottoman Empire | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
For full build breakdowns with gear and stat priorities, see our Total War: EMPIRE Definitive Edition builds guide. For rankings, check the tier list.
Equipment Guide
| Equipment | Why It Matters | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Line Infantry | Musket armed troops who win by massed volley and discipline rather than melee, and they form the core of every army in the game. | Holding the centre of any line and trading volleys |
| Grenadiers | Heavier infantry who throw grenades and hold melee far better than standard line troops. | Assaulting buildings and finishing a shaken enemy line |
| Dragoons | Cavalry who can dismount to fight with carbines, which makes them flexible flankers rather than pure shock troops. | Hunting artillery and chasing routed units |
| Foot Artillery | 12 pounders, howitzers and mortars that break formations before contact and demolish fort walls in sieges. | Softening a static enemy line and siege work |
| First Rate ships of the line | The heaviest warships in the game with over 100 guns, capable of breaking any smaller ship in a broadside exchange. | Fleet battles and blockades where firepower beats manoeuvre |
Line Infantry: Musket armed troops who win by massed volley and discipline rather than melee, and they form the core of every army in the game. British line infantry are among the best all round shooters while Russian line infantry shoot poorly and charge hard.
Grenadiers: Heavier infantry who throw grenades and hold melee far better than standard line troops. They are the unit you commit when a firefight has already been won and the enemy line needs breaking.
Dragoons: Cavalry who can dismount to fight with carbines, which makes them flexible flankers rather than pure shock troops. They punish exposed artillery and unformed infantry but lose to a formed square.
Foot Artillery: 12 pounders, howitzers and mortars that break formations before contact and demolish fort walls in sieges. They need infantry screening because they are defenceless once cavalry reaches them.
First Rate ships of the line: The heaviest warships in the game with over 100 guns, capable of breaking any smaller ship in a broadside exchange. Their turn rate is poor, so they need a screen of frigates to avoid being raked from behind.
Full breakdowns in our Total War: EMPIRE Definitive Edition weapons guide.
Location Progression
| Location | Level Range | Key Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Europe | Turns 1 to 100 and beyond | Highest tax income, university sites, recruitment depth |
| The Americas | Turns 1 to 60 for the opening land grab | Colonial income, plantations, staging ports |
| India | Turns 10 to 80 for a European intervention | Trade goods, high value regions, Maratha manpower |
| The trade theatres | Any turn once you have spare warships | Passive trade income and denial of rival income |
| The Warpath campaign | Standalone campaign, roughly 80 turns | Five native factions and their unique unit rosters |
Europe: The densest theatre, where most factions start and where wars escalate fastest because every border touches a rival. Technology, population and money all concentrate here, which is why losing your home regions usually ends a campaign.
The Americas: Sparsely garrisoned colonies that generate income out of proportion to their defences, which makes them the easiest early conquest for a naval power. Native factions and rival colonists both contest the interior.
India: Home to the Maratha Confederacy and the Mughals, with large armies that are technologically behind European line infantry. European players usually arrive by sea with a small force and fight above their weight.
The trade theatres: Four separate maps at the Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Brazil and the East Indies where fleets occupy trade nodes to earn passive income. They are undefended by land, so a single squadron can flip an enemy's economy.
The Warpath campaign: The North America focused expansion included in the Definitive Edition, with the Iroquois, Cherokee, Huron, Pueblo and Plains nations as playable factions. It runs on its own shorter campaign rather than inside the Grand Campaign.
See our maps & locations guide for detailed area breakdowns and our walkthrough for the optimal progression path.
Tips That Actually Matter
- Build schools before extra barracks in your first ten turns. Technology gaps in this era are brutal, and an army of 1700s line infantry fighting 1760s troops loses even at two to one odds.
- Form square the moment enemy cavalry commits, not after contact. Square trades firepower for a defensive bonus that makes a charge suicidal, and switching back to line takes only seconds once the horses veer off.
- Keep artillery behind the infantry line and give it a cavalry screen. Guns left forward are the first thing enemy dragoons hunt, and losing a battery mid battle usually flips the engagement.
- Fight naval battles manually whenever the fleets are close in strength. Auto resolve undervalues positioning and wind, and a manual fight lets you rake sterns and take prizes rather than sink them.
- Load chain shot to cripple rigging before you close, then switch to grape shot when you intend to board. A ship that cannot manoeuvre is a ship you capture rather than one you sink.
- Use rakes to steal technology instead of researching everything yourself. A single successful theft can save fifteen turns of research and can be aimed at exactly the military line you are missing.
- Blockade enemy trade nodes in the Ivory Coast and East Indies rather than only fighting their home fleet. Cutting income slows their recruitment faster than any single battle you can win.
- Watch unrest at home while you campaign abroad. Revolution fires when repression and clamour drift too far apart, and being caught mid war by a civil war costs entire armies.
- Target the enemy general early with skirmishers or artillery. Army morale in Empire drops sharply when the commander falls, and a chain rout can end a battle you were losing.
- Garrison your ports even in quiet theatres. Amphibious raids can take an undefended colonial port in a single turn and reversing that costs a fleet, an army and several seasons of income.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Researching economy lines first and meeting Prussian or British infantry with outdated units.
- Leaving artillery unscreened where dragoons can reach it.
- Auto resolving naval battles against a comparable fleet and losing ships you could have captured.
- Charging line infantry into melee instead of winning the firefight first.
- Expanding into a third theatre while home unrest is already pushing toward revolution.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many factions are playable in the Grand Campaign?
Eleven: Austria, France, Great Britain, the Maratha Confederacy, the Ottoman Empire, Poland-Lithuania, Prussia, Russia, Spain, Sweden and the United Provinces. Fourteen more can emerge as non playable factions.
Can you play as the United States?
Only in the Road to Independence campaign, which starts as a colonial prologue and turns into the American Revolution. The Grand Campaign does not offer them from turn one.
Does the Definitive Edition include all the DLC?
Yes. It bundles the Warpath Campaign and the Elite Units packs for the East, the West and America, so there is nothing left to buy separately.
What is the Warpath Campaign?
A North America focused expansion with five playable native factions: the Iroquois, Cherokee, Huron, Pueblo and Plains nations, each with their own unit rosters and a shorter campaign.
Which faction is best for a first campaign?
Great Britain. The strongest starting navy, colonies already established in two theatres, and excellent line infantry mean early mistakes rarely end the campaign.
More Total War: EMPIRE Definitive Edition Guides
- Total War: EMPIRE Definitive Edition Best Builds
- Total War: EMPIRE Definitive Edition Tier List
- Total War: EMPIRE Definitive Edition Walkthrough
- Total War: EMPIRE Definitive Edition Beginner's Guide
- Total War: EMPIRE Definitive Edition Tips & Tricks
- Total War: EMPIRE Definitive Edition Weapons Guide
- Total War: EMPIRE Definitive Edition Combat Guide
- Total War: EMPIRE Definitive Edition Boss Guide
- Total War: EMPIRE Definitive Edition Maps & Locations
- Total War: EMPIRE Definitive Edition Crafting Guide
- Total War: EMPIRE Definitive Edition Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Total War: EMPIRE Definitive Edition, check out these related guides:
- Sid Meier's Civilization V Guide: strategy game with similar mechanics
- Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Guide: strategy game with similar mechanics
- RimWorld Guide: strategy game with similar mechanics
