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 walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Progression Summary
| Phase | Area | Focus | Build | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | Europe | Three land theatres plus trade theatres basics | France | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | The Americas | Line infantry volley combat mastery | France | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | India | Real time naval battles + gear | Great Britain or France | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | The trade theatres | Build optimization | Great Britain | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | The Warpath campaign | Min-max | Great Britain or Ottoman Empire | Ongoing |
See our maps guide for detailed area breakdowns.
Phase 1: Getting Started (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.
Level/Difficulty: Turns 1 to 100 and beyond Key Rewards: Highest tax income, university sites, recruitment depth
What to Do in Europe
- Learn 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. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick France as your starting build. See our builds guide for why.
- 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.
- Acquire your first equipment upgrade: Grenadiers or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand Three land theatres plus trade theatres fundamentals
- France selected and functional
- Europe main content cleared
- Ready for The Americas
Phase 2: Early Game (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.
Level/Difficulty: Turns 1 to 60 for the opening land grab Key Rewards: Colonial income, plantations, staging ports
What to Do in The Americas
- Work on Line infantry volley combat. Battles are decided by musket volleys rather than melee, and formation choice does more than unit stats. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for Grenadiers if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- 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.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to India.
- Consider whether Great Britain might suit your playstyle better than France.
Phase 2 Checklist
- Line infantry volley combat integrated into gameplay
- Grenadiers acquired
- The Americas fully cleared
- Ready for India
Phase 3: Mid Game (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.
Level/Difficulty: Turns 10 to 80 for a European intervention Key Rewards: Trade goods, high value regions, Maratha manpower
What to Do in India
- Master 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. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward Line Infantry. It's the best equipment and becomes accessible around now.
- 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.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in Research through gentlemen and schools for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- Real time naval battles mastered
- Line Infantry acquired or in progress
- India fully cleared
- Ready for The trade theatres
Phase 4: Late Game (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.
Level/Difficulty: Any turn once you have spare warships Key Rewards: Passive trade income and denial of rival income
What to Do in The trade theatres
- Finalize your build. You should be running Great Britain or France with optimized gear.
- Line Infantry should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- 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.
- Government types and revolution optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into The Warpath campaign.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- Line Infantry upgraded to max
- The trade theatres fully cleared
- Ready for The Warpath campaign
Phase 5: Endgame (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.
Level/Difficulty: Standalone campaign, roughly 80 turns Key Rewards: Five native factions and their unique unit rosters
What to Do in The Warpath campaign
- The Warpath campaign tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- 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.
- The endgame loop: run The Warpath campaign, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with Ottoman Empire for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where Government types and revolution mastery separates good players from great ones. See our tips guide for advanced strategies.
Phase 5 Checklist
- Endgame content on farm
- Best-in-slot gear acquired
- The Warpath campaign fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- 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
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- 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.
For more advanced strategies, see our tips & tricks guide.
More Total War: EMPIRE Definitive Edition Guides
- Total War: EMPIRE Definitive Edition Total War: EMPIRE Definitive Edition Overview
- Total War: EMPIRE Definitive Edition Best Builds
- Total War: EMPIRE Definitive Edition Tier List
- 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
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