Total War: WARHAMMER II moves the trilogy south to the New World, where High Elves, Dark Elves, Lizardmen and Skaven race to seize control of the Great Vortex above Ulthuan. The Eye of the Vortex campaign is a five ritual sprint with a final defensive battle at the end, which makes it far tighter and more directed than the sandbox of WARHAMMER III's Immortal Empires. Tomb Kings and Vampire Coast arrived as paid races with their own rules, one paying no upkeep but capped by unit limits, the other chasing Infamy and a star metal harpoon to kill the merwyrm Amanar.
Combat in Total War: WARHAMMER II rewards knowledge over reflexes. Understanding how each mechanic works (and how they interact) is what turns a struggling player into a dominant one. New here? Start with our beginner's guide for the basics.
Core Combat Mechanics
1. Eye of the Vortex ritual race
Each race performs five rituals to bend the Great Vortex to its will, gated behind a race specific resource. Completing the fifth gives you five turns before the final battle, which you fight as the defender while everyone else tries to stop you.
Why it matters: This is the foundation of all combat. Everything else builds on this.
2. Rites
Every race can pay gold for temporary faction wide effects, from campaign movement bonuses to recruitment discounts. The Dark Elf Black Ark rite is the standout, since it creates a mobile floating city rather than a timed buff.
Why it matters: The most underrated mechanic. Players who master this early have a massive advantage.
3. Skaven food and under-cities
Food is the Skaven currency of stability. Drop below roughly 40 percent stocks and growth, leadership and public order all suffer. Skaven also plant Under-Cities beneath other races' settlements, siphoning income and corrupting from below.
Why it matters: Unlocks a new layer of gameplay depth once understood.
4. Dark Elf slaves and Black Arks
Slaves come from winning battles and drive the Dark Elf economy, with several quests requiring specific slave counts or sacrifices. Black Arks are mobile cities that recruit, repair and bombard coastlines.
Why it matters: The tactical edge that separates average players from advanced ones.
5. Mortal Empires campaign
Owning both WARHAMMER I and II unlocks Mortal Empires, a combined map covering the Old World and the New World with every race from both games. It is a sandbox with no ritual clock, which is the opposite experience to the Vortex campaign.
Why it matters: The endgame optimization mechanic. Small improvements here compound into massive gains.
How These Mechanics Combine
Understanding how mechanics interact is where real optimization happens:
Eye of the Vortex ritual race + Rites
Each race performs five rituals to bend the Great Vortex to its will, gated behind a race specific resource. When combined with Rites, every race can pay gold for temporary faction wide effects, from campaign movement bonuses to recruitment discounts. This combination is the core of every effective build.
Skaven food and under-cities + Dark Elf slaves and Black Arks
Food is the Skaven currency of stability. Paired with Dark Elf slaves and Black Arks, slaves come from winning battles and drive the dark elf economy, with several quests requiring specific slave counts or sacrifices. This is why the tier list favors builds that leverage both.
Mortal Empires campaign as a Multiplier
Owning both WARHAMMER I and II unlocks Mortal Empires, a combined map covering the Old World and the New World with every race from both games. It is a sandbox with no ritual clock, which is the opposite experience to the Vortex campaign. This system amplifies everything else. The better your Mortal Empires campaign optimization, the more your other mechanics pay off.
Combat by Build
Each build approaches combat differently:
High Elves (A-Tier)
Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Lothern Sea Guard Primary mechanic: Eye of the Vortex ritual race
High Elves offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.
Dark Elves (A-Tier)
Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Witch Elves Primary mechanic: Rites
Dark Elves offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.
Lizardmen (A-Tier)
Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Saurus Warriors Primary mechanic: Skaven food and under-cities
Lizardmen offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.
Skaven (A-Tier)
Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Hell Pit Abomination Primary mechanic: Dark Elf slaves and Black Arks
Skaven offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.
Tomb Kings (A-Tier)
Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Necropolis Knights Primary mechanic: Mortal Empires campaign
Tomb Kings offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.
Advanced Combat Techniques
Damage Optimization
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities
- Exploit Eye of the Vortex ritual race for maximum damage windows
- Chain Rites and Skaven food and under-cities for combo damage
- Use Dark Elf slaves and Black Arks to create openings
Survivability
- Learn enemy patterns before committing to attacks
- Time your rituals around your army positions, because every completed ritual spawns Chaos and Skaven intervention armies at the settlements performing it.
- Position using Eye of the Vortex ritual race to control spacing
- Save defensive options for guaranteed survival, not comfort
Boss Combat
Bosses test your understanding of every mechanic. See our boss guide for fight-specific strategies.
- Phase awareness: Most bosses change behavior at health thresholds
- Patience over aggression: One extra hit per opening beats dying to greed
- Build preparation: Swap gear and equipment for specific fights when needed
Common Combat Mistakes
- Button mashing: Committed attacks have recovery frames. Mashing locks you into animations.
- Ignoring Rites: This mechanic exists for a reason. Players who use it take significantly less damage.
- Wrong equipment for the situation: Check our weapons guide for situational picks.
- Not learning from deaths: Every death teaches something. If you don't know why you died, you'll die the same way again.
- Overcommitting: Trading hits works in Ulthuan but will get you killed in Nehekhara.
More Total War: WARHAMMER II Guides
- Total War: WARHAMMER II Total War: WARHAMMER II Overview
- Total War: WARHAMMER II Best Builds
- Total War: WARHAMMER II Tier List
- Total War: WARHAMMER II Walkthrough
- Total War: WARHAMMER II Beginner's Guide
- Total War: WARHAMMER II Tips & Tricks
- Total War: WARHAMMER II Weapons Guide
- Total War: WARHAMMER II Boss Guide
- Total War: WARHAMMER II Maps & Locations
- Total War: WARHAMMER II Crafting Guide
- Total War: WARHAMMER II Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Total War: WARHAMMER II, check out these related guides:
- Sid Meier's Civilization V Combat Guide: strategy game with similar mechanics
- Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Combat Guide: strategy game with similar mechanics
- RimWorld Combat Guide: strategy game with similar mechanics
