Vampire Coast are a really easy faction, you can play like a Horde with your Shipbuilding Lords sailing around the ocean sacking and establishing pirate coves in settlements while recruiting units on top of being able to Raise Dead like the Vampire Counts; or you can occupy settlements and build an empire just like most other factions; or do a bit of both. They can be a really quick, fun and focused campaign or a cover the world in undeath marathon, up to you.
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How To Win
I beat Luthor Harkon’s campaign on Very Hard soon after the Vampire Coast DLC was released. Today, the day this guide is being originally posted, is the day I beat Noctilus’ campaign on Legendary. Here are some key things I want you to know:
Business Casual Sauron created an excellent 3-part guide here titled “Count Noctilus Skill Guide for Necrofex Colossus Armies (Legendary Difficulty Approved)”. Go read it for a lot of useful tips, like using a Gunnery Wight to resupply your Queen Bess.
If you want to win a Legendary Campaign easily, play as Noctilus. Galleon’s Graveyard is a super-fortress that you will really have to “defecate the bed” to lose. Research the Tech that gives 10% Physical Resistance to Necrofex Colossus, and max the Red Line skill that gives 10% Physical Resistance and +8 Melee Defense to Necrofex. Get Noctilus on his Necrofex and give him 19 Necrofex and you can practically roll your face over your keyboard to win.
Campaign Mechanics: All of the “evil” factions in Total Warhammer II have to deal with a loyalty mechanic with their non-legendary lords. Your lords’ loyalty score that increases or decreases based on random events and their own performance in battle, and if it drops too low they’ll become a rebel army.
Oct 05, 2017 Total War: WARHAMMER II. Really appriciate your work, thanks. It's so annoying to play loyalty faction without it! Zeon May 28 @ 10:51pm. Jun 13, 2020 Total War: Warhammer 2 Lords and Faction Mods. Usually this is where I would talk about overhauls, but some of the most popular mods in Total War: Warhammer II are those which add lords and factions to the game. Creative Assembly can only use so many, so the hard work of these modders ensures that those who aren't chosen (often fan favourites. Ensure Absolute Loyalty If you wish to survive the turbulent, cutthroat world of Skaven politics you need loyal warriors on your side. Melee attack: +5 for Stormvermin units (factiontoforceownunseen).
To win, you must go beat an enemy fleet to get the Star-Harpoon, then gain enough Infamy to spawn 3 enemy fleets that each possess a Sea Shanty that will magically imbue the harpoon so that it can kill Amanar. I “think” the 1st Sea Shanty Admiral spawns at 8,000 Infamy, 2nd at 14,000, and 3rd at 24,000 (the max); but see for yourself as you can hover your mouse over the top middle area of the screen that shows your Infamy Ranking; the Admirals with a green icon next to them are the Sea Shanty Admirals.
Be prepared for these spawns, as once a Sea Shanty Admiral spawns, he will head to Galleon’s Graveyard to attack it.
Once you reach 24,000 Infamy and get the 3rd and Final Sea Shanty, then you can fight the final battle, which will be against A LOT of Dark Elves with some Vampire Coast units mixed in. You definitely want to fight this battle with a Doomstack (19 Necrofex Colossus is good). Win the battle and you win the campaign.
You can play the Vampire Coast like a horde, going around sacking and then establishing pirate coves in every port settlement (you can Sack then Establish Pirate Cove on the SAME TURN). Or you can play them like a normal faction, conquering and building up settlements until you have an empire. Or you can mix both, conquering 1 continent while sacking and pirate coving the coasts of the other continents.
Once you establish a pirate cove, you then have 4 building options. Ignore the Vampiric Corruption one, I’ve never used it, the other 3 options are far more needed. If you want to recruit Lords at higher levels, or if you want to play with LOTS of Mourngul Haunter heroes, you want to build the +1 Lord Rank/+1 Hero capacity coves. You only want to build the 50% income cove in the best Major Settlements like Lothern, Naggarond, Marienburg, Altdorf, etc, basically only in cities that make 2,000 gold or more and are well-defended so they do not get constantly sacked or razed. Everywhere else, build the +200 gold per turn and +3% research cove building.
I’m gonna put this here for future reference, Vampire Admirals are Lords, and Vampire Captains are Heroes.
Essential Tips
Reminder
Sea Shanty Admirals will beeline to Galleon’s Graveyard, while your defenses will probably be good enough to win, I personally would not risk it, and I would make sure you have a plan to defend your home base once the enemy spawns.
Avoid Hero Downtime When Treasure Hunting
If you go treasure hunting with a hero and press the dig for treasure button, whether you succeed or fail that will end that hero’s movement for that turn. And here is the thing that will make most people hate treasure hunting; let’s say you fail the dig because your hero was not quite in the right spot but you realize where the hero is supposed to dig so no worries you will get it on the next turn. On the next turn when you move your hero, you won’t be able to dig because the dig for treasure button will be greyed out; so if you fail at a dig it will cost you 3 turns of that hero’s time. FRUSTRATING! However, here is the tip that will make your heart leap for joy: Once your hero has digged for treasure, that same turn order your hero to move somewhere. Your hero will not move and you should see the red line indicating your hero is out of movement, BUT, it will RESET the Dig for Treasure Button, so on the very next turn if you should want to dig for treasure again, you will be able to! You’re welcome.
Offices require an Admiral to have at least 5 Loyalty to fill them besides the Level requirement, BUT, this loyalty requirement only applies if the Admiral is active on the campaign map; if you disband the Admiral to your Lord Pool then the Admiral can be placed in the office even they have 4 or less Loyalty.
Loyalty
The 4 Legendary Admiral from Technology (top right) are Immortal and Perfectly Loyal (and have shipbuilding like your Legendary Lord). Regular Admirals will spawn with a random amount of Loyalty, you can see the range before you recruit them. The Middle Post-Battle Victory option reward Loyalty at the cost of 50 Infamy. If you do not want to spend Infamy increasing loyalty, regular Admirals also have traits that reward increased Loyalty if a specific action is done. The Admiral Trait “Plunderer” is the best Trait because Raiding and Sacking are easy actions to fulfill the requirment. Second best would be “Murderer” because defeating an enemy lord is another common action you can do.
Removing troops, items or followers from an Admiral has a chance to decrease their loyalty. However, there is a Rite that not only gives a 50% chance to increase Loyalty each turn, but it will prevent a decrease in loyalty. So if you need to remove troops or items and/or disband an Admiral, use that Rite and let the Rite work for 4-5 turns to get the Admiral’s Loyalty as high as possible, then while the Rite is still active do what you gotta do.
Establishing Pirate Coves
Vampire Captain heroes can “Establish Pirate Coves” in a settlment for a hefty sum of gold, However, once one (1) of your Captain heroes performs this action against a settlement, a 15 turn timer starts that increases the cost of establishing a pirate cove for ALL of your Captains, and THAT captain cannot establish another cove for 15 turns. Now, according to Reddit posters you can use other Captains to establish coves if you can endure the increased cost, for example you could recruit a Captain hero from your Legendary Lord and have the Captain establish the cove and then disband that Captain and recruit another Captain for the next settlement. I didn’t try it in my campaign, but you can definitely give it a shot and report here.
When you conquer a COASTAL settlement (one that has a port) with an army, you have the option to Establish Pirate Cove for half the money you would have received from sacking the settlement. BUT, you can sack the settlement first, and then Establish Pirate Cove that same turn, which is almost always the better option. Sack, then Establish Pirate Cove, then move on.
Research Order
Important Tip – Recruit Heroes with the “Lore Keeper” Trait, gives +10% research rate and -10% construction cost which stacks.
Important Note – If you want to complete a campaign quickly by reaching 24,000 Infamy ASAP, play as Noctilus, follow the below steps to Step 3 because you want Level 10 Admirals that you can disband to fill Offices and you want Immunity to Ocean Attrition, but then don’t research either the Legendary Admirals or + 5 Hero Rank, instead research the tech that gives Physical Resistance to Necrofex Colossus, and go from there.
1) Bottom right tech tree, research the opening 3 turn tech then research the tech that gives the “Ships Carpenter” follower who reduces shipbuilding costs by 50%. 10,000 gold shipbuildings will only cost you 5,000, this will save you boatloads of gold, particularly if you are going for a long campaign where you recruit all 4 of the Legendary Admirals each with their own ship.
2) Top left tech tree, research the 3 turn tech, then research the +5 Lord Rank tech. Once you have this, Lords will be recruited at Level 6, which means you can fill the Offices that require Rank 5 Admirals. If you thought and acted ahead and established 4 pirate coves and built the +1 Lord Rank Cove in all 4, you will be able to recruit Rank 10 Admirals, thereby allowing you to fill any of the Offices.
Note – Offices require 5 Loyalty to fill. However, this only applies if the Admiral is active on the map. If you recruit a Level 10 Admiral who has 4 loyalty and then disband them, you can still fill the Offices with that Admiral.
3) Research the tech that gives you immunity to Storm & Reef Attrition and which allows you to research the Legendary Admirals (the 4 skills at the top right). The Legendary Admirals are already Immortal and perfectly Loyal and they have shipbuilding just like your Legendary Lord. They do cost 2000 infamy each to recruit however, so take that into consideration.
4) Research the +5 Hero Rank tech.
5) Research as you will from here depending on what strategy you are pursuing. You want to get the 10% Physical Resistance for Necrofex Colossus for when you go Necrofex Doomstack should you choose to.
Treasure Hunting
You do not have to do any Treasure Hunting at all if you hate it, you can without digging for treasure even once. What you need to know though is:
I think the maximum you can have a one time is 6, so if there is a treasure hunt in a part of the map you have no intention of sending any heroes or armies to ever, you can safely abandon that treasure hunt.
The message alerting you will tell you what the potential reward is, whether it is a meagre or great reward, and you can cancel ones you don’t find worth it.
The meagre treasure hunts reward 1,000 gold. I’ve seen 2,500. The great rewards can reward 5000 gold AND 150 Infamy.
So, the treasure hunts are totally unnecessary, but, if you want to rank up your infamy ASAP, and make some coin doing it, you may want to recruit a bunch of heroes and send them to each part of the map to be within a reasonable distance should a treasure hunt spawn in their general area.
How Do I Find The Treasure?
If you look closely at the details of the map, you will start to notice details like skulls in the sides of mountains, large creatures amongst the trees in Lustria (creatures are Fauna, plants are Flora), red-colored oasis in the desert to the SE of Khemri. Whenever you get a treasure hunt, click the magnifying glass so that it zooms to the area and then start looking for something that matches the riddle.
If you get “between two peaks…” in Lustria, you need to move a hero between two volcanoes in the west mountains of Lustria.
There is a hunt right above this location where you have to position your hero on the east side of the volcano right up next to where a crack in the volcano reveals a pool of lava.
If you get the “it has no mouth or lips but its mouth will never close” look for where the river exists into the ocean and dig there.
If you get “red oasis within sight of Khemri” there is a red oasis to the SE of Khemri
If you get “eyes that peer emptily” and the location is in the mountains of The Southlands near Kroq-Gar’s start (where Arachnos greenskins start), there are actually 2 skulls in that mountain and each have a treasure hunt with different text.
If you get a “fauna” text then look for a creature amongst the trees.
If you get a “markings on the ground” text then look for a clearing with a white symbol etched into the ground.
If the text says “Isha’s Tears” look for a waterfall or a pool of water.
Basically attention to what the riddle says and what is on the map when the magnifying glass zooms you to the location, and don’t be afraid to rotate your camera for a better view, then get your hero as close as you can to what you believe to be the spot and dig.
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For centuries, Arch Grand Commodore Luthor Harkon has ruled a stretch of Lustrian shore known as the Vampire Coast. While assaulting a hidden chamber, powerful glyphs rebounded Harkon’s sorcery, shattering his mind into many warring personalities and severing him from the Winds of Magic. Harkon’s multiple identities now battle for dominance but they have one common goal, to plunder the sacred places of the Lizardmen and use the power of their Slann artefacts to break the curse and heal his damaged mind.
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FACTION EFFECTS
Luthor Harkon’s fierce hatred of Lizardmen significantly hampers diplomatic relations but gives him a notable edge when leading his armies against them.
LORD EFFECTS
Luthor Harkon’s mind is fractured, meaning any one of his myriad different personalities can seize control – with unpredictable consequences.
MOUNT: DEATH SHRIEK TERRORGHEIST
Luthor Harkon can take to the skies astride a fearsome Death Shriek Terrorgheist.
UNIQUE ENCHANTED ITEM: SLANN GOLD
This filthy lucre reduces the cost of raising the dead, increases magic resistance, and reduces the Winds of Magic starting amount for enemy armies.
UNIQUE SKILLS
MAN-O-WAR
Luthor Harkon is no stranger to battle, his thousands of years of experience bolstering the leadership of his Depth Guard and Zombie Deckhands as well as increasing hero capacity for Vampire Fleet Captains.
SEVERED FROM THE WINDS
Luthor Harkon’s connection to the Winds of Magic was violently severed, increasing his magic resistance and reducing the Winds of Magic starting amount for enemy armies.
HAND CANNON
Luthor Harkon’s bullets pack an explosive punch, increasing missile damage for both himself and his Zombie Gunnery.
MOMENT OF LUCIDITY
Flashes of clarity through the madness serve to increase Luthor Harkon’s armour and melee defence.
PIRATE KING
Luthor Harkon’s reign as Pirate King of the Vampire Coast is absolute, reducing unit upkeep for Harkon’s army and increases global recruitment capacity.
FRACTURED MIND
Luthor Harkon’s shattered psyche can result in some unpredictable benefits, allowing him to unleash destructive frenzies against his enemies as well as increasing his leadership.
EYE OF THE VORTEX STARTING POSITION
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Legend has it that the sea witch Cylostra Direfin was once the favourite court singer of the Bretonnian king. Sent on a voyage across the ocean to sing for the Phoenix King, they were hit by a fierce storm. The madame’s notes turned to screams of fury as the ship sank, and all onboard drowned. Decades later, a Bretonnian galleon of rotten wood and tattered sails can be seen navigating the seas even in the most savage of storms. It is The Lamprey, the ship of the vengeful spirit Madame Cylostra and her crew, the Drowned.
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FACTION EFFECTS
As Mistress of the Deep, Cylostra Direfin’s very presence increases the loyalty of new recruits while also reducing the upkeep and recruitment costs for Mournguls and Syreens faction-wide.
LORD EFFECTS
Cylostra Direfin can offer the loyal followers in her army increased physical resistance while also enabling magical attacks.
MOUNT: ROTTING LEVIATHAN
Cylostra Direfin can take the field resplendent on the back of a Rotting Leviathan.
UNIQUE ARCANE ITEM: THE BORDELEAUX FLABELLUM
Cylostra Direfin’s ornate ceremonial fan increases public order in all provinces and vampiric corruption in local provinces. It also grants Cylostra a passive ability that reduces ability recharge whenever she casts a spell.
UNIQUE SKILLS
GHOSTS OF THE PAST
Cylostra Direfin can call forth spectral Bretonnian knights bound to her will, summoning a unit of Damned Knights Errant who can be upgraded to either Damned Questing Knights or Damned Knights of the Realm.
FROM THE DEPTHS
Cylostra Direfin can summon countless lost souls from beneath the waves, reducing the cost of raising the dead and increasing the recruitment rank of her army.
CONJURATION THROUGH HATE
Cylostra Direfin is well-versed in harnessing the hatred required to master Mourngul Haunters, increasing their hero capacity and recruitment rank.
FIERY DIVA
Cylostra Direfin is a prima donna in more ways than one, but it works in her favour by reducing the cooldown and casting costs for overcast spells.
EMERGING TERROR
The creatures under Cylostra Direfin’s direction are as resilient as they are terrifying, with increased physical resistance for Syreen, Mourngul, and Bloated Corpses and greatly reduced upkeep for the latter.
SIREN OF THE STORM
A powerful sea witch, Cylostra Direfin benefits from a reduced miscast base chance for overcast spells as well as an increased Winds of Magic power reserve.
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Queen of the Tides, Aranessa Saltspite is one of the most respected and feared pirate captains of Sartosa. Some say she is the daughter of the sea god Manann himself and he whispers to her to take control of all the world’s oceans. Now, many a sea-bloated corpse washes up against the Swordfysh’s hull, and so the Vampire first mates breathe unlife into them, creating a vast rabble of loyal crew, ready to serve at Captain Saltspite’s command. As part of the living realm rather than the undead, she commands a human pirate crew known as the Sartosa Free Company, otherwise reluctantly sharing control of the denizens of the Vampire Coast.
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FACTION EFFECTS
Aranessa Saltspite’s ruthlessness earns her additional income from raiding and sacking settlements as well as increasing her chance of finding treasure maps.
LORD EFFECTS
Aranessa Saltspite’s inspiring presence and aura of leadership increases the weapon strength and melee attack of her Sartosa Free Company units.
MOUNT: ROTTING PROMETHEAN
There are few sights as terrifying as Aranessa Saltspite riding into battle on a giant, rotting crustacean.
UNIQUE WEAPON: KRAKEN’S BANE
As its name suggests, Kraken’s Bane bestows Aranessa Saltspite with an aura that increases the melee attack of friendly units as well as giving them a bonus when facing large foes.
UNIQUE SKILLS
MUTANT
Aranessa Saltspite may not be undead but she is far from human, the inherent resilience of her warped form increasing her hit points and making her immune to fatigue.
SAWFISH PEG-LEG
Aranessa Saltspite’s legs take the form of wickedly serrated sawfish bills, increasing her armour and weapon strength.
CREATURES OF MANANN
Aranessa Saltspite’s keen knowledge of Rotting Prometheans and Rotting Leviathans allows her to reduce their upkeep and improve their missile resistance – it is clear why some believe her to be the daughter of the sea god Manann.
GIFTED SAILOR
Aranessa Saltspite’s mastery of the waves brings many benefits, increasing the leadership of her Sartosa Free Company units as well as increasing her army’s movement and replenishment rates.
SELF-TAUGHT GUNNER
Aranessa Saltspite’s formidable gunnery skills increase the ammunition of Carronades, Mortars, and Queen Bess when part of her army.
YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE
Aranessa Saltspite’s reputation as one of Sartosa’s most formidable pirate captains is well earned, her notoriety boosting her melee attack and giving her a ward save in addition to increasing plunder gained from encounters at sea.
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Count Noctilus, once known as Nyklaus von Carstein of Sylvania, was drawn to the maelstrom at the heart of the ocean to feast upon its dark magic. He performed a mighty ritual to transport himself, his castle and all his undead minions there to the Galleon’s Graveyard, a mystical place where wrecks and hulks of the seas are drawn. Reborn as Count Noctilus, he raised the shattered remains of sunken warships to form the hull of the Bloody Reaver and ride the waves of the mortal seas once more.
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FACTION EFFECTS
Count Noctilus’s appetite for conquest allows him to gain war-declaration missions with unique rewards and rapidly swell his ranks for the task with increased recruitment capacity for his pirate crew and reduced recruitment duration for Necrofex Colossi.
LORD EFFECTS
As a consummate Lord of Dread, Count Noctilus benefits from reduced upkeep for Necrofex Colossi in addition to increased weapon strength for any monstrous units under his command.
MOUNT: NECROFEX COLOSSUS
Count Noctilus is often seen riding into battle atop the grotesque, rotting bulk of a Necrofex Colossus.
UNIQUE ENCHANTED ITEM: CAPTAIN ROTH’S MOONDIAL
Total War Warhammer 2 Loyalty Battle
This strange trinket grants Count Noctilus increased movement and line of sight in the campaign map as well as the ability to summon Zombie Deckhands across the battlefield.
UNIQUE SKILLS
MASTER OF THE DREADFLEET
Count Noctilus is the undisputed leader of the Dreadfleet, increasing lord recruitment rank faction-wide.
REGENERATIVE HULL
Count Noctilus’s preternatural powers of regeneration extend beyond merely himself, increasing the replenishment rate and recruitment capacity of his army.
VANDAL
Plundering is in Count Noctilus’s blood, increasing horde growth for his ship as well as income gained from raiding and sacking settlements.
OF THE VON CARSTEIN LINE
Count Noctilus’s former life as Nyklaus von Carstein means he is well versed in striking terror into the hearts of his foes as well as regenerating in the face of seemingly insurmountable injuries.
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SEA CURSE
The curse of the Galleon’s Graveyard is known and feared throughout the coast but Count Noctilus has found a way to harness its power for his own gain, increasing the leadership and melee defence of his Depth Guard, Deck Droppers, and Terrorgheists.
INVINCIBLE FLEET
Count Noctilus and his fleet are infamous for their terrible tenacity, resulting in the leadership of his army being increased and making Noctilus himself unbreakable.
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