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New Features in Attila:
Horde Mode
The newest and best feature available in Attila is the rehashed horde mode that was last
used in the ‘Barbarian Invasion’ expansion for ‘Rome: Total War’ back in 2005. It applies to
only ‘the great migrators’ cultures which includes the Ostrogoths, the Alans, the Vandals,
and the Visigoths. The only other horde faction not included in that culture is the Huns. A
horde faction begins with no towns or cities but a large army. This army acts as a hub for
soldiers if you will and allows the player to build and upgrade buildings on the move to add
to its encampment. The player is also able to research technologies and train units on the go
too which gives a much wider range of tactical opportunities when in the midst of a rival
faction. Once a horde faction defeats an enemy in a siege, it has the same options as the
rest of the factions to loot, sack or raze. But in addition to these, they will also get the
option to just occupy the town or city. This will end the migration and turn the faction into a
normal one until the player clicks the migrate button again. This requires the player to play
carefully as they will need to find a strategically placed settlement which can benefit the
faction. Another reason for the player to play carefully as a horde faction is that their
migrating armies rely on land fertility until they find a town or city. This means that the
richer the land is that the army is stationed in, the better income of food they will be getting
and therefore faction growth can increase faster. It is useful to note that should the player
decide to raze a settlement once beating the enemy, the surrounding land’s fertility will
decrease which will most definitely have a negative effect on the army’s growth.
Politics Overhaul
The politics in total War have been given a huge, long awaited overhaul. There are now
many more aspects to take care of and look out for. It will quickly get overwhelming for a
new player so we have broken the basics down for you to help get yourself to grips with this
new system. The first thing you will notice is the family tree which has been added back
after not appearing in the previous instalment: Rome 2. In its return, it has become useful
for a change and can turn the tide of a political battle and determine how much control you
have over your faction. The tree in the middle of the screen are all of your family members,
the list of characters in the left side are all belonging to other families. Your own family is
represented by a yellow bar at the top of the page and the other families will have a red bar.
Attila’s politics are much different to any other we have seen yet. It is no longer about
simply gaining as much control as you can but instead requires the player to find that
perfect balance between ‘dominion’ and ‘control’. Gaining and losing control all depends on
the player’s success or failure in political actions. The more things go the player’s way, the
higher the control percentage will increase. Political actions include but are not limited to:
Assassinations, gathering support, Diminishing popularity and seeking a wife.
To gain dominion is more complicated. It depends on your own family members’ total
influence compared to any other families. Your family’s influence can be lost through failed
actions and unfavourable acts such as destroying a faction or town previously allied with
your own faction. Alternatively, the player will be able to use actions such as arranging a
marriage with another noble and their daughter character. Doing so would give the family

2. another member who will bring along their influence points to boost the whole family’s
popularity in politics.
Offices in Attila are rather simple and easy to get the hang of. Different offices will give the
appointed character different bonuses to their skills and also a steady income of influence.
An office could for example increase the influence that the character gains after winning a
battle or decrease the upkeep of an army he is under command of. When the game first
begins, the character will have to start at a lower level office with a smaller bonus. However,
as they level up and gain more specific skills they will be able to move up to the next office
and therefore will be given a stronger bonus. Having plenty of characters in office helps you
keep in power by making the other political faction spend a lot of their influence points to
attain an office, lowering their overall control and rendering you the leader for a longer
period of time.