Menelaus is a historical and playable character featured in Total War Saga: Troy.
Background
Menelaus, son of the famed king Atreus, was the younger brother of Agamemnon of Mycenae and husband of Helen – the Spartan princess with which he ruled as king in Sparta. The two brothers rose to power after each married a princess of Sparta, thus securing an alliance with the Lacedaemonians.
Spear-famed Menelaus must answer the slight to his honour dealt by Paris, by running away with Helen. This audacious deed has shaken the very foundations of Menelaus’ authority in Lakedaimon. He enters the Trojan War as the aggrieved party and is rightfully seeking bloody revenge on Prince Paris and his wayward wife. Even if it means bringing down the entire kingdom of Troy.
Personality
The warrior king focuses on fostering friendships and forging alliances which allows him to recruit native warriors from the lands of his allies, resulting in an unsurpassed military versatility.
Although not in his prime, Menelaus is still a mighty warrior who inspires awe and fear on the battlefield. Clad in heavy armour and wielding a great spear, he looks like the God of War’s equal.
Campaign
Menelaus can turn to his neighbours for potential allies as he restores his authority in the region and look to the south where mighty Tiryns holds Cythera island, blocking access to the treasures of Crete, which are rumoured to be beyond imagination.
After consolidating power at home, and beseeching Helen’s suitors to honour the Oath of Tyndareus, the king can look to exact his rightful vengeance and wage war on the perfidious Trojan princeling.
Playstyle
Menelaus has a powerful ability called Call to Arms – a unique mechanic which allows him to recruit units from the rosters of his defensive or military allies from any point on the map.
In addition, the Spartan Settlers mechanic allows Sparta to instantly colonize ruined settlements without sending an army and spending units. While the cost can be high based on distance, it enables Menelaus to unleash his wrath and raze enemy settlements without losing battle momentum.
Sources
| A Total War Saga: Troy Homeric characters | |
|---|---|
| Epic Archers | Aegisthus・Hippolyta・Bathycles・Crethon・Lycomedes・Odysseus・Pandaros・Paris・Teucer |
| Epic Defenders | Agenor・Ajax the Great・Alcimedon・Amphimachos・Anchialos・Antenor・Automedon・Deileon・Epeios・Glaucos・Hector・Idomeneus・Menoetes・Nestor・Orestes |
| Epic Fighters | Achilles・Aesymnos・Ajax the lesser・Alcimedes・Alcimos・Amphidamas・Deiphobos・Demoleon・Diomedes・Eudoros・Helenos・Hippomenes・Hypsenor・Leucos・Melanippos・Menelaus・Meriones・Patroclus・Penthesilea・Polydorus |
| Epic Warlords | Aeneas・Alcamon・Alcinus・Agamemnon・Agapenor・Amphilochos・Antiphates・Antiphos・Archelochos・Euryalos・Eurymedon・Mecisteus・Memnon・Menestheus・Mynes・Oileus・Orsilochos・Phaenops・Polydamas・Sarpedon・Telephos |