Rome: Total War: Alexander is the second expansion for Rome: Total War that was released on June 19, 2006. It included a campaign, 6 historical battles, and new multiplayer options. The main task of the game is to accomplish what Alexander the Great did, in a similar time period. The goal in the game is to conquer 30 provinces in 100 turns. If Alexander is killed, or you fail to take 30 provinces and all the victory settlements, the campaign will fail. All nations start at war and are unable to broker peace due to diplomats being unavailable in the campaign.
The expansion is bundled in with Total War: Rome Remastered, but unlike Barbarian Invasion, the other expansion to Rome: Total War, Alexander has far fewer changes other than the standard HD units, map texture, etc. You are still unable to recruit diplomats as well as the new merchant that was added in the remaster and no other factions are unlocked to play in the campaign. There is no extra campaign either to play the expansion like a traditional Total War game, it's locked to just Alexander's Macedon as the sole playable faction, though they are all playable in skirmish battles.
Factions[]
The factions in Rome Total War: Alexander are:
- Scythia: The Scythians control the Scythia plains. The Scythians are not a major threat to Macedonia. Their units are mostly just horsemen.
- Dahae: They are next to Persia on the campaign map, and will be a problem when you beat Persia. Watch out for their powerful Swordsmen.
- Illyria: The Illyrians control the western half of the Balkans. Their army is consist mostly axemen. They could turn into a major threat if not defeated early in-game.
- Thrace: They are essentially a city state and control Byzantium, blocking Alexander from crossing into Asia Minor.
- Macedon: You will have some of the best cavalry but also powerful hoplites. If Alexander dies, then it's gameover.
- Persia: The Persians begin the game with the largest amount of land. Fortunately for the Player, most of their armies are poorly equipped. Unfortunately for the Player, they can also train elite troops such as Immortals.
- India: India does not appear in campaign mode, but is playable in Custom Matches. They have mostly weak spearmen, and poor archers. Their only redeeming feature is their ability to use Elephants on the battlefield.
Historical battles[]
Like the base game, Alexander features historical battles. There's a total of 6 battles, which feature set armies and factions on a specific map, designed to recreate the real famous battle. The battle list is as follows:
- Battle of Chaeronea: This is the only battle to feature the Greek Cities, and was fought between King Philip II with his son, Alexander and a collection of Greek city states in 338 BC. It was a decisive Macedonian victory and allowed them to establish hegemony over a majority of Greece.
- Battle of Granicus: Fought in 334 BC, this battle marked Alexander's first step into conquering all of Persia. It was fought between Alexander and the Achaemenid Empire (or First Persian Empire) at the Granicus River, near the ancient city of Troy. It was a major victory for Alexander and marked his first steps towards destroying the Persian Empire.
- Battle of Halicarnassus: Technically the Siege of Halicarnassus, this battle also took place in 334 BC not too long after the Battle of Granicus. Alexander captures the city of Halicarnassus from the Persians. After a hard fought battle, Alexander took the city and crippled Persian naval power in the Mediterranean.
- Battle of Issus: The next major battle fought by Alexander after Halicarnassus, this battle was fought in 333 BC and saw Alexander crush a large Persian army, cementing control over Asia Minor and allowing him to advance further into Persia itself as well as the Holy Land and Egypt.
- Battle of Gaugamela: Also known as the Battle of Arbela, this battle saw Alexander destroy a large Persian army to gain control of Babylon while also ending Persian rule over half of their empire in 331 BC. This battle is considered the final blow to the Persian Empire.
- Battle of Hydaspes: The only battle to feature India as an opponent, this was one of the last battles Alexander fought in 326 BC. Alexander fought an Indian army for control of a part of India. It was one of the most costly battles for the Macedonians but resulted in the annexation of a large part of Punjab.
Trivia[]
- The expansion uses the base game skirmish maps for custom battles rather than just using a pool for the regions featured in the expansion. This means a battle could be set up between the Persians and Indians fighting in the Scottish Highlands, something that would never happen in real life.
- All the barbarian factions have the same unit roster. For this reason, only Dahae is playable in custom battles, as having the others playable would be identical to Dahae.
- While the Greek City States are technically in the expansion, they only feature in a historical battle and are not playable through any other means.
- India is the only faction to be playable in skirmish but not be featured on the campaign map, making them skirmish exclusive.
Gallery[]
