Total War: Warhammer 3 is a complex and immersive strategy game where players take control of factions with unique strengths, weaknesses, and playstyles. One of the central aspects of the game is managing relations with other factions, many of which are controlled by AI. While it’s often the player who initiates battles, there are situations where the AI might choose to attack you—either due to diplomacy, aggression, or strategic interests.
This article will explore various ways to provoke the AI into attacking you, including how diplomacy works, how to manipulate your relations with factions, and how to manage your military in such a way that you draw the AI into war. While you can’t always predict the AI’s behavior, understanding the mechanics and psychology behind the AI’s decisions will help you increase the likelihood of drawing it into combat.
1. Diplomatic Relations and Aggression
Diplomacy plays a major role in how AI factions behave in Total War: Warhammer 3. Your interactions with other factions can either encourage or deter them from attacking. Here’s how you can manipulate diplomacy to provoke the AI into war:
A. Breaking Treaties and Agreements
One of the most direct ways to trigger aggression from an AI faction is to break a peace treaty, non-aggression pact, or military alliance. If you have an active treaty with a faction and you suddenly violate it, this will cause a major shift in your relations. AI factions are generally aggressive toward factions that betray agreements. A diplomatic breakdown often leads to an AI declaring war on you.
B. Hostile Diplomacy
You can also pursue a more hostile diplomatic strategy by insulting the AI faction in various ways:
- Refusing trade agreements or asking for high amounts of tribute can irritate the AI and push them toward war.
- Demanding payment for peace can also antagonize an AI faction, especially if you have a history of conflict or if the faction is naturally hostile.
C. Aggressive Expansion Near AI Territory
Building up your strength near an AI faction’s borders can provoke a response, especially if you begin to encroach on their territory. The AI may view your expansion as a threat, prompting them to declare war in order to protect their lands. You can:
- Colonize regions near AI-controlled settlements.
- Create military presence on their borders, especially with high-value units or armies.
2. Military Power and Threat Level
While diplomacy can start conflicts, your military strength also plays a huge role in provoking AI attacks. Here’s how military power influences AI decisions:
A. Creating a Strong or Weak Military Presence
If you have a powerful army near AI borders or within their sphere of influence, the AI might see you as a rival and take preemptive action to prevent you from growing too strong. On the flip side, if you are too weak, AI factions might see an opportunity to strike when you are vulnerable. Balancing your military strength is key.
B. Focus on Building an Army
Building up a large or threatening army near AI settlements can draw their attention. They may perceive your army as a direct threat, triggering them to act first and declare war before you can strike. The AI often prioritizes defending against perceived strong military threats. If you’re looking to make them attack, don’t hold back on assembling armies or placing them in strategic locations.
C. Constantly Attacking Neutral Factions
By attacking minor factions or neutral settlements in the game, you can draw the attention of the AI factions in the area. This can lead them to view you as an aggressor and push them to take action to stop you. Keep in mind that if you wipe out too many minor factions, it may cause other factions to feel threatened by your expansion.
3. Threatening Their Interests or Resources
AI factions are often driven by the desire to protect their resources, territories, and strategic advantages. By actively threatening these interests, you can provoke them into attacking.
A. Control Key Resources
Strategically, some regions in Total War: Warhammer 3 contain valuable resources or unique buildings that are crucial for faction development. If you control these areas or threaten their control, AI factions may view this as a direct threat to their ability to thrive. If an AI faction heavily depends on a resource you control, expect them to attack you in order to seize it.
B. Raising Military Tension
If your faction has a strong economy, and you’re building large armies near AI territories, they may feel pressured to take action. Having a threatening military presence in their regions, especially when you control important resources or strategic locations, could be enough to provoke an attack. This is especially effective if you are building up your army and infrastructure in a way that causes economic or military imbalance.
4. Manipulating AI Factions with Other Factions
In Total War: Warhammer 3, AI factions often interact with each other. By influencing other factions, you can increase the likelihood that they will declare war on you. Here are a few strategies to manipulate the larger diplomatic web:
A. Factions You Are Allied With Can Turn Against You
Maintain military alliances with factions that are unstable or prone to backstabbing. Eventually, if your relations drop (even if you’ve been in an alliance), they may declare war on you. Be cautious of alliances with factions that have a high risk of betrayal, especially if they’re struggling against another power or if their interests change.
B. Invite Other Factions to War
Sometimes, factions will declare war on you because of diplomatic interactions between them and other factions. For example, you can:
- Use diplomacy to form a rivalry with a faction and then encourage others to join the conflict.
- Help other factions by attacking shared enemies, potentially making you an enemy of the faction you are aiding.
C. Use Spies and Assassins
Spies and assassins can be used to weaken or destabilize AI factions, making them more vulnerable to war. Sabotaging key settlements, poisoning well-established leaders, or even starting rebellions in enemy territory can destabilize the AI and make them more inclined to launch an offensive against you.
5. Behavior of the AI: How It Decides to Attack
AI factions in Total War: Warhammer 3 have different personalities, attitudes, and levels of aggression based on their faction type. The overall behavior of the AI is influenced by several factors:
A. Aggressive Factions
Certain factions, especially those with aggressive tendencies like the Chaos factions or the Dark Elves, will naturally seek conflict with nearby factions. If you’re near these types of factions, you can expect them to declare war on you sooner, especially if they feel their power is threatened or they want to expand.
B. Diplomatic Standing
AI factions that have a positive diplomatic standing with you are less likely to attack. If your relations are poor, though, they will be more likely to act aggressively. It is essential to monitor your relations with other factions and work to maintain a negative diplomatic standing if you’re aiming for conflict.
C. Strategic Considerations
The AI also considers its own strategic position. If an AI faction feels that attacking you will give them a strong advantage or that it’s in their best interest to go to war, they will initiate hostilities. Their decision-making is based on a number of factors, including military strength, territorial control, and alliances with other factions.
Conclusion: The Path to Provocation
To get AI factions to attack you in Total War: Warhammer 3, you need to manage the delicate balance of diplomacy, military presence, and strategic positioning. The AI is reactive, but it is also highly influenced by both external and internal factors. By manipulating your relationships, expanding your influence near AI-controlled regions, and keeping your military a constant presence, you can provoke the AI into war.
Although it’s impossible to control every aspect of the AI’s behavior, understanding the underlying mechanics of faction relations and military dynamics gives you the tools you need to provoke war when desired. Whether you’re trying to increase your difficulty level or create a more challenging game environment, knowing how to draw the AI into conflict can provide new layers of challenge and excitement to your Total War: Warhammer 3 experience.
