Total War: Pharaoh - Comprehensive Court Guide

Total War: Pharaoh introduces a court intrigue system where only a select few characters hold positions of power within their homeland's royal court. ...

Isaiah Colbert

Oct 11, 2023

Total War: Pharaoh - Comprehensive Court Guide

Total War: Pharaoh introduces a court intrigue system where only a select few characters hold positions of power within their homeland's royal court. However, anyone can engage in scheming or seek favors from the influential nobles of the kingdom. Utilizing political power in this manner is one of the most straightforward approaches to gaining an advantage.

Achieving victory in Total War: Pharaoh often entails relying on the support of the nobility or replacing the existing court with more compliant individuals. With this guide, you will have all the necessary knowledge to skillfully scheme your way to the pinnacle of power in the pyramid.

Court Positions

Total War Pharaoh - Complete Guide To Court

The Egyptian and Hittite courts consist of six positions, including the ruler. Each position bestows specific abilities, usually comprising a passive power that remains active at all times and another power that can be utilized once per year, resetting on Shemsu Hor.

Shemsu Hor takes place every sixth turn and plays a significant role in court intrigue. You can easily track the remaining time until Shemsu Hor by observing the meter located near the End Turn button.

Court positions also provide a moderate amount of Legitimacy to their holders, which facilitates asserting a claim to the throne for those in positions of power. Typically, the higher a position is displayed on the Court Screen, the greater amount of Legitimacy it bestows.

If a position other than Great King or Pharaoh is unoccupied, a player can claim it during Shemsu Hor by spending Gold and taking a Court Action. However, the titles of Pharaoh or Great King can only be obtained by winning a Civil War. If the ruler position is vacant, it will remain so until someone seizes it.

Egyptian Court Positions

Position	Legitimacy	Powers
Pharaoh	20	Braves of the King, Pharaoh Guard, Royal Archers, and Royal Chariots become available through Special Recruitment. Plots against the Pharaoh have a lower chance of success. Improved opinion with all Egyptian factions. The Pharaoh has access to unique equipment and the Powers Of The Crown.
High Priest	14	Gains additional Favor with each of their worshiped deities. If the High Priest personally visits a settlement in an Egyptian Sacred Land, they can get 200 Gold. Shrines and Temples are cheaper to build.
Vizier	14	The Vizier can Scheme once per year to get extra Court Actions for a turn. Gains access to the Assassinate plot (see below).
Treasurer	14	Gains access to the Embezzle plot (see below). If the Treasurer personally visits a settlement in Egyptian Sacred Land, they can get extra resources. The Treasurer gets lower construction costs on Shemsu Hor. The Treasurer can set Builder Wages, giving discounts on selected building types for all Egyptian factions.
First Commander	7	Braves of the King, Pharaoh Guard, Royal Archers, and Royal Chariots become available through Special Recruitment. The First Commander can set Army Wages on Shemsu Hor, giving discounts on selected unit types to all Egyptian factions.
Viceroy of Kush	7	The Viceroy of Kush gains extra Gold each turn. The Viceroy of Kush can recruit Kushite units from any province.

Hittite Court Positions

Position	Legitimacy	Powers
Great King	20	Golden Spearmen, Mesedi, Royal Chargers, and Royal Chariots are available through Special Recruitment. Plots against the Great King have a lower chance of success. Opinion boost with all Hittite factions. The Great King has access to unique weapons and the Powers Of The Crown.
High Judge	14	Gets unique events, allowing the High Judge to issue rulings for useful benefits. These events will often improve your relations with other Hittite factions. If the High Judge personally visits a settlement in Hittite Sacred Land, they can give that province a Happiness boost. Once per year, the High Judge can force a rebel army in Hittite-controlled land to disband.
Lawgiver	14	Gains access to the Embezzle plot (see below). If the Lawgiver personally visits a settlement in Hittite Sacred Land, they can get extra resources. The Lawgiver gets lower construction costs on Shemsu Hor. The Lawgiver can set Builder Wages, giving discounts on selected building types for all Hittite factions.
High Commander	7	Golden Spearmen, Mesedi, Royal Chargers, and Royal Chariots are available through Special Recruitment. The High Commander can set Army Wages on Shemsu Hor, granting discounts on selected unit types for all Hittite factions.
Tuhkanti	14	The Tuhkanti can Scheme once per year to get extra Court Actions for a turn. Gains access to the Assassinate plot (see below).
Chief of Royal Bodyguards	7	The Chief Bodyguard can end any plot at the Hittite court of which they are aware. All General's Bodyguard units in the Chief's faction get increased stats. All armies in the Chief's faction can use Hold The Flank.

The Pharaoh or Great King has the ability to appoint one of their Generals to a Court Position. By doing so, the ruler essentially holds both their own office and the appointed position. As their Legitimacy grows and they unlock additional Crown Powers, they can claim more Court Positions, potentially gaining direct control over the entire court!

Plots, Requests, And Intrigues

Total War Pharaoh - Complete Guide To

You can engage with the court and its office-holders by utilizing Court Actions to carry out Plots and Intrigues or to make Requests. These actions typically have an impact on the target character's Regard for you.

Regard signifies your level of influence or standing with a specific Court Position. It functions as a form of currency that allows you to influence the office-holder and achieve your objectives. When a Court Position changes hands, the Regard of all characters towards that Position is reset to zero.

Your Regard with a Court Position does not affect the faction's opinion of you, and vice versa. What occurs within the royal court remains within the royal court.

You do not need to hold a Court Position in order to perform Court Actions; you simply need to be a member of the relevant Royal Tradition, which is accessible to anyone who possesses Egyptian or Hittite Sacred Land. By default, players receive one Court Action per turn, except for Ramesses, who receives two.

Intrigues

Intrigue	Cost	Effect
Conspire	20 Regard	Reveal one of your Plots to the character and raise that Plot's level by one.
Assist	360 Gold	Immediately gain a large amount of Regard with the character.
Gossip	N/A	Gain 20 Regard with the character and reveal one Plot at random that they have started or that targets them.

Intrigues are the fundamental interactions at your disposal and are primarily utilized to cultivate Regard or advance your Plots.

Requests

Requests require 60 Regard and enable you to utilize one of the powers linked to the corresponding Court Position once. For instance, you can request Elite Troops from the First Commander or High Commander, granting you access to their special recruitment pool until Shemsu Hor.

Engaging in Intrigues and Requests with the Pharaoh or Great King incurs an additional cost in Gold.

Plots

Plot	Effect
Threaten	The target is removed from their Court Position. If the plotter can occupy the vacated Position, they do so.
Blackmail	The plotter gains a large amount of Regard with the target.
Discredit	The target loses a small amount of Legitimacy, and the plotter gains the same amount.
Embezzle	The target loses a very small amount of Legitimacy, and the plotter gains the same amount plus 700 Gold.
Assassinate	The target is killed and their Court Position vacated. If the target is a playable character, they are instead wounded as though their unit had been destroyed in battle.

Plots are elaborate schemes that offer substantial rewards when successfully executed. Plots can be initiated on any turn except Shemsu Hor, but they necessitate the use of a Court Action. All ongoing Plots are resolved simultaneously on Shemsu Hor and cannot be expedited or delayed. Initiating a Plot earlier in the year allows for more time to advance its progress, but also raises the risk of being discovered.

Most Plots are assigned a level ranging from one to five, wherein higher levels correspond to greater chances of success when resolved on Shemsu Hor. Additional factors, such as the disparity in Legitimacy between the plotter and the target, or the number of individuals aware of the Plot, can also influence its likelihood of success.

Failing a Plot typically results in a minor decrease in Legitimacy, but the penalty becomes more severe for each character who was aware of the Plot at the time of its resolution. Utilizing the Conspire action is a swift method to enhance a Plot's level, but it also entails a higher penalty in case of failure.

All the Plots that you are aware of, including your own, are displayed in the Plots tab of the Court Screen. Clicking on a Plot enables you to utilize Court Actions to influence its outcome. Assisting or obstructing a Plot that does not belong to you will earn you Regard with the plotter or the target, as appropriate. You can advance the level of your own Plots by expending 30 Regard with the target. Additionally, you have the option to spend Gold to foil a Plot that targets you, although the cost rises with the level of the Plot.

Blocking a Plot is typically more cost-effective when you are aware of the individual scheming against you. To discover the identity of the culprit, consider engaging in Gossip with anyone who has an active Plot.