Before We Begin

An extra small disclaimer.

Legendary difficulty

Faction Effects

Lord effects

Additional Units

Abbreviations and Terminology

Compared to my other guides Reikland has quite the deviant start. A few key things can change early on due to being surrounded by so many factions. I have done my best to describe the different outcomes and when they are likely to occur, as well as what you can do if such outcomes do occur. The later parts of this guide can still be followed if you encounter a setback. I have played around 20 starts making this guide to make it as comprehensive as possible. I hope you enjoy!The two biggest changes to legendary difficulty are not being able to manually save the game and the inability to pause/slow in battles. The campaign is saved before and after battles and at the start of a new turn, however it is not saved for army movement that does not initiate a battle, or hero movement and actions. Building and technology research options also do not trigger a game save.- We want our armies to be as cost effective as possible as we will have multiple supply line penalties.- Lots of rebellions until corruption is stabilized and public order building are built.A full list of changes can be found here https://imgur.com/a/1RD1JhB Not a lot of people know that the recent Line of Sight changes are linked to a provinces Public Order. This means that farming rebellions isn't as straight forward as it used to be, especially in larger provinces. It can be quite beneficial to quickly stabilise Public Order in order to have full Line of Sight over your Province.- A nice little bonus, it will help with Diplomacy especially when stacked with technology boosts.- Being able to recruit a Lord on Turn 1 at lvl 3 is a nice boost early on and remains relevant throughout the campaign- Campaign movement bonuses are always good, being able to march that little bit further is the difference between catching an enemy army or not.- Upkeep reductions are always welcome and these two units are staples in the Empire roster. Reiksguard are an amazing unit available early and stay relevant throughout the campaign. Greatsword units being the AP melee unit in the empire roster.- +8 Leadership is quite the buff and could mean the difference between a full army rout or a Pyrrhic Victory.- Armour-Piercing, Anti-Large, Charge Defence Against All. What more is there to say, these guys are a solid "Hold the Line" unit with only one major weakness, ranged fire. They make a good bodyguard for Franz fighting enemy Lords in the early game.- Armour-Piercing Missiles. Excellent for putting some early damage on enemy Lords before an engagement and when flanking provide massive damage potential.- Armoured & Shielded, Anti-Infantry. The hammer to the anvil tactics, a superb unit to take out enemy ranged units and rear charge the melee. They can be a little slow to maneuver however with such a high charge bonus when they hit, they hit like the Heldenhammer itself.- Non-Aggression Pact- Trade Agreement- Military Access- An area of land controlled by a single Settlement- A group of Regions combined with one Provincial Capital settlement and 1-4 minor settlements, when completely owned will allow a Commandment to be issued.- The order you should construct buildings, if you can't afford to build them all it's no problem. Sometimes you won't get enough Post-Battle Loot.Now lets take a look at the beginning of the campaign.Karl Franz starts off with only Altdorf in his possession and the remainder of the province, as well as the Fort Helmgart in the hands of the Secessionists. He is also at war with the nearby Greenskin tribe the Skullsmasherz who will be a thorn in his side for some time, as well as the Beastmen who usually don't make it to his area before meeting their demise.The Secessionists have two armies nearby, one near Grunburg and one near Ubersreik. It is possible to draw these two armies out at once and leave the settlements with only the garrisons which the course of action this guide takes.Of the neighboring Empire factions, relations with Nuln and Middenland are strained while Talabecland and The Golden Order are supporters of Franz. To the West lies Marienburg, an Empire faction that is exempt from the Elector Count mechanisms so is best taken out of the picture early and over the mountains is the land of Bretonnia. The Bretonnian minor factions are generally good trade partners with Couronne making a strong ally.In the mountains separating Bretonnia from the Empire is the settlement Grung Zint owned by the Skullsmasherz which is usually razed or occupied by Marienburg or Couronne early, Heinrich Kemmler in Blackstone Post who will start spreading corruption through osmosis if left unchecked and finally the Dwarf faction of Karak Ziflin who are an angry bunch that really destabilize the region. The mountains further south are home to Skarsnik who sometimes beats Wissenland sometimes not, and Karak Norn a good future trade partner.Their is also a minor Greenskin tribe the Leaf-Cutterz to the north who have a back and forth struggle with Middenland and they are generally keep each other occupied.