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Kurunta, named for a god, was passed over for the throne of Hatti prior to the events ofTotal War: Pharaoh. From his fortress along the southern coast, this cunning schemer and deadly warrior prepares to take what is rightfully his. Playing as Kurunta has a lot of advantages, and by properly using his capabilities you can reunite Hatti under his rule.
Campaigns in Anatolia can be very different from those in Egypt, so Hittite characters can take some getting used to. Kurunta is a great character for learning these new strategies.
Kurunta’s Abilities
Bolstered by mercenaries from Phrygia and Kaskia, Kurunta can field some terrifying armies - literally. His Command Ability increases the loot he gains from raiding, but you’ll never use it for that. Instead,wait until Shemsu Hor;if the Command hasn’t been used, then all your troops gainCause Fearuntil the next Shemsu Hor!
Better still, Kurunta’sMercenary Recruitment Officeis one of the best buildings in the game, as itprovides extra starting ranksto Native, Phrygian, and Kaskian units. Combined with Titles like Overseer of Militia, you can recruit entire armies with high experience levels straight out of training.
On the subject of Titles, Kurunta has several thatincrease campaign movement speed, particularly over land. Hatti has a lot of ground to cover and no Nile to speed things up, so taking advantage of the extra speed is essential. Be sure toplace Waystations and Shrines of Kuruntaalong your major routes to get even further bonuses, and you can cross Hatti in only a few turns at full march.
Kurunta is also the name of your starting deity.
At Court, Kurunta is a master plotter. His Plots all count asone level higher, and this can bring them up to level six. Use this to undermine Suppiluliuma when the time comes to rise up against him.
Getting Started As Kurunta
Unlike Egypt, a Civil War won’t occur in Hatti until a player - most likely you - starts one. This gives you time to bide your time, build up your economy and military, thenutterly crush Suppiluliuma when the time comes.To start,expand to the east and west along the coast, always making sure to keep Tarhuntassa protected. Your capital is the Cult Centre for your primary deity, so it’s even more important than usual to defend it.
When you do start the Civil War,immediately equip Kurunta with the Bow of the Huntfrom the Power of the Crown screen. It becomes available to a Pretender who controls Tarhuntassa, which means you immediately qualify once you declare your bid for the throne, and it lets Kurunta’s Bodyguard unitignore shieldswhen firing their bows!
Other Cult Centres are somewhat far from Kurunta’s starting location, so you may not want to commit to a second and third deity right away. This saves time for researching military Decrees. Most of Hatti’s Cult Centres are in the east, but there’s also a strong case to be made forestablishing a beachhead along the Canaanite coastto seize a holy city or two there. After all, with a Mercenary Recruitment Office you can then recruit Native Canaanite Units pre-leveled up!
Kurunta’s introduction at the start of the campaign recommendsconquering Cyprus. It’s a good idea, but not one that you should pursue right away. Cyprus is thebest Province for Bronze production in the game, and Kurunta is in the best starting position to seize it, but returning to the mainland can be a hassle. For that reason, it’s best towait until you’re able to afford to station a permanent army on the island.
Cyprus comes underconstant attack from the Sea Peoplesthroughout the campaign, and if you aren’t able to defend it you’ll have to spend time and resources rebuilding the entire island from the ground up every time they raze it.
