Settlements

**Settlements** are towns, cities or fortresses on the campaign map. Most factions are focused around fighting to control and manage settlements. Horde factions do not control settlements.

## Overview

Each province on the campaign map has a capital settlement, and usually also from 1-3 minor settlements (a few provinces have only 1 settlement). Owning a settlement means you own the local region around it and have vision of the area. It also lets you tax the people for money. Owning all settlements in a province grants you control of that province, and controlling an entire province allows you to issue a commandment. In the screenshot to the right, notice how the player controls 3 settlements in a province, while the last one is controlled by an enemy faction.

For regular factions, settlements are where they construct buildings. As horde factions do not control settlements, they construct buildings when their horde armies are encamped.

Different kinds of settlements have different amounts of building slots, which changes depending on campaign and faction. See the building slots article for more detailed info.

### Which settlements can be controlled by which races?

* Total War: Warhammer has the regional occupation system. This system limits which races can occupy which settlements. No faction can settle everywhere on the campaign map.
* Total War: Warhammer II has the climate system instead. Every faction can settle anywhere (except hordes of course), but each faction is affected differently by the various climates.

### Combat

An enemy army may attack a settlement in an effort to capture it. On the campaign map, settlements have a zone of control which prevents enemy armies from going too close without attacking.

Most settlements will have garrison armies which are provided by the main settlement building, and protect the settlement from attacks. The controlling faction may also position an army directly a settlement to 'garrison' it. Additionally, armies which are close by can reinforce a settlement garrison in battle.

* If there is no garrison and no defending army, then a settlement can be taken without a battle.
* If there is a garrison and/or defending army, then attacking the settlement will initiate a battle or autoresolve.
* If a settlement has walls, then armies have the option to lay siege to a settlement before attacking. When they do choose to attack, it will be a siege battle.

Winning the battle for a settlement brings up the settlement options such as occupy, sack, raze etc.

## Types of settlements

### Ruins

Ruined settlements dot the campaign map. Settlements become ruined when they are razed by a hostile army. Ruined settlements can be re-colonized.

### Province capitals and minor settlements

Most provinces have a capital settlement and from 1-3 minor settlements.

* Minor settlements have only 4 building slots, and can only upgrade to level **III**.
* Province capitals (major settlements) have more building slots, and can upgrade all the way to level **V**.
* Thus, if a building chain goes up to level **IV** or **V**, it is usually best to construct it in the province capital.
* Likewise, if a bulding chain only goes to level **III**, it's usually best to put it in a minor settlement.

### Racial capitals

Some province capitals are also racial capitals.

* Racial capitals sometimes have a unique Settlement Chain buildings depending on which race the occupying faction belongs to.

### Faction capitals

A faction capital is the capital settlement of one specific faction (not a whole race). It is indicated by a golden border around the faction crest next to the settlement's name. If the faction capital is taken/razed then another one of the faction's cities will automatically be assigned as the new faction capital. A faction capital can be a minor settlement, if no province capital is available.

Example: In The Old World and Mortal Empires, the *Myrmidens* settlement (province capital for Western Border Princes) is the faction capital for Border Princes. If this city is taken, then another faction capital will be assigned. But Myrmidens is not a racial capital.

### Ports, resources and landmarks

Some settlements have special building chains available.

* Coastal settlements usually have a port building chain available. These settlements also allow trade routes to connect over water.
* Some settlements have special resources, and an associated building chain.
* Some settlements, especially faction capitals, have special landmark buildings available.

### Strategic Locations

Some settlements will be marked as a strategic location for their chosen race - players should make conquering these a priority.

### Wood Elves settlements

*Main article: Wood Elves settlements.*

* The Oak of Ages is a unique settlement with only one building slot.
* Forest Settlements have many building slots and the full range of Wood Elf buildings.
* Outside of their magical forests, Wood Elves can only build limited Asrai Lookouts.