Stances Retold
This mod adds three new combat stances (Defensive, Precise, Offensive) and one new ability (Sprint) to all melee units in the game.
Each stance has 8 levels of expertise, from Neophyte to Master (Neophyte, Novice, Apprentice, Journeyman, Adept, Proficient, Expert, Master).
Stances are fully customized based on the unit’s class, equipment, training level (an invisible stat, not to be confused with experience), and weapon type.
This results in 48 unique abilities, 56 distinct effects, and 315 modified stats — every stance is tailored to its unit.
Unit behavior remains coherent with their nature:
- Spearmen excel with the Defensive stance.
- Two-handed axe units thrive in Offensive stance.
- Swordsmen benefit from Precise stance.
Some stances not only modify unit stats, but also apply debuffs to enemy melee units, creating tactical synergies.
The three new stances are stackable with the game’s original ones (Hold, Hold and Defend, Shield Wall, Spear Wall).
For example, a unit can Hold a position while also adopting a Defensive stance — ideal for blocking chokepoints or narrow passages !
This mod addresses several issues with the base game:
• Too static:
Tactical decisions were hindered by slow movement.
With the new Sprint ability, units can reposition quickly (at a fatigue cost), making flanks and rear attacks easier — especially for ranged units.
• Too fast:
Defensive units lacked durability, making it hard to hold lines.
The mod adds Defensive stances, significantly improving resilience and enabling "hold and flank" tactics.
• Too slow:
Some battles dragged on unnecessarily.
The Offensive stance increases damage output at the cost of defense, speeding up combat when needed.
• No rock-paper-scissors logic:
The Precise stance introduces a role-based logic, enhancing unit specialization and tactical clarity.
• New players:
Will find the Defensive stance useful to stabilize fights, reduce stress, and build solid front lines without needing to pause constantly.
• Experienced players:
Can leverage Precise and Offensive stances, which require a good grasp of game mechanics.
These stances are not "superpowers" — they have drawbacks and must be used wisely based on context. Poor use may backfire.
Some may fear these stances make the game easier.
In truth, each stance comes with downsides, and their use is situational.
Once mastered, stances do give human players an edge over the AI.
However, you can restore balance by increasing game difficulty or using mods that make the AI more aggressive.
Stances Guide[docs.google.com]
• Defensive stance:
Applies strong lethality debuffs to melee enemies :
Useful when holding with spearmen while flanking with another unit in Offensive stance — this minimizes your casualties.
Useful to tiring enemy units due to long fights and resilience then send another fresh unit.
Video : Defensive stance to block narrow zone and flank
Useful to increase missile block chance ans using missile flanking.
Video : Defensive stance – Missile Flanking
• Precise stance:
Best when the added attack compensates for reduced base damage.
Check the guide for Attack/defense formulas.
Video : Defensive stance to tire units & Precise stance to dps
• Offensive stance:
Effective when your unit is a very higher tier above the opponent.
Also useful for speeding up fights in critical moments.
Beware: if several units attack in Offensive stance, enemy buffs can stack, making them very dangerous.
- This mod is designed only for the Pharaoh: Dynasties Edition.
- Not compatible with unit-adding mods (e.g., Radious).
- Compatibility with other mods may be considered based on community interest.
- Fully compatible with campaign and custom battles.
- For proper balance, place this mod at the top of your mod load order.
- Don’t forget to update the mod often !
This mod took dozens of hours to develop and involved fixing countless bugs.
There’s always room for improvement — feedback is welcome and encouraged.
Big thanks to the community — your support is what fuels the enthusiasm.
Thanks also to the Creative Assembly teams for enabling modding in Total War: Pharaoh.
And finally, heartfelt thanks to our families for their patience during these “borrowed hours” of late-night coding.
Want to value TW Pharaoh mod work ?
https://ko-fi.com/franck_smartmods
