Total War: ROME II - Beasts of War (DLC)

Beasts of War is a unit-pack DLC for Total War: ROME II, adding seven new battlefield units built around the concept of animal-based warfare. Think war dogs, exotic beasts, and the kind of psychological shock troops that ancient commanders genuinely deployed to break enemy formations. If you have spent any time with Rome II's campaign layer, you already know how much unit variety matters when you are staring down a 200-turn slog across the Mediterranean. A handful of new roster entries can meaningfully shift how you approach faction composition and battle tactics, even if the strategic map stays identical. That said, the numbers here are hard to ignore. A 59% positive rating across 204 Steam reviews is not a damning score, but it is low enough to warrant scrutiny before you click purchase. Unit packs live or die on two questions: do the new units fill a genuine gap in the roster, or are they cosmetic novelty? And do they integrate cleanly into multiplayer balance? Beasts of War lands somewhere in the middle on both counts. The animal units introduce a distinct tactical niche, mostly harassment, morale disruption, and flank chaos, but they are not the kind of deep mechanical addition that reshapes how you build a campaign army from turn one. Veterans who already own the meatier Rome II DLC bundles may find this pack redundant. For players who are just getting into Rome II, this is probably not where you should start spending. The base game's unit roster is already substantial, and the tutorial experience does not require exotic beasts to teach you the fundamentals of formation warfare, flanking, or siege mechanics. If you are 50-plus hours in and you find yourself wanting more tactical texture in your battles, especially if you play a faction that thematically fits animal-unit warfare, then Beasts of War becomes a more defensible pick. The mod ecosystem around Rome II is also worth considering: several free mods on the Workshop expand unit rosters far more comprehensively, which is a real competitor to paid unit packs at any price point. Multiplayer is where niche unit packs can sometimes justify themselves, giving experienced players new tools for custom battle experimentation. Whether Beasts of War's specific units see meaningful multiplayer use depends heavily on your opponent pool and how seriously your group takes roster theory. Casual skirmishers will probably grab them for the spectacle. Hardcore custom-battle builders may find them too situational to slot regularly. Bottom line: this is a narrow purchase for Rome II players with real hours on the clock who want more battlefield variety and specifically appreciate the thematic angle of animal units. Everyone else should prioritise the larger faction or campaign DLCs first, or check the Workshop before opening their wallet here.

Diego · Scout Team

Strategy & simulation

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