You can choose to play anything from medieval times, to Rome, Japan, or even the fantasy-themed Warhammer. The 6th installment of the franchise, Napoleon, sees you take on the role of Napoleon Bonaparte. Great game and a lot of fun. But maybe vanilla is getting a bit stale by now… Well if custom gaming is in your ballpark, give these mods a go for an updated experience. All totally free, of course!
15. Ultimate Soundmod
Check Out This Mod Total War has always been about the thrill of battle. With the epic recreations of historic warfare, modders have continued to make small improvements to make battles feel more realistic. Starting with the Ultimate Soundmod, a compilation pack of the best sound mods for NTW. Community member LochKopf took what he thought were the best sound updates from 6 different packs and the result is amazing. The realism of each battle is taken to a whole new level with simple changes in audio. Everything from muskets, cannons, mortars, and even player deaths now sound more realistic. Some of the sounds were even taken from real-world weapon fires! It may not sound like much, but you’d be surprised at the impact of better audio.
14. Naval Supremacy V2.0 UAI
Check Out This Mod If you prefer to play through NTW on your own, you’ve probably noticed flaws in the AI. It may have even gotten too easy at certain points as the AI becomes predictable through experience. This mod buffs the AI giving the game a fresh breath of life. If you’re up for a challenge, the AI here may surprise you. They are now capable of recruiting large navies and infantries too. AI focus on naval warfare is also increased as invasions become more common.
13. The Ottoman Realism Mod
Check Out This Mod If you’re looking to play through the European or Middle Eastern campaigns again, this is something you might want to try out. Focusing on the Ottoman Empire, it aims at making the units more historically accurate. The mod adds 10 new units that the creator felt were missing. And this is based on research of the time period, so it’s pretty accurate. The additional merchantmen, ships, and infantry are sure to make your campaign playthroughs more interesting.
12. Diverse Artillery Mod
Check Out This Mod To make the game even more realistic, modder Iutland created the Diverse Artillery Mod. This time, the mod focuses on improving artillery units. With 83 new artillery units spread across the different factions, there is much more fun to be had in the battlefield. Explore the mod to find out for yourself. Not only are the artillery units updated, but Iutland even included explosion and projectile effects from other modders. These definitely make for a great improvement to the excitement of battle.
11. Vanilla Units Unlocked
Check Out This Mod You actually don’t even have to go so far as to get user-made units to add additional units to the game. There are actually certain units within the game that are not playable (for some reason). But thanks to this mod they can easily be unlocked. Mostly affecting the French and British factions, you’ll be able to unlock units including French Grenadiers. Explore for yourself and see what other units will be made available for use.
10. Coalition Campaign
Check Out This Mod If you’re looking to add more than just new units to the game, the Coalition Campaign mod is the one for you. Adding new playable factions like Naples, Bavaria, and Denmark, there’s so much to find here. Each faction has detailed descriptions and win conditions, so you’ll have different objectives depending on who you prefer to play as. Although the original Coalition Campaign links are already offline, they have been uploaded to gamewatcher.com for download. So go ahead and grab the pack, set it up, and give this mod a go.
9. Europe in Conflict
Check Out This Mod Europe in Conflict is another expansive mod that adds loads of content to NTW. Introducing new gameplay mechanics like shell-shock (which affects unit morale), recruitment, and naval updates, this will surely give you a fresh NTW experience. One of the more unique features of this mod is the addition of disease. Adding a deeper sense of realism to the game, nations can now be affected by plagues. Fun! Diseases have multiple effects on gameplay, disabling unit replenishment and causing unrest among others. There’s so much more to explore here, so it’s best to experience in your own playthrough.
8. The Rights of Man II
Check Out This Mod Another overhaul mod looking to improve on the campaign, The Right of Man II makes changes to virtually all aspects of the game. From additional units to new playable nations, there’s tons to explore in this mod. One of the major changes in terms of gameplay is the updated recruitment system. Players are now able to recruit foreign troops from captured regions. The attention to detail given here is incredible as recruited units from captured nations even have their own uniforms and unit cards. There are also more updates to the GUI, units, and general gameplay mechanics to explore in this mod. I definitely recommend giving it a try.
7. The Khartum and Zulu Mod
Check Out This Mod This time we’re taken to Victorian Era warfare with historical representations of both the Anglo-Zulu and Mahdist Wars. The mod covers some of the great battles fought by Great Britain against African and Sudanese forces. You’ll be able to play through custom scenarios based from the Battle of Rorke’s Drift and the Battle of Isandlwana among others. Containing 4 new factions, you can now choose to experience the game as the Natal British Contingent, Corsaire, The Mahdist, or Zulu. Many leaders have been added as well to match the time period, including Lord Chemlsford, Col. Anthony Durnford, and Muhammad Ahmad. A great way to experience these epic battles, made even more immersive with additional videos and sounds taken from films relevant to the time period.
6. American Civil War
Check Out This Mod The American Civil War is mostly a scenario mod that takes us back to the time of Abraham Lincoln. You’ll be able to play through the different historical battles between North and South America, either in single player or multiplayer modes. Though the mod does not feature a campaign mode, there is no shortage of interesting content. With the latest update just being released in 2019, there are now 65 battle maps to play through. Each battle map has been recreated to most accurately capture the battlefields from historic events. Some of these maps are the Battle of Cedar Creek, Battle of Shiloh, and the Battle of Five Forks. The attention to detail put into this mod is amazing. With over 4,300 unique units, new artillery classes, and much more to explore… this will keep you busy for a while.
5. Masters of Europe
Check Out This Mod Masters of Europe is the result of a collaboration between the 2 well-known Total War modders: l’Aigle and Steph. Known for their Imperial Eagle and l’Aigle and Vive l’Empereur mods respectively, the 2 joined forces to create a completely new experience for Napolean: Total War fans. Unlike most of the other mods on the list, Masters of Europe does not aim to recreate wars from other time periods. Instead the modders focus on improving the content already available in the game. Though there are some visual upgrades to certain textures, UI improvements, and icons, the mod really shines in the way it rebalances battle mechanics. Changes to infantry, artillery, naval, and cavalry stats make the mod an interesting playthrough as the dynamics and feel of battles is now completely new. There have also been changes to particular aspects of gameplay like tech, buildings, morale, and more. Check it out for yourself for a fresh NTW experience.
4. Additional Units Mod
Check Out This Mod Adding 48 new units and 3 new ships, the Additional Units Mod makes Napoleon: Total War worth giving another playthrough. Sticking with historical accuracy, many factions have been given additional units like the British 95th Rifles, French Old Guard Grenadiers, Prussian Death Heads, and Russian Siemenovski Guards among others. With the additional units comes gameplay balances to make sure that no faction is overpowered of course. More than the added units, the Additional Units Mod also unlocks vanilla units and ships that aren’t readily available in the base game. There is also a DarthMod version for players who want the additional units with DarthMod installed as well. Tons of content to explore here which is sure to have you excited to get back in the game.
3. The Great War
Check Out This Mod Taking place around 100 years after the events of Napoleon, The Great War takes us to World War I. A great way to add content to the game, The Great War not only makes aesthetic changes with loading screens, unit appearances, and vehicle textures… but also changes certain gameplay elements as well. One of the biggest changes with this mod is the tech tree. Tech upgrades have been changed to better fit the time period, with a lot of new upgrades that you’ll find as you explore. Now you can fight your battles with tanks, mines, and even flamethrowers, in this epic recreation of WW1. Awesome.
2. DarthMod Napoleon
Check Out This Mod Darth Vader is a well-known modder in the Total War fandom. Though DarthMods are known for improving enemy AI to overly realistic levels, this mod does way more than just that. With over 200 additional units, gameplay updates, and even additional formations to choose from, the base game gets a complete overhaul. And there are additional campaigns to explore. Changes to battle mechanics, sound effects, and visuals make it possible to have bigger armies, making for longer and more epic battle sequences to boot. Aimed at making the game more challenging by making it much more realistic, this will definitely scratch the itch of most Total War fans.
1. Napoleonic Total War 3
Check Out This Mod A result of years of research and development, Napoleonic Total War 3 gives a completely new experience of the game. This mod is a complete overhaul aimed at giving you the most realistic and historically accurate experience of Napoleon: Total War. The mod comes with 41 factions, 1,526 units, and updated game mechanics to discover and explore. That’s on top of the aesthetic changes that make everything look and feel more realistic. So there’s really a lot here. Furthermore the maps are much larger, so battles are now larger and can be fought over greater distances. There’s just way too much in this mod to discuss. It’s best to dive in and give it a shot yourself. Trust me, you’ll be pleased.
