There are 4 types of late game crisis scenarios.
In the beginning the player can choose the first crisis that will happen (or leave it random). Choose wisely as Greenskin and Undead Invasions can and will destroy human settlements (when you turn on the permanent destruction) and there is no way to rebuild them.
If permanent destruction is turned off, the cities will get the specific Settlement Situations for a while instead of being destroyed.
If any crisis was chosen (specifically or random) it will be foretold around the 50th to 70th day of the campaign and start around the 80th - 100th day. There is no renown requirement for a crisis to start, but a certain amount of days need to have passed in your campaign, as well a minimum roster (determined by average level and number of men).[1]
If the company has no ambition, the ambition pop up will occur where the company can choose the "defeat crisis" ambition that will give the player a look into the current state of affairs (how successful or not the player is in ending the current crisis). It's not necessary to have the ambition to finish the crisis.
A crisis can take from 30 to 100 days to finish although its possible to drag it even longer.
After finishing one crisis another can happen in the span of the next 100 days (with at least 50 days of peace). The same crisis will never happen twice in a row.
War of the Noble Houses[]
The Noble Houses declare war on each other. They begin to take over rival settlements reducing those settlements supply/wealth levels without destroying them. Because this crisis doesn't destroy settlements, it's currently the suggested first crisis since it'll give your company more time to build up. While the war will finish with or without you, beware, taking one side makes the enemy side hostile which, while opening up opportunity to kill and pillage, locks you out of a significant portion of the map. Sea travel routes between Noble Houses are severed during conflict.
Special War Crisis Contracts:
- Take part in great battle
- Raid enemy caravans and settlements
- Besiege enemy forts
- Relieve a besieged settlement
Undead Scourge[]
An Ancient Evil gets awakened and allies with the Undead faction.
Plenty of new Undead locations spawn on the map and all Undead locations have increased ratio of raiding party generation. Undead raiding parties can also have mixed units from both separate Undead factions. Dead humans also have a chance to respawn as wiedergangers.
Special Undead scourge Contracts:
- Destroy two infested locations
- Reclaim artifact to win the war
- Kill Zombies/Ancient Dead besieging settlements
- Defend a settlement from undeads
The Undead can take over settlements and make them their own bases - destroying settlements in the process.
By destroying their raiding parties and bases you assist in the effort against this crisis.
Greenskin Invasion[]
Goblins and Orcs unite for one purpose - making the player's life miserable. Also to slaughter all the filthy humans, but that's not as important.
In similar fashion of the Undead Invasion, Greenskin camps will spawn around and generate raiding parties (which lay siege to cities). Orc Warriors supported by Goblin Shamans are a force to be reckoned with.
How do you win? Kill them all. Cities surrounded by ruins are good indicators of nearby Greenskin Cities, which you must destroy.
There are specific Contracts for this crisis like:
- Hunt down orcs and save prisoners
- Relieve a besieged city
- Hunt down Orc Warlords
Be prepared to deal with Orc Warriors, for they are heavily armored; hammers are good for this purpose. Also, snipers, since Orcs are alongside Goblins, which boast ranged units and the aforementioned Goblin Shamans (high priority target).
Holy War[]
Holy War is a new late game crisis added with the last Blazing Deserts dlc. It's featuring a cultural and religious conflict between northern noble houses and southern city states. It is similar to the noble war crisis but instead of capturing each others cities participants will fight for 3 holy sites trying conquer more sites than the enemy. Player can choose to side with either city states or northern crusaders by choosing specific contracts. While the fires of religious turmoil are burning the faction you will be fighting against will be hostile to you, but similar to the noble war after it's over you will have cold relations with your past enemies.
There are 3 types of contracts such as:
- Capturing holy site
- Protecting holy site
- Protecting village