There’s no better way to experience the world of Warhammer Fantasy during the apocalyptic era of Karl Franz than with a continent-spanning campaign of Total War: Warhammer 3. This massive game combines pretty much every extant faction and location into one enormous whole, making it a magnum opus of Warhammer adaptations – and the developers aren’t finished yet.
Reinforcements are on the march for three of the core factions from the latest edition of the game – Grand Cathay, Kislev, and Tzeentch – and they will be available for free to anyone who owns a copy of the recent Shadows of Change DLC.
Let’s take a closer look at what’s on the way for Total War: Warhammer 3.*
Kislev
Frost Wyrm: A huge flightless beast, deadly in combat with its massive, fanged jaws, scything claws and a vicious lashing tail. The Frost Wyrm can operate alone, or as a mount for Katarina and her Ice Maidens.
Druzhina: A stoic minor noble, this Lord focuses on supporting missile units with abilities that improve unit statistics while also replenishing ammo.
The Golden Knight: The Tzarina’s personal champion wears a full suit of armour and wields the powerful magical sword, Urson’s Claw, making her a bulwark which many foes will have difficulty defeating.
Kislevite Warriors: Kislevite Warriors are a useful low-cost addition to any army. They forego the traditional Kislev “tax” of being a hybrid unit, allowing them to field more warriors and act as an effective frontline shield. Alongside the Druzhina above, these guys are a little nod towards the classic Mordheim** warband!
Grand Cathay
Gate Master of the Celestial Cities: The Gate Master is an expert in fortification, improving the defences of nearby units whilst shooting enemies with his crossbow from behind the main battle line.
Saytang the Watcher: A giant Legendary Hero, Saytang uses its colossal magical bow to fire artillery-grade projectiles across the battlefield. Once its ammunition is depleted, it jumps into enemy lines to engage in devastating close combat.
Great Moon Bird: A lethal fighter both in the air and on the ground, the Great Moon Bird can create a vortex of Moon Fire by flapping its wings, damaging enemies in its radius.
Celestial Lion: With a Fearsome Roar to strike fear into the hearts of nearby enemies, this beatific beast is also a mount for the Celestial General.
Tzeentch
Chaos Lord of Tzeentch: The most otherworldly of Chaos Champions, the Chaos Lord of Tzeentch is built for one thing – to claim glory by ending the biggest foes the world has to offer.
Exalted Hero of Tzeentch: This hulking three-headed monstrosity is a melee specialist, using his magical attacks and mutant strength to get into the thick of the action – and he’s based on a classic model from the 90s.
Centigors of Tzeentch: An abominable mixture of monsters further twisted by the Great Changer, Centigors of Tzeentch are fast and hard-hitting cavalry that carry lethal armour-piercing weaponry.
Changebringers: The ultimate expression of the chaotic nature of Tzeentch, Changebringers combine unmatched manoeuvrability with devastating warpflame firepower. Tabletop longbeards may recognise them from the Storm of Chaos campaign in 2004…
All of these units have been designed by the Warhammer Studio, and were brought to life by Creative Assembly – the studio behind Total War. On top of that, the new Lore of the Hag brings six new spells to Mother Ostankya and the Hag Witches of Kislev, with a focus on disrupting and hexing the enemy, while the Ice Court Sled provides a swift and stylish new mount for the Tzarina.
All this is available today. To get it, make sure you own a copy of the Shadows of Change DLC, which is already available from Steam, the Epic Games store, and the Windows store.
* Fans of Warhammer: The Old World should note that there aren’t any current plans to bring Kislev or Grand Cathay to the tabletop for the foreseeable future.
** A Warhammer Fantasy skirmish game from times past, set before even Warhammer: The Old World.