Starting out as a strictly historical real-time strategy series based around the seminal battles of Feudal Japan, ancient Rome, and Medieval Europe, the Total War series has grown to include the worlds of one of the greatest fantasy franchises ever – Warhammer.
Total War: Warhammer 3 is the third and final chapter in the real-time strategy battling series and represents the ultimate fusion of Games Workshop’s immersive world and Creative Assembly’s strategy games. And now, with the addition of spectacular DLC content, this already robust title is more worth diving into than ever. Today, we’re going to give you an overview of why Total War: Warhammer 3 is a top-tier strategy adventure.
A rift in reality
Total War: Warhammer 3 is among the richest grand strategy experiences ever created. Spawned from the lore of Games Workshop’s revered tabletop franchise, the game sees a rift created between the world of mortals and the twisted realm of Chaos. Incomprehensible to the mortal mind, Chaos is a dimension made up of pure, malevolent magic, teeming with foul and incredible creatures.
Four detestable powers rule over this place – Nurgle, the plague god, Slaanesh, the lord of excess, Tzeentch, the changer of ways, and Khorne, the god of blood and slaughter. To restore order, players must reach and rescue the bear deity Ursun while fighting through the disparate realms of these various opposing powers. Each area is dominated by a different kind of power, and each presents its own unique challenges.
Faction action
As you work your way through the vast map, conquering armies and winning lands, you’ll be able to command a vast variety of fantastical units, each with its own unique attributes and movesets. You can draw a great many different unit types from the various races available in the game, adding significant depth to the typical ‘rock-paper-scissors’ style strategy that the Total War Series is known for. Making battles in both single-player and multiplayer modes consistently thrilling and unpredictable.
You’ll need to choose a faction before heading into battle. Human armies – Cathay and Kislev – are more traditional ‘Total War’ troops, utilising artillery and a variety of weaponry. The Kislev mobilise their polar-bear-riding soldiers, while the Cathay favour mechanical weapons of supreme destruction.
Demonic armies offer even more variety in their war efforts. Khorne utilise huge amounts of ground troops to overwhelm their enemies with head-on assaults. Slaanesh are faster, more tactical troops, capable of effective flanking attacks. Nurgle are slow but their huge numbers allow them to overwhelm enemies, while the Tzeentch exercise strong magic and air supremacy, raining death on the enemies with destructive spells.
Tactical Supremacy
The vast battles that take place throughout the campaign encompass many elements of real-time tactics gameplay, from wave-based battles to tower defence. As you fight, you’ll collect currency and resources that will allow you to bolster your attacking and defensive powers.
You’ll need to think carefully about how you use the terrain to your advantage as well. Can you get the high ground and rain artillery fire on the troops below? Perhaps you can identify a choke point and have the enemy come to you?
As you make your way through the campaign, you’ll be able to build your own settlements and form pacts with other factions. Make some valuable allies and you can set up settlements in their territories, further bolstering your war effort.
It won’t all be plain sailing though. Rifts will frequently pop up across the realm, allowing the hordes of Chaos to spill through unabated. Head through the rift and destroy the oncoming demons to ensure the safety of your territories.
Champions of Chaos
For those wanting more, the Champions of Chaos expansion adds a huge suite of additional content, offering a new campaign, new races, and many terrifying new unit types. Meet new army leaders – Azazel, Festus, Vilitch, and Valkia – who join the battlefield with the hopes of seizing the ultimate power at the heart of Chaos.
Beyond all of these gruelling challenges, there is so much more that Total War: Warhammer 3 has to offer. To truly discover the depths of chaos, you’ll need to assemble your armies and venture into the realms of the unknown yourself. Luckily, Total War: Warhammer 3 and its DLC is available now on PC. If you’re ready to begin your adventure to conquer chaos, charge into Total War: Warhammer 3 today. You can try the game out without spending a penny during the free weekend from March 9-13 and during this period, purchase the full game for 33% off on Steam.
