So you're thinking about diving into Total War: Warhammer III? Smart move. As someone who's put 400+ hours into this beast since launch (yes, my social life took a hit), I'll give you the real talk nobody else does. Forget those fluffy reviews – we're covering exactly what works, what doesn't, and how to not rage-quit when Kairos Fateweaver melts your entire army.
Remember that sinking feeling when a new game overwhelms you? I booted up Warhammer III on day one, picked Kislev because bears are cool, and got steamrolled by Khorne berserkers before turn 30. Twice. This guide fixes that.
Before You Buy: Hardware and Edition Choices
Let's get practical. Can your PC handle this? Total War: Warhammer III demands more juice than its predecessors. Here's the brutal truth:
| Specification | Minimum (720p) | Recommended (1080p) | Ultra (1440p+) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel i3 / Ryzen 3 | Intel i5 / Ryzen 5 | Intel i7 / Ryzen 7 |
| GPU | GTX 900 series | RTX 2060 / RX 5600 | RTX 3070 / RX 6800 |
| RAM | 6GB | 8GB | 16GB |
| Storage | 120GB SSD (HDD causes 2+ minute load times) | ||
Personal confession: My old GTX 1060 struggled during siege battles. Upgrading to an RTX 3060 cut loading screens from 90 seconds to 15. Worth it.
Edition Breakdown: What's Actually Worth Your Money
CA loves their DLC, but you don't need everything:
| Edition | Price | Contents | Who Should Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $59.99 | Base game + 7 core races | New players testing waters |
| Ogre Kingdoms (Pre-order) | N/A now | Ogre mercenaries + unique campaign mechanics | Secondary market only |
| Champions of Chaos | $19.99 | 4 Chaos lords + marked units | Chaos enthusiasts |
Here's my hot take: The base Total War: WARHAMMER III gives you 100+ hours easily. Only grab Champions if you're obsessed with Chaos like me (I've lost three campaigns as Vilitch).
Conquering the Campaigns: Realm of Chaos vs Immortal Empires
The Realm of Chaos campaign... man. It's controversial. You're racing against daemon princes to collect souls while your cities keep revolting. Sounds cool? It is – for about 50 turns. Then the portal mechanics get repetitive. But the story moments? Chef's kiss. That Slaanesh realm where you choose between power or sanity? Pure Warhammer.
Pro Tip: When entering Chaos realms, bring a fast lord. Khorne's realm requires killing armies quickly – leave slow artillery behind.
Now Immortal Empires – that's where Total War: Warhammer III becomes legendary. Combining all three games' maps? 86 starting factions? It's glorious chaos. But be warned: You need all three games in your Steam library to access it. Performance took a hit at launch but CA's patches helped. My Ryzen 7 handles late-game turns in 90 seconds now versus 3 minutes originally.
Faction Deep Dive: Who Actually Plays Well
Having tested all core factions, here's the real tier list based on my campaigns (and fails):
| Faction | Difficulty | Unique Mechanics | Key Units | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cathay (Grand Celestial) | Medium | Harmony system, caravans | Terracotta Sentinels, Jade Warriors | Defensive players |
| Khorne (Skarbrand) | Hard | Bloodletting, skulls economy | Bloodthirsters, Skullcrushers | Aggressive rush players |
| Kislev (Katarin) | Very Hard | Motherland invasions, devotion | Elemental Bears, Ice Guard | Challenge seekers |
| Tzeentch (Kairos) | Expert | Changing Ways, magic focus | Flamers, Lords of Change | Tactical wizards |
My cathay campaign taught me this: Protecting those caravans is crucial. Lost a 20-turn Jade Dragon shipment to Skaven ambush once. Alt+F4 may have been pressed.
Essential Combat Tips They Don't Tell You
Total War: Warhammer III changed combat more than you'd think. After watching LegendofTotalWar streams and testing myself, here's what matters:
- Magic is OP now: Overcasting (double-click spells) can win battles alone. Tzeentch's Blue Fire deletes infantry
- Sieges reworked: Capture points matter more than walls. I park cheap units on victory points while elites flank
- Auto-resolve lies: The calculator hates low-armor units. Manual fight with fragile armies like Daemons
- Supply lines changed: Upkeep increases per army, not per lord. Spamming cheap lords is less effective
Remember my Kislev disaster? Learned the hard way: Daemon units ignore fatigue. Your tired bears will lose to fresh Bloodletters every time.
DLC Guide: What's Worth Buying Now
CA releases DLC like Skaven release plague. Here's what deserves your gold:
| DLC | Price | Adds | Essential? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Champions of Chaos | $19.99 | Valkia/Azazel/Festus/Vilitch | Yes for Chaos fans |
| Ogre Kingdoms | $9.99 | Two LLs, meat mechanics | Only for completionists |
| Blood Pack III | $2.99 | Gore effects | If you missed previous |
Honestly? Most DLC adds flavor, not necessities. Except blood. Chainsaw Khorne Berserkers without gore feel wrong.
Performance Fixes That Actually Work
Still getting crashes? Me too until I tweaked these:
- Turn off DX12: Caused more crashes than it fixed for me
- Shadow Quality to Medium: High shadows cost 15fps on my RTX 3060
- Unlimited Video Memory: OFF Let your GPU manage VRAM
- Verify files monthly: Cache corruption happens with patches
Mods saved my sanity. Must-haves:
- Community Bug Fix Mod (fixes CA's oversights)
- One Button Respec (because wasted skill points hurt)
- Skip Intro Logos (saves 20 seconds per launch)
Players Keep Asking Me This...
Do I need previous games for Immortal Empires?
Yes. You must own all three Total War: WARHAMMER titles on the same store (Steam/Epic). But only the host needs DLC for multiplayer – smart move by CA.
Is the Chaos Realm campaign still frustrating?
Better after patches. The annoying rifts spawn every 30 turns now, not 15. Still polarizing though. I enjoy it for narrative but prefer Immortal Empires for sandbox.
What's the hardest faction right now?
Kairos Fateweaver. You're surrounded by Lizardmen who hate magic users. Took me four restarts to stabilize. Pro tip: Abuse barrier mechanics and ambush stance.
Will my Warhammer II mods work?
Most don't. The code changed significantly. Check mod descriptions for "Updated for WH3." Took months for Radious and SFO to update.
How long to finish a campaign?
Realm of Chaos: 25-40 hours
Immortal Empires short victory: 60-80 hours
Completionist? 150+ hours easily
Is multiplayer stable now?
Mostly. Desyncs still happen in 3+ player campaigns around turn 100. Battle netcode improved though – my friend and I play co-op weekly with minimal lag.
Final Verdict After 400 Hours
Look, Total War: Warhammer III isn't perfect. The Realm of Chaos divided players. Early performance was rough. But Immortal Empires alone makes it worth it – the scale is unmatched in strategy gaming.
Remember my Khorne disaster campaigns? Finally won one last month. The moment Skarbrand soloed a Cathay garrison while blood rained? Pure gaming bliss. That's why we endure the bugs.
Ultimately, if you love deep strategy with fantasy insanity, buy it. Stick with Immortal Empires if the main campaign frustrates you. And for Sigmar's sake – bring anti-large against those bears.
Leave a Message