Creative Assembly has begun revealing more details about Total War: Warhammer 3 - Omens of Destruction and, judging by our first proper look at Khorne’s newest legendary lord, Skulltaker, it’s safe to say that, this year, holiday cheer looks rather cranium-shaped.
Khorne is, perhaps, Warhammer 3’s most straightforward race, encouraging us to go on a continuous destructive rampage rather than settle down. This doesn’t seem to change when we play as Skulltaker, a legendary lord who brings a couple of neat, bloody surprises with him.
Total War: Warhammer 3 - Omens of Destruction Skulltaker
For starters, while all craniums objectively belong to the cranium chair, some of them end up first spending time on Skulltaker’s cloak.
As his hunt for the strongest opponents begins in the jungles of Lustria, foreign lords have a Champion’s Essence resource value shown above them.
Defeating them lets Skulltaker spend this rare resource to unlock and upgrade the abilities of his Cloak of Skulls. They stretch across multiple levels, greatly increasing his strength in combat.
As far as equipment goes it’s tailored to enhance his prowess as a duelist. His cloak passively grants ward save and spell resistance, while the Slayer Sword reduces enemy weapon strength and armor-piercing damage but also boosts Skulltaker’s.
The Bloody Onslaught ability then makes Khorne’s newest lord even better at penetrating armor while rendering him immune to flanking.
It’s clear enough that Skulltaker is a force to be reckoned with in Warhammer III’s Omens of Destruction DLC, but he doesn’t take to the field alone.
Legendary Heroes Scyla Anfingrimm and Skarr Bloodwrath significantly dial up the brutality of his armies, which receive six additional units.
Bloodspeaker lords take on a more supportive role by buffing units around them. The monstrous, ape-like Blood Beasts disrupt enemy lines with powerful charges; the imposing Slaughterbrute deals devastating damage while being unbreakable in the presence of a friendly lord.
Khorngors grow the ranks of Beastmen dedicated to specific Chaos Gods, Wrathmongers wield wrath-flails to deal splash and armor-piercing damage, while Skullreapers provide a cost-effective anti-infantry solution.
Update 6.0, which accompanies Total War: Warhammer III - Omens of Destruction, also introduces a number of mechanical changes to Khorne as a whole.
The Skull Throne menu lets us spend skulls to earn rewards spread across several tiers, each one granting different boons, including bonuses to armies, growth, control, and more.
Unholy Manifestations will be improved, gaining additional effects, while Bloodletting rewards “are now specifically tied to the forces they are attached to, allowing for more targeted benefits,” including “maintaining momentum by providing bonuses for casualty replenishment, upkeep, and recruitment.”
Changes to economy, Blood Hosts, and a reworked technology tree all aim to make playing Khorne feel smoother, while the introduction of Daemonic Reforging, which gives Daemons a low chance to return after dying in battle, adds a bit of extra resilience to armies.
For more on Skulltaker, read the dedicated blog post over on the game’s forums. Total War: Warhammer III - Omens of Destruction is set to launch on December 12.
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