Total War: Warhammer 3 has had a rough patch over the past year and the release date of its Thrones of Decay DLC marks Creative Assembly’s first proper attempt at bringing the trilogy back on track.
Accompanying patch 5.0, the DLC brings three new Legendary Lords for Nurgle, the Empire, and Dwarfs alongside a host of new mechanics and units that aim to refresh both the Realm of Chaos and Immortal Empires Campaigns.
You can find our full review of Thrones of Decay here.
Total War: Warhammer 3 - Thrones of Decay Release Date
Total War: Warhammer 3 - Thrones of Decay has now been given an official release date, confirming that we’ll get our hands on the DLC and its new Lords on April 30, 2024.
- Total War: Warhammer 3 - Thrones of Decay release date: April 30, 2024
Total War: Warhammer 3 - Thrones of Decay Pricing
Total War: Warhammer 3 - Thrones of Decay sees Creative Assembly experimenting with its approach to delivering the content included in the DLC.
Rather than being forced to purchase the entire thing, we’ll be able to buy the Legendary Lords and units of each race separately. Here is how it will work, in the words of the developer:
- Thrones of Decay will be available to buy as a complete bundle at a discounted rate of $22.92/£19.10/€22.92.
- Each pack will be available to purchase for $8.99/£7.49/€8.99 per pack.
- If you purchase the packs individually on Steam, you’ll receive a 15% discount on the remaining packs when you complete your collection.
Total War Head of Community Adam Freeman noted that this is “a new approach for us, and something that we’ll have plenty to learn about as we do it, but we think it’s the right approach and something that we feel we can do in response to the pricing changes that we brought in late last year.”
It was also described as a “one-time change” but, as long as it proves successful, could offer us more flexibility in terms of purchasing Warhammer 3 DLC.
Aside from making the higher price a bit easier to stomach, it would also allow players who might not be interested in some of the content to only spend money on the Legendary Lords they want to play as.
Total War: Warhammer 3 - Thrones of Decay Content
Nurgle - Tamurkhan, The Maggot Lord
Tamurkhan, the Maggot Lord is the newest addition to Nurgle’s roster of playable Legendary Lords and, as expected from a servant of the Plague Father, he brings plenty of durability to the battlefield.
Yet, as much as he is a tank, his giant axe dishes out serious armor-piercing damage, while Bubebolos, his unique Toad Dragon mount, gives him extra mobility.
Sporting a passive ability that allows him to cheat death and eliminate nearby weakened enemies, his Black Cleaver active ability then grants him magic attacks and additional armor-piercing damage while buffing the extra base weapon damage of nearby allies.
To claim victory, Tamurkhan must bring powerful chieftains from various races under his banner. Two special resources play a key part in his efforts.
Dominance, the main resource, is gained from winning battles and used to recruit Chieftains, use their abilities, but also add their units to the Maggot Lord’s recruitment pool.
Fealty is increased and maintained by performing actions that fit a Chieftain’s agenda, such as raiding settlements, razing them, or obliterating specific factions.
As Fealty increases, “Tamurkhan can reap the benefits in favour, units, and special abilities, culminating in a mighty, thematic quest battle on his path to gaining boundless loyalty from these great warriors.”
One fixture in Tamurkhan’s ranks is Kayzk the Befouled, a legendary hero who rides a Rot Beast into battle, regenerates health in combat, has increased Ward Save, can spread decay through his melee attacks, and amplifies the charge bonuses of nearby allies.
Thrones of Decay Tamurkhan Units and Nurgle Legacy Updates
Although Tamurkhan is bound to steal the show through sheer size (and likely stench), Thrones of Decay sees the roster of Warhammer 3’s most pestilent faction growing with the following units:
- Chaos Lord of Nurgle
- Chaos Sorcerer of Nurgle
- Pestigors
- Plague Ogres
- Rot Knights
- Bile Trolls
- Toad Dragon
In addition, Nurgle is set to receive a series of legacy updates. Plagues are getting reworked, with symptoms now part of a web that shifts after concocting 3 Plagues.
Assigned randomly, Blessed Symptoms are a new addition that essentially has twice as potent effects when compared to their usual counterparts.
Those on the receiving end of Nurgle’s diseased delights can rejoice at the introduction of an immunity period to Plagues, that grants a small period of respite after being affected.
When Total War: Warhammer 3 - Thrones of Decay’s release date comes around, only military buildings will be cyclical. They will also cost Infections rather than the Treasury, while many other structures will see changes to their effects.
Recruitment costs are bound to go down as Nurgle Corruption in a province increases, while the technology tree will be split into two segments for Military and Faction bonuses, respectively.
In battle, Nurgle’s units will gain passive army ability points based on the number of enemies affected by negative effects or debuffs.
Elspeth von Draken, The Dark Lady of Nuln
Elspeth von Draken might be a reclusive sorcerer, but once Thrones of Decay drops, she takes to the field to defend Nuln and the Empire from Tamurkhan’s onslaught.
A potent spellcaster wielding the lore of death, she gains increased mobility by entering the fray on her Warhorse or Carmine Dragon mounts.
Wielding the two-handed Pale Scythe, grants her increased spell mastery and resistance that becomes stronger as she casts more spells. The Death’s Timekeeper then allows her to heal while dealing direct damage to her foes.
The active Darkwaler augment then greatly buffs Elspeth’s physical resistance while triggering the Strider attribute. Furthermore, her Living Darkness passive adds even more physical resistance, while negating enemy magical attacks.
The Imperial Gunnery School is Elspeth’s unique faction mechanic, promising permanent upgrades for gunnery and artillery units. Obtained via Schematics – a resource earned from using gunnery units in battle and special post-battle options when defeating enemy gunpowder units – some upgrades are only unlocked when advancing the Gunnery School itself.
This is where Field Testing comes into play, a feature that revolves around a variety of challenges and prerequisites that must be overcome and met in order to unlock the Amethyst Armoury. There, we can spend Schematics to receive special Amethyst units alongside strong single-use abilities.
Elspeth Von Draken also has access to the Gardens of Morr, enabling her to construct Black Tower buildings in any visible friendly or neutral Empire settlement. Once completed, Elspeth’s army can instantly travel between them although doing so comes with both a cost and a cooldown period.
Furthermore, the structures help remove corruption, enable recruiting units while in foreign territory, and more. There is a limit to how many Gardens the spellcaster lord can build and, given how losing the settlement housing them to a non-Empire opponent destroys the gardens, we’ll have to carefully consider where they’re placed.
Always at Elspeth’s side, Theodore Bruckner is the second Legendary Hero introduced when Warhammer 3’s Thrones of Decay releases.
A giant among his peers and able to ride a Demigryph mount into battle, he can become unbreakable and quickly eliminate foes whose morale, movement speed, and melee defense he saps.
Obtaining the Liarsbane and the Stormlance weapons further increases his prowess while the Baleflame Amulet releases a damaging explosion upon death.
Thrones of Decay Elspeth von Draken Units and Empire Legacy Updates
Gunpowder unit enthusiasts have plenty to look forward when playing as the Empire in Thrones of Decay, thanks to the addition of the following units:
- Master Engineer
- Engineer
- Nuln Ironsides
- Hochland Long Rifles
- Knights of the Black Rose
- Steam Tank (Volley Guns)
- Marienburg Land Ship
The race is also receiving a set of legacy updates, starting with a rework of Imperial Authority and its separation from the Elector Counts system.
All Empire factions have access to the latter, provided they control land within the Empire’s borders, but the Elector Counts mechanic is exclusive to Karl Franz.
Imperial Authority no longer impacts Fealty, which “now goes up and down directly via cause and effect,” while the Summon the Elector Counts action now brings any Elector Count that is not garrisoned or under siege to Karl Franz’s location.
Speaking of the Prince of Altdorf, he starts his campaign with Helmgart under his control, while Emperor’s Decrees grant him more management tools, provided he has the Prestige to use them.
On the other hand, Balthasar Gelt now explores the wonders and horrors of Grand Cathay, “starting just shy of some nomads within the Temple of Elemental Winds, and being right next door to his good friend the Iron Dragon.”
His new campaign feature, the Colleges of Magic, makes it so that entering battle with a wizard in his army grants Gelt Arcane Essays, based on the number of wizards present.
This currency lets us gain instant access to wizards from every Lore of Magic. Doing so grants more action for their specific college, increasing both the tools available at Gelt’s disposal and his power.
As far as the Dwarfs go, Malakai Makaisson bolsters their roster against the onslaught of Chaos forces on the horizon.
That is what we currently know about Total War: Warhammer 3 - Thrones of Decay’s release date and content. More details will be shared over the coming weeks.
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