Creative Assembly has revealed the contents of the next Total War: Warhammer III DLC Thrones of Decay, set for release this spring. A launch trailer and press release reveal new legendary lords and units for the Empire, Dwarf, and Nurgle factions, which come from deep in Games Workshop’s back catalogue, including the classic Storm of Chaos and Tamurkhan: Throne of Chaos expansions.
Here’s what to expect in the upcoming Total War: Warhammer III DLC, plus the classic Games Workshop miniatures they’re based on:
Nurgle
The new Nurgle legendary lord is Tamurkhan, a tiny sentient maggot in control of an ogre warlord, who rides an even more massive Toad Dragon. This vast monster was the title baddie for the Forge World supplement Tamurkhan: Throne of Chaos, written by the late, great Alan Bligh.
Tamurkhan’s Total War campaign is pretty similar to his adventure in Throne of Chaos, which sees him amassing an army of Norscan tribes and Chaos warbands to steamroll over the civilized world.
The DLC adds the following new Nugle units:
- Legendary hero Kazyk the befouled
- Chaos Lord of Nurgle
- Chaos Sorcerer of Nurgle
- Plague Ogres
- Rot Knights
- Toad Dragons
- Pestigors
- Bile Trolls
Kazyk the Befouled, Plague ogres and Bile Trolls all received rules and models from Forgeworld with the Throne of Chaos expansion, while Pestigors had dedicated models in Warhammer fantasy sixth edition. Rot knights got rules in the Throne of Chaos expansion, but never models.
Empire
The new Empire legendary lord is Elspeth Von Draken, a powerful sorceress who commands death magic and rides a Carmine dragon. She’s be accompanied by the legendary hero Theodore Bruckner, who rides a truly massive demigryph. Both had Forgeworld models and rules in the Thrones of Chaos expansion, in which they led the forces of Nuln against Tamurkhan.
Nuln is the site of the Imperial Gunnery School, which is represented in Total War with a new campaign mechanic that allows you to upgrade your black powder units by collecting Schematics (earned when those same units deal damage). Von Draken is a death Sorceress associated with the god Morr, and she can build Gardens of Morr (magical cemeteries) on controlled territories which allow fast travel.
The other new Empire units are:
- Marienburg Landship
- Steam Tank Volley Gun
- Nuln Ironsides
- Hochland Long Rifles
- Knights of the Black Rose
- Master Engineer
- Engineer
The Marienburg Landship was one of the most colossal kits ever produced by Forge World, while the Steam Tank Volley Gun was a conversion kit for the Warhammer sixth edition steam tank. The Engineer and Master Engineer are both units that have had multiple models, the Nuln Ironsides had a Forge World unit, while the Hochland Long Rifles, and Knights of the Black Rose all had rules in the Thrones of Chaos expansion but never had models.
Dwarfs
The Dwarf Legendary Lord is Malakai Makaisson, a disgraced engineer who has taken up the slayer oath. He has his own airship to call on (as befits an unhinged dwarven inventor), which will provide upgrade options and in-battle support in Makaisson’s campaign. His ongoing quest for a glorious death in battle will also see him innovate with new and upgraded war-machines in game.
The other new Dwarf units are:
- Legendary hero Garagrim Ironfist
- Daemonslayer
- Dragonslayer
- Doomseekers
- Goblin Hewer
- Thunderbarge
- Grudge Raker Thunderers
- Slayer Pirates
The Doomseekers (slayers with axe heads on chains) and Goblin Hewer (an axe-lobbing warmachine) both received models for the Warhammer fantasy sixth edition Storm of Chaos campaign expansion – the Slayer Pirates featured in the same army supplement, but their models were originally released for fifth edition as the Long Drong’s Slayer Pirates regiment of renown.
The Daemonslayer and Dragonslayer are slayer characters that have had various models over the years, while Garagrim Ironfist is the son of the slayer king who existed in lore but has never had a mini. The Thunderbarge had rules in the Warhammer fantasy eighth edition rulebook, though it never had an official model. It’s such a popular idea that there are already mods that add it to Total War: Warhammer.
The overlap between the Dwarf units arriving in this DLC, and the returning models that Games Workshop has revealed for the Dwarfen Mountain Holds in Warhammer: The Old World has us cautiously hopeful that GW might put some of the Throne of Chaos kits back into production. If it doesn’t, getting to play with them in one of the best Warhammer fantasy games on PC isn’t too much of a hardship.