Total War Warhammer III — Daemon Prince and Legion of Chaos preview

A lot of players, myself included, have been wondering about Creative Assembly’s plans for Total War: Warhammer III. Over on the game’s subreddit, I’d guess which legendary lords would lead each faction’s armies. Naturally, there was talk of a possible Chaos Undivided faction. I, for one, thought that there’s a good chance that Be’lakor would be playable. Still, Creative Assembly managed to surprise me. Indeed, the last legendary lord to enter the fray in Total War: Warhammer III is the Daemon Prince, the commander of the Legion of Chaos.

Note: This article is part of our Total War: Warhammer III preview series. You can also take a look at the Realm of Chaos mechanics/campaign structure and Grand Cathay’s systems, as well as our interview with Jim Whitson and Mark Sinclair of Creative Assembly.

Total War: Warhammer III preview – Meet the Daemon Prince and the Legion of Chaos

The first big surprise is that the Daemon Prince in Total War: Warhammer III is essentially a blank template. Hailing from the frozen lands of Kislev, this noble was left for dead and his soul succumbed to the temptations of Chaos. Because the Daemon Prince is a truly original character, you can even give him a unique name or choose from randomized options.

There are certainly a lot of quirks involved. Here are some examples:

• Chaos Undivided – You have access to several units from the factions of all four Chaos Gods. You’ll even receive some heroes from those factions as you complete missions (i.e., Nurgle’s Plagueridden after recruiting two extra units).
• The four existing legendary lords of Chaos (i.e., Skarbrand, N’kari, Ku’gath, and Kairos) seem to be pals with you, or they aren’t overtly hostile at the start. Naturally, those that are Order-aligned (i.e., Kislev, Empire, and more) will be hostile.
• You’re encouraged to ally with Norscan tribes due to the new alliance mechanics. Doing so unlocks an Outpost so you can recruit Marauders and Marauder Horsemen.
• Events, post-battle options, and settlement capture options allow you to choose which Chaos God you’ll dedicate an offering to (akin to Norsca). In turn, you’ll increase your Glory (reputation) with that entity. Some decisions will also net you Chaos Undivided reputation with its own set of rewards (we discuss more in our Daemonic Gifts/Daemonic Glory section).
• The Chaos God you dedicate a capture settlement to will determine the types of units and buildings that are available. You could have a province with three settlements all dedicated to Nurgle if you want (to increase Nurgle’s Glory faster). Alternatively, you could dedicate each settlement to a different god in case you want access to several kinds buildings or units.

Daemonic Glory and Daemonic Gifts

As you conquer the world with the Daemon Prince in Total War: Warhammer III, you’ll amass Daemonic Glory reputation that provides bonuses from Khorne, Tzeentch, Nurgle, and Slaanesh). This means you’ll be able to use some of the mechanics that those factions have.

You could have Khorne’s Bloodletting, so your armies gain bonuses as you keep maiming and burning all those around you, as well as Tzeentch’s Teleport Stance. Likewise, you can select from three of Nurgle’s Plagues to debilitate your foes. Then, once you’re about to start a battle, you can use the Seduce command from Slaanesh to force units to serve you. However, you’re not going to be able to try the more in-depth features (i.e., Khorne’s Unholy Manifestations and Khornate Cults).

Another fun concept is that each Chaos God’s branch or row provides powerful weapons, armor pieces, and passives. You can then equip these on your character, with multiple slots akin to an action role-playing game (ARPG). It’s like Diablo, but you’re playing as Diablo. Your Daemon Prince’s model will, naturally, change depending on your gear pieces. You could have a spiky tail or one that has a gaping maw. Your wings could be frayed and bat-like, or they could be covered in feathers. Some selections will even restrict you from holding weapons, such as pincer claws from Slaanesh (those claws are going to be your weapons). This guy is basically a customized and kitbashed amalgamation, and he looks awesome.

You are Chaos Undivided

Furthermore, some campaign decisions will still award you with Chaos Undivided reputation, along with favor from a specific Chaos God. Because Chaos Undivided has its own branch/row, you’ll still continue obtaining numerous buffs and equipment. However, once you reach 3,990 Daemonic Glory in any of the four branches, all other Glory gains will be halted and the factions of the gods that you didn’t pick will dislike you. The upside is that you’ll be able to recruit stronger units, all while obtaining better gear.

The key difference, if I’m just basing it on tooltips, is with the Chaos Undivided branch, It seems that you can still increase your reputation here until you’re fully locked in with any of the big four, though things might be clearing once we get closer to the release. Imagine the joy of being able to recruit different types of Soul Grinders, as well as a Bloodthirster, Great Unclean One, Keeper of Secrets, and Lord of Change, all in the same army.

Another factor that’s worth mentioning is that the Daemon Prince opens up a lot of possibilities down the line. We’ve seen rogue armies with shared units, Ogre mercenaries joining your squad, and Arkhan the Black having access to Vampire Counts units. Now, we’ve got Chaos Undivided and monogod forces. Factions with combined mechanics or simply the ability to use the units of another faction could potentially lead to the Undead Legions controlled by Nagash.

In any case, you can check out the rest of our Total War: Warhammer III preview series as we wait for the official launch on February 17. We delved into the Realm of Chaos mechanics/campaign structure and Grand Cathay’s gameplay systems. Likewise, we spoke with Jim Whitson and Mark Sinclair of Creative Assembly regarding their vision and future plans for the game. You can also watch the video below which shows the Daemonic Gifts that you can acquire. Lastly, I’ll go ahead and spoil it, but Be’lakor does play a major role in Total War: Warhammer III‘s grand campaign.