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Total War: Warhammer 3has arrived, bringing Creative Assembly’s grand strategy trilogy to an epic conclusion. The third game takes players far from the familiar Old World, all the way to distant Cathay and the twisted Realms of Chaos.Total War: Warhammer 3offers eight playable factions, each with its own unique strengths and weaknesses.
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One of the fewTotal War: Warhammer 3factionsthat made a cameo appearance in the previous games is Kislev, the land of ice and tundra. Kislev is the Warhammer world’s equivalent to Russia and Eastern Europe, but it is a nation divided by a great schism between church and state. Players can choose to lead Kislev as Tzarina Katarin’s Ice Court, or Supreme Patriarch Kostaltyn’s Great Orthodoxy. The Great Orthodoxy is the spiritual backbone of Kislev, and Rasputin-esque Kostaltyn has a sacred duty to wrestle power from the Ice Witch Katarin.
The Motherland
The first of Kostaltyn’sturn-based campaignmechanics is the Motherland, which represents the battle for popular support between him and his rival Katarin. Kostaltyn can increase the Motherland’s support by spending Devotion on offerings to the four gods of Kislev. He can also spend Devotion or Coin to decrease Katarin’s support in the Motherland.
The easiest way to earn Devotion is by defeating Chaos-aligned forces and executing their captives, but it can also be gained through some Buildings, Events, Hero actions, and Technologies.
Once Kostaltyn reaches the maximum number of supporters, he’ll gain some powerful buffs and instantly confederate Katarin, taking full control of Kislev. Kostaltyn’s precarious position at the far west of the map may not put him in the center of Kislev’s civil war, but it does give him easy access toChaos-infested Norsca, a prime location for farming Devotion.
Kostaltyn will also earn extra Devotion from Patriarch actions, meaning thatplayers should make sure to recruit as many of the religious Heroes as possible.
The Atamans
Just like his rival Katarin, Kostaltyn cannot rule all of Kislev without help. For every two complete provinces he takes, he will be able to assign an Ataman governor. Atamans are special Lords that areall about city managementrather than leading an army. Each Ataman has different stats, which can boost Income, Growth, Control, or reduce Corruption in the region they’ve been assigned to.
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Unlike other Lords inTotal War: Warhammer 3, Atamans don’tgain XP normally, but instead, gain traits through special Events. They will be added to the garrison of whichever city they are governing, and can be called up to lead an army without cost.
However, players should only use this last feature in emergencies,as Atamans haveno special army-leading abilities, and willno longer give their governor bonuses while on campaign.
The Ice Court
Despite his objections to an Ice Witch ruling Kislev, Kostaltyn knows that,without battle wizards, Kislev will struggle to defeat the forces of the Chaos Gods. As such, he has access to the Ice Court feature, which allows him to train new Frost Maidens and Ice Witches to bolster his armies.
While the Lores of Ice and Tempest will always be useful on the battlefield, Kostaltyn’s distaste for magic means he hasno special bonuses toward casters. This means that Great Orthodoxy players may want tokeep magic to a minimum in their forces, and focus instead on Boyar Lords and Patriarch Heroes, which are much more effective under Kostaltyn’s control.
Kostaltyn in Battle
Despite sharing the same units as his rival Katarin, Kostaltyn’s armies are designed to be played a little differently. His faction gives fairly substantial Attack and Leadership bonuses to Kossars, Kossovite Dervishes, and Horse Archers. These are mostly at the lower tier ofKislev’s troop roster, and represent the traditional steppe people that favor the Great Orthodoxy over Tzarina Katarin’s court.
Taking advantage of these bonuses, it’s best for Kostaltyn tobuild several armies of low to mid-tier units, rather than a few elite stacks.The Leadership and strength of these armies can then be bolstered byPatriarchs, a Hero Kostaltyn should be recruiting whenever possible.
In addition, Kostaltyn’s personal army gains theFrenzy trait, hugely boosting their close-combat abilities when they’re above half health. While the swift light cavalry of the Kossovite Dervishes and Horse Archers harass the enemy flanks, the various hybrid-infantry Kossars can rain down arrows and bullets before charging into melee.
