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Total War Warhammer 3 is packed with varied and interesting factions. Whatever your preferred playstyle, the game has something to accommodate. But which of them are currently the strongest? We’ve spent time delving into which factions we think stack up best compared to the others, and come up with a tier list.
Here are our current rankings of all the Total War: Warhammer 3 Factions, from best to worst:
Legion of Chaos
The Legion of Chaos offers a flexibility that no other factions can match. The sheer customisability on offer here allows the player to outfit an army entirely tailored to their strengths.
The only weakness of the Legion of Chaos is that – unless the player goes all in on worshipping a specific Chaos God – the Legion’s mechanics do not mesh as perfectly as other Chaos factions. But once a player has found their ideal gameplay niche, the Legion of Chaos can meet those demands.
While they make take the most time and player intent to perfect, the Legion of Chaos can be anything its player needs it to be and more. We look forward to seeing the multitude of ways this faction will be used as Total War: Warhammer 3 grows in popularity.
Khorne
Khorne is an overwhelming offensive powerhouse that very few can compete with. Their infantry, monsters and cavalry can lay waste to opposing forces in the blink of an eye. And once they’re in the fray, they can take hits and keep on coming. While their troops are relatively expensive compared to other factions, their death-dealing quality more than makes up for it.
While not as speedy as the daemons of Slaanesh, Khorne’s assault troops also don’t suffer Slaanesh’s debilitating vulnerability. Khorne are more than capable of rushing down any foe and beating them to a bloody pulp. And they aren’t entirely locked into close quarters either. While their ranged options are extremely limited, they still offer the chance for Khorne to get out of the rare corner it is pushed into. And those ranged units are remarkably flexible too, being just as devastating in close combat when Khorne inevitably rushes its foes once more.
Once Khorne gets the tempo going, it can be hard to put a stop to it. The more Khorne kills, the more abilities they unlock, and the more destruction they bring to the battlefield. Unless other factions can shut them down quick or weather their assaults, they don’t stand much of a chance against Khorne.
Kislev
Kislev can do little wrong. The only areas in which it is on the back-foot is against the truly overwhelming offensives that Chaos factions can bring to the table.
Kislev’s adaptability is second only to the Legion of Chaos. They can react to almost any scenario and rally from the worst of circumstances. Kislev’s units cover all the bases, without any glaring flaws. Though Kislev struggles pushing for an overwhelming victory when compared to higher ranked factions, Kislev players will find they almost always have an avenue to victory available.
When playing Kislev, it is often better to consider what diplomacy can bring to the table. The faction’s specific abilities can lead to certain scenarios being resolved without the need for conflict to ever escalate. In this area at least, they are second to none.
Ogre Kingdoms
The Ogre Kingdoms are in an interesting spot. Their strengths arguably outweigh Kislev’s, but their weaknesses drag them down from true consistency.
Ogre monsters are an extremely powerful offensive tool. And their artillery allows them to pivot to a more long-ranged defensive game at a moment’s notice. By switching from one to another, the Ogre Kingdoms can choose whether to crush or simply outlast their foes.
Sadly, Ogre Kingdoms’ infantry serve as little more than distractions and cannon fodder. Crafty players will be able to use them effectively in this manner, but they are undeniably weaker than any other factions’ frontline troops.
Other than the lack of infantry, the Ogre Kingdoms can suit an aggressive or defensive playstyle from moment to moment. They are well suited to combat most other factions and can never truly be counted out.
Nurgle
Nurgle is a fascinating faction with all its own. They are strong, survivable, and require opposing players to put real thought into how they approach a fight.
Crucially, Nurgle’s reliance on its debuffing abilities does not hamper the faction to the degree of Tzeentch’s over-reliance on magic. Nurgle’s abilities feel more like assets than they do a way to patch up weaknesses. It makes Nurgle troops into a true force to be feared; even when you’re winning against them, you’re only letting them build up more resources to strike back.
But their slow pace is a more significant flaw than most factions’ downsides. It can be difficult to chase foes down, follow up an engagement or get aw
ay if the tide is turning. Nurgle requires an expert use of positioning and micro-management to achieve best results. If a player isn’t on top of their game, in spite of the faction’s survivability, things can go wrong before you know it.
Tzeentch
Tzeentch have a lot of things going for them, but ultimately the faction’s mechanics don’t blend as smoothly as you would hope. While the player has a wealth of options at their disposal, this can often be more overwhelming than it is empowering.
Tzeentch’s barrier mechanic is a crucial part of their gameplan. It is an absolute necessity to ensure that Tzeentch troops don’t crumble as soon as they encounter an opposing force. But in the long run, while it offsets Tzeentch units otherwise lacking defensive capabilities, it doesn’t quite tip them over into being a particularly survivable faction.
Tzeentch’s spellcasting is the best thing the faction has going for it, but sadly has too many drawbacks to be a truly potent asset. Over-specialising into spellcasters can lead to Tzeentch’s army being particularly frail. And while their magical abilities buff their overall power considerably, they still fall to more aggressive Factions more often than not.
Slaanesh
Slaanesh would perhaps rank higher if their niche wasn’t currently occupied by Khorne; a faction that essentially does what Slaanesh does and better. While they are still the fastest faction around, and their flanking mechanics give them an edge in specific engagements, Slaanesh simply can’t yet compete with other hard hitters that also prioritise survivability. They often need a real edge in numbers in order to stand up to other units head-on. Their glass cannon nature does not currently offer enough reward to offset its risks.
Slaanesh has its few areas wherein it excels. Hit-and-run and surprise attacks work wonders. With proper use of flanking, the faction can turn into a force to be feared. But things can swing from good to bad far too quickly for a Slaanesh player to ever feel totally in control of a skirmish.
Cathay
On paper, Cathay have a lot going for them. Their defensive tactics and artillery specialisation should enable them to hold opposing forces at bay with ease. And their troop variety can rival Kislev’s in most areas. But as things stand, Cathay’s playstyle is simply too overspecialized.
It is difficult for Cathay to regather lost moment once other factions start to unlock their more powerful abilities. And one of the greatest issues Cathay faces is that some of the strongest factions in the game right now are those that get up close and personal and do it fast. A shield wall can only do so much good against a whole hoard of Khorne baring down on you.
Faction conclusions
In such early days for Total War Warhammer 3, an obvious trend is emerging. The factions that cater to a robust number of playstyles are the strongest and most popular. Whereas those with more specific and limited gameplay options have yet to be fully mastered. It remains to be seen how these rankings will change over time, as players fit with factions and really figure out what makes them tick.
While this is our current ranking of the Total War: Warhammer 3 factions, we’ve also helped new players choose the best starting faction for them. And we’ll be covering more of the game in the coming days. Stay tuned for in-depth faction guides, campaign tips and much more!
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