Expansion for three factions, full of ammunition and decay.
The latest expansion for Total War: Warhammer 3 was interesting, but it wasn’t well received by the community due to bugs and some shortcomings. So the wait for the next expansion was relatively long, as the studio wanted to polish everything as much as possible. But now all the waiting is over. The new DLC is here, and with it our review, where you can read in more detail about how each of the factions added to Total War: Warhammer 3 – Thrones of Decay plays, and much more.
- Platform: PC
- Publication date: 30.04.2024
- Manufacturer: Creative Assembly
- Genre: Strategy
- Czech localization: Yes
- Multiplayer: Yes
- Data for download: 120 GB
- Play time: 35 hours+
The Empire and the Dwarven armies have finally received reinforcements.
Total War: Warhammer 3 – Thrones of Decay, like its predecessors, contains a number of innovations. One of the main ones will be seen by fans of the Dwarves in the game menu, where they are watched by the crazy Dwarven technician Malakai Makaisson, who begins his journey in the fortress of Kraka Drak. Anyone who has ever played Total War: Warhammer knows that the Dwarves do not survive for long in a certain space, since they are a bulwark against Chaos. But this brute genius has cards with which he can change the course of history. There are new technologies, legendary heroes and, above all, an enhanced army of killers that will easily cut into pieces almost anything.
His army is indeed strong, but what really interests you is the ability to call an airship into battle for him. This can be part of the unit offer, or just a one-time combat event. It then serves as a “camp” outside the battlefield, which is upgraded. However, despite its presence, surviving in a space full of demons is a massacre. But you can’t just focus on fighting for your life on the way to victory. There are also adventures in which you complete various tasks. If you manage to complete enough of them, you will have the opportunity to fight in some spectacular battle for which you will be rewarded accordingly.
Resentment plays a much bigger role in the lives of the ‘Mechs than before, so if you want to quickly unite, you’ll have no choice but to right the wrongs in a big way. Plus, this mechanic gives you access to a number of interesting units with which to gain respect in the North. In short, Malachi Makaisson was really missed here, so I ended up spending a lot more time with him than I originally planned. However, that’s not the only thing Total War: Warhammer 3 – Thrones of Decay has to offer. The Empire has also been enriched, and in this case, the community that had long called Nuln and Wissenland has come to life. They have formed a single alliance under the leadership of Elspeth von Draken.
The new human faction is one of those that heavily bases its power on the use of gunpowder. Nuln is a province that specializes in artillery and firearms in general. Elspeth von Draken herself is a powerful mage, with powerful magic and her own dragon that Karl Franz or Balthasar Gelt would only envy. She brings new ranged units to the battlefield, including a landship that rolls across the battlefield and destroys everything in its path. Personally, I quite liked her as a long rifle shooter with a very decent range.
Like Makaisson, Elspeth in Total War: Warhammer 3 – Thrones of Decay is heavily involved with dust-game-focused tech. Unit upgrades between factions are interesting to her, and to top it all off, she also has special Amethyst units at her disposal that can also be used to do nice things. While I was able to take full control of the Dwarf and Nurgle campaigns after a while, in Elspeth von Draken’s case it was a battle from start to finish that lasted dozens of turns.
A good crew is Tamurkhan’s main weapon
Before the release of Total War: Warhammer 3 – Thrones of Decay, I was probably least expecting the new legendary noble god Nurgle. In short, the monstrous Tamurkhan did not impress me much, because I am not a big fan of brute force. However, in the end I was very pleasantly surprised, because this brutal monster offered me more than it seemed at first glance. From the very beginning, I was surprised by the composition of this warrior’s units. He did not have a slow army at his disposal, but rather a decent corps, consisting of a large part of cavalry.
Like his corrupted friends, Tamurkhan can create plagues in Total War: Warhammer 3 – Thrones of Decay. However, he is not as effective at it as the rest of the minions of this god. His main advantage over the others is that he has a group of loyal heroes. He has the ability to recruit them and subsequently, through the implementation of their desires, gain the trust of individuals, thereby opening not only their hearts, but primarily the units and abilities associated with them.
You can make a Chaos Dwarf, a Human Traitor, a Werewolf and many more happy in Total War: Warhammer 3 – Thrones of Decay. Each of them has a special ability and three faction units belonging to the faction they represent, which in practice means that the Blacksmith gives you, for example, a very effective mortar at your disposal, while the Ex-Beast Servant brings his monstrous appearance with him. Thanks to this mechanic, you can create some really interesting combinations. In addition, the mission objectives are very successful, as with other factions. However, compared to other Lords of Nurgle, it did not suit me very well, although in terms of gameplay it is not bad at all.
Total War: Warhammer 3 – Thrones of Decay Changes the Game Again
The Dwarfs, Empire, and Nurgle are all getting a proper boost in the Thrones of Decay expansion for Total War: Warhammer 3, which helps all three factions out a bit in terms of power and replayability. Each group gets a new job title and a bunch of important news. The Dwarfs get airships and adventure quests. The Humans have the honor of having access to more guns, and Nurgle gets a brutal lord and a bunch of upgrades to show off. In my opinion, the pack changes the dynamics of the campaign significantly and once again “upends” the established order, and that’s a good thing. I hope the next pack will be as rich as this one, because I’ve got dozens of hours in it already and I’m still discovering new things.
In the previous text, I already made it clear that for some people the price of these DLCs could be a problem. There was a significant percentage of players for whom this element was the reason for their criticism of Shadows of Change. That’s why Creative Assembly has offered the option to buy only part of the pack this time, so that fans of the Dwarves will only be able to buy the Dwarven pack in the Thrones of Decay release, while fans of Humans or Decay have the opportunity to grab some of the faction-focused DLC. Personally, I probably wouldn’t be afraid to go for the selected works in their entirety.
Verdict
With Thrones of Decay, Total War: Warhammer 3 has a hefty dose of content that you can dose to your liking. Fans of the Dwarfs, Realmmen, and Nurgle will get their money’s worth. If you’re one of those groups, I wouldn’t miss this expansion.
What do we like and dislike?
A number of major innovations
A trio of interesting characters with unique positions.
For some, the challenge for certain lords may prove too difficult.
Source :Indian TV
