Creative Assembly has shared a generous look at some new Total War: Warhammer III gameplay ahead of the strategy game’s arrival next month. In a new clip (below), we get to see an eight-and-a-half-minute chunk of campaign action as Grand Cathay Legendary Lord Miao Ying leads her Northern Provinces faction to stave off the Chaos hordes threatening the Great Bastion and map beyond.
Starting off with a successful flanking at Gunpowder Road to “sandwich” rebels between the faction’s cavalry and other forces, the battle kicks off in earnest. The faction uses its Sky-Junk (essentially armed air balloons) and “superior ranged capabilities” to defeat the defecting rebels. The clip then shows us what could be some of the big focal points of battles around the Great Bastion: its three entrypoint gates, embedded in the walls. “When Chaos invasions come, it’s these locations that take the brunt of the attacks,” the narrator explains.
Elsewhere, we see tactics such as the Storm Dragon’s Edict Commandment deployed, which is used to suppress corruption, bolster defences, and dial down enemies’ movement range. We also get to see the Northern Provinces make use of the Ivory Road – a mechanic which helps the faction bring in additional funds to support its growing army. It seems you can dispatch a caravan to trade with cultures based far away, but there’s a catch. “Caravans come with plenty of risk,” the narrator warns, though “the potential rewards are more than worth it”.
The clip also gives us a peek at some of the Chaos gods and factions, and other beastly battlers Creative Assembly’s been revealing in recent months. We get a look at the Ogres, which are a “hardy enemy” and at one point ambush the caravan sent to bring back resources (maybe they just want their dinner).
We also get to check out Tzeentch – introduced as “the foul Architect of Fate” – trying it on earlier in the war, while a full-on invasion of Chaos enemies starts emerging at around the 5:30 point. An army of The Dark Prince Slaanesh’s Demons later arrives to cause trouble for the Celestial Loyalists, while a Tzeentch host arrives outside the Bastion’s compromised Snake Gate meaning business. Kairos Fateweaver, the Oracle of Tzeentch, makes an appearance, marching on the gate.
There’s some diplomacy in action, too. Around the 4:57 mark, we see the Storm Dragon’s side broker a deal with the Imperial Wardens in a neighbouring region, led by Yuanshan Fu, to help strengthen the security of Grand Cathay. The leader swaps a just-liberated area called the Terracotta Graveyard for a military alliance.
The clip offers a chunky look at gameplay in action, and gives a good overview of how battles between the Northern Provinces and the Chaos hordes can play out across the pretty hefty Total Warhammer 3 campaign map.
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The Total Warhammer 3 release date is set for February 17. If you’re keen to check out what we know about the Total Warhammer 3 races and factions or how the game’s going all-in on story, you know where to click.