Total War Warhammer 3 update 4.0 is set to arrive at the end of August alongside the TWW3 Shadows of Change DLC, and developer Creative Assembly outlines what we can expect as part of the free update for the Grand Cathay faction in the strategy game. The arrival of new lord Yuan Bo in the expansion pack means a big update for Cathay, and there’s lots of changes to some of the faction’s core systems on the way for the upcoming Total War Warhammer 3 patch.
Most of Grand Cathay’s systems are getting reworks in Total War Warhammer 3 patch notes 4.0, with changes to its core Harmony, Ivory Road, and Wu Xing Compass systems. First up is the Harmony system – where you must aim to strike a balance between actions that push you towards either Yin or Yang, with the ultimate goal of keeping the balance of Harmony right in the middle.
With update 4.0, Harmony will change from a faction-based resource to a province-based one. This means that each of your provinces will have its own Harmony value, which will now be influenced only by the buildings within its settlements (characters and technologies will no longer have any bearing). You’ll now be encouraged to have specialized settlements favoring either Yin or Yang, with benefits for each, or aim to reach ultimate balance as the settlement develops further.
There’s good news for your Ivory Road trade route, as loot gained by players who plunder your caravans is being somewhat limited. Previously, early-game attacks on your trade vehicles offered huge, game-skewing benefits; now, players who choose to intercept a Cathay caravan will get a standard haul of loot along with the cargo it’s currently carrying. Still a worthwhile target in many cases, but perhaps not something to go completely out of your way for.
With the arrival of Yuan Bo as a Cathay Lord who starts outside Grand Cathay itself, the Wu-Xing Compass is being changed so that its Winds of Magic affect all regions controlled by Cathayan factions, rather than the areas within Cathay itself. Creative Assembly says it’s also adjusted some of the bonuses provided “to make them more useful and less situational.”
Finally, the Magistrates skill tree is being overhauled to improve benefits designed for those who lead from the back. “While the new Celestial General takes to the field to fight alongside his men,” CA explains, “the Magistrate is best suited deploying buffs from his floating balloon and a variety of passive but powerful modifiers to the army as a whole.”
These changes are certainly very welcome, although it’s likely they won’t make the bitter pill of the Total War DLC price increase go down any smoother. Nevertheless, it seems there’s plenty of changes to look forward to in Total War Warhammer 3 patch 4.0, even if you’re just sticking to the base game’s offerings.
If Cathay isn’t your choice, take a look through all Total War Warhammer 3 races to decide who you’ll play next, and browse the best Total War Warhammer 3 DLC if you’re considering picking up some of the past add-ons instead.