The Chaos Dwarfs have arrived in Total War: Warhammer 3, bringing a fresh new faction to Creative Assembly's epic strategy title. As the High Priest of Hashut, Astragoth Ironhand is a feared and renowned figure among the Chaos Dwarf leadership, and leads the Disciples of Hashut into battle in Total War: Warhammer 3.
Astragoth Ironhand has a northern starting position in the Immortal Empires campaign, with his capital Uzkulak straddling the pass into the Dark Lands. Utilizing his early strength, aggressive players should be able to capture the Great Skull Lakes and Fort Dorznye-Vort within the first couple turns, completing the Province and setting up the early cogs of Astragoth Ironhand's industrial empire.
Industry and the Labour Economy
The relentless industry of the Chaos Dwarfs sets them apart from other Chaos-worshipping factions in Total War: Warhammer 3, and players must manage their production lines efficiently. Each Chaos Dwarf Settlement can either be a Tower, an Outpost, or a Factory, chosen by the player when they take that Settlement:
- Towers can only be constructed in Province Capitals, and are the primary recruitment centers of the Chaos Dwarfs.
- Outposts use Labour to produce Raw Materials.
- Factories convert Raw Materials into Armaments or income.
Chaos Dwarfs will capture fresh Labour with each victory, which can then be divided between Provinces with Outposts and Mines to match their required Workload. Provided there are more Labourers than the Workload, Outposts will produce Raw Materials at maximum efficiency, which can then be used to construct new buildings or converted into Armaments that are used for unit upgrades in the Hell-Forge.
While other Chaos Dwarf Legendary Lords require an early balance of Outposts and Factories, Astragoth Ironhand players should be able to get away with building two Outposts in their starting Province of Zorn Uzkul in the Immortal Empires campaign. This is because of the Iron deposit in Uzkulak, which can produce a respectable 250 Armaments a turn on its own when exploited.
The Hell-Forge and Recruitment
The Chaos Dwarfs are not a numerous race, and rely heavily on their hordes of Greenskin Labourers and Hobgoblin vassals in battle. This is represented by all higher-tier Chaos Dwarf units having a limited capacity, which can only be expanded by spending Armaments in the Hell-Forge. Increasing unit capacities in this way will also unlock new bonuses that can be applied to these elite units, boosting their abilities for a per-turn Armaments cost.
The starting Lava Fields and Giant Conveyor buildings in Astragoth Ironhand's capital means that players may want to focus their early Armaments into increasing the capacity for Chaos Dwarf Warriors and Bull Centaurs. These Chaos-corrupted units can form the base of an army that is capable in both offense and defense, and will work well with Hobgoblin and Labourer forces.
Convoys and the Tower of Zharr
As well as the Hell-Forge, Chaos Dwarf players can also spend their Armaments, Labour, and Raw Materials in the Military Convoy system. Chaos Dwarf Convoys work similarly to the Caravans of the Cathay factions in Total War: Warhammer 3, allowing players to dispatch pseudo-armies to distant lands to gain wealth and bonuses. Chaos Dwarf players can send their Convoys all across the Old World, picking their cargo and their rewards, and facing any trouble along the way through events and battles.
Additionally, Astragoth Ironhand's bonus to Conclave Influence will give him an early boost in the Tower of Zharr, the shared diplomatic battlefield of all Chaos Dwarf factions. Player and NPC Chaos Dwarfs can spend their Conclave Influence to claim seats in the Tower, granting themselves powerful bonuses. Each level of the Tower contains three Districts, and when every seat has been claimed in a District then all Chaos Dwarf factions will get a related bonus. Once two Districts have been completed on the current level of the Tower, the next level will be unlocked. The very pinnacle of the Tower has three seats that can instantly Confederate with the most powerful factions of the Chaos Dwarfs.
Astragoth Ironhand on the Battlefield
Like the rest of the Chaos Dwarf factions, Astragoth Ironhand's army is focused around forming a tough defensive position supported by ranged firepower, magic, and artillery, supplemented with cannon-fodder Labourers and fast flanking cavalry. His personal battle Trait is Mechanical, which gives him increased offensive power for each kill he makes, +5% to Casualty Replenishment rate, and a +15% Ward Save for all Bull Centaurs.
This final bonus gives Astragoth a good reason to focus on Bull Centaurs in his own army, as the powerful cavalry units can last longer and deal more damage in melee combat. Cavalry units like the Bull Centaurs and Hobgoblin Wolf Riders are part of what sets the Chaos Dwarf roster apart from their uncorrupted cousins, the Dwarfs of Total War: Warhammer 3. This synergy of traditional Dwarfish strengths like tough melee infantry and devastating ranged firepower with flanking cavalry can be a potent combination in the right hands.
Total War: Warhammer 3 is out now for PC.