Total War: Warhammer 3 Faction Guide: Which Race to Play First

Immortal Empires offers over 80 playable legendary lords across more than 20 races. Each race has unique campaign mechanics, army compositions, and playstyles. The right faction hooks you for hundreds of hours, while a poor match leads to early frustration.

Best Factions for Beginners

High Elves (Tyrion) are the default recommendation. Tyrion starts in a defensible position on Ulthuan with strong early stats. High Elf armies combine excellent archers (Lothern Sea Guard function as hybrid spear/bow infantry), powerful cavalry (Dragon Princes), and devastating magic. The Influence mechanic manipulates diplomacy between other factions. Trade income is high, making economy management forgiving.

Empire (Karl Franz) plays like a historical Total War faction with fantasy elements. Standard infantry, cavalry, and artillery supplemented by wizards and steam tanks. The Elector Count system creates political tension: keep the counts happy or they rebel. Imperial Authority rises and falls based on your actions, and losing too much authority triggers civil wars that force you to reconquer your own provinces.

Cathay (Miao Ying) defends the Great Bastion against Chaos while expanding trade routes. Harmony mechanics reward balancing Yin and Yang units in your army composition: fielding equal numbers of melee and ranged units grants faction-wide combat bonuses. The starting position is relatively safe with natural chokepoints.

Intermediate Factions

Skaven (Ikit Claw) offer the most unique experience. Settlements look like ruins to other factions. The Under-Empire spreads corruption beneath enemy cities. Ikit’s Forbidden Workshop upgrades weapons teams and eventually produces nuclear warheads. Armies rely on cheap clanrats screening Ratling Guns, Jezzails, and Warpfire Throwers.

Vampire Counts (Mannfred) raise the dead instead of recruiting. After large battles, powerful units can be recruited instantly through Raise Dead. Wind of Death can delete entire formations in one cast. Vampiric Corruption weakens enemy provinces. The lack of any ranged units forces an aggressive playstyle centered on magic, flying units, and fast-moving cavalry to close distance before enemy archers thin your shambling hordes.

Lizardmen (Kroq-Gar) field dinosaur-heavy armies. Saurus Warriors are the best basic infantry in the game. Stegadons are mobile artillery. Carnosaurs can solo enemy lords. The Geomantic Web links temple-cities for faction-wide bonuses.

Advanced Factions

Khorne (Skarbrand) cannot use diplomacy. You declare war on everyone and sustain your economy through killing. Zero ranged units. Zero magic. Pure melee devastation through Bloodletters and Exalted Bloodthirsters. Skulls collected from battles fuel upgrades and army abilities, meaning your economy literally runs on violence.

Tzeentch (Kairos Fateweaver) relies entirely on devastating magic with fragile armies. Kairos knows every spell in the game. Barrier mechanics give regenerating shields, but once they drop, horrors die quickly.

Nurgle (Ku’gath) plays a slow attrition game. Extraordinarily durable units that move painfully slow. Custom Plagues debuff enemy armies and provinces with reduced leadership, attrition, and income.

The beauty of Warhammer 3 is that switching factions feels like playing an entirely different game. A Skaven campaign bears no resemblance to a High Elf campaign. The Immortal Empires combined map ensures that regardless of your faction choice, you will encounter dozens of rival races with their own mechanics, creating emergent narratives that no two campaigns share.

Each faction also features unique siege battle mechanics and settlement layouts. Skaven underways allow ambush attacks on the campaign map. Vampire Coast can establish pirate coves in enemy ports. Dark Elves gain slaves from battles that boost economy. These asymmetric mechanics ensure that campaign strategy varies as dramatically as battlefield tactics between factions.

For related content, see Best Total War Games Ranked and Warhammer 40K RTS Guide. Tabletop fans should check Warhammer 40K Getting Started.