Total War: Warhammer 3 factions that are still missing
The Forge of the Chaos Dwarfs DLC has been a huge success for Total War: Warhammer 3 with critics and players lauding the fun unit roster and the in-depth faction mechanics. However, as is always the case, as soon as we have one new toy, we are looking for what could come next.
With the Chaos Dwarfs out of the way, there are still quite a few potential factions that could join Total War: Warhammer 3’s ever-growing roster, though many of them pose some challenges to overcome if they are to be adapted for the video game.
We’ll look at which factions from the lore are still missing, if Creative Assembly has given any hints towards them coming, and what their rosters could potentially look like. Please keep in mind that this is all hugely speculative.
Kingdoms of Ind
Creative Assembly
South of Grand Cathay lies the subcontinent of Ind, which obviously is the Warhammer Fantasy world’s equivalent to India. This land is split into several rich kingdoms, which we know from a Caravan event Cathay can get in Total War: Warhammer 3. Great white elephants as well as Tigermen roam the jungles of this county, which is also known as the Land of a Thousand Gods. The common folk are described as poor and superstitious, fragmented by hundreds of religious sects with different gods. The Kingdoms of Ind are ruled by mighty Rajas, rich aristocrats who employ wizards at their courts similar to the nobles of the Empire and Cathay.
Ind is present on the Immortal Empires map in Total War: Warhammer 3, though it’s currently not traversable and no factions are settled there. The Kingdoms of Ind never had an army list from Games Workshop, which means Creative Assembly would have to create the factions from scratch – while not impossible, this makes it very unlikely that we’ll get the Kingdoms of Ind as their own faction.
It’s possible that the subcontinent will be opened for players in the future with the rumored Monkey King DLC expanding Cathay in that direction.
Pro:
- Ind is already represented on the Total War: Warhammer 3 map.
- Ind has been mentioned in Total War: Warhammer 3.
Contra:
- Ind has no official or unofficial army lists.
- India is probably not an important market for GW and CA.
- Andy Hall said brand-new races are not on the roadmap at the moment.
Nagas of Khuresh
Creative Assembly
The Hinterlands of Khuresh are Warhammer’s pendant to the rest of Southeast Asia. A region of thick jungles said to be inhabited by the ageless Snakemen or Nagas of Khuresh, who feast on the blood of humans, it’s not exactly a friendly destination for travel. Beastmen roam in this area freely and in the center the ruins of a great city of the Old Ones are supposed to stand.
Just like Ind, the Hinterlands of Khuresh are depicted on the Immortal Empires map in Total War: Warhammer 3, though players can’t access them yet. Snakemen models were launched in the 1980s during Warhammer 3rd Edition, though they were never incorporated into an official army list and fell into oblivion for about 20 years, when the race was mentioned again in the lore. It’s the same situation as with Ind: If the game continues to do well and the stars align the correct way (read as: Games Workshop is planning to use them for the miniature game), the Nagas could be on the menu.
You can check out these really impressive concept artworks for the faction made by a fan.
Pro:
- Khuresh is already represented on the Total War: Warhammer 3 map.
Contra:
- Khuresh has no official or unofficial army lists.
- Andy Hall said brand-new races are not on the roadmap at the moment.
Nippon
Nippon is an island nation east of Cathay and, naturally, the Warhammer Fantasy world’s version of Japan. Ruled by feudal overlords known as samurai, who nominally serve an emperor known as the Divine Sun, Nippon is the third great nation of humans in the East next to Cathay and Ind. They are distrustful of outsiders and we know that Skaven and Ogres live on the island as well. In times of despair, the dog statues in front of their temples come to live, helping the inhabitants.
Nippon is obviously a popular concept: Warhammer-coolness plus samurai is an instant win. However, the island is not on the map for Total War: Warhammer 3 at the moment and game writer Andy Hall has explicitly said that Nippon, together with Ind and Khuresh, is not on the roadmap right now. That said, Nippon had army lists in early editions of Warhammer, which means that there are known characters and troop types for them.
Known Lords/Heroes:
- Bombardier
- Samurai Lord
- Vim-to Mage
- Wizard
Known units:
- Ashigaru (Arquebus Infantry)
- Ashigaru (Crossbow Infantry)
- Ashigaru (Longbow Infantry)
- Ashigaru (Longsword Infantry)
- Ashigaru (Spear Infantry)
- Ashigaru Mounted Crossbows (Crossbow Cavalry)
- Bolt Thrower (Artillery)
- Cannon (Artillery)
- Kamikaze Suicide Squad (Explosive Infantry)
- Ninja Assassin (Hybrid Infantry)
- Rocket Launcher (Artillery)
- Samurai (Hybrid Infantry)
- Samurai Cavalry (Shock Cavalry)
- Samurai Ki-rin Riders (Monster Cavalry)
- Samurai Mounted Archers (Longbow Cavalry)
- Temple Dogs (Monsters)
- Warrior Monks (Melee Infantry)
Pro:
- Nippon offers the undeniable draw of Japanese culture.
- Nippon already has some lore and army lists to draw upon, though they are outdated.
Contra:
- Nippon is not represented on the Total War: Warhammer 3 map.
- Andy Hall said brand-new races are not on the roadmap at the moment.
Jade Vampires
Creative Assembly
Before Cathay was fully realized in Total War: Warhammer 3, it was heavily speculated that the great empire was ruled by an immortal family of vampires called the Jade Vampires. The rulers turned out to be dragons instead, but the Cathayan vampires live on in two Total War factions: a Vampire Coast faction called Jade Vampires and a Vampire Count faction called the Jiangshi Rebels. In an interview writer Andy Hall gave in 2021 he implied that there was a larger plan for the Jade bloodline in place, so it’s possible that future Cathay content may include this different flavor of vampire.
In the meantime, check out the fantastic Curse of Nongchang mod by Poljanan, which adds their own take on the jade-blooded vampires into the game.
Pro:
- Jade Vampires are already established on the Total War: Warhammer 3 map in some form.
- Andy Hall implied that there were some plans with the Jade Vampires.
- Jade Vampires are technically not a brand-new race, as their mechanics would likely be similar to regular Vampire Counts.
- Additional Cathay content has been confirmed.
Contra:
- Jade Vampires may not be different enough from Vampire Counts to justify them as DLC content.
Hobgoblin Khanate
Creative Assembly
The Hobgoblins made their debut as subordinates of the Chaos Dwarfs recently, but the Eastern Steppes north of Cathay’s Great Bastion are the home of the Hobgoblin Khanate. Forge of the Chaos Dwarfs actually alludes to that fact with a landmark building, the tomb of a great khan. However, the developers said that we should not “expect any more characters or units from this part of the world for now” in a recent Q&A session. That’s not a “no” forever, but we should not expect the Hobgoblin Khanate to arrive any time soon.
Pro:
- Eastern Steppes are already represented on the Total War: Warhammer 3 map and can easily be expanded.
- Hobgoblin Khanate is referenced in Total War: Warhammer 3.
- Some Hobgoblin units already exist.
- No confirmation of Hobgoblin Khanate not ever coming to the game.
Contra:
- Very similar to other Greenskin factions.
- Confirmed not to come in the near future.
Araby
Creative Assembly
You already guessed it from their name: Araby represents the peoples of the Arabian peninsula in the Warhammer Fantasy world, and we can actually play in that region ever since the second part of the trilogy came out. Currently, Bretonnians, Dwarfs, and Tomb Kings inhabit the area. In the lore, the faction has a 1,001 Nights flavor with Djinns, Dervishes, and Snake Charmers being featured, and is in parts very dated when it comes to the depiction of oriental cultures.
Araby is already on the map, there is lots of lore about it, and a series of miniatures for Warmaster, another Games Workshop title set in the Warhammer universe, exists – however, with a negligible market in the Middle East it’s unclear if GW wants to take the risk and further explore this faction. Creative Assembly’s representatives have always kept their lips tightly shut when it comes to Araby.
For reference, here is the Warmaster army list for Araby:
Known Lords/Heroes:
- Magician
- Lord
- Djinn Summoner
Known units:
- Arabyan Spearmen (Spear Infantry)
- Arabyan Bowmen (Bow Infantry)
- Arabyan Guards (Scimitar and Shield Infantry)
- Arabyan Knights (Lance and Shield Cavalry)
- Arabyan Desert Riders (Scimitar Cavalry)
- Arabyan Camel Riders (Scimiar Cavalry)
- Arabyan Bowmen on Flying Carpets (Flying Missile Infantry)
- Arabyan Elephants (Monster Cavalry)
- Arabyan Jezzail Camels (Jezzail Cavalry)
Pro:
- Araby as a region is already represented on the Total War: Warhammer 3 map.
- Some outdated lore and units already exist.
Contra:
- Old Araby lore is so outdated they might as well be a brand-new faction, and you know what Andy Hall said about those.
- Middle East is probably not an important market for GW and CA.
- Potential PR problems if implementation is perceived as culturally insensitive.
Albion
Creative Assembly
Though Warhammer is thoroughly British to its core, Great Britain itself is represented in a fairly underdeveloped way in the form of the island of Albion. Inspired by the Celtic era of Britain, this cold and rainy region is wreathed in mist and inhabited by humans.
A limited array of units is known from various sources and the lore of Albion is somewhat established, but the island is very small on the Total War: Warhammer 3 map and Be’lakor already calls it his home – since Albion can’t bring all too much to the table, it’s unlikely that a full faction will find its way into the game.
Known Lords/Heroes:
- Druid
- Nobleman
Known units:
- Warband (Spear Infantry)
- Maiden-Guard (Spear Infantry)
- Slingers (Sling Infantry)
- War Chariots (Chariots)
- Pony Riders (Melee Cavalry)
- Wolfhounds (Monster)
- Giant Eagles (Flying Monster)
- Giants of Albion (Monster)
Pro:
- Albion as a region is already represented on the Total War: Warhammer 3 map.
- Some lore and units already exist.
Contra:
- Very small region without much space for new factions or an expansion.
- Limited roster of units.
- Andy Hall said brand-new races are not on the roadmap at the moment.
Estalia, Tilea, and Dogs of War
Creative Assembly
Estalia and Tilea are the equivalents to Portugal, Spain, and Italy in the real world. They are represented in the game as regular Empire factions, but that doesn’t really hit the mark when it comes to the lore. Both nations consist of city states and small kingdoms that always feud with each other or try to establish colonies and trading outposts all over the world. Because of this, their armies often are made up from mercenaries, and that’s where the Dogs of War come in.
They are probably the most highly-requested faction now that the Chaos Dwarfs are out, but being an overarching term for independent mercenary groups they aren’t really a faction in the traditional sense. If the Dogs of War are ever implemented in Total War: Warhammer 3, it would likely have to happen in conjunction with mercenary mechanics, as them being their own empire just wouldn’t really work out.
An advantage of adding the Dogs of War would be that they could serve as a vehicle to introduce many minor races and factions into the game that really don’t warrant an independent inclusion, such as Halflings or Amazons. With Forge of the Chaos Dwarfs going deep on the mechanical side of things and Creative Assembly experimenting with DLC formats, there is some hope that the Dogs of War will be introduced at some point.
Known Lords/Heroes:
- Asarnil the Dragonlord
- Beorg Beastruck
- Borgio the Besieger
- Hengus the Druid
- Johann van Hal
- Leonardo da Miragliano
- Lorenzo Lupo
- Lucrezzia Belladonna
- Marco Colombo
- Morgan Bernhardt
- Mydas the Mean
- Ruglud Bonechewer
- Wilhelm Hasburg
Known units:
- Al Muktar’s Desert Dogs (Hybrid Cavalry)
- Anakonda’s Amazons (Melee Infantry)
- Bearmen of Ursio (Melee Infantry)
- Birdmen of Catrazza (Flying Infantry)
- Braganza’s Besiegers (Crossbow Infantry)
- Bronzino’s Galloper Guns (Mounted Artillery)
- Giants of Albion (Monster)
- Golgfag’s Maneaters (Monster Infantry)
- Leopold’s Leopard Company (Pike Infantry)
- Long Drong’s Slayer Pirates (Dwarf Shock Infantry)
- Lumpin Croop’s Fighting Cocks (Halfling Melee Infantry)
- Marksmen of Miragliano (Crossbow Infantry)
- Mengil Manhide’s Manflayers (Dark Elf Melee Infantry)
- Pirazzo’s Lost Legion (Hybrid Infantry)
- Ricco’s Republican Guard (Pike Infantry)
- Ruglud’s Armored Orcs (Orc Shock Infantry)
- The Alcatani Fellowship (Pike Infantry)
- The Cursed Company (Undead Melee Infantry)
- Tichi-Huichi’s Raiders (Skink Cold One Cavalry)
- Verspero’s Vendetta (Hybrid Infantry)
- Voland’s Venators (Melee Cavalry)
Oglah Khan’s Wolfboyz have found their way into the game as a Chaos Dwarf Regiment of Renown already, while Gotrek and Felix are also playable as Legendary Heroes.
In the meantime, check out Cataph's impressive Southern Realms mod that makes Tilea, Estalia, the Border Princes, and their colonies into fully-fledged factions.
Pro:
- Tilea and Estalia as regions are already represented on the Total War: Warhammer 3 map.
- Lots of lore and units around the Dogs of War already exist.
- Dogs of War would be a great way to add many minor factions, races, and heroes into the game.
- Community has wanted Dogs of War for years at this point.
Contra:
- Dogs of War don't really fit into the traditional Total War formula as a faction.
- Dogs of War would require the introduction of new mechanics.
- Dogs of War by themselves could be a tough DLC sell and thus be risky for CA.
We haven’t even covered more obscure factions like the Fishmen here, as they probably have no chance at all of being included in Total War: Warhammer 3, but as you can see the world of Warhammer Fantasy has a lot of interesting factions to choose from even after all these years.
While not all of them will make it into the game, the factions already existing have lots of potential for expansion as well, be it Grand Cathay, the Empire, or the Undead – yeah, we see you lurking there around the corner, Nagash.
