They at Creative Assembly have always been great at keeping their games relevant and fresh by adding new content and improving the gaming experience with changes, tweaks, and updates. But this time they took it to a whole new level. Not only have they introduced two new Paylords with unique game mechanics, but they’ve also added two gigantic factions and huge improvements in play styles.
First the free content
There are actually a number of minor updates to other factions like tech tree tweaks, the display of rechargeable passive buffs and magical cooldowns, and even a new vampire hero, but that’s it gigantic hammer and herd stone update. It basically completely rearranges the way the dwarven runes work, the beastmen finally got a big makeover, and the self-determination has been vastly improved. Now he’s really telling you what’s going to happen. There are also improved unit cards for the last two DLCs.
Dwarven runes are now resource-free spells with only cooldowns that can be reduced by upgrades from your runesmith. Most importantly, your characters and troops can now also equip runes forged by Oath Gold. This allows you to create highly specialized combinations and armies, and to choose and craft exactly the items you want. Looking for a stalking hero with an avant-garde display? You can. And what do you think of explosive missiles coming out of your bolt throwers or a cannon with the sniper skill? No problem. This brings your troops to overwhelming levels of power when you have enough gold. However, you can’t forge an unlimited number of runes for regiments, artillery, or characters, so choose carefully who will benefit from them.
The rune system has been completely reconfigured, creating a much more varied play style for dwarves that is surprisingly adaptable. In addition, the complaints system has been redesigned and is much more balanced, giving you a chance to survive and play the campaign instead of having to correct all the mistakes in the world. However, a high grievance rating can be bad for everything else and increase the likelihood of assassins showing up in your prestigious regiment. The positive part is that each lord has his own legendary complaint that, when corrected, is significantly reduced. Oh, and now you can get drunk after a win like a real dwarf would. Somebody in California missed these little warriors.
The Beastmen Horde system has also been overhauled, with fear being the new currency used to upgrade units and also introducing a new system to encourage an unbridled play style, with the Herd Stones playing a central role in its expansion play as they are literally the hunting ground for animal people. It can be pretty tricky at first, but it brings the fast-paced combat mechanics to the campaign map and also allows you to recruit legendary lords. Since there is no troop maintenance, your main objective is to scare up fear in order to increase the number of each type of unit you can have in your army, as well as unlock new and stronger militias. The moon state now has new effects and the lord effects have also been optimized, along with a pair of wings for the Malagor shaman. Yes, a flying wizard.
There’s even a new caster, Shaman Grat Bray, which also comes with two chariot options.
Ogres are the most fun for most. Though readers may not be used to ogre mercenaries, many moons ago Dogs of war came to the board game and gave you the opportunity to recruit mercenaries for your army. This has become a game mechanic that sometimes gives you the opportunity to recruit ogres after many battles. They come in preset pairs and are either cavalry (no, I’m not drunk, but they look great), infantry, or armed infantry. So, yes, they are pirate ogres. This allows the dwarves to field heavy cavalry or the skaven to have front-line infantry that can actually fight.
The greatest joy in all of this, however, is Thorek iron brows. The dwarves haven’t had a Vortex campaign in a long time, but now the greatest runesmith in history is done. Thorek grants runic magic and his troops buffs and unlocks several upgrades for egg runes, range, armor or gold production. He is angry. although it is considered moderate by dwarf standards. That is like saying the Atlantic is a little damp. This means your trusty old crossbowmen, bolt throwers, and catapult units will get plenty of boosts, while new stuff with gunpowder and other futuristic tricks won’t. His unique objects make him a slow but powerful and impenetrable character. It is fun. However, his campaign is not the most demanding or complex, despite the fact that you will become and act like the rune lover who hates progress that you are. And nothing expresses “I hate you” better than 500+ homing rocket launchers and tons of ammunition, protected by infantry, almost entirely covered with tanks and shields.
Now for paid content
Let’s start with the Angry Men. As always, two lords face each other, in one corner the giant Minotaur is driven by anger, Taurox the Minotaur of Doom, preferred by the gods of chaos and with a bronze body, because why not? It’s a killing machine and brings with it the Minotaur Lord of Damnation, a giant Minotaur, and the generic version of Taurox, something that stops at nothing smaller or weaker than Taurox himself. A new hero, the Wargor, who can also be ridden on the new Tuskgor Chariots. The Gorgons, giant … mutant minotaurs that are very effective against giant units and have their own healing. And finally the Winged School, half pig, half toad poison spit that will spit on your infantry like there’s no tomorrow. If you’re feeling less creative, just recruit a manticore.
It’s no wonder that Taurox is made for the new game mechanics. It can travel great distances across the campaign map and since you will have to slaughter other armies to collect stone fragments from the herd to create them and be afraid to upgrade your army, you will have to move as fast and violently as possible. The good news is that as part of the new Beastmen system, Taurox has a movement reset ability and also includes unique challenges for each Legendary Lord. Oh, and guess what? Taurox is there to kill as many as possible in one go.
His rival is the opposite Oxyotlwho hunts without being seen. A skink that lived in the realm of chaos for seven thousand years and became more of a hunter than a prey.
The goal of this character is not only to level up your Skinks to the point where they will be useful in the later part of the game, but also to enable you to raise an army of Sniper stalker, Stealth, vanguard or ambushes that give your entire army a sense of real command. For this he has access to silent sanctuaries, receives missions around the map and, if successful, can build hidden sanctuaries that grant various bonuses. Most importantly, Oxyotl can travel between them instantly, which makes it extremely mobile. I just wish this mechanic had a little more depth and complexity as it repeats itself in no time.
The real pearls hide in the less subtle Scaly Corridors, the Skink Oracle, a very useful skink wizard with great spells and, more importantly, a troglodon monster mount that has a powerful, toxic long range missile attack while still being a large dinosaur. There are also stalking skinks, ambush units with explosive ranged attacks, and the coatl, a flying snake that for some reason never lands.
Even though I love the new Beastmen mechanic, Taurox is a furry tank, and playing with Skinks is always workable, I still feel like both campaigns could have got a little more depth. The general overhaul and familiarization of Thorek and his new rune system They show CA’s total commitment to a game old enough to ride a bike. I still can’t wait for Total War: Warhammer 3 and hopefully the 40K version to come out later.
