The Chaos Dwarfs are the latest faction to be added toTotal War: Warhammer 3, the epic grand strategy from Creative Assembly. Of the three Chaos Dwarf Legendary Lords, none is quite as ambitious as Drazhoath the Ashen, leader of the Legion of Azgorh inTotal War: Warhammer 3.
Drazhoath begins the game in the far south of the Dark Lands, having been exiled from the ancient capital of Zharr Naggrund. It’s one of the most precarious Chaos Dwarf starting positions. His initial Province issurrounded by Ogres, Greenskins, High-Elves, and even some Dwarfs, the Chaos Dwarfs' uncorrupted kin and most hated enemy. Although Drazhoath players should be able to secure the Howling Wastes in the first few turns, they’ll have to pick their next battles carefully.
Raw Materials, Armaments, and Labourers
TheChaos Dwarfs are defined by their relentless industry, and as such their economy is more complicated than most other factions. Whenever a Chaos Dwarf army takes a Settlement, the player will get a choice between three Settlement types:
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Maintaining the efficiency of the Chaos Dwarf economy is all about maintaining a balance between these three Settlement types. Chaos Dwarf armies should produce a steady stream of new Laborers, enough to keep Raw Materials flowing for building upgrades and conversion into Armaments. Those Armaments can then be paid back into the armies through elite units and upgrades.
Just asAstragoth Ironhand can boost his early Armamentsoutput using the Iron deposit in his starting Province, Drazhoath can use his Marble Deposit to boost his early Raw Materials. This allows the Legion of Azgorh to focus more on Factories in their first Settlements, as the unique Marble building will produce as many Raw Materials as a fully-upgraded Mine.
Military Convoys and The Tower Of Zharr
Balancing the economy of the Chaos Dwarfs isn’t easy, but a player running low on a particular resource can always turn to the Military Convoys system. Just like theCaravans of Grand Cathay, Chaos Dwarf players can dispatch Convoys to distant lands in order to trade for Raw Materials, Labourers, Armaments, or Gold. These Convoys function like pseudo-armies, and although they’ll likely run into trouble along the way, the bonus income they provide can be invaluable.
The next step for a prosperous Chaos Dwarf is the Tower of Zharr, the political center of their people.All Chaos Dwarf playable factionscan purchase seats in the Tower using Conclave Influence, or steal seats from each other. Divided into three Districts, each individual seat grants a bonus to its holder, and if a District is entirely occupied then all Chaos Dwarfs will receive an additional bonus. Once two of the three Districts on a level have been filled, players will get access to the next level of the Tower, with the pinnacle allowing confederation with the Chaos Dwarf NPC factions.
Recruitment and the Hell-Forge
The easiest way to earn Conclave Influence andconfederate the Tower of Zharris through conquest and expansion, both of which require strong armies. As a race of few numbers, Chaos Dwarfs rely heavily on their Greenskin Labourers and Hobgoblin vassals to bulk out their forces. This is represented in-game by limited capacities for all higher tier Chaos Dwarf units and war machines, capacities which can only be expanded by spending Armaments in the Hell-Forge.
The Hell-Forge not only allows Chaos Dwarf players to expand thenumber of high tier unitsthat they can field, it also allows them to upgrade those units through the Manufactory. Once players have upgraded the capacity of a certain unit type a few times, they’ll begin unlocking upgrade options for that unit. These upgrades cost an amount of Armaments per turn based on how many of that unit the player has, but can provide significant advantages on the battlefield.
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Drazhoath the Ashen on the Battlefield
The core of the Chaos Dwarf armies is not much different to their uncorrupted kin, featuring heavily-armored but slow infantry, ranged firepower, and powerful artillery. However, the Chaos Dwarfs enhance this potent defensive setup with the addition of powerful magic,daemon-bound constructs, cannon-fodder Laborers, and flanking cavalry units. If the Chaos Dwarfs weren’t limited by their low numbers, they’d certainly be the most powerful army inTotal War: Warhammer 3.
Fortunately for Drazhoath the Ashen players, his factionwide bonus grants +10% Armament production and -10% reduction in the cost of Armaments spent on unit capacity upgrades. This will allow him to fill more of his armies with higher-tier Chaos Dwarf units that can really turn the tide. In his own personal army, Drazhoath grants a +10% bonus to campaign movement speed and passively buffs nearby units in battle. Additionally, his army features a -25% upkeep cost reduction for all K’daai units, allowing him to field even more ofthe daemonic fire-constructs.
Total War: Warhammer 3is out now for PC.
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