Manor Lords is currently the game of the hour on Steam. However, something important is being overlooked in the hype: Total War: Warhammer 3 is getting a new DLC and a free update. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus has awaited this more eagerly than the new city-building hit.
Total War: Warhammer 3 is not only one of my favorite games, but it is also one of the largest strategy games on Steam. This is due to the free “Immortal Empires” update, which made the world incredibly vast:
Instead of simply playing the third Warhammer installment, Immortal Empires combines Total War: Warhammer 1, 2, and 3 into a single, massive map with over 280 factions battling each other.
All of this takes place in the fantastic world of Warhammer, a gritty, brutal fantasy world that is definitely aimed at adults. All in all: It’s exactly my game, and I have already sunk over 500 hours into it.
However, on April 26, 2024, Manor Lords has been released. A new building game that is captivating everyone on Steam, even though it is still unfinished. It peaked at over 170,000 players (via steamcharts).
Although I liked Manor Lords, the hype did not sweep me away. On the one hand, I simply miss content, and on the other hand, my highly anticipated DLC for Warhammer is finally coming today, on April 30 at 4:00 PM German time.
New units for all with delusions of grandeur – Like me!
On April 30, “Thrones of Decay” will be released along with three paid DLCs. These are individual “Lord Packs,” bringing new legendary commanders to existing factions:
- Elspeth von Draken (Empire), a sorceress on a dragon, whose special mechanic combines the gunpowder supremacy of the Empire with magic.
- Malakai Makaisson (Dwarfs), who combines the advantages of Slayers with engineers, commands his own airship, and is supposed to undertake special adventures.
- Tamurkhan (Nurgle), a “heavy hitter” who can recruit special chiefs and even consumes his enemies as a lord of maggots in death.
Although the Empire has always been one of the most boring factions for me – Chaos Dwarfs for life! – Elspeth immediately caught my attention. She receives a special unit: the land battleship from Marienburg, a damn battleship on wheels!
As a connoisseur of the heavy artillery of the Chaos Dwarfs, such a piece is, of course, reason enough for me to give the lady a chance and see if she can support the firepower with her other units.
Paid DLC for me, free update for everyone
In addition to the DLCs, which cost €8.99 each, a free update will come, and this one is substantial. Update 5.0 brings:
- a free legendary lord, Epidemius (Nurgle)
- a new hero, the Gold Wizard
- a new campaign feature: the Nemesis Crown has strong advantages but negatively affects relations with all other factions, similar to the Sword of Khaine
In addition, you can expect some balance adjustments. You can find the patch notes on the official website.
Total War is back to “very positive” after the dispute with the community
The creators of Total War, Creative Assembly, recently had quite a significant dispute with the community. The main reasons at the time were high prices for content that used to be cheaper and general dissatisfaction with the DLCs:
The sequel of the series, Pharaoh, also played a role in this. Players were generally disappointed with the content. At some point, the creators hit the brakes, distributed gifts, and promised improvements.
This was necessary: At times, Total War: Warhammer 3 stood at just 19 percent approval on Steam. This has since improved significantly. Currently, the game stands at 85 percent and is thus “very positive” (via Steam).
I am quite sure that “Thrones of Decay” will not disappoint me. The contents already sound so good that I know I will definitely invest another 100 hours in the coming weeks. That’s already planned, and allies are being recruited – just the energy drinks are still missing.
Warhammer is anyway one of my favorite worlds because it is simply fantasy for adults. The background has been explained here: Because 3 guys sold wooden figures 50 years ago, today we have the best fantasy world ever
