Shadows of Change coming to round out the summer in Total War: Warhammer III

A trio of new Legendary Lords are on the way to the battlefields of Total War: Warhammer III, bringing “schemes, spies, and sorcery”.

Time for a little magic and mayhem

Sega and developer Creative Assembly are once again delivering a fresh dose of content to the latest in the Total War: Warhammer series. This time fans can look for a DLC pack dubbed “Shadows of Change”, which will drop in some new characters when it arrives for the PC game on August 31st, 2023. But while the collection of content includes ‘only’ 3 new Legendary Lords to field, each one has a heck of a lot to go along with them.

The pack, which you can still pre-order for 10% off the final cost, consists of The Changeling for Tzeentch, Yuan Bo for Grand Cathay, and Mother Ostankya for Kislev. All of them should serve to alter the battlefield quite a bit. Each brings new units, mechanics, and abilities for players to wield. And as you’ll see, they can be quite effective in the heat of combat. But before we get to the DLC, because it goes pretty in-depth, there’s also a free bit of content to talk about.

All owners of the base title will get to add Legendary Hero Aekold Helbrass to their rosters, a warrior who was resurrected as a Champion of Tzeentch. Additionally, patch 4.0 adds in “improvements to campaign AI, garrisons, new landmarks for legacy factions and expanded difficulty settings”. It should arrive along with the DLC at the close of the month.

Now, on to the paid stuff:

The Changeling, Tzeentch’s Trickster (Tzeentch):

The Changeling is a master infiltrator who wears many faces. Raising cults in settlements to manipulate them in service of his schemes, he uses impersonation, audacious pranks and trickery to erode alliances and fuel conflict such as tipping the iconic Elector Counts into civil war and collapsing The Empire from within. 

Sega press release

Mechanics:

This Tzeentchian nightmare doesn’t seek to conquer the map, only to create opportunities for his schemes to succeed. Minor Schemes include building cults within enemy cities which escalate to Grand Schemes that can include manipulating characters into attacking each other. Both are steppingstones to the final execution of the Ultimate Scheme, one final insidious plot to sow total discord and secure victory in The Lord of Change’s name.

Sega press release

Units:

• The Blue Scribes – tasked with collecting every scrap of forbidden lore and spell in existence, P’tarix and Xirat’p rain random blasts of arcane death as they soar over the battlefield on their Disk of Tzeentch.
• Tzaangors – hit and run infantry that grow in power the more spells are cast around them.
• Cockatrice – winged monstrosities that vomit acid and poison surrounding enemies.
• Mutalith Vortex Beast – a tentacled abomination with a ball of raw magic anchored to its back, the Mutalith is a horror of corrupted flesh that casts devastating magical attacks. 

Sega press release

Yuan Bo, The Jade Dragon (Grand Cathay):

Leader of the Jade Court and The Emperor’s Executioner. At first glance, an obsessive bureaucrat – scratch the surface and you’ll find a talented spymaster, powerful spellcaster and ferocious warrior capable of singling out and defeating enemy heroes and lords in melee combat.

Sega press release

Mechanics:

A master of sorcery and statecraft, Yuan Bo seeks to empower the Wu Xing Compass to strengthen different regions of Cathay against the tides of war. He also wields his deep running influence in Matters of State to rush construction in a single turn, sow diplomatic discord to move armies through enemy territory unimpeded or crack down corruption to nip unrest in the bud – embracing disharmony and creating opportunity.

Sega press release

Units:

• Jade Lion – a monstrous unit that recharges your Winds of Magic reserves in the heat of battle, pouncing and kicking Cathay’s foes and unleashing flaming magical attacks.
• Jet Lion – a monstrous anti-magic unit that buffs allied spellcasters, causes enemy mages to miscast and turns enemy ranged units’ missiles back on them.
• Onyx Crowmen – winged servants of the Moon Empress that excel in melee combat. 
• Celestial General – a new Lord who thrives as an aggressive front-line leader, smashing through foes with a formidable warhammer.

Sega press release

Mother Ostankya, Daughter of the Forest (Kislev):

A vengeful crone who dwells in the ancient oblasts of old Kislev and hunts forbidden Hexes to grow her power. Her frail appearance conceals a being of terrifying arcane might who haunts the nightmares of Kislevite children and harnesses nature’s wrath to create potent hexes and incantations. 

Sega press release

Mechanics:

Mother Ostankya’s quest is to collect forbidden Hexes, the strongest of which is the evasive Malediction of Ruin. Slay those who guard them and collect trinkets from your defeated foes to combine in The Witchs’ Hut to create powerful incantations infused with ancient magic.

Sega press release

Units:

• Hag Witch – a fast moving spellcasting Legendary Hero who rides a chariot into battle. 
• Elemental Incarnate of Beasts – a giant avatar of raw natural ferocity that channels the Lore of Beasts to terrify and brutalise your foes. 
• The Things in the Woods – fast moving beastly infantry killers who hunt best in woodland.
• Akshina Rangers – bear skin clad skirmishers who can hide in plain sight and are most effective when fighting in forests.

Sega press release