Greetings! The WARHAMMER III rollercoaster continues this month with Update 2.3 which, while not as hulking as last month’s mahoosive update, still offers a decent chunk of fixes, changes and improvements. Barring potential hotfixes, this is the last update we’ll have for you in 2022.

Before we get going, we wanted to mention the State of the Game post that dropped last month. We were delighted that many of you found it interesting, but are also aware that there are concerns and questions you have that weren’t touched upon. Fear not, brave adventurer – although we can’t always talk about everything we’re working on, we are listening, and we have another State of the Game post planned before Christmas that will take a broad look at the topics you’ve been talking about.

So, without further ado, here are some of 2.3’s highlights:

• Customisable Endgame Scenarios make their way to multiplayer. 
• The eight original WARHAMMER I Lords receive brand-new selection videos.
• Landmarks from Mortal Empires and the Realm of Chaos maps arrive in Immortal Empires, along with some new landmarks and 10-slot settlements for select factions.
• Further tweaks to the victory objectives of several Legendary Lords including Kislev, Tomb Kings and the Ogre Kingdoms.
• A sweep of balance changes to Tomb Kings, Vampire Counts, Skaven and more.
• Changes to how the AI dodges spells, artillery and other ranged attacks, along with new difficulty adjustments. 

War never ends and we’re always keeping close eye on your feedback – so please keep it coming. Everything you tell us helps us best decide where to focus our efforts for the next update, so let us know your thoughts and feelings about Update 2.3 and WARHAMMER III via our official channels:

With all that being said, give the patch notes a read, hit us with your thoughts and prepare to meet us in battle!

— The Total War Team

? Having trouble? Visit our support site!

Jump to:

• Release Spotlight

Multiplayer Endgame Scenarios ⬥ New Lord Select Videos

• Stability & Performance
• Gameplay
• Races & Balance

Bretonnia ⬥ Dark Elves ⬥ Dwarfs ⬥ Grand Cathay ⬥ Greenskins ⬥ High Elves ⬥ Khorne ⬥ Kislev ⬥ Lizardmen ⬥ Norsca ⬥ Nurgle ⬥ Ogre Kingdoms ⬥ Skaven ⬥ Slaanesh ⬥ The Empire ⬥ Tomb Kings ⬥ Tzeentch ⬥ Vampire Coast ⬥ Vampire Counts ⬥ Warriors of Chaos ⬥ Wood Elves

• Campaign
• Battles
• Game

Jump ahead:

• Looking Forward

Endgame Scenario Customisation in Multiplayer

Pick your poison…

Endgame Scenario Customisation has made its way into multiplayer, giving the host of an Immortal Empires campaign the opportunity to prescribe your downfall, just as you’ve been able to do in singleplayer campaigns.

This includes the option to pick and choose which Endgame Scenarios you want to trigger – including the Ultimate Crisis – as well as which turns the endgames can trigger on. Alternatively if you’re just wanting to tone things down a bit, you can switch Endgames off entirely.

Our aim is to maintain parity between single and multiplayer as we introduce further scenarios into WARHAMMER III.  

All-New Lord Select Videos for the Original Lords

The original eight lords from Total War: WARHAMMER I have been long overdue a visual spruce up. The following Lords have had their Select Videos updated to bring them more inline with the Lords of WARHAMMER II and III:

• Karl Franz
• Balthasar Gelt
• Mannfred Von Carstein
• Heinrich Kemmler
• Thorgrim Grudgebearer
• Ungrim Ironfirst
• Grimgor Ironhide
• Azhag the Slaughter

• Fixed an end-of-turn crash that would occur during the AI’s turn when a rebel faction captured a settlement that toggles technologies for certain races (e.g. Norsca or Kislev).
• Fixed a rare Campaign vortex sounds memory leak

General Updates

• Added a large number of landmarks present in Mortal Empires and the Realm of Chaos map to Immortal Empires, and made them available for WARHAMMER III factions where appropriate.
• Added several new landmark variants for Monogod factions near their Immortal Empires starting locations.
• Added a number of 10-slot settlements to Immortal Empires which had not yet been ported from Mortal Empires or the Realm of Chaos.
• Introduced new landmarks for Nurgle in Pigbarter, Tzeentch in the Golden Tower, Khorne in Galbaraz and Slaanesh in Tor Elyr.
• Fixed an issue where Savage Orc garrison buildings weren’t enabling minor settlement battles.
• Fixed an issue where Environment Types would sometimes display incorrectly in battle (this includes Dark Elves, Greenskins, Ogre Kingdoms and Skaven types appearing when they shouldn’t). 
• Fixed an issue where Bretonnia’s unique resource (Chivalry) would appear as if it was being granted to other, non-Bretonnian factions. 
• Attacking an army while in the Ambush stance will no longer prevent your opponent from bringing reinforcements.
• The Sires of Mourkain faction is no longer limited to one army.
• Fixed an issue causing the leader of the Blood Keepers faction in Immortal Empires to be mysteriously absent on turn one.
• Improvements have been made to unit coordination when queueing up to enter a single breach.
• Unit columns are now better spaced to prevent units from adjacent queues blobbing together.
• Improved how units move to prevent them from blobbing together while attempting to enter a settlement.
• Endgame multiplayer victory objectives in Immortal Empires now require capturing the capital of all other players not in your team (this resolves the issue of receiving both the victory and defeat screen simultaneously).
• Fixed an issue where one faction’s currency would be replaced by another’s upon re-loading a save.

Rules & Systems

• Offering to join a war alongside an endgame faction to fight a hated enemy will now always grant a positive effect to said faction’s opinion of that deal.
• Vassal factions will now join their master’s wars once again, as intended. 
• The Sword of Khaine dilemmas will now properly display the Sword of Khaine item details in the dilemma panel.
• Fixed a script error that could occur with the Black Pyramid endgame if the pyramid is controlled by vampires.
• Addressed an oversight wherein some Dark Fortresses were unable to build walls, resulting in unintended field battles.
• Dilemmas that target a character with loyalty will now show the character’s loyalty with the character portrait (thanks, ShadowStorm1985!).

AI Rules & Logic

• The AI is now more likely to accept a peace treaty when far away from the player.
• The AI’s selection of provinces to build allied outposts in has been improved in some cases.

Exploit Fixes

• Fixed an exploit wherein the Underway/Teleport/Tunnelling stances could be used to bypass the Great Bastion in Immortal Empires.

Crumbling (Tomb Kings, Vampire Coast, Vampire Counts)

General Updates

• Fixed the Chevalier de Lyonesse faction banner colours in battle.
• Fixed an issue where non-Regiment of Renown cavalry had lost their randomised horse colouration.
• Fixed an issue where Bretonnia Lords could have cavalry with zero upkeep in their armies after being disbanded and recruited.

Units

FOOT SQUIRE

• Bonus vs Infantry: 9 → 12 

GRAIL RELIQUAE

• Recruitment Cost: 500 → 300 gold
• Multiplayer Cost: 500 → 300 gold
• Speed: 30 → 40

MEN-AT-ARMS (SHIELDS)

• Recruitment Cost: 325 → 300 gold
• Multiplayer Cost: 325 → 300 gold

SPEARMEN-AT-ARMS (SHIELDS)

• Recruitment Cost: 325 → 300 gold
• Multiplayer Cost: 325 → 300 gold

Abilities

FORMATION LANCE

• Added a +50% mass multiplier
• Removed Deceleration stat
• Added -8 Melee Defence stat

General Updates

• Fixed floating mesh on a Dreadlord’s Crossbow.
• Fixed an issue where numerous cape animations were rigid upon death.
• Fixed an issue where Cold One Dread Knights pretended to fall off an invisible horse upon death.  

Slave Mechanic Updates

• Decreased the Slave Decline rate on Income and Port buildings so that it scales linearly.
• Increased the base Slave Cap by 500.
• Added an effect to Hellebron that grants an additional 500 base Slave Cap.
• The Upgrade III technology additionally now decreases Slave consumption by 25%.
• Dark Elves now gain Slaves through raiding in proportion to the income of the raided region and the strength of the raiding army.

Multiplayer

• Changed Crone Hellebron’s Blood Voyage armies in multiplayer campaigns to work the same way as they do in single player (i.e. under AI control, within another faction).

Skills

• Belegar Ironhammer’s Ancestor Hero Dramar Hammerfist no longer starts with a skill that locks out a part of his skill tree.

General Updates

• Yin and Yang buildings may now once again be converted into the opposite type.
• Added a Yin/Yang indicator to the Lords/Heroes drop down panel.

Abilities

FORMATION ATTACK

• Melee Defence: 9 → 5

General Updates

• Fixed detail issues on Goblin Rock Lobber boulders.
• Fixed a bug where the Greenskin WAAAGH! army ability SFX would trigger when the effect ended instead of when it became available to use.
• Fixed a clipping issue with the Giant River Troll Hag porthole and character detail panel.
• Fixed an issue preventing the Big Waaagh! spell ‘Eadbutt from playing audio.

Campaign

• Fixed a bug where the Da Biggest Waaagh! endgame scenario wouldn’t unlocks all technologies for the involved factions.

GROM THE PAUNCH

• Changed Grom’s starting enemy to Aquitaine instead of Parravon, meaning he no longer shares a starting enemy with Orion.
• Fixed an issue where Grom’s Cauldron could not be expanded with the fourth ingredient slot, as the mission to cook for the hag was not completing.
• Fixed an issue where Grom could cook multiple times in the same turn.

Units

AZHAG THE SLAUGHTERER

• Added Slagga’s Slashas and Ard Armour to his Custom Battle item set.

GRIMGOR IRONHIDE

• Added Blood Forged Armour to his Custom Battle item set.

SAVAGE ORC BOAR BOYZ

• Recruitment Cost: 750 → 700 gold
• Multiplayer Cost: 750 → 700 gold

SAVAGE ORC BOAR BOY BIG ‘UNS

• Recruitment Cost: 1,100 → 1,000 gold
• Multiplayer Cost: 1,100 → 1,000 gold

General Updates

• Updated textures of Alastar on lower levels of detail to fix black alpha card issues.
• Lances have had their broken weapon assets updated. 
• Lion Chariots of Chrace’s weapon docking animations have been fixed.
• Added arrow models for the Everqueen’s Court Guards.
• Fixed the display of the tooltip for Eltharion’s Ladrielle’s Blessing resource.

Campaign

• Tyrion’s Sunfang quest battle will now spawn all the required enemies and can now be completed correctly.

Technology

• Military Advancement, Trade Advancement and Cultural Advancement technologies now provide small bonuses upon research. 

Multiplayer

• Imrik’s dragon encounter UI at the top of the Campaign Interface now works in multiplayer campaigns.

Units

• Updated Khorne’s Bloody Fist (Bloodthirster RoR)’s fluff text to match the unit’s actual ability.

FORSAKEN OF KHORNE

• Recruitment Cost: 850 → 800 gold
• Multiplayer Cost: 850 → 800 gold

General Updates

• Boyar now grips his weapons appropriately in the porthole and details view.
• Fixed an issue where Little Grom would clip through their sled when taking fire.
• Fixed an issue where Tzar Guards with Great Weapons would have their swords snap into a different position when transitioning from walking to running.
• Ice Guard (Glaives) and Ice Guard (Swords) can now be properly dismembered. 

Campaign

• Fixed an issue where Boris Ursus’ quest item Armour of Ursun wasn’t being awarded in Immortal Empires.
• Festus, a threat to the Kislevian border, has been added to Katarin and Kostaltyn’s long victory objectives. 
• For Boris Ursus, the Warhost of the Apocalypse target will no longer be a long victory objective, and will remain exclusively as a short victory objective. 

General Updates

• Graphical issues with Coalt’s feathers are now fixed.
• The Skink Priest’s animations now play correctly when atop a Stegadon/Terradon mount. 
• Ripperdactyl’s idle animation no longer stutters.
• Kroxigors will no longer snap around while turning during combat.
• Fixed Gor Rok’s, Tiktaqto’s and Taktaqto’s level-up VO not playing correctly.

Campaign

• Tehenhuain will now gain sacrificial offerings when looting and sacking settlements, as it was in WARHAMMER II.
• The spawned army from Nakai’s The Lingering Pestilence dilemma now spawns with buildings.

General Updates

• Fixed a number of cases of Norscan Monster Hunts breaking mid-chain, not issuing missions, or otherwise functioning incorrectly. There may still be issues, so please let us know if you have any problems via the Total War forums.

Campaign

• Kihar the Tormentor is no longer granted a Chaos Dragon mount that does nothing – he’s now permanently mounted on the beast. 

Units

MARAUDER HORSEMEN

• Multiplayer Cost: 500 → 550 gold

MARAUDER HORSEMASTERS

• Multiplayer Cost: 750 → 800 gold

General Updates

• Uncle Furuncle’s sword now lies closer to the ground upon death, reducing jitters. 
• Uncle Furuncle’s head has also been updated to match the rest of his body. If only we were all so lucky.
• Great Unclean One’s tongue animations have been improved. Tasty.
• Added a missing translation to the Corrupted Swamp-Town building. 

Units

GREAT UNCLEAN ONE

This unit was found to be underperforming when matched with lower tier high entity count units, so we’ve made a few tweaks:

• Armour: 40 → 50
• Entity Radius: 3.5 → 2.5 (this means the entity will have a smaller surface area to hit, helping it should it become surrounded)
• Splash Attacks: 10 → 12

General Updates

• Ogre Firebelly Heroes‘s level-up VO will now play correctly.

Campaign

• The text for Ogre Kingdoms’ long victory conditions now correctly describes them. 
• Ogre Kingdoms’ long victory condition now accepts vassals and allies.
• Settlements Held requirement increased: 6 → 8.
• Sabre Mountain has been added to the region target list.
• Fixed an issue where an Ogre contract would be issued by a vassal targeting their master.

General Updates

• Snikch’s Clan Contracts timer no longer resets when loading a save game.
• Skaven Plagues will now apply the correct set of effects to armies.
• Packmaster death animations, along with Throt’s idle and attack animations, now play correctly on the Brood Horror mount.
• Rat Ogre death animations now play correctly. 
• Warlords no longer T-pose after dying on a Brood Horror mount.
• Ikit Claw‘s Channeling VO now plays correctly. 

Campaign

• Fixed an issue where a Hero would not spawn from a Rite of Doom! if the target to spawn them was under siege.

Units

POISONED WIND GLOBADIERS

• Recruitment Cost: 550 → 650 gold
• Multiplayer Cost: 550 → 650 gold

DOOM-FLAYERS

• Recruitment Cost: 1,200 → 1,100
• Multiplayer Cost: 1,100 → 1,050

DWARF-THING MENACE (DOOM-FLAYERS)

• Multiplayer Cost: 1,350 → 1,250

BLACKHOLE FLAYERS (DOOM-FLAYERS)

• Multiplayer Cost: 1,350 → 1,250

MUTANT RAT OGRES

• Recruitment cost: 1300 → 1200
• Multiplayer cost: 1300 → 1200

Abilities

SHADOWY DEALING BURGLARISE

• The text now correctly mentions that the ability steals items as well as ancillaries.

FLENSING RUIN

• Direct damage: 66 → 50 (affects base and upgraded versions)

General Updates

• Cultists of Slaanesh‘s stumps have been realigned. 
• Fixed an issue where Soul Grinder‘s run animation was skipping slightly.
• Phantasmagoria‘s animations now function correctly. 

Units

HELLSTRIDERS

• Multiplayer Cost: 650 → 700

HELLSTRIDERS (HELLSCOURGES)

• Multiplayer Cost: 650 → 750

MARAUDER HORSEMEN

• Multiplayer Cost: 600 → 650

General Updates

• Fixed a number of the Empire Runefang weapons being locked to specific legendary lords. Thanks for nothing, Karl.
• Fixed Wulfhart’s Hostility level not increasing after selecting a dilemma option that increases it.
• Handgunners‘ death animations now play correctly. 
• As impressive as it is, Handgunners will no longer hold two guns in the same hand.
• Handgunners’ weapons will no longer disappear upon taking damage.
• Added a Hellstorm Rocket Battery destroyed model (to be consistent with other artillery units).
• Great Cannons now unsheathe their swords in a fight.
• Reduced the snapping in the Sootson’s Guns‘ turning animations. 

Campaign

• Fixed an issue where Empire Elector Count events would stop triggering during a campaign.

Units

GREATSWORDS

• Recruitment Cost: 900 → 875
• Multiplayer Cost: 900 → 875

SPEARMEN

• Recruitment Cost: 325 → 300
• Multiplayer Cost: 325 → 300

SPEARMEN (SHIELDS)

• Recruitment Cost: 375 → 350
• Multiplayer Cost: 375 → 350

SWORDSMEN

• Recruitment Cost: 400 → 375
• Multiplayer Cost: 400 → 375

STEAM TANK

• Perfect Vigour attribute has been added
• Multiplayer Cost: 2,200 → 2,100

THE EMPEROR’S WRATH (STEAM TANK)

• Perfect Vigour attribute has been added
• Multiplayer Cost: 2,400 to 2,300

WAR WAGONS

• Recruitment Cost: 850 → 875
• Multiplayer Cost: 850 → 875 

Skills

•  Karl Franz’s personal leadership skill, Indomitable, has been replaced by a health skill, Tenacity. 

General Updates

• Endgames no longer apply additional upkeep reduction effects to Tomb Kings (as they already have zero upkeep by default).
• Fixed emissive issues for the Tomb Kings Necrotec Whip. 

Campaign

• Settra‘s short victory targets now include Volkmar, replacing Khalida.

Units

BLESSED LEGION OF PHAKTH (SKELETON ARCHERS)

• Leadership: 55 → 45

BONE GIANT

• Leadership: 60 → 55

CHOSEN OF THE GODS (USHABTI – GREAT BOW)

• Leadership: 55 → 45

KING NEKHESH’S SCORPION LEGION

• Leadership: 55 → 45

KHEMRIAN WARSPHINX

• Leadership: 70 → 60

NEHEKHARA WARRIORS

• Leadership: 55 → 45

NECROSPHINX

• Leadership: 75 → 60

SKELETON WARRIORS

• Leadership: 40 → 35

SKELETON SPEARMEN

• Leadership: 45 → 35

SKELETON ARCHERS

• Leadership: 45 → 35

TOMB GUARD

• Leadership: 70 → 65

TOMB GUARD (HALBERDS)

• Leadership: 70 → 65

THE KHEPRA GUARD

• Leadership: 80 → 70

THE SPHINX OF USEKPH (NECROSPHINX)

• Leadership: 85 → 65

USHABTI

• Leadership: 55 → 50

USHABTI (BOW)

• Leadership: 45 → 40

USIRIAN’S LEGION OF THE NETHERWORLD

• Leadership: 65 → 55

Abilities

REALM OF SOULS

• All healing reduced: 0.4% → 0.2%

General Updates

• Tzeentch’s Winds of Magic manipulation feature now lines up with the correct provinces in the southern Chaos Wastes area in Immortal Empires.

Units

MARUADER HORSEMEN

• Multiplayer Cost: 650 → 700

Technology

• Stannic Deviance now applies the correct recruit rank increase to all Lore of Metal casters.

General Updates

• Increased the size of the Raise Dead pools and made them scale in relation with corruption for the Vampire Coast (they are now in line with the Vampire Counts).
• Defend animations have been adjusted to reduce snapping and jittering in combat.
• Fixed an issue where some Ethereal units suffered visual glitching when sodden with blood. Now the glitching is purely emotional.

Units

ANIMATED HULKS

• Leadership: 40 → 35

DEATH SHRIEK TERRORGHIEST

• Leadership: 50 → 45

ROTTING LEVIATHAN

• Leadership: 60 → 55

ROTTING PROMETHEANS

• Leadership: 50 → 45

ROTTING PROMETHEANS (GUNNERY MOB)

• Leadership: 50 → 45

SYREENS

• Leadership: 50 → 45

THE TIDE OF SKJOLD (ZOMBIE PIRATE DECKHANDS MOB)

• Leadership: 50 → 45

THE BLACK SPOT (ZOMBIE PIRATE GUNNERY MOB – HANDGUNS)

• Leadership: 50 → 45

THE LAMPREY’S REVENGE (ROTTING PROMETHEANS – GUNNERY MOB)

• Leadership: 60 → 55

ZOMBIE PIRATE DECKHANDS MOB

• Leadership: 40 → 35

ZOMBIE PIRATE DECKHANDS MOB (POLEARMS)

• Leadership: 40 → 35

ZOMBIE PIRATE GUNNERY MOB

• Leadership: 40 → 35

ZOMBIE PIRATE GUNNERY MOB (BOMBERS)

• Leadership: 40 → 35

ZOMBIE PIRATE GUNNERY MOB (HANDGUNS)

• Leadership: 40 → 35

ZOMBIE PIRATE GUNNERY MOB (HAND GUNNERS)

• Leadership: 40 → 35

Technology

• Admirals that can be recruited from the Vampire Coast technology tree now list their spell lore in the technology tooltips.

Items

BLACK PERIAPT (VAMPIRE COAST FLEET ADMIRAL – PISTOL)

• Duration: 30 → 27
• Power Recharge: 240% → 160%
• Reserves per second: +0.3 → +0.2

General Updates

• Isabella von Carstein will no longer T-pose when killed atop her barded warhorse.
• Added missing spellcasting animations to Lahmian Vampire Lord when on a Zombie Dragon mount.

Campaign

ISABELLA VON CARSTEIN

• Fixed some of Isabella von Carstein’s campaign skills appearing out of order compared to other Vampire Counts Lords.
• Fixed an issue wherein assassinating Heroes with Isabella von Carstein would not provide the player with a Blood Kiss. 

Units

BANSHEE

• Leadership: 50 → 45

BLOOD KNIGHTS

• Leadership: 70 → 65

CAIRN WRAITHS

• Leadership: 50 → 45

CRYPT HORRORS

• Leadership: 54 → 50

FELL BATS

• Leadership: 35 → 30

KONIGSTEIN STALKERS (SKELETON WARRIORS)

• Leadership: 55 → 45

SKELETON WARRIORS

• Leadership: 40 → 35

SKELETON WARRIORS (SPEARS)

• Leadership: 40 → 35

TERRORGHEIST

• Leadership: 50 → 45

THE TITHE (ZOMBIES)

• Leadership: 50 → 40

VAMPIRE

• Leadership: 70 → 65

VARGHULF

• Leadership: 50 → 45

ZOMBIES

• Leadership: 40 → 35 

Technology

• The Vampire Counts technology Defiler of the Ancient Barrows now correctly applies perfect vigour to The Konigstein Stalkers Regiment of Renown unit.

Items

FORBIDDEN ROD ON NECROMANCER

• Power Recharge: 240% → 160%
• Reserves per second: +0.3 → +0.2

General Updates

• Fixed numerous instances of shields not displaying correctly for all Chaos Warrior variants. 

BE’LAKOR

• Fixed an issue where Be’lakor was missing his two starting spells.
• Corrected malfunctioning skills in Immortal Empires.
• Fixed an issue where Be’lakor could re-apply the Daemon Prince conversion timer to a character that was already being tracked.

VALKIA

• Fixed Valkia’s Combat Trials stance icon. 

Units

HELLSTRIDERS

• Multiplayer Cost: 650 → 700

HELLSTRIDERS (HELLSCOURGES)

• Multiplayer Cost: 650 → 750

MARAUDER HORSEMEN

• Multiplayer Cost: 500 → 550

MARAUDER HORSERIDERS

• Multiplayer Cost: 750 → 800

Items

FORBIDDEN ROD ON CHAOS SORCERER

• Power Recharge: 240% → 160%
• Reserves per second: +0.3 → +0.2

General Updates

• Fixed a number of Wood Elf red line skills not being applied to the correct units.
• Wood Elf heathlands will now be made more passive by the presence of vassals (previously this was only the case with alliances).
• Dryads now play the correct group vocalisations.

Campaign

• Fixed multiple objective issues with Drycha’s Coeddil Unchained quest battle.

Units

WARDANCERS

• Bonus vs Infantry: 8 → 12
• Recruitment Cost: 800 → 750
• Multiplayer Cost: 800 → 750

Prologue (The Lost God)

• Yuri’s unit card will now display correctly in Prologue battles. 
• The Reach and Beyond the Brazen Alter missions now correctly trigger.

The Realm of Chaos

• Fixed misleading text within the Chaos Rifts tooltips.

Battle Difficulty – AI Behaviours

With 2.3, you will have better control over Battle difficulty thanks to improvements to the AI calibration that dictates a subset of AI behaviours. 

This release focuses on two specific areas:

 

PROACTIVE EVASION

This behaviour refers to the AI’s willingness to proactively evade incoming damage from spells, artillery projectiles and light projectiles while fighting in settlements.

Whereas before the AI was proactively trying to evade spells and artillery regardless of difficulty setting, this behaviour will now change based on the selected difficulty setting:

Easy Difficulty → No Evasion 

• The AI will not try to evade any incoming spell or artillery projectiles.

Normal Difficulty → Spell Evasion

• When possible, the AI will try to evade any direct damage incoming from spells.

Hard Difficulty → Evasion enabled against Spells and Light projectiles while fighting in Settlements

• When possible, the AI will try to evade any direct damage incoming from spells and light projectile damage while fighting in settlements.

Very Hard Difficulty → Evasion enabled against Spells, Artillery and Light projectiles while fighting in Settlements

• When possible, the AI will try to evade any direct damage incoming from spells, artillery shots and light projectiles while fighting in settlements.

RANGED UNITS TARGET SELECTION

This behaviour refers to the AI’s willingness to selectively target, and will be impacted based on the following difficulty settings:

Easy difficulty → No Targeting Selection

• The AI ranged units will shoot at the first enemy unit encountered.

Normal difficulty → No Targeting Selection

• The AI ranged units will shoot at the first enemy unit encountered.

Hard difficulty → Soft Targets First

• When possible, the AI will prioritise shooting soft targets first.
• Soft targets are units that the AI deems easy to damage – primarily units with low amounts of armour.

Very Hard Difficulty → Focus Fire Targeting Selection

• When possible, the AI will try to focus fire on a single enemy unit.
• When possible, the AI will prioritise shooting soft targets first.
• The AI will deprioritise shooting against very evasive enemy targets.

OTHER NOTES

• All of these aforementioned behaviours already exist in Battles, but are now changeable with Battle difficulty settings.
• The priority and urgency with which the AI will try to enact these behaviours is not absolute, meaning that if the AI has more critical tasks queued up, it will execute them first. For example, if a unit is engaged in melee combat, it will try to resolve the outcome of that interaction before trying to evade artillery shots.
• In a Multiplayer context, the host’s Battle difficulty settings apply to everyone.

This is just the first iteration of these system, and work to refine these systems continues. Broadly, our long-term vision is to A) Improve the Battle experience by providing a better calibrated AI difficulty challenge, and B) Increase the number of AI battle difficulty options available, and display the impact of changing these settings.

General Updates

• AI units are no longer able to phase through the rocks on the Badlands battle map to bypass checkpoints (thanks, Acanadianeh!).

Graphics

• Fixed a number of characters being way too close to the porthole.
• Filled texture holes in numerous destroyed artillery and war machine models.
• Adjusted select unit animations (namely Greatswords/Carroburg Greatswords) so that their shoulder pads loop correctly from start to finish, resulting in a smoother blend between idles.
• Fixed collar textures for vampires on lower levels of detail.
• Dwarfs and Skinks no longer have strange holes in their necks. Which must have been unpleasant.
• Fixed an issue causing certain rider units to lift their shields awkwardly when taking ranged fire.
• Fixed the animation of the Supreme Sorceress‘ cape.

Audio

• Fixed and updated general ambience/soundscapes for missing sounds and new content. 
• Fixed an issue where the Lizardman Lightning sound would trigger without being attached to an associated visual effect.
• Wooden boat props now correctly trigger a creaking audio event as intended, as do building creaks and skulls.
• Fixed the excessively high volume of the floating Black Pyramid.
• Fixed Exalted Lord of Change sometimes not correctly playing vocalisations on melee animations.
• The UI end-of-turn SFX from WARHAMMER I and WARHAMMER II have been added back in for all the factions of DLCs from those two games. WARHAMMER III factions will continue to play their pre-existing end-of-turn UI SFX.
• Fixed the frontend selection audio playing on top of the first Realm of Chaos intro cinematic.
• Fixed an issue where WARHAMMER I units would not trigger ranged-specific dialogue when given certain battle orders.
• Fixed battle order dialogue if using a unit mount and no other units sharing that mount are present in the battle.

UI

• Fixed inconsistent text across the Slaughter in the Deep and Watery Graves skills for Cylostra Direfin.
• Fixed an issue where the New Outpost Available alert would appear over the provinces drop down button on the campaign interface at the start of a game.
• Fixed misleading Grail Vow effects text, which previously stated that Lords could be killed in battle.
• Fixed the mission arrow above Heroes not displaying correctly.

Update 2.3 is currently expected to be WARHAMMER III’s final update of 2022, unless of course any issues should arise requiring a more immediate fix. We’ll talk a little bit more about the game’s roadmap as we head into 2023 (including 2.4, 3.0 and other assorted chaotic happenings) in a State of the Game post coming next month.

Avoidable Rare Multiplayer Crash Bug

The developers have identified a rare multiplayer crash that is introduced by Update 2.3. Fortunately it’s easily avoided, so until we’re able to patch it out, please avoid the following scenario:

• In an Immortal Empires multiplayer campaign, double clicking to initiate Diplomacy while any other player is in the Call to Arms Resolution screen causes the player that double clicked only to crash out of the game. This appears to happen regardless of who joins/doesn’t join the other player’s Call to Arms.

We never like to ship with a known crash, but by explaining it here we can at least ensure you can easily avoid it until we’re able to get the problem fixed. We’ll be patching it out of the game at the earliest opportunity. Apologies!