Total War: WARHAMMER III Grand Cathay roster reveal
Total War: WARHAMMER III
Welcome back to TotalWar.com – you ’ ve waited ( besides ) long for this one. Grand Cathay is here and in this Roster Reveal we ’ ll be taking you through each unit, overlord, and hero the Eastern Empire has to offer from what Games Workshop has created. They are a humongous, herculean nation capable of fending off attacks from every angle, including the swarms of Chaos that inhabit the northerly wastes. They believe, and it ’ s intemperate to disagree, that should they fail, should the Great Bastion hang and Grand Cathay be laid to ruin, all the universe will be doomed .
To prevent this, a legion of highly trained and adequate to warriors stands cook to fight for their fatherland, the Celestial Dragon Emperor, and his mightily mighty children, the Dragons. They are leaders, generals, and heroes to their people – and the weight unit of responsibility hangs heavy on their shoulders .
As a admonisher, Total War : WARHAMMER III is not a finished game. What you see below is an overview, not the stats of every single unit, and some things may change before release. however, still batch to dig your teeth into hera – let ’ s get to it .
Grand Cathay Legendary Lords
Miao Ying, The Storm Dragon
Miao Ying believes herself to be the strongest dragon sibling, and lords her might and put of assurance as defender of the Great Bastion over her brothers and sisters. Despite her earn arrogance, she is well-aware of the meaning of the task lay at her feet to protect Grand Cathay from the hordes of Chaos to the North. The constant calculating of the deadly lords of Nan-Gau, her capital and insuperable home, does not make it any easier .
As such a brawny and ancient being, she emits an aura of command and stateliness that evening mighty heroes find unmanageable to resist. Her followers seek her favor, and her enemies fear her sting and potent magics. On the battlefield she can channel those powers to transform between her draco and human forms, as needed .
Both Dragons are besides masters of the Elemental Winds. This attribute, which is shared among all Grand Cathay spellcasters, increases the power of all spells cast for each spellcaster in the army. This makes taking multiple spellcasters all the more effective for the armies of Grand Cathay, even doubling-or-better the power of spells should you have enough. Of course, they may not have the united states army to back them up, at that point…
Unique abilities and skills :
- Magic – Miao Ying has access to a unique selection of spells from the Lores of Yin and Life.
- Disdain of Dragons – All enemies who try to combat Miao Ying will find themselves at a significant disadvantage.
Zhao Ming, The Iron Dragon
Ruler of the westerly Provinces, the Iron Dragon is seen as a much more down-to-earth rule and commanding officer than his sister. Zhao Ming commands loyalty through chumminess, arsenic well as his creation and use of knock-down artifacts and charming items. He is one of the Empire ’ s premier alchemists and welcomes the lapp within his region – much to the chagrin of some of his siblings .
proximity to the Warpstone Desert and the Great Maw, still seeping with the destructive magic that created it, has led some to believe his mind is beginning to unravel. This would surely explain some of the odd tendencies and decisions he makes, but it is still far from anything approaching rebellion or dangerous to Grand Cathay. While less favoured than his baby by the Celestial Dragon, their mother, the Moon Empress, has a voiced spot for Zhao Ming .
Both Dragons lead their armies with incredible fervour, their bare bearing enough to enhance the Harmony and belief of their people to new heights. Non-character Cathayan units all ascribe to either Yin or Yang, and when close to the opposite receive buffs – melee, Yang units becoming more defensive and hard to kill, while ranged, Yin units fire fast. Lords increase these benefits when they are nearby .
Between this and the master of the Elemental Winds attribute, it makes champion spellcasters quite a mighty choice for Grand Cathay armies. They are force out multipliers both battlefield-wide and in their area of effect, and proper usage can see massive odds overcome .
Unique abilities and skills :
- Dragon Transformation – Both Dragons can also swap forms in the midst of battle, becoming powerful melee units with the ability to fly.
- Magic – Zhao Ming has access to a unique selection of spells from the Lores of Yang and Metal.
- Warding Iron – The Iron Dragon’s near-invulnerability can be passed on to his nearby troops for a short time.
Grand Cathay Lords
Dragon-blooded Shugengan Lord
While relatively rare, the ancient nature of the Dragon siblings means their many own offspring now exist within Grand Cathay. They much rise to positions of ability, not least out of respect for their inheritance, but besides due to the world power that comes from being a separate of the class. The Dragon-blooded, as they are known, are inescapably skilled combatants, natural sorcerers, and talented leaders. As you can imagine, their linage can be a generator of some jealousy and resentment from high-level mortals, specially when the Dragon-blooded allow their abilities to develop into arrogance .
As the magic-wielders of Grand Cathay, the Dragon-blooded fight with either the lore of Yang or the lore of Yin. Each takes its baron from the Celestial Dragon Emperor and is a alone educate passed down through the ages .
The lore of Yang focuses on buffing allies with unhesitating belief or disrupting enemies with walls of scent. In particularly awful situations it can besides unleash mighty explosions upon the enemy, bringing with it the exponent of the Celestial Dragon Emperor himself. Their spells are…
- Jade Shield
- Dragon’s Breath
- Wall of Wind & Fire
- Stone Ground Stance
- Might of Heaven & Earth
- Constellation of the Dragon
The lore of Yin is a more esoteric school, with the power to reflect projectiles or summon the ghosts of the dead to assist in struggle. Those who practice it can shield their allies behind obfuscation and remove foes in the dead of night. Their spells are…
- Storm of Shadows
- Cloak of Jet
- Missile Mirror
- Blossom Wind
- Talons of Night
- Ancestral Warriors
Mounts : warhorse or Jade Longma
Lord Magistrate
Be they generals or lords of one of Grand Cathay ’ s elephantine cities, Magistrates are some of the best the empire has to offer. While not the greatest individual combatants of their state, they are adept commanders, inspiring and directing their troops with the skill and efficiency that comes entirely from years of experience in real battles. If they are engaged, they are melee warriors adequate to of holding their own against most enemies .
In peculiarly large engagements, Magistrates may ride aboard a Sky Lantern, commanding their troops from above with a more strategic see of the battlefield. It besides, as you can imagine, keeps them slightly out of injury ’ s way – a precedence for some, if not all. Their true strength lies in their ability to bring the best of Grand Cathay to the fore, vastly increasing the bonuses received by troops working in Harmony with one another .
Mounts : Warhorse or Sky Lantern
Grand Cathay Heroes
Alchemist
The lores of Yin and Yang are not the only magics practiced in Grand Cathay, though they are the most privilege. Alchemists gravitate to the Iron Dragon in the West and the city of Shang-Yang precisely because he is uncommonly accepting of their talents and practices. Over the years this has grown into a powerful conspiracy that much sees its members hired by generals all over the empire, as their capabilities are far beyond that of most mortals .
Their potions imbue them with spells from the Lore of Metal, a well as giving them unique buffs that can be applied to themselves or nearby units, providing massive bonuses to attack or armour .
mount : warhorse
Astromancer
Astromancers are the bear Sorcerers of Grand Cathay, practicing the Celestial Dragon Emperor ’ mho favoured lore of Heavens and harnessing it to an adept grade thanks to the natural affinity between their leader and the Azyr wind instrument. After more than five thousand years of perfecting the art, they are quite ace, and only more so when riding to conflict aboard the Wu Xing War Compass .
Mounts : veteran or Wu Xing War Compass
Grand Cathay Units
Grand Cathay Infantry
Peasant Long Spearmen
The spinal column of Grand Cathay is its people, and they are numerous beyond count. While the Celestial Dragon Emperor is fresh and his children are charitable leaders to the people under their command, they understand with the separation of immortality that the one thing they will constantly have is more bodies. More men and women to man the battlements, more fighters to hold the line, more defenders to make the forces arrayed against them fight for every edge .
therefore, the least-trained armies of Grand Cathay are hush a ability to be reckoned with through sheer force of numbers. Unlike the chartered soldiers or lower classes of other factions, the Warriors of Wind & Field, as they are known, feel a cutthroat loyalty to their lawsuit and the Dragons that watch over them. They may buckle and tied break, but they know their role .
noteworthy characteristics :
- Like all melee units, Peasant Long Spearmen are Yang-aligned, increasing their Leadership and Melee Defense when within close proximity to a Yin unit.
- Their long spears give them fantastic charge defense when bracing, making them a suitable anti-cavalry and anti-large force.
- As noted, the endless ranks of Grand Cathay are expendable and expected to flee from battle when facing more than they can handle. Finishing the fight is the work of more disciplined troops.
Jade Warriors
The Jade Warriors are Grand Cathay ’ s line troops. They are the standing army, expertly trained and well equipped to defend from Ogres, rebels, Chaos, or anything else that might come wandering in from the West and North. Each city maintains its own regiment of Jade Warriors, and few make their home outside of one of the metropolises that dot the landscape of Grand Cathay .
In times of war, they will head to struggle armed in numerous potential ways, jointly known as the Warriors of Jade & Steel. The rate firepower of Grand Cathay is what breaks the enemy, but the Jade Warriors, so named for the Celestial Dragon Emperor ’ randomness sacred stone must hold the line and cut down enemies who think them weak .
Variants :
- Sword & Shield
- Halberd
celebrated characteristics :
- Long trained to defend Grand Cathay against the relentless assaults from beyond the Grand Bastion, Jade Warriors adopt a Defensive Stance when immobile, making them harder to charge and kill.
- This builds as they remain that way, taking the lay of the land and bedding in to fend off the next attack, further increasing their charge resistance and armour.
- While the Halberd-wielding variant is unable to block missile fire due to the lack of shields, it is no less adept at bedding in to take a charge head-on and destroy any force foolish enough to challenge them.
Celestial Dragon Guard
Grand Cathay ’ s elect soldiers are formally the legion of the Dragon Emperor, his firm defenders. As the Eastern Empire has expanded, more and more Dragon Guard have been added to the Celestial Host, which now numbers enough that they can be dispatched to battlefields all over the East. Their arrival represents an exponential increase in power for the united states army, not least for the morale boost it gives the soldiers to see such a steer connection to their emperor butterfly .
celebrated characteristics :
- Wielding Halberds, they are natural opponents to the armoured and the massive, as capable of spearing a beast from the Chaos Wastes as a man from his horse.
- However, as the most well-trained units in Grand Cathay, they are capable of defending against charges from anything – be it Chaos Warrior or Skaven Slave.
- They are superior to their brothers in the Jade Warriors in every way but one – there are, simply, less Celestial Dragon Guard out there.
Grand Cathay Missile Infantry
Peasant Archers
archery is considered a noble and utilitarian pastime in Grand Cathay, and young girls are specially encouraged to follow the path of the Moon Empress into ranged fight. Thus, evening the lowest in society will have a well-maintained bow within their family and be more than able of drawing it to defend their home. naturally, however, they are not particularly well equipped, and are more deterrent than professionals.
celebrated characteristics :
- As with any ranged unit among Cathayan armies, Peasant Archers are Yin-aligned, receiving bonuses when close to Yang units.
- Also expendable, though slightly less expected to be in the thick of things, as an archer.
- However, despite their mighty number and decent training, the gear of the peasantry is simply unlikely to cause much damage to heavily armoured foes.
Iron Hail Gunners
The closest we can get to an Old World shotgun, the Iron Hail Gun is a short-range blunderbuss that can rip through about anything if positioned correctly. The gunners themselves are lightly armoured, making them vulnerable if surprise and quite the glass cannon of a unit. however, should they bring their guns to bear evening for a moment, nevermind a hold period, it spells destine for even the heaviest warriors .
luminary characteristics :
- The strength of gunpowder gives these units a heavy, armour-piercing punch when they line up a shot.
- Their range is much shorter than either archers or crossbowmen elsewhere in the army.
- However, this can be quite an advantage when used to keep them in a useful position for Harmony and still pumping out heavy damage.
Crane Gunners
The mighty Crane Gun requires two people to lift, set up, and fire. One is positioned at the trigger, ready to sight and shoot anything in a massive range. The other carries the tower harbor on which the grease-gun rests, steadying the taw arsenic well as providing built-in cover. It is a specialist device for the highly prepare, but it can be devastatingly effective when properly employed. Range and preciseness are nothing to scoff at, particularly if they are pointed at your head .
celebrated characteristics :
- Save artillery, will outrange anything on the battlefield, acting as effective snipers.
- Their armour-piercing rounds and heavy shields make them a unique and difficult unit for enemies to deal with, especially if unprepared.
- Two people for the price of one – bargain.
Jade Warrior Crossbowmen
Crossbowmen are the range spine of the Grand Cathayan army, assigned to Jade Warriors and Dragon Guard who show an aptitude for shooting rather than stabbing. While Grand Cathay brings potent magics and giant machinery to war, it is less ever-present in their armies than early factions. Sorcerers are an authoritative, precious resource, while the construction required for a lantern or War Compass may be beyond the poor cities .
The crossbow is vitamin a close to industrialize production as the handmade weapons in Grand Cathay scram, though there will still be elusive differences between the guidance of one maestro craftsman and another. This makes the Jade Warriors equipped with crossbows a pillar of city defense, entrusted to outrange their opponents and defeat them before they get within striking distance .
Variants :
- Crossbow
- Crossbow & Shield
celebrated characteristics :
- While their armour weighs them down slightly, they will defeat a peasant archer in all other areas.
- That increased armour, especially when further improved with a shield, makes them difficult for other ranged units to trade with effectively.
- While not a melee troop, will happily survive and even defeat lesser foes in the midst of a close-range engagement.
Celestial Dragon Crossbowmen
When the Celestial Host – the combined name for the versatile sections of the Dragon Guard – makes war, it does therefore in style and with power. The Dragon Crossbows are repeating powerhouses, with armour-piercing bolts to rip through about anything and cutthroat educate to keep up the fire. Shielded, with the best armor in Grand Cathay, very little can stand up to a hail of bolts from these troops .
noteworthy characteristics :
- Crane Gunners will outrange and outdamage them, the Celestial Dragon Guard are hardier and more powerful in all forms of warfare.
- Shields keep them protected, while the power of the crossbows makes their bolts armour-piercing.
- While not a true hybrid, are also more than capable of holding their own in battle.
Grand Cathay Cavalry & Chariots
Peasant Horsemen
As they are everywhere in the world, the sawhorse is the most common steed and animal of effect in Grand Cathay. Plenty of the peasantry teach to ride as separate of their duties and carrying goods or information across the great distances of the nation is equivalent to its survival. therefore, when called to war, many can mount up and act as scouts or harrying attackers for larger armies .
celebrated characteristics :
- The fastest Cathayan unit that can’t fly.
- Will deploy ahead of the main army to scout and act as a Vanguard.
- Like foot melee units, cavalry belong to the Yang harmony.
Jade Lancers
Put a Jade Warrior, with all their train, all their armor, and all their ability on a horse, and this is what you get. Grand Cathay ’ s mainstay cavalry is a hard-hitting, well-armoured wedge. Often the Jade Lancers are part of scouting groups that head beyond the great Bastion to break up and destroy Chaos tribes in the region before they can gather their exponent and be a threat. Doing then is a dangerous as it is necessary .
noteworthy characteristics :
- Slower but heavier than standard Horsemen, Jade Lancers will deal extreme damage to infantry formations they crash into.
- They are also great on the defense, heavily armoured with shields to protect themselves further.
- Conforming to Grand Cathay’s defensive nature, they are far hardier than other faction’s cavalry of a similar sort.
Great Longma Riders
Dragon-blooded who are however to rise to their own bulge or prefer a place within the Celestial Host for the honor it brings often become Great Longma Riders. Flying to battle aboard other elements of the Celestial Host, they are the solution to endless problems on the battlefield, from enemy flyers to the audacious of grind troops .
noteworthy characteristics :
- While Grand Cathay is often focused on dealing damage from afar, anything in the way of the Great Longma Riders is unlikely to survive for long.
- Their speed, the power of their charge, and the strength of their armour is unmatched.
- Such is the strength of the Longma charge that enemies have been known to flee in fear before they are even beaten.
Grand Cathay Constructs
Terracotta Sentinel
Grand Cathay ’ s ancient protectors, the Terracotta Sentinels are remnants of an earned run average long by, when the Celestial Dragon Emperor was an active agent drawing card in the nation ’ mho armies. Tales of their creation scope from the credible to the legendary, that each was a personally-blessed soldier of the Dragon Emperor in a great united states army to fend off Chaos in its earliest years .
true or not, they stand sentinel all over Cathay, frequently dumb and still for centuries, overlooking paddy fields or partially submerged in rivers, or even as stanchions in the Great Bastion itself. But the light within will burn and the statue will ultimately move if summoned to a nearby terror .
celebrated characteristics :
- The ultimate in Cathayan defense of their settlements and armies, laying waste to anything unlucky enough to make contact with it.
- Truly alien to most of the armies of the world and either impossibly massive or an ancient enemy, it causes deep terror in the hearts of any who array against it.
- As happy destroying Steam Tanks and city gates as it is laying waste to enemy armies.
Grand Cathay Flying War Machines
Sky Lantern
Sky Lanterns serve double aim on the battlefield. They are often crewed by magistrates or other commanders that can oversee and direct the troops below, using a complex system of fans and smoke. however, they are besides crewed by four Crane Gunners, sitting in an armor baby buggy held aloft by the balloon, itself in place thanks to an ever-burning Vermillion Warbird. It is by and large agreed they have a batch more fun than their land-locked cousins .
luminary characteristics :
- While glacially slow to move around the battlefield, it provides a much-needed vantage point for troops below, allowing them to spot enemies hiding in foliage and giving them a morale boost.
- The crane gunners are truly deadly – nothing is between them and their targets, they do not have to stop to fire, and they can see all from above.
- As flying units armed with gunners, both this and the Sky Junk are Yin-aligned.
Sky-Junk
The Sky-Junk is more warship than a childlike battlefield whole. Its humongous size supports great guns that project shrapnel at oncoming hordes, wiping out whole battlelines. Within the armoured carrier beneath the chief balloon are a host of bombs quick to be dropped on those below. During times of capital risk fleets of Sky-Junks are seen floating from the Great Bastion, moving steadily towards the latest terror and fully intending to wipe it out .
celebrated characteristics :
- A larger and more deadly Sky Lantern, packed with soldiers that spew fire rain rockets at enemies.
- Can drop makeshift bombs from above on unsuspecting foes, dealing massive damage.
- Slow and near-useless once out of ammunition, the Sky-Junk is nevertheless an incredibly valuable addition to the battlefield, if used right.
Grand Cathay Artillery & War Machines
Grand Cannon
Oxen carry the weapon of Grand Cathay to war, pulling these guns to battle from the city walls and Great Bastion they normally inhabit. More suitable to firing from on-high, these cannons will hush rip apart anything they gain sighting on but benefit greatly from smartly used terrain. Shaped like dragons and belching flame projectiles, they are not a subtle representation of Grand Cathay ’ s exponent .
luminary characteristics :
- While being Grand Cathay’s most basic form of artillery, they still pack a huge punch, more than capable of toppling monsters or city walls.
- The flaming, armour-piercing projectiles will make short work of smaller foes placed in their path.
- The Oxen pulling it are pretty cute, all told – and make it, and other Cathayan artillery, more mobile than counterparts from other factions.
Wu Xing War Compass
possibly the oddest separate of Grand Cathay ’ second arsenal to an outsider, this miniaturize interpretation of the capital Compass engraved into the floor of the Celestial Court high above Wei-jin is a herculean tool for manipulation of the Elemental Winds. Imbued with the baron of the Heavens and elaborately designed as a weapon of war, meteors and lightning storms are summoned in its wake. While expensive to build and maintain, they are a sincerely unique weapon .
luminary characteristics :
- A mounted spellcaster with access to unique, long-range spells that deal extreme damage to enemy formations.
- More than capable of tearing up the ground and crashing headlong into enemy forces – making it a Yang-aligned unit, but one with significant ranged prowess.
- Regains its own power with increased speed thanks to control over the elemental winds.
Fire Rain Rocket
The ultimate in range firepower for the armies of Grand Cathay, these rocket launchers spray the battlefield with deadly, explosive projectiles. Vital for flip battles arsenic well as taking or defending settlements, their rockets equally effective against about all targets and the arch of their fire easily penetrating foe walls. While the affect is far-flung at long-range, this is only more effective against mass legions of enemies .
celebrated characteristics
- Has an inferior range but greatly improved firepower over the Grand Cannon.
- Left to its own devices and placed near a melee unit to increase reload speed through Yin harmony, Fire Rain Rockets will happily wipe out whole formations.
- Both Cathayan artillery pieces have a higher than usual number of support staff on-hand, making them that much harder to wipe out if caught.
There you have it – the mass forces of Grand Cathay, ready to defend the worldly concern from Chaos. What takes your fancy, or which units are you peculiarly worried about as you push on the Great Bastion ?
Copyright (C) Games Workshop Ltd 2021
