16 DLCs for a total of over 170 Euros are available for Total War: Warhammer and Warhammer 2. We have taken a look at all of them and tell you which ones you really need.
After five years, we can undoubtedly call Total War: Warhammer the most massive Total War ever. And it just keeps getting bigger. This year, for example, sees the release of Warhammer 3, which introduces a new campaign map and a whole six new factions.
But even before that, the series kept growing every year. After all, we can combine Warhammer and Warhammer 2 into one huge campaign, and on top of that there are now a whopping 35 DLCs. Thirty-five! But only 17 of them are paid, Creative Assembly gave the rest away.
Even 17 paid DLCs are quite a big chunk. If you want to get them all, you’ll have to shell out 187 euros – or wait for a sale. There is still no Season Pass or Definitive Edition with both games and all DLCs.
Most players will therefore pick out the DLCs they really need. And we will help you with that. In this article you will find a summary of all the DLCs and an analysis of which ones are really worthwhile and which ones you don’t really need.
Table of Contents
What DLCs are there?
Basically, the available DLCs can be divided into three categories – with one wild exception. The paid DLCs, however, can only be found in two categories:
– Faction Packs: These expansions bring completely new factions with unique mechanics, legendary commanders and units into the game. They usually cost 19 euros.
– Leader Packs: These usually introduce two new legendary commanders for two different factions. Both lords have their own campaigns and bring special troops. These packs cost 9 or 10 euros
– Free Packs: The free packs can be downloaded by anyone and have different advantages. Sometimes a new hero unit, sometimes a new legendary commander.
Only the two blood expansions Blood for the Blood God are in a category of their own. They both cost 3 euros.
Compulsory purchases: These DLCs are really worthwhile
Curse of the Vampire Coast
(Price: 19 Euro Type: Faction Pack Release: 8 November 2018 Game: Warhammer 2)
What’s inside: The second major faction pack for Warhammer 2 brings four legendary commanders. The moody Luthor Harkon rules the Vampire Coast, Count Noctilus leads the Fleet of the Damned, the acrobatic Aranessa Saltspite conducts raids from Sartosa and the ghostly Cylostra Direfin spreads fear with sirens and monsters.
The vampires rely primarily on undead pirates who, unlike the vampire lords from the mainland, also use powerful black powder weapons and can even be carried by bats. The repertoire is supplemented by giant maritime monsters or ghosts.
In the campaign, vampire lords can search for treasure maps, build secret pirate bays and unlock special mercenary regiments with golden items.
That’s why it’s worth it: With the Vampire Lords and the Tomb Kings, there were already two undead factions before Vampire Coast – but the zombified pirates are undoubtedly the most exciting of these. A pure pirate faction has never been seen in this form in any Total War. Ruling the seas and searching for treasure maps or gold coins plays completely unique, and as a rule you will raid and rob settlements much more often than expand your empire.
Moreover, buccaneers have an incredibly versatile arsenal to fall back on. The disgustingly gruesome monsters with their crab hands or wide-open mouths shatter any formation, while we blanket the enemy with a hail of bullets or strafe them from afar with our seaweed-covered mortars. The flying units and cavalry are rather weak, but as a rule the pirates from the vampire coast find an answer to everything.
The only downer is that the pirates would have really benefited from proper naval battles, but only the not particularly unique island battles were introduced.
Rise of the Tomb Kings
(Price:19 Euro Type:Faction Pack Release: 23 January 2018 Game: Warhammer 2)
What’s inside: Rise of the Tomb Kings sees the arrival of four legendary commanders, all of whom belong to the new faction of the Crypt Kings. These are undead pharaohs who wreak havoc in the desert regions of the south. Settra the Imperishable wants to revive his past empire, the Great Hierophant Khatep searches for ancient artefacts, the quick-witted High Queen Khalida strives for justice and Arkhan the Black is considered a dark necromancer.
The foundation of the army of the Tomb King is formed by armed skeletons, optionally on undead horses or war chariots. The real strength, however, lies in their huge constructs and monsters. Crypt kings let mighty titans roam the battlefield or summon desert creatures like giant scorpions.
The crypt kings are the only faction that can recruit units completely free of charge. However, they only have a limited number of the more powerful units at their disposal. Furthermore, units are brought back to life during a battle and the crypt kings can use artefacts, resources and canopies to create special objects or regiments.
That’s why it’s worth it: Like the Pirates of the Vampire Coast, the Void Kings play completely differently to all other factions in Warhammer. Just the fact that raising troops doesn’t cost gold changes the gameplay enormously. Suddenly the focus is on tactically expanding our cities to ensure that we always have enough space for powerful units.
With their Egyptian aesthetics, the troops of this people also stand out excellently from the rest of the world. However, this difference can also be detrimental to the desert skeletons. Not everyone enjoys throwing thousands of units at enemies, especially at the beginning of a game, but they already collapse when you look at them at an angle. You have to be willing to get involved in that.
The Prophet & The Warlock
(Price:10 Euro Type:Leader Pack Release: 17 April 2019 Game: Warhammer 2)
What’s inside: The heart of the DLC is of course the two new legendary commanders. In this case, with Ikit Clawhand and Tehenhauin, there are new commanders for the Skaven and Lizardmen.
Ikit is an inventive little beast with whose help the Skaven lead absurd, magical devices into battle. In Ikit’s workshop, the Skryre clan can upgrade mechanical units such as death wheels or weapon teams. At the same time, these are completely new units. And what units. The Skaven get access to magical miniguns, shredder wheels and even snipers.
Tehenhauin leads the cult of Sotek and is revered by the lizardmen as a charismatic preacher. Tehenhauin can sacrifice captives to his god and thus eventually summon Sotek himself to the battlefield. The lizardmen also get normal new units like salamanders that hurl fireballs and pterosaurs.
That’s why it’s worth it: As with most leader packs, it depends a little on whether you like playing with the respective factions. But the fact that The Prophet & The Warlock is so highly priced is mainly due to the improvements for the Skaven. Hardly any other faction gets such unique and simply incredibly entertaining units in a DLC pack. Those who already like Skaven will love them, and those who don’t might change their minds.
And if that’s not enough, the Skryre clan adds a faction that can literally detonate nuclear bombs.
The Warden & The Paunch
(Price: 10 Euro Type:Leader Pack Release: 21 May 2020 Game: Warhammer 2)
What’s inside: The Warden & The Paunch also has new legendary commanders at the ready. In this case, there’s Eltharion the Grim for the High Elves and Grom the Fatso for the Greenskins.
The grim elf Eltharion watches over the dilapidated fortress of Athel Tamarha. His task is to rebuild the castle. In addition, Eltharion is the only commander who can capture and interrogate other heroes in this fortress. On the battlefield, Eltahrion attacks in close combat or casts spells from the back of his black and white gryphon. In addition to Eltahrion himself, the squad of high elf troops is augmented by nimble border runners, spear-equipped Argent Guards and Krieslions.
Grom the Fatso is the reason why Eltharion has to rebuild the fortress in the first place. The giant goblin, however, is considered a real gourmet who, apart from war and power, is above all interested in a full stomach. As a true giant, Grom deals out in melee combat. Grom brings with him new units such as crank wagons, river trolls and mighty golems made of stone.
This is why it’s worth it: You play this expansion for the entertaining campaign and the extraordinary faction mechanics. With Eltharion, for example, you have to upgrade your fortress in a certain amount of time before Grom arrives with his raid. As Grom himself, you can search the world for ingredients for your cooking pot and combine them. New recipes bring advantages such as exploding arrows.
In addition, thanks to Grom, players who only own Warhammer 2 get a new race for the Vortex campaign in the form of the Greenskins, which they would otherwise have to do without completely.
The Queen & The Crone
(Price: 10 Euro Type:Leader Pack Release: 31 May 2018 Game: Warhammer 2)
What’s inside: The Queen & The Crone brings two new legendary commanders for the High Elves and Dark Elves. On the High Elf side, you get the mage Alarielle the Radiant, while the Dark Elves can now also be led by the Ancient Hellebron.
Alarielle is a powerful queen and primarily uses white magic, with which she can heal her own troops in no time. She deals out damage, on the other hand, by summoning storms, for example. With Alarielle, the High Elves also get some new units. The Sisters of Avelorn are great archers, Shadow Warriors remain undetected for a long time and Maids are a new hero unit.
The Old Hellebron is called a witch, but she uses her deadly blades much more often in battle. This dark elf can therefore wreak havoc on infantry and other heroes, especially in close combat. Hellebron is also followed into battle by two new units, the Heavy Stars of Carnage and the Hellfire Rune Readers, which also excel in close combat.
That’s why it’s worth it: The first commander pack for Warhammer 2 is one of the best DLCs, even though less fancy mechanics were introduced here compared to some other packs. But instead, the DLC offers a decidedly well-rounded package in its entirety.
Alarielle and Hellebron are fantastic hero units that are completely different and emphasise the rivalry between High Elves and Dark Elves. At the same time, The Queen & The Crone offers excellent units without which neither faction feels complete. The Sisters of Avelorn in particular are indispensable to any High Elf army.
Nice to have: These DLCs are still fun
Realm of The Wood Elves
Is it worth it? The Wood Elf DLC is only really worthwhile for you if you own Warhammer 2. Only then will you be able to benefit from the complete overhaul that has been granted to the race. Prior to this, the Wood Elves rarely caused cheers with their cumbersome amber mechanics and awkward positioning. On the battlefield, the Wood Elves are a delight with their archers – but on the campaign map, they remain a tad too cumbersome.
Chaos Warriors
(Price:8 Euro Type:Faction Pack Release: 24 May 2016 Game: Warhammer)
Is it worth it? The Chaos faction plays an important role in Warhammer. However, as a playable faction, it is not suitable for everyone. As a horde faction, the people will only suit those players who don’t care about diplomacy and city administration and just want to plunder. As a rule, however, this is simply not fun long enough. Nevertheless, the DLC is worthwhile for all those who cannot imagine Warhammer without Chaos as a playable party. Besides, the Chaos warriors only cost a paltry 8 euros.
Norsca
(Price:10 Euro Type:Faction Pack Release: 10 August 2017 Game: Warhammer)
Is it worth it? Norsca is the only DLC faction for which there are only two legendary commanders. But in this case you only pay 10 euros instead of the normal 19 euros. That’s a damn good deal. After all, it gives you the opportunity to play a faction that is not unlike Chaos but still builds settlements. In battle, Norsca uses cool monsters such as mammoths alongside fierce warriors. However, the barbarians in the north do not really play in an extraordinarily different way and are rather a nice addition for little money.
Call of the Beastmen
(Price: 19 Euro Type: Faction Pack Release: 28 July 2016 Game: Warhammer)
Is it worth it? Until July 2021, there was no question at all that the Beastmen DLC was redundant. Before that, for a high price, players still got a one-sided faction that could hardly gain a foothold during the campaign. In the meantime, however, this has changed. After the rework, the beastmen are a really good and interesting faction! Now it is quite fun to ravage lands and rage on the battlefields with a horde of wild monotaurs. Of course, they remain a horde faction, which does not suit all players. But at least they now stand out strongly from Chaos.
The Twisted & The Twilight
(Price: 10 Euro Type:Leader Pack Release: December 3, 2020 Game: Warhammer 2)
Is it worth it? One of the main selling points of The Twisted & The Twilight is the legendary commander you get for the Wood Elves. Or rather, the legendary commanders, since they are the Sisters of the Twilight – but they function as a single character. A cool idea. But beyond that, the DLC offers little that is exceptionally new. Sure, pure Warhammer 2 players can get a new faction for cheap – but those who already own Wood Elves get few really worthwhile new units apart from the Sisters. The DLC also offers new items for Skaven – but there are better alternatives.
The King & The Warlord
(Price: 9 Euro Type:Leader Pack Release: 20 October 2016 Game: Warhammer)
Is it worth it? Of the two commander DLCs for the first Warhammer, The King & The Warlord is clearly the better one. The expansion revolves around the competition between the dwarves of the Clan Angrund and the goblins of the Crescent Tribe. Their campaigns offer an exciting race to see who holds the coveted Eight Peak. In both cases, their faction mechanics are less novel than other packs – but still exciting. The Crescent Tribe, for example, can only recruit goblins for a long time and not orcs. In addition, with this DLC, greenskin players get the Squigs, which are quite popular with Warhammer fans.
The Hunter & The Beast
(Price: 10 Euro Type:Leader Pack Release: 11 September 2019 Game: Warhammer 2)
Is it worth it? Get this DLC if you are a fan of the Empire but need a change of scenery. Markus Wulfhart leads a sub-faction that has its starting point on the Warhammer 2 continent of Lustria and takes on the local Lizardmen there. This means that even players who only own Warhammer 2 can play out a campaign with the people of the empire. There are also some interesting new mechanics for Markus and his expedition, such as the search for legendary hunters. For fans of the lizardmen, however, The Hunter & The Beast is clearly less worthwhile. Although the horde lizards around Nakai play noticeably differently, they don’t offer nearly as exciting mechanics as Markus Wulfhart’s.
The Shadow & The Blade
(Price: 10 Euro Type:Leader Pack Release: 12 December 2019 Game: Warhammer 2)
Is it worth it? The Shadow & The Blade is a wonderfully themed expansion that offers two highly exciting new commanders for Skaven and Dark Elves, respectively, in the acrobatic master assassin Snikch and the demon-possessed Malus Gloomblade. Their campaigns are fun, fit well together and the heroes are a real boost for any force. The only drawback remains that there are also better DLCs for Dark Elves and Skaven with a somewhat greater added value. In the end, however, it also depends on your personal taste.
The Silence & The Fury
(Price: 10 Euro Type:Leader Pack Release: 14 July 2021 Game: Warhammer 2)
Is it worth it? Much like the full Beastmen DLC, The Silence & The Fury also benefits from the free update released on the same day. You get two new legendary commanders, and one of them is for the Beastmen. The other commander joins the lizardmen – who already have quite a few commanders anyway. You should treat yourself to the DLC mainly if you want to get everything out of the beastmen after the rework. Taurox is probably the best commander both in battle and on the strategy map. The faction also gets some very, very cool new units. Like the disgusting Ginderlak.
Not necessary: You only need these DLCs if you want everything
The Grim & The Grave
(Price: 9 Euro Type:Leader Pack Release: 1 September 2016 Game: Warhammer)
Blood for the Blood God 1 & 2
(Price: 3 Euro Type:Special Release: 24 May 2016 Game: Warhammer 1 & 2)
Why it’s not worth it: If you know Total War, you know its blood DLCs. With this expansion, you turn up the level of violence in the mass battles significantly. Blood flows in streams and soldiers lose heads or limbs. None of this has any influence on the gameplay. Only recommended if you need the right visuals for the right battlefield feeling. At least you only have to buy this DLC once for both games.
