There are three legendary lords for the Chaos Dwarfs expansion in Total War: Warhammer 3. These cunning commanders of the Dawi Zharr make use of enslaved laborers to fuel their economy and war machines, ignoring the race in the Realms of Chaos so they can build the Great Drill of Hashut. Between Astragoth Ironhand, Drazhoath the Ashen, and Zhatan the Black, you’re wondering which is the best.
Each Legendary Lord in Total War: Warhammer 3 has their own unique perks, as well as starting locations. These should change the way your faction expands in the campaign. Moreover, you have to play their strengths when it comes to mechanics like labor/raw materials, unit caps, and armaments.
Total War: Warhammer 3 Chaos Dwarfs Legendary Lords Ranked
Best Choice: Astragoth Ironhand — Disciples of Hashut
Screenshot by GameSkinny
- Starting units: x2 Goblin Laborers, x1 Orc Laborers, x1 Chaos Dwarf Warriors (Great Weapons), x2 Chaos Dwarf Blunderbusses, and x1 Bull Centaur Renders (Dual Axes).
- Starting hero: Bull Centaur Taur’ruk.
- Faction effects:
- +10% Conclave Influence gained (all sources).
- +10% Research rate.
- +2 Control (all provinces).
- Lord effects:
- +5% casualty replenishment rate.
- +15% ward save for Bull Centaur Renders.
- Passive: Mechanical Overdrive — Up to 15% base weapon damage and +8 melee attack; the effect increases with each kill made by this character.
We feel that Astragoth Ironhand is the best Legendary Lord in Total War: Warhammer 3 — Forge of the Chaos Dwarfs. This is primarily because Astragoth has a more beginner-friendly campaign that lets you learn the ropes for a variety of new mechanics.
You won’t encounter a lot of Legendary Lords, at least for the first few turns, in either the Realms of Chaos or Immortal Empires campaigns. Moreover, Astragoth’s bonuses to Control and Conclave Influence help with your industrial economy, Dawi Zharr relations, and eventual confederation.
Additionally, Astragoth has a Bull Centaur Taur’ruk hero, which can bulldoze most enemy soldiers, and he provides buffs to Bull Centaur Render-type units. Lastly, his perks complement a hybrid playstyle, where he can be a melee fighter or spellcaster with the Lore of Hashut.
A Good Choice: Drazhoath the Ashen — Legion of Azgorh
Screenshot by GameSkinny
- Starting units: x2 Goblin Laborers, x1 Orc Laborers, x1 Chaos Dwarf Blunderbusses, x1 Infernal Guard (Fireglaives), and x1 K’daai Fireborn.
- Starting hero: Infernal Castellan.
- Faction effects:
- -10% Armaments cost for all unit capacity upgrades in the Hell-Forge.
- +10% Armaments output.
- Lord effects:
- +10% campaign movement range.
- -25% upkeep for K’daai units.
- Passive: Dark Renown — +8 attack for all units within the aura’s range; units must have Contempt.
Drazhoath the Ashen is our second pick among the Chaos Dwarf leaders, but he’s not that far behind Astragoth.
Drazhoath’s Infernal Castellan hero is more of a skirmish specialist, though he himself is akin to Astragoth as a melee-spellcaster hybrid. The difference is that Drazhoath’s buffs are for raw materials, construction time, Infernal Guard/Infernal Ironsword, and K’daai units, which are likely to be fielded in the mid-to-late-game campaign.
The reason you might like (and dread) picking Drazhoath is due to his campaign start locations.
- In Realms of Chaos, he’s fairly close to Cathay, which means an eventual rivalry with Miao Ying.
- In Immortal Empires, he’s in the Howling Wastes, bordering the Southlands. Things can get a bit hectic here since you’re surrounded by potential enemies such as Imrik, Tretch Craventail, Greasus Goldtooth, and Helman Ghorst.
Overall, though, Drazhoath has the right tools to get the job done, and constant wars would mean more laborers, as well as new lands to claim. He’s a great pick after you’ve mastered the Chaos Dwarfs’ take on economy and resource management.
Worst Choice: Zhatan the Black — Warhost of Zharr
Screenshot by GameSkinny
- Starting units: x2 Hobgoblin Cutthroats, x1 Chaos Dwarf Warriors, x1 Chaos Dwarf Blunderbusses, x1 Hobgoblin Wolf Raiders (Bows), and x1 Deathshrieker Rocket Launcher.
- Starting hero: Daemonsmith Sorcerer (Fire).
- Faction effects:
- +1 maximum number of Convoys.
- -50% recruitment cost for artillery and war machines.
- Lord effects:
- +15% casualties captured post-battle.
- +1 local recruitment capacity in this lord’s province.
- Ability: Sadistic Snare — Prevents one enemy from moving and causes -24 to melee defense for 33 seconds.
Zhatan the Black has an extra Convoy to boost his economic gains and the extra recruitment capacity to recruit an additional unit. The downsides to using this Chaos Dwarfs Legendary Lord, however, are a bit much.
To be fair, Zhatan is a decent melee combatant, but he doesn’t use Lore of Hashut spells. His hero, meanwhile, uses the Lore of Fire, which is something most veteran players have already seen in the past.
Perhaps the most concerning factor is his close proximity to Astragoth’s starting locations, both in Realms of Chaos and Immortal Empires. As such, if you’ve already learned the mechanics as Astragoth, you’re better off picking Drazhoath for your second run.
In any case, this is our take on the best Chaos Dwarfs Legendary Lords in Total War: Warhammer 3. Don’t forget to take a look at other related tips, such as our best Chaos Dwarf units guide and Gorduz Backstabber guide.
Featured image via Sega.
