Total War: Warhammer III is the capstone of Creative Assembly's Warhammer trilogy, and the Immortal Empires campaign is the largest strategy map ever made — combining all three games' factions across a massive world map. With 86 playable legendary lords across 24 factions, each with unique campaign mechanics, army rosters, and quest battles, there are thousands of hours of content. The real-time battles feature armies of thousands clashing with cavalry charges, artillery barrages, monster duels, and devastating magic spells. Whether you want to play a Chaos daemon horde, an organized Empire gunline, a sneaky Skaven underempire, or elegant High Elf spearwalls, every faction plays completely differently.
Your choice of equipment defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Equipment Rankings
| Equipment | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| War Bear Riders | S | Kislev | Kislev's elite shock cavalry with enormous mass and charge bonus. |
| Terracotta Sentinel | A | Cathay | Cathay's golem monster unit with extreme durability, fear-causing mass, and solid melee damage. |
| Bloodthirster | A | Khorne | Khorne's greater daemon — a flying monster with massive melee damage, terror, and area-of-effect attacks. |
| Steam Tank | B | Empire | The Empire's armored vehicle that functions as a nearly unkillable battering ram. |
| Celestial Dragon | B | Cathay | Cathay's lord transformation — Miao Ying or Zhao Ming can shift into a massive dragon with devastating breath attacks and melee damage. |
S-Tier: War Bear Riders
Kislev's elite shock cavalry with enormous mass and charge bonus. They crash through infantry lines and send units flying. Cycle-charging (charge, pull back, charge again) maximizes their impact damage. They also function as monster-killers due to anti-large bonuses.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Kislev |
| Key Mechanic | real-time battles |
| Recommended Build | Kislev |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using War Bear Riders: Pairs naturally with Kislev thanks to stat scaling synergies.
A-Tier: Terracotta Sentinel
Cathay's golem monster unit with extreme durability, fear-causing mass, and solid melee damage. It holds chokepoints indefinitely while ranged units fire around it. The Sentinel doesn't rout, making it a reliable anchor in any battle line.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Cathay |
| Key Mechanic | campaign map |
| Recommended Build | Cathay |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Terracotta Sentinel: Pairs naturally with Cathay thanks to stat scaling synergies.
A-Tier: Bloodthirster
Khorne's greater daemon — a flying monster with massive melee damage, terror, and area-of-effect attacks. It can solo most non-legendary lord units and routs enemies through terror. Exalted Bloodthirsters are the strongest flying monsters in the game.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Khorne |
| Key Mechanic | magic system |
| Recommended Build | Khorne |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Bloodthirster: Pairs naturally with Khorne thanks to stat scaling synergies.
B-Tier: Steam Tank
The Empire's armored vehicle that functions as a nearly unkillable battering ram. Steam Tanks have ranged attacks, strong melee, and extreme armor. Use them to pin enemy units in place while handgunners flank and fire. They don't rout and can hold positions indefinitely.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Empire |
| Key Mechanic | siege rework |
| Recommended Build | Nurgle |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Steam Tank: Pairs naturally with Nurgle thanks to stat scaling synergies.
B-Tier: Celestial Dragon
Cathay's lord transformation — Miao Ying or Zhao Ming can shift into a massive dragon with devastating breath attacks and melee damage. The dragon form excels at diving into enemy ranged units and artillery, destroying their backline. One of the strongest lord transformations in the trilogy.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Cathay |
| Key Mechanic | legendary lord skills |
| Recommended Build | Empire |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Celestial Dragon: Pairs naturally with Empire thanks to stat scaling synergies.
Equipment Progression Path
The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Chaos Wastes
- Terracotta Sentinel → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Bloodthirster → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- War Bear Riders → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Equipment Tips
- Always upgrade your primary equipment before diversifying — one strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Cycle-charge cavalry by selecting them, right-clicking the enemy to charge, then immediately pulling them back with a move order after impact. This repeats the charge bonus damage without getting bogged down in melee.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More Total War: Warhammer III Guides
- Total War: Warhammer III Total War: Warhammer III Overview
- Total War: Warhammer III Best Builds
- Total War: Warhammer III Tier List
- Total War: Warhammer III Walkthrough
- Total War: Warhammer III Beginner's Guide
- Total War: Warhammer III Tips & Tricks
- Total War: Warhammer III Combat Guide
- Total War: Warhammer III Boss Guide
- Total War: Warhammer III Maps & Locations
- Total War: Warhammer III Crafting Guide
- Total War: Warhammer III Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Total War: Warhammer III, check out these related guides:
- Sid Meier's Civilization V Weapons Guide — strategy game with similar mechanics
- Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Weapons Guide — strategy game with similar mechanics
- RimWorld Weapons Guide — strategy game with similar mechanics
