Total War: WARHAMMER The King and the Warlord expands the core strategy experience of the base game by adding two rival Legendary Lords, fresh units, and specialized campaign mechanics focused on the struggle for Karak Eight Peaks. This Lords Pack centers on Dwarfs and Greenskins, delivering a narrative-driven conflict between Belegar Ironhammer of Clan Angrund and Skarsnik of the Crooked Moon Tribe.
Gameplay
The core loop combines turn-based campaign management with large-scale real-time battles. Players expand territories, manage economies, recruit armies, and engage in diplomacy or warfare across the Warhammer Fantasy map. In this pack, Belegar starts at Karak Izor with ethereal ancestor heroes providing unique support, while facing higher upkeep costs until he reclaims his ancestral hold. Skarsnik begins at Karak Azgaraz with his pet Giant Cave Squig Gobbla and benefits that favor Goblin-heavy forces, though he can recruit Orcs only after retaking Karak Eight Peaks.
New units alter battlefield tactics for both sides. Dwarf Rangers offer fast vanguard deployment and stalking options for ambushes, with upgrades to Great Weapons. Bugman's Rangers add morale boosts through their brews. The Bolt Thrower provides reliable armor-piercing artillery. On the Greenskin side, Squig Herds and Night Goblin Squig Hoppers deliver swift anti-infantry charges with poison attacks. Nasty Skulkers excel at hidden armor-piercing strikes before vanishing. Runelords and Night Goblin Warbosses introduce new lord types with abilities that enhance runic magic or poison effects across armies.
Regiments of Renown provide elite variants with improved stats and special abilities, such as Ulthuar's Rangers reducing enemy missile deflection or Da Rusty Arrers applying armor-sundering ranged attacks. A unique building chain at Karak Eight Peaks grants different bonuses depending on the captor, ranging from siege defenses and public order for Dwarfs to hero experience and regional morale penalties for Greenskins. Additional tech trees and building chains, including Ranger Outposts and Squig Cages, unlock these options progressively.
Game Modes
Grand Campaign serves as the primary single-player mode, where players guide their chosen Legendary Lord through a full map-spanning conquest with quest chains for legendary items like the Hammer of Angrund or Skarsnik's Prodder. Custom battles allow direct army matchups on new maps without campaign progression. Multiplayer battles support online versus matches, while multiplayer campaigns enable cooperative or competitive play with friends controlling separate factions.
These modes integrate the new content seamlessly, letting players field the added units and lords in any format. The pack also unlocks access in later combined campaigns that merge maps from the series.
New Legendary Lords and Factions
Belegar Ironhammer leads Clan Angrund with a focus on reclaiming Karak Eight Peaks through ancestor spirits and siege attacker traits. His campaign emphasizes defensive rebuilding and rune-weapon access upon success. Skarsnik commands the Crooked Moon Tribe with sneaky hero actions, Goblin buffs, and reduced upkeep for those units, offset by restrictions on Orc recruitment until the hold is secured. Both feature distinct skill trees and quest lines that tie directly into the rivalry over the ancient Dwarf hold.
Is It Worth Playing?
This content suits players who enjoy faction-specific mechanics and rivalry-driven campaigns within the Total War framework. The additions provide meaningful variety for Dwarf and Greenskin playthroughs, with units and lords that encourage different army compositions and strategies. Reception from users highlights the value of the new options for extended playtime in the series, particularly for those invested in the Warhammer setting. It remains available as part of the broader Total War: WARHAMMER ecosystem for those seeking these specific expansions.
