Total War: WARHAMMER The Grim and the Grave expands the core strategy experience of Total War: WARHAMMER by adding new Legendary Lords, units, and battlefields focused on the rivalry between the Empire and the Vampire Counts. This Lords Pack introduces two playable leaders with dedicated quest lines, skill trees, and unique abilities that alter how campaigns unfold on the strategic map and resolve in real-time combat.
Gameplay
The campaign layer revolves around managing armies across a turn-based map while building settlements and pursuing objectives. Players direct Legendary Lords through personal quest chains that unlock powerful magic items and improve their skill trees. Volkmar the Grim leads Empire forces with bonuses to Flagellant units, making them cheaper and more effective in combat. He also accesses battle prayers that boost nearby troops and rides the War Altar of Sigmar once his abilities are unlocked.
Helman Ghorst commands Vampire Counts armies with improved casualty replenishment across all factions under his banner and poison attacks for his units. His unique spell summons Grave Guard or a Wight King, and he gains access to a specialized Corpse Cart mount that enhances his damage output. Both lords bring distinct playstyles to the Grand Campaign, where Empire players emphasize pious infantry support while Vampire Counts focus on undead regeneration and magical support.
On the battlefield, new units integrate into existing rosters. Empire gains Free Company Militia for flexible pistol and sword combat with vanguard deployment, Flagellants that charge with frenzy and unbreakable morale, and Knights of the Blazing Sun as shock cavalry with flaming attacks and magic resistance. Vampire Counts receive Corpse Carts that regenerate nearby undead and increase enemy wizard miscast chances, plus the Mortis Engine that damages foes with arcane energy and boosts Winds of Magic reserves.
Arch Lectors serve as new Empire lord types who learn battle prayers for melee improvements and area damage. Strigoi Ghoul Kings act as Vampire Counts lords who combine Vampire and Death lore spells while summoning Crypt Ghouls or Horrors. These additions create varied army compositions without altering the fundamental real-time battle system of positioning, flanking, and ability use.
Game Modes
The Grand Campaign serves as the primary single-player experience, where players expand territory, recruit forces, and engage rival factions over multiple turns. Legendary Lords lead armies through this mode with tailored bonuses and quest rewards that persist across battles.
Custom battles allow players to test specific army compositions and the five new battlefields against AI opponents or in local matches. Multiplayer battles extend this option to online opponents, supporting the same maps and units for competitive play.
Regiments of Renown function as elite recruitable units in both campaign and battle modes. These upgraded variants of standard troops, such as the Tattersouls Flagellants or the Sternsmen Grave Guard, offer improved stats and exclusive abilities once a lord reaches the required skill level. They recruit instantly from a dedicated menu rather than waiting in a queue.
New Units and Lords
Five core battlefield units plus variants join the rosters alongside 18 Regiments of Renown. Empire options include the Hammer of the Witches Great Cannon with magical damage shells and the Templehof Luminark with net spells and encouragement effects. Vampire Counts gain the Direpack Dire Wolves with bonus damage against large targets and the Konigstein Stalkers Skeleton Warriors with poison attacks.
Volkmar the Grim and Helman Ghorst each feature unique mounts, spells, and skills that reward focused army building. Arch Lectors and Strigoi Ghoul Kings provide additional lord variety for Empire and Vampire Counts campaigns respectively. These elements integrate directly into existing mechanics rather than introducing separate systems.
Is It Worth Playing?
This DLC suits players who already enjoy the turn-based empire management and large-scale real-time battles of Total War: WARHAMMER. It deepens the Empire versus Vampire Counts conflict through specific lords and units that reward tactical army composition and quest completion.
Those seeking expanded options for Grand Campaign play will find value in the new starting positions, replenishment bonuses, and battlefield summons. The content remains available as part of the base game ownership and continues to function in the current version of the title without requiring additional purchases beyond the pack itself.
Players focused on other factions or preferring shorter sessions may find the additions less essential, while fans of Warhammer Fantasy lore and detailed lord progression benefit most from the rival character stories and unit upgrades. The pack integrates cleanly into ongoing campaigns without disrupting core balance.
