The newest Total War: Warhammer II DLC has finally been announced after months of anticipation. The Warden & The Paunch DLC features Eltharion the Grim, the Warden of Tor Yvresse, and Grom the Paunch, the only Greenskin warlord who’s ever managed to successfully invade Ulthuan. You can watch the trailer below:
Total War: Warhammer II – The Warden & The Paunch
As mentioned earlier, Eltharion the Grim and Grom the Paunch take center stage in Total War: Warhammer II – The Warden & The Paunch. Neither of these two legendary lords are vying for the race to access the Vortex. Instead, they’ll have to complete certain objectives that’ll lead them to an epic clash against each other.
First, let’s talk about Eltharion the Grim. He leads the High Elf faction of Yvresse and he’ll have the “Athel Tamarha” mechanic. Considered as Eltharion’s base of operations, Athel Tamarha will be represented by a panel that allows him to gain boosts after rebuilding structures. The High Elf protector can also use his “Warden’s Cage” ability which will imprison enemy characters should they be defeated in battle while its effect is active.
Certain Athel Tamarha upgrades can improve the defenses of Yvresse or buff Eltharion’s units. Others, meanwhile, improve interrogation capabilities on captured heroes and lords, as well as aiding Eltharion’s influence generation. There’s even the Mist of Yvresse which will eventually cover all of Ulthuan as to empower Eltharion’s faction while weakening his foes. The High Elf forces will also be able to field new units such as Rangers, Silverin Guard, the War Lions of Chrace, and the Arcane Phoenix. Likewise, the Archmage (generic) lord joins the fray.
As for Grom the Paunch, this chubby Goblin Warboss who leads the Broken Axe Tribe focuses primarily on cooking recipes. As befitting of his Warhammer Fantasy Battles lore (because he’s quite a big eater), he can use Grom’s Cauldron to gain different buffs or even new units from food that’s cooked. Different recipes can be found while Grom explores the campaign map or when visiting the Troll Hag Food Merchant. (One can’t help but wonder if we’ll eventually see a similar mechanic once the Ogre Kingdoms get introduced.)
Grom is also aided by the disembodied head of his trusted shaman, Ol’ Blacktoof. The shaman will provide new tasks during the campaign, ones that will eventually lead to a final showdown with Eltharion. Additionally, Grom will always be mounted atop the Chariot of Grom all while his trusty Night Goblin assistant, Niblet, helps him around. As for the units, the Greenskin forces will have the Giant River Hag Troll hero, Snotling Pump Wagons, River Trolls, Rogue Idols (of Gork or Mork), and many others.
Do note that there will also be a free update that provides some overhauls to the Greenskins so they might play a bit differently this time around. For instance, the “WAAAGH!” mechanic can be used in battles to greatly strengthen your units, or used on the campaign map to send another army to support your conquest of a target. Greenskin factions can also use “Scrap” (obtained from battles and captured settlements) to upgrade their units.
The free update will coincide with the release of Total War: Warhammer II – The Warden & The Paunch DLC. One last thing: there will also be an FLC (free lord), and that’s none other than Imrik, the High Elf Prince of Caledor and Lord of Dragons.
Total War: Warhammer II – The Warden & The Paunch DLC releases on May 21. You can grab it via Steam for $8.99 and you can also check out the official FAQ page for more information. As usual, stay tuned for our guides and features hub that covers all the campaign mechanics and tricks once the new content becomes available.
