Throt the Unclean’s campaign progression
Let’s talk about Throt the Unclean’s Vortex campaign progression and how you can eventually unlock the final battle.
If you look at the top of your HUD, you’ll notice that there’s a countdown starting at 50 turns. There are also six small pips surrounding it, citing a mission that’s been issued.
This countdown represents Throt’s final battle, “The Ultimate Harvest.” If it reaches zero, you’ve got no choice but to fight this battle even if you aren’t ready yet.
But, if you conquer or raze each settlement mentioned in those small pips (i.e., Ariel’s Waystones), you’ll gain an additional 10 turns. This allows you to prolong the campaign until you’re ready to finish the fight.
Each Waystone location/mission also nets you 5,000 gold to help with your conquests. Likewise, it appears that taking them over (or razing them) weakens Ariel’s forces during the final battle.
The locations are: The Great Arena, Clar Karond, Clarak Spire, Temple of Khaine, Vaul’s Anvil, and The Moon Shard.
Here’s a map of these locations in Total War: Warhammer II‘s Vortex campaign:
The Wood Elves and the Heralds of Ariel
As far as I can tell, neutral and hostile factions never attack these settlements at all and they’ll always belong to minor Wood Elf factions. Funnily enough, your main rival, the Heralds of Ariel, don’t start at war with you. Instead, intervention armies will spawn from that faction’s territory after you capture a Waystone settlement.
These armies will usually beeline for one of your territories and start raiding. But, if you built-up your leaders properly, you should be able to ambush and waylay them with ease.
Note: It appears that the Heralds of Ariel only declare war on you if you march into their territories. It seems Naestra and Arahan are fairly passive. Heck, even camping outside the faction’s lands for several turns just made them twiddle their thumbs.
Diplomacy tips
As mentioned earlier, Throt starts the campaign at war with Ghrond, so just take out the settlements and be ready to conquer the first Waystone territory (The Great Arena).
When you’re done, you’ve got a few options on where you’d go next:
- Har Ganeth might want a non-aggression pact, but you might end up at war, too.
- Clan Rictus will probably want to buddy up, but this is Tretch Craventail we’re talking about. He’d likely betray Throt on a whim, and I wasn’t able to confederate with him either.
- Clan Septik to the west might be nicer, but these Thaggoraki will get gobbled up by Malekith.
- Speaking of Malekith, you do have a non-aggression pact. He’d keep his word until fairly late in the game once you’ve expanded significantly. Once he breaks the non-aggression pact, you know he’s coming for your lands.
In all likelihood, you’ll probably end up at war with Malekith, a Malekith-Morathi alliance, or a confederated Dark Elf force by the time you reach the Witchwood. While you’re not required to capture all six Waystone settlements, doing so would definitely help.
If you can beeline for them with your swarms, you should be in the clear. As far as I could tell, you don’t even need to hold on to them since a quick capture/raze is enough to complete the tally.
Anyway, let’s go ahead and talk about Throt the Unclean’s unique faction mechanic, the Flesh Laboratory’s mutations, instabilities, and extra units.
Total War: Warhammer II – The Twisted & The Twilight is available via Steam. For more information, check out our guides and features hub.
