It’s no secret that Total War: Warhammer III fans have known that Grand Cathay will be included in the game. However, we’ve only just gotten a glimpse as to the characters that will lead the faction, thanks to the new Dawn of Grand Cathay trailer.
A cool surprise here is that the faction will have two leaders: Zhao Ming and Miao Ying (who’s seen in the trailer). Notably absent in the game are the Celestial Dragon Emperor and the Moon Empress. However, as Creative Assembly explains in the official blog post, this is primarily due to their “power levels.” These two rulers are considered almost on the same level as gods. As such, it would be unfair if they became actual generals.
Total War: Warhammer III – The Dawn of Grand Cathay trailer
Another key facet that makes news about Grand Cathay exciting is that this faction was never truly part of the core tabletop armies in Warhammer Fantasy Battles. While it’s true that the nation, a fictional stand-in for China, did get mentioned in the fluff, it all ends there. Thankfully, the relaunch of the tabletop product, Warhammer: The Old World, means that Games Workshop and Creative Assembly can collaborate to come up with new offerings.
For now, the official blog post doesn’t delve into too many details. Still, it’s been noted that the rulers of Grand Cathay are dragons who can turn into human form. That makes them very powerful combatants on the battlefield. Likewise, we’ll see an army comprised of spear and halberd-wielding infantry, the backbone of the nation’s military forces. Meanwhile, for ranged and caster options, there should be elite crossbowmen, alchemists, and astromancers who can rain death from a distance.
Furthermore, there have been teases of abilities and powers that can summon Terracotta Sentinels, as well as a mechanic called Harmony. It seems that Grand Cathay’s units will gain buffs when in close proximity to other allies, though it remains to be seen if there are any serious drawbacks.
With Total War: Warhammer III getting delayed to early 2022, that means there’s plenty of time to work on the finished product, including factions like Kislev and the other Daemons of Chaos. For now, you can pre-order the game via Steam. Lastly, you can watch the Dawn of Grand Cathay reveal trailer below:
