Creative Assembly released patch 9.0.3 for Total War: Warhammer 3 on October 10, an update aimed at campaign progression and battle balance in the wake of the Lords of the End Times DLC, PCGamesN reported. That DLC introduced a new faction, and its Nagash campaign has left Undead Legions players underwhelmed, according to the outlet. The developer described the patch as "updates based on your valuable feedback."
Changes to Nagash's campaign
Creative Assembly said the campaign "isn't hitting the right balance between challenge and enjoyment," naming the Undead Legions economy, Sigil progression, Necropolises and Mortarch subjugation as the main pressure points. The studio added that it is already looking at further fixes for the next release.
To ease early economic pressure, Black Pyramid progression now offers Nagash a 40% upkeep reduction node early on, with similar early benefits available to the Tomb Kings, Vampire Coast and Vampire Counts. Battle income now scales with difficulty, from a 20% bonus on easy down to 5% on hard, with no bonus at higher settings. Undead Legions also generate more Sigils in the early game.
Necropolises received improved garrisons, combat bonuses for units under siege, local recruitment cost reductions, army movement bonuses and lower faction-wide upkeep when provinces are devastated. Creative Assembly called restrictive Mortarch subjugation objectives "one of the most consistent" player complaints: many location-specific objectives were replaced with thematic ones that can be completed from any location, and most Mortarchs now submit to Nagash once he has clearly surpassed them in power. Those changes only apply to newly started campaigns.
Spell and unit balance
The Lore of Nehekhara, used by the Tomb Kings and Undead Legions, was overhauled. Neru's Incantation gained Immune to Contact Effects, Ptra's is weaker but lasts twice as long, and Sakhemet's deals less base damage with added armor piercing. Usirian's is cheaper to cast with a longer cooldown, while Usekhp's gained a Vigor debuff and a larger radius but lost its greater melee attack bonus.
Undead Handmaidens had their knockback reduced, and several Empire units were buffed, with the Teutogen Guard receiving a new melee attack animation. Skaven units were toned down:
- Verminlords and Skreech Verminking: maximum missile resistance bonus cut from +60% to +30%
- Stormfiends: larger hitbox
- Warp-Doom Magma Cannon: cost raised by 150 gold
- Plagueclaw Catapults: less armor-piercing vortex damage from Virulent Batteries
Chaos Dwarf Trains were slowed, Blessed Field Trebuchets gained a Disorganized effect, and several Marauder Horsemen and Bearmen variants were nerfed, as was Dechala's Dance of Destruction. Mangler Squigs, Yhetees, the Exalted Seeker Chariot, the Phoenix Guard and the Soul Grinder of Khorne were buffed. Creative Assembly directed players to its bug-reporting forum to report further issues.
