Total War: WARHAMMER II - The Hunter & The Beast

The Hunter & The Beast is the latest Lords Pack for Total War: WARHAMMER II. Introducing two rival Legendary Lords from the world of Warhammer Fantasy Battles, each with their own objectives, mechanics, units and playstyle, for use in both the Eye of the Vortex and Mortal Empires campaigns, and custom/multiplayer battles.

• Two richly themed new Legendary Lords lead their own factions: Markus Wulfhart leads the Huntsmarshal’s Expedition (Empire), and Nakai The Wanderer leads the Spirit of the Jungle
  
• Each Legendary Lord brings their own unique faction mechanics, quest-chains, legendary items, skill-trees and campaign narrative
  
• Devastating new ranged units, mobile gunpowder batteries and fabled Hunter Heroes for the Huntsmarshal’s Expedition
  
• Towering new Dread Saurians, the largest beasts to walk the world of Total War: WARHAMMER, plus new Kroxigors, Razordons and Rites for Spirit of the Jungle
  
• New Regiments of Renown to unlock, recruit and field

Background

Fearless, charismatic, daring: these are but a few of the epithets bestowed upon Markus Wulfhart, the Huntsmarshal of Emperor Karl Franz. With his band of ruthless trackers, scouts, hunters and sharpshooters, who better to dispatch to the steaming jungles of Lustria, in order to plant the flag and further Imperial interests? And if some Big Game should wander into the crosshairs, why, all the better…

But the jungle does not sleep. Nakai The Wanderer, revered Kroxigor of the first-spawning, is a living legend among the Lizardmen. Wandering the jungles of Lustria since the destruction of his home-city of Tlanxla during the Great Catastrophe, he follows where the Great Plan wills him.
Now Lustria is at threat from usurpers once more. Nakai will rally the Sacred Kroxigors, and rouse the Dread Saurians from their ageless slumber – the Old Ones demand it!

Markus Wulfhart (The Huntsmarshal’s Expedition)

Unique faction mechanics:

Emperor’s Mandate
As Markus Wulfhart expands Imperial interests in Lustria, his stature in the eyes of the Emperor grows. As a result, he receives a broadening range of increasingly advanced Empire units to aid in his expedition. As new territory is captured, his building options also diversify. In the Eye of the Vortex campaign, Markus will ultimately face the Spirit of the Jungle himself, Nakai the Wanderer, to decide who holds dominion over the jungles of Lustria.

Wulfhart’s campaign progress is measured by how effectively he fulfils the Emperor’s Mandate. Expansion, successful military operations and other campaign activities increase his acclaim, which is tracked on the Emperor’s Mandate bar.

The Emperor’s Mandate also dictates the quality of units available to Wulfhart via the Imperial Supplies system, which dispatches better units for him to recruit from time to time. As the Mandate bar fills, he will also unlock bonuses to further improve these units, plus new recruitment buildings.

In the Eye of the Vortex campaign, filling the Emperor’s Mandate bar will cause Nakai the Wanderer to issue a final, do-or-die challenge to Markus Wulfhart – a call to battle that will become the stuff of legend!

Hostility
The lands beyond the Empire are inimical to man, and Wulfhart’s actions will not go unnoticed. While defeating the local inhabitants improves Wulfhart’s Imperial standing and increases his supply of fresh troops, it also enrages Lustria’s native denizens…

Wulfhart’s Hostility rating reflects the current level of Lustria’s retaliation against his military activities. Aggressive activities, such as military actions and raiding, can raise Hostility through five levels. Conversely, a more passive approach to the campaign will cause Hostility to fall.

Each Hostility level has a negative effect on Wulfhart’s campaign, but is also a measure of his aggression against the Lizardmen. As he ascends through the Hostility levels, reinforcements are dispatched more frequently via the Imperial Supplies system. The strength of these reinforcements is still dictated by the Emperor’s Mandate bar.

When peak Hostility is reached, a Lizardmen task-force is dispatched with the aim of defeating Wulfhart. He will instantly receive an Imperial Supplies drop and will need to survive sustained assault for a number of turns before the hostility bar resets.

Wulfhart’s Hunters
Scattered throughout Lustria are four of the finest Hunters that ever lived. Wulfhart may attempt to track them down and acquire their services to aid in the expedition’s success, and subsequently developing each Hunter’s unique attributes and learning the tales of their past deeds.

Wulfhart can search for the four Hunters in the Jungles of Lustria by completing special missions. The Hunters each have bespoke stories which are uncovered through unique missions. Completing these missions will reward them with new traits and powerful abilities.

The Hunters are not required to complete Wulfhart's narrative Vortex campaign, but bring major benefits to the Huntsmarshal’s Expedition.

• Jorek Grimm is a brilliant Master Engineer. Shunned for his eccentric ideas, he has struck out alone to seek his fortune in Lustria…
  
• Rodrik L'Anguille was once a renowned Paladin. Disgraced and exiled however, he is haunted by a past he cannot escape…
  
• Hertwig Van Hal, a skilled physician and Witch Hunter, has travelled far from home on his quest for ultimate vengeance…
  
• Kalara of Wydrioth, the eminent Waystalker, has traded the forests of Avelorn for the jungles of Lustria in pursuit of redemption…

New units and characters:

Markus Wulfhart
In battle, Wulfhart is a ranged combatant with a powerful armour-piercing bow which deals bonus damage to large targets. Coupled with Vanguard Deployment, Stalk, a 360-degree fire-arc and immune to psychology, he has a well-deserved reputation as the ultimate monster hunter.

In keeping with his reputation, Markus Wulfhart has a significant ambush defence and ambush success chance, and a large upkeep reduction to Huntsmen and Archers in his army.

Huntsman General (Lord)
Following Wulfhart’s example, his Huntsman Generals have Vanguard Deployment, Stalk, a 360-degree fire-arc are immune to psychology, and deal bonus damage against large targets. Their Fire Arrow capabilities mean they synergise well with Bright Wizards, and they grant reload-rate bonuses to other Imperial missile units.

Archers
The backbone of Wulfhart’s hunting-parties, these Imperial archers are inexpensive, plentiful, quick to fire, and are great at soaking enemy formations with ranged damage. Their loose formation enables them to trade fire with other ranged units at a profit.

Deathjacks (Archers – Regiments of Renown)
These elite archers also have Stalk, Snipe and Vanguard Deployment, enabling them to strike fast, strike first, and remain hidden from view. If well-screened, they can continue to fire without fear of discovery or ranged retaliation.

Huntsmen:
Only the finest archers ascend to the rank of Huntsmen. Well-drilled and versatile, they have Vanguard Deployment and Stalk, can fire while moving, have a greater range than standard Archers, enjoy a good degree of accuracy, and deal bonus damage to large targets.

White Wolves (Huntsmen – Regiment of Renown)
Few face the White Wolves and live to tell of it. These elite Huntsmen match their bow-skills with ruthless melee capabilities, granting them a useful hybrid role. Alongside their Hunter attributes, they also Encourage nearby friendlies and are Immune to Psychology.

War Wagon
These mobile armoured wagons are packed with six riflemen, each armed with an armour-piercing Outrider rifle. Slower than standard missile cavalry but far more resilient, they can fire while moving and in all directions, and reposition to place their fusillades precisely where required. In a pinch, they can also be used as chariots and charged into lighter or weakened enemy units.

War Wagon (Mortar)
These mobile artillery pieces may carry less ammo than standard mortars, but more than make up for it by being able to stay one step ahead of melee combatants, repositioning when threatened to set up a new base-of-fire and bombard the foe afresh.

The Black Lions (War Wagon - Helblaster Volley Gun – Regiment of Renown)
The ultimate unit in The Expedition’s armoury, The Black Lion is a devastating mobile light artillery piece. While shorter ranged than a standard Helblaster Volley Gun, it can pump rounds into approaching troops until the last second, then reposition to avoid getting caught in melee.

Nakai the Wanderer (Spirit of the Jungle)

Unique faction mechanics:

New Horde mechanics
Nakai’s faction, the Spirit of the Jungle, offers a unique variation on Horde gameplay. Each army in his faction, when placed in the Encampment stance, may develop its settlement infrastructure much as a standard settlement would. That infrastructure is preserved when the horde moves off, and may be further developed during future periods of Encampment. If a horde is destroyed in battle, all its infrastructure is lost along with the army.

However, only Nakai’s personal horde can unlock units for recruitment. Other hordes in his faction may then recruit unit types Nakai has unlocked using the Global Recruitment option. These ‘minor’ hordes still have their own infrastructure and building trees, though some of these are focused on reducing Global Recruitment times rather than unlocking units.

Defence of the Great Plan
The Great Plan of the Old Ones lies in a delicate balance. Many look to disrupt it, but none defend it as devoutly as Nakai the Wanderer.

Nakai begins play with a vassal faction called the Defenders of the Great Plan – the caretakers of the great Temple Cities. When one of Nakai’s armies captures a region, it may be gifted to the Defenders. When a region is gifted thus, Nakai must choose which Old One that region’s temple should be dedicated to.

As more temples are dedicated to a specific Old One, the more powerful the rewards bestowed upon Nakai and his faction.

These temples generate a unique resource called Old Ones' Favour. Nakai may expend this Favour to access Blessed Spawnings units, or to recruit Lords at much higher ranks.

Warmblood Invaders
The avaricious warmbloods look to pillage the temple cities of Lustria for profit. These invaders lurk throughout the jungles; they must be tracked and confronted with cold-blooded ferocity for the Great Plan to remain intact and unimpaired!

In the Eye of the Vortex campaign, Nakai must fight to keep Lustria in the rightful hands of the Lizardmen. Several Empire colonies have been established, and each is encroaching on the jungle. They must be dealt with!

Four extremely dangerous Hunters co-ordinate the efforts of the warmbloods. Hunt them down to draw out their leader, then defeat them all in a final, epic confrontation!

Unique Rites
Nakai has a selection of new Rites focused around his units, faction mechanics and campaign focus.

• Rite of Alleigance: Performing this Rite brings Nakai to the attention of the Old Ones, increasing his vassal income and all his Hordes' replenishment rates.
  
• Rite of Rebirth: this Rite increases the growth rate for Hordes in Nakai’s faction, reduces construction costs, and reduces unit recruitment and upkeep costs factionwide.
  
• Rite of Mastery: This Rite increases the recruitment rank of Kroxigors, Kroxigor Ancients and Sacred Kroxigors, while improving their weapon strength and armour.

New units and characters:

Nakai the Wanderer
With high armour, health, melee attack and weapon strength, Nakai is a powerful brawler, well-suited to extended melee. He also grants bonus melee defence to, and reduces the recruitment and upkeep costs, of Kroxigors and Sacred Kroxigors in his army. Nakai also has a number of new support abilities in battle, further cementing his role as the centrepiece of battle:

• Miasma of Despair: speed, vigour and leadership area-effect debuff
  
• Primal Roar: Increases Nakai’s physical resistance and melee attack, and grants Rampage to allies
  
• Golden Tributes: Perfect Vigour for allies in range

Ancient Kroxigors
These well-armoured, hard hitting, anti-infantry specialists are cast in the mould of Nakai himself, and well-suited to extended melee engagements.

Feral Dread Saurian
If you thought Carnosaurs the apex-predators of Lustria, think again. With breathtaking weapon-damage and high armour, these towering walls of teeth and fury are versatile, elite-killing, melee behemoths, and are subject to Rampage.

Dread Saurian (Howdah)
Somewhat tamer than their feral cousins, though no less capable, these titanic beasts are ridden into battle by Skink skirmishers, and do not rampage. Combining their terrifying melee power with four giant blowpipes and eight skinks hurling poisoned javelins, it is the ultimate multirole unit.

Shredder of Lustria (Dread Saurian Howdah – Regiment of Renown)

With rank nine stats, Encourage, and a passive hex aura reducing nearby enemy leadership, The Shredder of Lustria is truly a one-unit army – and comes with a pricetag to match.

Sacred Kroxigors
These versatile and hard-hitting monstrous infantry are great all-rounders. With high weapon-strength and magical attacks, they can plough through against a greater variety of foes than standard Kroxigors.

Cohort of Huatl (Sacred Kroxigors – Regiment of Renown)
The Cohort of Huatl is a top-tier monstrous infantry unit. Building on the Sacred Kroxigors’ capabilities with additional armour-sundering attacks and bonus physical resistance, they synergise well in the field with Skinks and Saurus Warriors.

Razordon Hunting Pack
Filling the air with deadly grapeshot-style volleys of armour-piercing fire, Razordon Hunting Packs are potent – and mobile – armoured infantry hunters.

Amaxon Barbs (Razordons – Regiment of Renown)
Dealing poison damage, and heavily scaled for enhanced missile resistance, these Razordons are pinpoint shooters and make top-notch skirmishers.


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