With the launch of the Curse of the Vampire Coast campaign pack comes a new update for Total War: WARHAMMER II. This will be applied automatically to the game when you log into Steam.

The Aye Aye! Patch introduces some significant changes for the traditional Vampire Counts factions in Mortal Empires, chief of which is the new Bloodlines mechanic. It also grants Heinrich Kemmler a faction of his own, a new campaign start position and extra bonuses.

New Free-LC content is also available in the shape of Legendary Lord Lokhir Fellheart, the Krakenlord. A Dark Elf of noble birth, he is a terror of the sea lanes and rightly feared for fielding many dread Black Arks. Fellheart can be downloaded from his own Steam page here.

The Aye Aye! Patch update also brings a plethora of balance changes to factions, Legendary Lords and units, along with numerous tweaks, fixes and improvements to a great many areas of the game. Please see below for exhaustive details.

The Vampire Coast sets sail!
The Vampire Coast have arrived, and has bought with it the terrors of the deep… Playable for owners of the new campaign pack, but also present in the Mortal Empires and Eye of the Vortex campaigns as AI-controlled factions for those players who don’t.

Adding a huge new threat, or indeed ally, to the game, the Vampire Coast promise to shake up your game experience and introduce a new range of opponents to match yourself against.

New Vampire Counts Mechanic: Bloodlines
Vampire Counts factions in Mortal Empires can now awaken powerful Lords of the five ancient Vampire Bloodlines: the Lahmians, the Von Carsteins, the Blood Dragons, the Necrarchs, and the Strigoi.

Up to three of these Arch-Lords may be awoken from each Bloodline, and with each awakening, a new wave of powerful faction-wide bonuses is unlocked reflecting the character and focus of their Bloodline. These Lords also have unique skill trees designed around their Bloodline’s nature.

These Lords are not easily awoken, however, exacting an increasingly heavy price in Blood Kisses. These unique new tokens are granted by vassalising other factions, slaying faction leaders, and wounding or assassinating characters through Hero actions. For each Lord awoken, the Blood Kiss toll for the next Lord in the same Bloodline rises. Unleash the Banshees!

All Legendary Lords (including Vampire Coast Legendary Lords) have also undergone balance changes and tweaks. Please see Faction Changes below for details.

Heinrich Kemmler
Heinrich Kemmler has left the service of the Vampire Counts at long last. Bidding Sylvania adieu, He strikes out west to pursue his destiny! Now a faction leader in his own right in Mortal Empires, he commands the Barrow Legion from Blackstone Post, the new Province Capital of the Northern Grey Mountains bordering Bretonnia.

Kemmler now gains a mount for the first time (Barded Nightmare) and his army is now immune to the attrition usually caused to Vampire Counts armies by Untainted territory. He can also use the new Bloodlines mechanic to awaken the fabled Vampire Lords of yore.

Free-LC: Lokhir Fellheart
The Druchii sea-scourge Lokhir Fellheart leads the faction of The Blessed Dread, and is now playable in the Mortal Empire and Eye of the Vortex campaigns (in which he follows the Vortex storyline). He begins play with ownership of the island of Chupayotl, just south of the Star Tower of Arch Mage Teclis in Lustria.

The Krakenlord does not need to perform Rites in order to raise Black Arks. He can recruit one for each major port settlement he captures, ultimately amassing a fleet of them with which to terrorise the Lustrian coastline and beyond. In addition, his armies enjoy a 50% upkeep cost-reduction for any Black Ark Corsairs they recruit. In place of the usual Black Ark rite, he can perform a sacrifice to Anath Raema, granting Black Ark Corsairs the Cause Fear and Stalk traits, plus bonus AP missile damage, and conferring bonus armour for Kharibdysses.

Lokhir Fellheart is not technically part of the Aye Aye! Patch, and must be downloaded from his Steam page here.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the wealth of changes in the Aye Aye! Patch, it’s highly likely that any existing multiplayer campaign saves you have will no longer work. If you’re midway through a multiplayer campaign therefore, and wish to continue, we’re keeping the Reinforcement Update (the last major patch) live under the Betas tab in Steam. This will enable you to conclude your multiplayer campaign before updating the game from the Reinforcement Update to the Aye Aye! Patch.

New multiplayer campaigns begun when both players have the Aye Aye! Patch installed will work as normal. Single player campaign saves are unaffected, and any you have from before the Aye Aye! Patch will be compatible with the updated game.

Campaign Changes
Heinrich Kemmler Start Position Update
Moved Heinrich Kemmler to Blackstone Post in Mortal Empire with new faction The Barrow Legion, removing him from the Vampire Counts faction
Made Kemmler’s army immune to non-vampire territory attrition
Made Blackstone Post capital of Northern Grey Mountains province in Mortal Empires
Added base level of Vampiric Corruption to Northern Grey Mountains, Bastonne and Forest of Arden provinces
Campaign Map Changes
Added Heart of the Jungle province and Bowmen of Oreon AI faction to Mortal Empires campaign
Added Land of the Dervishes province and Sudenburg AI faction to Mortal Empires campaign
Adjusted other provinces and settlements to accommodate these changes
Added Chupayotl settlement to the Headhunter’s Jungle province in Mortal Empires campaign (owned by Lokhir Fellheart)
Added The Galleon’s Graveyard province to both Eye of the Vortex & Mortal Empires campaign
Faction Select and Ordering Changes
Re-ordered factions in the campaign faction select screen: base game factions shown first, followed by the newest DLC in order, or WH2 then WH1 factions
Re-ordered factions in the Custom Battle faction select dropdown menu to match with campaign’s new ordering
Re-ordered factions end-turn ordering, to match with the faction selection screen when starting a new campaign; playable factions go first, followed by minor factions, followed by other unique faction types
Legendary Lord and Faction Bonus Changes
High Elves

Tyrion
Faction:
+30 diplomacy with High Elf factions NEW
-100% build time on Shrine of Khaine building chain NEW
Lord:
+3 recruit rank for Lothern Sea Guard NEW
Dark Elves

Morathi
Faction:
-50% upkeep for Heroes and Hero action costs (CHANGED FROM -50% hero action cost)
-25% Construction cost for Sorcery buildings (moved from Lord to Faction effects)
Skaven

Tretch
Lord:
+13 MA during ambushes (moved from Faction to Lord effects)
+13 MA after retreating (moved from Faction to Lord effects)
Skarsnik
Lord:
+14 Charge Bonus Night Goblin Squig Hoppers NEW
Vampire Counts

Heinrich Kemmler
Faction:
Suitable climate mountains NEW
+30 diplomacy Beastmen and Warriors of Chaos NEW
-25% raise dead cost REMOVED
-50% upkeep necromancers (UP FROM -25%)
Helman Ghorst
Faction:
+30% Research (UP FROM+10%) – also moved to correct Faction effect position now)
+3 Corpse cart recruit rank NEW
+12 Corpse cart Charge Bonus NEW
Lord:
Poison Attacks (moved to correct Lord effect position now)
Isabella Von Carstein
Faction:
+1 Blood Kiss on campaign start NEW
Lord:
Undying Love +15 MA and MD when Vlad and Isabella reinforce each other (moved from Faction to Lord effects)
Mannfred Von Carstein
Faction:
+10% movement range (UP FROM+5%)
+2 recruit rank Grave Guard and Black Knights (UP FROM+1)
-15% upkeep Grave guard (UP FROM-10%)
+1 Blood Kiss on campaign start NEW
Lord:
+30 WoM reserves NEW
+10 leadership vs Men (UP FROM+5)
Vlad Von Carstein
Faction:
+10% movement range (UP FROM +5%)
+1 Blood Kiss on campaign start NEW
+30 diplomacy with Arkhan the Black, all Vampire Counts and Vampire Coast factions NEW
Lord:
Undying Love: +15 MA and MD when Vlad and Isabella reinforce each other (moved from Faction to Lord effects)
Norsca

Throgg
Faction:
+15% Physical Resistance for Trolls (UP FROM +10%)
-20% upkeep for Trolls (UP FROM -15%)
Wulfrik
Faction:
-15% upkeep for Marauders (UP FROM -10%)
Lord:
+30% reinforcement range (UP FROM +20%)
Bretonnia

Alberic
Faction:
-1 recruitment time for cavalry NEW
+25% income from trade (UP FROM +5%)
Lord:
+10 MD knights of the realm (UP FROM +5)
Louen Leoncoeur
Faction:
+50% aura size all characters when attacking (UP FROM +25%)
Lord:
+8 MA vs enemies of The Lady NEW
+12 Leadership vs enemies of The Lady NEW
Empire

Balthasar Gelt
Faction:
-50% upkeep reduction battle wizards (UP FROM-25%)
+2 wizard agent cap (UP FROM+1)
Lord:
-20% Winds of Magic cost NEW
+10% artillery missile damage NEW
Whiter grill, no less chill NEW
Karl Franz
Faction:
+10% movement range (UP FROM+5%)
-15% Reiksguard and Greatswords upkeep (UP FROM-10%)
+30 diplomacy with Empire factions (UP FROM+10) – moved to correct Faction effects position now
Lord:
+8 Leadership (UP FROM+2)
Volkmar
Faction:
-30% upkeep Flagellants (UP FROM -15%)
+20% ancillary drop chance (UP FROM+10%)
Lord:
+30% casualty replenishment Flagellants NEW
+12% Physical Resistance Flagellants NEW
+14 MD Flagellants NEW
Greenskins

Grimgor
Faction:
+10% Movement Range (UP FROM+5%)
-15% upkeep Black Orcs (UP FROM-10%)
Lord:
+12 leadership Black Orcs (UP FROM+6)
+10 Armour Black Orcs (UP FROM+5)
+30% post-battle loot NEW
Azhag
Faction:
+25% Sacking income (UP FROM+10%)
+25% Research (UP FROM+10%)
-1 Construction time (settlements) NEW
-25% Construction cost (settlements) NEW
Lord:
+75% aura size (UP FROM+15%)
Wurrzag
Lord:
-50% recruit cost Savage Orcs NEW
Dwarfs

Thorgrim
Faction:
-25% military recruitment building cost (UP FROM -10%)
+3 recruit rank Hammerers (UP FROM+1)
+30 diplomacy with Dwarfs NEW
-15% upkeep Hammerers and Longbeards (UPFROM -10%)
Lord:
+75% aura size (UP FROM+15%)
Ungrim
Faction:
-50% Slayer recruitment cost (UP FROM -25%)
-75% construction cost Slayer & Landmark Buildings NEW
Lord:
+10 MA Slayers (UP FROM +6)
+30% casualty replenishment Slayers NEW
-25% upkeep Slayers (moved from Faction effects)
Belegar
Lord:
+10 leadership VS Skaven and Greenskins NEW
+30% Tunnel evasion chance REMOVED
Grombindal
Faction:
+60% tunnel evasion chance (UP FROM+40%)
+20% WS all units vs Elves NEW
Lord:
+10 army leadership NEW
+50% reinforcement range (UP FROM (+30%)
Chaos

Archaon
Faction:
+10 Chaos Warrior leadership (UP FROM +5)
-30% recruit cost Chaos Warriors (UP FROM -15%)
-30 diplomacy with all faction (UP FROM -20)
Lord:
+50% Raze income (UP FROM+25%)
+5% Ward Save for all units (CHANGED FROM Chaos Knights only physical resistance)
Kholek Suneater
Faction:
+4 chaos corruption NEW
-60% recruitment cost Dragon Ogres (UP FROM -50%)
Lord:
-30 upkeep dragon ogres (CHANGED FROM-30% recruit cost)
+8% Speed Elven units REMOVED
Sigvald
Faction:
+15 Armour for Lords and embedded Heroes (UP FROM+10)
+15 leadership VS Men (UP FROM+5)
Lord:
+3 Horde growth (UP FROM+1)
-60% Marauder upkeep NEW
+3 Marauder recruit rank NEW
Wood Elves

Durthu
Lord:
+10 Charge Bonus for Dryads, Tree Kin, Tree Men NEW
-30% upkeep Dryads, Tree Kin, Tree Men NEW
Orion
Faction:
-15% upkeep for all cavalry CHANGED FROMjust Wildwood Riders -20% upkeep
Lord:
+8 Charge Bonus Wild Riders NEW
+20% WS Wild Riders NEW
Beastmen

Khazrak
Faction:
+40% Raid bonus (UP FROM+10%)
+10 Leadership vs Men (UP FROM+5)
Lord:
-30% upkeep Bestigors NEW
+3 recruit rank Bestigors NEW
-50% recruit cost Bestigors (UP FROM-30%)
Malagor
Faction:
+2 Bray Shaman cap (UP FROM+1)
+30 diplomacy with Beastmen factions (UP FROM+20)
+2 horde growth NEW
Lord:
+3 Bray Shaman recruit rank (UP FROM+1)
-8% enemy replenishment (local province) NEW
-8 enemy leadership (local province) NEW
Morghur
Faction:
+30% upkeep Minotaurs (DOWN FROM+40%)
-30% Spawn upkeep (DOWN FROM-40%)
+3 Chaos Corruption spread (UP FROM+2)
Lord:
+12% Chaos territory attrition (UP FROM+8%)
+8 spawn MD NEW
+20% missile resistance for Spawn NEW
Vampire Count Changes
Vampire Count Heroes
Moved Wight King to level 2 Binding Circle building chain from level 3
Added +2 Wight King Hero rank to level 3 Binding Circle building chain
Added ability to recruit Necromancer Heroes to level 2 Boneyard building chain
Added +1 Necromancer Hero rank to level 3 Boneyard building chain
Added +2 Necromancer Hero rank to level 4 Necromancy building chain
Vampire Count Mounts
Reduced all Nightmare and Barded Nightmare mounts to be unlocked at level 5
Reduced all Hellsteed mounts to be unlocked at level 10
Reduced all Zombie Dragon mount to be unlocked at level 20
Reduced all Corpse Cart mounts to be unlocked at level 10
Reduced all Corpse Cart (Balefire) mounts to be unlocked at level 13
Reduced all Corpse Cart (Unholy Lodestone) mounts to be unlocked at level 16
Heinrich Kemmler can now unlock Barded Nightmare mount
Vampire Count Techs
Added 3 new techs:
Rotten Flesh
The Ravenous Dead – Includes new ability “The Ravenous Dead”
Unnatural Strength
Added effects to all four initial branching techs
The Book of Arkhan
Liber Necronomica
De Noirot’s Blasphemous Bestiary
The Lahmian Book of Blood
Reworked, reduced research time and reordered numerous techs relating to Zombies and Skeletons within the Book of Arkhan tech branch
Increased Enshrine Ancient Lords attrition bonus to 30%
General Campaign Changes and Fixes
Blessed Spawnings for Lizardmen now trigger as intended.
Loyalty Dilemmas for Dark Elves now trigger. In some cases they may now trigger too often – we are currently balancing their frequency.
Fixed several rare end-turn crashes
Fixed a rare instance where the player could end turn before the campaign flyover had finished resulting in a crash
The Tier 3 and Tier 4 Dark Elf entertainment buildings can now be constructed by those who do not own The Queen and The Crone
Fortress Games, Skavenblight, Hell Pit and Occupied Elven Colonies can now be upgraded by those who do not own Tomb Kings
Sisters of Slaughter are now recruited from Tier 3 Halls of Ravaging
Skeleton Warriors and Skeleton Spearmen are now available to recruit from the Infantry Level 1 building Open Graves
Lords will now correctly be removed from the army when wounded by attrition
Fixed various instances of lines in diplomacy being delivered without consideration for the character’s gender
Fixed a rare instance where ambushes could be discovered when armies were not near the ambush
Thorgrim’s Grudge Against Undead skill now also applies to Tomb Kings
The overcast version of Command of the Unliving has been added to campaign
Fixed all engage_force_army_invading mission conditions so they will now trigger
Fixed Hellebron’s early game mission to upgrade Har Ganeth to point at the correct region
Fixed Alarielle’s early game mission to upgrade Gaean Vale with the correct building requirements
Boris Todbringer now has access to Imperial Pegasus and Imperial Griffon mounts in campaign
Boris Todbringer now has Middenland Runefang & White Cloak of Ulric as starting campaign magic items
Moved Clan Eshin faction leader to Axlotl from Marks of the Old Ones settlement in Mortal Empires campaign
Clan Eshin now has control of Axlotl settlement from the start of the Mortal Empires campaign
Reduced the initial army strength of the Southern Sentinels in the Vortex campaign
Skeggi’s landmark building can once again be constructed
High Elf wood resource buildings now also affect Shadow Warriors and Sisters of Avelorn
Dark Elf pasture resource buildings now also affect Doomfire Warlocks
Dark Elf medicine resource buildings now also affect Sisters of Slaughter
Bretonnia can now construct their own variant of the Archecclesiatium of Myrmidia
The Archecclesiatium of Myrmidia now gives more corruption reduction and public order
The Couronne Tournament Grounds income is no longer affected by Farm buildings
The Tower of Hoeth correctly applies its bonuses to Swordmasters and Battle Wizards now
The Dark Elf ‘Daylight Denied’ technology now affects the income of the correct buildings
The Dark Elf ‘Harnessed Fury’ technology now also affects Kharibdyss units
The Dark Elf ‘Hardship & Cruelty’ and ‘Masters of Murder’ technologies now also affect Doomfire Warlock units
Various High Elf technologies now also affect Sisters of Avelorn and Shadow Warriors
The Vampire ‘Decipher Nehekhara Manuscripts’ and ‘Incantations of Nagash’ now properly increase the income of the associated buildings
The Vampire ‘Vampiric Revivification’ and ‘Delusions of Grandeur’ no longer incorrectly affect Blood Knights
Altdorf now has a proper garrison when occupied by Dwarfs or Greenskins
The Pyramid of Nagash now has a proper garrison when occupied by Skaven, Lizardmen or Dark Elves
Increased priority of High Elf Dragon Princes, Bolt Throwers and Chariots in garrisons
Fixed Wulfrik’s innate reinforcement range bonus being applied twice
Fixed some Norsca events using Chaos event pictures instead of Norsca specific ones
Fixed a number of effects that were not applying to the correct unit rank restrictions
Fixed army upkeep penalty not showing for Norsca
Fixed Dark Elf Sorceress (Beasts) Hero using Lord magic skills
Fixed Dark Elf Supreme Sorceress (Death) Lord using Hero magic skills
Fixed Tomb Kings Tahoth rite not applying unit recruitment rank bonus in local recruitment
Fixed Alarielle’s Spiritual Defender applying melee defence instead of melee attack to Sisters of Avelorn units
Fixed Warriors of Chaos quests not triggering if the advisor was not available
Fixed the Dark Elf Assassin ‘Shroud of Darkness’ skill not reducing vigour loss correctly
Fixed the Handmaiden’s ‘Resistant’ trait not applying its effects properly
Fixed Avelorn Treemen/Dryads/Treekin and Shadow Walkers recruitment issues
Fixed Strigoi Terrorgheist mount transferring issue
Fixed missing Immortality skill on Norsca Marauder Chieftains
Fixed missing attrition immunity for some Norsca units
Changed sacking bonus to razing bonus in the Eye Opens Wider dilemma for Warriors of Chaos
Changed Heinrich Kemmler’s Chaos Tomb Blade effects, removing the Skeleton Warriors upkeep reduction and replacing it with Chaos attrition immunity
Fixed Norsca ritual armies being able to occupy settlements
Fixed a rare soft lock where Alarielle’s Star of Avelorn quest would not start if she had been confederated
Brayherds and Waaaghs no longer feature Lords and Heroes as regular units
Fixed a rare case where the player could not declare war on the Crooked Moon Mutinous Gits faction if they had re-emerged
Fixed Kholek’s unique skill and quest item not applying replenishment bonus correctly
Fixed Tree Spirit building chain not appearing in Crag Halls of Findol
Fixed Forest Spirit building chain not appearing in Wydrioth
Fixed Slayer shrine tier 5 having lower untainted effect than tier 4 building
Fixed inconsistent population requirements for Wood Elf settlements, Savage Orc minor settlements, and Savage Orc and Norscan occupied settlements (Black Crag, Karak Eight Peaks, Karaz-a-Karak)
Fixed Norsca technologies granting immortality to all characters (including garrison commanders) rather than distinguishing between Lords and Heroes
Fixed Wurrzag’s Squiggly Beast stage 2 mission not accepting other Night Goblin variants
Fixed a number of minor settlements having more than 4 building slots
Fixed Wood Elf technology ‘Lileath, the Maiden’ not applying magic resistance to all units
Reinstated upgraded version of Command of the Living for Strigoi Ghoul Kings
Unit stats now show context bonuses (e.g. improved Melee Attack when fighting against Bretonnia) when appropriate on the pre-battle screen in campaign
The Rite of Sotek can now be unlocked by winning defensive ambush battles
Fixed inconsistencies in Bretonnian Warhorse mount naming
Fixed Grombrindal’s Cloak of Valaya quest battle pre-battle screen not showing any enemy units
Fixed Morathi’s quest chain getting stuck on an incompatible rite if she had been confederated into Crone Hellebron’s faction
Frosty Beginnings mission should no longer trigger for Crone Hellebron is she is at war with the faction
Fixed Norsca not being able to occupy settlements that were added in recent patches
Phrase ‘Pirate Booty’ now freely interchangeable with ‘Pirate Dooty’
Fixed an issue where loading an autosave after confederating as Norsca on legendary difficulty would not save the confederation
Fixed an instance in the event feed where Brayherds could be referred to as Waaaghs
Dark Elves now receive event messages when a Black Ark building is constructed or demolished
Morghur’s Stave of Ruinous Corruption quest will now correctly proceed when the quest is aborted as a result of the Greenskins faction being destroyed
As Warriors of Chaos, awakening a tribe in a region that was under rebellion no longer produces amalgamations of unimaginable horror
Adjusted Campaigner trait so that it will no longer trigger when close to the faction capital
Vlad’s Blood Drinker quest stage two has been changed to defeat an Empire army
Dwarf campaigns will no longer start with -36 public order in their home province
Changed the skill ‘Renowned & Feared’ to be gender-neutral so that it makes sense in both male and female characters’ skill trees
Clicking on the resources in the Mortuary Cult to zoom to the nearest one should now work correctly for all resources
Norscan garrison leaders can no longer be wounded and subsequently return from duty
The second and third tier slave building chain for Norsca now correctly give bonuses to sacking
The Norscan tech ‘Longer Hulls’ will now correctly give 10% bonus to sacking
Players can no longer declare war on their own Blood Voyage
Shadow Walkers and Shadow Warriors will no longer gain the 10% missile resistance of Favourable Winds prior to rank 7
Skaven factions are no longer invisible to the player after being vassalised
Alith Anar will no longer trigger an advisor message about Dark Elves when none are present
The advisor now correctly shows for Vlad and Isabella
The advisor will no longer incorrectly trigger when playing as Skaven informing the player of technologies being available when there are none
The faction summary for Naggarond will now show the correct faction symbol when referencing Exiles of Nehek
Fixed an issue with Kislev names not displaying properly
Added a tooltip to the Toggle Notification options on Lords and Heroes to clarify the functionality better
The tooltip for amber will no longer advise the player to demolish buildings to regain amber when the only buildings that require amber cannot be demolished
Tooltips will no longer stay stuck on screen when turning a locked overlay on and exiting the overlay screen
The Skaven mission Evil Knsqueevel will now ask the player to recruit a Doomwheel rather than a Chariot
Fimir Balefiend skill Power Drain has been renamed Magical Reserves to better reflect its functionality
Fixed a typo in Alith Anar’s Spectre skill
Fixed a typo in Arkhan the Black’s flyover
Fixed a typo in Tyrion’s Dragon Armour of Anarion quest battle event message
Fixed a typo in Vlad von Carstein’s Blood drinker quest chain
Fixed a typo with the magical item Pigeon Plucker Pendant
Fixed edge-cases in AI vs AI autoresolver which favoured one side too much
Fixed a typo on the Pearl of Infinite Darkness
AI is now far less likely to construct two of the same building in the same province
Port settlements will now show a port icon on the city info bar
Vampiric Corruption will no longer overlap in the tooltip at certain percentages
Kilhar the Tormentor will no longer stand in a T-pose on the campaign map
Fixed a typo in the Forbidden Library flavour text
Norscan long-term victory message should be more relevant to the faction now
Fixed typos in Lucky Skullhelm’s flavour text
Confederating as Norsca by defeating a faction lord will no longer results in the incorrect even message from being displayed
Fixed a typo in the Gathering of Might skill tooltip
Fixed an anomaly with the autoresolve bar display resetting in strength when adding more units
Added income to Bretonnian settlements
The button to disband the lord in the Character Details panel is now greyed out for Legendary Lords
Fixed an issue where Malagor’s entire army could be lost if he was wounded
Gor Grazen will no longer load the Shrine of Khaine battle from campaign
General Battle Changes and Fixes
Added a new Host Spectator toggle to multiplayer battles, in order to improve Tournament battle viewing and broadcasts. In this mode, the host can set up the battle but not join it as a contestant. When the match begins, the Host can freely spectate while the battle between players commences. This mode is currently in beta.
Host has visibility over armies of all players
The host and all players must ready-up in order for the battle to commence
Currently, AI armies cannot be assigned to player slots
Currently additional spectators cannot be added to the battle
Fixed some rare battle crashes
Added The Barrow Legion faction to custom battles
Reinforcements should now enter the battlefield from the expected direction
The timer in replays will now count up rather than down
Fixed an issue where the game could freeze and crash when hovering over “Multishot Ammunition” on Reaper Bolt Throwers
Updated War Hydra and Kharibdyss unit category descriptions
Reduced likelihood of artillery marching towards greenskin and high elf towers when given an attack order against these towers
AI will now use Realm of Souls Ushabti and Menace from Below on non-ranged/artillery units
If The Menace Below is used inside a settlement as the attacker, the towers will no longer fire inside the settlement
Encourage attribute has been added to Goblin Great Shaman when mounted on a Giant Wolf
Encourage attribute has been added to Night Goblin Shaman
Norsca units (Trolls, Frost Wyrm and Manticore) now have siege attacker attribute
Malekith now has the siege attacker attribute when on a dragon mount
High Elf dragon mounts now correctly show the siege attacker icon
Chanted “Decapods” thrice into a mirror while turning around and OH MIGHTY SIGMAR LOOK AT THE MESS WE’RE IN
Fixed issue with siege attacker icon not appearing for High Elf lords mounted on dragons in custom battles
Wulfrik now correctly has 15% missile resistance when mounted on his mammoth
High Elf Noble will no longer incorrectly do damage on collision
Added missing loading screen quotes for some units
Ulthuan battle maps will no longer incorrectly be used when fighting in Badlands area of the Vortex campaign map
Fireball can no longer be cast without it costing Winds of Magic and ignoring its cooldown
Fixed scale of Wood Elf Heroes
Fixed an issue where Beastmen models would appear too large compared to the Razorgor Chariot they were occupying
Zooming limits adjusted – min camera height is lower, allowing for a ground-level cinematic angle, and max cam height is 17% higher, allowing for a slightly wider overview
Lords on flying mounts should now respond correctly to movement orders after being interrupted or knocked back during duels
Fixed an issue where invalid movement orders could be issued on several siege maps
Heinrich Kemmler now has his Krell summon ability in his quest battles played via the front end
Alith Anar will now use a Giant Eagle in his Moonbow quest when started from the front end to match the campaign starting army
Rage is no longer removed when disabling Foe-Seeker or Fight or Die! from Marauder Chieftain Lord in custom or multiplayer battle
Bjarke Black Raider will now display the correct model
Dark Elf Manticore’s faceplate is now positioned correctly
Templehof Luminark now displays the correct model and VFX when destroyed
Fixed a graphical stretching issue shown on Dark Elf Manticore’s legs
Fixed an issue where the Supreme Sorceress would clip through the seat on the Manticore mount
Fixed an issue where Ushabti’s heads could show as small triangles when zoomed out
Fixed an issue with Necropolis Knights where the main body would clip through the head
Fixed an issue where Lothern Sea Guards shield’s kelp would not display correctly
Blood should no longer appears as vertical lines on the Hydra and Kharibdyss’s necks
Blood will no longer disappear on ranged units’s bows during their firing animations
The Kharibdyss heads should no longer be so offset during the Kharibdyss matched animation
Fixed various issues with elf units when weapon switching, which included weapons flickering or disappearing and holding swords and bows at the same time
Dark Riders (Repeater Crossbow) and Raven Heralds (Repeater Crossbow) will no longer change their bow model during their firing animations
Pistoliers, Outriders and Outriders (Grenade Launcher) will no longer swap their sword between their hand and hip while idling
Mounted Yeoman will no longer change their bow model during their firing animations
Dark Riders (Shields) will now hold their shields correctly during charges
The Handmaiden’s spear will no longer detatch from her hand during some attack animations
The Blessed Legion of Phakth will no longer incorrectly hold spears and shields when the user is zoomed out a great distance from the unit
Fixed an animation synching issue during Helstorm Rocket Battery’s firing animation
Fixed an issue where low tier Empire and Bretonnia units would play the wrong animation during a moving attack
Fixed an issue where Morghur would occasionally use a whip when attacking
The Kharibdyss’s main head will no longer snap during any attacks
The Kharibdyss will no longer cross its jaw during sweeping attacks
Increased shadow map resolution on medium, high and ultra settings
Added collision to some buildings that lacked it on Khemri siege map
Troops will now hide correctly in the Khazid Irkulaz map
Fixed an area in Eagle Gate map where troops could not be deployed
Fixed multiple instances of floating walls and props on Port Elistor siege map
The walls are no longer slightly floating above the terrain in the Ancient City of Quintex siege map
Props will no longer flicker on Karak Zorn siege map
Fixed an issue with the lighting in Kazark Izor siege map
Ruination of Cities will no longer appear textureless
Fixed some smoke VFX that appeared to be 2D
VFX will now be properly displayed when the Sunmaker is destroyed
Norscan Warhounds are now using the correct unit card
The Branchwraith provided in the army for Sword of Daith stage one quest battle will no longer use the incorrect unit card
Upgraded spells with a -15% miscast chance will now display the miscast chance in the tooltip
Frost Breath now has the correct tooltip
Sound will now correctly play when clicking on the unit info arrows in custom battle
Wood Elf and High Elf archers will no longer swap bow models when firing Artillery will no longer be able to shoot beyond its intended range when forcing it to shoot at the ground
Framerate drops should be less frequent during battle when units appear or abilities are used
Lothern Sea Guards (Shields) should now correctly display on their backs when they are in missile mode
Wood Elf and High Elf lords’ swords will no longer disappear and reappear during their firing animations when mounted on horses
Individual archer units should no longer be killing an excessive number of enemies compared to the same units in the army
Heroes will no longer die when flying over a wall that gets destroyed
Order and movement VO no longer play as a spectator in multiplayer battles
Order and movement VO no longer play during replays
Projectiles now correctly show VFX when projectile trails are set to off
Audio Changes and Fixes
Reworked group vocalisation system and added new assets for most humanoid units:
Blood Knights thirst for blood more
Bretonnians (Knights and Peasants) are now overly honourable
Dark Elves (Male, Female, and Witch Elves) are now extra malevolent
Dwarfs now hold even more grudges
Empire State Troops are now more disciplined
Goblins are now extra stabby
High Elves (Male and Female) have increased in arrogance
Orcs now Waaagh! harder than ever
Warriors Chaos and Norscans (Chosen, Marauders, and Chaos Warriors) worship the Dark Gods more intensely
Wood Elves (Male and Female) are now wilder
Tweaked and improved Individual Vocalisations
New assets for Chaos (Chosen, Marauders, Chaos Warriors), Dwarfs and Ghost Horses
Improved distinction between roars and screams for animations (battle and campaign), and retagged animations to use the suitable events
Tweaked probabilities of individual vocalisations triggering
Legendary Lords have all received the new Cinematic Kit 2 impact sounds for their melee attacks, appropriate to their weapon or attack of choice
Improved the audio mix when music is enabled
Rebalanced the mix of multiple larger creatures
Improved the audio feedback on the magic and ability targeting
Reduced spamming of targeting UI sound when moving between targets
Reduced cannonball impact spam
Blasting Charge limiting updated
Reworked Empire and Norsca battle environment ambience
Set Alarielle, Alith Anar, and Crone Hellebron’s campaign lord details panel VO to 2D
Front End ambiences now crossfade when switching between backgrounds
Front End lord portrait videos now play once at full volume, then reduce volume for subsequent loops
Malekith has had a bit of a lie down, is feeling much better now thank you, and will no longer scream incessantly in raiding stance
Sound will now correctly play when clicking on the unit info arrows in custom battle
Character and Unit Balancing
Beastmen
Malagor: +400 mass, +1 run speed, +100 mp cost, +10 melee attack, +10 melee defence, +10 ap melee damage, +15 base melee damage.
Gorebull: +200 mass, +5% hit reaction ignore chance, +5% knock interrupt ignore chance. No longer has terrain penalties in Shallow Water.
Khazrak – Razorgor Chariot: +10 armour
Morghur: +50 mass
Feral Manticore: -100 cost
Gor Herd (dual): -50 mp cost
Minotaurs: -50 cost
Minotaurs (Shields): -100 cost
Minotaurs (Great Weapons): -100 cost
Razorgor Herd: -50 cost
Giant: +35 ap melee damage, +15 base melee damage, +1 splash attack max targets
Dwarfs
Belegar: -50 mp cost
Runelord: +50 mp cost
Grombrindal: -100 mp cost
Thorgrim: -50 mp cost
Thane: +4 melee defence
Bugman’s Rangers: -2 health per entity
Hammerers: +2 health per entity
Peak Gate Guard: +2 health per entity
Gyrobomber: +200 health, +20 clattergun ammo
Skyhammer: +200 health, +20 clattergun ammo
Quarrellers (GW): +2 melee defence
Greenskins
Skarsnik: +300 mass
Grimgor: +600 mass, +5 armour, +7 melee defence.
Night Goblin Shaman: added encourage
Goblin Great Shaman – Wolf: added encourage
Night Goblin Archers: -25 cost
Night Goblin Archers – Fanatics: -25 cost
Squig Herd: +10 health per entity
Orc Boar Chariot: +4 melee attack
Savage Orc Boar Boyz Big Uns: now truly Bigga’ and ‘Arder with +5 bonus vs. large, -2 charge bonus.
Giant: +35 ap melee damage, +15 base melee damage, +1 splash attack max targets
Empire
Royal Altdorf Gryphites: +50 cost, +8 health per entity, -2 charge bonus
Demigryph Knights (Halberds): +8 health per entity, -2 charge bonus
Demigryph Knights (Lances): +8 health per entity, +2 melee defence
Helblaster Volley Gun: -50 mp cost
Helstorm Rocket Battery: -100 mp cost
Captain: -50 mp cost
Crossbowmen: -25 cost
Pistoliers: +8 charge bonus, +2 melee attack
Witch Hunter: -10 ammo
Greatswords: +2 leadership
Halberdiers: +2 leadership
Spearmen (no shields): +2 bonus vs large
Steam Tank: +3 bonus vs infantry, +35 ap melee damage, +5 base melee damage
Knights of the Blazing Sun: +1 ap melee damage, -1 base melee damage
Great Cannon: improved accuracy
Dark Elves
Malekith: +300 mass on foot
Sorceress (all) – Cold One mount: -50 mp cost
War Hydra: -150 cost
Chill of Sontar: -50 cost, Frost Breath is no longer flaming.
Kharibdyss: +5 bonus vs large
Feral Manticore: -100 cost
Supreme Sorceress (all) – foot & dark steed: +150 mp cost
Supreme Sorceress (all) – cold one: +50 mp cost
Supreme Sorceress (all) – dark Pegasus: +100 mp cost
Doomfire Warlocks: -1 health per entity, +100 cost.
Slaanesh’s Harvesters: -1 health per entity, +100 cost.
Sisters of Slaughter: -1 melee attack, -1 melee defence.
Cold One Knights: -12 charge bonus, +8 melee attack, +2 melee defence.
Dread Knights: -6 charge bonus, +4 melee attack, +2 melee defence.
Knights of the Ebon Claw: -6 charge bonus, +4 melee attack, +2 melee defence.
Shades (all): +2 health per entity
High Elves
The Fireborn: -50 mp cost, -5 physical resistance
Dragon Princes: -50 mp cost, -5 physical resistance
Silver Helms (both): +4 charge bonus
Handmaiden: -50 mp cost, increased projectile speed, increased projectile penetration
Sisters of Avelorn: +2 ap missile damage, -2 base missile damage
Everqueen’s Court Guards: +2 ap missile damage, -2 base missile damage
The Grey: -100 mp cost
Storm Riders: -50 mp cost
Tyrion: +100 mp cost, -2 melee attack, +90 ap melee damage, -110 base melee damage.
Alarielle – Eagle: -8 melee attack
Alith Anar: projectile slightly more accurate, increased projectile penetration.
Tiranoc Chariot: added Martial Prowess, -4 melee defence
Ithilmar Chariot: added Martial Prowess, -4 melee defence
Bretonnia
Blessed Field Trebuchet: -50 mp cost
Field Trebuchet: -50 mp cost
Alberic: -100 mp cost
Fay Enchantress: direct damage aura deals 20% less damage.
Lord – foot, warhorse, Pegasus: -50 mp cost
Foot Squires: +25 mp cost
Green Knight: +4 melee attack, +2 melee defence
Battle Pilgrims: +1 melee defence
Holy Wardens of La Maisontaal: +1 melee defence
Lizardmen
Cold Blooded: Now stops rampage and gives +16 leadership. No longer has max uses, removed stat penalties and healing.
Cold One Riders: Added Primal Instincts ability, +50 mp cost, -10 charge bonus, +10 melee attack, +2 melee defence, +4 ap melee damage, +2 base melee damage.
Cold One Spearriders: Added Primal Instincts ability, -10 charge bonus, +10 melee attack, +2 melee defence, +6 ap melee damage, +2 base melee damage.
Horned Ones: -12 charge bonus, +6 melee attack, +2 melee defence, +6 ap melee damage, +2 base melee damage.
Feral Cold Ones: -12 charge bonus, +5 melee attack, +2 melee defence, +4 ap melee damage, +2 base melee damage.
Kroxigor: +5 ap melee damage, +1 base melee damage.
Skink Skirmishers: +1 base missile damage
Saurus Scar Veteran – cold one: -100 mp cost
Ancient Stegadon: +3 bonus vs infantry, -50 cost
Stegadon: +3 bonus vs infantry, -50 cost
Feral Stegadon: +3 bonus vs infantry, -50 cost
Carnosaurs: +3 melee attack
Skink Chief – Stegadon & Ancient Stegadon: -100 mp cost
Skink Priest (both) – Stegadon & Ancient Stegadon: -100 mp cost.
Bastiladon (Rev. Crystal): -25 mp cost
Lord Mazdamundi – Zlaaq: now uses Ancient Stegadon weapon strength.
Lord Mazdamundi – Palanquin: + 516 health
Slann Mage Priests: +2 melee defence, +516 health
Saurus Spearmen: +2 melee defence
Saurus Spearmen (Shields): +2 melee defence
Saurus Warriors: +1 melee attack
Saurus Warriors (Shields): +1 melee attack
Temple Guard: +2 health per entity
Vampire Counts
Strigoi Ghoul King (foot): -100 mp cost
Helman Ghorst – Corpse Cart: +400 health
Vampire Lord – Nightmare: +10 armour
Devils of Swartzhafen: +2 melee attack
Vargheists: +2 melee attack
Terrorgheist: -2 charge bonus
Cairn Wraiths: +2 melee attack
Crypt Horrors: +1 melee defence
Mortis Engine: direct damage aura deals 20% less damage
Warriors of Chaos
Kholek: increased projectile intersection radius to 0.95, -5 armour, +100 mp cost
Archaon: +100 cost, +145 ap melee damage, -205 base melee damage
Sigvald: +20 missile block chance, +10 armour, +5 leadership
Dragon Ogres: -50 cost
Feral Manticore: -100 cost
Chaos Giant: Giant: +35 ap melee damage, +15 base melee damage, +1 splash attack max targets
Swords of Chaos: +2 ap melee damage, -2 base melee damage
Chaos Knights: +2 ap melee damage
Wood Elves
Wildwood Rangers: -50 mp cost
Wardancers RoR: -50 cost
Wardens of Cythral: +50 mp cost
Waywatchers RoR: -50 cost, -1 ammo
Waywatchers: -1 ammo
Waystalker: +17 melee attack, +3 melee defence, +15 ap melee damage.
Treemen: +190 ap melee damage, -260 base melee damage.
Ancient Treemen: +154 ap melee damage, -225 base melee damage.
Sisters of the Thorn: +100 cost, -10% physical resistance.
Norsca
Feral Mammoth: increased acceleration, -1000 mass, -11 melee attack, -30 ap melee damage, +14 bonus vs infantry, +30 base melee damage, +4 collision attack max targets, 2 collision attack max targets cooldown (re-introduced collision damage for mammoths)
War Mammoth: increased acceleration, -1500 mass, -12 melee attack, -2 melee defence, -30 ap melee damage, +14 bonus vs infantry, +30 base melee damage, +4 collision attack max targets, 2 collision attack max targets cooldown.
War Mammoth (Warshrine): increaseed acceleration, -1000 mass, -12 melee attack, -2 melee defence, -30 ap melee damage, +14 bonus vs infantry, +30 base melee damage, +4 collision attack max targets, 2 collision attack max targets cooldown.
Soulcrusher: increased acceleration, -1500 mass, -12 charge bonus, -12 melee attack, -2 melee defence, -30 ap melee damage, +14 bonus vs infantry, +30 base melee damage, +4 collision attack max targets, 2 collision attack max targets cooldown.
Wulfrik – Mammoth: increased acceleration, -1500 mass, +15 missile resistance, -12 melee attack, -2 melee defence, -30 ap melee damage, +14 bonus vs infantry, +30 base melee damage, +4 collision attack max targets, 2 collision attack max targets cooldown.
Marauder Chieftain – Mammoth: increased acceleration, -1500 mass, -12 charge bonus, -12 melee attack, -2 melee defence, -30 ap melee damage, +14 bonus vs infantry, +30 base melee damage, +4 collision attack max targets, 2 collision attack max targets cooldown.
Feral Manticore: -100 mp cost
Fimirs (Great Weapons): +50 mp cost
Skinwolves: -50 mp cost
Marauder Berserkers: -1 melee defence
Brutes of the Hound: -1 melee defence
Marauder Champions (Great Weapons): +2 melee defence
Norscan Giant: +35 ap melee damage, +15 base melee damage, +1 splash attack max targets
Frost Wyrm: Frost Breath is no longer flaming damage.
Marauder Hunters (axes): increased projectile mass for more knockbacks
Skaven
Clanrat Spearmen: -25 cost
Clanrat Spearmen (Shields): -25 cost
Clanrats: -25 cost
Clanrats (Shields): -25 cost
Death Globe Bombardiers: -50 mp cost, +2 ammo
Poison Wind Globadiers: -50 mp cost, +2 ammo
Warpfire Throwers: -50 mp cost
Hell Pit Abomination: +15 ap melee damage, +5 base melee damage, Summoned Skavenslave Spears now have Scurry Away and Strength in Numbers abilities.
Warlord – Rat Ogre Bonebreaker: +400 health
Queek Headtaker: +19 bonus vs. infantry
Stormvermin (Halberds): +2 melee attack
Tomb Kings
Screaming Skull Catapult: -50 mp cost
Casket of Souls: increased projectile accuracy
Khatep – Casket of Souls: increased projectile accuracy
Settra – Chariot of the Gods: +3 melee defence
Necrosphinx: +200 health
Sphinx of Usepkh: -200 health
Sepulchral Stalkers: +1 melee attack, projectiles deal +1 ap melee damage each.
Eyes of the Desert: +1 melee attack, projectiles deal +1 ap melee damage each.
Battle Abilities Balancing
Dreaded Thirteenth Spell: Summoned Stormvermin now have Scurry Away and Strength in Numbers abilities
Soul Rain: increased ap explosion damage by 50%
Soul Storm: increased ap explosion damage by 50%
Soul Torrent: increased ap explosion damage by 50%
Venom Staff: Increased ap explosion damage by +18
Skarsnik’s Prodder: Venom Staff: Increased ap explosion damage by +18
Comet of Casandora: +6 ap explosion damage
Comet of Casandora Upgraded: +12 ap explosion damage
Flame Storm: now drags entities towards it rather than pushing them away
Vambraces of the Sun: now applies -22% flame weakness
Shield of the Old Ones: Replaced 44% magic resistance with 22% Ward Save
Pearl of Infinite Bleakness: added +8 leadership
Dark Mail: changed to a passive self buff active in melee that adds +24 armour and +22% magic resistance
Lance Formation: -12% charge speed, -10% acceleration, -10% deceleration
Hunter of Champions: -1 melee defence
Regrowth: Removed physical resistance, replaced with +100% vigour. Cost tweaks
Regrowth Upgraded: Removed physical resistance, replaced with +100% vigour. Cost tweaks
Shield of Thorns: Replaced missile resistance with 22% physical resistance. Reduced duration to 22 seconds
Shield of Thorns Upgraded: Replaced missile resistance with 22% physical resistance. Reduced duration to 22 seconds. Reduced cost.
Ballistics Calibration: reduced duration from 57 to 32
Curse of Da Bad Moon: contact effect now reduces melee defence rather than melee attack
Gork’ll Fix It: changed -24% movement speed to -48% movement speed, no longer affects vigour. Increased duration to 24 seconds
Waagh!: Reduced melee attack increase from 26 to 20
Scarecrow Banner: increased morale penalty for flying units from -4 to -8
Light of Battle: added 40m effect radius, reduced duration to 22 seconds, +1 power cos
Light of Battle Upgraded: increased duration to 44 seconds, -1 power cost
Glittering Robe: removed morale increase, increased armour bonus to +60, duration reduced to 44
Glittering Robe Upgraded: removed morale increase, increased armour bonus to +60, duration reduced to 4
Rune of Hearth and Home: increased effect range to 45m
Destroyer: now adds only +15 ability recharge per 90 seconds
Cursed Blade: fixed the re-application of the direct damage
Heart of Avelorn: now activates when Tyrion goes below 20% health
Crown of Domination: increased effect radius to 55m
Transformation of Kadon: Manticore unbinds 40% slower, reduced casting cost by -2
Tomb Swarm: reduced direct damage by 25%
Death Frenzy: increased duration to 28
Death Frenzy Upgraded: increased duration to 2
Skitterleap: now has a 40m radius, duration reduced to 41, +5 power cost
Skitterleap Upgraded: now has a 40m radius, duration reduced to 82, +8 power cost
Night Shroud: now has a 40m radius, duration reduced to 41, +5 power cost
Night Shroud Upgraded: now has a 40m radius, duration reduced to 82. +8 power cost
Eadbutt: -2 power cost
Eadbutt Upgraded: -2 power cost
Daith’s Sword: added 2 max uses, increased casting range to 100m
Sneaky Stabbing: reduced wind-up time to 1
Gaze of Malice: changed to an uncommon ability, max 3 uses, cost increased to 152, recharge time changed to 90
Djaf’s Incantation of Cursed Blades: -1 power cost
Djaf’s Incantation of Cursed Blades Upgraded: -1 power cost
Sakhmet’s Incantation of the Skullstorm: -1 power cost
Sakhmet’s Incantation of the Skullstorm Upgraded: -1 power cost
Gaze of Nagash: increased accuracy, changed to a higher ballistic trajectory
Shem’s Burning Gaze: increased accuracy, changed to a higher ballistic trajectory
Vindictive Glare: increased accuracy, changed to a higher ballistic trajectory, -1 power cost
Vindictive Glare Upgraded: increased accuracy, changed to a higher ballistic trajectory, -1 power cost
Gaze of Mork: increased accuracy, changed to a higher ballistic trajectory, -1 power cost
Gaze of Mork: increased accuracy, changed to a higher ballistic trajectory, -1 power cost