Total War: Warhammer 3 recently announced its latest DLC, Thrones of Decay, and many new things await the players within Patch 5.0. One of them is Tamurkhan, the legendary Maggot Lord who has now taken control of the body of a potent Ogre Tyrant, Karaka Breakmountain. With him, he brought pestilence and plagues for the enemies of Nurgle and he will do so with the help of his Chieftains. Today, we will discuss Tamurkhan Faction’s strengths and weaknesses in this Total War: Warhammer 3 guide. Let’s begin.
With the release of Thrones of Decay DLC for Total War: Warhammer 3, Creative Assembly now favors allowing players to choose which faction and Legendary Lord they want to play from the newest three Lords available inside the full bundle. For example, suppose you understand and enjoy playing as Nurgle. In that case, you can simply purchase Tamurkhan DLC and leave the other two Lords, Elspeth von Draken, and Malakai Makaisson until you are ready to venture out into those two factions. However, if you want to enjoy the full package, you can still purchase the Thrones of Decay DLC bundle.
Total War: Warhammer 3 is available on Steam for $54.99, while the Thrones of Decay – Malakai Makaisson DLC is available on Steam for $5.99. Meanwhile, the full Thrones of Decay DLC Bundle is available on Steam for $15.99.
Tamurkhan Lore Overview
Tamurkhan is a figure shrouded in mystery and speculation. He is often depicted as a monstrous Warlord, a haughty commander blessed by Nurgle, or a grotesque, mutated giant corpse maggot. Regardless of the rumors, one fact remains undisputed: an army is amassing under his banner, a force so formidable that even the Elector Counts may find their courage tested to its limits upon its arrival.
Tamurkhan, the corpse maggot, is a true connoisseur of death and decay. He was once known to burrow into the bodies of others, manipulating them like puppets from within. However, he never found a host that truly satisfied him until he encountered the Ogre Tyrant, Karaka Breakmountain. The sheer power and mass of the Ogre’s body appealed to Tamurkhan, and he has since become inseparable from this form, commanding it as his own in his relentless pursuit of power.
The Champion Stands at the Top.
Tamurkhan’s New Gameplay Mechanic
Even though he is a potent Warlord, and can fend off most of the enemies with his Black Cleaver, Tamurkhan still needs some help from the Nurgle hordes to make sure that he can effectively outpace every faction he targets and successfully destroy them in the form of Tamurkhan’s Chieftains, where he utilizes his intelligence and strength as an Ogre Tyrant to a maximum.
Even though Tamurkhan’s new campaign mechanic seems lacking when the other two new Lords, as they both get two new campaign mechanics, the Maggot Lord’s Chieftains will be more than enough to make up for it.
Tamurkhan’s Chieftains
Inhabiting the body of Karaka Breakmountain, Tamurkhan’s wisdom is equal to his formidable strength. He uses these attributes to assemble the most powerful warriors the world has ever known, incorporating them into his formidable army and absorbing the strengths of those who could not defeat him. Tamurkhan can earn the loyalty of numerous chieftains from diverse cultures within the Warhammer world, uniting them under a single emblem – his own.
Tamurkhan employs two primary resources, Dominance, and Fealty, to effectively manage his Chieftains. Dominance, the principal resource, is earned through victorious battles and must be expended to recruit Chieftains, activate their abilities, and incorporate their units into his recruitment pool.
A Chieftain’s Fealty is enhanced by actions that align with their values, such as raiding settlements, demolishing cities, or eliminating various enemy forces. For instance, if Tamurkhan is pursuing a Devoted Chieftain from the Chaos Dwarfs, he should demonstrate a similar disdain for the Skaven.
As their Fealty grows, Tamurkhan can enjoy the rewards in the form of favors, units, and special abilities. This culminates in a grand, thematic quest battle, marking his journey towards earning the unwavering loyalty of these formidable warriors.
While this system might seem simple at first glance, it’s not wise to underestimate Tamurkhan’s Chieftains. They are some of the toughest Heroes that Tamurkhan can field for his armies, and Kayzk the Befouled, Kurgan Champion of Nurgle, the most well-known of them, can become a handy expert that will improve your armies when playing as Tamurkhan.
Tamurkhan’s Chieftains.
New Units for Tamurkhan in Total War: Warhammer 3
As a Champion of the Nurgle, Tamurkhan’s armies are composed of those who also willingly join the path of pestilence and decide to wreak havoc and death upon the Total War: Warhammer 3 world. These deathly units of Tamurkhan include Pestigors, Plague Ogres, Rot Knights, Bile Trolls, and Toad Dragons.
Pestigors
The first unit that will accompany Tamurkhan in his path of destruction, death, and decay will be the Pestigors. Blessed since birth by Nurgle, the Pestigors of disease and pestilence serve their god with the trademark vigor of their fellow Beastkin – alongside the infested, oozing, bloated skin from the Mark of Nurgle.
In the heat of battle, as well as debilitating their foes, Pestigors stand firm with their durable skin and muscle, sporting a high health pool for an infantry unit. With their weapon of choice, a two-handed Great Axe, the Pestigors are masters at smashing through armor, piercing it with a single strike.
I’ve tested this unit through multiple battles when fighting Norscan factions and other Chaos dwellers, including Slaneesh, as well as trying its might against The Empire of Men, and I have to say, their performance is not bad, but certainly won’t be the best unit that Tamurkhan can field within his armies. Their major role within an army is to open up a path so that your more specialized units can easily breach through the enemies’ defenses, of which the Pestigors can do the job just fine.
Pestigors.
Plague Ogres
Up next in this Tamurkhan guide, we have the Plague Ogres, who follow the footsteps of Tamurkhan by joining the Maggot Lord’s faction after receiving a blessing from Nurgle. Allying themselves with Tamurkhan in his campaign against the Empire, the Plague Ogres are hulking humanoids who were defeated in combat by Tamurkhan, only to be resurrected by the Lord of Decay’s power. In exchange for their lives, they became bloated with infection and disease.
Serving Nurgle as a sluggish yet durable Infantry, the Plague Ogres seek out large enemies with either their giant blades or great axes to slice them to ribbons. There is not much to say besides that the Plague Ogres are incredibly capable of tearing down any defenses and even killing the largest creatures you might encounter when fighting against other factions, though a flying unit might still escape the wrath of the Plague Ogres, as this unit doesn’t have the capability of targeting them with ranged attacks.
Plague Ogres.
Rot Knights
The Rot Knights are among the elite Chaos Knights who have been graced with the Mark of Nurgle and the ability to command Rot Beasts in combat. Despite their Chaos Armor showing signs of age and rust, these Rot Knights, a formidable new Cavalry unit for Nurgle and Tamurkhan, are built to endure. They trade off some of their agility for enhanced durability, boasting increased Health, Defence, and Regeneration capabilities.
The primary objective of Rot Knights is to immobilize large enemies on the battlefield and deplete their health using their enormous claws and a one-handed lance, which are effective for Anti-Large attacks. Although their Regeneration ability makes them vulnerable to fire, it allows them to recover their health over time and boosts their Melee Defence during combat.
Rot Knights.
Bile Trolls
The next unit that I will discuss in this Tamurkhan guide will be the Bile Trolls, a devastating unit that can practically tank the enemies’ attacks and give plenty of time for other units within Tamurkhan’s armies to wreak havoc against their enemies’ lines.
In the ominous shadows of the Chaos Wastes, Nurgle targeted these Trolls, infecting their bodies and burrowing into their innards, bestowing upon them a blessing that should have been their end. Yet, what emerged was a grotesque creature, a Bile Troll, caught in an endless cycle of consuming itself from within, only to regenerate and repeat the process.
This blessing enhances their natural passive regeneration during combat, allowing them to recover from injuries as they shed their damaged skin and grow a new layer. Equipped with poison attacks, the Bile Trolls instill terror in any enemy they face and can penetrate their armor with their one-handed blade. Amidst the infestation brewing within them, the Bile Trolls can release it through the Corrosive Bile hex effect. This softens the armor and flesh of their opponents, drastically reducing their Melee Defence and making them easy targets.
Bile Trolls.
Toad Dragons
Finally, we have arrived at the last unit that Tamurkhan can field for his armies, and that unit is the Toad Dragon. The true terror of Nurgle is not confined to the insides of its decaying warriors but also extends to a reptilian monstrosity that typically resides in the Northern Wastes of the Known World. The Toad Dragon, a seldom-seen beast associated with Nurgle, exhibits an insatiable hunger and brutality towards anything that dares to cross its path. It can dissolve flesh with its fiery breath or crush its victims under its massive weight.
This large, hulking creature specializes in smashing through even the most compact of formations and holds its place within Nurgle as their largest, most expensive unit to date. With heavy Missile Resistances, the Toad Dragon borders on unkillable, but it’s what lies within that truly makes it something to be feared.
With its active ability, Unspeakable Foulness, the Toad Dragon spews forth a blast of flesh-rotting horror, delivering Explosive Damage and inflicting poisonous burns on its victims as their skin slips off in sheets and their organs turn to liquid. In other words? If you see a Toad Dragon on the battlefield, run for your lives.
Toad Dragons.
Strengths and Weaknesses
After assessing Tamurkhan’s new gameplay mechanics and units in Total War: Warhammer 3, it’s time to take a look at The Maggot Host’s strengths and weaknesses in the final part of this guide. We have curated them in the table below:
| Tamurkhan’s The Maggot Host Overview | |
|---|---|
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| Tamurkhan starts his campaign deep within the Chaos Wastes, meaning that his attack avenues are vast and can potentially reach even Grand Cathay’s positions. | While Chaos Wastes are like the second home for the Chaos Gods’ spawns, including Tamurkhan, he needs to tread carefully as Archaon the Everchosen is located right beside his faction, among other strong factions, therefore requiring you to think thoroughly before declaring a war against another faction. |
| Tamurkhan’s Chieftains provide The Maggot Host faction with incredibly strong Legendary Lords and armies that will help Tamurkhan defeat and burn down everything that stands between him and his goals. | Dominance is hard to come by even if you are diligent in murdering your enemies, occupying their settlements, and expanding The Maggot Host’s territories. |
| While Tamurkhan fields some potent additions for his armies, including Rot Knights and Plague Orcs, Tamurkhan himself is highly resistant to any damage and can act as the main tank for his army. | Fealty requires you to treat each of Tamurkhan’s Chieftains as carefully as possible, meaning that there will bound to be some preference clashes over your Chieftains, therefore forcing you to pick which Chieftains have the highest values. |
| The updated economy for Nurgle means that Tamurkhan can still enjoy his warmongering way without having to worry that it will deplete his economic system. | Tamurkhan doesn’t have strong missile unit options in his arsenal, meaning that there are no major improvements to how Nurgle works in a battle. |
Conclusion
Overall, The Maggot Host faction that Tamurkhan leads feels very unique and provides new ways of playing as a Nurgle faction, and the potency of his units as well as the Chieftains are more than enough reasons to play as him in Total War: Warhammer 3, though one should still be wary of dangerous threats can halt Tamurkhan’s growth within the Chaos Wastes, particularly the strong Arcahon the Everchosen.
Is he worth the price tag? Definitely. I will admit, I don’t favor Nurgle that much due to how their campaign mechanics work and just how grotesque their armies’ appearances are, however, with Tamurkhan, I gave him a go for a playthrough, and I have to say, I’m thoroughly impressed with how much Tamurkhan brings to the Nurgle’s table, filled with putrid and pestilence.
If you are still feeling on the fence regarding Tamurkhan, then the things he brought forth for Nurgle might help change your mind about trying Tamurkhan out. For example, Plagues have been completely reworked from the ground up, impacting Ku’gath Plaguefather, Festus, and Tamurkhan, which prompts them to conjure up unique Plagues that will devastate their enemies and gain substantial bonuses through Symptoms. Meanwhile, the Cyclical Buildings of Nurgle will apply only to the military buildings, which means that the Nurgle factions can enjoy their economies better than before.
Throne of Decay DLC will be the perfect jump point for both newcomers who never played as Nurgle before and veterans who like how these gigantic monsters wreak havoc in the world of Total War: Warhammer 3. And with the addition of Tamurkhan, you can kickstart your journey as a champion and chop down any who dares to stand in the way of plagues and pestilence.
