Total War: Warhammer 2 – The Prophet and the Warlock evaluate

Total War: Warhammer’s smaller-scale Legendary Lord packs have at all times been about rivalries, however few are as thematically acceptable as The Prophet and the Warlock. The Skaven weaponsmith Ikit Claw represents science in its most unfavourable type: amoral and recklessly experimental. The Lizardmen prophet Tehenhauin, against this, is an emissary of the serpent god Sotek, and represents magic and faith.

Tehenhauin’s marketing campaign particularly leans in to this rivalry. Most of this uncommon red-crested skink’s kin had been worn out by a Skaven plague, alongside together with his metropolis of Chaqua. This prompted a bitter hatred of the ratmen which Tehenhauin’s marketing campaign mechanics replicate. His overarching purpose is to manifest his god on the earth, which you’ll do by finishing up the Prophecy of Sotek.

The prophecy is in three levels. You progress from one to the following by proudly owning territory and sacrificing captives to Sotek, which you’ll be able to seize after successful battles – although this does undermine the opposite two post-battle choices, making it a much less fascinating alternative. Sacrifices are organized in six tiers and might unlock Regiments of Renown, in addition to momentary buffs or randomly-generated objects.

The worth of all of this shortly turns into obvious. Tehenhauin’s marketing campaign is rated ‘very hard’ for its perilous begin: inside eight turns, I’m besieged by two huge armies from the neighbouring Skaven clan, Fester, and I’m pressured to tug out a couple of tips. Tehenhauin will get a hefty low cost on the Rite of Sotek, so I carry that out to inflict attrition harm on the invaders and buff my military of skinks. I then carry out two sacrifices to Sotek for further management and armour. I wait a couple of turns for the attrition to chew, and win the ensuing battle handily.

But your beginning circumstances aren’t the one motive you’ll need to confront Tehenhauin’s hated enemies. Though Skaven infest Lustria, so do the elves, and different Lizardmen can choose to beef with them as a substitute if they need. That’d be a mistake for Tehenhauin. As the prophecy unfolds, your battle with the ratmen escalates in ways in which I received’t spoil, however that are considerably out of your personal arms.

Normally, I resent alternative being eliminated in technique games, however not less than it’s pleasingly lore-appropriate right here. Plus, it has the impact of making new challenges: I’ve needed to take allies the place they’re to be discovered, and so have constructed an anti-Skaven coalition of elves and lizards that spans the continent. It’s the sort of epic conflict about which Warhammer books have fairly actually been written, and which solely emerges very late within the base game, when the race to manage the Great Vortex enters its ultimate levels.

Ikit Claw’s distinctive trick is the Forbidden Workshop, a illustration of the feverish tinkerers of his clan, Skryre, by way of which you’ll be able to improve their technological weapons. I channel my teenaged ambition to hitch a Harley gang and make investments primarily within the motorcycle-esque Doom-flayer. You can improve these by giving them all Vanguard deployment and +15% pace. Or by having them randomly forged Warp Lightning whereas in melee.

You get the thought. These should not forgettable, insignificant buffs. These are mad, harmful buffs, which might create some severely highly effective models. The workshop’s ultimate trick is the Warpstorm Doomrocket – miniaturised nukes that may be fired in battle. They take some time to land, in order that they’re troublesome to intention, however they’ll kill kind of something inside an honest space of impact.

All of this provides loads of character, and has prompted many an evil cackle from me as souped-up Doom-flayers mix zombies into an undead smoothie, or a doomrocket deletes a horde of Saurus. For devoted Skaven followers this could be sufficient, however for the remainder of us, the workshop feels much less impactful than Tehenhauin’s prophecy, or Alarielle and Hellebron’s mechanics within the earlier Lord pack. It doesn’t seriously change your technique past nudging you to favour Skryre’s technological terrors in military composition – and never even then, should you’d reasonably embrace doomrockets. But then you’ve gotten doomrockets, so, win/win.

And it’s okay, as a result of the Skaven are getting a very transformative change within the under-empire. It isn’t technically a part of the Prophet and Warlock in any respect; it’ll come as a part of a free replace that can accompany the DLC, so everybody will get to play with it. The solely factor you received’t be capable to do is construct a warpstone-powered nuclear bomb below somebody’s tier-five capital metropolis and scale back it to a smouldering spoil – whereas imagining the candy, salty style of their tears – as a result of solely Ikit Claw’s under-cities can do this. And, to be honest, it’s not nothing.

Because it’s free, I received’t talk about the under-empire any additional on this evaluate, however I adore it a lot that I’ve written a separate piece about it. That’ll be on the location shortly, however the principle takeaway is that it’s an excellent addition that lastly transforms the Skaven into their full, ratty selves. Even should you don’t fancy the DLC, it is best to bounce again in and begin a brand new marketing campaign with one of many present Lords.

Ikit’s preliminary problem is difficult, however not as arduous as Tehenhauin’s, due to a powerful beginning military and neighbours who’re moderately simple to befriend – those who aren’t lizards, that’s. There are additionally a lot of commerce sources in close by cities, for which a scouting mission to Naggaroth discovered me loads of clients.

Since these Lord packs flesh out current races reasonably than add new ones, they need to work doubly arduous to clean up the expertise. Tehenhauin’s marketing campaign is a good success on this regard – it is perhaps my favorite from any Lord pack – whereas Ikit’s is rather less distinctive, and solely felt so splendidly contemporary due to a function that’s coming outdoors of the DLC. That’s correctly, as a result of it’d be a rattling disgrace to lock one thing so basic to the Skaven because the under-empire behind a paywall.

It’s cool that Creative Assembly didn’t do this. And it’s cool that Ikit Claw will get a workshop filled with borderline OP mechanical homicide machines, and nukes that may delete complete cities, in addition to energy armour with glowing warpstone results. Who cares if he performs a bit like the opposite Skaven, simply with extra toys? Toys are enjoyable. You like enjoyable, don’t you?

So The Prophet and the Warlock is a strong piece of DLC for the value. Tehenhauin scratches my itch for strategic problem, whereas Ikit Claw gives some deliciously bonkers Skaven fan service that’s nearly made me just like the loathsome creatures. On high of this, the free replace that accompanies this DLC is maybe probably the most in depth that we’ve seen but, and might’t assist however engender a little bit goodwill (as a Bretonnia fan, I’m particularly pleased about their rework in Mortal Empires). Value for cash is to some extent a subjective judgement, however for my part, this is a great deal for $8.99 (£6.99). That’s barely greater than Queen and Crone, however nonetheless lower than two beers. Skip the pub on Friday and blow some stuff up.