Total War: Warhammer 3 features six factions, each of whom has legendary lords that can be used in combat and to lead armies on the campaign map. The Tzardom of Kislev features three such lords, but only two are available when beginning a new game of Total War: Warhammer 3. The third Lord, Boris Ursus, must first be unlocked while playing as the Tzardom of Kizlev in campaign mode, and once unlocked, can be recruited in ongoing playthroughs and/or used as the starting lord in future playthroughs.
Command of Kizlev
Unlocking Boris Ursus is no small feat, and even reaching a position where his unlock quest is made available will require no small amount of setup. In order for the quest to appear, the player must be playing as one of Kizlev's other two lords (Tzarina Katarin and Kostaltyn), and have control of the three major cities of Kislev: Kislev, Praag, and Erengrad.
These are the capitals of the River Urskoy, The Cursed City, and River Lynsk, and all of them must be under the control of the player before Boris' quest is unlocked.
Katarin begins with an advantage in this regard as she already controls Kislev and begins to play in proximity to Praag. She also begins on good terms with the faction controlling Erengrad, making it possible to confederate Erengrad with some careful political maneuvering. Holding these cities for 10 turns will cause the "Frozen Falls" quest battle to appear. Players can then either travel to the location manually or teleport to it using the quest tab.
Operation: Ursus Unlockus
Having completed the necessary setup for the quest to become available, players should now be able to progress to the "Frozen Falls" quest battle. Boris is hibernating within the ice, and the forces of Tzeentch surround him. It's time to save and recruit our legendary lord.
This battle requires the player to eliminate three Tzeentch Sorcerers scattered around the battle map. Luckily, once they are aggroed, they will come to the player, so this mission can be played defensively, drawing them into ambushes and eliminating them one by one.
Little Grom artillery is excellent for picking off foes during players advance towards one of the Sorcerers. However, attacking certain enemies on the map will cause new reinforcements to arrive, complicating the matter. Notably, attacking the Irridecent Horror on the left of the starting position causes Screamers of Tzeentch, Chaos Furies, and a Soul Grinder to appear, while attacking the one to the right causes a force of Flamers of Tzeentch to appear. Prepare for these ambushes and try to avoid drawing in both sets of reinforcements at once.
With the three Sorcerers defeated, Boris will be freed, and the player is presented with three options. They may grant one of the three great cities to Boris as the capital of his own faction, recruit him into their army, or allow him to leave. Regardless of the option chosen, Boris is now permanently unlocked for future campaigns, allowing the player to begin the game as him in the future.
Boris Ursus, Legendary Lord
Boris Ursus is an excellent legendary lord who begins his campaign in a unique starting location, Zorn Uzkul, with a new opening cinematic. His beginning location is pretty far from the other Kislev factions, and he has to contend with Greenskin and Skaven factions in the immediate vicinity.
He benefits from a boost to relations with the Ice Court, halved construction costs for garrisons and religious buildings, faster construction times, and boosted recruitment ranks for Bear Rider units, who also benefit from reduced upkeep costs within his army. He also gains an army-wide boost to leadership and melee attacks when fighting the Daemons of Chaos, Warriors of Chaos, and Norsca.
On top of all of this, he also receives a unique mount, the bear Urskin. His skill trees include perks to remove colonization penalties and reduce construction times for his entire faction, a benefit he can also provide to the other lords' factions if recruited in their campaigns.
Total War: Warhammer 3 is available now for PC.