Total War: Warhammer 3 finally has players experiencing the true power of the Chaos God factions. Gamers can play as Khorne the Blood God, Tzeentch the Changer of Ways, Slaanesh the Prince of Excess, and Nurgle the Lord of Decay. With eight brand new playable factions out of the box, that also means eight new factions to learn. Some of these new Chaos factions add some very different and interesting mechanics both for the campaign and battles.
The Seducers of Slaanesh may be one of the fastest and offensively capable factions in Total War: Warhammer 3. However, the faction may also be one of the more mechanically complex, so players looking for guidance on how to play this new powerhouse can read on below.
Starting The Campaign & General Strategy
When starting a campaign as Slaanesh, players may want to make sure they read and understand the lord details. At the current moment, Slaanesh has only one legendary lord, N'Kari. N'Kari leads the Seducers of Slaanesh, and in doing so provides a host of faction benefits, which include:
- Diplomatic Relations: +20 with all factions
- Tribute from vassals: +50%
Players may note the diplomatic nature of Slaanesh, and perhaps see it as a weakness compared to the brute force of the Khorne faction. However, this couldn't be further from the case. Using the Seducers of Slaanesh's quick shock value combined with the bonus diplomatic relations can allow players to knock larger opponents out easily in the long game, as they are able to economically support the ever-increasing demands of total war.
Strategies For The Early Game
The game begins with the player already at war with their southern neighbors (a Chaos minor) and the Eastern Khorne factions. The early game is the most important part for Slaanesh, as failing to get the ball rolling will see them dwarfed instantly by their neighbors. Right off the bat, players should wipe out the rebel group in their land, and then immediately start building the army up to 20 unit strength. Note that this campaign starts with a huge amount of Favor income, so go ahead and be generous about spending on the troops. For a breakdown of what units the player should use, skip ahead to the "Units" section.
Players may also want to begin building more unit buildings or infrastructure to get the income rolling in and stay in the green. In the early game, it is most important to begin conquest immediately. The player starts with only one settlement surrounded by enemies. This means that setting up buildings for increased tiered units down the line, as well as infrastructure for income generation, will be crucial. Players can expect to conquer lots of territory quick, so other buildings related the niche Slaanesh mechanics can wait a bit before players heavily invest in them. Given the amount of Favor, the player may also consider building a second army in the capital in preparation, even on the first turn.
Plan To Deal With Khorne
Khorne is going to be the primary concern. The Chaos neighbor to the south takes a fairly long time to get prepared, so the player can feasibly get their first province controlled without needing to fight on two fronts. So, for a starting plan, it is recommended to take on the Eastern Khorne faction first, and then work down to the Chaos one. Finishing off the Khorne faction will place the player at a shared border with a Nurgle faction, which can be dealt with diplomatically at first.
Once the player has worked down south through the Chaos one, it will reveal the path towards the other Khorne faction, which the player is also at war with. This is where players may consider continuing their conquest, while keeping Nurgle pacified. Khorne will definitely be the biggest hurdle in conquering the rest of the lands, so knocking them out as quick as possible in the early game will be valuable. After all of this, the player should be in control of three provinces, which will set them in perfect place for the mid-game.
Slaanesh Features
As players go about conquering their opponents, Slaanesh has a number of unique features that players can make excellent use of.
Devotees
Devotees are a faction-specific resource that allow the player to create cults, raise additional tangent armies, and set Pleasurable Acts. Players can gain these Devotees by taking captives in battle, completing quests, Pleasurable Acts (Province Commandments), and through their tributaries. Pleasurable Acts can be used to increase control, attract more devotees, or implement other such benefits related to the specific province. Cults can be used to increase Slaanesh corruption in other factions, making it easier to conquer later once the player gets there.
Finally, the player can use Devotees to raise a Disciple Army, which is essentially a tangent force that spawns off of whatever army it has been set to. This army's strength will be based on the army that spawns it, as well as the level of Slaanesh corruption in the given area. They will immediately begin taking attrition, so it is best advised to use them as soon as possible as a softener, so that the rest of the army can come clean up.
Seduction
If the player has enough favor saved up, usually at least 2000, they will be able to seduce units in an enemy army by spending said favor. Seducing these units will bring them to the player's side.
This is a very underrated feature, and if used properly, can completely change the tide of a battle. Players can potentially steal powerful troops away and use them against their own.
Seductive Influence
Any diplomatic action that the Seducers of Slaanesh perform with non-chaos aligned factions, such as nonaggression pacts or trade deals, will begin generating "Seductive Influence" in tangent. Given enough of this influence, it can force the faction into a tribute state with the player faction. This will force them to offer monetary tribute on a consistent basis, and military aid in the case of war.
This makes the Seducers of Slaanesh absurdly powerful, as they can build up alliances with factions that are not Chaos-aligned, unlike all the rest of the Chaos factions. This gives them quite a leg up in the long game — they do not need to worry as much about micromanaging every inch of the territory if portions are essentially run by AI.
Gifts of Slaanesh
Finally, the Gifts of Slaanesh are debuffs that apply to any Lord or Hero that survives an encounter with the player's Slaaneshi army. This will debuff that specific character, while also generating Seductive Influence in the given faction. Players can also use Heroes to give these gifts to others.
Units
Legendary Lord: N'Kari
N'Kari is incredibly powerful. Able to move at incredible speeds across the battlefield, the Slaaneshi lord provides buffs and debuffs and causes quick shock attacks across units on the frontline before moving on to the next.
N'kari's playstyle is generally suited for high levels of micromanagement, where the player will need to be constantly active on his movement and positioning in order to utilize him effectively. This is going to be the case for much of the Slaaneshi army. Use him in the back to cast some spells before charging him into combat, but keep in mind that his low armor makes him unsuitable for long sustained combat. Pulling him out after an initial shock is essential to his success.
Lords & Heroes
The Heralds of Slaanesh are the minor lords that lead other armies. They can buff an ally with speed and charge, so leading with a pack of Daemonettes under the influence of this spell has very high shock value when doing so from the flank. The Heralds can also hex units, so use this to soften up enemies, and then charge in with the support Daemonettes. After garnering enough experience, a Herald will be able to convert into an Exalted Keeper. These are essentially mini N'Kari's, and can be used similarly.
In terms of heroes, the player is presented with the Alluress and the Cultist. The Alluress is essentially the same as the Heralds in terms of combat tactics. They may want to support a unit of Hellscourges or Marauders in the frontline. The Cultist will be similar in this role, and is most effective as an active participant on the frontline.
Infantry
Slaanesh's strength is in blitz tactics and hard flanking. Players should use the Marauders as the primary unit of the frontline. They come in three variants: sword, spear, and whip. The whip variant of the Marauders is the highest defensible unit, so they are the best to use as the main line. Coming in behind to support them should be the sword versions. The spear unit is one of the least effective in the Slaanesh roster, so having only one or two of them is fine just to deal with stray cavalry or other such nuisances.
The Daemonettes will be the most effective coming in on the flank, as they have the passive ability Devastating Flanker, which may speak for itself. The Chaos Furies are best for simply harassing enemy archers or artillery, as the player may note that Slaanesh has no ranged units.
Cavalry & Chariots
Boasting some, if not the fastest cavalry in the entire game, Slaanesh's cavalry are capable of running circles around the enemy. They are best used as shock cavalry. While the frontline is occupied with the whips and swords, and while the enemy is flanked on the sides, the truest form of terror comes directly from behind. The cavalry and chariots all have Devastating Flanker as well. Driving them directly into the backs of enemies will be the most effective use.
Neither cavalry nor chariots should remain in sustained combat, as they are fairly weak. After the initial charge, they should be pulled back in order to charge again. They are also weak to ranged attacks, so while the ranged may be distracted with striking Marauders or Daemons, the cavalry and chariots should be used to remove them quickly from the battlefield.
The most difficult aspect of the Seducers of Slaanesh will be the player's ability to micromanage their cavalry. Because Slaanesh has no ranged units, it is absolutely vital that the cavalry eliminate any and all ranged threats to keep less pressure off the frontline.
Monsters
The Keepers of Secrets can be used similarly to N'Kari and the Exalted Keepers. They are viciously fast but also effective in combat, so using them against other monsters and large creatures is a good strategy, as all of Slaanesh's infantry units will get absolutely crushed. He can stride across the battlefield quickly, devastating enemy artillery or shredding back lines.
The Fiends of Slaanesh are strong monstrous infantry, best used as support for other infantry units in the frontline. They're fast as well, so they are also highly effective chargers against ranged units or as Devastating Flankers. They can counter other monstrous infantry along with speared units. Considering how generally weak most of the infantry is, they are best used support them in any capacity.
The Soul Grinder may speak for itself. It is a giant hulking monstrosity of immense strength. Using it in tandem with infantry will be crucial to the frontline. It is not as fast as the fiends or the Keeper, so keeping it as a base for the rest of the infantry to form around proves highly effective. As they are an individual unit, they are also best suited to counter enemy monstrosities or monstrous infantry.
That can be compared to the last unit on the roster, the Spawn of Slaanesh. They are a Slaanesh variant of the Chaos Spawn, and are best used as support for Infantry. They should be used strategically as a combination between the Fiends and the Soul Grinder, as they are slow and tanky, and can last in sustained combat with the support of other infantry. Where the Fiends can pull off and re-position, it is generally wise to maintain the Spawns in the frontline.
Strategy Review
The Seducers of Slaanesh are a vicious, maneuverable force in battle, with the unique capability to seduce and make tributaries out of puny mortals. If players maintain momentum, offering vassalage to those weak and swift conquest to more challenging foes, they should be able to snowball into a forceful regional power.
While lacking in the ranged department and sporting a heavy load of micromanagement, if used properly, the Seducers of Slaanesh faction can be one of the most devastating forces on the battlefield, and a worthy contender against the Mortal Empires.
Total War: Warhammer 3 is now available for PC.