After years of hints and teases, the Chaos Dwarfs are finally making their way to the Total War: Warhammer trilogy. Many long-time fans of Warhammer Fantasy Battles have been waiting for this moment since 2016, when the series first started, but it’s easy to see why Creative Assembly decided to wait until now to release the faction.
Whether we’re talking about the base campaign or the vastly more ambitious Immortal Empires, Total War: Warhammer 3 is heavily centered around the Ruinous Powers and serves as the perfect setting for the introduction of the Chaos Dwarfs. But who exactly are these fiery cousins of the Dawi? Are they just evil Dwarfs, or is there more to them than meets the eye?
Children Of Hashut
Called Dawi-Zharr (Fire-Dwarfs) by their cousins but known as the Uzkul-Dhrazh-Zharr in their own language, the Chaos Dwarfs are a group of Dawi that separated from the rest of their kin thousands of years ago during the Great Catastrophe when the Daemons of Chaos invaded the mortal world for the very first time. Trapped in the east beyond the World’s Edge Mountains and separated from the rest of their brethren, the group of Dwarfs that would eventually become the Uzkul-Dhrazh-Zharr were left to face the forces of Chaos alone. Weaker creatures would have been obliterated by the Ruinous Powers, but not these Dawi.
In a desperate attempt to avoid an even worse fate, the eastern Dwarfs made a pact with the minor Chaos God Hashut in exchange for their freedom, such as it was. Hashut, the god of fire, greed, and tyranny, bestowed his new subjects with powerful gifts, including, among other things, the ability to wield magic. But as with all boons granted by Chaos, Hashut’s blessings came at a terrible price, for the Dawi were never meant to use magic like other mortal races. Those who choose to do it anyway are gradually turned into stone with every spell they cast until, eventually, they become nothing more than a statue.
In spite of the obvious dangers, some Chaos Dwarfs still chose to wield Hashut’s gifts and became powerful sorcerers that now rule over the rest of their race with an iron fist. Or rather, a stone one. To stave off the Curse of Stone, ingenious sorcerers enhance their bodies with twisted machinery that allows them to remain mobile for a while longer, although this is but a temporary solution. Once the curse takes hold, the process of petrification can never truly be stopped or reversed.
As is often the case with beings that give into the Ruinous Powers, Chaos Dwarfs sorcerers were not content with dominating and enslaving their own kind and, in time, set out to conquer other races in order to expand their empire. At the time when Total War: Warhammer 3 Immortal Empires takes place, Chaos Dwarf society revolves around magic, industry, and slavery. Over the centuries, Orcs, Goblins, Elves, and members of many other races have been subjugated by the Chaos Dwarfs and now call them their masters.
The Uzkul-Dhrazh-Zharr Empire
The Chaos Dwarf empire lies between the World’s Edge Mountains to the west and the Mountains of Mourn to the east in a region known as the Dark Lands. At the very center of their empire sits Zharr Naggrund, the imposing Chaos Dwarf capital and industrial heartland that houses the great Temple of Hashut. Other important strongholds within the empire include the Black Fortress, the Tower of Gorgoth, Daemon’s Stump, and Uzkulak.
Currently, in Immortal Empires, the historical lands of the Chaos Dwarfs are inhabited by various minor factions, mainly Greenskins. Some of these will presumably be displaced once the Forge of the Chaos Dwarfs DLC launches to make room for the Dark Lands’ true rulers. The starting positions of the three Legendary Lords coming with the DLC have yet to be confirmed, but lore-wise, it would make the most sense to have Astragoth Ironhand start in Zharr Naggrund, Drazhoath the Ashen in the Black Fortress, and Zhatan the Black in Uzkulak.
Military Power And Tactics
Like all Chaos-aligned factions, the Uzkul-Dhrazh-Zharr is a force to be reckoned with in combat. Their forces are mostly comprised of cheap and disposable infantry units tasked with holding the line while devastating war machines and artillery pieces make short work of their enemies. Outside of that, the Chaos Dwarfs also field fast cavalry, a couple of decent ranged units, and some very powerful monsters like the Lammasu, Bale Taurus, and the gargantuan K’Daai Destroyer.
Unlike the western Dawi, who focus most of their efforts on defense, the Chaos Dwarfs have well-rounded armies that excel at mixed tactics. Thanks to the wide variety of units available at their disposal, Chaos Dwarfs can handle pretty much anything you throw at them. When units alone are not enough, the Chaos Dwarfs can always fall back on magic. In addition to the Lore of Hashut, which is unique to them, the Chaos Dwarfs also have access to the Lore of Fire, the Lore of Death, and the Lore of Metal.
At $25, Forge of the Chaos Dwarfs is the most expensive DLC we’ve ever had for any of the Total War: Warhammer games. It’s difficult to say right now if the DLC is worth that price, but from what we’ve seen so far, Forge of the Chaos Dwarfs does look like it’s going to be a solid DLC. However, we’ll only know for sure on April 13th when the DLC officially launches.
