---
title: "Total War: WARHAMMER II: Campaign & Battle Guide"
game: "Total War: WARHAMMER II"
game_url: "https://qna.gg/games/total-war-warhammer-ii"
author: "Qloud"
author_url: "https://qna.gg/players/Qloud"
topics: ["Mods"]
summary: "A guide to Total War: WARHAMMER II in 2026: which campaign to play, faction mechanics for the base and DLC races, an opening-turns playbook, economy and army rules of thumb, battle tactics, and how WH2 fits alongside…"
url: "https://qna.gg/g/total-war-warhammer-ii-campaign-battle-guide-d4e6a25a"
published: "2026-09-27T16:37:25.461Z"
updated: "2026-09-27T16:37:25.461Z"
source: "QnA.GG"
---

# Total War: WARHAMMER II: Campaign & Battle Guide

A guide to Total War: WARHAMMER II in 2026: which campaign to play, faction mechanics for the base and DLC races, an opening-turns playbook, economy and army rules of thumb, battle tactics, and how WH2 fits alongside Warhammer III and the new Mod Manager.

*Researched September 2026 — the game is feature-complete (final DLC in 2021) and was most recently updated on July 28, 2026 with Early Access Mod Manager support. Check the linked sources if something differs.*

## Where WH2 Stands in 2026

- **Warhammer II is finished.** It received paid DLC from 2017 to 2021 and is no longer getting new content. Its successor, **Total War: WARHAMMER III** (February 2022), carries on with the combined **Immortal Empires** campaign.
- **WH2 is still worth playing** for the **Eye of the Vortex** narrative campaign, for **Mortal Empires** (its own combined map, for owners of WH1 and WH2), and for its large, mature modding scene.
- **Mod Manager (July 2026):** launching WH2 on Steam now offers three choices: the original launcher, the **Early Access Mod Manager**, or booting straight into the game.
- **Owning WH2 also unlocks its races in WH3's Immortal Empires**, so buying it on sale (it was up to 85% off in the August 2026 SEGA sale) has value even if you mostly play WH3.

## Quick Start

1. **Start with the Eye of the Vortex campaign** on Normal. It's focused, with clear goals (the rituals) and a real ending.
2. **Pick an easy starting lord.** Tyrion (High Elves) or Kroq-Gar/Mazdamundi (Lizardmen) are forgiving. Skaven and Tomb Kings are more complex.
3. **Economy first, then armies.** Build income buildings in your first settlements before overbuilding military buildings.
4. **Keep armies full.** A 20-unit stack beats two half-stacks almost every time.
5. **Watch public order.** Unrest leads to rebellions. Use buildings, lord skills, and commandments to control it.
6. **Don't auto-resolve everything.** Auto-resolve is fine for easy wins, but fighting close battles yourself saves units.
7. **Use your Legendary Lord's quest items.** Each has a quest chain for legendary equipment. The rewards are strong.
8. **Mind attrition and climate.** Some races take attrition or suffer in certain regions. Check before expanding.
9. **Diplomacy is cheap peace.** Non-aggression pacts and trade agreements with neighbors let you focus on one front.

## The Campaigns

| Campaign | What it is | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Eye of the Vortex | The WH2 story campaign. Races compete to perform five rituals at the Great Vortex | First playthrough, focused goals |
| Mortal Empires | A giant sandbox combining the WH1 and WH2 maps | Long, open campaigns with every race you own |

### Eye of the Vortex rituals

Each race needs ritual currency to start **rituals** at ritual sites. When a ritual starts, enemy **intervention armies** (often strong) spawn to stop you, and you must defend your ritual sites for several turns. After the fifth ritual, you fight a **final battle** on the **Isle of the Dead**.

Tips:

- **Build up before starting a ritual.** Have garrisons and a spare army ready near ritual sites.
- **Rival races also do rituals.** You'll get the option to disrupt theirs. Sometimes it's worth it.
- **Garrison buildings** in ritual cities help a lot.

## Races

### Base game races

| Race | Starting lords | Key mechanics | Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Elves | Tyrion, Teclis | Influence and court intrigue, trade | Elite infantry and archers, strong magic |
| Dark Elves | Malekith, Morathi | Slaves, Black Arks (mobile cities), loyalty | Aggressive, strong elite units |
| Lizardmen | Mazdamundi, Kroq-Gar | Geomantic web, blessed spawnings | Monsters and big dinosaurs |
| Skaven | Queek Headtaker, Lord Skrolk | Food, corruption, hidden settlements (Menace Below) | Cheap swarming units, artillery, weapon teams |

### DLC races

| Race | Notes |
|---|---|
| Tomb Kings (January 2018) | Units don't cost upkeep, but army and unit caps apply. Dynasties unlock units. Books of Nagash as a special objective |
| Vampire Coast (November 2018) | Pirates. Pirate coves in other factions' settlements, infamy, treasure hunting, strong ranged and artillery |

WH1 races (Empire, Bretonnia, Greenskins, Wood Elves, Beastmen, Dwarfs, Vampire Counts, and more depending on DLC) are playable in **Mortal Empires** if you own WH1. WH2 also added free and paid lords for several WH1 races.

### Good starting picks

| Lord | Difficulty | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Tyrion (High Elves) | Easy | Strong lord, good start, forgiving economy |
| Kroq-Gar (Lizardmen) | Easy | Powerful lord, strong monsters |
| Mazdamundi (Lizardmen) | Easy | Strong magic lord |
| Malekith (Dark Elves) | Medium | Aggressive, Black Ark support |
| Queek Headtaker (Skaven) | Medium | Aggressive melee lord. Skaven economy is tricky |
| Settra (Tomb Kings) | Medium to Hard | Unique economy, very different from other races |

## Opening Turns Playbook

A general approach that works for most races:

1. **Turn 1:** Recruit to fill your starting army if you can afford it. Start an economy building in your capital.
2. **Turns 1 to 5:** Take the nearby hostile settlement that your faction's starting quest points you toward. Your first quest battle is usually close.
3. **Turns 5 to 15:** Take your home province and build its economy. Owning a whole province unlocks provincial commandments.
4. **Turns 10 to 20:** Recruit a second lord when your income can support a second army.
5. **Throughout:** Use heroes to assassinate enemy lords or damage enemy armies, and to boost your own settlements.

### Rules of thumb

- **Upkeep grows with each army.** Each additional army increases upkeep for all units. Don't recruit armies you can't afford.
- **Keep a gold buffer** for sudden threats.
- **Build military buildings where you need them,** not everywhere. Have one or two recruitment hubs.
- **Don't expand into climates your race can't use** early on. Check climate suitability on the map.
- **Replenish between fights.** Rest in your territory to heal units before the next battle.

## Battles

### Core principles

- **Anti-large vs. large.** Spearmen and anti-large units counter cavalry and monsters. Keep them in front of large enemies.
- **Flanking wins.** Attacking from the sides or rear breaks units quickly.
- **Cavalry cycles.** Charge, pull out, and charge again. Leaving cavalry stuck in melee wastes their charge bonus.
- **Missile units need protection.** Keep them behind your infantry line and away from enemy cavalry.
- **Watch leadership.** Units that rout run away. Wounded lords and flanking attacks lower leadership. Break the enemy's morale instead of killing every model.
- **Magic matters.** The Winds of Magic pool refills over time. Spend it on high-impact spells in key moments.
- **Use terrain.** Hills give an advantage. Forests hide units.

### Army compositions

| Race | Simple, strong composition |
|---|---|
| High Elves | Spearmen line, archers behind, mages, a couple of cavalry or monsters |
| Dark Elves | Spearmen and crossbowmen, Black Guard or Executioners as elite infantry, cavalry |
| Lizardmen | Saurus warriors, skinks for ranged, big monsters (Carnosaur, Stegadon) |
| Skaven | Clanrats in numbers, weapon teams, artillery (Warp Lightning Cannon), magic |
| Tomb Kings | Skeleton spearmen, archers, constructs and chariots |
| Vampire Coast | Gunnery units, artillery, big monsters, Deck Gunners |

### Sieges

- Siege weapons (rams, siege towers) need a turn or more to build.
- Artillery can breach walls and towers.
- Defending? Use towers and walls, but don't bunch up in the square.
- Monsters and flying units bypass walls.

## Lords, Heroes, and Items

- **Legendary Lords** have unique skill trees and quest chains for legendary items.
- **Generic lords** are cheap and can be very strong with good skill choices.
- **Heroes** assassinate enemies, boost your settlements, or fight in battle.
- **Items** (weapons, armor, talismans, enchanted items) are found in quests and battles.

Skill priorities: take army-wide bonuses (upkeep reduction, leadership, damage) on lords, and combat skills if the lord fights in melee.

## Mods and the Mod Manager

- The **Steam Workshop** supports WH2 mods.
- As of **July 28, 2026**, the **Early Access Mod Manager** works with WH2, alongside the original launcher.
- Popular mod types include UI improvements, unit overhauls, new lords, and campaign changes. Always check mod compatibility with the final WH2 patch.

## Common Mistakes to Avoid

- **Recruiting too many armies early.** Upkeep will crush your economy.
- **Neglecting public order.** Rebellions cost time and armies.
- **Ignoring rituals** in the Eye of the Vortex. Falling behind means losing.
- **Leaving cavalry in melee.** Pull them out and charge again.
- **Missile units in front.** They'll get run down.
- **Auto-resolving close battles.** You'll lose units you'd have kept by fighting.
- **Declaring war on everyone.** Take on one enemy at a time.

## Advanced Tips

- **Use ambush stance** for surprise attacks.
- **Use heroes to hit armies** before battles to weaken them.
- **Raze settlements you can't use** to deny enemies.
- **Build horde and fleet races differently** (Vampire Coast fleets, Dark Elf Black Arks).
- **Watch Legendary difficulty** for a real challenge: no manual saves, tougher AI.
- **Try Mortal Empires** once you know two or three races.

## FAQ

**Is Total War: WARHAMMER II still updated?**
No new content since 2021. On July 28, 2026, it got Early Access Mod Manager support.

**Should I buy WH2 or WH3?**
WH3 is the current game with Immortal Empires. WH2 is still worth owning for Eye of the Vortex and because it unlocks its races in WH3's Immortal Empires.

**What's the easiest faction?**
High Elves (Tyrion) or Lizardmen (Kroq-Gar, Mazdamundi).

**What is Mortal Empires?**
A combined campaign for owners of WH1 and WH2, with every race you own on one map.

**How do rituals work?**
You spend ritual currency to start a ritual at ritual sites, then defend them from intervention armies for several turns. Five rituals lead to a final battle.

**Do I need DLC?**
No. The four base races are enough for a long time. Tomb Kings and Vampire Coast are strong additions.

## Sources

- [Total War: WARHAMMER II on Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/594570/)
- [Total War Steam news](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/594570) — Mod Manager announcement (July 2026), SEGA sale (August 2026)
- [Total War: Warhammer II on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_War:_Warhammer_II)