Grand Cathay Race Details for Warhammer 3

Grand Cathay is one of the playable races of the Total War: Warhammer 3 game at release. Grand Cathay is a humongous, powerful nation capable of fending off attacks from every angle, including the swarms of Chaos that inhabit the northern wastes. They believe, and it’s hard to disagree, that should they fail, should the Great Bastion fall and Grand Cathay be laid to ruin, all the world will be doomed.

To prevent this, a legion of highly trained and capable warriors stands ready to fight for their homeland, the Celestial Dragon Emperor, and his mightily powerful children, the Dragons. They are leaders, generals, and heroes to their people – and the weight of responsibility hangs heavy on their shoulders.

Corruption – Untained
Climates
- Suitable: Unknown
- Unpleasant: Unknown
- Uninhabitable: Unknown

Miao Ying – Legendary Lord

Name: Miao Ying
Faction: The Northern Provinces
Race: Grand Cathay

Zhao Ming – Legendary Lord

Name: Zhao Ming
Faction: The Western Provinces
Race: Grand Cathay

Table of Contents

Grand Cathay Legendary Lords

Grand Cathay has two Legendary Lords at the launch of the Total War: Warhammer 3 game. Tzarina Karain the Ice Witch and Kostaltyn the Supreme Patriarch.

Miao Ying, The Storm Dragon – Legendary Lord Grand Cathay

Miao Ying believes herself to be the strongest Dragon sibling, and lords her power and position of authority as protector of the Great Bastion over her brothers and sisters. Despite her earned arrogance, she is well-aware of the significance of the task laid at her feet to protect Grand Cathay from the hordes of Chaos to the North. The constant scheming of the mortal lords of Nan-Gau, her capital and unconquerable home, does not make it any easier.

As such a powerful and ancient being, she emits an aura of command and majesty that even mighty heroes find difficult to resist. Her followers seek her favour, and her enemies fear her bite and strong magics. On the battlefield she can channel those powers to transform between her dragon and human forms, as needed.

Both Dragons are also masters of the Elemental Winds. This attribute, which is shared among all Grand Cathay spellcasters, increases the power of all spells cast for each spellcaster in the army. This makes taking multiple spellcasters all the more effective for the armies of Grand Cathay, even doubling-or-better the power of spells should you have enough. Of course, they may not have the army to back them up, at that point…

Unique abilities and skills of the Legendary Lord Miao Ying:

Magic – Miao Ying has access to a unique selection of spells from the Lores of Yin and Life.
Disdain of Dragons – All enemies who try to combat Miao Ying will find themselves at a significant disadvantage.

Zhao Ming, The Iron Dragon – Legendary Lord Grand Cathay

Ruler of the Western Provinces, the Iron Dragon is seen as a much more down-to-earth ruler and commander than his sister. Zhao Ming commands loyalty through comradeship, as well as his creation and use of powerful artifacts and magic items. He is one of the Empire’s premier alchemists and welcomes the same within his realm – much to the chagrin of some of his siblings.

Proximity to the Warpstone Desert and the Great Maw, still seeping with the destructive magic that created it, has led some to believe his mind is beginning to unravel. This would certainly explain some of the odd tendencies and decisions he makes, but it is still far from anything approaching insurrection or dangerous to Grand Cathay. While less favoured than his sister by the Celestial Dragon, their mother, the Moon Empress, has a soft spot for Zhao Ming.

Both Dragons lead their armies with incredible fervour, their mere presence enough to enhance the Harmony and belief of their people to new heights. Non-character Cathayan units all ascribe to either Yin or Yang, and when close to the opposite receive buffs – melee, Yang units becoming more defensive and harder to kill, while ranged, Yin units fire faster. Lords increase these benefits when they are nearby.

Between this and the Master of the Elemental Winds attribute, it makes hero spellcasters quite a powerful choice for Grand Cathay armies. They are force multipliers both battlefield-wide and in their area of effect, and proper usage can see massive odds overcome.

Unique abilities and skills of the Legendary Lord Zhao Ming:

Dragon Transformation – Both Dragons can also swap forms in the midst of battle, becoming powerful melee units with the ability to fly.
Magic – Zhao Ming has access to a unique selection of spells from the Lores of Yang and Metal.
Warding Iron – The Iron Dragon’s near-invulnerability can be passed on to his nearby troops for a short time.

Grand Cathay Lords

Grand Cathay will have two lords available when Total War: Warhammer 3 launches. The Dragon-Blooded Shugengan and the Lord Magistrate. The Dragon Blooded Sugengan has access to the Warhorse or Jade Longma mount and the Lord Magistrate can make use of the Warhorse or Sky Lantern mount.

Dragon-Blooded Shugengan – Grand Cathay Lord

While relatively rare, the ancient nature of the Dragon siblings means their many own progeny now exist within Grand Cathay. They often rise to positions of power, not least out of respect for their heritage, but also due to the power that comes from being a part of the family. The Dragon-blooded, as they are known, are inevitably skilled combatants, natural sorcerers, and talented leaders. As you can imagine, their lineage can be a source of some jealousy and resentment from high-ranking mortals, especially when the Dragon-blooded allow their abilities to develop into arrogance.

As the magic-wielders of Grand Cathay, the Dragon-blooded fight with either the lore of Yang or the lore of Yin. Each takes its power from the Celestial Dragon Emperor and is a unique school passed down through the ages.

The lore of Yang focuses on buffing allies with resolute belief or disrupting enemies with walls of wind. In particularly dire situations it can also unleash mighty explosions upon the enemy, bringing with it the power of the Celestial Dragon Emperor himself. Their spells are…

Jade Shield
Dragon’s Breath
Wall of Wind & Fire
Stone Ground Stance
Might of Heaven & Earth
Constellation of the Dragon

The lore of Yin is a more esoteric school, with the power to reflect projectiles or summon the ghosts of the dead to assist in battle. Those who practice it can shield their allies behind obfuscation and remove foes in the dead of night. Their spells are…

Storm of Shadows
Cloak of Jet
Missile Mirror
Blossom Wind
Talons of Night
Ancestral Warriors

Mounts: Warhorse or Jade Longma

Lord Magistrate – Grand Cathay Lord

Be they generals or lords of one of Grand Cathay’s gargantuan cities, Lord Magistrates are some of the best the Empire has to offer. While not the greatest single combatants of their nation, they are expert commanders, inspiring and directing their troops with the skill and efficiency that comes only from years of experience in real battles. If they are engaged, they are melee warriors capable of holding their own against most enemies.

In particularly large engagements, Magistrates may ride aboard a Sky Lantern, commanding their troops from above with a more strategic view of the battlefield. It also, as you can imagine, keeps them somewhat out of harm’s way – a priority for some, if not all. Their true strength lies in their ability to bring the best of Grand Cathay to the fore, vastly increasing the bonuses received by troops working in Harmony with one another.

Mounts: Warhorse or Sky Lantern

Grand Cathay Heroes

With the launch of Total War: Warhammer 3 you will have access to two hero types for Grand Cathay. The Alchemist hero and the Astromancer hero. The Alchemist has access to a Warhorse mount and the Astromancer can chose between a Warhorse or Wu Xing War Compass mount.

Alchemist Hero

The lores of Yin and Yang are not the only magics practiced in Grand Cathay, though they are the most favoured. Alchemists gravitate to the Iron Dragon in the West and the city of Shang-Yang precisely because he is uncommonly accepting of their talents and practices. Over the years this has grown into a powerful cabal that often sees its members hired by generals all over the empire, as their capabilities are far beyond that of most mortals.

Their potions imbue them with spells from the Lore of Metal, as well as giving them unique buffs that can be applied to themselves or nearby units, providing massive bonuses to attack or armour.

Mount: Warhorse

Astromancer Hero

Astromancers are the accepted Sorcerers of Grand Cathay, practicing the Celestial Dragon Emperor’s favoured lore of Heavens and harnessing it to an expert level thanks to the natural affinity between their leader and the Azyr wind. After more than five thousand years of perfecting the art, they are quite adept, and only more so when riding to battle aboard the Wu Xing War Compass.

Mounts: Warhorse or Wu Xing War Compass

Grand Cathay Units in Warhammer 3

Now lets take a closer look at all the revealed units for Grand Cathay in Total War: Warhammer 3.

Grand Cathay Infantery

First we have the infantery units for the Grand Cathay armies.

Peasant Long Spearmen

The backbone of Grand Cathay is its people, and they are numerous beyond count. While the Celestial Dragon Emperor is wise and his children are benevolent leaders to the people under their command, they understand with the detachment of immortality that the one thing they will always have is more bodies. More men and women to man the battlements, more fighters to hold the line, more defenders to make the forces arrayed against them fight for every inch.

Thus, the least-trained armies of Grand Cathay are still a power to be reckoned with through sheer force of numbers. Unlike the hired soldiers or lower classes of other factions, the Warriors of Wind & Field, as they are known, feel a fierce loyalty to their cause and the Dragons that watch over them. They may buckle and even break, but they know their role.

Notable characteristics of the Peasant Long Spearmen unit:

Like all melee units, Peasant Long Spearmen are Yang-aligned, increasing their Leadership and Melee Defense when within close proximity to a Yin unit.
Their long spears give them fantastic charge defense when bracing, making them a suitable anti-cavalry and anti-large force.
As noted, the endless ranks of Grand Cathay are expendable and expected to flee from battle when facing more than they can handle. Finishing the fight is the work of more disciplined troops.

Jade Warriors

The Jade Warriors are Grand Cathay’s line troops. They are the standing army, expertly trained and well equipped to defend from Ogres, rebels, Chaos, or anything else that might come wandering in from the West and North. Each city maintains its own regiment of Jade Warriors, and few make their home outside of one of the metropolises that dot the landscape of Grand Cathay.

In times of war, they will head to battle armed in numerous possible ways, collectively known as the Warriors of Jade & Steel. The ranged firepower of Grand Cathay is what breaks the enemy, but the Jade Warriors, so named for the Celestial Dragon Emperor’s sacred stone must hold the line and cut down enemies who think them weak.

Variants:

Sword & Shield
Halberd

Notable characteristics of the Jade Warriors unit:

Long trained to defend Grand Cathay against the relentless assaults from beyond the Grand Bastion, Jade Warriors adopt a Defensive Stance when immobile, making them harder to charge and kill.
This builds as they remain that way, taking the lay of the land and bedding in to fend off the next attack, further increasing their charge resistance and armour.
While the Halberd-wielding variant is unable to block missile fire due to the lack of shields, it is no less adept at bedding in to take a charge head-on and destroy any force foolish enough to challenge them.

Celestial Dragon Guard

Grand Cathay’s elite soldiers are officially the legion of the Dragon Emperor, his loyal defenders. As the Eastern Empire has expanded, more and more Dragon Guard have been added to the Celestial Host, which now numbers enough that they can be dispatched to battlefields all over the East. Their arrival represents an exponential increase in power for the army, not least for the morale boost it gives the soldiers to see such a direct connection to their Emperor.

Notable characteristics of the Celestial Dragon Guard unit in Warhammer 3:

Wielding Halberds, they are natural opponents to the armoured and the massive, as capable of spearing a beast from the Chaos Wastes as a man from his horse.
However, as the most well-trained units in Grand Cathay, they are capable of defending against charges from anything – be it Chaos Warrior or Skaven Slave.
They are superior to their brothers in the Jade Warriors in every way but one – there are, simply, less Celestial Dragon Guard out there.

Grand Cathay Missle Cavalry

Next lets take a look at the available missle cavalry of Grand Cathay in Warhammer 3.

Peasant Archers

Archery is considered a noble and useful pastime in Grand Cathay, and young girls are especially encouraged to follow the path of the Moon Empress into ranged combat. Thus, even the lowest in society will have a well-maintained bow within their household and be more than capable of drawing it to defend their home. Naturally, however, they are not particularly well equipped, and are more deterrent than professionals.

Notable characteristics of the Peasant Archers unit:

As with any ranged unit among Cathayan armies, Peasant Archers are Yin-aligned, receiving bonuses when close to Yang units.
Also expendable, though slightly less expected to be in the thick of things, as an archer.
However, despite their mighty number and decent training, the gear of the peasantry is simply unlikely to cause much damage to heavily armoured foes.

Iron Hail Gunners

The closest we can get to an Old World shotgun, the Iron Hail Gun is a short-range blunderbuss that can rip through almost anything if positioned correctly. The gunners themselves are lightly armoured, making them vulnerable if surprised and quite the glass cannon of a unit. However, should they bring their guns to bear even for a moment, nevermind a sustained period, it spells doom for even the heaviest warriors.

Notable characteristics of the Iron Hail Gunners unit:

The strength of gunpowder gives these units a heavy, armour-piercing punch when they line up a shot.
Their range is much shorter than either archers or crossbowmen elsewhere in the army.
However, this can be quite an advantage when used to keep them in a useful position for Harmony and still pumping out heavy damage.

Crane Gunners

The mighty Crane Gun requires two people to lift, set up, and fire. One is positioned at the trigger, ready to sight and shoot anything in a massive range. The other carries the tower shield on which the gun rests, steadying the shooter as well as providing built-in cover. It is a specialist device for the highly trained, but it can be devastatingly effective when properly employed. Range and precision are nothing to scoff at, especially if they are pointed at your head.

Notable characteristics of the Crane Gunners unit:

Save artillery, will outrange anything on the battlefield, acting as effective snipers.
Their armour-piercing rounds and heavy shields make them a unique and difficult unit for enemies to deal with, especially if unprepared.
Two people for the price of one – bargain.

Jade Warrior Crossbowmen

Crossbowmen are the ranged backbone of the Grand Cathayan army, assigned to Jade Warriors and Dragon Guard who show an aptitude for shooting rather than stabbing. While Grand Cathay brings powerful magics and giant machinery to war, it is less ever-present in their armies than other factions. Sorcerers are an important, precious resource, while the construction required for a lantern or War Compass may be beyond the poorer cities.

The crossbow is as close to industrialised production as the hand-crafted weapons in Grand Cathay get, though there will still be subtle differences between the direction of one master artificer and another. This makes the Jade Warriors equipped with crossbows a mainstay of city defence, entrusted to outrange their opponents and defeat them before they get within striking distance.

Variants:

Crossbow
Crossbow & Shield

Notable characteristics of the Jade Warrior Crossbowmen unit:

While their armour weighs them down slightly, they will defeat a peasant archer in all other areas.
That increased armour, especially when further improved with a shield, makes them difficult for other ranged units to trade with effectively.
While not a melee troop, will happily survive and even defeat lesser foes in the midst of a close-range engagement.

Celestial Dragon Crossbowmen

When the Celestial Host – the combined name for the various sections of the Dragon Guard – makes war, it does so in style and with power. The Dragon Crossbows are repeating powerhouses, with armour-piercing bolts to rip through almost anything and fierce training to keep up the fire. Shielded, with the best armour in Grand Cathay, very little can stand up to a hail of bolts from these troops.

Notable characteristics of the Celestial Dragon Crossbowmen unit:

Crane Gunners will outrange and outdamage them, the Celestial Dragon Guard are hardier and more powerful in all forms of warfare.
Shields keep them protected, while the power of the crossbows makes their bolts armour-piercing.
While not a true hybrid, are also more than capable of holding their own in battle.

Grand Cathay Cavalry and Chariots

Grand Cathay also has access to amazing cavalry and chariot units in Warhammer 3.

Peasant Horsemen

As they are everywhere in the world, the horse is the most common steed and beast of burden in Grand Cathay. Plenty of the peasantry learn to ride as part of their duties and carrying goods or information across the great distances of the nation is tantamount to its survival. Thus, when called to war, many can mount up and act as scouts or harrying attackers for larger armies.

Notable characteristics of the Peasant Horsemen unit:

The fastest Cathayan unit that can’t fly.
Will deploy ahead of the main army to scout and act as a Vanguard.
Like foot melee units, cavalry belong to the Yang harmony.

Jade Lancers

Put a Jade Warrior, with all their training, all their armour, and all their power on a horse, and this is what you get. Grand Cathay’s mainstay cavalry is a hard-hitting, well-armoured force. Often the Jade Lancers are part of scouting groups that head beyond the Great Bastion to break up and destroy Chaos tribes in the region before they can gather their power and be a threat. Doing so is as dangerous as it is necessary.

Notable characteristics of the Jade Lancers unit:

Slower but heavier than standard Horsemen, Jade Lancers will deal extreme damage to infantry formations they crash into.
They are also great on the defense, heavily armoured with shields to protect themselves further.
Conforming to Grand Cathay’s defensive nature, they are far hardier than other faction’s cavalry of a similar sort.

Great Longma Riders

Dragon-blooded who are yet to rise to their own prominence or prefer a place within the Celestial Host for the honour it brings often become Great Longma Riders. Flying to battle alongside other elements of the Celestial Host, they are the solution to endless problems on the battlefield, from enemy flyers to the hardiest of ground troops.

Notable characteristics of the Great Longma Riders unit:

While Grand Cathay is often focused on dealing damage from afar, anything in the way of the Great Longma Riders is unlikely to survive for long.
Their speed, the power of their charge, and the strength of their armour is unmatched.
Such is the strength of the Longma charge that enemies have been known to flee in fear before they are even beaten.

Grand Cathay Constructs

Constructs are a special unit accessible by Grand Cathay in Warhammer 3.

Terracotta Sentinel

Grand Cathay’s ancient protectors, the Terracotta Sentinels are remnants of an era long past, when the Celestial Dragon Emperor was an active leader in the nation’s armies. Tales of their creation range from the believable to the legendary, that each was a personally-blessed soldier of the Dragon Emperor in a great army to fend off Chaos in its earliest years.

True or not, they stand sentinel all over Cathay, often silent and still for centuries, overlooking paddy fields or partially submerged in rivers, or even as stanchions in the Great Bastion itself. But the light within will burn and the statue will finally move if summoned to a nearby threat.

Notable characteristics of the Terracotta Sentinel unit:

The ultimate in Cathayan defense of their settlements and armies, laying waste to anything unlucky enough to make contact with it.
Truly alien to most of the armies of the world and either impossibly massive or an ancient enemy, it causes deep terror in the hearts of any who array against it.
As happy destroying Steam Tanks and city gates as it is laying waste to enemy armies.

Grand Cathay Flying War Machines

Grand Cathay also has amazing flying war machines that terrorize the battle field in Warhammer 3.

Sky Lantern

Sky Lanterns serve dual purpose on the battlefield. They are often crewed by magistrates or other commanders that can oversee and direct the troops below, using a complex system of fans and smoke. However, they are also crewed by four Crane Gunners, sitting in an armoured carriage held aloft by the balloon, itself in place thanks to an ever-burning Vermillion Warbird. It is generally agreed they have a lot more fun than their land-locked cousins.

Notable characteristics of the Sky Lantern unit:

While glacially slow to move around the battlefield, it provides a much-needed vantage point for troops below, allowing them to spot enemies hiding in foliage and giving them a morale boost.
The crane gunners are truly deadly – nothing is between them and their targets, they do not have to stop to fire, and they can see all from above.
As flying units armed with gunners, both this and the Sky Junk are Yin-aligned.

Sky-Junk

The Sky-Junk is more warship than a simple battlefield unit. Its humongous size supports great guns that project shrapnel at oncoming hordes, wiping out whole battlelines. Within the armoured carrier beneath the main balloon are a host of bombs ready to be dropped on those below. During times of great danger fleets of Sky-Junks are seen floating from the Great Bastion, moving steadily towards the latest threat and fully intending to wipe it out.

Notable characteristics of the Sky-Junk unit:

A larger and more deadly Sky Lantern, packed with soldiers that spew fire rain rockets at enemies.
Can drop makeshift bombs from above on unsuspecting foes, dealing massive damage.
Slow and near-useless once out of ammunition, the Sky-Junk is nevertheless an incredibly valuable addition to the battlefield, if used right.

Grand Cathay Artillery and War Machines

Last but not least lets take a look at the artillery and war machines that Grand Cathay offers in Total War: Warhammer 3.

Grand Cannon

Oxen carry the artillery of Grand Cathay to war, pulling these guns to battle from the city walls and Great Bastion they usually inhabit. More suited to firing from on-high, these cannons will still rip apart anything they gain sighting on but benefit greatly from smartly used terrain. Shaped like dragons and belching flaming projectiles, they are not a subtle representation of Grand Cathay’s power.

Notable characteristics of the Grand Cannon unit:

While being Grand Cathay’s most basic form of artillery, they still pack a huge punch, more than capable of toppling monsters or city walls.
The flaming, armour-piercing projectiles will make short work of smaller foes placed in their path.
The Oxen pulling it are pretty cute, all told – and make it, and other Cathayan artillery, more mobile than counterparts from other factions.

Wu Xing War Compass

Perhaps the oddest part of Grand Cathay’s armoury to an outsider, this miniaturised version of the great Compass engraved into the floor of the Celestial Court high above Wei-jin is a powerful tool for manipulation of the Elemental Winds. Imbued with the power of the Heavens and intricately designed as a weapon of war, meteors and lightning storms are summoned in its wake. While expensive to build and maintain, they are a truly unique weapon.

Notable characteristics of the Wu Xing War Compass unit:

A mounted spellcaster with access to unique, long-range spells that deal extreme damage to enemy formations.
More than capable of tearing up the ground and crashing headlong into enemy forces – making it a Yang-aligned unit, but one with significant ranged prowess.
Regains its own power with increased speed thanks to control over the elemental winds.

Fire Rain Rocket

The ultimate in ranged firepower for the armies of Grand Cathay, these rocket launchers spray the battlefield with deadly, explosive projectiles. Vital for pitched battles as well as taking or defending settlements, their rockets equally effective against almost all targets and the arc of their fire easily penetrating enemy walls. While the impact is widespread at long-range, this is only more effective against massed legions of enemies.

Notable characteristics of the Fire Rain Rocket unit:

Has an inferior range but greatly improved firepower over the Grand Cannon.
Left to its own devices and placed near a melee unit to increase reload speed through Yin harmony, Fire Rain Rockets will happily wipe out whole formations.
Both Cathayan artillery pieces have a higher than usual number of support staff on-hand, making them that much harder to wipe out if caught.

Grand Cathay Campaign Mechanics

Lets take a look what Grand Cathay has to offer in terms of campaign mechanics in Warhammer 3.

Harmony

As we’ve discussed previously, Harmony is everything in Grand Cathay. The smooth combination of ranged firepower and stalwart frontlines. The wellbeing of the populace alongside their unswerving loyalty. As well as boosting the power of differently aligned units in battle, you must keep your faction as a whole in balance through considerate building choices, lord picks, and technology.

Just about everything will nudge the harmony of your faction one way or the other, all tracked by a handy bar at the top of the screen. Should you drift towards one side, it will become cheaper to push back to the center, but your over-represented buildings will be less effective, and your control of your provinces will drop.

Maintaining the middle point is the biggest reward, giving significant boons to all areas of your empire and a unique army ability to summon the spirits of ancestors long dead to help out in battle. With every researched technology, built building, and hired lord trying to dislodge it, maintaining this for an extended period can be challenging, but it’s more than worth it – even for just a couple of turns.

Wu Xing Compass

The Wu Xing Compass is a great magical device built into the holy city of Wei-Jin, created by the Celestial Dragon Emperor to control the winds of magic within Grand Cathay. Its primary purpose is to project power to and help defend the Great Bastion when it is under threat, but the progeny of the Emperor can direct it as they wish to serve their purposes.

Whenever the Compass is directed to one of its four points, that area begins to fill with magic. Most provide a faction-wide buff that is always active, with another that is only available when the compass is pointed its way. As that area fills with magic, the passive ability grows in strength. However, if the compass is pointed elsewhere, the magic in the area begins to drop, depowering the passive. This balancing act depends on your needs as well as any emergencies you may be facing, and must be chosen wisely as there is a turn limit on changing the compass again. Here’s a breakdown of the regions and their effects:

Great Bastion
- Passive buff provides additional supplies for Grand Cathay armies defending settlements and additional casualty replenishment for all armies.
- Active buff decreases recruitment costs and provides a unique army ability to drop meteors on enemies.
Celestial Lake
- Passive buff provides growth to all Grand Cathay factions.
- Active buff gives additional income and stronger Winds of Magic growth within Grand Cathay regions.
Warpstone Desert
- No passive buff or growing/falling energy reserve for this region, due to the mass of warpstone.
- Active buff lowers corruption across Grand Cathay, guarantees lower Winds of Magic reserves, and gives a leadership debuff to enemy armies inside the nation.
Dragon Emperor’s Wrath
- Passive buff provides Control to all Grand Cathay factions.
- Active effect only at a full energy reserve applies massive (massive.) attrition to all Chaos forces besieging the Great Bastion.

Ivory Road

Trade is important to Grand Cathay – it not only has a massive population, but a hugely different collection of magical artifacts and native flora and fauna to Kislev and the other nations to the West. Even the Ogre Kingdoms value the delights of Grand Cathay enough to pay for it when they feel like it. Which brings us nicely to the game mechanics of the Ivory Road, the central trade route in and out of Grand Cathay, running right through the lands of Zhao Ming and off to the Empire.

When playing as a Grand Cathay faction, you can dispatch a caravan whenever you like, sending it along one of the many paths of the Ivory Road. This will take it through various regions, some of which may prove treacherous. At various points you choose which direction the caravan will next take, with it progressing naturally across the map. While you don’t have direct control over it, it does have vision as a normal army would, giving you important scouting information as it goes.

With each major rest-stop along the route, various events and dilemmas can fire – found friends, Ogre mercenaries, new routes, and many more surprises await upon the road. These can result in battles, bonuses, further cargo, or any combination. Once a caravan reaches a destination, you will receive money based on cargo amount and some other factors, and it will begin to return home. At this point, another caravan can be sent out.

Each caravan has its own leader, a new lord type with a unique ‘blue’ skilltree for increasing the boons of caravans – extra cargo, more replenishment between rest-stops, etc. They can naturally also take various combat upgrades, depending on what you think they might get up to. The key to this mechanic is finding safe routes or building caravans that can take the punishment of the big, wide world, plus making smart decisions about how and when to fight.

If you’re opposing Grand Cathay in the campaign (surely you wouldn’t dare?), you can find their caravans on the map and attack them. Doing so (and winning) will destroy the caravan, making it a good way to starve them of resources. Of course, it does involve declaring war, with all the diplomatic consequences that entails – the dragons may be pleased if you take out rebel caravans, but less so if you target theirs.

Great Bastion

The Great Bastion sits in the northmost part of Grand Cathay and is vital to the defense of the empire, its people, and the world. It also forms a central part of gameplay for the nation. As you can imagine, this is more relevant at the start of a campaign to Miao Ying, as she starts in the region, while Zhao Ming is busy dealing with rebel lords and various ratmen. That said, threats to the wall are a threat to the empire, and Zhao will need to keep an eye on it as much as anyone else.

The Great Bastion takes the form of a massive, impassable wall, with three gates that must be controlled and held by the forces of Grand Cathay. Chaos forces are constantly attempting assaults on it, but the larger ones come from a slow buildup of forces in the wastes. These must be dealt with through sallying forth or preparing your defenses with commandments at each gatehouse, if you hold them.

Threat to the Great Bastion is tracked through a meter at the top of the screen, which fills as Chaos prepares an assault, and descends if they are defeated. Keeping the threat low, and reaching zero, are looked on favourably by the Celestial Dragon Emperor, who will reward those who do so. Allowing a breach, as well as earning his ire, means Chaos is now rampaging through the soft heartland of Cathay, a recipe for disaster.

The Fortress Gate cities – the Snake Gate, the Dragon Gate, the Turtle Gate – share a unique building tree and commandments. These serve various purposes, and you will need to balance constant vigilance with the need for rest and recouperation at the edge of Chaos. Once a Gate is returned to its full glory at tier five, it reduces the cooldown on using the Wu Xing compass.

Tech Tree for Grand Cathay in Total War: Warhammer 3

Naturally, Grand Cathay has a technology tree like many of the other races. We’ll be highlighting anything unique about the layout and mechanics of tech trees in these articles. For Grand Cathay, tech choices are split into three branches, which converge a few times through the tree. The central, and least large, offers minor improvements but doesn’t push in either Yin or Yang direction. The other two are broadly focused on melee and ranged combat (though include many, many other elements) and push in the Yin and Yang directions, respectively. Each technology researched pushes your harmony in that direction permanently, with some doing this multiple times. That makes it a balancing act between what you need to buff your armies and your needs for Harmony.

This, along with all the other systems that interact with Harmony, can be quite a lot to govern every turn. Having Harmony during key battles or moments is more important than maintaining it constantly, though of course you could abandon that track to focus almost purely in one direction. Many technologies give boons to armies that are more one way than the other, and naturally affect the units that are most likely to be in those armies. Of course, each legendary lord has a preference too, and some of their skills can push one way or the other too.

A few times the tech tree for Grand Cathay recombines into one central point, then branches out again. Planning your next few turns of research and the armies that you will want to support will give significant boons as you prioritise your route through the tree. There are many dead-end paths with big rewards, but which aren’t the pre-requisite for anything else – when to take those is vitally important.

Grand Cathay Magic in Total War Warhammer 3

So far we know that Grand Cathay will have access to the Lore of Yang, Lore of Yin and Lore of Metal in Total War: Warhammer 3.

Lore of Yang

Jade Shield
Dragon’s Breath
Wall of Wind & Fire
Stone Ground Stance
Might of Heaven & Earth
Constellation of the Dragon

Jade Shield – Spell

Ward Save
A blazing wind of light creates a potent barrier against harm, as well as invigorating all living things who shelter beneath its protection.
Gives a unit significant damage resistance.
Overcast version increases duration.

Dragon’s Breath – Spell

Breath
If the enemy sees the Dragon in a single glance its fiery breath will burn them to cinders.
Conal damage spell, applying a field of fire to burn enemies.
Overcast version deals increased damage.

Wall of Wind & Fire – Spell

Wind
A vortex of fire and wind distorts everything seen through it and sows disorder and confusion among the enemy, leaving them vulnerable.
Wide, slow-moving wall of fire damage spell.
Overcast version adds armour-piercing damage.

Stone Ground Stance – Spell

Augment Area
The Yang of all loyal Cathayans present comes to the fore, making even the humblest footsoldiers resolute and ready to fight and die where they stand.
All units in an area receive extra mass, leadership, and the Expert Charge Defense trait.
Overcast version effects a wider area.

Might of Heaven & Earth – Spell

Augment
Soldiers present are filled with the pure power of the Yang, which makes them stronger and more skilled, and their weapons blaze with celestial energy.
Imbues a unit with flaming, magical attacks and increases their melee attack, base damage and armour-piercing damage.
Overcast version further increases these stats.

Constellation of the Dragon – Spell

Explosion
Blazing starlight leaps from the Wizard’s fingertips, dancing and forming the constellation of the Dragon Emperor before descending upon the foe and exploding among their ranks.
A great explosion that deals large damage in a big area.
Overcast version deals more, armour-piercing damage.

Lore if Yin

Storm of Shadows
Cloak of Jet
Missile Mirror
Blossom Wind
Talons of Night
Ancestral Warriors

Storm of Shadows – Spell

Hex
Ghostly shadows spring from the caster’s outstretched arms, enveloping the foe in dancing shades that make their footing uncertain and their vision confounded by the gloom.
Greatly reduces the speed of a target unit.
Overcast version changes to units within target area.

Cloak of Jet – Spell

Hiding
This shadowy barrier of dark Yin energy turns aside enemy sorceries, protecting those within its midnight embrace from the elemental winds.
Target unit gains Snipe, Stalk, and Unspottable traits.
Overcast version increases the duration.

Missile Mirror – Spell

Hex
A magical of shifting darkness and howling wind snatches the enemy’s missiles from the air, even as they are fired, and hurls them back at their owners.
Target unit’s projectiles are reflected back on it for a duration.
Overcast version lasts longer and as a larger cast range, keeping your wizard safe from harm.

Blossom Wind – Spell

Wind
A wind of leaves and blossoms rolls across the battlefield, cutting into the enemy with supernatural power and blinding them with its fury.
Column damage spell that also inflicts Blinded!
Overcast version deals additional armour-piercing damage.

Talons of Night – Spell

Vortex
An icy wind rolls out across the battlefield, filling those who enter its coiling gloom with panic and fear.
Large, persistent, damaging vortex spell.
Overcast version deals more damage.

Ancestral Warriors – Spell

Summon Unit
The warriors’ ancestors are summoned from the underworld, rising up to strike at the enemy with a furious assault before vanishing into the earth once more.
Summons a unit of Ancestral Warriors to fight for you. Ancestral Warriors are a strong Halberd Infantry unit. They will degrade over time.
Overcast version has a longer cast range.

Lore of Metal

Lets take a look at all the Lore of Metal spells.

Final Transmutation
Gehenna’s Golden Hounds
Glittering Robe
Plague of Rust
Searing Doom
Transmutation of Lead

Final Transmutation – Spell

The wizard unleashes a hail of magica energy, transmuting his foes into unliving golden statues.

Direct Damage (Area)
Causes damage to combatants
Strong vs a single combatant
30 meter range
100 meter radius
8 seconds duration
54 seconds cooldown

Gehenna’s Golden Hounds – Spell

Blowing on a glimmering golden whistle, the Wizard summons the spirit of Gehenna’s metal bounds to hunt down his prey.

Vortex
13 seconds duration
150 meter area, ground
45 seconds cooldown
Causes major magical damage
Medium, randomly moving area of effect
Strong vs multiple units
Weal vs a single combatant

Glittering Robe – Spell

The Alchemist conjures a guady cloak of shimmering scale to improve his allies defensive stance.

Augment
44 seconds duration
Target: Self or Ally
200 meter range
Effect: +60 Armour

Plague of Rust – Spell

The enemy target’s armour begins to rust, disappearing in clouds of tiny flakes and weakening his defensive abilities.

Hex
44 seconds duration
Target: Enemy
200 meter range
Effect: -30 Armour

Searing Doom – Spell

A spray of sizzling silver slivers rain from the sky to impale the caster’s enemy.

Bombardement
9 seconds duration
Ground target
200 meter range
Causes moderate magical damage
Medium strike area
Strong vs a single unit
Weak vs a single combatant

Transmutation of Lead – Spell

The enemies weapons become heavy, cumbersome, and almost impossible to wield in battle.

Hex (Area)
38 seconds duration
Ground enemey target
200 meters range
40 meter radius
Effects: -30% Base Weapon Damage, -24 Melee Attack

Grand Cathay Race Details for Warhammer 3 – Total War