Start with the selectable portraits
Open Immortal Empires and look at the lords available to you. Your first choice can come from any game in the trilogy: older lords belong on the same sandbox map as the Warhammer III leaders. Check a locked portrait’s content requirement before making a purchase.
A Legendary Lord begins a campaign as its leader. A Legendary Hero such as Ulrika joins an existing faction. Choose the leader first, then plan the heroes and units that support the army.
Match a leader to a battle style
Pick a style you can picture directing. A supported line helps you observe missile fire and positioning. A fast army asks you to keep issuing movement orders. A spellcaster adds targeting decisions to the fight. You can learn any of them, but focus on the part you want to practise.
Warhammer I and II are relevant in IE
Warhammer I unlocks Karl Franz and Balthasar Gelt; Warhammer II unlocks Tyrion among its High Elf lords. If you already own the second game, Tyrion is another candidate for learning a balanced army. You can enter IE through the Warhammer III application with those older purchases.
Earlier DLC also unlocks its associated lords in IE without requiring its original base game. Buy for a particular campaign you want to play, and check exactly what that purchase includes.
Separate army appeal from campaign pressure
A powerful lord can still lead a demanding campaign. Before choosing, read the faction mechanics and inspect the starting situation. Ask whether you want to manage a frontier, provincial institutions, politics or a more aggressive cycle of battles.
Zhao Ming is a useful place to compare a supported army with Katarin’s hybrids or Franz’s Empire defence. If a daemonic army interests you more, read its race and lord pages before committing. Khorne’s close combat, Tzeentch’s sorcery and Slaanesh’s mobile attacks ask for different battlefield habits.
Learn one army before expanding your collection
Spend a first session learning how your chosen army holds enemies, deals damage and protects its vulnerable regiments. Notice which action takes most of your attention. If you enjoy positioning but dislike frequent cavalry orders, build toward that preference instead of copying an army list.
After each difficult battle, identify the problem before changing lords: blocked missiles, a broken flank or a spell used at the wrong moment. If the campaign systems themselves feel unappealing, that is a better reason to try a different leader.
Choose your next purchase around a character or mechanic that interests you. A core roster gives you enough roles to begin learning; owning every related DLC is a different goal from enjoying a first campaign.