At a glance
- Type
- Legendary Hero
- Battlefield role
- Fast character hunter and pursuer of vulnerable troops
- Content pack
- Karanak — Update 5.1
- Race
- Khorne
- Faction
- Exiles of Khorne
Availability
Content pack: Karanak — Update 5.1. Immortal Empires ownership
- Free Legendary Hero introduced in patch 5.1, separate from Omens of Destruction. You still need access to the faction you choose to play.
- SEGA’s Karanak promotion FAQ describes CA Account linking and an in-campaign unlock mission. Use that support route if the free content is missing.
- Khorne campaigns include Skarbrand, Skulltaker and Arbaal. Karanak also has eligible Warriors of Chaos and Daemon Prince campaign routes.
- Free-LC introduced with Update 5.1. Warhammer III includes Skarbrand, Be’lakor and the Daemon Prince; Archaon and Kholek come from Chaos Warriors Race Pack, and Valkia from Champions of Chaos.
- No Karanak-specific paid DLC is required. CA Account linking is no longer required from patch 6.3 onward; complete his unlock mission in an eligible campaign.
Follow the Hound of Vengeance mission
In an eligible Khorne campaign, follow the mission titled Karanak, the Hound of Vengeance when it appears. Karanak joins the faction as a Legendary Hero; he has no separate campaign to select from the lord list.
The free hero and the paid content for a campaign are different entitlements. Skarbrand comes with Warhammer III, Skulltaker needs his Omens pack, and Arbaal is a free lord. Check which leader you can select, then pursue Karanak’s mission within that campaign.
Reach targets the infantry cannot
Karanak moves quickly and can attack vulnerable missile troops, artillery or a spellcaster left without protection. Prey of the Blood God can pin an enemy character, while Karanak’s Howl summons Flesh Hounds. His collar can silence nearby prey, adding a way to interfere with active abilities and spells.
Use that mobility after the main lines engage or when an approach is clear. Running ahead into the whole enemy army trades away his freedom to choose targets. Keep an escape route and watch for fresh troops turning to surround him.
Send Karanak toward isolated missile troops, artillery or spellcasters while your main army keeps enemy infantry occupied. His speed helps him reach those targets, but a direct charge into a supported spear line gives up that advantage.
Prey of the Blood God can stop a lord or hero from moving, while Karanak’s Howl summons Flesh Hounds. Use the opening to bring other attackers into the same engagement. Bloodletters belong in the main melee; Karanak can look for a route around it.
The Hound of Vengeance
Karanak guards Khorne’s throne room and hunts the prey his master marks. His three heads track a quarry through space, time and thought. The game turns that identity into a mobile threat that can expose hidden enemies and pursue a chosen victim.
Bloodletters fight through the infantry line while Karanak works around it. Skarbrand supplies a large melee threat of his own; using the two for different targets lets the rest of the army keep moving.
Karanak guards Khorne’s throne room and hunts the Blood God’s chosen prey. His three heads track a quarry through space, time and thought. In battle, that identity becomes a pursuit role rather than a spellcasting one.
Recruitment and faction access
Karanak joins your existing Immortal Empires faction through a recruitment mission. Skarbrand’s Exiles of Khorne provide a base-game route. The release notes also name selected Warriors of Chaos leaders and the Daemon Prince, so access extends beyond the Khorne race.
Treat that named host list as the scope of the 5.1 announcement, rather than assuming every later Khorne lord follows it. Karanak has no independent faction or campaign starting settlement.
Sources
- CA patch 5.1: Karanak — community.creative-assembly.com
- SEGA: Karanak account and unlock help — support.sega.com