At a glance
- Type
- Legendary Lord
- Battlefield role
- Daemonic melee lord and spellcaster
- Content pack
- Total War: WARHAMMER III (base game)
- Faction
- Shadow Legion
Availability
Content pack: Total War: WARHAMMER III (base game). Immortal Empires ownership
- Included with Total War: WARHAMMER III for Immortal Empires. Choose Warriors of Chaos, then Shadow Legion. The Chaos Warriors Race Pack and Champions of Chaos are separate purchases for their own lords.
Shadow Legion in Immortal Empires
Be'lakor is a selectable Warriors of Chaos campaign leader in Immortal Empires. CA's July 2022 reveal placed him at the Isle of Wight on Albion. Treat that as the launch-era start; the campaign selector shows the position for a new game.
The Realm of Chaos introduces him as an antagonist in the Ursun story. His independent IE campaign gives him a faction of his own rather than the customisable Prince's Legion of Chaos.
Rifts and the corruption of mortal lords
Unholy Manifestations give Be'lakor powers associated with the Chaos Gods. His Tzeentch-aligned manifestation can create a shadow rift for moving his forces across the map. Use that mobility to connect a distant offensive with the territories you need to defend.
Be'lakor's Shadow can corrupt eligible human lords and bring them into his service as Daemon Princes. That is a campaign recruitment tool; it does not turn those characters into the Legion's customisable Legendary Lord.
Build around the daemonic host
The Shadow Legion can field daemon-heavy armies without the usual Warriors of Chaos limit on Gifted units per army. Gifts and recruitment access still govern what is available. Keep track of replacements before sending an army far from its supporting territory.
Use Be'lakor's melee strength and spells where the army can support him. Occupy enemy infantry with your line, then send mobile threats toward exposed missiles or a vulnerable flank. His large body makes concentrated enemy fire a reason to choose engagements carefully.
Base game, daemons, and the Everchosen
Be'lakor comes with Total War: Warhammer III. The Race Pack and Champions of Chaos do not unlock him, and owning him does not unlock Archaon or the four Champions. His Shadow Legion can take gifted daemonic units without the cap the other Warriors lords carry.
He is the first Daemon Prince, not the custom prince of the Legion of Chaos. Update 9.0 lets Archaon subjugate him after a defeat. That is a campaign rule. The novel in which he plots to take the Everchosen's place is a separate book, linked from the lore page.
First turns from Albion
CA's 2022 start on Albion puts Be'lakor on an island, so the first turns are about taking the nearby settlements and building a base before you look at the mainland. His Tzeentch manifestation's shadow rift is the long-distance answer: it lets the Shadow Legion strike far from Albion without a long sea journey.
Corrupting human lords with Be'lakor's Shadow adds Daemon Princes to your roster, so a war against a human neighbour can feed the army as well as the map. Keep at least one force ready to defend the home settlements while the main host travels.
A Short Victory gives the Path Through Shadows reward. Patch 9.0.5 made it shorten the cooldown of The Curser's Boon further and added campaign movement for all armies.
Questions
Is Be'lakor free in Total War: Warhammer III?
Yes. Be'lakor is included with the base game and leads the Shadow Legion in Immortal Empires. The Chaos Warriors Race Pack and Champions of Chaos are separate purchases for other Warriors of Chaos lords.
Can you play Be'lakor in the Realm of Chaos campaign?
No. He is an antagonist in the Realm of Chaos story; his playable campaign is in Immortal Empires.
Does Be'lakor have a limit on daemon units?
The Shadow Legion is free of the usual Warriors of Chaos limit on Gifted units per army. What you can recruit still depends on gifts and buildings.
Sources
- Patch 9.0.5 notes — store.steampowered.com
- Immortal Empires dedicated factions — totalwar.com
- Immortal Empires content ownership — SEGA — support.sega.com