Best Total War: Warhammer 2 DLC: Get these expansions today!

One might imagine that deciding what the best Total War: Warhammer 2 DLC is would be an easy thing to settle. Truth is, though, that it's really not. With just under 20 major pieces of DLC released so far and going strong, there's a lot to unpack here! That's why we've brought this guide up-to-speed with the latest developments in Creative Assembly's Total War: Warhammer 2.

What we've got here is a very in-depth guide that pinpoints four of the best Total War: Warhammer 2 DLC expansions for you to consider. From zombie-pirates all the way to horrifically weaponized rats, we'll cover the greatest expansion packs this game has ever received. Really, though: if it's pointers on what DLC to buy for Total War: Warhammer 2, you've come to the right place!

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Best Total War: Warhammer 2 DLC: Curse of the Vampire Coast

What's cooler than vampires? Pirate vampires! That's why we have one of the best Total War: Warhammer 2 DLC – Curse of the Vampire Coast. This massive expansion pack introduced a whole bunch of sea-faring factions to the game. Not to mention some terrifying sea monsters.

But that's not all Curse of the Vampire Coast brings to the table. Far from it, actually. It allows you to play as one of the 4 new Legendary Lords. Each one of them leading a different set of units and sporting fresh new powers. Furthermore, each Legendary Lord comes with a unique and upgradable ship. That ought to give you some edge on the landlubbers. There is also a completely new school of magic introduced called the Lore of the Deep. But we'll talk more about it in a minute.

Of course, Curse of the Vampire Coast brings along a unique tech tree. It will allow you to expand your empire in ways you couldn't have imagined before. There are also 8 new Regiments of Renown introduced. Finally, it introduces a whole new bunch of campaign mechanics for you to master. So let's break down Curse of the Vampire Coast part by part and see what makes it one of the best Total War: Warhammer 2 DLCs to get in 2020.

Curse of the Vampire Coast Legendary Lords

Lord Harkon is the first of the Legendary Lords available in Curse of the Vampire Coast. He is the leader of the entire Vampiric Coast faction whose mind was shattered into pieces after a failed raid against a Lizardmen temple. Now he is sailing in search of artefacts that could help him piece it together. In the battlefield, Lord Harkon is a ranged infantry unit which doesn't start off as a spellcaster. Instead, he has to complete a quest to unlock access to Lore of the Deep.

Count Noctilus, leader of the Dreadfleet, is the second playable Legendary Lord in Curse of the Vampire Coast. Count Noctilus is a powerful mage who raised the shattered remains of a sunken warship to form the hull of his warship – the Bloody Reaver. Now, reborn anew, he raids the seas of mortals. In the field, Count Noctilus starts off as a melee unit, and can grow in an immensely powerful spellcaster with access to Lore of Vampires and Lore of Shadow.

Aranessa Saltspite is the leader of Pirates of Sartosa and the third Legendary Lord of Curse of the Vampire Coast. She is the most feared of pirate captains, and most respected. In combat, Aranessa Saltspite is a fearless warrior who brings great inspiration to her units.

Finally, the last Legendary Lord introduced in Curse of the Vampire Coast is Cylostra Direfin. She is the ghostly leader of The Drowned, a fearsome army of the undead. In the battlefield she servers as an enabler of magical attacks of her army. Cylostra Direfin also has access to Lore of the Deep, allowing the use of many spells.

Lore of the Deep spells

Lore of the Deep is the new type of magic introduced with Curse of the Vampire Coast. Unsurprisingly, it focuses on the water-based spells. It also features some very good crowd controlling spells in its repertoire. Here is a brief overview of each.

• Tidecall – a breath type spell that targets an area of the ground and causes moderate magical damage, along with disrupting unit formations, and applying a movement speed penalty.
• Spiteful Shot – an augment spell that imbues the target with magical damage and great accuracy bonus.
• Fog of the Damned – an area hex which lowers the leadership and melee attacks of those affected.
• Denizens of the Deep – a summoning spell that will call forth a rotting promethean to fight for you.
• Kraken's Pull – a vortex spell that pulls in all affected units and drastically lowers their movement speed.
• Vangheist's Revenge – a wind spell that causes massive magical damage and pushes the affected units in desired direction.

Curse of the Vampire Coast units

As is expected from one of the best Total War: Warhammer 2 DLC, Curse of the Vampire coast brings a big selection of new units. Of course, there are the aforementioned four new Legendary Lords, but there is so much more than that.

However, there are also the 6 new Lords, each with their own attributes. You'll find them wielding combinations of either a polearm weapon or pistols and different types of magic, including Lore of the Vampires, Lore of the Deep, and Lore of the Death.

Curse of the Vampire Coast units also include 5 new heroes with skills that will prove invaluable on the battlefield. There are also 5 new types of melee infantry, and 5 new types of missile infantry. To spice things up, Curse of the Vampire Coast introduces 4 new types of monstrous infantry. Of course, there are also the 3 new types of flying missile cavalry and 3 new types of artillery. Finally, we have the 6 new types of monsters and beasts. That totals for over 30 new types of units you recruit!

New Curse of the Vampire Coast mechanics

Curse of the Vampire coast adds many new mechanics to the game. The first one of which are the upgradable ships. It allows your Legendary Lords to build up their flagship which then provides great bonuses. Both in combat and in campaign map.

And what good is a pirate who is not infamous? Infamy is a new mechanic that puts you at the bottom of the infamy list and lets you fight your way to the top. Win battles, draw out and kill rivals to increase it. Along the way you'll also find the verses of an ancient sea shanty. Collect them all and you can summon the Ocean God.

In a true pirate fashion you can also find treasure maps and create pirate coves. Treasure maps will allow you to search for gold, treasure, and infamy by solving riddles. You can often find them in abandoned settlements and buried in the sands. Besieging a settlement will allow you to establish a pirate cove that will generate income and infamy.

Best Total War: Warhammer 2 DLC: Rise of the Tomb Kings

Did you ever think that Warhammer needs a bit more of an Egyptian flare? If so, do we have some great news for you in form of one of the best Total War: Warhammer 2 DLC in 2020. Rise of the Tomb Kings is a major expansion bringing a lot of additions to the base game.

First and foremost, Rise of the Tomb Kings brings 4 new playable Legendary Lords. Each of them leads a different faction you can take control of. But most importantly, and what makes Rise of the Tomb Kings one of the best DLCs, is the amount of new mechanics they introduce to the game. We'll cover those in a second.

Furthermore, in addition to regiments of renown, the Tomb Kings factions have access to Legions of Legends in the campaign. 6 of them, to be more precise. Of course, with new factions come new units, all of which have one very special twist to them. So let's take a look at that, and more, and find out what makes Rise of the Tomb Kings one of the best Total War: Warhammer 2 DLC you can get.

Rise of the Tomb Kings Legendary Lords

The Khemri faction in Rise of the Tomb Kings is led by Settra the Imperishable, the first of Legendary Lords. Settra the Imperishable is a ruthless leader who once ruled the greatest kingdom of men the world has known. More importantly, he is powerful spellcaster, but also very adept in melee combat. He particularly excels in taking down large and armoured units through the use of Lore of Nehekhara.

High Queen Khalida is the second of the Rise of the Tomb Kings Legendary Lords, and a leader of Court of Lybaras. High Queen Khalida is a warrior-queen who seeks to purge the corruption even in undeath. As a master duelist she excels at vanquishing her targets in one-on-one duels, making her perfect for destroying enemy lords and heroes. High Queen Khalida is also a master of poisons, coating her weapons in them to lower her victim's speed, damage, and vigour.

The third of the Legendary Lords introduced in Rise of the Tomb Kings is the leader of Exiles of Nehek – Grand Hierophant Khatep. Grand Hierophant Khatep is known as the Liche Lord, and possibly the oldest of the unliving creatures in existence. Ever since his banishment he wanders the desert in search of scrolls, inscriptions, and powerful relics that would restore his former kingdom to its righteous glory. He is an extremely powerful spellcaster who uses the Lore of Nehekhara to smite down his enemies.

Finally, we have Arkhan the Black, leader of the Followers of Nagash. He is a powerful necromancer and one of the nine Dark Lords. In battle, Arkhan the Black is a heavily armoured spellcaster who uses Lore of Death to bring down his opponents. He also provides his followers with major attack and defence bonuses and a boost to the Winds of Magic power.

Lore of Nehekhara spells

You don't qualify as one of the best Total War: Warhammer 2 DLC in 2020 without bringing something special to the table. And one of the things that works in Rise of the Tomb Kings' favour is the Lore of Nehekhara. A new type of magic focusing on manipulating the life force of both allies and enemies. Here are the brief descriptions of Lore of Nehekhara spells.

• Djaf's Incantation of Cursed Blades – a spell that gives an ally a boost to weapon and armour piercing damage, it can also be overcast to give a bonus against large enemies.
• Neru's Incantation of Protection – a powerful spell which grants a major physical resistance boost to a target ally, it can be overcast to increase the duration.
• Ptra's Incantation of Righteous Smiting – an area of effect spell which boosts armour piercing and regular missile damage for all the allies in an area, it can be overcast to increase the reload speed.
• Usirian's Incantation of Vengeance – a powerful hex that reduces melee and defence stats of all affected enemies in an area, it can be overcast to further improve its effectiveness.
• Sakhment's Incantation of the Skullstorm – a vortex spell which causes major magical damage in a medium-sized area which can be increased by overcasting it.

Rise of the Tomb Kings units

Along with the aforementioned 4 new Legendary Lords, Rise of the Tomb King units bring 1 new lord and 6 new heroes to the game. As far as the non-fancy Rise of the Tomb Kings units go, there is plenty to see.

First and foremost, Rise of the Tomb Kings introduces 5 new types of melee infantry and 1 new type of missile infantry. Rise of the Tomb Kings also introduces 4 new types of melee cavalry and 1 new type of missile cavalry. Don't get discouraged if that numbers seems low, you'll see what the trick to Rise of the Tomb Kings units is when we get to the part with new mechanics.

There is also a new new melee monstrous unit introduced along with 2 new missile monstrous units. There is also a completely new beast type. Finally, there are some rare units introduced in Rise of the Tomb Kings. They are 3 new rare monstrous units, 1 rare artillery monstrous unit, and 1 more rare magical monstrous unit. Finally, there are 3 new types of chariot units and 1 new artillery unit.

New Rise of the Tomb Kings mechanics

As mentioned before, Rise of the Tomb Kings introduces several new mechanics for the game. The first one is the so called Realm of Souls. Realms of Souls fills up a resource bar every time one of your units takes damage in battle. Once it fills up it allows for mass-healing of the army. You don't need me to tell you that can turn the tide of a battle in a flash. Furthermore, it also allows for the summoning of Ushabti, an extremely powerful construct.

One notable thing about Rise of the Tomb King factions is that they don't require money for their units. Meaning, they have no money cost tied to recruitment or upkeep. Instead, they have unit caps which can be increased through buildings and technology advancement.

Finally, through the secrets of the Mortuary Cult, Rise of the Tomb Kings factions can create unique items. Magic weapons, armour, talismans, and others can all be made that way. And if you can afford it, the Mortuary Cult will also resurrect Legions of Legends to serve you.

Best Total War: Warhammer 2 DLC: The Queen and The Crone

Now here is a big one. The Queen and the Crone earns its rightful place amongst the best Total War: Warhammer 2 DLC in 2020 by introducing not one, but whole two new subfactions. One of which belongs to the High Elves, and the other to the Dark Elves. It brings a lot of rivalry to the world of Warhammer. As if more of that was needed.

Of course, with the new subfactions come 2 new Legendary Lords, each one with a unique  mechanics. Not to mention that The Queen and the Crone introduces a whole new campaign mechanic we'll discuss in a moment.

Finally, The Queen and the Crone DLC introduces new units and a total of 16 new Regiments of Renown. The new Regiments of Renown can be found in both High Elf and Dark Elf factions.

The Queen and the Crone Legendary Lords

As the title suggests, The Queen and the Crone DLC introduces 2 new Legendary Lords. First, we have the queen. The leader of the Avelorn subfaction – Alarielle the Radiant. Alarielle the Radiant, known as the Everqueen, is the first of the queens to lead her armies into battle by herself rather than command them from behind the lines. Her power is that of nature itself, she is blessed by the light, and as such is the bane of all tainted creatures. Alarielle the Radiant is an expert spellcaster who can use more than one type of magic. Namely, she combines the powers of Lore of Life, Lore of Light, and Lore of High Magic.

The second of the Legendary Lords is her great rival, the titular crone called Crone Hellebron. Crone Hellebron is the Hag-Queen who has been denied the secret of eternal youth. But that doesn't mean she's not dangerous. Far from it. Crone Hellebron is the master of many ways of murder and death. She wields corruption so fierce that even a single touch of her can kill. Unlike her rival, Crone Hellebron doesn't use magic, instead preferring to take a more personal approach. And she is excellent at it.

The Queen and the Crone units

Granted, when talking about the pure number of new The Queen and the Crone units it brings, it isn't the most expansive DLC. Regardless, it is definitely up there when talking about quality and impact on the game. So don't let the numbers discourage you. In total, there are a total of 7 new The Queen and the Crone units.

3 of them are available for the High Elves. They consist of Handmaidens (a hero unit), the Sisters of Avelorn (infantry unit), and the Shadow Warriors (ranged infantry unit).

On the other side, we have 4 new units available for the Dark Elves. They are the Doomfire Warlocks (magical cavalry), the Sisters of Slaughter (infantry), the Supreme Sorceress (Lord unit), and the Kharibdyss (monster unit).

The Queen and the Crone new mechanic – Sword of Khaine

The Sword of Khaine, also known as The Widowmaker or The Godslayer, is an extremely powerful legendary item added with The Queen and the Crone DLC. The Sword of Khaine has an amazing history behind it, and I highly urge you to learn more about it if you're interested in the lore of the Warhammer universe.

But let's talk about how it works in the game. In order for The Sword of Khaine to be obtained one of the elven factions first must construct an Abandoned Shrine of Khaine and then upgrade it to Shrine of the Widowmaker. It has to be constructed by either High Elves, Wood Elves, or Dark Elves. The Sword of Khaine can change hands when its wielder is killed or wounded in battle.

Whoever wields the sword gains its powers. However, the sword also brings corruption to the faction it possesses it. It is worth noting that its power grows along with the corruption. Meaning the longer you posses it the higher the price for it, but also its power. It is a mighty weapon which gives its wielder massive armour-piercing damage, enables their magical attacks, gives them additional ward save chance, and melee attack damage. It also allow for the use of the special The Sword of Khaine vortex ability.

Best Total War: Warhammer 2 DLC: The Prophet and The Warlock

The Prophet and the Warlock DLC follows a similar pattern of the last mentioned DLC. However, it brings more bang for your buck in certain areas. As such, it is a very strong contender for the title of the best Total War: Warhammer 2 DLC in 2020. The Prophet and the Warlock DLC focuses on the factions of Lizardmen and Skaven. It brings a new subfaction for each of them.

Of course, with new subfaction additions come new Legendary Lords. Each of them bring a whole new mechanic for their respective factions. Not to mention a selection of new units available for each. There is also a total of 13 new Regiments of Renown available split between the factions.

The Prophet and the Warlock Legendary Lords

As mentioned, The Prophet and the Warlock Legendary Lords are a brand new addition in the DLC. There is one for each of the factions. Let's start with the Skaven Legendary Lord – Ikit Claw. Ikit Claw is an unrivaled Warlock Engineer who developed a great ability to command the Winds of Magic. His sole motivation is quite simple. Create his greatest design and unleash it upon the world - the Doomsphere. Ikit Claw isn't without use in the battlefield though. Being the powerful Warlock that he is, he commands the Skaven Spells of Ruin to bring down destruction upon his enemies.

The second of The Prophet and the Warlock Legendary Lords is Tehenhauin, leader of Lizardement Cult of Sotek faction. He is the prophet of the great Serpent-God Sotek, and will not rest until his arrival. Tehenhauin is a powerful spellcaster and a melee fighter who doesn't shy away from open-field conflicts. Be it by using his mastery of Lore of Beasts or by his sword. Tehenhauin is a prophet any of the gods would be lucky to have on their side.

The Prophet and the Warlock units

The Prophet and the Warlock DLC adds a total of 11 new units. Let's take a look at The Prophet and the Warlock units for the Skaven first. The Skaven receive the Warlock Master (lord unit), the Ratling Gun Weapons Team and the Warplock Jezzails (both missile infantry units), and the Doom-Flayers (war machine unit).

On the other side we have The Prophet and the Warlock units for the Lizardmen. They consist of the Red Crested Skink Chief (lord unit), the Red Crested Skinks and the Bastiladon (melee infantry units), the Salamander Hunting Pack and the Ancient Salamander (monstrous units), Ripperdactyl Riders (flying cavalry unit), and the Ancient Stegadon (support monster unit).

The Prophet and the Warlock new mechanics

The Prophet and the Warlock DLC adds new mechanics to each of the factions it introduces. For the Skaven Clan Skryre it is the ability of Ikit Claw. Ikit claw can upgrade Skaven Weapons team units, making them much more effective in combat.

As for the Lizardmen, the Cult of Sotek can perform several different rites in the campaign. They can also adapt the unique army stance which increases map vision and ambush chance called the Astromancy Stance. Finally, with enough sacrificial power the Cult of Sotek can invoke the power of Sotek himself.

Final Verdict!

We hope we've provided you with enough information for you to make an informed Warhammer 2 DLC purchasing decision! Now, we get it: we've gone into some serious depth on these matters, and the article may well seem too daunting for some to get through. If that's the case, don't worry too much. Here are the links to our favorite Total War: Warhammer 2 DLC for you to peruse:

• Rise of the Tomb Kings DLC
• The Queen and The Crone DLC
• Curse of the Vampire Coast DLC
• The Prophet and The Warlock DLC

On the other hand, if you'd prefer a more direct approach to picking and choosing your own set of DLCs, feel free to sift through our entire repertoire of post-launch content for the game. We assure you: it's quite comprehensive!

It wasn't too long ago that we did a similar DLC guide for Paradox grand strategy titles. If that's another area you're looking for tips on, be sure to give it a read!