Let's be real. If you’re playing Total War: Warhammer 3, you’ve probably stared at the map of the Dark Lands and wondered if the Forge of the Chaos Dwarfs DLC is actually worth the price of admission. It’s expensive. It’s complicated. And honestly, the first time you open the UI for the Hell-Forge, it looks more like a spreadsheet for a logistics company than a fantasy wargame. But here is the thing: the Dawi-Zharr are the most complete, flavor-rich, and utterly broken faction Creative Assembly has ever put into the game.
They aren't just "Dwarfs with hats and fire." That’s a massive misconception.
The Chaos Dwarfs represent a fundamental shift in how you play Total War. Usually, you just paint the map your color and build the same three buildings everywhere. With these guys? You’re managing a delicate, brutal ecosystem of Laborers, Raw Materials, and Armaments. It is stressful. It’s rewarding. It’s arguably the peak of the series' campaign design.
How the Warhammer 3 Chaos Dwarfs Economy Actually Works (and why it's terrifying)
Most factions in Warhammer 3 care about gold. Gold buys units, gold builds walls. For the Chaos Dwarfs, gold is basically pocket change. It’s the least important thing you have. Your entire empire runs on the backs of "Laborers." Let’s call them what they are: slaves. You get them by winning battles or buying them from the Convoy system. If you stop fighting, your economy dies. It’s that simple.
You take these Laborers and shove them into Mining outposts. These mines produce Raw Materials. Then, you take those materials and ship them to Factory settlements. The Factories turn the raw gunk into Armaments.
Armaments are the literal blood of your war machine.
You don't just "recruit" high-tier units like the K'daai Destroyer or the Dreadquake Mortar. You have to unlock the capacity for them using Armaments in the Hell-Forge. Want two units of Bull Centaurs? That’ll cost you. Want ten? You better have a massive industrial complex humming in the background. This creates a natural "power curve" that feels way more earned than just waiting for a tier-5 building to finish. You start the game with a bunch of Goblins and basic Orcs. They are trash. They're meant to die. They are the meat shield that protects your precious, limited Dawi-Zharr warriors while you build up the industry to support a real army.
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The Tower of Zharr is basically a game of political backstabbing
While you're busy managing mines, there is this whole other layer called the Tower of Zharr. It’s a political mini-game where the different Chaos Dwarf factions—Astragoth Ironhand, Drazhoath the Ashan, and Zhatan the Black—vie for seats in a literal tiered tower.
Each seat gives you insane buffs. We’re talking about army-wide fire resistance, extra recruitment slots, or massive boosts to research speed. But here’s the kicker: other factions can kick you out of your seat. You use "Conclave Influence" to buy these spots. It creates this weird tension where you want to help your fellow Chaos Dwarfs to keep the race strong, but you also want to screw them over to grab the top-tier "District" bonuses. It’s petty. It’s flavorful. It’s exactly how the lore describes their society.
The Three Legendary Lords: Who should you actually play?
Don't just pick based on who looks coolest. Well, actually, you can, because they all look awesome. But they play very differently.
Astragoth Ironhand is the High Priest of Hashut. He’s the oldest living Sorcerer-Prophet. Because Chaos Dwarf magic eventually turns the caster into stone, Astragoth has built himself a mechanical mech-suit to keep moving. He’s a beast. In the early game, he is arguably the strongest because he gets massive bonuses to Conclave Influence and can rush the Tower of Zharr faster than anyone else. He’s a hybrid caster/melee lord who can basically solo entire armies if you cycle-charge his mechanical legs correctly.
Then there’s Drazhoath the Ashan. He starts way down south in the Black Fortress. His campaign is arguably the hardest because he’s surrounded by enemies, but his late-game potential is terrifying. He focuses on the K'daai units—demonic constructs made of fire and iron. If you like the idea of a flying caster on a Cinderbreath Great Taurus, he's your guy.
Finally, you have Zhatan the Black. He’s the "simple" one. He serves Ghorth the Cruel and focuses on industry and convoys. He gets more Laborers, more capacity, and can field more of the terrifying artillery pieces earlier. If you just want to blow things up with Earthshaker rounds, Zhatan is the move.
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Real Talk: The Unit Roster is a Power Trip
We have to talk about the Dreadquake Mortar. It’s not just a catapult. It’s a tactical nuke. When that shell hits a unit of Empire Swordsmen, the unit doesn't just "take damage." It disappears. The screen shakes. The sound design is incredible.
The roster is built on the concept of "Quality over Quantity" (except for the Goblins).
- The Chaff: Hobgoblins. They’re better than regular Goblins because they have a specific tech tree under the legendary hero Gorduz Backstabber. Seriously, if you play this faction, get Gorduz immediately. He turns basic archers into death-dealing machines.
- The Core: Chaos Dwarf Warriors and Blunderbusses. The Blunderbusses are arguably the best ranged infantry in the entire game. They have short range, but they fire a spray of lead that deletes monsters and lords in seconds.
- The Monsters: K'daai Fireborn and Bull Centaur Renders. These are your hammers. They are fast, tanky, and hit like a freight train.
- The Trains: Literal demon-trains. The Iron Daemon and Skullcracker are mobile artillery/chariot hybrids. They take a lot of micromanagement to use effectively, but watching a train plow through a line of Elves is peak Warhammer.
What people get wrong about the Dawi-Zharr
A lot of players complain that the Chaos Dwarfs are "too slow" to start. They get frustrated because they can't field a full stack of elite units by turn 20. But that's the point. You are playing a faction that is meant to feel like a rising industrial superpower.
The biggest mistake is over-expanding. In Warhammer 3, the Chaos Dwarfs suffer if they take too much territory too fast. Why? Because every new settlement requires Laborers to be productive. If you have 20 settlements but only 500 Laborers, your efficiency drops to zero. Your public order will tank. You will face revolts.
Instead, you need to play "Tall." Identify the settlements with special resources—like marble or iron—and build them up into massive industrial hubs. Use the rest as outposts just to funnel resources back to the center. It’s a hub-and-spoke model. If you try to play them like Khorne or the Greenskins, you will go bankrupt and your towers will crumble.
Another nuance: The Lore of Hashut. People sleep on this magic tree. Ash Storm is a spell that reduces enemy speed and accuracy. Use it on a unit of high-tier archers, and they become useless. Hell Hammer is a directional template that melts armor. It’s not as flashy as a Foot of Gork, but it’s surgical. Use it.
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The Strategy for Total Domination
If you want to win a Chaos Dwarf campaign on Legendary or Very Hard, you have to master the Convoy system. These are basically the Cathay Caravans but better. You send a caravan boss out to trade Armaments or Laborers for Gold or other resources.
But the real secret? The items.
The convoys can bring back unique items and followers that are incredibly powerful. There is an item you can get from the Ogre Kingdoms trade route that gives a massive boost to casualty replenishment. Since Chaos Dwarfs have notoriously slow replenishment, this is a game-changer.
Also, prioritize the "Hell-Forge" upgrades for your Blunderbusses and Fireglave units first. Giving them Shieldbreaker or Extra Powder makes your defensive lines unbreakable. You want the enemy to melt before they even touch your beards.
Dealing with the "Green Tide"
Your biggest threat is usually Grimgor Ironhide. He starts right next to the Chaos Dwarf homelands and he hates you. In the early game, Grimgor is a nightmare. He will bring three full stacks of Orcs to your doorstep before you’ve even built your first Factory.
The trick? Use your Hobgoblin Khan heroes to scout. If you see Grimgor coming, bait him into an ambush. Chaos Dwarfs have a decent ambush success rate. If you can catch Grimgor in a forest and unload your Blunderbusses into his flank, you can win. If you fight him in an open field early on? Good luck. You’ll need it.
Actionable Next Steps for your Chaos Dwarf Campaign
To truly master the Warhammer 3 Chaos Dwarfs, you need to stop thinking like a general and start thinking like a CEO.
- Focus on Gorduz Backstabber immediately. He is a legendary hero unlocked via a mission early in the campaign. Put him in an army full of Hobgoblin archers and wolf riders. This army will cost almost nothing and can carry you through the first 40 turns.
- Balance your provinces. Never put two Mines in the same province without a Factory nearby, or you’ll waste the "Efficiency" bonuses. Check the settlement icons carefully; some provinces are naturally better for one or the other.
- Don't ignore the "Armaments" cost of recruitment. It's tempting to increase your unit caps as soon as you have the points. Don't. Wait until you have the economy to actually buy the units once the cap is raised.
- Use the "Steal Technology" action. Your heroes are great at this. The Chaos Dwarf tech tree is massive and takes forever to climb. Use your Sorcerer-Prophets to speed it up.
- Sell your Laborers if you have to. If you’re drowning in slaves but have no money, use the Convoy system to sell them to the Ogres. It’s a quick way to fund a new building tier.
The Chaos Dwarfs are a high-micro, high-reward faction. They require more brainpower than almost any other race in the game. But once you see a line of Dreadquake Mortars firing in sync while your K'daai Destroyers tear through a line of Bretonnian Knights, you’ll realize why they’re the gold standard for DLC content. Just watch your back in the Tower of Zharr. Your "allies" are just enemies who haven't turned into stone yet.