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Total War Warhammer 3 Kislev faction guide: how to win with Kislev in campaign and on the battlefieldBear arms against Kislev’s enemies with our faction focus guide
Bear arms against Kislev’s enemies with our faction focus guide
Looking for a Total War: Warhammer 3 Kislev Guide?Slavic bear-buds Kislev are one of the most versatile factions inTotal War: Warhammer 3, offering powerful hybrid units, magic, and some of the best archers in the game. Kislev, like most factions inTotal War: Warhammer3, have more nuance than you might expect from their ‘Empire with Bears’ aesthetic. As such, we’ve put together a list of helpful pointers so you can get the most out of Kislev both on the battlefield and in campaign. For the Motherland!
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Note: if you’re after information on any of the other factions in the game, check out ourTotal War: Warhammer 3 factions tier list!
Kislev Roster guide
While the standard of infantry, cavalry and archers might hold true in traditional Total War, Warhammer 3 likes to make things a bit complicated with the addition of, say, giant elemental ice bears. Luckily, we’ve got your back. Find out how to get the most out of each unit on Kislev’s roster below.
Tzarina Katarin
While Katarin is no slouch in melee, she’s primarily a spellcaster, so you’ll want to avoid sending her in against anything elite without some support. That said, she’s hardy enough to stay near your frontline, providing support magic and leadership buffs. Especially - and this will become a theme as we go down the roster - if she’s on her polar bear mount.
Boris Ursus
An anti-large beast with several powerful passive and active skills, Boris is your daemon-dueling powerhouse. Send him after greater daemons, ogres, enemy elite cav, or anything bigger than regular infantry. You’ll get some extra mobility and hit points out of his special bear mount, Urskin, but be mindful this will also make Boris vulnerable to other anti-large units.
Kostaltyn
Not particularly gifted at either magic or melee, Kostaltyn is the apparent weakest of Kislev’s three legendary lords; but he does have a few tricks up his ragged sleeves. While regular Patriarch heroes have access to one prayer, Kostalytn can use all three. That’s an AOE heal, a vigor regen, and a melee attack buff, as well as the standard leadership and charge bonuses. Keep him behind your frontline as a support, or pop him on a mount with some bear cav to buff their charges.
Boyar
Kislev’s standard melee lord, the Boyar is an anti-infantry fighter with good armor, and a boost to melee defense should he drop below 50% HP. A solid tank for supporting your frontline.
Ice Witch/Frost Maiden (Ice/Tempest)
With a lord and hero variant for each of Kislev’s two unique lores of magic, all four of these characters play a similar role. Though each is more mobile and defensive on their bear mount, you’ll want to avoid combat wherever possible. We’ll look more into their magicbelow.
Patriarch
Similar to Kostaltyn, the Patriarch is a support hero with access to one of three prayers. Nothing too exciting, but a rare source of healing on Kislev’s roster, so still worth considering.
Kossars (Standard/Spears)
The most basic infantry unit on Kislev’s roster, and also the first of the hybrid units that define their playstyle, Kossars are the rare archers that won’t immediately crumble in melee. Their bows grant them a wide firing arc, which means placing them behind other infantry won’t block line of sight. Standard Kossars do better in melee against infantry, while spears can brace against cavalry or large unit charges, making them ideal for protecting your flanks until you can replace them with something better.
Armored Kossars (Mace/Axe)
Your mid tier frontline for Kislev, Armored Kossars aren’t incredible damage dealers, but can hold the line well against non-armour piercing assaults. They pack a short ranged precursor pistol to pepper enemies on the approach, and if you spread your frontline wide enough, you can use any occupied Kossars to unload their pistols into engaged enemy’s flanks without disrupting your lines too much. Two variants, again. Axe and shield for blocking missile fire, mace for dealing armor piercing damage.
Tzar Guard (Greatsword/Shielded)
Kislev’s elite infantry. No ranged capabilities, but incredible frontline staying power. Use greatsword for mulching through infantry, and shielded for soaking up missile damage.
Streltsi
Strelsi rock an impressive - although potentially impractical - axe/rifle combo. You still don’t necessarily want to be using Streltsi as your main melee contingent, at least until they run out of ammunition. But they can at least defend themselves against infantry charges. Their real damage potential is in their rifles, which have a straight firing arc and require line of sight to use. Use elevation if possible, or move them around to the enemy’s flanks or back once melee lines have been established.
Ice Guard (Glaive/Sword)
Kislev’s most elite infantry unit. Dangerous from range, and able to melt low tier units in melee. Not too much to be said here. Group two or three units together, wait for whatever you want to die to get in range, and right click.
Kossovite Dervishes
Horse Archers
Similarly vulnerable in any sort of melee, horse archers can still make a great early-game harassing unit. Use them to kite sections of an enemy army (The AI loves running after low threats), or to fire into the backs of foes engaged in melee to give your infantry an edge.
Winged Lancers/Gryphon Legion
These shock cavalry units play the same role as any other in Total War - the hammer to your infantry’s anvil. Send them around the flanks, wait until battle lines are drawn, and get those rear charges off. Wait a moment or two for the full impact of the charge to register, pull out, line up, and repeat. Winged Lancers are a touch squishy. Gryphon Legion stand up much better to a protracted melee, but you’ll still want to keep them mobile and charging if possible.
War Bear Riders
Your anti-large monstrous cavalry choice for Kislev. Definitely no slouch against infantry, especially with their ability to cause Fear, potentially making an enemy route earlier than they otherwise would. But their real strength is against enemy monsters and cavalry. In campaign, you’ll want to grab the tech that gives them Frenzy, granting some serious combat buffs.
Little Grom
War Sleds (Light/Heavy)
Snow Leopard
The fastest unit in Kislev’s roster, with an anti-large bonus, ideal for chasing down mid-tier cavalry, or disrupting archer lines.
Elemental Bear
While not a huge damage dealer, a 10k health pool and terror causing ability makes the Elemental Bear a great frontline anti-infantry bulwark, with a frostbite causing breath attack to take the momentum out of oncoming enemy charges.
Kislev Magic spells list
Kislev’s magic comes in two flavors: the lore of ice, and the lore of tempest. While each has its uses, they’re extremely powerful when used in unison with the rest of Kislev’s roster. Read on for a breakdown of each spell.
Ice spells:
Tempest spells:
Kislev battle tactics
We’ve looked at each unit in the Kislev roster, and the two unique lores of magic Kislev have at their disposal. So, how do you combine it all to make Kislev a formidable force on the battlefield? Here are some general tips to get the most out of Kislev.
Make the enemy come to you
Bring out the bears
Kislev’s frontline troops are solid, but with the exception of the Tzar Guard, they aren’t the best damage dealers - especially when up against more melee focused factions like Khorne. Ice Guard can deal great damage in melee, but low armor and defense means they aren’t suited to line holding. Keep some bear cav and war sleds in reserve, and once the enemy hits your front line, move them around the flanks to disrupt enemy missiles and swing melee engagements in your favor.
Don’t underestimate the lowly Kossar
Kislev campaign tactics
No matter which Legendary Lord you choose with Kislev, you’ll be using similar campaign mechanics. Here’s a brief overview of each, as well as how to get the most out of it during your Kislev campaign.
The Motherland
Kislev, Erengrad, and Praag
The Ice Court
The Ice Court is simple to use; just make sure you recruit spellcasters and lords from here rather than their basic building chains if possible, as they’ll end up far more powerful in the long run.
Atamans
Another easy to use system that grants you one governor for every two provinces you control. They are able to confer income, control, or corruption bonuses across those provinces. As a side note, corruption is much more impactful in Warhammer 3, for Kislev especially. Any edge you can get to reduce it shouldn’t be underestimated.
That covers it for getting the most out of Kislev! While they favour a ranged, defensive playstyle, the roster is versatile enough to respond to most situations. Kislev’s campaign is one of the more thematic, and challenging, campaigns in the game, and sure to be a fan favorite. Looking for more tips? Check out ourTotal War: Warhammer 3 beginner’s guideto kickstart your campaign. Or, If you want to know more about the game, here’s ourTotal War: Warhammer 3 review.
