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No canonical tier order exists for Immortal Empires’ Legendary Lords as of Update 9.0 and Hotfix 9.0.2, and the third-party tier guide discussed below predates the September 2026 content. This article therefore does not publish a full ranked order. Instead, it explains what changed, which existing placements can serve as a reference, the criteria a campaign tier should weigh, and which Lords you can actually play in Total War: WARHAMMER III.
What this ranking measures
A Legendary Lord tier list for Immortal Empires ranks campaign strength, not multiplayer battle power. A Lord can be a strong campaign opener and still be a poor choice for a head-to-head battle, so keep those two questions separate.
A tier list of this kind is editorial analysis, not an official Creative Assembly ranking. The Lord you pick can move a faction’s tier, because the same faction plays very differently under different Legendary Lords. DLC ownership also decides which options exist at all.
The patch baseline for this article is Update 9.0, released alongside Lords of the End Times in September 2026, and Hotfix 9.0.2, released October 1, 2026. Check the official patch notes before relying on any placement. Lord reworks, starting positions and campaign rules are the parts most likely to change.
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What changed in the roster and patch
Lords of the End Times and the free update
- SEGA Europe and Creative Assembly announced on September 24, 2026 that Lords of the End Times adds four DLC Lords: Nagash, Boris Todbringer, the Glottkin and Thanquol.
- Neferata arrives as a Legendary Lord through the free Update 9.0, not through the DLC.
- The same free update brings a Vampire Counts and Archaon rework, new End Game Scenarios, and updated Victory Conditions for every legacy Legendary Lord.
Daemonic Re-Emergence and Archaon options
Update 9.0 introduces Daemonic Re-Emergence. According to the Creative Assembly release notes, defeated Daemonic factions, including Legendary Lords, can return to the map after a number of turns in provinces with high appropriate corruption. The update also adds Archaon options to subjugate certain Chaos Lords, and to recruit some defeated Chaos Lords that were not subjugated, after a battle.
Both mechanics change how permanent a Chaos defeat is. If you rank Archaon or any Chaos faction, do not treat a beaten opponent as permanently removed.
Hotfix 9.0.2
Hotfix 9.0.2 adjusts victory conditions for Legendary Lords whose starting positions can change, alongside numerous fixes. It is a targeted set of changes, not a rebalance of every Lord. Treat its victory-condition notes as relevant to campaign objectives, and recheck any placement that depends on a victory condition.
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Why each new Legendary Lord reshapes the field
The Update 9.0 release notes contain this sentence: “Every additional Legendary Lord added to the Immortal Empires map means another faction will meet their end relatively early in the campaign.” The notes do not identify an individual speaker, so attribute the line to the release notes.
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In practice, early-game threat is the axis most likely to move. Any ranking built on starting positions from before September 2026 needs to be rechecked against the expanded roster, because the new Lords change who a faction has to survive early on.
How much to trust the existing references
| Source | Date | What it covers | How to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEGA Europe and Creative Assembly announcement | September 24, 2026 | Lords of the End Times roster and the free update | Roster facts only; it contains no ranking |
| Creative Assembly Update 9.0 release notes | September 2026 | Daemonic Re-Emergence, Archaon options, End Game Scenarios | Mechanics that change campaign context |
| Hotfix 9.0.2 notes | October 1, 2026 | Victory-condition adjustments and fixes | Check placements tied to victory objectives |
| EarlyGuides Immortal Empires tier page | Last updated September 5, 2026 | Campaign-strength tiers and methodology | Criteria and examples; predates Update 9.0 |
| Costin Gaming video | 2024 | A ranking for Patch 5.0 | Historical context only; predates several later updates |
The EarlyGuides page places Thorgrim, Kairos and Skarbrand in its S tier. Because the page was last updated before Update 9.0 and Lords of the End Times, treat those placements as a pre-update reference rather than current standing.
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The criteria a Legendary Lord tier should weigh
A credible campaign tier shows its working. These six axes are the ones a campaign ranking should explain, and each should be weighted for the player you are writing for.
Starting position and nearby threats
Rank starts by who shares a border with the Lord and how soon those neighbours can attack, not by how strong the start looks on the map.
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Separate what a Lord does in battle from what the Lord does on the campaign map. A strong battle unit and a strong campaign ability are different scores, and a tier should show which one drives the placement.
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Faction economy and mechanics
Income, upkeep and faction-specific mechanics determine how fast a campaign grows. Judge them across the whole campaign, not only the opening turns.
Roster strength and weaknesses
Note which units the faction can recruit early and late, and where the roster runs thin. A faction with a strong opening and a shallow late roster should score differently from one with a slow start and a deep roster.
Snowball potential
Some factions gain momentum once they take key provinces. Score how well a Lord turns an early win into lasting territory.
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Difficulty and forgiveness
A Lord who is forgiving on one difficulty can be punishing on another. State the difficulty your ranking assumes, and score beginner-friendliness separately rather than mixing it into raw campaign power.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which Lords you can play: an access checklist
Owning a Lord’s faction is not enough on its own. Access depends on which game or DLC you own and on the storefront client that holds it.
Quick Recap
- Start with Total War: WARHAMMER III. Owning it grants Immortal Empires access and the base races and Lords included with that game.
- For any other race or Lord, identify the prior game or DLC that unlocks it. Nagash, Boris Todbringer, the Glottkin and Thanquol come through the Lords of the End Times DLC, while Neferata comes through the free update.
- Confirm the content is owned on the same client, whether Steam, Epic or Microsoft/Game Pass.
- If you are missing a Warhammer or Warhammer II DLC, you can buy that DLC without owning its base game to unlock its Lords in WARHAMMER III.
- Check SEGA Support’s ownership guide for the exact Lord before buying. Do not assume a Lord named in an announcement is included with the base game.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
