Plan a hero-only campaign in Total War: WARHAMMER by picking a faction with robust hero options and managing an army entirely made up of heroes. Skaven—led by Throt and later boosted by Ghoritch—stands out as a prime example, thanks to its high hero capacity and diverse hero roster. This guide details how to expand your hero stack, survive tough openings, fight effectively with heroes only, and maximize growth until the strategy hits its natural limits.
Quick answer
| What | Answer |
|---|---|
| Best faction example | Skaven with Throt and Ghoritch |
| Starting army | 1 hero |
| First hero buildings | Tier 2 for assassins and chieftains, tier 3 for most others |
| Army size target | 13 heroes |
| Hero cap milestone | 20 heroes |
| Allowed battle support | Summons and reinforcements by spending supplies |
| Long-term limit | One army only |
Allowed battle support changed in a previous patch. Both summons and supply-spending reinforcements are permitted, even if some challenge runs only allow the former.
Choose a faction with enough hero options
A hero-only campaign needs a faction with lots of hero types and ways to raise hero caps fast. Most factions only offer three or five heroes, which isn't enough for a full stack or varied play. The Skaven are the best fit for this challenge—they bring seven distinct hero types, offering a deep pool for recruitment and tactical flexibility.
For this approach, Throt is the ideal lord. He starts with one hero and quickly builds synergy as more heroes are recruited. Once Ghoritch joins the army later, the stack hits a new combat threshold, allowing for tougher fights and more aggressive expansion.
Survive the opening with a tiny hero stack
Start a hero-only run with minimal units—typically just the lord and a single hero. It's critical not to take on the first enemy army directly, as this force can't compete with a proper stack. Instead, use the following checklist:
- Army now consists of the lord and one hero
- Retreat; don't try to win outnumbered 0:30
- Increases survivability and helps early combat
- Builds experience, levels heroes faster
If a hero is lost in early battles, replace them as soon as you can with newly unlocked hero types.
Rush the buildings that unlock more heroes
Rapid growth is key—expand your hero roster as fast as possible by focusing on hero recruitment buildings. Tier 2 settlements unlock assassins and chieftains, and unlocking tier 3 buildings expands most remaining hero options:
- Prepares for tier 2 hero recruitment buildings 3:25
- Unlocks assassins and chieftains rapidly
- Expands roster to sorcerers, warlock engineers, packmasters and others
- Adds new hero types, triples the army size
Fight by pinning units and deleting key targets
Combat with only heroes is very different from classic armies. Instead of flanking or hammer-and-anvil tactics, you rely on the durability and damage of your heroes:
- Heroes are grouped and thrown into clumps of enemy infantry, using their high stats to grind down foes.
- Flanking is less effective; blobbing the heroes together maximizes their effectiveness and lets you focus on dangerous targets.
- Enemy lords and heroes should always be the first priority. Assassins are especially useful here.
- Missile units must be tied up—heroes should move quickly to disrupt ranged units so they don't damage your stack freely.
- Summons are essential: Menace Below, rat ogres, and wolf rats offer expendable bodies for distraction and extra pressure, especially against missiles and large enemy units.
Use all available summons and reinforcements allowed by the game. Don't constrain yourself to challenge rules if the game's current patch allows more options.
Use settlements to grow unit cap
Expand your hero stack by capturing settlements that provide extra hero recruitment capacity. Each new settlement boosts your army’s potential size and lets you build more hero recruitment structures:
- Creates a recruitment base for more heroes 3:25
- Lets you build tier 2 and 3 hero structures sooner
- Expands hero unit cap, allowing more recruitment
- Army is now large enough to attempt major quests 8:11
- Pushing for full size; be aware of unit cap limits
Always check the hero cap for each settlement and plan your next conquest to maximize recruitment options.
Handle tough enemies by retreating and ambushing
When facing strong enemy stacks, don't try to win every fight—use retreat, ambush stance, and replenishment time to stack the odds:
- Even a 90% ambush can fail 1:29
- Save your hero stack and regroup 6:48
- Enemy armies can't replenish as quickly as heroes
- Punishes enemy stacks that linger 7:45
Ambush stance is especially powerful with hero-only stacks—enemy AI stacks will often walk right into traps if you position well.
Finish the campaign by removing the dangerous neighbors
The late-game strategy is to eliminate factions that pose major threats and secure objectives. After the quest battle, Ghoritch joins, increasing your stack’s power dramatically. The Whip of Domination quest is completed with the help of ally armies, marking another milestone. Kislev is gradually pushed back and its settlements taken, after which the remaining elf faction (Wargrove of Woe) becomes the new target, ensuring no dangerous neighbors survive.
The campaign ends with Wargrove of Woe destroyed and most short-victory objectives completed. At this point, further expansion becomes untenable—a single hero-only stack cannot stand against multi-army opponents like the late-game Empire.
Once your hero stack hits the 20-unit limit and regional threats are gone, the campaign struggles to scale against factions with multiple armies. Consider ending the run here or switching tactics.
Also worth knowing
- Skaven's small stack is part of the fun — running a hero-only campaign as Skaven is an intentional challenge, since their lore is about overwhelming numbers. The tiny stack plays against that reputation.
- "Bell Polisher" became the signature insult — in campaign lore, "bell polisher" is used repeatedly for elf enemies and stuck with the run as a recurring joke.
- Vampire Counts (Isabella von Carstein) are another strong candidate — hero-only armies can thrive thanks to regeneration and hero buffs, making Vampire Counts a potentially easier variant.
- Other factions worth considering — Markus Wulfhart (Empire), Archaon and Be'lakor (Chaos), and Clan Eshin (Skaven) all support heavy hero runs via unique recruitment or hero buffs.
Frequently asked
Which faction works best for a hero-only campaign in Total War: Warhammer?
Skaven is the strongest example because it has unusually high hero variety and hero-cap support. Throt is a strong leader choice because he can grow a compact army into a dangerous force with early recruitment and summons. Ghoritch later pushes the army closer to a true full stack.
How do you start surviving with only heroes?
Pull back from the first enemy army and avoid taking a direct fight with the starting force. Recruit a second lord early, use hero actions for experience, and rush tier 2 and tier 3 hero buildings so the army can grow fast enough to fight back.
Can a hero-only army win sieges and field battles?
Yes, but it works best by clumping heroes together, pinning infantry, and killing enemy lords and heroes first. Summons help a lot, especially against missiles and large targets, while cavalry and elite stacks become the main danger.
Is hero-only play actually strong late game?
It becomes much harder once enemy factions can field multiple armies at once. A single hero stack can beat many battles, but it cannot cover the map the way a normal multi-army campaign can.
Read next
Total War: Warhammer 3 Settlement Building Guide: Growth vs Income and Build Order
This guide explains how settlement stats, building priorities, and province layout work together in Total War: Warhammer 3. It is for players who want a practical way to develop provinces without wasting slots or slowing their campaign.
Total War: Warhammer 3 Confederation Guide: How to Confederate, Cooldowns and Penalties
Confederation depends on diplomacy, faction strength, and the current war state. Use the right mix of relations, pressure, and timing to absorb minor and major factions without wrecking your own campaign pace.
Total War: Warhammer 3 Corruption Guide: Types and Cures
This plan covers how corruption works, how each type affects regions and factions, and how to spread or remove it efficiently. It is for players who want to use corruption deliberately instead of treating it as background pressure.
Total War: Warhammer 3 Siege Guide 2026: How to Attack and Defend Settlements
This guide covers a fast settlement-siege tactic built around drawing defenders away from the victory point and capturing it with a small mobile force. It is for players who want to end sieges quickly, especially when autoresolve or prolonged assaults are undesirable.