# Total War: Warhammer 3 Hero-Only Campaign: How Far Heroes Alone Can Carry You > Plan a hero-only campaign around factions that can grow hero capacity quickly, with Skaven and Throt as the core example. The sections focus on early survival, hero recruitment, settlement expansion, and when the strategy starts to fall apart. - **Game:** Total War: Warhammer III - **Category:** Mechanics - **Author:** LongBeam (https://guides-factory.com/about) - **Difficulty:** Advanced - **Reading time:** 10 min - **Published:** 2026-09-11 - **Updated:** 2026-09-11 - **Tags:** Skaven, ambush, campaign, heroes, settlements, throt, unit cap, warhammer 3 hero only campaign - **Adapted from:** [Surviving a campaign with ONLY HEROES!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNS1bLsYtZI) - **Canonical URL:** https://guides-factory.com/guides/total-war-warhammer-hero-only-campaign-guide --- 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 |
Check in game 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:
  1. Army now consists of the lord and one hero
  2. Retreat; don't try to win outnumbered 0:30 ↗
  3. Increases survivability and helps early combat
  4. 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:
  1. Prepares for tier 2 hero recruitment buildings 3:25 ↗
  2. Unlocks assassins and chieftains rapidly
  3. Expands roster to sorcerers, warlock engineers, packmasters and others
  4. Adds new hero types, triples the army size
![Recruit Hero menu with Chieftain and Assassin options visible, including names Shab, Mechanigea, and Garer, with traits and recruitment costs shown.](https://api.guides-factory.com/media/uploads/2026/08/01-tier-2-buildings.jpg "The menu shows tier 2 heroes available for recruitment, illustrating when army expansion becomes possible.") ## 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. ![Battle screen showing several hero units in a tight melee clump among enemy infantry. Summons and magic effects are active, with missile units engaged and a wizard's stats visible on the left.](https://api.guides-factory.com/media/uploads/2026/08/06-hero-blob-fight.jpg "Hero-only combat often becomes a grind where clumping and summons do most of the work.")
Tip 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:
  1. Creates a recruitment base for more heroes 3:25 ↗
  2. Lets you build tier 2 and 3 hero structures sooner
  3. Expands hero unit cap, allowing more recruitment
  4. Army is now large enough to attempt major quests 8:11 ↗
  5. Pushing for full size; be aware of unit cap limits
![Settlement capture view for Fort Stragov with options to 'Loot & Occupy' or 'Expand Under-Empire', upgrade arrows, resource costs, and increase settlement level tooltip visible.](https://api.guides-factory.com/media/uploads/2026/08/02-fort-stragov.jpg "This screen shows the moment Fort Stragov is captured, with upgrade options and resource costs for raising its settlement level.")

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:
  1. Even a 90% ambush can fail 1:29 ↗
  2. Save your hero stack and regroup 6:48 ↗
  3. Enemy armies can't replenish as quickly as heroes
  4. Punishes enemy stacks that linger 7:45 ↗
![Campaign map with an army in ambush stance beside Fort Ostrosk. Ambush visual effects are visible, and enemy armies are positioned nearby.](https://api.guides-factory.com/media/uploads/2026/08/03-ambush-setup.jpg "An army is set in ambush stance next to a settlement, prepared to punish enemy stacks lingering nearby.")

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. ![Campaign map view with Ghoritch, a large rat ogre hero, standing outside a settlement and his name labeled above.](https://api.guides-factory.com/media/uploads/2026/08/04-ghoritch-joins.jpg "Ghoritch has joined the player's army, marking a major power spike in the campaign.") ![Siege battle screen showing Kislev under attack, with one Skaven force at the lower left and another at the lower right gate, unit details visible for Ghoritch.](https://api.guides-factory.com/media/uploads/2026/08/05-kislev-assault.jpg "The split army tactic is shown with two Skaven groups attacking Kislev from separate gates during the siege.") 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**. ![Campaign map showing the hero stack in front of a destroyed settlement, with faction banners and labels of nearby heroes and settlements visible.](https://api.guides-factory.com/media/uploads/2026/08/07-campaign-end.jpg "The campaign concludes with the final enemy faction wiped out, showing the hero stack and completion of short-victory objectives.")
Timing gate 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
Before you try your own run - **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.
--- ## FAQ ### 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.