Get the strongest artillery choices in Total War: Warhammer III, with a full ranking for each weapon class: ballista, catapult, cannon, mortar, flaming, repeating gun, magical, and war machine. Find the clear winners, key stats that make them dominant, and practical notes for battle and campaign.
Quick answer
| What | Answer |
|---|---|
| Best cannon | Ironblaster |
| Best mortar | Dreadquake Mortar |
| Best flaming artillery | Grudge Settler Flame Cannons |
| Best repeating gun artillery | Black Lions War Wagons with Hellblasters |
| Best magical artillery | Amethyst Helstorm Rocket Battery |
| Best war machine artillery | Gyrocopters Trollhammers, Grudge Settlers |
| Best ballista | Lothern Skycutters with bolt throwers |
Choose the best artillery by weapon type
Artillery in Total War: Warhammer III is divided by weapon category: ballistas, catapults, cannons, mortars, flaming, repeating gun, magical, and war machine artillery. Each group has a top-three podium, showing the best units and their faction or DLC availability.
Some entries are only unlockable through certain factions, downloadable content, or Regiment of Renown (RoR) upgrades. When picking a unit, check both its weapon traits and how you can recruit it. This ranking focuses on performance in most battles—campaign and multiplayer—and highlights the artillery pieces that stand out in destructive power, utility, and battlefield flexibility.
Pick the best ballista and catapult options
Here are the strongest siege-range artillery units in the ballista and catapult categories.
| Type | Top Pick | Second Place | Third Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballista | Lothern Skycutters (Bolt Throwers)2:54 | Snot Gobbler's Death Thrower (RoR Goblin Bolt Thrower)1:30 | Stegadon (Ballista mount)1:00 |
| Catapult | Arachnarok Spider (Flinger)6:20 | Screaming Skull Catapult5:50 | Plagueclaw Catapult4:50 |
- Lothern Skycutters with bolt throwers are High Elf flying chariots, combining long-range anti-large options and strong mobility, ideal for siege battles and repositioning.
- Snot Gobbler's Death Thrower, a Goblin RoR ballista, excels with vanguard deployment and sniper abilities for unseen flanking fire from forests.
- Stegadon with ballista mount is a monster-based ballista with poison, anti-large and armor-piercing, plus durability in melee after firing.
For catapults:
- Arachnarok Spider with flinger fires a powerful explosive single-shot with sticky webs and anti-large bonuses, best against cavalry and monsters.
- Screaming Skull Catapult delivers magical explosive shots and leadership reduction, effective against clustered enemies.
- Plagueclaw Catapult provides magical, armor-piercing attacks with high range and leadership debuffs via contamination.
Pick the best cannons and mortars
Direct-fire artillery and bombardment mortars round out the heavy-hitting options.
| Type | Top Pick | Second Place | Third Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannon | Ironblaster9:34 | Warp Lightning Cannon8:09 | Grand Cannon7:14 |
| Mortar | Dreadquake Mortar13:20 | Ice Forged Legion (RoR Hellcannon)11:55 | Soul Grinder of Nurgle10:43 |
- Ironblaster (Ogre Kingdoms) leads with over 1,000 missile strength, armor-piercing hits, and Sundered Armor. Its short range is offset by brute strength and melee utility after firing.
- Warp Lightning Cannon (Skaven) combines magical, armor-piercing shots and anti-large bonuses, with high mounting giving better line-of-sight through front ranks.
- Grand Cannon (Cathay) sends flaming, armor-piercing shots with 450 range—though with a long reload, it shines on open ground.
Mortar picks:
- Dreadquake Mortar (Chaos Dwarfs) delivers huge explosive zones, lingering earthquake effects, 100% damage to buildings, and 450 range.
- Ice Forged Legion (RoR Hellcannon) has four Hellcannons and much higher missile strength and ammunition than the base unit.
- Soul Grinder of Nurgle functions as a hybrid monster/artillery, firing magical, armor-piercing, poison volleys (three shots per volley).
Pick the best fire and gunpowder artillery
Here are the leading options for flaming gunpowder artillery and repeating gun type platforms.
| Type | Top Pick | Second Place | Third Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flaming artillery | Grudge Settler Flame Cannons17:12 | Bastiladon (Solar Engine)16:12 | Skull Cannon15:14 |
| Repeating gun | Black Lions War Wagons (Hellblasters)21:02 | Necrofex Colossus20:03 | Organ Guns18:36 |
Flaming picks:
- Grudge Settler Flame Cannons bring shrapnel projectiles, extra missile strength, and massive fire-damage impact. They're hard to recruit but dominate once unlocked.
- Bastiladon (Solar Engine) has magical flaming shots, a blindness effect that weakens enemy melee and accuracy, and solid melee tankiness.
- Skull Cannon fires one flaming, magical shot per volley, then switches to melee. It can replenish ammunition and creates a flaming vortex for ongoing damage.
Repeating gun choices:
- Black Lions War Wagons with Hellblasters (Empire) solve Hellblaster's short-range problem by mounting it on mobile wagons—a devastating, flexible anti-armour choice.
- Necrofex Colossus (Vampire Coast) fires while moving and has extra gunpower above 80% ammo, also serving as a powerful monster in melee.
- Organ Guns (Dwarfs) depend on clear line-of-sight, have heavy armor-piercing damage, and 300 range.
Pick the best magical artillery and war machines
Non-standard artillery platforms—magical, flying, and monster-mounted—stand apart in destructive effects and tactical flexibility.
| Type | Top Pick | Second Place | Third Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magical artillery | Amethyst Helstorm Rocket Battery24:52 | Thunder Tusks23:26 | Casket of Souls22:28 |
| War machine | Gyrocopters Trollhammers, Grudge Settlers28:44 | The Wonder of the Age (RoR Landship)27:45 | Sky Junk26:12 |
- Amethyst Helstorm Rocket Battery (Empire, Elspeth von Draken) launches projectiles with death-magic effects similar to mini Purple Suns. Highly destructive and unique among artillery.
- Thunder Tusks are monster artillery with frostbite, armor-piercing, short range, and vanguard resilience.
- Casket of Souls (Tomb Kings) rains tracking soul projectiles best against cavalry and characters.
War machine picks:
- Gyrocopters Trollhammers (Dwarfs, Grudge Settlers) deliver anti-large, long-range trollhammer torpedoes from a flying machine. They also drop bombs and exploit enemy lack of missile/flying cover.
- The Wonder of the Age (Landship RoR) brings multiple artillery attacks: a front cannon, top-mounted mortar, and side projectiles. It's chaotic but devastating.
- Sky Junk (Grand Cathay) is a flying war machine with bombs and sniper-style attacks, offering high visibility and strong battlefield presence.
Use artillery with the right targets and deployment
Follow these deployment rules and targeting tips to maximize your artillery's battlefield impact.
- Focus fire on fast-moving, high-value targets for best effect.
- Leverage their aerial mobility for better firing angles and safe repositioning.
- The higher mount lets it fire over allies without line-of-sight issues.
- Once out of ammunition, use its beast stats for shock attacks.
- Anti-large bonus makes it ideal for hunting cavalry.
- They are extremely vulnerable once out of ammo; avoid charging.
- Short range is offset by good resilience and melee capability.
- Its unique 100% building-damage modifier makes it unmatched in siege destructiveness.
Also worth knowing
- Thunderbarge deserves a mention among flying war machines. Many players see it as a top-tier pick, and its absence leaves an incomplete comparison.
- Queen Bess is often ranked as the best artillery piece. While only one can be recruited per campaign, its impact is enormous and worth factoring into roster choices.
- Big Bess is another strong artillery option. It stands out for both firepower and tactical value.
- Dwarf artillery with runes becomes S-tier. Boss-level upgrades like Rune of Burning on grudge throwers massively boost their effectiveness.
- Master Rune of Disguise on Gob-Lobbers hides them from the AI. This can make Dwarf catapults nearly untouchable by enemy targeting.
- Many want Death Globe Mortars and poison mortars included in mortar rankings. They deliver huge damage and deserve consideration, especially for Skaven and goblin factions.
- Elspeth’s research greatly buffs standard, Amethyst, and State artillery in her faction. Such upgrades offer more rockets and powerful ammunition effects once unlocked.
Frequently asked
Why is the Dreadquake Mortar ranked so high?
It has 450 range, a huge explosive radius, and lingering damage from the earthquake effect. It also does 100% damage to buildings, which is far above the usual 50% on many other artillery pieces.
What makes Black Lions War Wagons with Hellblasters better than a normal Hellblaster?
The war wagons add mobility to a weapon that normally struggles with short range. That makes it easier to fire, reposition, and keep pressure on armored infantry, monsters, and characters.
Why are the Amethyst Helstorm Rocket Batteries so strong?
They fire death-lore style projectiles that behave like smaller Purple Suns of Xereus. The result is a highly destructive, area-denial artillery piece with unusual visual effects and very high damage output.
Are the Thunderbarge and Queen Bess supposed to be on this list?
They are not included in the ranking. Comments call out both as major omissions, so they are worth remembering as popular alternatives when comparing artillery choices.
Read next
Total War: Warhammer 3 Best Units for Every Faction (2026)
This plan covers one high-value unit for each race in Total War: Warhammer 3, with an emphasis on early access, campaign value, and easy-to-use roles. It is for players who want a practical recruit list instead of a full roster breakdown.
Total War: Warhammer 3 Empire Army Composition: Early, Mid and Late Game Stacks
This guide plans a practical Empire campaign army progression from the first turns through late game. It is for players who want to know which units, heroes, and allied recruits are worth building at each stage.
Total War: Warhammer 3 Missile Units Guide: Why Your Archers Aren't Firing and Best Ranged Units
This guide explains the main missile weapon variants in Total War: Warhammer III, including their range, damage profile, and deployment requirements. It is for players who want to pick the right ranged unit and use it effectively in battle.
Total War: Warhammer 3 Army Composition Guide: Best Army for Each Faction
This plan covers four practical ways to assemble armies in campaign, plus the core rules that shape whether a stack works in battle or on the map. It is aimed at players who want a simple framework for choosing units, scaling armies, and deciding when to specialize or stay flexible.