How to Counter Cavalry and Anti-Large Units in Total War: Warhammer 3

When you need anti-large infantry units in Total War: Warhammer 3, choosing the right squad changes how your army trades into cavalry, monstrous infantry, and single-entity monsters. This guide compares the top anti-large infantry units across all three matchups, gives clear performance rankings, and explains which units bring the best lasting power and value for their cost.

Quick answer

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Choose the matchup you want to judge

Three types of large targets are used to benchmark anti-large infantry in these tests:

• Skullcrushers (cavalry): These are heavily armoured cavalry units and the test measures how quickly each infantry unit can kill them.
• Butchers of Kalkengard (monstrous infantry): These minotaurs come with regeneration, so units strong against regen or with fire damage perform better. Rankings are based on time to defeat.
• Dread Saurian (single-entity monster): For this matchup, the contest scores how much health remains on the monster when the anti-large infantry finally routs or is destroyed. Units that can route the monster outright rank higher.

You can use these matchups to decide which infantry are strongest against heavy cavalry, monstrous infantry, or towering monsters.

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Pick the units being compared

This table lists all the anti-large infantry units tested in the comparisons, showing their faction and role:

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Read cavalry results

Performance is measured by timing how quickly each infantry unit kills Skullcrushers (Khorne cavalry). Lower times mean stronger matchups.

Chosen of Tzeentch, Halberds are the clear winners, finishing nearly 10 seconds faster than the next fastest unit and ending the fight with substantial health left. Depth Guard also perform well, thanks to Frenzy, while Phoenix Guard and Black Guard are neck-and-neck at just over a minute.

Bracing is key for Slayers: if they charge, Skullcrushers wipe them out completely, but bracing lets them survive and eventually win, albeit slowly.

Celestial Dragon Guard's formation attack setting changes little; both times are slow compared to the other units, with minor differences between formation on and off.

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Read monstrous infantry results

Here, units are tested against Butchers of Kalkengard (regenerating minotaurs). Time to kill is the metric.

Dragonback Slayers outpace all rivals thanks to their fire damage, which targets the regeneration weakness of minotaurs. Depth Guard also perform surprisingly well given their small unit size (only 60 models). Chosen of Tzeentch, Halberds and standard Chosen, Halberds are consistent performers. Units like Council Guard and Celestial Dragon Guard struggle here, taking over three minutes to win.

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Read dread saurian results

In this test, anti-large infantry fight a Dread Saurian (single-entity monster); the main benchmark is how low the monster's health goes before the attacker routs, or whether the monster gets routed. Units that can route the monster are ranked highest.

Chosen of Tzeentch, Halberds finish strong by routing all five monsters in their trials, a unique outcome. Phoenix Guard also deliver routs but not as decisively, and Chosen, Halberds place third with two routs. Most other units leave the monster alive and at significant health.

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Use the rankings to pick a unit

When you compare all three matchups, Chosen of Tzeentch, Halberds stand out as the top anti-large infantry. They rank first against cavalry, first against dreadful monsters, and place near the top against monstrous infantry. Their barrier lets them withstand dangerous charges and end fights with enough health to fight again.

Chosen, Halberds consistently place high and are a solid all-rounder, with strong melee stats and charge reflection. Depth Guard impress in the monstrous infantry test but falter against dread saurians, their smaller model count (60) hurting their sustained performance.

Dragonback Slayers win the monstrous infantry test thanks to fire damage, which exploits regeneration, but this is considered an anomaly because the test target was unusually vulnerable. In most matchups, they place lower.

Celestial Dragon Guard and Dragonback Slayers are closest in lower-half overall rankings, but Celestial Dragon Guard offers notable value for cost (1050) and would perform better in a normal battle with Harmony support.

Chosen of Tzeentch, Halberds are also the most expensive anti-large infantry at 1600 among those depicted. If cost is a deciding factor, Celestial Dragon Guard offers good holding power for less investment. If you want units that remain useful after the initial engagement, Chosen of Tzeentch, Halberds and Phoenix Guard have enough health left to keep fighting.

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Account for special bonuses before comparing units

Several units bring major bonuses or quirks that affect their test outcomes:

• Dragonback Slayers: Their charge defense is crucial for survival against cavalry. They also cause fire damage, giving a massive edge against regenerating targets like Butchers of Kalkengard.

• Celestial Dragon Guard: These were tested without Harmony support. In normal battles, Harmony buffs increase their stats and would make them stronger than shown here.

• Chosen of Tzeentch, Halberds: Have a barrier, which absorbs early damage from charges and magical attacks to bypass physical resistance.

• Depth Guard, Polearms: Benefit from Frenzy, boosting damage against cavalry, and The Hunger, allowing healing while in melee.

• Council Guard: Are unbreakable, letting them fight to the last model, but their low damage output drags out fights.

• Chosen, Halberds: Feature charge reflection and high melee stats, making them reliable performers in all matchups.

• Phoenix Guard: Use Martial Prowess for a melee defense boost, helping them survive longer and even route dread saurians.

• Temple Guard: Their high toughness helps absorb damage, but lower melee attack limits offensive performance.

Always weigh these special traits against raw times and damage, especially when unit costs and reinforcements are factored into army composition.

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