# How to Counter Cavalry and Anti-Large Units in Total War: Warhammer 3
> This guide compares elite anti-large infantry across three matchups: cavalry, monstrous infantry, and a single-entity monster. It is for players who want to know which infantry units trade best into large targets and which ones stay useful after the fight.
- **Game:** Total War: Warhammer III
- **Category:** Counters
- **Author:** LongBeam (https://guides-factory.com/about)
- **Difficulty:** Advanced
- **Reading time:** 10 min
- **Published:** 2026-08-31
- **Updated:** 2026-08-31
- **Tags:** Total War, Warhammer 3, anti-large, battle testing, infantry, unit comparison, warhammer 3 how to counter cavalry
- **Adapted from:** [Who's the BEST Anti-Large Infantry in Warhammer 3?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1As-3KCVrrw)
- **Canonical URL:** https://guides-factory.com/guides/warhammer-3-best-anti-large-infantry
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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
| What | Answer |
|---|---|
| Best overall | Chosen of **Tzeentch**, Halberds |
| Best vs cavalry | Chosen of Tzeentch, Halberds |
| Best vs monstrous infantry | Dragonback Slayers |
| Best vs dread saurian | Chosen of Tzeentch, Halberds |
| Slowest unit | Council Guard |
| Best value note | Celestial Dragon Guard is 1050 cost |
| Most expensive unit | Shredder of Lustria (Dread Saurian RoR) at 3700 cost. |
Check in game
The stated most expensive unit figure may be out of date: tests use the Dread Saurian at 3100 cost, but game files now show the Shredder of Lustria (Dread Saurian RoR) at 3700. Always check costs in your own build before recruiting.
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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:
| Faction | Unit |
|---|---|
| **Dark Elves** | Black Guard of Naggarond |
| **Dwarfs** | Dragonback Slayers |
| **Grand Cathay** | Celestial Dragon Guard |
| **High Elves** | Phoenix Guard |
| **Lizardmen** | Temple Guard |
| **Skaven** | Council Guard |
| **Tzeentch** | Chosen of Tzeentch, Halberds |
| **Vampire Coast** | Depth Guard, Polearms |
| **Warriors of Chaos** | Chosen, Halberds |
---
## Read cavalry results
Performance is measured by timing how quickly each infantry unit kills Skullcrushers (**Khorne** cavalry). Lower times mean stronger matchups.
| Unit | Time to defeat Skullcrushers |
|---|---|
| Chosen of **Tzeentch**, Halberds | 42 seconds |
| Chosen, Halberds | 46 seconds |
| Depth Guard, Polearms | 49 seconds |
| Black Guard of Naggarond | 1 minute 1 second |
| Phoenix Guard | 1 minute 2 seconds |
| Temple Guard | 1 minute 6 seconds |
| Celestial Dragon Guard (Formation Attack Off) | 1 minute 19 seconds |
| Celestial Dragon Guard (Formation Attack On) | 1 minute 23 seconds |
| Council Guard | 1 minute 22 seconds |
| Dragonback Slayers (Braced) | 1 minute 25 seconds |
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.
---
## Read monstrous infantry results
Here, units are tested against Butchers of Kalkengard (regenerating minotaurs). Time to kill is the metric.
| Unit | Time to defeat Butchers of Kalkengard |
|---|---|
| Dragonback Slayers | 40 seconds (fire damage exploits regeneration weakness) |
| Depth Guard, Polearms | 50 seconds |
| Chosen of **Tzeentch**, Halberds | 56 seconds |
| Chosen, Halberds | 1 minute 10 seconds |
| Phoenix Guard | 1 minute 12 seconds |
| Black Guard of Naggarond | 1 minute 32 seconds |
| Temple Guard | 2 minutes 19 seconds |
| Celestial Dragon Guard (Formation Attack Off) | 2 minutes 13 seconds |
| Celestial Dragon Guard (Formation Attack On) | 3 minutes |
| Council Guard | 3 minutes 3 seconds |
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.
---
## 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.
| Unit | Result vs Dread Saurian |
|---|---|
| Chosen of **Tzeentch**, Halberds | Rout all Dread saurians (first place) |
| Phoenix Guard | Rout three Dread saurians (second place) |
| Chosen, Halberds | Rout two Dread saurians (third place) |
| Council Guard | Leave Dread saurians at 2,000–5,000 HP |
| Black Guard of Naggarond | Leave Dread saurians at 3,000–5,000 HP |
| Temple Guard | Leave Dread saurians at mid-to-high HP, better than Slayer and Celestial Dragon Guard |
| Depth Guard, Polearms | Leave Dread saurians at 4,000–6,000 HP |
| Dragonback Slayers | Leave Dread saurians at 5,000–8,000 HP |
| Celestial Dragon Guard | Leave one Dread saurian at about 7,000 HP, worse than top 3 |
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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## Also worth knowing
Before you commit
- **Dragonback Slayers lack armor piercing:** Giant Slayers have armor-piercing attacks and would have been a fairer comparison; Dragonback Slayers instead provide a fire resistance debuff, which interacts strongly with targets weak to fire but not armored ones.
- **Unit cost matters when judging value:** Celestial Dragon Guard costs 1050, Chosen of **Tzeentch** costs 1600, and Dread Saurian costs 3100. Cheaper units can be a better bargain even if they're not the fastest killers.
- **Harmony support was missing from Celestial Dragon Guard:** Their test results do not include the **Harmony** bonus, which would significantly boost performance in real battles when Yin/Yang units are paired.
- **Depth Guard's model count affects their results:** Depth Guard have only 60 models per unit—killing things quickly despite smaller size is impressive.
- **Chosen of Tzeentch, Halberds remain battle-ready:** After beating cavalry, they often finish with about half health left, allowing further action during the battle.
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## FAQ
### Which anti-large infantry is best in Warhammer 3?
Chosen of Tzeentch, Halberds come out on top overall. They place first against cavalry, first against dread saurians, and near the top against monstrous infantry. They also finish with plenty of health, which makes them the strongest all-round pick in this set of tests.
### Are Dragonback Slayers actually better than regular Slayers?
Dragonback Slayers are the Regiment of Renown version used here, and they were chosen because they fit the budget better than normal Slayers. Their standout result comes against monstrous infantry, where fire damage is a major advantage because the target has regeneration. That makes them look much better in that matchup than in the cavalry test.
### Why did Celestial Dragon Guard perform worse than expected?
They were tested without any Harmony support, which matters a lot for Cathay units. Their results are also mixed because formation attack changed little against cavalry and made more of a difference against monstrous infantry, but they still lagged behind the top units. Their low cost compared with many rivals also makes the performance look better on a value basis than on raw killing speed.
### Does unit cost change the rankings?
Yes, cost changes how impressive each result looks, even if the ranking is based on performance. Celestial Dragon Guard cost 1050, while Chosen of Tzeentch cost 1600 and the Dread Saurian cost 3100. A cheaper unit can be a better bargain even when it is not the fastest killer.