What if victory in Total War: Warhammer III didn’t come from ruling cities… but from burning them down and twisting the ashes into power?
That’s exactly what Sayl the Faithless offers in the Tides of Torment DLC and Update 7.0.
Forget the brute-force Norsca of old—Sayl brings a cunning, sabotage-heavy playstyle built on lies, dark rituals, and a completely reworked Spoils economy. If you want a faction that grows stronger by destroying everything around it, this is the guide you need.
This complete walkthrough breaks down Sayl’s origins, his new loot-based progression loop, the power of Manipulations, and how to build unstoppable spell-heavy armies supported by monstrous horrors.
Let’s dive in.
Who Is Sayl the Faithless? (The Deceiver’s Origin Story)
Sayl is the infamous traitor-chieftain of the Dolgan tribe. Once the apprentice of Schalkain the Vile, he murdered his master mid-ritual in a desperate grab for power.
The backfire was catastrophic:
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His coven fused into Nightmaw, a three-headed Chaos Spawn.
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Sayl was blinded, but cursed with constant visions of the Realm of Chaos.
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His path of betrayal became his identity.
You begin far northeast in Mountain’s End, a remote four-settlement province that becomes the staging ground for Sayl’s spiral of deception.
The Core Gameplay Loop: Loot → Build → Betray
Sayl’s campaign is built around two new resources introduced in Update 7.0:
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Spoils – earned primarily from razing/pillaging
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Ritual Power – gained by building Chaos Altars
This loop creates a self-reinforcing engine where every battle feeds your next power spike.
Step 1 — Pillage for Spoils (Your Economy & Expansion Fuel)
Spoils are the heart of Norsca's 7.0 rework.
How Spoils Work
Every time you raze a settlement, a small courier army spawns and returns the Spoils to your nearest owned land.
Use Spoils to:
๐ฅ What Spoils Unlock
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Early elite units (Mammoths, Skin Wolves, Curs’d Ettin)
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Alternative early military buildings
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Foreign Occupation (required to settle anything outside Norsca)
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Economic upgrades for long-term gold income
If you’re not constantly burning settlements, your campaign stalls.
Step 2 — Build Chaos Altars to Advance the Dark Ritual
Instead of capturing every settlement, Sayl wants to turn ashes into Altars.
Each Altar progresses a four-stage global ritual, which is THE primary victory path.
Why Altars Matter
Every ritual stage unlocks Manipulations—your true power.
Step 3 — Manipulations: Sayl’s Rule-Breaking Toolkit
Manipulations are map-wide cheating tools that let you:
๐ Espionage & Sabotage
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Reveal any army’s movement
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Expose settlement garrisons
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Damage key buildings remotely
๐ Battlefield Treachery
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Immobilize an enemy army for a turn
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Sacrifice a Marauder unit to instantly summon a Greater Daemon mid-battle
๐ But There’s a Risk…
Overuse attracts the Forces of Retribution, dangerous roaming hunters who punish reckless sorcery.
The Synergy Loop
Pillage → Fuel Altars → Unlock Manipulations → Make pillaging easier → Repeat.
This is the most addictive and satisfying sabotage loop Norsca has ever had.
Sayl in Battle: Magic, Monsters & Manipulated Mayhem
Sayl transforms Norsca from a melee-focused faction into a spell-heavy, monster-driven powerhouse.
Sayl the Sorcerer-Lord
๐ฅ Dual Lore Mastery
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Lore of Shadows (Pit of Shades, Okkam’s Mindrazor)
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Lore of Heavens (Chain Lightning, Curse of Midnight Wind)
Passive Army Buffs
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Magical Attacks
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Bonus Weapon Strength
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Increased Spell Resistance
Rapid-Cast Master
His skill tree reduces cooldowns and spell costs—meaning nearly endless magic spam.
The Dolgan Roster: Classic Norsca Meets New Monstrosities
๐ Core Upgrades
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Kurgan Horsemen – finally, reliable melee cav (with Poison in Sayl’s army)
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Marauder Bearmen – tanky infantry, even better near Beorg Bearstruck
๐ฆด New Monsters
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Curs’d Ettin – tanky two-headed giant; Runecaller variant casts spells
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Chimera – flying terror with mixed elemental damage
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Dread Maw – burrow-ambush monster with acid attacks
๐งฟ Legendary Heroes
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Beorg Bearstruck – massively buffs Bearmen; excellent frontline anchor
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Nightmaw – Sayl’s personal Chaos Spawn; disruptive melee monster
Recommended Army Compositions
Early Game
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Marauders
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Marauder Horsemen (javelins)
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Fimir Noble
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Sayl for spell damage and control
Mid & Late Game
Build into Sayl’s true strengths:
Frontline: Marauder Bearmen (buffed by Beorg)
Flankers: Kurgan Horsemen
Monsters: Curs’d Ettin / Dread Maw / Chimera
Spellcasters: Great Shaman-Sorcerer lords for added magic
Your late-game army becomes a blend of:
✔ unbreakable infantry
✔ fast flanking cav
✔ monstrous terror
✔ nonstop magical nukes
Early Campaign Strategy (First 20 Turns)
1. Secure Mountain’s End
This province is essential for stabilizing your Spoils flow.
2. Scout Your Neighbors with Manipulations
Use Eyes of the Deceiver early. You must pick the weakest Cathayan/Chaos neighbor to strike first.
3. Focus on Pillaging, Not Occupying
Spoils > territorial control in the early game.
4. Build Your First Altar ASAP
This unlocks your Manipulation engine.
Is Sayl the Faithless Right for You?
Sayl is perfect if you enjoy:
✔ Sabotage-heavy campaigns
✔ Magical supremacy
✔ Monster-led armies
✔ A progression system built on destruction
He is not a traditional empire-builder.
He thrives when you:
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Betray
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Break rules
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Burn everything
Sayl might be the most creative, cerebral, and rewarding lord introduced in Tides of Torment—turning chaos into profit and enemies into stepping stones.
Rule the North Through Lies and Ruin
Sayl the Faithless is a masterclass in weaponized betrayal. Learn the loot loop, abuse Manipulations, unleash nightmare monsters, and let the world fall apart under your guiding hand.
If the gods can’t stop you, nothing else will.
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