The AI Finally Builds Armies: Total War: Warhammer III Patch 7.0 Campaign Overhaul Explained

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For years, Total War: Warhammer III campaigns shared the same anticlimactic moment: you’d push deep into enemy territory expecting a legendary showdown… only to face an underbaked garrison made of low-tier units. It didn’t matter if you were storming Hexoatl, Khemri, or a Daemon stronghold — the AI simply couldn’t build the armies its factions were designed for.

Patch 7.0 changes everything.

This update delivers a long-awaited fix to the single biggest flaw in the Immortal Empires campaign: the AI can finally recruit its elite units using pooled resources. The result is a radically different mid-to-late game where Lizardmen march with dinosaurs, Tomb Kings field towering constructs, and Daemons unleash the horrors their factions are known for.

If you're starting a new campaign, you must adapt — because the old steamroll meta is officially dead.

Let’s break down exactly what changed, how the fix works, and what you must do to survive in this new, deadlier Warhammer world.

TL;DR — Why Patch 7.0 Is a Massive Campaign Overhaul

The AI Finally Builds Armies: Total War: Warhammer III Patch 7.0

  • AI now uses pooled resources properly (Blessed Spawnings, Canopic Jars, Daemonic Gifts).

  • Elite units show up earlier, consistently, and in lore-accurate stacks.

  • Mid-game difficulty rises sharply (turns 40–90).

  • Factions like Lizardmen, Tomb Kings, Slaanesh, Tzeentch snowball far harder.

  • You must adapt with better scouting, anti-large options, multi-army strategies, and active map pressure.

  • Campaign pacing becomes more dynamic, aggressive, and unpredictable.

How AI Recruitment Was Broken Before Patch 7.0

Many major factions rely on special currencies rather than gold to recruit their strongest units:

  • Lizardmen: Blessed Spawnings

  • Tomb Kings: Canopic Jars

  • Daemons: Gifts, Daemonic Favor, or Attraction

  • Chaos factions: various esoteric resource requirements

Before the update, the AI knew these elite units existed — but its budgeting logic was completely dysfunctional.

Example:
If a unit cost 10 Blessed Spawnings and the AI had 5, it would attempt to recruit it anyway… fail… then retry endlessly.

This meant:

  • Pooled resources were never spent

  • Elite units were never unlocked

  • Armies filled with tier 1–2 filler infantry

  • Late-game power factions became laughably weak

This single flaw prevented the campaign from ever reaching the epic Warhammer fantasy battles the game was built around.

How Patch 7.0 Fixes AI Recruitment

The patch notes describe it simply:

"Improved AI ability to manage recruitment for factions that use pooled resources."

In practice, it’s a complete overhaul of how the AI thinks.

The AI now:

  • Waits until it has enough pooled resources

  • Budgets for multiple elite units at once

  • Prioritizes high-impact monsters and constructs

  • Builds to its faction identity (dinosaurs, daemons, constructs, chariots, etc.)

  • Stops wasting resources on impossible recruitment loops

This means the AI not only fields stronger armies — it fields smarter, more thematic, and more threatening compositions.

Before vs. After: How Armies Have Changed

FactionPre-7.0 AI ArmyPost-7.0 AI Army
LizardmenSaurus + Skink spamBlessed Kroxigors, Stegadons, Carnosaurs, Dread Saurians
Tomb KingsSkeleton spamUshabti, Warsphinxes, Hierotitans, Necrosphinxes
SlaaneshMarauder blobDaemonettes, Fiends, Chariots, Keepers of Secrets
Daemon PrinceRandom trash mixGreater Daemons + themed Gifts-based stacks
TzeentchPink Horrors spamFlamers, Lords of Change, Doom Knights

The difference is night and day.

New Difficulty Curve: How 7.0 Changes Your Entire Campaign

Early Game (Turns 1–40)

  • Mostly unchanged, though aggressive factions push harder.

  • Early armies from Lizardmen/Tomb Kings no longer fall apart instantly.

Mid Game (Turns 40–90) – The Big Shakeup

This is where the fix hits hardest.
Expect multiple elite units in every stack you encounter.

Late Game (Turns 90+)

  • Full elite stacks appear far earlier.

  • Crisis events are more dangerous.

  • Chaos factions fight with actual daemons instead of infantry blobs.

The New Strategic Reality: How You Must Adapt

The days of coasting through mid-game with one doomstack are gone.
Here’s how your strategy must evolve:

1. Scout Early, Scout Often

Assume all Lizardmen/TK/Daemon stacks contain:

  • Large monsters

  • AP threats

  • Elite infantry

Do not engage blind.

2. Build Balanced, Cost-Efficient Armies

You can’t rely on a single 20-stack juggernaut anymore.

You need:

  • Anti-large (Halberds, Spears, Monstrous Infantry)

  • Armour-piercing (Artillery, AP missile units)

  • Sustain (Healing, shields, replenishment)

  • Counters to flying monsters

3. Siege Faster — Enemy Armies Are Stronger Inside Cities

You can’t sit around.
If you turtle, the AI will build two more elite stacks while you wait.

4. Re-prioritize Threat Factions

Do NOT ignore:

  • Lizardmen

  • Tomb Kings

  • Slaanesh

  • Daemon Prince

  • Tzeentch
    These factions now scale aggressively and snowball early.

Top 5 Factions That Improve the Most with Patch 7.0

  1. Lizardmen

    • Biggest winners.

    • Expect early Carnosaurs and mid-game Dread Saurians.

  2. Tomb Kings

    • More Ushabti + Sphinxes in every army.

    • Their mid-game defense becomes terrifying.

  3. Slaanesh (N’Kari)

    • Faster stacks, seduction pressure, more daemonic elites.

  4. Daemon Prince

    • More Greater Daemons + specialized stack themes.

  5. Tzeentch

    • Flamers, Doom Knights, spell-heavy armies appear reliably.

How to Counter the New Elite AI Armies

Essential Counters

  • Anti-Large Halberds/Spears — mandatory vs dinos & constructs

  • AP Ranged Units — best way to chip monsters safely

  • Fast Cavalry — to isolate single large targets

  • Healing — crucial against high-damage charges

  • Disruption units — to interrupt large monster engagements

Faction Examples

  • Empire: Halberdiers, Greatswords, Hellblasters

  • Dwarfs: Thunderers, Ironbreakers

  • Cathay: Halberdiers + Crane Gunners

  • High Elves: Dragon Princes + Sisters of Avelorn

Best Campaigns to Replay After Patch 7.0

If you want to feel the full impact of the fix:

  • Dwarfs — harder anti-large fights

  • Empire — Lizardmen/TK pressure becomes serious

  • Cathay — more dangerous Chaos neighbors

  • Skaven — stronger mid-game enemies make expansion more dynamic

  • High Elves — tougher Lizardmen/TK late-game showdowns

Community Impressions (Summarized)

The community overwhelmingly agrees:

  • “The game finally feels alive.”

  • Mid-game is no longer boring or predictable.

  • Tomb Kings & Lizardmen actually feel like endgame bosses.

  • Slaanesh factions are more dangerous and thematic.

  • The campaign is more replayable now than ever.

Conclusion: A Campaign Worth Starting Over

Patch 7.0 doesn’t simply make Total War: Warhammer III harder — it makes it richer, more thematic, and closer to the universe it’s meant to represent.
You’ll now face armies that look, feel, and fight like true Warhammer forces, not diluted versions of them.

If you haven’t started a new campaign, now is the time.
The AI is smarter, the world is deadlier, and every victory finally feels earned again.

The era of steamrolling is over.

The real war has just begun.   

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