Total War: Warhammer 3 best Empire units

Check out the best units the brave Empire can field

The Empire may be one of the most basic factions in Total War: Warhammer 3, but Creative Assembly has said time and time again that Emperor Karl Franz and his brave compatriots are the most popular faction players flock to. It’s easy to see why that is.

No, the Empire does not command terrible monsters or ecstatic daemons, it does not send dinosaurs into battle, and its warriors don’t live for hundreds of years so that they can master the arts of combat and magic. That’s the draw of the faction – it’s just regular joes with spears and handguns defending their homes against otherworldly beasts, immortal horrors, and cruel monsters.

Resembling the late medieval Holy Roman Empire, the Empire’s army combines historical units like knights and crossbowmen with some advanced gunpowder weaponry and a good touch of fantasy in the form of things like demigryph knights.

There are many Empire unit mods on the Steam Workshop that expand the faction’s roster a bit more, so if you’re a fan of old Karl-Heinz from Ubersreik ending the career of some arrogant Dark Elf raider, who lived for 500 years just to die at the end of his pitchfork in some ditch, you should check that out for your next playthrough.

As for their regular roster, we’ve collected the best Empire units in Total War: Warhammer 3 in this handy list. By Sigmar, yes!

Best Empire units in Total War: Warhammer 3

Best Empire melee infantry: Great Swords

Creative Assembly

Wearing plate armor and carrying a Zweihänder, a huge two-handed sword, Great Swords are the Empire’s best anti-infantry option in close combat. Since they don’t carry shields, they are a bit vulnerable to missile fire and should be supported by some buffer units.

You’ll get the best use out of Great Swords if you hold them back in reserve, filling gaps in your line as they are created or flanking enemy armored infantry that’s held in place by your main line. Leave large units to your Spearmen and Halberdiers.

Best Empire ranged infantry: Handgunners

Creative Assembly

Equipped with a handgun and not much else, these men have powerful armor-piercing weapons at their disposal. While getting the right line of sight can be a bit tricky, nothing is more satisfying than targeting down some elite enemy units or giants with your Handgunners and seeing their HP melt away.

The most effective way of using these troops is to have them positioned above the rest of your infantry on a hill or to use a chevron formation. This allows your melee troops to block the enemy from advancing on your gunners, who in turn can fire through the gaps in your formation and hit the flanks of your foes. This works with any ranged infantry, but is especially satisfying to do with gunpowder units.

Best Empire melee cavalry: Demigryph Knights

Creative Assembly

The Empire has two variants of these units in store: One with lances and shields, specialized in killing infantry, and one with halberds, which focuses on hunting down large opponents. Both are excellent monstrous cavalry units, which can cause fear among the enemy. Both types dish out armor-piercing damage and are armored themselves, making them durable in long battles.

Best Empire ranged cavalry: Outriders (Blunderbuss)

Creative Assembly

Want to know what’s better than a Handgunner? That’s right, a Handgunner on a horse. That’s basically what Outriders with Blunderbusses are. They are highly mobile killing machines, who can harass and heavily damage elite enemy units without being caught. While the lighter Pistol variant may be quicker and the Grenade Launcher variant can more easily deal with hordes of light units, this Outrider type excels at sniping the enemy’s most formidable troops.

You can hide them in forests or behind hills thanks to their Vanguard Positioning ability to flank the enemy army or catch them in the rear, maximizing your damage.

Best Empire chariot: War Wagons (Mortars)

Creative Assembly

This curious hybrid between chariot and artillery unit is quite something. While it has less ammunition than the regular Mortar, its mobility and armor make it a great option in chaotic situations, enhancing its survivability. Once all ammunition is gone, this chariot can still plow through formations of enemy infantry, dealing damage and disrupting them.

Best Empire war machine: Steamtank

Creative Assembly

The pinnacle of imperial engineering, the Steamtank is a powerful single-entity unit that functions as an artillery piece and melee combattant all in one. It has armor-piercing damage at any range, is heavily armored itself with a value of 160 in stat, completely unbreakable morale-wise, and can cause terror among enemies that come too close. While not excelling in any particular area, the Steamtank is a jack of all trades that provides a stiff backbone to any Empire army.

Best Empire artillery: Helstorm Rocket Battery / Helblaster Volley Guns

Creative Assembly

Depending on what flavor of damage you require, the Empire has two fashionable solutions for your artillery needs: the Helstorm Rocket Battery is an inaccurate but devastating tool to cover enemy infantry in a rain of fire, sporting incredible range, while the Helblaster Volley Guns are more of a surgical weapon, firing a relentless stream of armor-piercing missiles to snipe elite units.

Best Empire Regiment of Renown: The Black Lions

Creative Assembly

The Black Lions are a unit of War Wagons outfitted with Helblaster Volley Guns, giving you all the firepower of a full battery with the mobility advantage the chariots provide. This enables you to go ham by maneuvering them to the flanks of the enemy formation, sending devastating enfilade fire through their line. Their speed also keeps them safe from cavalry.

For more on Total War: Warhammer 3, check out the best Chaos Dwarfs units and the best Dwarfs units as well.