Don’t miss all the sneaky updates for Cathay and Warhammer Total War 3 over the last few days, as it looks like they will be getting miniatures as well.
Total War: Warhammer is among an elite group of extremely successful Warhammer Video Games. With that in mind, there is an extreme amount of hype surrounding the third and final installment.
Unfortunately, Creative Assembly announced via Twitter that a few more months would be needed to finish perfecting the game. It’s not all bad though as right after they also showed off the new Cathay facion for the first time which involved more or less building it from the ground up!
Let’s start with the delay and then check out what we saw with Cathay’s reveal:
Total War: Warhammer 3 Delay
Total War: WARHAMMER III will now release in early 2022.
We know this is disappointing, but the extra time means we can accomplish more than we could if we rushed to release this year.
We won’t be staying quiet however, join us tomorrow for the global reveal of Grand Cathay… pic.twitter.com/R4GdObAs9P
— Total War (@totalwar) September 13, 2021
It’s sad to hear when exciting games are delayed, but given the history and success of the franchise, it’s fair to assume they will use the time efficiently. When the game does come out in 2022, it is sure to be a grand slam. If they need the time to make the game better, it seems like a good idea for them to take it instead of releasing an incomplete game just to get it out on deadline.
Total War: Warhammer 3 Cathay Reveal
Other than the stunning reveal (included here), there was also a short Warhammer Community post which we will break down below.
The trailer has some stunning scenes that are able to truly capture the true scale of Cathay better than ever before! Because of the low amount of previous source material, a lot of the faction was designed for the first time in conjunction with Creative Assembly (creators of Total War) and Games Workshop.
In the WHC article, they provided some of the extra concept art that they used when establishing design. Cathay is essentially Warhammer’s version of medieval/ancient China. With that comes some takes on mythological creatures like their own dragons, pegasi, and more!
You might also recognize the Warhammer The Old World logo in the bottom right… While that might just be because of the time frame it takes place, it gets a little interesting when you see this quote:
Buy one get one Free! Choose from hundreds of minis now!
In fact, the Warhammer Studio went so far as to establish each and every unit for use on the tabletop, including stats and special abilities. (Eighth edition rules, we understand.) These numbers were then expertly translated and transposed by the technomancers at Creative Assembly, who deftly wove them into a rich campaign in this never-before-seen part of the Warhammer world.
Total War Warhammer actually uses real rules from tabletop to help create the models, units, and characters in-game. Games workshop creating these rules to help make them in-game, shows some serious effort and devotion. One might even think they might be willing to add Cathay as a full faction in tabletop for Warhammer The Old World being how they made 8th Edition rules for them and all…
I mean since the new CEO took over, GW doesn’t make rules for miniatures they don’t sell, and now with Warhammer Legends, they don’t update rules for models they stop selling.
So it doesn’t seem like too much of a stretch to think that there will be miniatures for Cathay because of the Old World branding on the art (just like the Kislev that are getting minis), and the fact that GW just won’t devote resources to rules writing unless there is a solid return on that investment.
Of course, that’s just some speculation, so take it with a grain of salt! In the end, one thing is for certain: Total War Warhammer 3 looks amazing and Cathay looks extremely cool!
Rules & New Release Updates For Warhammer Old World
What do you think about the delay? Are you excited to see Cathay fully imagined?
Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group, or our new Discord server, and make sure you enter the latest monthly giveaway for FREE today!
Get ad-free access to the site, a monthly crate of miniatures, and support some of the best creators out there for as little as $6 a month on Patreon!
About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
