Total War: Warhammer III Walkthrough: Part 4, Katarin Kislev Campaign (Immortal Empires)

This is part 4 of our Total War: Warhammer III campaign series. It covers Tzarina Katarin and The Ice Court in Immortal Empires: your start in Kislev, the first twenty turns, the reworked Kislev mechanics, the best units and how to win.

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The whole series

Important: Kislev was reworked in Patch 6.1 (March 2025). The old race for Supporters between Kislev factions is gone, Devotion replaced Control, and the Atamans work differently. Many older guides and videos describe the old system. This page follows the new one, and keeps numbers out because they still shift between patches.

Why Katarin?

Katarin is one of the most recommended beginner factions. You already learned Kislev in the prologue, her army is flexible, and she is a strong Ice Witch herself. Her faction, The Ice Court, is one of three Kislev factions, next to Kostaltyn's Great Orthodoxy and Boris Ursus's Ursun Revivalists.

Start position: Kislev

• You start in the city of Kislev, the heart of the realm.
• To the north are Norscan tribes and the Chaos Wastes, so raids and invasions come from that side.
• The other Kislev factions are your natural friends and future confederation targets.
• To the south and west sit the Empire provinces, who are usually friendly to Kislev.

The first 20 turns

1. Turn 1: Recruit with Katarin and clear any hostile army or settlement near Kislev. Start a building that boosts income.
2. Turns 1 to 5: Secure your home province. Repair or upgrade every settlement you take.
3. Turns 5 to 10: Get Katarin's army to full strength before you head north. The Fandom wiki warns that it pays to spend a few turns building up her army before you take on the Norscans. Rushing them with a half army is the classic Katarin mistake.
4. Turns 10 to 15: Raise a second army. Kislev's lands are wide, and one army can't guard them all.
5. Turns 15 to 20: Push north against the Norscans. Use invocations before big fights. Start training Frost Maidens and Ice Witches through the Ice Court as early as you can.

Key mechanics (after Patch 6.1)

The Ice Court and the Great Orthodoxy

Kislev's politics are a balance between the Ice Court and the Great Orthodoxy. You gain support for each side by fielding their units, using their heroes, building their buildings and dedicating Atamans to them. If you lean too hard to one side, Kislev becomes unstable and you suffer growing penalties. As Katarin you'll naturally favour the Ice Court, but keep some balance. Avoiding penalties matters more than maxing out one side.

Devotion and Invocations

Devotion replaced the old Control system. It is now built up per province, not across the whole faction. You spend it on Invocations to Kislev's gods, such as Ursun, Tor, Dazh and Salyak, which give powerful bonuses. Low Devotion has its own downsides, so don't let it drain in your core provinces.

Atamans

Atamans are governors you place over your provinces. You get one for every two provinces you hold. Since the rework they have their own skill tree and can sally out from garrisons to fight attackers. They no longer level through random dilemmas, and they don't act like regular field lords.

Ice Court training

The Ice Court trains new Frost Maidens and Ice Witches. The rework made this faster and gave it its own building chain. These heroes are a big part of Katarin's power, so start early and keep them coming.

Who to fight and who to ally

• Fight: the Norscans to the north and any Chaos army that comes south. Kislev exists to hold that line.
• Ally: the other Kislev factions, which you can later confederate to unite Kislev. Keep good relations with the Empire and the Dwarfs too.
• Watch: Vampire Counts and Beastmen can cause trouble in the south. Keep a defensive force near home.

Units to build

• Early: Kossars are your backbone. They can shoot and fight in melee, which makes early armies very flexible. Add Streltsi for stronger ranged fire and Horse Archers to harass.
• Mid game: Armoured Kossars for a tougher line, Winged Lancers for shock cavalry, and War Bear Riders to break enemy lines.
• Ice Court units: the Ice Guard are elite ranged infantry and fit Katarin's faction well.
• Late game: Tzar Guard, the Gryphon Legion, Little Grom and the Elemental Bear.
• Heroes: Frost Maidens and Ice Witches for magic and support. Katarin herself is a powerful caster, so give her a strong escort.

Kislev is a ranged-heavy faction that can still hold a line. Let the Kossars shoot as enemies approach, then lock them in melee while cavalry hits from the flank.

Victory conditions

Like every Immortal Empires faction, the Ice Court has a short victory and a long victory. Check the victory conditions panel for the exact goals. Expect them to centre on uniting Kislev and holding back, then defeating, the forces of Chaos and Norsca. A domination victory is also open if you keep expanding.

Tips for this part

• Ignore pre-2025 guides about the Supporters race. That system is gone.
• Don't go north until Katarin's army is full. The Norscans hit hard.
• Watch the Court and Orthodoxy balance every few turns.
• Use Invocations before your big battles, not after.
• Assign Atamans to frontier provinces where their sally attacks can help.

My take

Katarin is still the faction I'd hand a new player. The 6.1 rework made Kislev feel less like a race and more like running a real country, and I think that's an improvement. Frost magic on a Norscan charge never gets old. Do you lean Ice Court all the way, or keep the Orthodoxy happy?

FAQ

Where does Katarin start in Immortal Empires?

In the city of Kislev, with Norscans and Chaos to the north and the Empire to the south.

What changed for Kislev in Patch 6.1?

The Supporters race was replaced by a balance between the Ice Court and the Great Orthodoxy. Devotion replaced Control and became a provincial resource. Atamans were reworked, and Ice Court training was sped up.

What is Devotion used for?

You spend it on Invocations to Kislev's gods for strong bonuses. Keep it from running low in your important provinces.

Is Katarin good for beginners?

Yes. She is one of the most recommended first factions in Immortal Empires.

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