10 Best Defeat Traits in Total War Warhammer 3: Thrones of Decay (2024)

While razing and capturing outposts is a great reward by itself, there are other things you can get by killing your rival Lords. Total War: Warhammer 3 features many Defeat Traits you can acquire by killing certain enemy leaders. At first, you might think that going on a killing spree is great to get them all, but you should concentrate on only taking down a few foes. Here, we’ve made a list of the Defeat Traits we recommend getting first, especially in campaigns such as Immortal Empires.

10. De-Towered (Drazhoath the Ashen)

• Income from Settlement buildings: +10%
• Missile resistance: 15%

For newer players, income will always be an issue. If you don’t know how to manage your earnings or go too crazy with upkeep, you’ll have a hard time winning any campaign. The De-Towered Defeat Trait you obtain by defeating Drazhoath the Ashen in Total War: Warhammer 3 is great as it provides you with an increase in settlement income and even adds missile resistance to the mix. It isn’t the best Defeat Trait you can get, but it is one that doesn’t hurt to have around.

9. Cashing Out (Greasus Goldtooth)

• Income from trade: +10%
• Income Income from all buildings: +20%

For our greedy players, the Cashing Out Defeat Trait is a must. While not a priority, it can be great to add it once you have other key Defeat Traits, such as combat-oriented ones. This one will increase most of your income by 10%, with a focus on trading and passive earning. We recommend leaving this one for last and only if your treasury is bleeding out. If you have a good passive income, don’t bother getting this one.

8. Out of the Skies (Tiktaq’to)

• Campaign movement range: +10%
• Campaign line of sight: +10%

Regardless of the difficulty, having a good line of sight can be a blessing in any campaign. It doesn’t matter where you spawn. Knowing where your enemies are will provide you with a great tactical advantage. To increase this, you can get the Out of the Skies Defeat Trait in Total War: Warhammer 3 to improve your map’s view in the game. Also, you’ll get a welcome movement range increase, which is great if you want to reach certain places faster or fall back to defend a faraway outpost.

7. Tyrion Owes Me (N’Kari)

• Experience Gain: +7% for Lords and Heroes
• Battle Speed +6%

If you want to level up your lords and heroes as fast as possible, go for this Defeat Trait. Initially, this will be a fantastic passive as it’ll allow you to get ahead of the curve. However, you’ll be taking away one trait slot, so think wisely. Still, if you have many heroes out there exploring the map and claiming settlements for your army, this passive ability won’t hurt at all.

6. Didn’t See That Coming (Kairos Fateweaver)

• Winds of Magic power reserve capacity: +5
• Resistance magic Spell resistance: 15%

We feel this one is great to have as it increases your Winds of Magic capacity while also increasing your spell resistance. It isn’t the best Defeat Trait in Total War: Warhammer 3, but it does well on spell-casting armies. Furthermore, that spell resistance increase is great for all your units, especially if you’re surrounded by spellcasters.

5. One Dragon Down (Yuan Bo)

• Winds of Magic cost: -20% for all spells

The Winds of Magic mechanic can be a bit confusing for new players. Essentially, it is what allows you to cast spells. Since all your army shares the same Winds of Magic pool, reducing the overall cost will be great. To do so, you must face Yuan Bo. Also, we only recommend getting this trait if your army focuses on spellcasters mostly. Beyond that, you should build certain buildings that synergize with reducing spell cost, or else this trait won’t work as intended.

4. Bel’of’the’Ball (Be’lakor)

• Winds of Magic power reserve capacity: +5
• Public order: Control: +2
• Replenishment: Casualty replenishment rate: +5%
• Weapon damage: Weapon strength: +5%

This trait is quite the mouthful, but it is also one of the best in the game. Defeating Be’lakor will provide you with fantastic boons ranging from better Winds of Magic capacity to increased weapon damage. While it isn’t the most balanced one nor the best for one specific unit, it is a wildcard that adapts to many armies, and it is great depending on what you’re doing at a certain point in your campaign. Again, it is not one trait to prioritize but one that is welcome in most armies.

3. Tamur-Can’t (Tamurkhan the Maggot Lord)

• Hero capacity: +3 for all Heroes
• Global recruitment capacity: +1

As a new Thrones of Decay lord, Tamurkhan has a great Defeat Trait for any Total War: Warhammer 3 campaign. You’ll get an increased hero and recruitment capacity, which is fantastic for making your armies bigger. It might not provide bonuses during a fight or for your province’s economy, but it is great to increase your numbers and overpower enemies with them. If you spawn near this lord, hunt it relentlessly until you obtain this great passive ability.

2. A Rose by Any Other Name (Elspeth von Draken)

• Explosive Missile Damage: +5%
• Missile Explosion Radius: +10%

One of the best Defeat Traits in Total War: Warhammer 3 arrived with Elspeth von Draken in Thrones of Decay. If explosive units weren’t destructive enough, add this trait to the mix. Elspeth’s trait increases missile damage and makes the radius of missile explosions much bigger. This is fantastic if you have units that use these weapons as you can clear small enemy units in the blink of an eye. Make sure to have the right formation to protect your ranged attackers, and you’ll be set.

1. Slayer-Engineer (Malakai Makaisson)

• Experience Recruit rank: +3 for Artillery units
• Missile Strength: +10%

As one of the newest lords in Total War: Warhammer 3 – Thrones of Decay, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Malakai Makaisson’s Defeat Trait is extremely good. The fact that artillery units get a huge boost in their recruit rank and an added missile strength makes this trait worthy of a Dwarf-hunt. However, we only recommend getting it if you’re aiming for an artillery-based army to make the most out of it.

Ultimately, you can choose which lord to pursue to get their trait. However, these ones should be great to get you started, and you can even combine a few of them to spice things up. Regardless, remember to always check your trait limit before killing any new lord and using up a slot with a trait you don’t want.