Total War: WARHAMMER — Old World strategy as a Steam gift
Total War: WARHAMMER by Creative Assembly (published by Sega) launched on May 24, 2016 and was the first game to fuse the signature Total War formula with the Warhammer Fantasy universe. It's two games in one: a turn-based campaign across the vast map of the Old World, where you build cities, run diplomacy and weave schemes, and spectacular real-time battles where thousands of troops, wizards, artillery and monsters clash on the field. No more identical armies — every race has its own playstyle, legendary heroes and unique magic.
What the base game includes
You get the full base version with four starting races, each playing completely differently:
- Empire — humans led by Karl Franz: balanced troops, muskets, cannons and steam tanks.
- Dwarfs — sturdy infantry, fearsome artillery and the Book of Grudges that demands vengeance for every slight.
- Greenskins — orcs and goblins who crave constant fighting: the more battles, the stronger their Waaagh! grows.
- Vampire Counts — undead with no ranged units, but able to raise the fallen mid-battle and wield powerful dark magic.
The Old World grand campaign plays out across the map, and Bretonnia — the chivalric kingdom — was later added for campaign, skirmish and multiplayer.
Why start with the first part
Total War: WARHAMMER laid the foundation for the whole trilogy and remains a great entry point: the rules are clearer than in the busier sequels, while legendary lords and faction mechanics are already here. If it grabs you, new continents and races open up in Total War: WARHAMMER II and the grand finale in Total War: WARHAMMER III. Prefer historical Total War — check out Total War: ROME REMASTERED.
How you receive the game
This isn't an activation key but a Steam gift. After your order, our bot adds itself as your friend via the invite link you provide, sends the gift (usually within a couple of minutes) and automatically leaves your friends list. You don't need to accept the friend request manually — just accept the gift itself in Steam afterward, and Total War: WARHAMMER stays on your account forever.
Key gift conditions
For smooth delivery, check three things: your Steam account region matches the gift region; Total War: WARHAMMER isn't already in this account's library (Steam won't let you accept a gift for a game you own); and adding friends is allowed in your profile settings. Steam Guard is not required — the gift is accepted without it. If the bot couldn't add you, it's almost always blocked friend requests or an expired link: refresh the invite link and check your profile privacy.
How the battles work
The series' core hook is the pairing of two modes. On the strategic map you move armies, develop provinces, trade and declare wars turn by turn. When two armies meet, you can either auto-resolve the clash or take full control in a proper real-time battle. Terrain, flanks, morale and timing decide everything here: cavalry sweeps into the rear of archers, wizards burn dense formations with spells, and monsters like dragons and giants break the line single-handedly. A losing army can shatter from panic faster than it dies in combat — so pressuring morale matters just as much as raw damage.
Replayability and faction mechanics
Each race plays its campaign by its own rules, which sharply boosts replayability. Greenskins must keep fighting or their Waaagh! army loses strength; Vampire Counts spread corruption across the map and field no ranged units; Dwarfs hoard Grudges and gain bonuses for settling them; the Empire balances elector-count provinces and gunpowder. Legendary lords come with story quests and unique rewards, while hero, technology and faction-skill progression makes every playthrough feel different. That's exactly why players keep returning to the first game years after launch.
System notes
The game targets PC (Windows) and is officially available on macOS/Linux in separate builds. On Steam Deck most players run it via Proton; keep in mind that a text-heavy strategy is more comfortable on a full-size screen with a mouse. Before buying, make sure your machine can handle the large-scale real-time battles — those put the heaviest load on your hardware. Once the gift is accepted, the game updates and patches through Steam like any normal purchase.
🎮 Other games in the series
A few links that might help: Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition, Total War: PHARAOH.
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