Ranked lines of ranged troops, orderly infantry regiments holding firm at the center of the battlefield, and heavy cavalry waiting in reserve for the right moment to crush the enemy's flank. If you regularly boot up Total War: Warhammer III, this scene is very familiar to you. That moment when you're planning the perfect maneuver, the artillery opens fire, and the whole battle turns into a beautifully readable tactical symphony.
What if that battle wasn't confined to a screen?
For many strategy-game players, the world of Warhammer is tied exclusively to a monitor and keyboard. In reality, though, the video game Total War: Warhammer III works as a perfect, natural bridge to the tabletop game Warhammer: The Old World. If you've spent dozens or hundreds of hours in the video game, you already know the various factions, units, legendary heroes, the deep story lore, and the basic principles of fantasy battles. The tabletop game offers this familiar world in an entirely new, tangible form.
Similarities and differences: From the virtual battlefield to the physical table
Once you move from the computer to the table, you'll find that a Total War player's tactical thinking isn't all that different from the tabletop game. Both games, after all, share the same foundation — a playstyle known as "rank and flank."
- Units formed into "blocks": Units don't fight as chaotic clusters, but in strictly organized rectangular or square blocks on square bases.
- Combined arms: A balanced army is the foundation of success. Infantry holds the line, shooters and artillery wear the enemy down from range, monsters break through defenses, and magic can turn the tide of battle.
- Morale, flanking, and positioning: Where you place your units plays a decisive role. A flank or rear charge can break the morale of even the toughest unit, just as it does on screen.
- Real-time vs turn-based: Total War is a real-time computer strategy game, where a processor handles calculations and physics live. The Old World, by contrast, is a turn-based tabletop game.
- Physical miniatures: Instead of clicking a mouse, you roll handfuls of six-sided dice and move units of 28mm-scale figures across the table by hand.
- More "crunch": Every ranged shot or hero duel requires comparing stats and factoring in terrain modifiers — this gives the game enormous tactical depth and room for your own stories to unfold on the battlefield.
How Total War revived the Old World and brought players to it
When Games Workshop discontinued the original Warhammer Fantasy Battles tabletop game in 2015, it seemed like this fantasy world was gone for good. But then came the massive success of the Total War: Warhammer video game from developer Creative Assembly. The success of the computer trilogy, along with Vermintide, made the unified Old World setting more popular among fans than ever before.
This wave of interest led Games Workshop's developers to officially announce, in November 2019, a return to their roots and the development of a new tabletop game, Warhammer: The Old World, which was eventually released on January 20, 2024.
Looking at the community, it's worth distinguishing between official statements and community data:
- Official statements: Games Workshop directly confirmed that the massive worldwide success of the Total War video game was one of the key drivers behind reviving the brand on the tabletop.
- Community surveys: Surveys on Creative Assembly's official forums, along with extensive community data (for example, from the well-known podcast Square Based), showed just how strongly the video games influenced the community. A large number of players report that they entered the world of Warhammer specifically through Total War. Many of them started reading lore books and novels because of the game (such as those about Gotrek and Felix, or Malus Darkblade), and gradually began following tabletop news or collecting iconic miniatures of their favorite heroes, like Ungrim Ironfist.
Collaboration between GW and Creative Assembly
The relationship between the video game and tabletop Warhammer isn't a simple one-way adaptation. On the contrary, it's a close, two-way collaboration. Developers at Creative Assembly and designers at Games Workshop jointly consulted on and designed new units and even entire factions. That's how Total War ended up with units like Bretonnian Foot Squires and Royal Hippogryph Knights — designed directly under GW's supervision to fill in Bretonnia's missing high-tier units.
The most striking example of this unique synergy is Grand Cathay.
The maps of northwestern Cathay, featuring the Great Bastion guarded by the dragon Miao Ying, or the Warpstone deserts, expand the lore for both the video game and the tabletop Old World at the same time. Grand Cathay proves that a video game can genuinely shape and enrich the tabletop canon itself.
How to get started with tabletop Warhammer: Step by step
If the idea of a physical army appeals to you, there's no need to fear a complicated start or a huge investment (although, as we all know, a coin or two will inevitably be spent). Getting into the tabletop hobby is a process you can take at your own pace.
Pick your favorite faction
From Total War, you already know exactly which playstyle suits you. Drawn to the knights of Bretonnia, the undead Tomb Kings of Khemri, the dwarfs, or the orcs? Start with the army you feel closest to.
Get your first miniatures
You don't need to buy a thousand-point army right away. Great starting options include the themed starter sets — the newly released Battlemarch boxes, such as Kingdom of Bretonnia or Tomb Kings of Khemri, which include rules, dice, and a complete army — or simply a single box of core infantry (which can contain up to 40 models) or your favorite hero for the shelf.
Discover a love of painting
For many people, building and painting the miniatures themselves is just as enjoyable as playing the game. It's a relaxing hobby that lets you switch off from screens. Plenty of players have taken direct inspiration from Total War's color schemes when painting their own models.
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Play your first game
Once you've built and painted a few units, look for your nearest gaming club or store. The tabletop community loves welcoming newcomers and will gladly help you with your first dice rolls.
Build your own legend on the tabletop
The video game Total War: Warhammer III is a fantastic strategy game that puts entire battlefields and thousand-strong armies in your hands. But Warhammer: The Old World offers something a screen can never replace.
Summary
- Total War: Warhammer III and Warhammer: The Old World share the same "rank and flank" principle — formations, combined arms, and positioning decide both.
- The Old World's revival was driven in part by Total War's success — GW officially confirmed it as one of the reasons behind bringing the Old World back to the tabletop.
- The collaboration runs both ways: GW designs units and rules (Foot Squires, Royal Hippogryph Knights, all of Grand Cathay), and Creative Assembly brings them into the video game.
- Grand Cathay was a blank space on the map for decades — it took Total War III to flesh it out in detail for the first time, laying groundwork for future tabletop rules too.
- You can get started gradually — one box, one hero, and maybe even a color scheme borrowed straight from the video game.
Not sure which Old World faction to pick for your first box of miniatures? Tell us who you love playing in Total War, and we'll gladly help you choose your first models — whether in person at our shop in Plzeň at Zbrojnická 116/2 (Mon–Fri 1pm–6pm), or by email.
obchod@coloursofwarriors.com · +420 737 281 727