Infantry units are the living, breathing, and eventually dying proof that economy exists in the Warhammer Fantasy mythos. Without them, the elite lords and cavalry won’t have any meat shields. These dedicated foot soldiers inTotal War: Warhammer 2are all fodder and they mostly have one purpose: to get their hands dirty while the lords deal the killing blow.
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That isn’t to say all infantry units inWarhammer 2arewretched pawns. Some of them are shiny, spiky, beefy pawns that can win the battle on their own. They’re quite a few in the grand scheme of things, but that makes these most elite infantry units all the more memorable. Here which one is which, and also what to do when players see them in the enemy army.
Updated June 28, 2025, by Sid Natividad:The end is nigh once again with the advent of Total War: Warhammer 3 sometime in 2022. As the forces of Chaos assemble at the very doorsteps of one’s kingdoms in the Campaign map, players might want to poise themselves for the coming tide of darkness. They can do so by getting used to unit management once more inWarhammer 2.
Now, there’s a big chance that theunits available in Warhammer 2will be the same in Warhammer 3 plus the new additions. So getting familiar with the most powerful infantry units is a good way to prepare for Chaos' onslaught once Warhammer 3 hits the shelves. Thus, we’ve added even morepowerful infantry unitsthat typically dominate the current meta.
15Giant Slayers (Dwarves)
Stocky muscular dwarves with giant mohawk hairstyles and giant axes aren’t what one usually expects when facing this easily-offended race. That’s why the Giant Slayers tend to blindside even the most well-composed armies. Because once the moshpit clears up, it’s usually these tough buggers that will remain all bloodied but standing.
The Giant Slayers, true enough to their name, caneasily slaughter monster unitsor even those pesky dragons. If not, then they can trade blows with heavily-armored hulks like the Chaos Chosen. The best part is that they’renot that slowfor a dwarven unit.
14Black Guard Of Naggarond (Dark Elves)
Dark Elves usually employ quick and deceptive units in their roster but a few of their elite ones can hold their own against the most devastating charges and the largest monsters. Those brave and bloodthirsty units would be the Black Guard of Naggarond.
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They’re theelite pikemen of the Dark Elvesand the darker edgier versions of the High Elves' Phoenix Guards. Truth be told, they’re a bit worse than those units but the Black Guard of Naggarond get the job then especially when one wants to quickly get rid of big enemies.
13Temple Guard (Lizardmen)
What the Temple Guard lack in attack power, they make up for in their inherent toughness plus the fact that they can regenerate since they are giant spiky iguanas. These reptiles are the Lizardmen’s most stalwart defenders and they can hold a line until only a few of them are left and at which point, they’ll probably go on a rampage and take as many with them before they die.
Except, that rampaging part doesn’t really happen frequently becausethe Temple Guard typically doesn’t break. They might not have the striking power of the Giant Slayers, but their skin is tougher and more resistant against ranged damage.
12Bestigor Herd (Beastmen)
They’re not the best at holding a line but the Bestigor Herd are fastheavy-hitters designed for flankingaround an already engaged unit and then cutting them down into pieces for easier digestion. It helps that they have a good speed since they’re Beastmen.
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Arguably, the best part about them is that they allow their players to make some mistakes thanks to the rather large health pool. If caught in a bad situation, they can easily squeeze out unscathed. Just remember not to treat them like tanky frontline tar-pits and they should be fine.
11Marauder Champions (Norsca)
Norsca’s lesser and lightly armored version of the Chaos Chosen don’t look as imposing, as expected, but theysurprisingly have good defense.They can stay in a moshpit fight long enough for flanker units such as Skin Wolves to do their nasty work on the enemy’s backline.
One could even say that the Marauder Champions are well-balanced. However, don’t expect them to win against more seasoned and formidable units such as Swordmasters or some of the Dwarven elite. They mostly function well asall-rounders.
10Black Orcs (Greenskins)
Formany WarhammerFantasy fans, this one’s already a given. Black Orcs are the meanest, nastiest, and gingivitiest Greenskins around. In fact, they can even go toe-to-toe with some of the best Warriors of Chaos units.
The only problem is they’requite slow, making themeasily kitedwith fast, ranged units. Coupled with the fact that Greenskins don’t have good missile units, players can probably guess how to deal with these brutes.Armor-piercingranged attacks do quite a number on them, along with the occasional bigger and more heavily armored infantry.
9Chameleon Skinks (Lizardmen)
The Templer Guard could have easily taken this spot, but for the their tendency to rampage and be uncontrollable. For something more surgical, players will want the Chameleon Skinks. Sure enough, they’re no frontliners. These areambusher units,better for kiting big creatures or slow infantry units.
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Theirbiggest advantage is their speed. However,certain cavalry or flying units are still fasterand can quickly run them over. Additionally, they snap easily under pressure due to thelow Leadership. They’re the perfect targets for spells.
8Ironbreakers (Dwarves)
These Dwarves live up to their reputation. They dish out the breaking and don’t break at all. If players find their Dwarven army swamped, they’ll notice that the Ironbreakers are usually the ones to die last. They have some of thehighest Leadership valuesin the game. Moreover, their armor makes them perfect metal walls.
Again, they’re slow,slower than the Black Orcs, in fact. Flying units such as dragons can pester them. They’re alsosusceptible to hammer and anvil cavalry attacksdue to their speed, or lack thereof.
7Waywatchers (Wood Elves)
Waywatchers are like the Chameleon Skinks, except they’re guerilla elves. They can also turn invisible, and thus do well when ambushing targets. They can alsomake infantry units rout before they even come close. Apparently, they’ve been nerfed several times, but still remain a promising Wood Elf missile infantry.
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Countering them can be a difficult ordeal, due to their decent health and high Leadership. It’s best to stay far away andpepper them with artillery strikes,beforerunning them over with tough cavalry or flying units.
6Swordmasters of Hoeth (High Elves)
Astonishingly high slashing power is brought to players by the High Elves. These uppity knife-ears have some of thebest endgameinfantry out there, and Swordmasters of Hoeth are their main offensive frontline force. They have even surpassed the Chaos Chosen in some patches (albeit briefly).
They have one flaw, however:They lack shieldsand don’t have the best armor values. While they candeflect projectileswith their swords, they still take somenasty damage from most missile attacks. They alsodon’t fare well in prolonged fights,just like most High Elf units.
