Karl Franz

The newly elected Emperor tasked with uniting a fractious kingdom against rising chaos and ancient grudges.

Karl Franz is the newly elected Emperor of the Empire in Total War: Warhammer, a title he assumes centuries after the Age of Three Emperors, a canonical period of civil war also referred to as the 'War of the Three Emperors'. His primary objective at the start of the game is to unite his fractured kingdom and assert dominion over the realm before challenging surrounding territories. This task is complicated by some counts of the empire who resent his rule, while others, such as the Count of Averland, are not explicitly supportive of him in the default start, as well as external threats seeking to destroy or conquer the Old World.

Quick Facts

Role: Emperor of the Empire
Faction: The Empire (Total War: Warhammer)
Race: Human

Lore & Background

Karl Franz's reign begins after a period of turmoil, but the civil war known as the War of the Three Emperors is a canonical event, also referred to as the 'Age of Three Emperors', which occurred centuries before his election. Some counts of the empire resent his rule, creating a fractured political landscape that he must navigate to bring peace to the Old World. His challenge is not merely internal; the Dwarfs hold grudges against those who wrong them, including Greenskins, which can threaten stability in the south.

Meanwhile, the Vampires ruled by the Von Carsteins in Sylvania are a present threat, and at the start of Karl Franz's reign they have a stated canonical objective of leading an undead army westward to seize the Imperial throne, as Vlad von Carstein's primary goal was to conquer the Empire and claim the throne during the Vampire Wars. To the north, the Chaos horde rides with the intent to destroy everything in its path and corrupt all that stands in their way of domination.

Reader's Guide

Players controlling Karl Franz must manage a campaign that spans from the Chaos wastes in the north to the Greenskin-infested badlands in the south. The goal is to unite the Empire despite internal dissent from the counts. On the battlefield, players can utilize new mechanics such as agents participating directly in battles to give their army an edge. Generals are renamed 'Lords' and fight as individuals rather than being embedded within a bodyguard unit; they can be upgraded via skill and equipment trees to boost both their own power and that of their army.

Did You Know?

The game features a 'Waaagh!' system for Greenskins, but Karl Franz must contend with the Dwarfs' grudges, which are not an eternal hatred of all Greenskins but a response to specific wrongs.
Total War: Warhammer was released on May 24, 2016, after being delayed from its original April 28 date.
The Chaos faction, a major threat to Karl Franz's rule, was available for free to those who pre-ordered the game.

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