Unofficial fan reference · game data patch 9.0.4 (Oct 15, 2026)

Dark Elves · Immortal Empires

Hag Graef

wh2_main_def_hag_graef

Comes with The Shadow & The Blade(Warhammer II)

Hag Graef is a playable Dark Elves faction in Total War: Warhammer III, led by Malus Darkblade. In Immortal Empires it starts in Hag Graef with 1 region. It comes with The Shadow & The Blade. Faction key wh2_main_def_hag_graef. Patch 9.0.4, from the game's data tables.

Start here

Immortal Empires, patch 9.0.4: facts from the game's data, each linking to the full section.

Start and neighbours

Starts at Hag Graef (The Black Flood)

  1. 1.Naggarond — Naggarond · near (2.8%)
  2. 2.Ghrond — Ghrond · medium (4.5%) · minor faction
  3. 3.Clar Karond — Clar Karond · medium (5.1%) · minor faction
  4. 4.Nagarythe — The Monoliths · medium (5.1%)
  5. 5.Har Ganeth — Har Ganeth · medium (6.0%)

Nearest starting capitals, measured on the game's minimap as a share of its width: near ≤ 4%, medium ≤ 10%, far beyond. See it on the full map

Climate at a glance

5 suitable · 2 unpleasant · 5 uninhabitable · 2 climates differ from the race

Every climate below · what each level does

Victory at a glance

Short victory: 5 objectives · long victory: 6

  • Maintain control of the following provinces in the Chaos Wastes: The Cold Mires, The Eternal Lagoon, The Noisome Tumour, …
  • Use Tz’arkan’s Daemonic form in battle 3 times.
  • Win the following battle: The Warpsword of Khaine

All objectives and rewards below

Leader's quests

The quest battles

Key units and where they are recruited

COMPUTED — per role, the Dark Elves unit that tops the role's cost list on best units by the numbers (base stats, multiplayer cost; the race's standard roster — units it has only with Unit caps off, the extended roster, are left out). Recruitment: the first building level that unlocks it (building_units_allowed).

Faction leader

Malus Darkblade

Malus Darkblade

Hag Graef

In search of the true Warpsword of Khaine, Malus Darkblade wanders through the maddening Chaos Wastes to the Black Rock.

Tyrant of Hag Graef
  • Income from Iron Mines, Gold Mines and Marble Quarries: +30% (factionwide)
  • Malus is possessed by the Daemon Tz’arkan, who is controlled with the use of elixirs
  • Tz’arkan’s Whispers: The Daemon influences Malus to commit acts of slaughter and cruelty
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“Shut up, Daemon!” In the chill land of Naggaroth lies a realm steeped in malice, home to the outcast children of Ulthuan. The darker half of the Elven race, who sundered many centuries prior, the Dark Elves, watch the world with malevolent eyes, having suffered the greatest betrayal to ever occur in all the ages of the world. To the Druchii, it is their birthright to enslave and rule, and the destiny of others to serve – if indeed they are permitted to survive at all! Of the fortified Dark Elf cities that dominate the Land of Chill, Hag Graef is perhaps the most sinister and foreboding of them all. Also known as “The Dark Crag”, the city is built at the bottom of a cold, dark canyon and is completely surrounded by mountains of bare rock that stretch into the clouds to cast permanent shadows over its black towers and walkways. Driven by the wealth of its bountiful mines, Hag Graef has reaped vast riches from the labour of numberless slaves who claw iron and jet-black stone from the belly of the world for the arsenals of the Witch King, thus solidifying its position as Naggaroth’s second city. With such wealth at stake, Hag Graef’s nobles are constantly at one another’s throats, a situation perpetuated by Malekith himself – after all, if the Dreadlords of the Dark Crag were to unite in common purpose, they would undoubtedly be able to overthrow him. Intrigue, betrayal and murder are rife, not helped by the generally cramped conditions of the city, which combined with the Dark Elves’ peremptory nature ensure that rivalries flair into bloody violence with alarming regularity. It was in this brutal crucible that Malus Darkblade made his name and earned his reputation as the “Tyrant of Hag Graef”, playing the deadly game of politics for many years and excelling at it. Even by the standards of Hag Graef’s warring families, he is ambitious beyond reason. It was Malus’ very own depthless thirst for power that once led him into the clutches of a being even darker than he, a series of events that resulted in his fate being inexorably intertwined with that of the Daemon Tz’arkan, the Drinker of Worlds, who is imprisoned within his very soul. Relying on his own dark determination and limitless reserves of hatred to overcome any opposition, Malus also perseveres through his torment to draw upon Tz’arkan’s frightening power when needed, carrying out the bidding of the Witch King as he hacks a path of bloody ruin across the world.

Faction effects

  • Sea Lanes journey duration: -1 turns (factionwide)
  • Underworld Sea travel time: -1 (factionwide)
  • Seductive influence: +150 required for complete seduction
  • Seductive influence: -2 per turn from race

Victory conditions

Immortal Empires, from the campaign script (victory_objectives_config.lua) in the game's own words. All factions

Short Campaign Victory

  1. Maintain control of the following provinces in the Chaos Wastes: The Cold Mires, The Eternal Lagoon, The Noisome Tumour, Plain of Illusions
  2. Use Tz’arkan’s Daemonic form in battle 3 times.
  3. Win the following battle: The Warpsword of Khaine
  4. Complete 3 Tz’arkan’s Whispers quests.
  5. Upgrade a Black Ark to an Enormous Black Ark level

REWARDS

The Warmaster’s Reward
  • Unlocks Rite of the Warmaster at Low and Very Low Possession

Follower or item: Black Ark Privateer

Long Campaign Victory

  1. Achieve the Short Victory conditions.
  2. Construct landmark: Shrine of Widowmaker
  3. Obtain the Sword of Khaine
  4. Use Tz’arkan’s Daemonic form in battle 5 times.
  5. Defeat 3 High Elves Legendary Lords.
  6. Recruit 3 Black Ark and upgrade them to a Grand Black Ark level or higher

REWARDS

Droves of the Dispossessed
  • Income from slaves: +15%
Masters of Torment
  • Hero recruit rank: +10 (all provinces)

Slaves: +2,000

Plan a co-op campaign with Hag Graef — partners by start distance, climate and victory conditions. Its start next to the race's other factions: best Dark Elf factions.

Climate

Suitable

  • Chaotic Wasteland
  • Frozen
  • Temperate Island
  • Jungle(race: Unpleasant)
  • Mountain(race: Unpleasant)

Unpleasant

  • Savannah
  • Temperate

Uninhabitable

  • Desert
  • Magical Forest
  • Ocean
  • Undead Wasteland
  • Wasteland

How settling Hag Graef fares in each climate (campaign_group_racial_suitability_effects and its member criteria). What each level does, for every race.

Source: factions, start_pos_factions and start_pos_regions (campaigns wh3_main_combi and wh3_main_chaos), frontend_faction_leaders and faction_groups, patch 9.0.4.