Total War: Warhammer 40,000 Introduces the Largest Unit Ever in a Total War Game—and Naturally, It's an Ork Stompa

Creative Assembly, the developer behind Total War: Warhammer 40,000, recently showcased a full battle in the upcoming strategy game, confirming that it features the biggest unit ever seen in a Total War title. During the livestream, the team discussed unit cards, shooting mechanics, suppression, flanking, and equipment, but the highlight was something far larger. "We really wanted to put the biggest thing we could get away with in a Total War game," said David Petry, battle product owner, as the Orks' towering Stompa appeared on screen. "We're looking at adding even bigger things later, but this is the largest we've had so far. Very excited about that."

What exactly is a Stompa? Like most Ork contraptions, it's a crude assembly of scrap parts that somehow works better than the sum of its pieces (thanks to Ork magic, but let's not get into that). It's a walking, shooting battle fortress that stomps across the battlefield, crushing everything in its path. Crewed by several Orks, dozens of Grot riggers, runners, and assistants, it typically mounts two or three massive guns and a giant claw for melee. Whether you're an enemy tank or anything else, a Stompa is something to fear.

During the stream, the hapless Astra Militarum attempted to destroy the Stompa with an orbital strike—a devastating attack you won't use often, essentially an emergency measure. Surprisingly, the Stompa survived the blast, much to the developers' amazement, though it was barely alive and soon exploded.

Petry hinted that Creative Assembly plans to add even larger units to Total War: Warhammer 40,000 in the future, sparking excitement. What could they be? A Titan? A Tyranid Bio Titan? (The game will likely include Tyranids eventually.) Or something else entirely?

Total War: Warhammer 40,000 still lacks a release date, but news is flowing steadily. This week, we reported on all the named characters announced so far, following Games Workshop's confirmation that Ork Warboss Nazdreg Ug Urdgrub will appear in the game. How these characters will function in-game remains unknown.