The latest trailer for Total Warhammer 2 is here, and it’s all about the bad-ass Dark Elves. The third race of the upcoming game’s four playable races “offer a ferocious new gameplay style. Swift to strike – and brutal to a fault – they’re capable of tearing down an enemy’s defences in a trice, provided they sustain their Murderous Prowess. However, a Dark Elf leader must preserve his alpha status in the eyes of his lesser generals and keep an iron grip on their loyalty, lest their self-serving, glory-seeking nature leads to treachery!”

The trailer claims to use in-engine footage. That’s a loose concept, as they hardly show any situations you’ll actually encounter while playing. Total War is about large-scale battles, and this trailer mostly focused on a few characters running around in cut scenes. Perhaps they’re using a real-time engine but I find the claim misleading.

Warhammer lore gets very dark, and these shady Elves are an elegant side of evil.

“Led from the obsidian wastes of Naggaroth by the Witch King Malekith and his sadistic mother Morathi, the Dark Elves are hell-bent on the humiliation and destruction of their orderly brothers, and ultimate control of the Great Vortex in Ulthuan.”

The High Elves and Lizardmen make up the other two known races so far. Many are speculating the giant rodent Skaven to take the fourth slot. Their unnerving hordes and death machines would be a welcome addition.

You can play Total War: WARHAMMER II on September 28th, 2017, and of course, pre-orders’s are available now. Owners of both games will eventually have access to a large map, encompassing areas from both games, and able to play as races from both titles.

Steam users that pre-order or buy TW:W II within the first week will also receive the first game’s content as a bonus.