The Chaos Wastes (region) is a region of the Warhammer World which is in the far north and far south, close to the poles. Beyond it is the Realm of Chaos.
In lore[]
- Warhammer Fantasy wiki has an article on the Chaos Wastes, for more in-depth lore information.
The Chaos Wastes lie in the farthest north. North of Norsca, Naggaroth, the Dark Lands, Mountains of Mourn and Grand Cathay. It is highly corrupted by raw, mutating magic and the influence of Chaos, which stems from the nearby Realm of Chaos.
There is technically also a matching Chaos Waste in the farthest south, although this isolated area is rarely mentioned in the lore.
Initially, the Chaos Wastes appear as a frigid wilderness of taiga, tundra and mountains. The further north one travels, the more otherworldly and strange the wastes become. The Wastes are inhabited by Beastmen, Chaos-Worshipping Northern Tribes including Warriors of Chaos, and occasionally various Daemons of Chaos (Khorne, Tzeentch, Nurgle, Slaanesh).
In-game[]
The Chaos Wastes lie in the top/north of the map. They are depicted differently in different campaigns.
The Old World[]
In The Old World campaign for Total War: Warhammer, they appear as a single province, The Chaos Wastes (province). The province is perpetually full of Chaos corruption.
Eye of the Vortex[]
In the Mortal Empires campaign for Total War: Warhammer II, there are two Chaos Wastes provinces, both north of Naggaroth. All of them have the Chaos Wasteland climate across all their settlements, with perpetually high Chaos corruption.
In addition, Albion partially has the Chaos Wasteland climate.
Mortal Empires[]
In the Mortal Empires campaign for Total War: Warhammer II, there are several Chaos Wastes provinces. All of them have the Chaos Wasteland climate, with perpetually high Chaos corruption.
- The Chaos Wastes (province) - returning from Total War: Warhammer
- Ironfrost Glacier
- Aghol Wastelands
In addition, the provinces of Norsca have the Chaos Wasteland climate.
The Lost God[]
The entirety of The Lost God campaign for Total War: Warhammer III takes place in the Chaos Wastes, following a Kislev Expedition sent there. There is no climate system to worry about, as the campaign is intended as a tutorial. See the campaign's page for a list of provinces.
The Realm of Chaos[]
In The Realm of Chaos campaign for Total War: Warhammer III, there are many Chaos Wastes provinces. They stretch across a large portion of the north of the map, from west to east. Most of the settlements here have the Chaotic Wasteland climate. Norsca also appears, but has the Frozen climate.