| “ | Though the Iron Dragon possesses untold authority, decades of Warpstone experimentation have taken a toll upon his mind. | „ |
| “ | Incomparable elemental wisdom paired with the raw Celestial power of a Dragon. | „ |
Zhao Ming, the Iron Dragon is a 
Grand Cathay Legendary Lord unit introduced in Total War: Warhammer III. In campaign, he leads 
The Western Provinces.
Description[]
A hardened frontier warrior, the Iron Dragon maintains the western edge of the empire and keeps the desert clans in order. A skilled alchemist, he uses the strange minerals of the Warpstone Desert to create unique weapons for his armies. Cabals of Metal and Fire Wizards are welcomed within his realm, much to the irritation of the Jade Dragon who sees the encouragement of sorcerous organisations outside of the Celestial Court as dangerous to the empire. These Sorcerers help the Iron Dragon in his experiments, and many magical weapons and armours are therefore forged in the Dragon’s cities.
The other Dragons have in the past questioned the sanity of their brother, fearing that his proximity to the Great Maw might have somehow poisoned his mind. While there is no solid evidence of this, the Iron Dragon is prone to strange moods and unpredictability – though nothing to date has ever threatened the empire. Certainly, the Celestial Dragon has never questioned the devotion of his son or his right to rule the western part of the empire. Zhao Ming may appear in either as a man or in Dragon-form depending on his desire, and may even transform during the course of a battle.
Campaign Description[]
Realm of Chaos[]
"Grand Cathay is the land of the Celestial Dragon Emperor. In the distant past the Dragon Emperor founded his domain amongst the human tribes who dwelt in the east. To aid his rule, he took a mate, the Moon Dragon, and they had nine children who became noble rulers of Cathay's many provinces.
Of the nine, four have been lost to time and enmity. Zhao Ming, the Iron Dragon, is closer to his mother and perceived with suspicion by his siblings. He rules Western Cathay yet the Skaven that lurk in the Warpstone Desert have been emboldened of late.
The power of a god may aid in pacifying his regions, increasing his standing amongst his kin. Will such a prize lure him into the Chaos Realms? I travel east to gain an audience."
Attributes[]
Wizard- ▲ Spellcaster: This unit can cast spells.
- ▲ Armoured: Armoured units can block damage from any source apart from Armour-Piercing damage.
- ▲ Harmony Amplifier: +100%: This unit increases Harmony bonuses for nearby units by +100%. Only the strongest amplifier bonus is applied.
- ▲ Melee Expert: Melee Experts might have a very strong melee attack or melee defence, or high values in both. Some also have melee-focused skills like Charge Defence. Use them to counter other strong melee units. When facing them, it is best to take them out before they can enter melee.
Wizard
Armour-Piercing damage.
armour-piercing weapons mostly ignores the armour of the target, making them the ideal choice against heavily-armoured enemies. They are often heavier and attack at a slower rate though, making them less efficient against poorly-armoured targets.Spells[]
Character Abilities[]
Active Abilities[]
Campaign Only[]
- Master of Alchemy: Flaming
- Master of Alchemy: Piercing
- Master of Alchemy: Poison
- Foe-Seeker
- Deadly Onslaught
- Rally!
- Stand Your Ground!
Passive Abilities[]
Campaign Only[]
Unique Items[]
Campaign starting units[]
The Realm of Chaos[]
Immortal Empires[]
Lord Effects[]
- Maximum number of active Caravans: +1
- Magic item drop chance: +100%
- Upkeep: -25% for melee units (Lord's army)
Character Traits[]
Personal Trait[]
Lord of the Jade-Sworn: "Alchemy holds the true power!"
- Maximum number of active Caravans: +1
- Magic item drop chance: +100%
- Upkeep: -25% for melee units (Lord's army)
Defeat Trait[]
Merciless to Ming: Even the Warp-weapons and Wizards at his disposal weren't able to prevent the defeat of the Iron Dragon by a superior general.
- Magic Items drop chance: +10%
- Armour: +5 (Lord's army)
Talent Tree[]
Strategy[]
With good base stats, an absolutely packed skill tree and the ability to switch form at will, Zhao Ming is amongst the most powerful legendary lords in the game, able to perform basically any role on the battlefield as well as coming with some great strategic buffs. He is amongst the reasons the Western Provinces are a highly recommended campaign for beginners, since he can carry most battles on his own, but the balanced nature of Cathay's roster should still impart important lessons about unit roles.
In dragon form, he moves faster and does far more damage, at the cost of losing all but one of his spells and becoming more vulnerable to damage himself. Dragon's Breath mostly has utility in the early game, since it will do almost nothing to armoured targets, but is pretty effective against unarmoured infantry hordes such as Skaven. Later on, dragon form actually has more utility for simply conveying Ming to where you want him to be: in human form he's still a formidable fighter, and since it's guaranteed to clump up enemy formations around him it provides the opportunity to inflict massive damage with Constellation of the Dragon.
Gallery[]
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Zhao Ming poster
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In Dragon form
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Concept art
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