Surviving for 25 minutes in Warhammer Survivors is already a challenge, but reaching the final boss doesn’t necessarily mean you’re ready to win. The six Extremis bosses have special mechanics that can make an otherwise powerful build completely ineffective if you haven’t prepared the correct weapon.
Each Extremis boss has a specific counter weapon, and some of the required passive items are hidden around the stages. You may need to unlock a detector relic in one run before you can locate these items in another. This makes boss preparation just as important as levelling your weapons.
In this guide, we’ll cover all six Extremis bosses, their locations, counter weapons, evolution recipes, and unlock requirements. We’ll also explain how to find the hidden passives, defeat the special-stage bosses Mortarion and Nagash, and unlock additional game modes.
Warhammer Survivors Bosses Guide – All Extremis Bosses
There are six main Extremis bosses in Warhammer Survivors. They appear at the 25-minute mark on their respective stages.
There are also two special-stage bosses, Mortarion and Nagash, who appear at fixed locations rather than spawning after a specific amount of time.
| Boss | Setting | Stages | Required Counter Weapon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norn Emissary | Warhammer 40K | Imperial Bastion, Desert Wasteland, Death World Invasion | Gauntlets of Ultramar |
| Ghazghkull Thraka | Warhammer 40K | Ork Stronghold | Bale Eye |
| Great Unclean One | Warhammer 40K | Gallowdark, Imperial Shipyard | Weapon of the Matriarch |
| Vizzik Skour | Age of Sigmar | The Great Parch, Under-Empire, The Twin-Tailed City (Aqshan) | Aqshian Firestakes |
| Skarbrand | Age of Sigmar | Bloodwind Spoil, The Twin-Tailed City (Ghyran) | Uskavar the Sunderer |
| Trugg the Troggoth King | Age of Sigmar | Skrappa Spill, Gnarlwood | Zangrom-Thaz |
The important thing to understand is that simply having high damage isn’t enough. You need to evolve the correct weapon and carry its required passive item.
Norn Emissary (Warhammer 40K)
The Norn Emissary is a Tyranid boss that appears at the 25-minute mark on three stages:
- Imperial Bastion
- Desert Wasteland
- Death World Invasion
Its counter weapon is Gauntlets of Ultramar.
How to Unlock Gauntlets of Ultramar
You need to combine the following items:
- Power Fist Level 8
- Codex Astartes Level 6
- An Evolution Chest
The Power Fist is replaced by Gauntlets of Ultramar after evolution, while Codex Astartes remains in your build.
Marneus Calgar starts with the Power Fist, making him a useful character for preparing this weapon.
You can rescue Marneus Calgar on Death World Invasion. To unlock the Power Fist for everyone, use Auspex to locate Codex Astartes on a later run.
The required steps are:
- Collect the Auspex relic on Desert Wasteland.
- Start another run on Death World Invasion.
- Use the detector’s markings to locate Codex Astartes.
- Upgrade Power Fist to Level 8 and Codex Astartes to Level 6.
- Open an Evolution Chest to obtain Gauntlets of Ultramar.
Norn Emissary Boss Tips
Avoid relying on status-effect builds against Norn. The boss is immune to Stun, Vulnerable, and Instant Kill, while also resisting Burning, Poison, and Slow.
Its health is calculated using your character level:
Norn HP = Your Level × 500
It also has a minimum of 10,000 HP.
Because several common status effects are ineffective, focus on preparing the required counter weapon rather than depending on crowd control.
Ghazghkull Thraka (Warhammer 40K)
Ghazghkull Thraka is the Ork Warboss and appears at the 25-minute mark on Ork Stronghold.
His counter weapon is Bale Eye, a short-range eye laser that Battle-Shocks Orks.
How to Unlock Bale Eye
The evolution requires:
- Power Klaw Level 8
- Da Lucky Stikk Level 9
- An Evolution Chest
Unlike some other boss-counter weapons, both the Power Klaw and Da Lucky Stikk remain after the evolution.
Yarrick starts with Power Klaw. You can rescue him on Ork Stronghold, then survive for 15 minutes while playing as him to unlock the weapon for everyone.
The more difficult part is finding Da Lucky Stikk.
Follow these steps:
- Collect Auspex on Desert Wasteland.
- Start another run on Ork Stronghold.
- Use the detector to locate Makari and Da Lucky Stikk.
- Upgrade Power Klaw to Level 8 and Da Lucky Stikk to Level 9.
- Open an Evolution Chest to obtain Bale Eye.
Ghazghkull Thraka Boss Tips
Ghazghkull has several resistances that make certain builds less effective.
- Resistant to Knockback
- Immune to Stun
- Immune to Curses
His health is calculated as:
Ghazghkull HP = Your Level × 500
The minimum health is 10,000.
Be aware that upgrading Da Lucky Stikk to Level 9 increases the number of enemies spawning during your run. Each level adds more spawns, so expect a larger horde before the boss appears.
Great Unclean One (Warhammer 40K)
The Great Unclean One is a Nurgle boss that appears at the 25-minute mark on:
- Gallowdark
- Imperial Shipyard
Its counter weapon is Weapon of the Matriarch, which uses a horizontal fire strike.
How to Unlock Weapon of the Matriarch
You need:
- Ardent Blade Level 8
- Tactical Rock Level 9
- An Evolution Chest
The Ardent Blade is replaced during evolution, but Tactical Rock remains.
Saint Celestine starts with Ardent Blade. You can rescue her on Imperial Shipyard and unlock the weapon for everyone by defeating 1,000 Vulnerable enemies while playing as her.
To find Tactical Rock:
- Collect Auspex on Desert Wasteland.
- Start another run on Imperial Shipyard.
- Follow the hidden-item markings to locate Tactical Rock.
- Upgrade Ardent Blade to Level 8 and Tactical Rock to Level 9.
- Open an Evolution Chest.
Great Unclean One Boss Tips
The Great Unclean One has the largest health pool among the six Extremis bosses.
Its health is calculated as:
Great Unclean One HP = Your Level × 700
It has a minimum of 10,000 HP.
The boss also resists Poison and Burning, so damage-over-time builds based on those effects are not a good choice.
Be careful when levelling Tactical Rock as well. It adds 25% Corruption at Levels 5 and 9, making enemies tougher as you upgrade it.
Vizzik Skour (Age of Sigmar)
Vizzik Skour, the Prophet of the Horned Rat, appears at the 25-minute mark on:
- The Great Parch
- Under-Empire
- The Twin-Tailed City (Aqshan realm)
The required counter weapon is Aqshian Firestakes.
Its ricocheting attacks deal additional damage to magic users, making it particularly effective against Vizzik.
How to Unlock Aqshian Firestakes
The required combination is:
- Flintlock Pistols Level 8
- Ardcoat at any level
- An Evolution Chest
The Flintlock Pistols are replaced by Aqshian Firestakes, while Ardcoat remains.
Hanniver Toll starts with Flintlock Pistols. Rescue him on The Great Parch and survive for 10 minutes while playing as him to unlock the weapon for everyone.
Finding Ardcoat requires a little preparation:
- Collect Arcanoscope on Gnarlwood.
- Start another run on The Great Parch.
- Use Arcanoscope to locate Ardcoat.
- Upgrade Flintlock Pistols to Level 8.
- Open an Evolution Chest.
You don’t need to defeat three Extremis bosses to unlock Ardcoat. Its objective only requires you to encounter three of them.
Vizzik Skour Boss Tips
Vizzik has a health formula of:
Vizzik HP = Your Level × 650
Its minimum health is 10,000.
The boss is immune to Stun and Instant Kill, so don’t depend on either effect to defeat it.
Make sure you have Aqshian Firestakes ready before the encounter.
Skarbrand (Age of Sigmar)
Skarbrand is a Khorne Bloodthirster that appears at the 25-minute mark on:
- Bloodwind Spoil
- The Twin-Tailed City (Ghyran realm)
Its counter weapon is Uskavar the Sunderer, a powerful slam attack that reacts to nearby enemies.
How to Unlock Uskavar the Sunderer
You need the following items:
- Stormcharged Warhammer Level 8
- Tactical Rock Level 9
- An Evolution Chest
Unlike several other counter weapons, both ingredients remain after evolution.
Rostus Oxenhammer starts with Stormcharged Warhammer. Rescue him on Bloodwind Spoil and survive for 10 minutes while playing as him to unlock the weapon for everyone.
To find Tactical Rock:
- Collect Arcanoscope on Gnarlwood.
- Start another run on Bloodwind Spoil.
- Follow the detector’s markings to locate Tactical Rock.
- Upgrade Stormcharged Warhammer to Level 8 and Tactical Rock to Level 9.
- Open an Evolution Chest to obtain Uskavar the Sunderer.
Skarbrand Boss Tips
Skarbrand has a few important weaknesses and immunities.
Weak against:
- Frost
- Null
- Holy
Immune to:
- Burning
- Poison
- Stun
Its health is calculated as:
Skarbrand HP = Your Level × 300
The minimum is 10,000 HP.
One important mistake to avoid is chasing Ghal Maraz for this fight. Although it is the next evolution of the weapon, it requires Null Pendant, which is unlocked after defeating Nagash.
That makes Ghal Maraz unavailable for your first attempt at defeating Nagash and unnecessary for your first Skarbrand victory.
Trugg the Troggoth King (Age of Sigmar)
Trugg the Troggoth King appears at the 25-minute mark on:
- Skrappa Spill
- Gnarlwood
His counter weapon is Zangrom-Thaz, a fast triple-axe attack.
How to Unlock Zangrom-Thaz
You need:
- Fyrestorm Greataxe Level 8
- Kragg Blackhammer’s Master Rune at any level
- An Evolution Chest
The Fyrestorm Greataxe is replaced during evolution, while the Master Rune remains.
Gotrek starts with the Fyrestorm Greataxe. Rescue him on Skrappa Spill and survive for 10 minutes while playing as him to unlock the weapon for everyone.
The Master Rune only has one level, so you don’t need to worry about upgrading it.
Follow these steps to locate it:
- Collect Arcanoscope on Gnarlwood.
- Start another run on Skrappa Spill.
- Use the detector to locate Kragg Blackhammer’s Master Rune.
- Make sure you have Fyrestorm Greataxe at Level 8.
- Open an Evolution Chest.
The Master Rune’s unlock objective also requires you to reach Level 20 on The Great Parch.
Trugg Boss Tips
Trugg is the only Extremis boss in the supplied game information with a detailed developer breakdown of its attacks.
Watch out for its Ironshell Club. The boss uses wide, clearly telegraphed swings that can hit a large area and knock you backwards.
The crystal on its back also fires random projectiles that can inflict:
- Fire
- Poison
- Bleed
Trugg has the lowest health among the six Extremis bosses:
Trugg HP = Your Level × 230
It still has a minimum of 10,000 HP.
However, it is immune to most status effects, so don’t assume its lower health makes the encounter easy.
Mortarion and Nagash: Special Stage Bosses
Apart from the six Extremis bosses, Warhammer Survivors has two special-stage bosses: Mortarion and Nagash.
Unlike the main Extremis bosses, these enemies appear at fixed locations on their dedicated stages.
Defeating them also unlocks important rewards and additional content.
Mortarion
Mortarion appears in Perils of the Warp, a Warhammer 40K stage with a 30-minute time limit.
Unlike the Extremis bosses, Mortarion does not have a listed counter weapon.
Important details:
- Base health: 7,500
- Location: Fixed map position
- Weapon: Silence, his scythe
- Immune to Stun
- Immune to Instant Kill
- Flies during the encounter
The listed 7,500 HP is its base health before Corruption and game mode multipliers.
Defeating Mortarion unlocks Purity Mode for Warhammer 40K.
Nagash
Nagash appears at a fixed location in Necropolis, the special Age of Sigmar stage.
The stage has a 25-minute time limit.
Important details:
- Base health: 2,000
- Location: Fixed map position
- Immune to Stun
- Immune to Instant Kill
Defeating Nagash unlocks Null Pendant, which is required for the Ghal Maraz evolution.
Completing Necropolis also unlocks Purity Mode for Age of Sigmar.
Special Stage Unlock Codes
If you want to unlock these stages directly, you can use the following incantations:
| Stage | Incantation |
|---|---|
| Perils of the Warp | adamantiumwill |
| Necropolis | theundyingking |
How to Find Hidden Passives With Auspex and Arcanoscope
Some of the most important ingredients for Extremis counter weapons are hidden around the maps.
You cannot simply start a run, collect a detector, and use it to locate every hidden passive during that same run.
Instead, you must first collect the correct detector relic on an earlier run. Once unlocked, it marks hidden items on stages belonging to the same setting.
There are two detectors:
Auspex
Auspex is found on Desert Wasteland, in the Warhammer 40K setting.
Once collected, it reveals hidden items on other Warhammer 40K stages.
Arcanoscope
Arcanoscope is found on Gnarlwood, in the Age of Sigmar setting.
After collecting it, you can use its markings to find hidden items on other Age of Sigmar stages.
Hidden Passive Locations
| Hidden Passive | Required Detector | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| Codex Astartes | Auspex | Death World Invasion |
| Da Lucky Stikk (Makari) | Auspex | Ork Stronghold |
| Tactical Rock (40K) | Auspex | Imperial Shipyard |
| Tactical Rock (Age of Sigmar) | Arcanoscope | Bloodwind Spoil |
| Ardcoat | Arcanoscope | The Great Parch |
| Kragg Blackhammer’s Master Rune | Arcanoscope | Skrappa Spill |
Remember that collecting a detector removes it from the map. You only need to collect it once to reveal the hidden pickups in its setting on subsequent runs.
Regular Bosses and Chest Rewards
Not every boss in Warhammer Survivors is an Extremis boss.
Regular bosses also appear throughout the stages, and defeating them can reward you with chests.
Enemies with a green outline drop chests when defeated.
However, don’t assume every chest will evolve your weapon.
A chest only evolves a weapon when both of these conditions are met:
- The weapon has reached its maximum level.
- You have its matching passive item.
If either requirement is missing, the chest becomes a normal upgrade instead.
Chest rewards can also vary. Depending on the roll, you may receive five rewards, three rewards, one reward, or nothing.
Increasing your Chance stat can improve the outcome, but no boss guarantees a weapon evolution.
Regular Bosses and Their Unlocks
Defeating the following bosses unlocks Eavy Metal on their respective stages.
| Boss | Stage |
|---|---|
| Carnifex | Imperial Bastion |
| Typhus | Gallowdark |
| Grukk Face-Rippa | Ork Stronghold |
| Hive Tyrant | Death World Invasion |
| Plague Furnace | The Great Parch |
| Dankhold Troggoth | Skrappa Spill |
| Khorgorath | Bloodwind Spoil |
Warhammer Survivors Game Modes and Rewards
There are several additional modes that change how your runs work. Some are focused on increasing difficulty, while others reward you for defeating Extremis bosses under specific restrictions.
Endless War
Endless War removes the final boss from the run.
If you reach the 25-minute mark and the expected Extremis boss doesn’t appear, check whether you have selected Endless War before assuming something is wrong.
Fast Attack
Fast Attack doubles the mission clock and increases Veterancy.
This changes the pace of your run, so keep the faster progression in mind when planning your weapon upgrades.
Purity Mode
Purity Mode enforces strict limits on the weapons and passive items you can use.
Defeating an Extremis boss with Purity Mode enabled rewards 500 coins in both Warhammer 40K and Age of Sigmar.
You unlock the setting-specific versions by defeating Mortarion and completing Necropolis, respectively.
Limitless Mode
Limitless Mode unlocks after defeating at least one Extremis boss in each setting:
- Warhammer 40K
- Age of Sigmar
This mode allows you to continue improving your stats after all your weapons have reached their maximum levels.
Each level-up offers three stat choices, giving you more opportunities to strengthen your character.
Grim Darkness
Grim Darkness increases Wounds to three times their normal value.
It also provides higher coin rewards, making it useful if you’re looking to earn more currency.
However, the increased difficulty makes it a poor choice if you haven’t prepared the required counter weapon.
Eavy Metal
Eavy Metal keeps Wounds at 100% but greatly increases the movement speed of both players and enemies.
This creates a faster and more demanding experience, even without increasing the Wounds value.
The biggest mistake you can make in Warhammer Survivors is assuming that reaching the 25-minute mark with a strong build guarantees a victory.
Each Extremis boss has a specific counter weapon, and obtaining that weapon often requires preparation across multiple runs.
Before attempting a boss, make sure you have:
- Unlocked the correct starting weapon through its character objective.
- Collected Auspex or Arcanoscope on an earlier run.
- Located the required hidden passive.
- Reached the required weapon and passive levels.
- Opened an Evolution Chest to obtain the counter weapon.
Don’t waste time relying on status effects that a boss is immune to. Check its weaknesses and resistances, prepare the right evolution, and learn the boss’s attack patterns.
Once you understand how the detectors, hidden passives, and weapon evolutions work together, defeating the Extremis bosses becomes much more manageable.