Araby exists in Warhammer lore (the Arabian-Nights-flavoured human civilisation of the south), but Creative Assembly has never built it as a playable race. The OvN (Old World Reborn / "Lost Factions") team filled that gap with one of the most content-dense fan mods in the WH3 scene. Below is everything you need before you subscribe.
Araby main menu or faction-selection screen.
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What is OvN Lost Factions: Araby?
OvN Lost Factions: Araby is part of the OvN Lost Factions series, which adds brand-new, fully built races to the game. Araby is implemented as a standalone race — on the same level as the Wood Elves, Chaos Daemons, or the Empire — meaning it brings:
- A fully custom unit roster (50+ units per the community breakdown), drawing from tabletop, lore, and original OvN designs.
- Custom heroes, lords, and legendary lords, each with unique models, assets, and animations.
- Its own technology tree, magic lores, diplomatic relations, and faction mechanics.
- Availability in Immortal Empires, Immortal Empires Expanded, The Old World, and custom battles.
Key facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Author | Team OvN |
| Required mod | Mixu's Unlocker (MIXER) |
| For custom siege map | Map Replacer Framework |
| Size | ~1.9 GB |
| Workshop | OvN Lost Factions: Araby |
The Four Playable Factions
Araby is not one faction — it is a race split into several very different campaigns.
1. Sultanate of Araby — led by Sultan Jaffar (start: Al-Haikk)
The "main" Araby campaign. Jaffar's signature mechanic is Jaffar's Revenge: unite Araby and conquer Estalia, Tilea, and Bretonnia to stack escalating rewards. Expect strong trade income, a +10% research rate, and elite Palace Guard troops with a Guardian passive and big upkeep reduction.
2. Aswad Scythans — led by Fatandira (start: Karag Orrud, World's Edge Mountains)
Fatandira must choose her Allegiance: side with the Tomb King god Tutankhanut or with the people of Araby. Each path grants different rewards — siding with the Tomb Kings lets you recruit select Tomb King units. Strong ambush bonuses and stalk on many ranged/camel units.
3. The Golden Fleet — led by the Golden Magus (start: Copper Landing, Western Lustria)
A pirate faction. Mechanics include Infamy, Pieces of Eight, and an upgradeable ship for the Magus. Lean into naval raiding and corsair play.
4. Cult of the Djinn — led by the Wizard Caliph (start: Kasar, Khuresh)
Immortal Empires Expanded only. Cast Hexes and Incantations in the Wizard Caliph's Sanctum to buff your army or debuff the enemy.
There are also minor factions (Sultanate of El-Kalabad, Sultanate of Chandrahara) to thicken the campaign map.
The four faction choices and their different starting positions.
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Unit & Roster Highlights
Araby's flavour comes straight from its Middle-Eastern-inspired lore: camel cavalry, djinn, war elephants, armoured lancers, and Ottoman-style great cannons (the famous "Urban" bombard). Lords can even ride war elephants, doubling as monster units.
Standouts:
- Camel Lancers / Camel Archers / Camel Jezzails — fast, stalk-capable desert troops.
- Djinn units — ethereal/magic-themed elites tied to the Genie lores.
- War Elephants — monster punch for lords and shock units.
- Great Cannons — siege and anti-large artillery.
The roster is large enough that each of the four factions plays distinctly despite sharing a base race.
Magic Lore
Araby introduces a Desert / Genie (Djinn) magic lore — a themed spell list that fits the faction far better than borrowing from the vanilla lores. Combined with the Sanctum mechanics (Cult of the Djinn), magic becomes a core part of the identity rather than an afterthought.
Signature Mechanics to Know
- Jaffar's Revenge (Sultanate of Araby) — conquest-driven reward ladder.
- Fatandira's Allegiance (Aswad Scythans) — Tomb King vs Araby loyalty swing.
- Pirates Delights (Golden Fleet) — Infamy, Pieces of Eight, upgradeable ship.
- Wizard Caliph's Sanctum (Cult of the Djinn) — Hex/Incantation buffs.
- The Bazzar — a custom economy/build system comparable to the Tomb Kings' dynasty or the Dwarf forge.
- City vs Nomadic culture balance — a map-wide tension (similar in feel to Cathay's Yin/Yang) where different buildings shift the balance, forcing you to plan your provinces.
The Bazzar or City vs Nomadic campaign interface.
To be captured by the user from their own game installation. This space does not contain fabricated or AI-generated gameplay.
How to Install
- Subscribe to Mixu's Unlocker (MIXER) — Araby will not appear without it.
- Subscribe to OvN Lost Factions: Araby.
- (Optional) Subscribe to Map Replacer Framework if you want the custom Araby siege map.
- Load the mod through your Mod Manager (see our Mod Manager guide), place Araby and its dependencies correctly in the load order, and launch.
- If the game crashes on start after an update, unsubscribe and resubscribe to the required mods to force a clean reinstall.
Tip: Araby is a heavy mod (~1.9 GB) — give Steam time to download before launching.
Who Should Play It
- Yes if you love lore-faithful, content-rich faction additions and want a fresh Immortal Empires campaign far from the vanilla races.
- Yes if you enjoy economy/loyalty puzzle mechanics (Bazzar, culture balance, Allegiance).
- Maybe not if you only want a small unit pack — this is a full race with a learning curve, and it needs Mixu's Unlocker in your load order.
Verdict
For a fan-made addition, OvN Lost Factions: Araby punches well above its weight — multiple fully distinct campaigns, custom models, themed magic, and mechanics that reward planning. It brings several campaign systems and a custom roster together; check the current listing for updates before installing.
Original mod & credit: OvN Lost Factions: Araby on Steam Workshop by Team OvN. This guide is an independent write-up; all in-game imagery should be captured by you, the player, from your own installation.
Part of the WarhammerGuide WH3 Mod series. Next: Lizardmen mods · Cathay mods.