What are all the Cthulhu Wars factions, listed in order?
Cthulhu Wars has eleven confirmed playable factions across the base game and official expansion lineup: The Ancients, Black Goat, Bubastis, Crawling Chaos, Daemon Sultan, Great Cthulhu, Opener of the Way, Sleeper, Tcho-Tchos, Windwalker, and Yellow Sign. Four come in the base game; seven are faction expansions. Every one plays by its own rules, with distinct units, spellbooks, and a win condition that doesn't overlap with any other faction at the table. That's the whole point.
This is a straight reference roster. One entry per faction, alphabetical order, with its source, play identity, and where to get it. For deeper strategy dives, each faction has its own guide in the Petersen Games blog. For the base game itself, start with the Cthulhu Wars O4 Edition.
The complete alphabetical faction roster
Cthulhu Wars is widely recognized on BoardGameGeek as one of the defining asymmetric strategy games of the modern era, with the asymmetry running deep enough that every faction demands a different mental model from its player.[1] Each entry below covers: source, play identity in a sentence, and a note on availability.
The Ancients
Source: Faction expansion. Identity: The only faction with no Great Old One. Wins through an elaborate set of tricks and traps rather than a traditional power escalation, making it the most structurally unusual faction in the entire game. Skill level: Expert. Availability: Expansion lineup; check current stock at Petersen Games expansions.
Black Goat
Source: Base game (Cthulhu Wars O4 Edition). Identity: Shub-Niggurath's faction floods the map with cheap monsters and wins through sheer numbers and wide gate control. The swarm faction, built for players who want to manage a lot of pieces at once. Skill level: Intermediate. Availability: Included in the Cthulhu Wars O4 Edition.
Bubastis
Source: Faction expansion. Identity: Built around Bastet, the Egyptian cat goddess, and the only faction drawing from Egyptian mythology rather than the Lovecraft Mythos. That gives it a thematic and strategic identity unlike anything else in the lineup. Notable: can't use high priests by design. Skill level: Intermediate to advanced. Availability: Expansion lineup.
Crawling Chaos
Source: Base game (Cthulhu Wars O4 Edition). Identity: Nyarlathotep's faction wins through manipulation, repositioning, and reading the table. Where other factions fight for territory head-on, Crawling Chaos finds angles the other players don't see until it's too late. Skill level: Intermediate to advanced. Availability: Included in the O4 Edition.
Daemon Sultan
Source: Faction expansion. Identity: Azathoth's faction, described by Petersen Games as "the most bizarre faction in all of Cthulhu Wars." Wins by destabilizing the board for everyone and profiting from the chaos more efficiently than opponents can. Breaks the strategic logic every other faction teaches you. Skill level: Advanced. Availability: Expansion lineup.
Great Cthulhu
Source: Base game (Cthulhu Wars O4 Edition). Identity: The faction on the box. Direct, combat-forward, territory-control play style. Cthulhu himself is a colossal presence that moves across the map and applies pressure through raw power. The clearest entry point for new players. Skill level: Beginner-friendly. Availability: Included in the O4 Edition.
Opener of the Way
Source: Faction expansion (the first expansion faction Sandy Petersen designed for Cthulhu Wars). Identity: Yog-Sothoth's faction, built around time, space, and forbidden knowledge; Petersen Games describes it as having "tricks and abilities still never equalled." High skill ceiling, plays unlike any core faction. Skill level: Advanced. Availability: Expansion lineup.
Sleeper
Source: Faction expansion. Identity: Tsathoggua's faction rewards patience. It sets up delayed payoffs and punishes opponents who move carelessly, described on the product page as "filled with tricks and traps for your foes." Built for players who enjoy watching a long game plan pay off. Skill level: Intermediate to advanced. Availability: Expansion lineup.
Tcho-Tchos
Source: Faction expansion. Identity: A human cult faction rather than a Great Old One's army. It operates through mortal agents and cult mechanics at scale rather than the divine escalation that anchors most other factions, making it one of the more unconventional strategic identities in the game. Skill level: Intermediate. Availability: Expansion lineup.
Windwalker
Source: Faction expansion. Identity: Described by Petersen Games as "the gods of the freezing darkness of outer space," Windwalker includes two Great Old Ones rather than one. That double presence on the board reshapes combat and gate-control calculus in ways that reward players who can manage split priorities. Skill level: Intermediate. Availability: Expansion lineup.
Yellow Sign
Source: Base game (Cthulhu Wars O4 Edition). Identity: Hastur's cult faction generates resources by Desecrating territory. That power-generation angle sets it apart from the other core factions. Also has two Great Old Ones, making it one of the most unusual entries in the base box. Skill level: Intermediate. Availability: Included in the O4 Edition.
What's the difference between base-game factions and faction expansions?
Four factions in the box. Seven more outside it. That's the split.
The Cthulhu Wars O4 Edition comes with Great Cthulhu, Black Goat, Crawling Chaos, and Yellow Sign as a complete, standalone game for two to four players. The faction expansions each add a fully playable faction -- a fifth or sixth or seventh player slot -- with their own miniatures, spellbooks, and rules. You don't need any expansion to play a full game. You add them when your group wants new factions at the table, or when you want to expand to more players.
Some expansions have had limited production runs and go in and out of stock. The full current availability is on the Cthulhu Wars expansions collection page. US in-stock orders process within 48 hours and ship USPS Ground Advantage (2-5 business days). Rates are calculated at checkout.
H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, the shared cosmology that grounds most of these factions, has been adapted across tabletop games for decades.[2] What makes Cthulhu Wars distinct in that tradition is the depth of the asymmetry. Each faction doesn't just look different -- it demands a completely different approach to the game.
Which faction expansion should you buy first?
Match it to how you play.
If you want a high-skill-ceiling faction with a distinct feel from anything in the core box, Opener of the Way is the most-recommended first expansion. It was the first faction Sandy Petersen designed after the base game and it still earns that reputation. Sleeper suits players who liked Yellow Sign's indirection but want more depth. Windwalker is the pick for players who want more combat presence and can manage two Great Old Ones on the board. Tcho-Tchos is a good first expansion if you enjoy unconventional cult-mechanics play. The Ancients and Daemon Sultan are for experienced players who want something that genuinely surprises them.
Bubastis is its own category entirely: the right pick for players who want a non-Lovecraftian faction identity and a different kind of thematic contrast at the table.
Browse the full lineup and see what's in stock: Cthulhu Wars faction expansions at Petersen Games.
Frequently asked questions
How many factions are in Cthulhu Wars?
Eleven confirmed playable factions across the base game and official expansion lineup: The Ancients, Black Goat, Bubastis, Crawling Chaos, Daemon Sultan, Great Cthulhu, Opener of the Way, Sleeper, Tcho-Tchos, Windwalker, and Yellow Sign. Petersen Games has released over 50 expansion products in total for the Cthulhu Wars line.
Which Cthulhu Wars factions come in the base game?
Four: Great Cthulhu, Black Goat, Crawling Chaos, and Yellow Sign. The O4 Edition is a complete, standalone game with those four factions. No expansions required.
Which Cthulhu Wars faction is best for a beginner?
Great Cthulhu. The goals are clear, the combat is direct, and the spellbooks build logically. Most players start there before branching into complex factions like Opener of the Way or The Ancients.
Which Cthulhu Wars faction has no Great Old One?
The Ancients. Every other faction builds toward waking a Great Old One as its main power spike. The Ancients win through a completely different rhythm: tricks and traps rather than a single powerful entity. It's the most structurally unusual faction in the game.
Where can I buy Cthulhu Wars faction expansions?
Directly from Petersen Games at the Cthulhu Wars expansions collection. US in-stock orders process within 48 hours and ship USPS Ground Advantage (2-5 business days). Some expansions have had limited production runs, so current stock is worth checking on the page.
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