The Legend of Catachan is on Imperial Bastion, the Warhammer 40,000 stage the demo was built around. He is one of the stage’s captives: find him during a run, kill the highlighted enemies guarding him, and he joins you as a follower for the rest of the run, then stays unlocked as a playable champion.
He was playable from the start in the October demo, which is why so many people go looking for him in the full game. Below we cover where he is and how the rescue works, why he is locked at first, the rescue bug Auroch fixed on launch day, and how to play him once he is yours.
Where the Legend of Catachan Is
The Legend is rescued on Imperial Bastion, the 40K stage where Malum Caedo holds off the Tyranids. He shares the stage with Trooper Bartosz Kozlowski, the Cadian Shock Trooper, who is also a rescue there. Steam’s achievement for the stage’s rescue scenario is called One Man Army, which is exactly how Auroch describes the Legend.
He is out on the map rather than near your starting point, so you have to explore to find him. To free him:
- Start a run on Imperial Bastion with any 40K champion. Malum Caedo, who is available from the start, is fine.
- Build up a few levels first, so you can survive among his guards.
- Find the Legend and kill every highlighted enemy around him.
- He joins your squad for the rest of the run. From the next run on, you can pick him on the character select screen.
Our guide on how to rescue champions covers every stage’s rescue in both universes and how to make the guard fight easier.
Why He Is Locked in the Full Game
Warhammer Survivors let you play as the Legend straight away in its October demo: Auroch’s Steam Next Fest post introduced him and Lyssa Revenya as the demo’s “two new champions.” The full game works differently. Only a few champions are open at the start, and the rest are rescued, bought or earned.
The demo also does not help. Auroch’s note on that post is plain: “nor will demo progress transfer to the full game release.” So even if you played him for hours in October, he has to be rescued again.
The Rescue Bug Auroch Fixed
If your Legend showed up swinging a Chainsword, that was a bug. Auroch’s November 11 hotfix “fixed an issue where the Legend of Catachan, upon being rescued, would attack with a Chainsword instead of his signature Frag Grenade weapon.” The same hotfix made chest sequences skippable with any button and stopped chests dropping out of reach on Imperial Bastion and Gallowdark.
The hotfix is live on Steam. Auroch says GOG, PS5, Xbox, Switch, Switch 2 and mobile get it from next week, so on those versions the Chainsword bug can still turn up until then.
How to Play the Legend of Catachan
Auroch’s own description sums up his kit: “This ‘One Man Army’ is an expert at guerrilla warfare and hit-and-run tactics.” In practice that means:
- He is fast. He “speeds across the battlefield compared to other Survivors,” per Auroch, so you can kite the swarm and pick your fights.
- He starts with grenades only. He “enters each combat zone armed exclusively with Frag Grenades,” with no gun or blade to fall back on, so his opening minutes rely entirely on them.
- He grows into a gunslinger. He goes on to unlock “other weapons like his modified Ripper Pistol.” The Ripper Pistol is the Frag Grenade’s evolution with the Bandolier passive, so take the Bandolier early and keep levelling the grenades.
Because his start is weak, we would not make him your first 40K champion. Get a few permanent upgrades first: Attacks gives his grenades an extra attack, and Move makes his speed even more useful. Our guide to the best Enhancements to buy first has the full order, and our guide on how to evolve weapons has every recipe he can use.
For a sturdier 40K start, Trooper Kozlowski from the same stage is the safer pick: his Lasgun brings in extra Cadian Shock Troopers as it levels up. Our list of every champion and how to unlock them covers the rest of the roster, our best build guide has a loadout for each universe, and the Warhammer 40,000 guides hub has everything else.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Legend of Catachan in Warhammer Survivors? On Imperial Bastion. He is one of the stage’s rescues, out on the map away from where you start.
How do you unlock the Legend of Catachan? Rescue him on Imperial Bastion by killing the highlighted enemies guarding him. He joins you for the rest of the run and is unlocked for future runs.
Why does the Legend of Catachan use a Chainsword? That was a bug after rescuing him. Auroch fixed it on Steam in its November 11 hotfix and says GOG, PS5, Xbox, Switch, Switch 2 and mobile get the fix from next week.
What weapon does the Legend of Catachan start with? Frag Grenades, and nothing else. He unlocks other weapons, such as the Ripper Pistol, as he goes.
Was the Legend of Catachan in the demo? Yes. He joined the October demo as a playable champion, but demo progress does not carry over to the full game.
Who else can you rescue on Imperial Bastion? Trooper Bartosz Kozlowski, the Cadian Shock Trooper, whose Lasgun brings in extra troopers as it levels up.