A review of Kings of War
Many, many years ago, I actually cannot remember when but approximately 1983 was the first time I played WFB 1st edition, but cannot remember to much about the rules as I purchased a box set in 1984 with the 2nd edition rules in. I got hold of a Beastary Book too. I seem to think I purchased them from Woolworths or WHS, but could be wrong. A little more complicated than the 1st Edition, but I liked what I saw. I played some great games with some old pals from school over the next few years.
As the years past and families grew, I did not do much wargaming, especially WFB.
I still had remnants of my Goblin army when My son Ian got interested in GW stuff and a I purchased another box set, which had the 3rd edition in. I painted the Minis and played with him.
Now this set seemed to complicate things slightly and eventually we gave up on WFB. A few years back I wanted to re-instate my interest in Fantasy Battle so I purchased a set of WFB rules (7th). I realised whilst reading through the rules, you needed an Army book or codex (as they were often called), which I brought, and then realised each army had its own rules. I would have to buy all the books. Then I realised they kept changing the codex to suit sales of units. So I decided to give up after being severely hammered as I did not know the enemy, who used so much magic I was destroyed virtually by turn three. I gave up with WFB.
Kingdoms of Men Pike block (Perrys)
Then in 2010 the wargames press announced a new company Mantic Games, who would be publishing a set of fantasy rules. Well I watched out and found out it was a downloadable set with army lists, all downloadable. My prayers had been answered. I dusted off my gobbo’s, Dave and I had our first game round My place shortly after, using card “footprints” with single figures to donate what they were.
We had enticed a few more members to play the odd game here and there, but, when the 2013 2nd edition came out, I really started to push the rules down the Club and now we have a very strong KoW following. The books that have followed, have been new editions to the Mantic armies range and special characters are all in one book. These have become redundant with the new 3rd edition.
Heroes and Legends – Characters and Ogre Army
The Basilean Legacy- Three armies included more magical Artefacts
Hellfire and Stone – Aimed more at Dwarves, with Campaign
Then came the almost annually Clash of Kings, which seemed to be for the ex-GW competition gamers! The rules are easy to play and usually picked up by turn two of the first game.
The game seems simplistic, yet it has a lot of subtle game play. Mantic figures are really coming on with more armies being released using the kickstarter system. We had completed our forth club tournament last year, which had sixteen players in four league, playing each other once and with the top two players going through to a knockout phase.
We had added a house rule for ranged attacks to allow firing over own troops if on a higher level, which to a certain extent may have made the artillery, especially to powerful. I think a slight tweak which was originally in the “house rule” of ranged attacks, but never used was “(HR)-Shooting over friendly troops is allowed as long as the firer is higher and the intervening friendly troops are closer to the firer than the target, unless you have Indirect Fire and then can fire until contact is made.” EG: A Goblin bolt thrower is twenty inches from its target and a friendly goblin regt has now moved to within eight inches of the same target, the bolt thrower cannot fire as the goblin regt is closer than half the distance between the bolt thrower and target.
The 3rd Edition is now published and seems to have ironed out some , if not most ambiguities.
On first read, you can see the similarity between it, and Warhammer Fantasy Battles, but read again and you will see slight subtleties that WFB lacks or over envasises. KoW are quick to learn fun and easy to play, but just like WFB 8th you need loads of troops, but, the troops from Mantic are cheaper than GW, £30.00 for a box of forty Skeletons, as opposed to £62.00 for the same amount from GW, when you can find them.
Basilean Ur-Elohi- Coversion of a Female Fantasy Knight.
The rule book is a Hard Back 400 page tome of which seventeen pages are the actual rules with lots of images and explanations. The book includes the story of Mantica and with backgrounds of the 14 Armies and all the special rules that each army has. Eight pages of introducing the rules and explaining what the stats do, Included are the special rules, spells, game set-up and winning/ losing the game. The game is alternate moves, you do everything, move, shoot/Magic, melee, then your opponent. Pre- measuring is allowed in KoW.
The game is played with a pointed army system from a troop (10 figs), to a regiment (20 figs) to a horde (40 + figs). The difference between each unit is Attacks and Nerve, the more troops, the more dice you roll better the nerve they have (safety in numbers).Example of stat line for a regt: Sp Me Ra De At Ne Elf Bowman Regt 6 4+ 4+ 4+ 10 14/16 Sp = Speed (your movement) , Me= Melee(your melee), Ra= Range (bows,etc), De=Defence (your Defence), At=Attack Dice(used for shooting and melee), Ne=Nerve (your morale)
MOVE- These rules allow you to double move if you go straight ahead, including charging, but any turns, then normal movement only.
SHOOT/MAGIC – You can move and shoot at a penalty, but there are a few exceptions that have to remain stationary to fire. Magic (Zap) is done in this phase but the caster normally has no penalty for moving. You use your attack dice to hit (equal or higher than your Ra). All hits are then re-rolled and you require equal or higher than opponents De to cause damaged to the unit. For each unit that receives damage, the shooter rolls for damaged units nerve.
MELEE – As above but you use your Me stat. After the melee phase, you move your unit that charged back 1” and prepare to receive the opponents charge.
NERVE – After each of the Shoot phase and each melee, the units that have taken damage are tested for nerve (morale) by the player that caused the damage. As casualties accumulate, the chances of passing the nerve test fall. You opponent rolls 2 D6 add that to total casualties inflicted, plus/minus any modifiers (Banners/musicians),compare with the units Ne rating, giving a number that will show if the unit will waver (1st number( or rout (2nd number). There are inspiring characters within the army that can make you re-roll, if a unit routs. Sp Me Ra De At Ne Elf Bowman Regt 6 4+ 4+ 4+ 10 14/16 Less than 1st number– The unit remains steady Equal or more than 1st no., but less than 2nd no. - The unit is wavering (disordered) Equal to or more than2nd no. - The unit routs and is removed from the game. To set up the game you both roll a dice and whoever rolls highest can choose to place the first unit or elect that the opponent places first. Once all units are placed in the deployment zones (over 12” from centre of the table), you both roll another dice, winner chooses to go first or second. The game lasts about two hours or twelve turns (six each), and to find who won simply add the points of the opponents units that routed off, whoever scores the highest, wins. SIMPLES.
Army of the Abyss
This rule set is a great fun set for anyone new to fantasy wargaming or anyone who cannot be bothered (or afford)with the GW WFB army books, as you need to know all the sneaky bits of your opponents armies to play WFB.
There is an additional book titled Uncharted Empires and contains 12 new army lists. ”For the first time players have access to Army themes. These allow list variants of one of the games master lists and help add new flavour to an existing army to represent a different faction with similar roots. They are a great way to introduce the many sub-factions and players in the world of Mantica”. You will have access to twenty six armies from the two books.
Salamanders - Ready for Battle.
There is also a Historical version of the rules available
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