Blood Axe posted the (rumoured) changes in CoK’19 for Kings of war. For those who don’t know, Kings of War is a game that changes yearly depending on the meta of previous year.
I added Thorgrim’s completed rumours at the end of this post; but first my ideas on the changes for the armies I either play or have plans to build something for in the near future.
– undaunted crusaders formation changed so pathfinder is gone, but get +1 speed.
– New formation called Tsunami. 2 water elemental hordes and exemplar redeemer. Elementals gain tc1 and redeemer gets surge (8)
The Formation nerf is a just one. Previous one was auto-include. Though I would have loved a new unit or two, the changes to this army are good.
Just one question remains: does the inspiring = valiant rule stay? That’s what makes the army worthwilde now.
– can now take giants and colossal giant (cs4 on latter)
– Existing formations are cheaper
– New formation: 2 mounted sergeant troops, mounted hero, all gain +1 speed.
– The captain has more attacks, better nerve and rallying(2)
– Beast of war: strider
Great to see the army get some love! I really like the addition of a giant (= decent hammer) to the army. All-in, I’m pretty content.
Still I was hoping some love for KoM shooters and war machines, but we can’t have everything.
– halfling archers are now irregular
– Existing formations are cheaper
– New formation: well drilled militia. Militia horde, 2 troops. Horde gets inspiring militia, and the two troops get elite and vicious while engaged in flank and rear of units fighting the horde
Ehm…. not thrilled. don’t really have an opinion.
Irregular halflings hurt the army somewhat, since the army is *very* dependant on character/war machine slots. Still, the army is perfectly playable without halfling archers. So no harm done.
On a final note; I love the new formation which is more or less the KoW addaption of the old empire Detachment rule. I don’t know how often the vicious/elite rules will come into play, but a horde inspiring other units is pretty solid.
– Enslaved guardians now hit on me3
– Enslaved guardian archers get me4
– Behemoth gets steady aim and strider
– Soulsnare now has drain life (10) and range 18 inches
– New unit Undead worm – 75mm base, spd7, -20 nerve, 220 points. Can get breath
– New formation: 2 reg mummies, 1 high priest. Mummies get elite and vicious
YaY. Really happy with the changes to guardians and behemoth. New unit and formation don’t suck either. all-in, pretty content.
– Efreet now fireball (16)
– Chroneas – not a living legend. Cheaper. Speed 6, strider, fury, pathfinder, cs3. No ranged attacks… New rule tempest: when this unit is given an order, all enemy units within 6 inches take a point of damage, only affected by one tempest per turn, no nerve check. Can increase his melee attacks to d6 plus 6 for 35 points and drain life (6)
– New formation: 2 fleshound troops, mounted Abyssal regiment, harlequin bloodmask. All get vicious
– Moloch formation. Archfiend can now take wings but doesn’t get speed buff
– Harlequin bloodmask new unit
Yeah, this sucks. Not because the nerf to efreet isn’t justified (it was pretty good), but because my abyssal army (https://wordpress.com/read/blogs/155193825/posts/28) is 1,500 points exactly and very dependant on the efreet + chroneas BW combination. I am not sure if this army is still playable and what’s needed to salvage it. We’ll see how things turn out after a few battles (when I am going to get this army out again)
So it’s just my army that suffers, not the Abyssal army as a whole. Still, a pity. That said, I don’t know wether the nerf to the BW part of the Abyssal army was justified. It seems a bit excessive to me.
– Shooting Goblins are irregular
– Mincer no longer yellow bellied but not as good in melee
– New unit: mincer mob! Unit of mincers
– Slasher: can take sharpstick thrower, better stats eg me3, steady aim
– New formation. Regiment mob, 2 mincers. All get plus 1 speed
This sucks too. Not because of the meta; but because I’m building a 375-point allied detachment based on a horde of spitters + monster + war machine + character. At the moment the horde is nearly completed (just need to build the 2nd base and glue all models into place) this detachment is no longer valid as the unlocker becomes irregular. I’ll have to start anew with this project, and this might kill my motivation.
For the game as a whole; making cheap shooters irregular might not be a bad thing. I’m afraid this will invalidate the goblin shooters completely to be exchanged for chariots, though.
Undead
– zombie trolls have lifeleech 2
– Revenant king on 75mm flying wyrm and vampire on giant dragon also on 75mm
– Ilona’s coven formation is now 2 soul reaver regiments, ilona. Each unit gains plus 1 speed and fearless
– New formation: army of darkness. 2 Skeleton warrior hordes and necromancer. Each unit gets iron resolve, necromancer gets inspiring and also their spells get +5 when targeting any skeletons. So can get bane Chant (7)!
I Will have to rebase my monsters; but that’s not much of a problem.
I do Love the buff to zombie trolls! Also I love the formation, as I’m a vivid Army of Darkness fan! I’m really tempted to build another horde of skellies, just for this formation!
Blood Axe’s rumours:
In case you missed it:
Summary of new units, formations and changes for each army in CoK19 from Countercharge podcast.
Formations
– all armies now have 3 formations
– All formations except one is cheaper
New units
– all destiny of kings and edge of abyss characters and units now in CoK
– Some point and ability changes and
– Vanguard units now all in Kow (except northern alliance)
Basileans
– Julius and Samacris buffed. Elite all the time, and get vicious if both taken
– New unit: scouts
– New unit: ogre palace guard (regiments only, def5, cs2, iron resolve, fearless -14, irregular)
– Spirit of valandor buffed up to 9 attacks (can also be taken in brotherhood)
– New elohi formation: ur elohi, 2 hordes, all get vicious. Reason they chose elohi as wanted them to be better in basilea than as allies.
Brotherhood
– undaunted crusaders formation changed so pathfinder is gone, but get +1 speed.
– New formation called Tsunami. 2 water elemental hordes and exemplar redeemer. Elementals gain tc1 and redeemer gets surge (8)
Dwarfs
– new hero: Flame Priest. 65pts, hero, comes with fireball (6). Can get bane chant and also increase fireball to (10)
– New hero: Steel juggernaut. Hero, large infantry, 120pts, me3, spd4, -13 nerve, blast d3, cs2, hand cannon with range 24 inches and piercing (2), nimble, def6.
– No new formation as already have 3
Elves:
– chariots have lost speed buff
– Dragon nerfed to breath (10) from (15)
– Forest warden buffed to me3 and surge (3)
– New formation: king’s champions. 2 x stormwind regiments, mounted elf king. All get headstrong, and king becomes me2!
– New colossal unit: mystical dragon kindred lord. Not a LL. Fireball (15), better attacks and nerve.
Salamanders
– new swamp lurkers formation: tyrant horde and 2 regiments. All get strider
– Inspiration of the ancients: 2 ancient regiments and clanlord. Both ancient regiments become inspiring, and clanlord becomes rallying (1) and fearless. Clanlord can take a mount.
Forces of nature
– air elementals. When upgraded, Keep crushing strength but lose defence instead
– Greater air elemental gets wind blast and lightning bolt
– talon riders has tc1 and elite on melee
– Forest warden changed as per elf
– Wardens watch formation: 2 forest shamblers regiments, 1 forest warden. All gain +1 speed. Forest warden becomes inspiring forest shamblers
Herd
– New formation: 2 regiments of lycans, Lycan alpha. All become fearless. Only 15 points
– Centaur longmanes now have headstrong
– Both formations cheaper
Kingdoms of Men
– can now take giants and colossal giant (cs4 on latter)
– Existing formations are cheaper
– New formation: 2 mounted sergeant troops, mounted hero, all gain +1 speed.
– The captain has more attacks, better nerve and rallying(2)
– Beast of war: strider
League of Rhordia
– halfling archers are now irregular
– Existing formations are cheaper
– New formation: well drilled militia. Militia horde, 2 troops. Horde gets inspiring militia, and the two troops get elite and vicious while engaged in flank and rear of units fighting the horde
Ogres
– mammoth gets steady hand (can move and shoot with no penalty), -18 nerve, strider
– Warlock – new specialist rule. Now for every non allied horde (except red goblin) within 6 inches, increase spell rolls by 1
– also get colossal giant
– New formation: legion of warriors, 2 boomer regiments. All units get elite
– Hell on wheels – lord doesn’t get extra nerve buff
– New mounted goblin LL – has spell siphon and dread
Trident realms
– Trident king now has regen
– Nukkers now have me3 and stealthy
– Wyrmrider centurions are speed 9
– Naiad envoy can now take surge or heal
– Kraken can now be on a 75mm base or a 50 x 100mm
– New formation: 2 x gigas hordes, get plus 1 speed and elite
– Heartpiercers get steady aim (can move and shoot without penalty)
Abyssal dwarfs
– New supreme iron caster on winged beast and overmaster on winged beast on 75mm bases
– both formations got cheaper
– New formation: 2 halfbreed regiments, brakka, all get fury. Brakka gets dread
Empire of dust
– Enslaved guardians now hit on me3
– Enslaved guardian archers get me4
– Behemoth gets steady aim and strider
– Soulsnare now has drain life (10) and range 18 inches
– New unit Undead worm – 75mm base, spd7, -20 nerve, 220 points. Can get breath
– New formation: 2 reg mummies, 1 high priest. Mummies get elite and vicious
Abyssals
– Efreet now fireball (16)
– Chroneas – not a living legend. Cheaper. Speed 6, strider, fury, pathfinder, cs3. No ranged attacks… New rule tempest: when this unit is given an order, all enemy units within 6 inches take a point of damage, only affected by one tempest per turn, no nerve check. Can increase his melee attacks to d6 plus 6 for 35 points and drain life (6)
– New formation: 2 fleshound troops, mounted Abyssal regiment, harlequin bloodmask. All get vicious
– Moloch formation. Archfiend can now take wings but doesn’t get speed buff
– Harlequin bloodmask new unit
Goblins
– Shooting Goblins are irregular
– Mincer no longer yellow bellied but not as good in melee
– New unit: mincer mob! Unit of mincers
– Slasher: can take sharpstick thrower, better stats eg me3, steady aim
– New formation. Regiment mob, 2 mincers. All get plus 1 speed
Nightstalkers
– phantoms now on 25mm bases. Have more attacks 10 to 12, and 12 to 15)
– Shadow hulk now speed 6 and on 75mm base
– Terror on 75mm base
– 3 New units
– Height 1 monster that is 3 horrors on a base
– New formation: 2 needle fang regiments, 2 shadow Hound troops. Needle fangs get flight and hounds get lifeleech
Orcs
– new 75mm monster. Giant winged monster
– New formation: 3 skulk troopers and Krudger. Skulks get steady hand and Krudger gets a bow
– Goblin upgrade gives lightning, so Orc heroes can take other spells including legendary
– Colossal giant
Ratkin
– tunnel runners – large cav, spd8, hit hard
– Nightmares – large infantry with breath attack, me4, def5, 9/18 attacks. Vicious. Like boomers
Undead
– zombie trolls have lifeleech 2
– Revenant king on 75mm flying wyrm and vampire on giant dragon also on 75mm
– Ilona’s coven formation is now 2 soul reaver regiments, ilona. Each unit gains plus 1 speed and fearless
– New formation: army of darkness. 2 Skeleton warrior hordes and necromancer. Each unit gets iron resolve, necromancer gets inspiring and also their spells get +5 when targeting any skeletons. So can get bane Chant (7)!
Varangur
– Two new units: ice queen and a Frost giant. Can both take new blizzard spell
– Cave trolls are no longer irregular in normal army list. Formation now 2 hordes and king, all get headstrong
– Herjas vengeance formation: 2 fallen hordes, magnilide. All units get pathfinder. If taken, can’t take allies
– Hint that varangur will become northern alliance
Twilight kin
– no speed buff on chariots
– New units from Nightstalkers – Reapers, scarecrows and fiends
– New formation: 2 hydras. Each hydra gets additional attacks equal to damage on other hydra
Rules
– identical army composition
– Allied rules the same
– Destiny of kings and edge of abyss units in cok19
– Nimble is removed by phalanx or ensare units
– TC change from cok18 still there
– Heavy flyer rule has gone as too bigger deterrent for those units. Will be revisited for 3rd ed
– New rule of Steady/Aim which allows to move and shoot without penalty (similar to nimble but different)
– Dread still there, now on more of the larger flyers
Items
– Medallion of life a bit cheaper
– Brew of keen eyed ness still there
– Circlet of blood has gone
– Black iron crown has gone
– New Item that gives +1 inch when charge
– New item that gives temporary brutal
– New Life leech (1) item up to max of (2)
– New item that gives damage on castings of wind blast
– New item. Can be taken by Individuals only. Double attacks against other individuals
Spells
– new legendary spells which are one per army and some one use only
– Mind fog now has 36 inch range
– Weakness also increased range, to 24 inches
– No change to drain life
– New spell called Hex. 2 dice, if successful then target takes a damage for each successful cast of a spell in their next turn
Legendary spells
– Can only be taken by heroes, not monsters that cast
– Martyrs prayer, veil of shadows, heroism (target now gains +1 rally and gets 1 nerve and waver increase itself) blood boil, alchemist curse
New spells
– 7 new spells!
– guiding light, 12 inch range, 2 dice, if successful then indirect fire is +1 to hit against target. One successful use only
– Teleport, 12 inches, 3 dice, can only be targeted on individuals. If successful, target can move up to 20 inches but can’t charge
– New spell, 8 dice, disorders if does any damage. One successful use only
– Blinding light which is same as spark stone (ie one dice, disorders if hit). Only 10 points. Not one use only
– Barkskin, 1 dice, 12 inch range, can be targeted into melee, +1 defence up to max of 5
– Blizzard, 2 dice, 36 inch range, blast d3 indirect per successful cast, costs 30points (frost giant has this
– Spell siphon, 2 dice, 25 points, 18 range, targets spell casters, if successful cast you can immediately cast enemy spell (except surge), enemy can’t cast spell next turn if it’s been stolen. Can steal legendary spells but each side can still only cast a legendary spell once per game
Vince on all things Kings of War 
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