Me and my brother just started playing Kings of War (he’s playing Basileans) and yesterday we had our first two games. We were playing 750 pts.
The first game went okayish, we did some mistakes but the end result was a close victory for him. The second one was well pretty much curbstomping from his side because he swapped a High Paladin and Dictator with an Ur’Elohi and that unit decimated everything. He plans to make an all angel army which would be really difficult to deal with.
We are planning to do a campaign in which territories must be conquered and we have a whole map designed with territories. Each of them will have a sort of a game with 500, 750 and 1000 points.
So these are my following lists at the moment with which I have models to play with:
So, are these good setups? Should I make some modifications/changes/add/remove things? I have the following tray sizes in case other units can be added/removed:
2 100x80mm
3 125x50mm
1 40x40mm
1 25x50mm
Your brother found out that flyers are very strong against inexperienced players and even more so in small (Ambush-sized) games. Their ability to move around nimble and fast is a huge asset. You’ll encounter that their impact will lessen in larger games and with some experience, they can be countered. In your army, you’ve got the seductress, who can charge 20" and disorder the flyer(s) so your slower units can take them out.
The hellequin blood masque can do similar tricks, but requires some skill to set up as he’s slower than the ur-elohim. Hide him behind a unit (so the fliers don’t have room to charge him) and force the elohi to withdraw or take a less favourable charge.
If allowed to reign unchecked, these flyers will hurt you a lot.
Thank you @Vince, much appreciated.
Another thing I forgot to mention, he used Infantry Spearmen which had Phalanx… and that countered my Horsemen’s Thunderous Charge. Would it be a good idea to replace them with another hammering unit (Molochs for example)?
Advice for Ambush games is a little difficult. You can have a solid list and good tactics, but with so few units on the table, a single roll can determine a game, and some units (such as the Elohi) can be really hard to deal with if they catch a lucky break early on. With just two games in, my general advice would be to just focus on learning with what you have. Thankfully, smaller games can be played pretty quick, so hopefully your get some more experience soon! The campaign sounds like a really fun idea.
I think the lists you have will work just fine for learning the game a bit better. I might suggest that you consider a few things though:
Combining the Abyssal Horsemen into one regiment. Troops are nice… but these are pretty expensive units, and you are paying “extra” for troops. If you run them as a regiment, you’d save 70 points, which if you drop the items from the Guards, is enough to get you some Gargoyles into your 750 list, for example.
Running some Flamebearers. I have enjoyed regiments of them myself. They have Steady Aim, and a unit or two can roast enemy infantry. They might help you against those pesky Basilean Spearmen!
Run something besides the Blood Masque as your source of inspiring, if you can free up the points. The Champion is slower but a better fighter, and can get Lightning Bolt if you have some more points free; and the Seductress gives a lot of utility.
I’ve played as the Forces of the Abyss a handful of times. Battle reports can be found here, and there is also a thread on the forum here, where some other forum-goers have offered up their input. My Abyssals have faced-off against my friend’s Brothermark a few times, which might make for interesting reading for you, but I try to run a variety of lists (as well as a variety of armies). Feel free to peruse the reports, and obviously continue to ask here and on FB.
Welcome to the game and to the forum! Best of luck to you in your campaign!
It’s a good counter to those pesky spearmen and fliers and generally a good army to try out.
Use the flamebearer troops to advance in front of your army and blast your opponent. (preferably elohi and spearmen in that order) while you keep your calvalry and seductress out of charge range from the fliers. Cavalry can hide 5-10" behind your army, while the seductress can hide just behind the flamebearers so that there’s no room to charge her.
When a flier comes in charge range of the sedcutress, charge her out. The combination of ensnare and defense 6+ will keep her alive a turn longer than you’d expect. Move your cavalry into charge range for next turn, preferably hidden behind flamebearers. If you do a wound, the flier is grounded and can only run away or await the charge of your cavalry next turn. Also, bear in mind that a disordered flier loses nimble, so running away is only limited to one 90" turn or a half-move “back” order.
Use the flamebearers to blast other units and don’t be afraid to use one or two to charge or block charge lanes. At this point of the battle, it’s your molochs and cavalry that will do the killing. The flamebearers will serve only to get in the way of your enemy units and finish off wounded enemies.
