Thoughts on the new releases?
4 Likes
I like their look and am curious about their lore.
Definitely a buy from me.
New trident realms models look great as well.
4 Likes
Basing looks weird for the xirkaali dog infantry? 4 as troop and 8 as regiment - the hunter/savages look standard LI 3s?
2 Likes
If this is just a new army, I do not care, maybe it suits someone but not me. However, if this force is to replace my beloved Herd as some rumors suggest, then I am seriously disappointed …
2 Likes
I dig the fantasy Mongol Empire theme.
The Great Beast/Khan seems like an interesting character for the lore.
I’m curious about what the East Asian KoW community thinks.
The extra Trident Realm look like what was missing.
5 Likes
Good looking miniatures, but not my cup of tea.
3 Likes
I think the Xirkaali models are very good looking. Attractive, a good mix of animal theming, pan-asian fantasy elements involved, and supported by lore and an expansion book that seems interesting.
There’s a chap with a giant metal coffin on his back… I gather this is an imprisoned magic-user, who is acting as either a weapon or some kind of magic dampener? The stand-out for me, love this model and idea.
Warrior monks- who doesn’t love them..? Iconic looking.
I also like the big grappling ape - King Kong vibes.
Yeah, overall, quite impressed. I think they’re more attractive than TOW Cathay’s range, but it’s quite subjective.
ON THE OTHER HAND…
I don’t love them so much I would feel like “I’m gonna collect these guys”. If anything, I think I’d be more likely to pull the trigger on the Trident Realms now.
TR has ended up with excellent hard plastic support, they seem to me to be in a really good place. Love the new Placoderm models.
Overall, for now, the approach I will be taking is to buy the Invasion Book for the lore and coolness factor, and a hardback copy of the new rulebook. But I probably won’t pick up any starter sets or the other battalion sets yet.
6 Likes
Same here.
I’m a poor example though.
Ever since I got back back playing historical, I’ve had a hard time justifying any (future) purchases that are for one game, rather than generic.
I’m not looking for a new army in general, never mind a uniquely KoW army.
If, however, I was still the kind of player that looks to buy into game systems; then this would make KoW more apealing.
It would be a contender for my faction choice, though I would probably go with nightstalkers (again).
2 Likes
Well, I can’t squint and pretend it’s LotR so I’m never going to be that interested but the newest bit from the CounterCharge podcast that there will be various heads for different breeds of dogs (some 3d printed) makes it much more interesting IMO.
4 Likes
I like them, great job on background and models.
I’d like to see the list, what might be else on there?
I’d be more inclined to buy these than a few other armies.
4 Likes
Just noticed, there is a Xirkalli model as a turn counter. I do like that one. 
2 Likes
No they aren’t Herd. *I have a small tribal herd army
Expect theme lists to disappear into master.
Id guess a unit or 2 of herd to appear in the forces of nature list maybe. Or some of it, Hunters of wild name fits for a herd unit.
Maybe freed by a warlord.
I’m expecting salamanders and naaids to disappear from FON. They aren’t in the online store, I think they used to be.
2 Likes
Salamander army is going digital so I guess it’s possible they took the plastic Sally kits off the site and moving it to the vault (likely a different sculpt since the existing models were not sculpted digitally).
2 Likes
They are still available online in the salamander shop page, just not the forces of N page,
Which makes me think they may go from Fon, it’s a big list in kow3.
3 Likes
My friend’s reaction
Dogs and Kung Fu Sunday, two of my favorite things.
He’s ordering the Battalion for a starting point.
2 Likes
It occurs to me the very small number of people complaining about the Asian dogs theming (and its 2 people by my count) seem to have overlooked that another way to think of the hemicyon is relocated ophidian slaves rather than a 100% asian-themed army.
Maybe that’s why the feral guys look different… maybe they’re more like what their tribal Ophidian roots were.
3 Likes
I love the new sculpts. Also, a new “order-themed” (as opposed to good/evil) villainesque army is something that Pannithor could use.
Will I buy a new army? Maybe, but not yet. I might buy the starter set with someone who wants the Trident Realms. and share the minis
Vince
2 Likes
Like others have said: the minis look fine, but I’m not personally interested in a dog army.
This seems to be a common sentiment, so I do wonder how successful the army will be.
1 Like
Great release, feels like Mantic’s strongest, most cohesive line right now. I think the characters take it for me (love the hound wrangler on the chariot base), but shockingly I think the human infantry are really great too (and I rarely care about a) humans or b) ‘warrior monk’ style fighters). I however won’t be getting it, as I have many armies already and am more invested in revising them or plugging away once I know how they’ll look in 4E, but I’m more impressed than I thought I’d be.
Now plastic placoderms, I’ve been waiting years for and would like to buy very many of them please. Awesome that they got a secondary weapon in the process! But I gotta wait for them to be split out from the several boxed sets annnnnd maybe see how many I can take in an army 
1 Like
Everyone has seen the hot take “LOL Mantic is copying Cathay.” Which we can dismiss.
Let me put forward a different GW hot take. Xirkaali seems a bit like a move from a WHFB style army to a Age of Sigmar style army. Fewer models. Impact comes from the individual models being awesome instead of from the impact of putting a mass of models on the table. Larger models let the sculptors essentially cheat in making mini that make an immediate impact on the eye.
Not even saying that’s bad. I’ve heard plenty of podcast participants cite the model count as to why they started with Ogres and Rob Phaneuf has been preaching the need for impressive models to attract players.
You could think of it as Mantic’s method for fighting the tide that’s moving towards skirmish games.
3 Likes