Twilight Kin: starting again

Kings of War Army lists and Tactics
1

Hi guys,

Suffice to say, for a number of reasons KoW has been a bit on the backburner for me- mainly, I’ve had little to no time, and very few people to actually play with. I did start hoarding stuff to build up a TK army (as the Dark Elves I had became basically unusable with the fresh coat of paint mantic gavr to the faction), but I didn’t manage to hobby much before time became a hassle once again… and then i fell down the usual negative loop with wargaming: I didn’t want to play because I had little built and ready, and I didn’t want to paint because I didn’t know when I’d actually play…

With 4th now upon us, i’d like to get back on track, though the issue still stands: I’ve got barely anything done (and in the meantime, I matured a new paint scheme i’d like for the army too), and i’ve got barely a clue as to what could actually be worth trying out.

So! I’m asking y’all for some constructive feedback. on this ‘ere list. I went with something relatively elite, so that it wouldn’t take me a lifetime just to hit the table; at the same time, I wanted something a bit thematic, without overdoing it in a way or the other- just trying to dip my toes into the faction, to understand what I actually like playing and whatnot.

Thanks in advance!

Twilight Kin [2500 / 2500]
~ List Valid ~

Battalion 1
Captain on Void-Skiff (Hero (Cht)) 1 [190]

Navigator [2] (Hero (Inf)) 1 [115] Torc of Command [15]

La’theal Voidheart [U] (Hero (Lrg Inf)) 1 [155] Lightning Bolt (3) [0]

Corsair Wranglers (Hvy Inf) Regiment [205]
Corsair Wranglers (Hvy Inf) Regiment [205]

Bound Phantoms (Inf) Troop [120]
Bound Phantoms (Inf) Troop [120]

Bound Butchers (Lrg Inf) Regiment [185]
Bound Butchers (Lrg Inf) Regiment [185]

Corsair Void-Skiffs (Cht) Regiment [185] Corsair Deck Harpoons [30]
Corsair Void-Skiffs (Cht) Regiment [185] Corsair Deck Harpoons [30]

Impalers (Mon Inf) Regiment [245]
Impalers (Mon Inf) Regiment [245]

Bound Mind-screech [2] (Mon) 1 [160] Drain Life (6) [0] Lightning Bolt (6) [0] Wind Blast (6) [0]

8 Likes
2

Welcome back! And good luck with your Kin! Theoretically I’m building them up right now too … but the distractions are real :confused:

On the list, I’m thrilled that you’re considering Wranglers but they are for real quite bad. I love mediocre things, however with the changes to their gun (disorder is gone from the game so it’s just a very short range frostbite shot) combined with their huge base, I don’t think there’s much going on there for that huge price tag. I’m tempted to try out a troop sometime just to be cute, but you will be far better served hobbying up a couple Fleetwarden regiments (with an eye towards making them a horde some time when you have more core troops). They’re also a great target for the Navigator’s vicious power or orders.

Here’s my pass at your list, swapping in the ‘Wardens and aiming to get you a second Mindscreech:

Twilight Kin [2475 / 2500 (25 Remaining)]
~ List Valid ~

Battalion 1
Captain on Void-Skiff (Hero (Cht)) 1 [190]

Navigator [2] (Hero (Inf)) 1 [120]
– Banner of Command [20]

La’theal Voidheart [U] (Hero (Lrg Inf)) 1 [155]

Corsair Fleetwardens (Inf) Regiment [140]
Corsair Fleetwardens (Inf) Regiment [140]

Bound Phantoms (Inf) Troop [120]
Bound Phantoms (Inf) Troop [120]

Bound Butchers (Lrg Inf) Regiment [185]
Bound Butchers (Lrg Inf) Regiment [185]

Corsair Void-Skiffs (Cht) Regiment [155]
Corsair Void-Skiffs (Cht) Regiment [155]

Impalers (Mon Inf) Regiment [245]
Impalers (Mon Inf) Regiment [245]

Bound Mind-screech [2] (Mon) 1 [160]
Bound Mind-screech [2] (Mon) 1 [160]

I really don’t rate the Void-Skiff shooting, I think you’ll spend a lot of time positioning those flank arcs just to roll a few 5+ or 6+ to hit. Otherwise Skiffs are really solid and one of the few flying core options in the game!

3 Likes
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yeah hybrid shooting is really awfully costed, 30 points for a terrible ranged attack on the skiffs that stops your from using your good melee profile is just… its beyond bad. Wranglers fall into that same boat, its a better shooting attack but still worse than just meleeing things - and their cost, you could get a horde of other Corsairs at that price!

If you want to use the Corsairs, get Regiments of Fleetwardens/Voidwalkers, and Reapers are pretty good without the hangers-on.

4 Likes
4

I tend to agree. The terror and void lurker are both great titan options too and a welcome change when you’re painting so many troops.

3 Likes
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Thanks for the suggestions! I did find a the skiffs’ ranged a bit underwhelming, especially for that point cost; i’m sad to hear it’s as bad as I thought. As for the wranglers, I really hoped they could work, as I just love the concept behind the unit; I was hoping them being stealthy could justify the unit a little bit… though to be fair, I had completely forgotten that fleetwardens’ got CS1 by default, which really makes them not compare well at all.

I really like the corrections you suggest to the list, it’ll definitely be what I’ll build towarrds in the near future, keeping an eye out for some alternative builds. Do y’all reckon mutants to still be worthwile? And seeing they were pointed out, how would you suggest playing reapers?

Thanks in advance!

1 Like
6

Hi guys, here’s a little round up of the last few weeks.

In th end, I settled down for this list:

Battalion 1
Captain on Void-Skiff (Hero (Cht)) 1 [195], Blade of Slashing [5]
Navigator [2] (Hero (Inf)) 1 [120], Banner of Command [20]
La’theal Voidheart [U] (Hero (Lrg Inf)) 1 [155], Lightning Bolt (3) [0]
Corsair Voidwalkers (Inf) Regiment [120]
Corsair Voidwalkers (Inf) Regiment [120]
Bound Phantoms (Hvy Inf) Troop [120]
Bound Phantoms (Hvy Inf) Troop [120]
Bound Ravagers (Lrg Inf) Regiment [215]
Bound Ravagers (Lrg Inf) Regiment [215]
Corsair Void-Skiffs (Cht) Regiment [155]
Corsair Void-Skiffs (Cht) Regiment [155]
Impalers (Mon Inf) Regiment [245]
Impalers (Mon Inf) Regiment [245]
Bound Mind-screech [2] (Mon) 1 [160], Drain Life (6) [0], Lightning Bolt (6) [0], Wind Blast (6) [0]
Bound Mind-screech [2] (Mon) 1 [160], Drain Life (6) [0], Lightning Bolt (6) [0], Wind Blast (6) [0]

I did like fleetwardens a little more than voidwalkers for this list, but I didn’t have the models at hand- I would have had to print them, and I’m already so far behind schedule that i really didn’t want to have to deal with that (let alone if one of the prints failed!).

I’ve had absolutely zero chance to play so far, and I highly doubt things will change this week- I’ll end up trying the new edition at the tournament :sweat_smile:
With that said, I think I’ve finally found a hobby approach that satisfies me for my TK, which honestly was the biggest roadblock. I’ve been a Dark Elf fan basically my whole life, and the first few models I painted up were basically that- another Iteration of GW’s paintscheme; and though I deeply love it, it felt odd to mindlessly repeat it, when the concept for the faction is actually quite different.

Same was for the nighstalkers- I adore both the models and the concept behind them, but I really couldn’t figure out a way to make them look like the nightmares they’re supposed to be, without them just being a blob of black.

So! My elves will be painted as drow, with varying shades of purple skin, except for those that have been too much in contact with the void, who will show varying and unsettling complexions. I know for many of you this won’t sound all that revolutionary; but i’ve never played nor read DnD or similars, so the idea of an elf that differs so much from the palish-human skintone is quite new to me.

As for the nightstalkers, I’ve bought a couple of colourshift paints- something I don’t usually like for painting, as I find they don’t look great alongside other paints; in this case though, it’s exactly what I want! It makes them look like they don’t belong in the same environment as the elves and the scenery, which I find really perfect. Applying them to a dark basecoat makes it so they retain their overall obscure appearance, while eschewing the “simply black with some highlights” colour scheme, it also massively speeds up the process, which I really don’t dislike, as I usually take ages to paint anything!

My biggest hurdle will be basing - the general idea is that my models will be traversing the ruins of lleurath floating in the void, which means elven-styled terrain and “ponds” of nothingness. The issue is that i’d like my skiffs to float in complete void, while some infantry bases should be completely made of terrain, which means they won’t look like they belong together. I’d also like my corsairs to be raiding the real world, looking for sacrifical fodder- which would mean a third, once again comletely different, basing approach. I tinkered with the idea of adding portals that split the base in two, to show them crossing dimensions, but infantry bases really are too small for that.

I’ll add some pictures as soon as I can take them!

5 Likes
7

Ok, so!

The tournament was a lot of fun. Though there are some gripes I have with 4th, at least for now, I’ve got to say the game runs pretty smoothly, maybe moreso than in the past.

All things considered, it’s also quite light as far as mental burdens go. I got at the end of the third game pretty much fresh as I was in the evening, which is quite the accomplishment!

That said, the games themselves went pretty badly for me lol.

Not that I expected anything different! It’s been a few months since I last played… well, anything really, let alone KoW; I hadn’t yet tried out 4th, and I was playing with a list that had seen no playtesting whatsoever. To top it all off, my dice decided once again to be absolutely pathetic: I guess no amount of strategic genius could overcome such obstacles.

But it’s fine! I was conscious this would more or less be the outcome, and I still had a lot of fun.

With this said, even among my horrible misplays and grotesque dice rolls, I managed to learn some stuff and get some feedback about my units.

My takeaways:

-my list was… well, not good. It did have some logic of its own on paper, but once on the table it quickly crumbled apart. Simply put, it wanted to do too many different things, and did neither of them well.

-la’theal can’t substitute a summoner crone. I do still think she’s an interesting (and fun!) piece, and I’m convinced she can pull her weight in some specific lists. But in a generalist build, her limited shooting just doesn’t effect the game much, and the front lines meet, she just can’t do much (though she managed to kill off a dwarf priest in melee!).

On a similar note:

-I wish I had kept butchers instead of ravagers. Once again, I’m convinced they can work in some lists, but they really need some screens to be justified. Overall, I think both units combined managed to shoot like three times the whole day; and when they did, they didn’t really set the world on fire, inflicting just a couple of wounds that often didn’t even matter. On the contrary, they spent the vast majority of the time in close combat, where the higher defence and CS would have mattered much more.

-skiffs are weird, and need support. Fly doesn’t mean as much when you’ve got a ginormous base, and only move 7”, which makes you slower than other cavalries. On the plus side they hit fairly hard, are cheap, and can be used as core. I think I suffered from having just two units of phantoms as screens and harassments.

-void walkers are better tarpits than I anticipated. Ensnare really is that good, when you throw them against the right units. Flesh Hooks and Drain Life help to make some cheap and cheerful regiments a real thorn on the enemie’s side that just does not die. With that said, they hit like absolute wet noodles… which is fine! they can’t be expected to do everything well; but it does mean they need someone else to come and deliver the killing blow.

-the navigator is … agrressively fine, I’d say. very inspiring is really really handy, the savage ability is cool (though again, I felt it was a bit wasted on voidwalker regiments), and she’s a nice source of orders as she wants to be absolutely centered between your units; on her won though, she doesn’t really do much. I had her with the banner of command, which was handy to be fairly sure her orders went through, but i’m thinking of switching it up for Heal or something similar, just to have her do something besides “generally being there”

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With this newfound knowledge, I got back to the drawing board. As I said, what I think was the main issue with my list is that it was neither here not there; and as my i reiterated in my takeways, I feel almost every unit in our roster need to support each other to properly function; which all means I had to decide a direction to push the archetype towards, forgoing almost entirely the other ones.

This became even more apparent when I realized how expensive our units tend to be, and how we are kinda limited as far as unlocking goes: two aspects that limit quite a lot the flexibility you can afford in your composition.

For my first attempt, I decided to go for a very infantry-heavy list. I doubled down on our elven friends with two regimetns of fleetwardens, as last sunday it became apparent just how good phalanx is in 4th. Plus, forgoing skiffs meas I’ll certainly always be on the receiving end of charges, making them even more invaluable.

To add some hitting power to my elven fortress, I decided to go for some reapers, which on paper seem pretty good! They also manage to have a 10cm front base, which is quite handy for chirurgical strikes (though I really don’t understand how they’re supposed to fit over there…).

To round out the list, in my first draft I still had impalers, both as a brick wall and a potential wrecking ball; I then noticed how the Terror’s profile wasn’t that far off them, with the added benefits of a smaller base and regeneration 4+, which I thought could help to make it more self-sufficient. Plus, it meant something new and different to work on as far as hobbying goes! So two of these beauties found their way into the draft, though I’m not yet sure they’ll work - I’ll definitely need to try them out.

With all the above said, here’s the new list I hope to try out soon!

TK_V4[2475 / 2500 (25 Remaining)]

Void Captain (Hero (Inf)) [150],Scythe of the Harvester [15]
Navigator (Hero (Inf)) [125] Shroud of the Saint [25]
Summoner Crone (Hero (Inf)) [150] Ej Periscope [5], Bane Chant (3) [30], Weakness (4) [35]
Summoner Crone (Hero (Inf)) [170] Banner of Command [20], Weakness (4) [35], Celestial Restoration(3) [35]
Corsair Fleetwardens (Inf) Regiment [140]
Corsair Fleetwardens (Inf) Regiment [140]
Corsair Voidwalkers (Inf) Regiment [120]
Corsair Voidwalkers (Inf) Regiment [120]
Bound Reapers (Inf) Regiment [165]
Bound Reapers (Inf) Regiment [165]
Bound Phantoms (Hvy Inf) Troop [120]
Bound Phantoms (Hvy Inf) Troop [120]
Bound Mind-screech (Mon) [160], Drain Life (6), Lightning Bolt (6), Wind Blast (6)
Bound Mind-screech (Mon) [160], Drain Life (6), Lightning Bolt (6), Wind Blast (6) [0]
Bound Terror (Ti) [235]
Bound Terror (Ti) [235]

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