Kings of War 3rd Edition: Salamanders Army Review

Hello readers! The First Master, Patrick Zoro Allen, returns to Dash28 with a guest army review of the Salamanders faction in Kings of War. Thanks to Pat for taking the time to write this! If you haven’t seen any of our Tier Ranking System articles before, check out the explanation below. This is what we use to organize and structure our army reviews.

Tier Rankings:

Trying to rank units in Kings of War is not a perfect science. By pure design, many units are meant to work in combination with other choices in the army and can be hard to judge on their own. For this exercise, it’s assumed the unit is being used to its utmost potential within the army. This is not just a math problem to determine the most cost-effective unit but is to also see how units compare in scope, role, and impact across not just a single army but all Kings of War armies.

S Tier: Reserved for units that are widely acknowledged as either being significantly undercosted or having a combination of rules that perform well above units in similar roles. These units are often called “auto includes” as any list stands to be made better with their inclusion. Expect these units to be addressed in future CoK book updates.

A Tier: These units are some of the best the army has to offer. They excel in their specific roles and commonly help form the core of most competitive lists. While not auto include, they are great in almost any army they are taken in and will be seen frequently.

B Tier: This unit choice has a mix of strengths and weaknesses that makes it very playable, but balanced. These units work great with specific roles in mind; however, their weaknesses mean they do not help every list. In a perfect world, all units would fit into this category.

C Tier: C Tier units may still shine in niche lists and roles; however, they will feel underpowered when compared to similar units in other armies. Decidedly suboptimal, you could make them work, but you will frequently see other things that are just better. You will rarely see many lists take these units.

D Tier: Units that need some considerable love and attention. You will struggle to find any role for this unit that another unit couldn’t do better. Very often you will see these units labeled as “unplayable.”

Check out our other articles in this series!

Salamanders

S Tier

• Ancients – If Ancients weren’t Irregular, you could probably make an army of just them and win a lot of games. They have amazing defense with solid offense, are Fearless, and have Inspiring. Their two limiting factors are their measly Speed 4 and their Irregular status.

A Tier

• Ghekkotah Warriors – I thought I’d start this tier off with something controversial. The humble Ghekkotah Warrior provides Salamanders with something in every size. At a troop they are amazingly cost-efficient chaff. In a regiment and a horde they are a budget unlock that rivals Ratkin in efficiency. In a legion they have the highest nerve in the army. I especially love them in troops due to these three things: Speed 6, Pathfinder, and a 60 point cost. I think a pair of troops could find a home in every Salamanders list. Vicious is just a bonus!
• Salamander Ceremonial Guard – Combining Defense 5, Phalanx, and Crushing Strength (1) in a single profile makes these fiery lizards amazing all-rounders. They pair very well with Ancients and will probably be one of the more common units you see anchoring the lines of many Salamander generals.
• Battle-Captain on Rhinosaur – Combining Nimble, Fearless, and a 50x50mm base is always a good thing. Throw on Speed 7, Crushing Strength (2), Thunderous Charge (1), Brutal, and 6 Attacks with Melee 3+ and you’ve got yourself a unit that hits like a truck and is hard to pin down. There isn’t much better in the same points range outside of maybe the Despoiler Champion.
• Tyrants – One of the best hammers in the game with a high amount of attacks, Crushing Strength (2), and Fearless on a pretty small base size. These units will draw a lot of attention, however, and with Defense 4 they are susceptible to getting shot off the table if you don’t screen them. If you don’t mind being slower, Ancient troops are a great screen for an all-fearless battleline, but I prefer Ghekkotah Warrior troops.
• Clan Lord on Fire Drake – The Salamanders possess one of the most unique dragons in the game. It has the highest amount of attacks at 15, which benefits its ranged attack the most. On the melee side it’s only Melee 4 and Crushing Strength (2), however. It does a hair less damage to Defense 5 units compared to other dragons, but it outpaces them vs. lower defense units and is a real contender for some of the higher-priced magic items that are usually a little cost-inefficient on other dragons. Brew of Sharpness is great if you’re focusing on melee, while Blessing of the Gods or Chant of Hate gives a boon to both its ranged and melee attacks. One favorite of mine is an old Salamander staple, however: Boots of Levitation. This magic item allows the Clan Lord to move into position on the enemy’s flanks and rears while still shooting that impressive 15-shot range attack.

• Artakl – One of the best assassins in the game. Speed 7 and Scout allow for potential first turn charges and Duelist puts fear into enemy Individuals even without any Crushing Strength. Artakl’s primarily a shooter, however; an impressive 5 shots at 18”, Range 3+, and Piercing (1)! The special Monster Hunter rule grants Piercing (2) when attacking monsters and titans, giving some real teeth when combined with Vicious.

B Tier

• Salamander Primes (two handers) – Swapping their Defense 5 to 4 allows Primes to go from Crushing Strength (1) to Crushing Strength (2). A horde has the nerve to withstand some punishment and can deal quite a bit back as well. Troops are cost-effective enough to bring several and are particularly great at being a second wave. Multiple troops with a Path of Fire Battle Captain allows for an interesting MSU take on Salamanders.
• Salamander Unblooded – If you’re going all in on Heavy Infantry to take advantage of the Path of Fire Battle Captain, Unblooded are probably going to be your unlock of choice. Their stats are mostly mediocre as they only have Thunderous Charge (1) instead of Crushing Strength (1) like very many other Salamanders; however, they are cheap, have above average attacks, and come with Wild Charge (d3), which allows them to get the jump on other infantry.
• Corsairs – To me they are the best ranged infantry in the game. They fight as well as they shoot with both Crushing Strength (1) and Piercing (1) and hitting on a respectable 4+, and they have solid defense and Steady Aim on top of that. Adding Firebrand to the mix gives them Elite (Melee) for a very potent firebase that you’re not sure if you want to get closer to. Their biggest downside is their nerve, cost, and being Irregular, limiting the amount of units you want to invest in them.

• Firebrand – Giving off an impressive aura of Elite (Melee) – Corsairs Only, Firebrand fits naturally in any lists featuring Corsairs. Even without her retinue, though, she is worth a look with a solid ranged attack and a mighty melee attack, and benefiting from her own aura. Her Defense 5 and Nerve -/15 means she’ll stick around longer, while her Duelist will frighten nearby Individuals. Her biggest downsides are her Speed 5 and Height 2.
• Fire Elementals – Fire Elementals are solid Shambling units that do consistent damage thanks to Crushing Strength (2) and Vicious (Melee). They have extra synergy now with Mage-Priests, allowing Salamanders to do a fire-based army without feeling that it would be better in Forces of Nature.
• Ember Sprites – These are great screens for the aforementioned Fire Elementals, as fearless chaff is always welcome. They’re a little too slow for my tastes to chaff for non-shamblers, though they still project an 18” threat range thanks to their shooting attack. If I’m taking them without Fire Elementals, they’d either be paired with Corsairs and Lekelidons or behind the lines as clean-up troops.
• Ancients on Rhinosaurs – Great, Fearless heavy cavalry that hit like a truck and can take a punch as well. Speed 7 means they’re best used in conjunction with chaff or to break open infantry formations. With only Crushing Strength (1) they can get stuck in a grind sometimes, but with Brutal and Melee 3, the chances of very many units lasting two turns against them is not great. Since they come in regiments or hordes, I tend to stick with magic items that don’t increase in cost with them like Pathfinder, one-use Strider, Lifeleech, or Iron Resolve. The case could also be made for Elite or Vicious.
• Kaisenor Lancers – A solid cavalry unit with a bucket of attacks, Kaisenor Lancers are more than just a poor man’s Rhinosaurs. As regular cavalry they get cheaper access to the best magic items since they come in troops and regiments. My favorite items for them is Brew of Sharpness or Blessing of the Gods as they’re so cost effective for a regiment with 20 attacks.
• Scorchwings – The best way to view Scorchwings is as flying Mongols. Speed 10, Fly, Nimble, and Pathfinder allow for a lot of maneuverability. They have low attacks but hit well with both their ranged and melee attacks. Ideally you’re patient in positioning them while peppering the enemy from 18” away, waiting for the perfect time to strike. Fire-oil is my favorite item on them as they have the threat projection and speed to pick their targets. Hordes are good as main units but I’ve been loving a regiment as a heavier chaff piece that can do some damage.
• Phoenix – An amazing utility Titan combining high Speed, Radiance of Life, Fly, Nimble, the spells Fireball and Heal, and a decent attack profile, the Phoenix fits in just about any list. It’ll find its home just as easily behind hordes of Ceremonial Guard and Ancients as it will supporting Scorchwings and Rhinosaurs. Its biggest downsides are its middling Nerve, low Defense, and Height, which makes it an easy target for enemy firepower.
• Greater Fire Elemental – A shambling monster with both great melee damage and a ranged attack on a 50mm base is a beautiful thing. It’s priced very competitively for the profile and allows for a lot of tricks in a surge-based list.

• Lekelidon – A great chaff piece that can put pressure on the enemy with its ranged attack. Usually used in front of Heavy Infantry hordes to break up multi-charges, it also makes for a solid center between two regiments of Corsairs for a lot of dakka.
• Fire Drake – The Fire Drake’s nerve is a little low for a Titan, so you’ll have to be careful with it. But with an impressive 12 shot ranged attack combined with Nimble and a decent combat profile, this is a great utility monster. Without any way to prevent hindered charges, he’s best in the open field or waiting for the enemy to engage so he can get flanks.
• Ghekkotah Slasher – The Ghekkotah Slasher is pretty much a bolt thrower thrown onto a titan. Pathfinder and Melee 3+ make up for the low number of attacks while the aforementioned bolt thrower makes the enemy think twice about sitting back.
• Clan Lord – A solid lord level character with impressive Crushing Strength (2), Mighty, and decent Nerve. He inspires, he fights, and he can take at least one punch from most units.
• Battle-Captain – His biggest claim to fame is the Path of Fire legendary upgrade that grants him the Aura (Pathfinder – Heavy Infantry Only) rule. If running multiple Heavy Infantry hordes, regiments, and troops, he’s a must to keep your line moving and keep your charges from being hindered. Without the upgrade he can be a given a raptor mount to be a great little disrupter. He only has three attacks, but with Crushing Strength (2), the attacks that hit most likely will wound. If using him to disrupt flyers, I’d want to give him the Blade of Slashing for increased consistency.
• Mage Priest – The Mage Priest is an expensive caster that really comes into his own when utilizing his Fuel for the Fire special rule. When within 6” of any Flamebound unit, he’s allowed to reroll any 1s for his base spells.  His price comes with Inspiring (Flamebound), Defense 5, and Fireball (10) or Surge (8). His spell options are pretty good with Bane Chant (3) and Heal (3). With Shroud of the Saint and positioned next to a Phoenix, you’ve got a mighty heal battery.

C Tier

• Salamander Primes (shields) – The only reason I can see myself taking these guys with shields is if I don’t have the points for Ceremonial Guard. They don’t really bring much different to the table otherwise.
• Herald – The Salamander version of the standard army bearer has a mighty defense of 5 and a single point of Crushing Strength. Unfortunately, that also means he’s 60 instead of 50 points, and those extra 10 points makes it a lot harder to fit him in with an item and/or a mount into lists for me, especially since any infantry group will have at least a troop of Ancients to cover Inspiring needs.
• Ghekkotah Clutch Warden – An assassin that trades Crushing Strength for Vicious and extra range on his shots. He’s also inspiring for Ghekkotah and has Speed 7 and Scout. He’s a good war-machine disrupter. He won’t kill one in a single combat most likely, but he will disrupt them, and he has a good chance of getting there quickly, too.  If you really have issues with war machines in your meta, giving him Wings of Honeymaze can provide a Turn 1 charge into the backline with Scout.
• Komodon – A longer range, Vicious, and Blast (d3+1) make the Komodon an intriguing choice compared to the Lekilodon. However, the increased cost and lower hit chance dash any hopes at a fair comparison between the two. With Height 3 it can at least see over friendly and enemy infantry, but it then takes cover and move penalties and only has a measly Range 5+. It’s worth noting that it does have Blast (d3) in combat along with Crushing Strength (1) and Vicious, a combo that can allow for sneaky damage if an enemy exposes a flank.

D Tier

• Ghekkotah Hunters – With the unit variation of feature creep, the unfortunate Hunters are in a pretty bad spot. They have a high Speed of 7, Pathfinder, Stealthy, and a ranged attack that is Vicious only in name. This drives their price up by quite a bit and makes them too big an investment for their Nerve. Their price doesn’t really warrant their shooting attack as it’s only 18” hitting on 5+ with no Steady Aim. Their Speed and Pathfinder would make for an intriguing harassment chaff piece if they had the ability to change their blowpipes for a shorter, Steady Aim shot, but instead you can pay more points to give them a 24” shot. Stealthy and cover would make them decently hardy at counter-fire, but unfortunately there’s quite a few things out there that ignore Stealthy, cover, or both and their low Nerve means only one needs to look their way before they rout.
• Ghekkotah Skylord on Scorchwing – Apparently if you put a Ghekkotah on a Scorchwing, he loses his Thunderous Charge. He’s a decent little support character that inspires Flamebound units and has Vicious with both melee and ranged attacks. His lack of Pathfinder, which both Ghekkotah Warriors and Scorchwings have, combined with his lack of Thunderous Charge makes him really only worth it if you’re taking a lot of Scorchwings and don’t want to use a mounted herald.

Thanks again to Pat for writing this Salamanders review! What do you think? What did we get wrong? What did we get right? Please be sure to let us know here on the site or Facebook!