Hello everyone, Jake here bringing another army review update. A big shout-out to Jess for writing our Northern Alliance review! The original review was written by Felix Castro, so this is a combination of Felix’s and Jess’s takes on the army.
If you are looking for our other army reviews you can find them here.
This review has been updated for Clash of Kings 2024, all changes are put in red text.
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 to also see how they compare in scope, role, and impact across not just within a single army but all kings of war armies. For the most part, units will be treated as one entry; however, if an option or size drastically improves a unit it will be separately mentioned.
S Tier: Reserved for units that are widely acknowledged as either being significantly undercosted or have 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: The 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 frequently will 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”.
(From Felix) Hello Dash28 readers, a couple of days ago I was asked by Jake Ciarapica if I could do a tiered review for the units of the Northern Alliance.
I am not a huge fan of reviews, as I believe that each unit in KoW has the potential for
good roles and uses depending on individual players and their playstyles (who would have
thought 6 regiments of orclings would be in a Masters winning list?). However, like YouTube
matchup casts, these reviews can be fun reading (who doesn’t like lists?) and hopefully lead to
good discussion amongst the community.
Talannar’s Vanguard – The new formation is in line with what comes in the ambush box. 400 points gets you two Troops of Half-Elf Berzerkers and a Regiment of Frostclaw Raiders. The Half-Elves gain Crushing Strength 1, and the Frostclaw gains Rallying (1-Half-Elf Only), and increases the Frostclaw’s Nerve to 12/14.
As part of a larger game, it’ll be worth the points to get the Rallying aura if you want to field several units of Berserkers. Park the Frostclaws close by for ranged support and Rally. Ensure the Frostclaws fight first in melee to put Frozen on the enemy unit with their Icy Runes. That activates the Berserker’s Tundra Fighters rule for added hurt on your poor foe.
Northern Alliance
S Tier
Hrimm, Legendary Frost Giant – If you want a source of Very Inspiring, Chilling presence (to activate Tundra fighters), and reliable damage then look no further. You won’t go wrong with Hrimm leading your Tribesfolk or Berserkers into the fray. His Brutal keyword may just swing a combat and with -/20 Nerve he’ll stick around in a fight when things look tough. Hrimm will always prove a useful addition to your army and deliver the goods if you don’t throw him into a Leeroy Jenkins attack.
Frostclaw Champion – They are fast, hit hard on the charge, and Fury gives a certain degree of reliability in combat. Don’t expect miracles, but for harassing chaff, characters, and war machines you can’t go wrong with a Frostclaw champion. Don’t underestimate the importance of their absurdly long range ice bombs (I assume Dwarves make great fast bowlers) for popping out from behind a building and getting a few extra wounds on a target.
Frostclaw Riders – Do you want a unit that turns on a sixpence, flies, and hurls nasty explosives? That, my friends, is called a rhetorical question. Of course, you want all those things. What if I told you they even have Fury and look super cool?
Frostclaw riders have plugged a massive hole in the Northern Alliance arsenal. Is your opponent doing redeployment shenanigans? Simply turn 90 degrees and fly halfway across your deployment zone to accommodate. Need to get Frozen on a unit in the melee phase? Support the charge with these folks and assuming they get a wound on the target you’re golden. Why are you still reading this? Go get some Frostclaws!
A Tier
Ice Elementals – I personally love this unit. I mean who doesn’t love shambling (ergo able to be surged), defense 5, fearless, large infantry who shoot like Ogre Boomers? The ability to shoot and surge hordes into flanks can bring a nasty surprise to your opponent if they are caught off guard. Ice Elementals have the Frostbound keyword, giving them synergies with Ice Queens, making them potentially more deadly and survivable. Even coming in at a pricey 240 pts at the horde level (making them in the top 5 or 6 most expensive large infantry hordes in the game) I still think that they are a tad under costed, maybe 10 pts or so. Now to go hide my ice elementals so the RC does not hurt them….
Clash of Kings 2022’s major controversy has left some feeling a little cold. With a metagame angling towards spellcasting and Hex, changing their Icy Breath spell to an ice-themed shooting attack with the same effect seems sensible. On the other hand, they now suffer shooting penalties such as Stealthy which is a reduction in their effectiveness. With a caveat regarding local meta here I’m bumping the marshmallows down to A-Tier. They hit hard and Surge shenanigans make them a scary prospect. They just lack that je ne sais quoi.
Clash 2024 gave these adorable marshmallows a much-needed boost by increasing the range of their Ice Shards from 10” to 12”. That extra range allows them to shoot most Infantry without giving away the return charge. Add to this the Chilling Presence ability to support Tundra fighters and Ice Elementals remain a solid pick.
Frostfang Cavalry – When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. And everything on the battlefield looks like nails to Frostfang Cavalry. Having 30 attacks hitting on 4s, Crushing Strength 2, and Strider means Frostfang hordes can do work against most targets. They are pricey though and become prime targets for enemy war engines and shooting. Their relatively slow speed (Speed 7, with Wild Charge giving them a 15-inch charge range) coupled with hitting on fours and the relatively low nerve of 15/17 means these bad boys scream for artifacts, which can quickly bring them to the 300pt range if you aren’t too careful.
I’m partial to a Chalice of Wrath or Mead of Madness to protect versus waver. Still, a super solid unit that is not to be trifled with on the battlefield. Add Tundra fighters for a handful of points when adding them to your list. Go on, you know you want to.
Lord on Frostfang – Pretty much a mini-dragon whose wings were clipped. These bad boys have 8 attacks (9 with Snow Fox upgrade) hitting on 3s, Crushing Strength 3, and Strider which comes in at a tidy 190 points unit with Snow Fox. Speed 7 with nimble increases their maneuverability greatly, as they are hard to chaff up on their 50mm base. I would not leave home without one. With built-in Tundra Fighters rule you’ll get the most from this unit with the right support.
Hearthguard (Huscarls)– I honestly would have had them in S tier, but their slower speed keeps them in the solid A territory since many units in the game can outrange them. 20 attacks hitting on 3s with Crushing Strength 2 means this unit can be a blender for most units below Def 6. Huscarls can also be a good carrier for artifacts like Brew of Sharpness since they are taking it at the regiment’s cost rather than horde. As long as they can get the first charge, Huscarls would be a welcome addition to any Northern Alliance force.
Snow Foxes – arguably some of the best chaff in the game (although let’s be real, you can argue anything if you are contentious enough), Snow Foxes pack much of what players want in a unit to use as chaff. Relatively cheap at 80 pts, the speed 8 with Nimble and Pathfinder means you can pretty much put them where you need them to be. The Defense of 2 means that pretty much anything that looks at them wrong will damage them and the 9/11 nerve means they will die to a stiff breeze, so one must keep that in mind while using them. Stealthy helps at least mitigate pot shots but overall a solid piece of chaff for the army
Icekin Hunters -A true Elite unit. They Scout, they have Steady Aim on their 24” bows, and their targets can be Frozen. Did I mention they are no longer Irregular so you could make them your main units? Just be aware their points reflect how valuable they are. You can do a lot with them but won’t get a lot of them.
Ice Queen – These ladies have seen a big shake-up in 2024. Now coming in at 55pts without any spells they offer much more build flexibility. This effectively frees them from automatically being caretakers of an Ice Elemental horde to explore new roles.
The Ice Queen has a special rule called Master of Ice, which allows them to get a re-roll of a single missed die on Surge, Heal, Bane Chant on friendly units with the Frostbound keyword, or a missed die on an Icy Breath, Blizzard attack on enemy units affected by the Frozen special. This gives Ice Queens a free situational Conjurer’s Staff. Particularly exciting given Blizzard has had a bit of a glow-up to be quite nasty. A neutral change is the loss of Very Inspiring for Frostbound units to make them Inspiring for all units.
B Tier
Human Tribesfolk – A highly customizable unit that can flood the table with reasonably cheap Defence 5+ units; maybe 4+ with their Two-handed weapon options. Ever wanted barbarian hordes at your command? Their access to Tundra Fighters and Hearthguard (previously Huscarls) being limited to two per army makes the Tribesfolk some of the best core infantry in the game.
Serakina, the Ice Queen – I’m always enamored of units that don’t rely on punching things to be effective. Then again the update to her Wind Blast means she can cause some damage in addition to disrupting the enemy. What you get is decent Surge output, the disruptive fun of Wind Blast, and a Radiance of Life for your Frostbound Units. If you are running Ice Elementals I consider her an auto-include you won’t regret.
Ice Naiads – Much like their more temperate climate cousins, the Ice Naiads are an excellent
defensive unit. Like the Naiad Ensnarers, the Ice Naiads have Ensnare and Regeneration,
although they worsen their Regen 4+ to 5+ and upgrade their defense from 3+ to 4+. Ice Naiads
trade Pathfinder for Wild Charge (woot?) so you need to be more judicious on when to move them
through difficult terrain. Coupled with their synergy with the Ice Queens due to their Frostbound
keyword, if you want a unit that does not die easily, look no further than the Ice Naiads.
To add spice to an already delicious unit you gain Life Leech if your melee opponent is Frozen. If you want to splash out the points there are options to upgrade the unit with Tundra Fighters (worth it if you already build around that synergy) and Phalanx with additional attacks. Just beware of investing heavily in a unit that will struggle to shift high defence opponents.
Dwarf Clansmen – Borderline A Tier, Dwarf Clansmen regiments are the cheapest
unlocking unit in the list at 115 pts. They are pretty much Dwarf Ironclad regiments with
Headstrong swapped out for Fury and the addition of Wild Charge 1, giving them the
ultra-deadly threat range of 9 inches! Dwarf Clansmen regiments are defense 5, Unit Strength 3
with 14/16 nerve, will not easily shift, and are a quality pickup for a solid core to a Northern
Alliance infantry line.
Now they sport Ordered March for extra maneuverability and have the option to sacrifice defence for Crushing Strength 1 at no extra cost. They fall down on their lack of Tundra Fighters and thus lack synergy with the wider army.
Half Elf Berserkers –While they are no Nightstalker Reapers, Half-Elf Berserkers a solid high-quality attack output unit. Despite the low defense typical of berserker units, the Half-Elf
Berserkers are fearless with Iron Resolve, which is nice because they are either in the fight or
are dead, with no in-between. 15 and 20 attacks in troop and regiment sizes respectively hitting
on 3s with Thunderous Charge 1 with Wild Charge D3 means they will generally win
chaff-on-chaff battles and could be devastating if they get a flank charge on bigger units.
They gain some survivability if used in conjunction with the new formation and Tundra Fighters on a punchy unit is always a good thing. If you fancy putting more eggs in one basket you can upgrade a single unit to be Talannar’s House Guard for more nerve and attacks. Half the battle is just delivering these folks where you need them unscathed.
Cavern Dweller – If you want a giant, but miss having the 50mm giants of the old days, this is
your unit. The Cavern Dweller has d6+6 attacks with Crushing Strength 3 and Lifeleech 3,
meaning this beast can stick around for a while so long as it does not get wavered. Also being
on a 50mm base with Height of 4 means you can fit them into flanks more easily than the larger
75mm base. Especially handy if you want a source of Chilling presence that can fit in alongside a multi-charge without leaving too much overhang. An overall solid monster unit entry in the list.
Icekin Bolt Throwers – Not a war engine that will completely scare your opponent, like an
Abyssal Dwarf Angkor Heavy mortar, but 2 attacks hitting on 4 with Elite means they are pretty
darn consistent on applying damage at a distance. The bolt throwers can also apply the Frozen
special rule to enemy units at a distance which can help you win the range standoff battle if you
are able to slow down opposing speed 10 flyers down to speed 9. A cost-efficient
way to gain board control.
Ice Blade – Necromancers got you down? Are pesky war engines becoming a problem? Look no
further than the Ice Blade, an assassin-type hero for the Northern Alliance. With 5 attacks built
in Duelist, Crushing Strength 1, and hitting on 3s with the option to get the Snow Fox upgrade,
the Ice Blade is great for removing casters and war engines. The -/14 nerve definitely helps the
Ice Blade stays on the board as plink shooting is unlikely to remove them and really forces your
opponent to devote resources to deal with this assassin in their backfield.
For utility, I’d probably take a Frostclaw Champion over them most days but don’t underestimate their duelling skills.
Pack Hunters – The Diamond in the rough. Since losing Irregular these folks are a tempting army core. Not convinced? Stealthy and Pathfinder let them take position whilst withstanding enemy missiles. Wild Charge (1) gives them an 11” charge range, Thunderous Charge (1) makes that a threat you can’t ignore. Throw in the option for Javelins that not only offer Steady Aim but hit harder than any Elven bow with Piercing (1). These are the Ice Kin Hunters we already have at home.
Lord – A HORSIE! SHE HAS A HORSIE NOW! Alongside a welcome increase in her base attacks to 6. Essentially making a mounted Lord option punchier than a Thegn on Frostfang and more Inspiring to boot. If that wasn’t awesome enough, 10pts gets you a Wild Charge (1) Aura for your Infantry and Heavy Infantry and another 10pts lets her bring a snow fox. Now with Tundra fighters at no extra cost. Lovely Jubbly.
C Tier
Lord on Chimera – I have not put this character into the A category for anything “wrong” with
the unit profile. Speed 10 flying with nimble, bringing with it 10 attacks hitting on 3s with Elite,
Crushing Strength 3, and a shooting attack to boot! The Lord on Chimera is an absolute beast,
but at 300 points I personally find it tough to fit this unit into my lists, especially with the Lord on
Frostfang an adequate substitute for much cheaper, and a unit of Frostclaws offers better shooting at the same speed. Maybe folks smarter than me will figure it out but I have not done it myself. An almost prohibitively expensive unit in an army of
expensive units.
Frost Giant – The only reason I would run a regular frost giant is if I cannot find the 25 points to upgrade a giant to Hrimm, or if I were running multiple giants in addition to Hrimm. The lack of
Fury can mean lucky boxcars on a nerve check can really hold up the pain train that a giant
can bring to the table.
Now with the added Slayer (Melee D6) the Frost Giant is a battering ram of a unit. Upgrading to Hrimm is going to be a better option unless you run multiple giants. If your Frost Giant gets bogged down there’s not much you can do to get moving again, so don’t let them wander off alone.
Thegn – The only thing that promotes the Thegn out of the D Tier (as they are rated in the Dash
28 Varangur review) is the fact that the Thegn in Northern Alliance is able to pick up Talanaar’sStandard, which gives the Thegn Rallying (1). Putting a model to back up your Huscarls or
Frostfangs to bring them up to 16/18 nerve for 65 pts is a good deal. Unfortunately, with only 3
attacks (4 if you purchase the snow fox upgrade) and no way to increase their speed besides
Wings of Honeymaze their utility outside of the Rallying item is quite limited.
Tundra Wolves – Not too shabby of a unit overall but one that has to be carefully thought of in
its role in a list, given its 115-point price at the troop level (competing with other similarly priced
units in the army list) and the fact they do not unlock at the regiment level (they are irregular in
the Northern Alliance). Still, Pathdinfer Cav with Speed 9 with Nimble and Me 3+ with Thunderous Charge 1 can be a pretty nasty surprise for your opponent. Probably worth trying out a regiment if you have suitable models handy.
Snow Trolls – They are alright, but still can wreck some face with Crushing Strength 2 and
Vicious (Melee). Snow Trolls suffer from the standard troll nerve gap issues, so expect and plan
around them being waivered a bunch without artifacts, and sometimes even with them. Still,
Regeneration 5+ means they can form a solid core that has some punch as part of
your battle line.
Not my go to unit but if painting isn’t your thing they are a great way to get an army on the table with minimum effort.
Thegn on Frostfang – Really not much to write home about stat-wise, but with the snow fox
upgrade, he gets pretty comparable to a Nightstalker Dread Fiend, cost-wise. Not the worst
option but definitely loses out when compared to the Lord on Frostfang but if you want to field a
Frostfang heavy list and points start to become a premium a couple of these guys are a bit
cheaper than the better Lords on Frostfang.
Ice Kin Master Hunter – I will admit this is a unit I have not had a lot of experience with, but I
can see 2 of these being a pretty annoying part of a Northern Alliance list, coming in an only 230
pts. Able to apply Frozen at a distance of 24″ with 3 attacks hitting on 3s with Piercing 1. In
addition, the ability to Scout helps put them into terrain turn 1 to start the annoying shooting
early.
Snow Troll Prime – Nimble large infantry/cavalry heroes are super good in the current state of
Kings of War 3rd edition, but the Snow Troll Prime is sort of lacking when there are faster and
harder hitting options out there. Certainly could find a place in certain list builds for Northern
Alliance.
D Tier
Elf Clansmen – Pack hunters and Ice Kin hunters out shoot and out fight them in every regard. Sure they can get Vicious on their arrows but you need another source of ranged Frozen to do their job first. They lack any actual purpose in the list from what I can see.
Skald – A cheap source of Very Inspiring and providing and Aura of Ordered March is pretty cool. Aside from that they don’t really do much which is a shame as I love the concept.
Orlaf the Barbarian – I know this guy is a carryover from Dungeon Saga and gives the army
another option for a Mighty character, I just am not feeling him. If he was inspiring I could see
pairing him up with berserker troops and causing a mighty mess during games.
The D3 slayer aura is tempting but there are better character options available.
Clarion – He attacks enemy morale, hurls axes like a pro, and now boasts a much-needed 3+ Melee value. It just feels like his Herald ability is a lazy way of using Frozen synergy when there are so many cool (ha!) sources of Chilling Presence
