Hello! I know, it’s been a hot minute, and all you Twilight Kin players have been eagerly awaiting someone to rank your army choices. You’re reading this and more than likely curious why I’m writing it. I know, Ogres are my jam. It’s what I play mostly and competitively. I wrote the Goblin review because I play them a lot but not competitively. So why am I writing the Twilight Kin review? Well, Twilight Kin just happens to be my most common opponent. Between playing Kyle, my younger brother, and two folks at my shop I can say for certain I’ve played against 3rd edition Twilight Kin at least 60+ times. So I’ll be writing this review as someone who plays against TK far too often. As always, feel free to disagree, the worst you do is hurt my feelings.
There’s going to be a constant theme in this review. “if you know how to use this guy,” because this army can hit hard but they can’t get hit back. The movement phase is huge for this army, if you try to Ogre or Orc, aka push forward and YOLO you will be sad. You’ll do some damage and then you’ll be picking your stuff up. Your first couple of games will be frustrating, no lie, I’ve seen it a bunch. My brother got into KoW recently and he started with undead. Then he fell in love with Elves/TK/SK. It’s been quite the change going from “Lulz zombies go forward” to a “Wait to attack, then catch a flank next turn” style of army. So don’t feel bad if your dudes die a bunch at first. Patience is key, young padawan.
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 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 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: These units have a mix of strengths and weaknesses that make them 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”.
If you are interested in our other army reviews you can find them here.
S Tier
Yeah, there’s nothing I’d call S tier in this army.
A Tier
Mikayel, Lord of Nightmares [1] – 260 points is a tough pill to swallow for an individual. Like yeah, dragons are expensive but they also score and can catch flanks/rears. But sweet mother of god you do get a lot for those points. If you know to use this guy then he’s worth every point. SO yeah, Mikayel and why he’s cool, let’s see, elite, inspires, dread, stealthy, Iron Resolve, oh and something called the Sword of Umbra. That sword doubles his attacks against Heroes. Monsters and Titans. Shoot him into your opponent’s backfield and watch them weep.
Cronebound Gargoyles* – How do you not love these? Voted “Best Chaff in the Game” by random internet people on Fanatics for the last 4 years. I hate seeing these beasts across from me. They either die in one shot or they live forever, no in-between. Fast and annoying, yet also garbage enough that I’m annoyed when I have to devote resources to killing them. But if I don’t it’s always a troop of them costing me the game because they have a token/sitting on an objective/ adding to US
Summoner Crone – Stock with Drain Life 6 and the ability for one to bump it up to Drain Life 9 ( thanks CoK 2020!) makes her a pain in the ass to deal with. Don’t like drain life, she can be your bane chant bot, even better if she’s babysitting cronebound stuff because she inspires them. Did I mention her drain life can heal those cronebound (oh and Elf units now also, thanks CoK 2020!) up to 18 inches away? I hate her so much
Soulbane – This guy, this guy right here, I hate him, so much. My brother likes to give him the duelist item and just go cause havoc against individual heavy armies. Even if you don’t kit him out to go smash things the fact he inspires and has dread means that even when he’s doing “nothing” he’s doing something. Gross.
Cronebound Abyssal Horsemen – Choo Choo pain train! A cav unit with regen and fury is just gross, and I’m sad every time they smash into something I own. A Summoner Crone following them around throwing heals makes these guys stupid good.
B Tier
Impalers – I mean, if you’re reading this, you know what these guys are. I would like to first raise the point that the fact you can’t take these as a horde is bullshit. Sorry for the language but it is what it is. Anywho, these guys do work when used correctly. The main issue I’ve seen is twofold; if you’re trying to use these as an anvil you’re doing it wrong. They aren’t an anvil nor are they supposed to be. They are scalpel. This is the second issue, people just throw them in front of stuff and expect to murder death things. Nope, again, SCALPEL, use it as such. Catch them flanks and make the lesser races weep!
Blade Dancers – Your standard berserkers unit. Fearless, a bunch of attacks and with the defense of a wet bag. As long as they’re hitting and not getting hit you’re doing ok
Kindred Tallspears – So yeah, 30 attacks hitting on 4’s is pretty nice. Rerolling 1’s to hit even nice. Having phalanx, oh baby. Also being one of your only sources of unlocks is nice. Slap a brew of strength on them and yikes, they can get scary.
Cronebound Butchers* – Big chunky dudes, CoK 2020 made them lose fearless but they gained fury. Personally, I feel they should unlock also but what do I know? Still, a fantastic unit who is going to do what you need them to do (murder death stuff in the face). I rarely see any self-respecting TK player leave home without two hordes.
Twilight Assassin – So Kyle and I disagree on this character, Kyle says they are good, I personally think they are a waste of points. I mean if they’re not a Soulbane then who gives a shit? 20 points cheaper than the Soulbane and comes stock with duelist. I mean I can see the potential, they’d be amazing in literally any other army, but TK has Soulbane. I’ll give a spot in B tier mainly because Kyle and my brother both love them even when I normally stomp them flat by turn 3. (Says the guy who plays an army with no individuals)
Bolt Thrower – Pew pew says the bolt throwers, one of those pews will hit more than likely thanks to elite.
Dragon Breath – Fantastic surprise chaff. Walk it with your dudes and have it clear chaff, late game it becomes chaff! Hooray! Oh and elite, gross
Cronebound Fiends* – The TK (and obviously Nightstalkers) version of heavy cav. They hit on 4’s but with 24 attacks they “kinda” can get over that “hitting on 4’s swinginess” that we all hate. Slap an elite item on them or brew of sharpness and they get scary quick.
Army Standard Bearer – Flag guy, the epitome of B tier, has a job and does it well
Cronebound Shadow-hulk – Stupid awesome giant that hits on 3’s and can get a Summoner Crone friend. I hates them. Stupid stealthy, stupid strider. Strider is awesome when I’m the only one who has it.
Cronebound Archfiend – Just like the Abyssal version this monster is Captain Whoop Ass. I don’t see them in a lot of TK lists and am surprised by it. Like take 2 of these and a Summoner Crone and wreck face, hmmm maybe I need to play TK.
Cronebound Mind-screech – Lighting Bolt, Mind Fog, Wind Blast, this guy is the 7-11 of monsters, it doesn’t what you need when you need it. Being height 5 and having fly it’s where you need it also. I’ve lost many a game because I underestimated this beast, nothing makes me sadder than winning top f 6 but then two of these things wind blast me off objectives.
Cronebound Banshee – I wasn’t a fan at first, but now that multiple casters can hit the same target with enthrall (thanks CoK 2020!) I feel like this chick is going to see a lot more play. Ewww 3 of her running around. I’m already sad.
C Tier
Kindred Archers – Poor archers, they themselves aren’t bad, but shooting, in general, is bad. Still more dependable than most due to elite. Ain’t bad for holding objectives
Cronebound Needle-fangs* – Again, these are fantastic in the Nightstalker list, but gargoyles again shit in someone’s Cheerios.
Kindred Gladestalkers* – You like shitty berserker nerve with a dookie amount of shots? These troops are for you! Steady aim is ok I guess ..
Therennian Sea Guard* – More expensive spears who can shoot crappier than the archers. Hooray! Elite for them only affects melee and they don’t unlock! Why aren’t more people running these? Oh, because you’re not stupid.
Cronebound Shadowhounds* – Like I want to like them but Gargoyles are a thing. So, why take them unless you’re running some sort of crazy cav list.
Silverbreeze Cavalry* – Eh, I could see a build for these but you’d have to skew hard and really build for them. Not worth the effort for 14 shots, elite is nice but *fart noise*
D Tier
Elven Prince – Imagine a Soulbane but without everything that makes them cool. That’s this guy. Garbage
