The Best and Worst Titans in Kings of War

So recently I published a video and accompanying Dash 28 article about the best and worst dragons in Kings of War. This video was astoundingly successful, and absolutely nobody disagreed with me, except Visibly Riley. And who listens to THAT guy, right?

So bolstered by this success, my ever-willing compatriot and friendly expert Matt Gee and I have ploughed merrily into the land of Titans to present to you the definitive, unquestionable list of version three Titans!

Definition

So what have we decided to include? There’s a lot of titans, but we’ve already dealt with the flying ones, so this time it’s:

1. Is a titan
2. Can’t fly

We’ve also very meanly excluded a few units, just because they’re so wildly different in function from the rest of the titans it’s too weird to try and rank them. So sorry Tangle, Portal of Despair, and Monolith, you can go off and have your own little support titan league. And the tangle wins because I’m biased.

So on to the real Titans! What’s the best? What’s the worst? Let’s start at the bottom, because why not.

Number 18

Giant

Oh no, what? The very worst titan in kings of war is the plain old giant? Now, obviously, the big old meat shield has its uses. Notably for goblins or kingdoms of men if you want a big immovable chonk in the middle of your battlefield, it serves a purpose. But in general it’s underwhelming for 225 points when there are so many other options that are better choices for your points. Cry me a river, big boy.

Number 17

Revenant on Undead Great Burrowing Worm

The Revenant on undead great burrowing worm in many ways suffers by comparison. It’s 220 points and sits in the same lists as the undead wyrm, bone giant, so on and so forth. Plus, sin of sins in undead lists, it’s not shambling, and doesn’t cast, although you can purchase a ranged attack if you want to make it even more pointlessly expensive.

Number 16 

Fire Drake

The Fire Drake is a mobile shooting platform from the Salamander list that underwhelms all over. Ok, it’s a height 6, 12 attack shooter that hits on 4s. But it has no piercing, and when it hits on 4s even in melee with only crushing strength 2, you kind of wonder what you’re paying 210 points for?

Number 15

Chronebound Shadow-hulk

I’m not saying this or any other titan is particularly bad, but it’s certainly underwhelming. It’s again, very good as a meat shield, just like the normal giant. But the Chronebound version of the nightstalker titan loses mindthirst in favour of being healable. I know people swear by them, but in a list full of expensive stuff, this is really pricey for not adding much.

Number 14

Shadow-hulk

And here we are again. It’s not that the ol’ hulk is bad, it’s just something I can’t warrant placing any higher. It’s so mundane it’s almost boring. Woo, it’s got stealthy. So has everything else in the list. Go nuts.

Number 13

Hellfane

Now we’re getting into the fun stuff. See, the Hellfane’s model is cool as hell. Plus it’s pretty damn powerful. Buuuuut holy hell in a handbasket is that expensive. It’s the most expensive titan hands-down, and to utilise its full potential you need to pay another 25 points? Get stuffed, you must be mad.

Number 12

Goblin Slasher

I’ve actually got a bit of a soft spot for the slasher. I don’t know why, I just think it’s cool. In the ogre army it doesn’t make much sense, but in goblins, it’s one of the few def 5 options, it’s a credible ranged threat, and a pair down the flank are really really annoying. But there’s that price. In an army that thrives on hordes of cheap stuff, it’s a worryingly heavy points investment. Still cool though.

Number 11

Hydra

Now see, the Hydra is legitimately a great Titan. It’s got a fantastic statline, it’s cheap, its rules are amazing. Buuuut it’s in the forces of nature list, which means no-one will take one, because you can just take beasts of nature, which are better. It’s so frustrating! Look at this cool titan! Put it in the twilight kin where it belongs and make a cool mini, I’ll buy loads!

Number 10

Frost Giant

Now see, I’ve already panned the giant, which I’ll have you know I feel guilty about, but Matt made me so it’s his fault. The frost giant is 5 points more expensive, it loses Fury, and gains a ranged attack. And it’s 8 places higher on the ranking! This is because in frostbound lists, frost giants work really well with Hrimm and their other frostbound counterparts. It’s a synergy thing, and I’m sticking by that frankly rather flimsy argument.

Number 9

Greater Earth Elemental

Bizarrely, the GEE is the only Greater Elemental that warrants the titan base size. No idea why. Anyway, he’s notably the best of the bunch anyway, as an absolutely brutal (pun intended) meat shield with that defence 6 -/19 nerve. Square base and surgeable means he’s a flanking force to be reckoned with.

Number 8

Terror

Another cool model if you happen to be aroused by tentacles, the terror is way more interesting than the boring old shadow-hulk. It’s more of a tarpit than an attacking force, and while it has low defence, the stealthy, regen and ensnare should keep it alive long enough for the rest of your devious bunch to slam into the sides of whatever’s caught in its gruesome appendages.

Number 7

Greater Obsidian Golem

It’s an established fact by now that whatever Dwarfs get, Abyssal Dwarfs get one that’s better, cooler, and with knobs on. Case in point: their answer to the greater earth elemental. Two less attacks and loses brutal for vicious. It’s a trade-off for sure, but you can’t deny the model looks way cooler.

EDIT: It doesn’t have two less attacks any more, having been errata’d up to 12! So brutal traded for vicious. I’ll take that.

Number 6

Coral Giant

The Coral Giant is so good, it’s half the reason the Giant is at the bottom of this list. Giants are big meat shields, so the fact that this one has both Ensnare and Iron Resolve with defence 5 is almost unfair! There’s a reason most ensnare units have a low defence, because the rule is so damn powerful. The fact the Coral Giant is swanking around the place with def 5 ensnare is pretty gross.

Number 5

Kraken

And right nextdoor to the Coral Giant in the Trident Realm list is another fantastic titan. The Kraken is def 4 ensnare, but has a better nerve, a nearly-unbelievable regen 4+, more reliable attack profile, and at speed 7 wild charge D3 can really reach out and threaten stuff that you don’t want to be tarpitted right now, thanks so much. Goddamn they’re so good.

Number 4

Mutant Rat Fiend

As a Ratkin player, do you have any idea how much it pained me to not put this guy in the top 3? It’s a must-have hammer for so many Ratkin lists as the melee 3+ attach profile attached to a fearless nerve and ALL the rules make it a brilliant punch right where you need it.

Number 3

Infernok [1]

Now, strictly speaking, we’re cheating here. Because Infernok really only provides peak value when he’s paired with Dravak Dalkan, which puts his price to ridiculousville, but wow he’s insanely good, and to be fair, what would you expect from Abyssal Dwarfs if it wasn’t a bit of cheating? For that big points investment, you get Fearless -/19, defence 6, Brutal, Strider, Vicious, and you can use his line of sight to cast Dravak’s spells. SO incredibly good.

Number 2

Hrimm [1]

Now Hrimm is punishingly expensive at 260 points (only just behind the Hellfane), but boy is he value. He’s such amazing value against those points it’s hard to consider not including him in your frostbound lists. He’s got a stupendous amount of attacks, he’s fearless -/20, he’s brutal, strider, and even contributes to the icy breath ranged barrage that Northern alliance can bring. What a beast.

Number 1

Abyssal Fiend

And on to our top titan, and when it comes to value, you simply can’t beat the Abyssal Fiend. This beast is a bargain basement 175 points, making it the second cheapest Titan available, which is hard to believe, because for that price you get inspiring, brutal, vicious, melee 3+, Fury, crush 2. You even get a bit of fireball. It’s insanely good value, to a point where it’s hard to put any other titan above it.

Conclusion

So that’s it! The definitive, inarguable listing of Kings of War’s titans, as of Version 3 right now. If you disagree with me (which I think we all agree is incredibly unlikely), let me know in the comments below, where I will promptly thumb my nose at you.