Clash of Kings 2022 isn’t all violence and gore. The new Arcane Library shakes up the magic game in ways not seen since the first cool uncle pulled a coin from the ear of an excited child. Join me in a journey through musty tomes to answer the age-old question: do I need to start taking wizards now?
Hex
The Kings of War approach to shutting down magic. As a piece of games design, it’s exceedingly good, offering a choice to cast at penalty rather than shutting down the fun with a dispel effect, now with the added bonus of requiring tougher spell casters to slow their movement to cast even if they can just absorb the wounds early game.
Arcane Library provides upgraded spells of devastating potential to every army. You could counter this threat with the Banner of Abbetshire and risk redundancy. A more flexible defense would be taking a Hex caster who can always cast something else if needed.
The question remains — are these new threats enough to make a utility Hex caster a must include?
Mindfog
A long range spell designed to force a Nerve test. I like it; it’s fun. Probably going to cause trouble for war machines that think they’re safe on that hill. Is it enough to make me take a spellcaster specifically to counter it? No. I’m entirely lacking in subtlety as a player, so this won’t hinder my plans.
Veil of Shadows
Stealthy auras cropping up all over the place and making my shooting less effective! Does someone on the Rules Committee hate Ice Elementals? Did my Pack Hunters steal their parking space? Will I need to rethink my life choices? Am I being facetious? Will I be taking a spellcaster with Hex to counter this? The answer to all of these is “probably not,” but it makes you think.
Celestial Restoration
A pillar of fire descends from on high to revitalize the faithful. Possibly you want to tailor this imagery to better fit evil armies, but I digress. This is quite frankly terrifying and could easily swing an entire game with some lucky rolls.
At first glance it doesn’t seem any more effective than Heal. They cover very different niches. Heal is for units right next to the caster, who has to get close to the action. Celestial Restoration is for units on the other side of the table and can’t help those nearby. Will I be taking a spellcaster with Hex to counter this? I’m leaning toward yes.
Barkskin
Ever wanted to provide ablative armor for your squishy troops? Want a way to make that legion of Zombies into an immoveable object or horde of Orclings into someone’s worst nightmare? If you aren’t prepared, this will ruin your day. Will I be taking a spellcaster with Hex to counter this? No. There will always be better things the armies that will benefit most from this will be doing with their spells. It does scare the dice out of me though.
Alchemist’s Curse
Bwahahahahaha. Oh not goodness. Ehehehehehehe. Pfft. I am dead. This is the absolute best.
Will I be taking a spellcaster with Hex to counter this? No, I don’t play armies heavy on the defense. If you rely on stone constructs and knights, I’d highly recommend you look at your spellcaster options this instant.
Wither and Perish
Weakness for those armies that don’t have access to Weakness. It’s undeniably good, but if you don’t rely on Weakness for survivability, you’ll already have plans to reduce the effectiveness of enemy troops. It’s not like Phalanx, Ensnare, or simply sitting in terrain aren’t all readily available options. Will I be taking a spellcaster with Hex to counter this? No, although I’ll regret that next time I charge a bunch of Basilean Spears in the rear and have this thrown at me.
Host Shadowbeast
The Riftforged Orc spell where a Riftforger with Stormstrike to do more damage on 6s will be laughing all day. Everyone else may enjoy boosting a friend, but you’re one character for the price of two at that point. Will I be taking a spellcaster with Hex to counter this? Absolutely, if I am going to be playing an opponent with Riftforged Orcs or expecting several in a tournament. In a more general sense, I suspect not.
Scorched Earth
Ooof. Let me sit down and contemplate this a moment. An 18″ debuff that Hinders any charges by the unit. Someone on the Rules Committee must hate fun/have had immense fun with this one depending on which side of it you’re on. Far better players than I will be thwarting all sorts of plans with this. Will I be taking a spellcaster with Hex to counter this? No, because I’m an absolute scrub-tier competitor. I’ll be keeping an eye on upcoming tournaments to see what the general consensus at top tables is. If this spell enters the meta, you’ll want to pack a counter.
In Conclusion…
Conclusion? What? Oh yeah I’m doing an article thing here rather than just rambling. Ok. Will anti-wizard wizards be the new meta? Do I need a Warhammer-style Scroll Caddy? My money is on no. The new spells are wonderful and offer a welcome addition to the current landscape. It’s a tough balance between opening up new options and keeping rules straightforward, and I think Mantic have managed it here. That said, it’s a big community and some local scenes may require you to shut down that Riftforger and her shenanigans.
You may see the Banner of Abbetshire become a regular feature in armies that rely on heavily armored units. I think I’d want Frostfang hordes accompanied by a Lord using it as a cloak. Alchemist’s Curse and Scorched Earth are quite the concern for them.
Cool, But Should I be Taking Wizards Now?
Heck yes! Barkskin those zombies, Scorch the Earth around those Wyrmriders, and heal your Elohi with a gleaming shaft from on high. Clash of Kings 2022 has put the fun back in “funky spells.”
