This review has been updated for Clash of Kings 2024, I have highlighted changes to the article in red.
Greetings, Alex Chaves here! Since our last OTGL review was done in 2022, I thought I would freshen up the original review done by our favorite guest Page Neo of https://www.youtube.com/c/NewbieDice fame. The army has gone through a bit of a roller coaster in the past couple of years, going from what was widely considered the strongest alpha strike list to going through some minor but impactful changes in the recent COK. Where did they shake up after all is said and done? Let’s find out!
Hi everyone, Page here giving the lowdown on The Order of the Green Lady (OotGL).
First a quick intro: I’m a pathfinder from Singapore and I have a KOW Battle Reports YouTube channel called Newbie Dice. (If you like high quality battle reports, this is the perfect channel to go to – editor)
I have been playing OotGL since Feb 2020 because of the cool theme of nature and knights, and the amazing picture on page38 of Uncharted Empires.
Overview
The Order of the Green Lady brings some of the solid core units of Forces of Nature, as well as their wonderful support pieces, then add in conventional hammers in the various De5 knights and human infantry options. It has also decent shooting support, coming mainly from Heartpiercers and Lightning Bolts.
The army’s main challenges come in the form of fielding chaff pieces and making a list that works because of the unlocks. Making an OotGL list feels like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. The unlock crisis has somewhat been eased over CoK21 and CoK22. Of course, having cavalry for hammers means losing TC in the grind, or going against phalanx units will be a pain.
Let’s start by talking about the change to the army special upgrade. Before Clash of Kings 2022, it costs 10 points and healed D3. Costing double of healing brew for a 33% improvement just wasn’t very attractive, and you rarely see people taking it back then.
Now with the drop in cost to 5 points, and healing curbed to D2, it is essentially the same as healing brew, which is a good value for money item, as well as giving the Sacred Water keyword. A timely adjustment as there are more Sacred Water synergies available.
Tier Rankings
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 army reviews found here..
Formation: The Lurkers in the Lake – B Tier
I find the formation very deceiving. On first look it seems great – take 2 hordes of Water Elementals which are commonly taken anyway, take the recently buffed Greater Water Elemental, and give the Devoted the much-needed Inspiring on top of Thunderous Charge aura for the Water Elementals. Everyone gets Wild Charge 1 as well. However after running the formation for many games trying to get it to work, let me share the weaknesses that doesn’t seem obvious at first.
14″ to 15″ charge range is one of the least valuable increases. The Devoted is essentially paying points for the Inspiring it needed, and you probably need a mount to keep up with the Water Elementals’ charges to give them TC, adding to the cost of the Devoted. If you plan to give her Bane Chant, Radiance of Life, and maybe Conjurors Staff or Fireheart, she starts to become really expensive. Your 3 Water Elementals might need to be deployed in different areas of the board, or charge different targets, making it difficult to keep the aura on more than 1 unit. The Water Elementals are also ultimately not very reliable hammers due to me4+, and with the enemy’s retaliation gets killed just as easily as our other units at De5 Ne17. They are not as good in offense and if you use them for defense, you are wasting all the formation points in Wild Charge and TC. Finally, the Greater Water Elemental is also not a great unit and is more of a tax (I usually sacrifice my 2nd BoN to field the GWE in this formation)
While adding some Wild Charge and Thunderous is not terrible, it is also nothing to write home about. The real issue is that the Waterbound keyword doesn’t extend to the other elements of the army, so taking this formation really pigeonholes an elemental-style build that is very middle of the road. Furthermore, there is nothing OTGL does with water elementals that is “special” and no real reason you wouldn’t just run these units in a Forces of Nature list instead. If you like the Water Elementals feel free to take this, otherwise, I’d pass this up and instead go with the so many better options available to the army.
S Tier
Order of the Forsaken -These Knights on Flying Mounts got double buffed in Clash 22 – Becoming Regular, Crushing Strength 1, and Thunderous Charge 1; instead of Thunderous Charge 2. Being Regular is HUGE as they just became a Horde unlock for the army. Crushing Strength 1 Thunderous Charge 1 makes them able to grind better, and more effective against Thunderous Charge stripping effects like Phalanx and being Disordered. They have built-in waver mitigation (though Headstrong seems to be the least popular) and at 255 points they are arguably one of the best flying hammers in the game, going toe-to-toe with Drakon Riders, the Elohi with their new Crushing Strenght 2 option, and Rift Forged Orcs Helstrikers. The best part is that the Forsaken are the cheapest of them all, they can take an item and not feel incredibly expensive.
Page’s original comments are still as true and relevant as ever. I don’t even think it’s a debate, these are THE best flying hammers out there. The vastly underrated thing is the fact that this unit is Regular and so can be very effectively taken as 2 or 3 units and still leave room for all the “toys” in the list.
Pegasus – Best chaff with our army, the only issue is Beast of Nature taking up the Monster slots. I try to squeeze 1 in as they are great. 3 attacks 3+ and Thunderous Charge 1 makes it more reliable in dealing at least 1 damage, and in a pinch, able to help in a flank charge. They are also Height 4 which allows them to see past hills and sometimes block Line of Sight from the charged unit in case you fail to do damage.
Also, speculation but Glade Stalkers, Sisterhood Scouts, and Ice Kin hunters having scout and 24” bows makes it hard for low nerve chaff to hide from the bows. Even behind forests, the Glade Stalkers might be able to get a diagonal angle in. This change in meta might cause low nerve chaff like the Pegasus to be less popular as well.
While being fragile is certainly a weakness, a little bit of cleverness by hiding this unit behind other units of Forsaken, terrain, or both more than makes up for the fact that this is the best chaff in the game. Being Height 4 just opens up so many options to block up units’ line of sight or just put them on scenario duty by claiming an objective, giving them push tokens, etc. Their melee profile is just strong enough that you can reliably use them to do a wound to a random War Machine, Wizard, or random flyer at the right moment. They complement Alpha Strike so well that it’s hard not to put 3 of these in every list
A Tier
Beast of Nature – The premier flank threat without breaking the bank. I love Beast of Nature with Flying and 7 Attacks. 2-3 are always welcome in an alpha strike list.
Vicious makes them more consistent, while Pathfinder means enemies get no benefit from hiding in difficult terrain. What it has going for it the most is that it comes in at 205 points, a good price point to wreak havoc in enemies’ flanks, yet cheap enough to be able to fly around for turns before committing into combat. One of their balancing factors is the lack of Waver mitigation – a lucky Nerve roll or a handful of damage means they get Wavered and usually routed the next turn. Healing might help with this provided they are within range to heal.
Order of Redemption -With the Crushing Strength 1 & Thunderous Charge 1 buff, the Order of Redemption deserves the Best Cavalry title. They are Irregular but have Inspiring, so they save a hero slot to make up for them not unlocking. Also, if you add the cost of an Inspiring flag bearer and a Knight Regiment, you will realize you’re getting the 20 attacks and Regen 5+ for free. The downside is their high cost for the same Def 5 15/17 Nerve. You would hope that they survive the opponent’s counterattack after your initial charge so that Regeneration can do its magic and win the grind game. Being Irregular is also a big drawback that keeps them at A Tier instead of S Tier, but it is so thematic as the knights wear the magical Armor of Tides, which are limited in number and chooses its wearer.
Avatar of the Green Lady – Just by taking her, suddenly your list is very good at recovering wounds. Cloak of Death can also be clutch in tipping those risky charges in your favor. A great addition to the new ability for our army to grind. The only problem is that she cannot trigger Nerve checks on her own. I am very happy to be able to take her as she is the namesake of the army.
Brotherhood Centaurs – Often overlooked for the fancier options, these cav actually provide a cheap unlock while also having Pathfinder. A unit or two of these can really round out an army and are cheap enough that they can almost be put in the thicc chaff category. Their Nerve is high enough that it warrants a legitimate answer from your opponent.
Order of the Brotherhood – A run-of-the-mill cavalry unit with a Pathfinder option that is 5 points cheaper and doesn’t take an item slot. Allows you to customize your regiments on top of taking the mandatory Pathfinder, and they also unlock! I’m not a fan of running them in Hordes but if you do you can choose to give them Pathfinder and another item as well. Lastly, you save the Caterpillar Potion for another unit if you need it elsewhere. A Regiment with the banner comes in at 215, making them a solid hammer, and project threat, while cheap enough to be the first unit you send in to start the exchange of units.
B Tier
Naiad Heartpiercers – A shooting unit in our army and one of the best too, 4+ Regen is great and forces people to take them out in one go or see their efforts getting regenerated back. Great at holding objectives backfield, and Steady Aim means they can keep moving every round, to be chaff or charge things that expose their flank and rear to them in the late game as they must face bigger threats. You can take 1 unit to be able to clear chaff and chip some damage or bring more to really threaten some damage, synergizing with Lightning bolts from your Druid/Unicorn. Losing the built-in Lighting Bolt on the Unicorns base really cements their place as the most viable shooting option in the list.
Druid – Cheap Inspiring source, with cheap weaker spells, allows you to take multiple spells for utility. Surge at a low cost is great for threatening Surge shenanigans without committing a lot of points. I took mine with Bane Chant, Surge, and a Conjuror’s Staff, coming in at only 105 points for a lot of utility and consistency in spells. The Conjuror’s Staff is awesome for ensuring her Bane Chant and low dice Surge go off, and pseudo-Heal 3 is very good too!
Water Elementals – Speed 7 elementals to keep up with your cavalry. Regiments work as thick chaff, while Hordes make good unlocks. Having Surge in your army will keep enemies on their toes as well. Regen once again is great for the grind. I used to love running one of these. However, with more unlock options available to us, as well as the CS buff to Forsaken and Redemption, I find myself not fielding the Water Elementals as much. They also have the same De5 and 17 Nerve as our knights, so they don’t provide an additional challenge to the opponents to remove our units.
I think Water elementals have held up better in the meta as they are good middle ground between offense and defense and are just fast enough to supplement the key components of the list.
Greater Water Elemental – This creature received a few buffs from Clash of Kings. The +1 attack makes it marginally better in offense. The 4+ Regen buff and the Sacred Water Radiance make it a significantly stronger defense piece. Unfortunately, these defense buffs require it to survive a hit first, which ultimately isn’t too difficult to do at Defense 5 Nereve 18. An anvil monster isn’t popular in the meta as it is a role that can easily be fulfilled by core unlocking units, and the core units can do a lot more damage in return with a higher number of attacks.
Currently, Water elementals are in a weird spot. They lost out on the Unit Strength 2 buff that Titan Monsters received but got to remain on a 50mm monster base meaning they are better at sneaking into those flanks with surges. Outside of the formation you usually won’t see many of these but they are still priced so efficiently it’s hard to rate them anything lower than a B.
Men-at-Arms Retainers – Our cheapest unlock at both the Regiment and Horde levels. Both Regiments and Hordes are great for unlocks, and Regiments could be cheap Unit Strength, holding objectives and the Horde can take a single charge and likely survive. Headstrong is also an awesome rule for these throwaway units as the regiment is at a lower nerve point and will Waver easily, and the Horde shaking off Waver means they can countercharge and not block charge lanes from your 2nd wave units. Thematically it’s also awesome to know the regular foot soldiers are braver than other armies’ rank-and-file guys.
Exemplar Redeemer – Both the cavalry and flying options are strong, although one would make comparisons with the Beast of Nature at the same points. You will pick this if you need an Inspiring source and Regen for the long-term grind, or you can take one Beast of Nature and this with one Horde unlock for some flying circus shenanigans.
Champion of the Green Lady – I really want to like this Living Legend. Rally 1 is what our army needs to beef up that typical 17 nerve. But it is conditional to Sacred Water (Beast of Nature and Earth Elementals weep) and it is also on an expensive chassis. No doubt it is a good combatant and has good Nerve and Regen4+. In the times I fielded one I often sent them into a unit to hold it up, which is what fast combat individuals do, but that puts them out of position to Rally my lines. And if I keep them back just for Rally 1, I rather have another Regiment of Knights or Horde of Elementals for those points.
C Tier
Earth Elementals – That De6 -/18 profile brings a solid anvil and a problem for lists designed to crack de5 units. The shift in our army’s ability to grind via the CS buffs to our hammers, and healing options available to us also increased the stock price of this unit. The only problem with them is that they struggle to keep up with the rest of the army. Not only are they speed 5, but they are also Shambling which means no moving on the double on turn 1. In many games, my fast units were projecting threat and posturing, but not committing until my Earth Elementals get in position (usually to charge as a 2nd wave or force the opponent to charge them).
While Page’s original comments are true, I think the use cases for Earth elementals in an alpha-style list are just so limited. They are just too expensive and slow to be relevant in time to supplement the main army plan.
Woodland Critters – It’s not great chaff, especially at De2, as that makes them vulnerable to bow fire and other chaff’s attacks. But with our best chaff the Pegasus fighting for a monster slot sometimes you must make do with these critters.
Greater Earth Elemental – the Greater Earth Elemental is Speed 6, which is a world of improvement from the Earth Elementals. It also has Strider, is more resilient, and deals more damage to Defense 4 or higher, than the Earth Elementals. The issue is the unlock, and a costly one at that because you are taking 1 unlock slot, instead of unlocking 2 (hero and monster) with the Earth Elemental Horde, for a net unlock tax of 3. Because this takes a Titan slot, it might be unlocked from a Large Infantry Horde, which allows you to take a Monster and Titan. A small buff of US 2 does not overcome the core issues of this unit.
Devoted (not in formation) – Not having Inspiring is a deal-breaker. The conditional radiance is also a huge point sink as you need to purchase vials for some units and shoehorns your list built. The CoK buff to its spell range while near sacred water units is nice but not good enough to overcome its shortcomings. The Devoted however is part of the formation, which I will discuss at the start of the article.
Exemplar Adjutant – Flagbearer that’s overshadowed by the Druid, unicorn, and inspiring from the Order of Redemption
Unicorn – Oh how the mighty have fallen. They effectively got a 35-point increase which puts the Unicorn in the unfortunate middle ground, that it’s not quite a good enough chaff piece yet too expensive as a mobile shooting platform. If you want either role there are better options that can also score for similar points value. There are some small uses for unicorns if you really want a mobile legendary spell (like Alchemist curse) but you are ultimately paying quite a high price that other options look better.
D Tier
Naiad Ensnarers – While a great unit itself, the biggest issue is that they are Irregular in an army that is craving unlocks, especially when you buy them in hordes to take advantage of ensnare.
Centaur Bray Hunters – Bray hunters are interesting in that they can shoot and have Nimble. In the right circumstances, they can be fast chaff, do some shooting, or run interference down a flank. But it definitely takes effort and skill to make them work in lists and on the table.
Order of the Brotherhood on Foot – While it’s great that they unlock, the middle-of-the-road price point is not worth a unit that just takes hits and maybe survives, as armies are often equipped to be able to dispatch De5, Ne17. The Troops might be viable as a chaff option with De5 11/13 Ne and headstrong. The CS1 option isn’t great because it doesn’t have a lot of attacks.
Exemplar of the Brotherhood – The cheap hero for disordering enemies. But the mounted version is only 5 points cheaper than the Pegasus, so the Pegasus is usually better.
Naiad Stalker – Assassin with no Duellist nor Scout…sad
Order of the Thorn – Another De5 Ne17 unit in an army filled with them. Even with 3 more attacks than the foot knights, it struggles to do much damage, while costing 25 points more for phalanx, making it an even costlier unit for situational functionality.
Closing Thoughts
It is relatively easy to build a strong list after you get a hang of the unlocks for this army. There’s a good variety of units available, and lots of speed and Pathfinder to facilitate the alpha strike, and defense plus healing for the grind.
Modeling opportunities are great for this army as well and you will no doubt enjoy this army my friend.
So, what does a new army list look like at 2300 points? Alpha Strike is still the name of the game. Without Unicorns we have lost a little bit of our reach and instead have to opt for lots of chaff and flanking options. This is a list I took to a 1-day tournament and went undefeated. While probably not the end all be all, this is at least a good starting point when trying to combine speed and power.
This guy sounds like he knows what he’s talking about