For the last article in the series I wanted to touch on the controversial topic that is Allies. Some of us love the idea, some of us will want those who use them to sit at the kids table on Thanksgiving. Regardless where you fall on the topic, Allies are a thing and so I wanted to touch on some of the top picks I see as useful allies.
Personal Thoughts
I have never had a very strong opinion on allies. My position on any game has been if it is allowed in the rules, I am fine with it. While yes some lists, rules and updates can seem annoying or abusive, most game designers are not out to make your games miserable. This has been reinforced by the amazing efforts of the KoW Rules Committee, they are doing the best the can for the health of the game.
Whenever I think to use allies it is for one of two reasons:
- My army is lacking something that they do not have access to, and so it is a remedy from a competitive view point
- Some models are just too damn cool and I want to play with them
Last point I want to touch on is that allies give a good test base for how good some units are. Tortured Souls and Fallen were a good examples form 2nd Edition, they were everywhere. This provided a large sample size so that Mantic and the RC could make adjustments.
Kingdoms of Men & Allies
Previous parts of this serious has touched on how bland Kingdoms of Men can be. Their humans, and have some very vanilla unit entries, but are more of an all comers style list.
However, seeing as they are neutral, allies can increase that flexibility based on your local meta, or for events that have specific changes to scenarios or game play.
Lets take a look at some of my personal top picks for allies:
Nightstalker Butcher Regiments
My top choice has to be Nightsalker Butchers. While their effectiveness in the game is nothing new, they help mitigate some of the weaknesses of the KoM list. They are large infantry so can help screen your infantry as they're height 3, but can still hide behind hills. At 125 points for a regiment these swole homies can be the perfect chaff unit. Combining a good stat line of melee 4+, CS (2) and 9 attacks with an EXCELLENT nerve of -/15 you can really gum up the works for your opponent.
While not setting the world on fire for damage output, the enemy cannot afford to have these guys hitting flanks or lingering in the back field. so they need to be dealt with.
Undead Soul Reaver Infantry
Never has there been a better buzz saw than these boys here. While the Undead don't lack for excellent units to consider for allies, the SRI stand out based on their potential damage from their small footprint.
25 attacks at CS (2) and LL (2) is nuts, oh and they are melee 3+. Use your Spear Phalanx and chaff to clog up the enemy and then line up fresh double charges with these cats. Nerve of 15/17 isn't mind blowing, but your opponent will be looking to avoid this unit as long as possible.
Salamanders Kaisenor Lancers
If you want to know what I would want KoM Knights to look like, this is it. While yes its only melee 4+, the fact that you have 20 attacks and CS (1) for grinding combats is nice for under 200 points. Offers cool modeling abilities while getting a little more punch if you don't want to go with a Horde of Knights.
With KoM, ally options are almost endless. From a hobby perspective you can get really creative. For me its nice to be able to try out different units and be able to sample what others lists have that may interest me.
That's All Folks!
Hopefully everyone has enjoyed taking this journey with me, it has been great to share my viewpoints on this not so common list choice.
The list can win and there have been others putting up some great results. However, don't expect easy wins, or being able to table your opponents. Wins you get with KoM are well earned and rewarding.
Until my next army review, happy gaming!
