Kings of War – Ogres Tactica by Kyle aged 36 ¾

Tactical Geniuses

It may seem like large brutish creatures such as Ogres would be all brawn and no brains. I mean, they’re walking towers of muscle after all. But the reality is far more interesting. Ogres are capable of a myriad of warfare practices, and it reflects in their army list. They have one of the most complete tactical offerings in Kings of War and a few areas that really set them apart. In fact, they have such a great wealth of options, we’re going to break down their army list in two parts. Today’s blog focuses on their core units and what makes them special. 

When considering an army on strategic merits alone, one might start by glancing over the units available in a list. There are certain archetypes a unit will meet and when choosing the right army for you, you want to pick the one that has units that fit your style of play. Since Ogres are mercenaries and are very aware of their value, they organize themselves into a variety of these archetypes. This faction has S tier variety in the unit types it can take and every list has the potential to play different!

Cheap as Chips

Ogres utilize their allure of wealth and power to attract Red Goblins to their ranks. With options for Rabble, Sharpsticks, and Spitters…you can spend points on incredibly cheap scoring units. Each unit also fulfills a specific role. Rabble might actually relish being trampled by the enemy.  Sharpsticks give you access to Phalanx to deter cavalry and fliers. And Spitters, while not very accurate, provide a volume of long range attacks.

Red Goblin Sniffs and Red Goblin Scouts are super-fast, annoying units that can harass and jam up enemy lines for the slower Ogre units behind them. They could even be used offensively if played right and rather sneaky. They likely won’t have target priority with other more threatening Ogre units nearby. They could be the piece that swings a key combat if you’re patient enough with their speed.

Ground Control to Major Nom

As classic foot soldiers, Warriors provide a great unlock source for other units in the list. Unique to the Ogres, their Large Infantry regiment profile can unlock for the first 3 units selected. With a stout profile that hits on 3+ in melee, they’re an excellent choice to anchor your battle lines or act as screening units for other hard hitters. I always recommend starting with them when building a list!

Then you have the sheer brutal volume of attacks that come with the Berserker Braves. Wild Charge (D3) make them hard to predict and a perfect counter deployment to units with Speed 6 or less.  Fearless means as long as they’re engaged, they’re throwing out boatloads of attacks and can remain a threat to charge without the fear of being wavered by ranged attacks.

With the loss of the Potion of the Caterpillar, units with native Pathfinder have seen an uptick in value. Hunters make their living working with terrain. Able to take a solid defensive position by concealing themselves, they can also Ensnare enemies who charge them in the front. Most times, this will lead to a -2 modifier to hit on a fresh charge. They also live up to their name with the Slayer (D3) rule, able to generate additional attacks against larger foes. Having above average speed means they can spring their trap and leap out of terrain at precisely the right moment. If you’re a player that enjoys getting to place your objectives in terrain, this is the perfect unit type to partner with that strategy.

Siege Breakers are your no-nonsense, in your face, devastating hammer unit. They march head on with massive shields that provide Defense 6 in the front and just dare any unit in the game to come right at them. They don’t care what their target is, they’re coming right for it. Just simply hard as nails offense and defensive capability.

Here Comes the Boom

Ranged threats are powerful in a game where movement and positioning are key. Thankfully, someone decided to give an Ogre a shotgun and now we have Boomers. Boasting equal efficiency in melee and at range, the Ogre Boomer has an effective shooting range of 18” and a charge range of 12”. Paired with Steady Aim, you can be quite annoying with these guys. Try to stay at mid ranges and pepper units as needed. I like them to play the role of cleanup after some of your unit’s rout. They sit on standby, ready to throw shots into the reformed enemy unit. If your opponent charges, well hey, you’re still punching with the exact same effectiveness as the shots, forcing your opponent to pick their poison.

Since shotguns have a relatively short range, the Ogres decided to fill that gap by handing BALLISTAS out to their soldiers. Most factions only get their long-range piercing shots from war engines, but Ogres just carry theirs around with them. A horde profile with 18 Piercing 2 shots means even if only a few score a hit, they’re likely to stick. And the counterplay to just charge in and disorder their shots doesn’t amount to much because they’re still Ogres with brutal and crushing strength!

Boomer Chariots fill a similar offensive space as the Boomers themselves, but provide one critical support piece, Aura: Stealthy. The massive hand-cannons buzzing around the battlefield leave clouds of smoke in their wake and provide critical screening to nearby units. Their large footprint means that aura bubble can reach multiple units. This unit pairs well with Warrior regiments that have lower nerve or units such as Hunters and even other Boomers that sport an average defense of 4. Keeping them protected from ranged attacks helps ensure they’re able to get the job done and get paid.

Round 2 Tomorrow

With the core units out of the way, we’ll finish Ogre week strong by talking about the more specialized units, monsters, and heroes for the Ogres. There’s no shortage of options here and many players build around how these unit types support their strategy.