Kings of War: Monsters of Mantica
20th Sep 2017
Dave
In the fantasy world of Mantica, there are many wild and dangerous creatures. Towering over a man, these monsters are either captured and pressed into service, or fight under their own allegiance. Some are deeply intelligent creatures who have walked the world for an age, others are unfeeling constructs, capable of neither mercy nor loyalty. Most enemy commanders would go out of their way to include these in their fighting forces, despite the greater destruction they bring. In a world of monsters, it pays to have one on your side.
With our new in-house resin production up and running, we’ve started to produce some of the largest (and most detailed) miniatures that Kings of War has ever had. This was always in the plan from the beginning, resin being the ideal medium for producing large creatures to add to your armies. The first resin monster to come off the production line was the Tree Herder – for the Elves and the Forces of Nature. Following swiftly on this month, we have the Dwarf Steel Behemoth and the Undead Wyrm (ridden by a Revenant King, no less). These add to the older Greater Obsidian Golem, Greater Earth Elemental, and Archfiend of the Abyss – all of which were produced outside of Mantic but will be moved in-house in the future. There are even rumours of Fire Elementals and an Undead Dragon at some point in the near future…
These giants are powerful on the table-top; monsters entering into a class of their own. Despite their towering height, their base size is actually smaller than most other Kings of War units, which makes them more maneuverable – able to outflank or break through your opponents’ battle lines. If they are fortunate enough to have wings, then these advantages increase even more, as you can now fly over units to position yourself to threaten or engage in a flank charge.
In addition, monsters tend to hit hard, generally sporting a high Crushing Strength or Thunderous Charge score, with extra rules to back them up, such as Brutal or Vicious. Unlike heroes on foot, they get all of the normal bonuses for charging in the rear or the flank and so represent a huge threat on the board. You can use this to your advantage, as the monster can be used in an almost psychological attack. Logically, your monster can’t take on a whole force on its own, but advancing it towards your opponent in a very apparent way makes it look more threatening than it actually is - at which point they may devote excessive resources to dealing with your large beast, while the rest of your army can advance unscathed.
With all of these benefits, it may sound like monsters are god-like units that can never be taken down. However they do have weaknesses and limitations – Kings of War is, after all, a game built on balance. If left unsupported, they can be taken down by other units in short order. They can still be flanked and rear charged, so you need to keep them protected or think carefully about your positioning. Their use comes at a hefty price, requiring not only an ‘unlock’ (you need a Regiment or Horde to field them) but also a significant number of points spent on them. They can cost as much as an Infantry Horde, but are much less survivable. Ultimately, they are powerful, but not invulnerable, so use must them in the right place and at the right time to get the most out of your beastie.