AoS: Ranking the Regiments of Renown
Every army can use a little extra spice, but which spices add the most flavor?
Back in the World-That-Was, roving bands of mercenaries sold their blades to the highest bidder. Whether it was a band of Duardin pirates, a unit of leopard-clad explorers, or sinister Druchi corsairs, any battlefield was their home. The breaking of the world changed that, and for the most part, each army stuck to its own (except the Greyfyrd). However, a few enterprising heroes and their comrades have decided to try their hand at the old trade.
These new Regiments of Renown still stick to their Grand Alliance, but they allow you to bring the power of other factions without worrying about alliance restrictions. But which of the Regiments is the best bang for your buck? Well, that entirely depends on your playstyle, but just as a general estimate, here’s a quick overview of the six Regiments ranked by value.
#6: The Coven of Thryx
A unit of Horrors led by a sorcerous Magister packing all three Tzeentchian spells, the Coven of Thryx sits cooly at the bottom of the list. While it isn’t a bad box by any stretch, it doesn’t contribute a lot to the Chaos factions outside Tzeentch. Since the Horrors can’t split, their primary usefulness and the Magister won’t be able to cast some of their more powerful Tzeentchian spells, you aren’t getting the full punch of the Endless spells. It’s a decent distraction unit, but it’s a costly investment compared to what it does.
#5: Veremord’s Shamblers
Ah, zombies; the quintessential Death unit that everyone fears and mocks in equal measure. Combined with a gnarly Corpse Cart that becomes a Hero for the battle, you’d think this would be placed higher. However, Zombies are fairly easy to kill, even with the 6+ ward save this Regiment gives them. Without the ability to heal, this unit will disappear much too quickly. They might serve as a speed bump, but little else. They’re only above the Coven because they are a cheap and simple distraction.
#4: Hargax’s Pit-Beasts
Here is where the rating chart starts to level out; this box is pretty good, and the others only increase in value a tiny bit. Hargax can shut down enemy monsters with his own, while also buffing them without wasting command points. If you’re fighting Ogors or Destruction, this is a high-value add, but against anything else, there’s probably a better use for your points. Special mention should go to adding this to Khorne, however, where it does very rude things.
#3: Big Grikk’s Kruleshots
Sporting an arsenal of poisoned arrows, this is another great monster-slaying regiment. However, it beats out Hargax because it is just as useful for killing units as monsters. Adding the mortal wounds to all shots for the unit makes them unparalleled assassins in a faction that desperately needs them. Ogors especially will be grateful for the added shooting since they can focus on their favorite pass time: melee.
#2: Elthwin’s Thorns
Masters of battlefield control, the Sylvaneth can bring their hidden pathways to the other Order forces. This is one of the coolest regiments, and definitely my favorite for looks alone. They are no less deadly for it, either, as their shooting and redeploy buffs make them one of the nastiest units on the board. Put this in a slow, heavy armor list like Cities or Stormcast, and watch the fur fly.
#1: Norgrimm’s Rune Throng
With the necessity of objectives in the latest season of Age of Sigmar, a unit that can hold them better is always an asset. The Rune Throng is just that; once per battle, each model can count as two when holding an objective, and they get a 5+ ward on top of their gnarly Duardin armor save. If you need a unit that won’t move that can clinch an objective on an important turn, you can’t go wrong with these guys.
