Kings of War: Champions – ‘Rank-and-Flank’ Without All The Build Up Time
Mantic Games is looking to get folks into Rank-and-Flank wargaming fast. And Kings of War: Champions is their new way to do it.
Kings of War from Mantic Games is going strong. It’s a solid game with loads of armies and miniatures to support it. Mantic has been supporting it and growing it for years. Now, they are looking to attack the hobby from another angle: Getting players playing fast. That’s where Kings of War: Champions comes in.
So in a nutshell:
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- rank-and-flank scenarios that are playable in an hour
- hero-led gaming with tons of theme and character
- a big focus on fun and accessibility
- great value one-box factions and their Champions with pre-built lists (and zero analysis paralysis for new players)
This all makes Champions the game that lives in the space between the cut-and-thrust elegance of skirmish gaming, and the full-throttle, turn-it-up-to-11, mass battle madness we adore.
Kings of War: Champions – Smaller Sized Games, Full Sized Fun
Just to be clear we’re talking about the size of the armies involved with the fight and not the size (the scale) of the miniatures involved here. These are still King of War scale miniatures. Just instead of 2300 point games, they are smaller sized.
Honestly, this boxed set looks great. It’s packed with two difference forces to fight and tons of extras. Everything is pre-set in terms of army building. You just play with what’s in you the box. Plus it all has reference cards, too.
This really does seem like a great entry point for new players interested in rank-and-file fantasy wargaming.
Kings of War: Ambush Vs Champions
It’s also worth noting that this game is different than the Ambush rules for Kings of War. It’s not just Kings of War but smaller games.
Champions is a fully standalone and extra-accessible game that introduces players to both Pannithor and fantasy rank-and-flank gaming.
The main differences are:
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- Easier to play on everyday tables
- Streamlines rules for accessibility, speed, and the play area size
- All unit and faction rules come on convenient reference cards for speed and ease
- Challenges you to master a Champion, their Company, and their abilities – with no worrying about lists and force optimisation
- Lots of flavour/theme to introduce new gamers to Pannithor – between each hero’s lore, unit backstories, and characterful faction abilities
It’ll be lots of fun if you play other wargames already and it’s where we would recommend that new fantasy players begin. Champions is also ideal to welcome friends and family to the hobby – especially if it’s their first time playing a rank-and-flank system.
It also looks like Mantic has loads of stuff to support Champions as well.
Personally, I think this is a good move. With Games Workshop doing stuff like Combat Patrol and Vanguard boxes along with their own similar-yet-smaller game modes, Kings of War: Champions looks to fill that same niche. This is just with rank-and-file game play in mind. It’s a lower barrier to entry than having to create a 2300 point army from nothing — that’s for sure. So if you’re looking to dip your toe into rank-and-file wargaming then check out this one.
Champions: Faith and Fury Starter Set Out Now
Kings of War Champions: Faith and Fury 2 Player Starter Set £87.50
The righteous Alanis Sallustis and her brave Basileans battle the wicked Bloody Cardinal and his demonic minions.
This 2-player boxed set contains 41 superb Mantic miniatures, a gaming mat, tokens, terrain, dice and all the rules you need to play Kings of War: Champions – the compact, rank and flank game of heroic fantasy battles where legends are forged in battle!
Choose your hero (or villain), along with their accompanying troops, then fight it out in fast-paced, tactical conflicts that can be played in around one hour. Use special commands courtesy of your Hero to turn the tide or crush your foe as you fight to claim scenario objectives.
This is a lot less intimidating to get started with than a full sized army!
