My first foray into Conquest came about because of the Hundred Kingdoms. A starter set with eight horses in it? Yes please. But the 100K, like everything else on Eä, is more than the collection of miniatures. It’s an epic tale of valour and intrigue, with cavalry charges sprinkled liberally across the scene to incite a chef’s kiss from the most skeptical of gamers.

The Hundred Kingdoms is a faction for fans of high fantasy. It’s for fans of dark fantasy. It’s for fans of horses. And if you don’t like any of those three, go take a good look at yourself in the mirror before repenting and comfort painting a regiment of the Order of the Ashen Dawn.

A Legacy of Survival

As with so much of Conquest, the 100K’s origin can be tracked back to the cataclysm of the Fall. The Dominion (back before they were the Old Dominion, when people just wore Spice and drank a Fashioned) had fallen into civil war, ultimately causing it to self-destruct and leave behind an empire-sized battle royale. As desperate people fought against the elements to survive the Long Winter, the old noble houses and emerging warlords established their own protected regions, and the groundwork was laid.

The threat of the Spires was the catalyst for unification. A common enemy gave enough of a reason to act with a shared purpose: Survival. No need for an emperor, and not enough time to count precisely how many kingdoms were now acting as one. The civilisation of the Hundred Kingdoms now sprawls across the majority of an entire continent, as diverse as it is widespread.

Let’s Talk Horses

I know, this is why you’re really here. The cavalry. The Hundred Kingdoms are one of the few miniature armies in any game that allows the fielding of a list comprised solely of cavalry. An entire force of mounted warriors, each regiment with its own stat line and rich lore. Aside from the reduced painting commitment given the smaller number of models when compared to infantry, and the fact that horses are just plain pretty, leaning into cavalry also gives you a sense of moral superiority over your opponent.

Many of the cavalry in the 100K belong to one of the Orders. The Order of the Ashen Dawn. The Order of the Crimson Tower. The Order of the Sealed Temple. These each have their own reasons for fighting but work wonderfully well when working with one another, as the spiritual successors to the legions of the Old Dominion. With military thinking a critical part of 100K society it’s no surprise they’ve been tied up in wars right from the start. Peace for the land of the Hundred Kingdoms, like across the rest of Eä, is rare, to put it mildly.

A Society Built on War

Rare but not entirely unheard of, peace has visited the Kingdoms in the past, a fact the history books insist on underlining. But the proud claims of two brief periods of peace say more about the daily lives of the citizens of the Hundred Kingdoms the rest of the time than they do about their ability to de-escalate.

It’s no surprise, really. With Spires and Dweghom Holds scattered throughout their lands and constant aggression from Nord raids, it’s no wonder everyone across the Hundred Kingdoms lives permanently geared up for war. But, as with the whole of Eä, it’s more multifaceted than that.

The feudal system that’s served them for generations is now struggling to keep up with an increasingly complex trade-based economy, and the constant threat has led to a relentless demand for manpower. This has perfectly combined to allow a new profession to emerge, that of soldier, within which men and women fight purely for the sound of the jingle of coin in their purses.

These mercenaries, commanded on the battlefield only by the noblest lord with the deepest pockets, fights alongside those who are doing so out of duty and family ties. To add to the chaos, the Faith is becoming more assertive, fielding their own military forces through proxies. This ancient animosity between faiths is coming to a boil, with the Theist and Deist dogmas taking their arguments from the pulpit to the battlefield.

Rising through this cloud of aggression therefore come the Orders. These warriors are without peer, their prowess verging on the supernatural. They’re the Jedi of the Hundred Kingdoms, each with their own ideology on how best to protect humanity. The Order of the Sword brings martial fanaticism while the Order of the Sealed Temple brings cold, calculated interventions. The Order of the Crimson Tower acts in the interest only of what is pure and right. These Orders not only boast the more dramatic horses (I’m not sure if I mentioned, but I really like horses), they’re the ultimate protection against the disaster threatening to engulf the land from outside.

Allies in the Shadows

So yes, there is war everywhere. The lives of those living within the Hundred Kingdoms might feel at risk. But the Hundred Kingdoms as an establishment are not unstable. There are institutions that have influence and maintain as textbook an example of traditional fantasy as you’re likely to find in a modern game. The Imperial Chamberlain, managing the wealth of the Imperial family, has its fingers in every pie. The Mint and its Gilded Legion, the Imperial Courts and the Imperial War Colleges offer a more tactical approach to justice in these troubled times.

On the battlefield therefore we can expect to encounter the Steel Legion, the only Imperial Legion that refused to disband after the death of the last Emperor. They still stand as a testament to loyalty and discipline, their presence a reminder that some things will never change.

It’s clear from all of this that the forces of the Hundred Kingdoms are as varied as they are formidable. From mercenaries to monks, smartly-dressed Imperial Officers to feudal levies fighting for their very lives, spellcasters to those sweet, sweet knights on horseback the vision of a Hundred Kingdoms army is a vision of its diverse and turbulent history.

Why I Love the Hundred Kingdoms

In the end, what’s not to love? Brutal pragmatism, professional might, struggle and survival, and the clip-clopping of hooves. This faction is a rich tapestry of lore, conflict, and camaraderie, offering the delight of fielding one of the purist and most beautiful armies in all of wargaming. The intricate dynamics between faith, power, and survival make the Hundred Kingdoms a compelling and immersive experience.

So, whether you’re drawn to the chivalrous knights, the cunning mercenaries, or the unyielding legions, the Hundred Kingdoms have something for every fantasy enthusiast. Saddle up, take the reins and charge into the fray. In the Hundred Kingdoms, every battle is a story waiting to be told.

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