When I was asked to do a ‘Road to Clash’ article I must admit to some confusion. Clearly I’d be taking the M1 straight up from Oxford which doesn’t provide much insight into the tournament. Then I read some of the other Goonhammer articles on the topic. I can only conclude your average wargamer is terrible at navigation as there was zero advice on suitable roads. Anyway, if you are coming from Birmingham I’d take the M42/A42 and those from the North want to pick up the A1(M) or M6 down to Stoke before cutting across.
What Is Clash of Kings?
When it comes to Kings of War there’s one event that stands head and shoulders above the others. A pilgrimage for Kings of War players across the world. Two days of tournament goodness with the best, brightest and most dedicated Kings of War players. Also the middling, mediocre and mostly capable. Clash of Kings is huge and a celebration of the game. Saturday Evening will play host to announcements and insights from Mantic and there are even activities planned for the Friday before at Mantic HQ. If you only make one Kings of War Tournament in 2025 I recommend you make it this one.
Choosing an Army
I had been planning for Clash ‘24 to be the event I finally had my Halfling army ready for the table. I think the Halfling Army is one of the best Mantic has to offer with great models and interesting rules. Certainly an army you have to work to win with but one which has all the tools readily available to do so. I worked out my list, submitted it early and set to work.
Then reality set in. This year has been a challenge to find time for wargaming and I hadn’t the time, energy or focus to get my Halflings finished in time. Cap in hand I asked Steve to return my army list and I went back to my beloved Northern Alliance once more. There was still some work to be done finishing a few extra units for this new version of the army. Fortunately I could manage it in the time available.
The List
There are some who will understand why I choose the list I have, there are those who will consider it poor form and there are those who will have no strong feelings either way. Whilst I previously ran an Ice Elemental focused list with Elsa… wait… Serakina at the head now it was time for a change. I’d been trying out the new Frostclaw Riders and fallen in love with the novelty, so I figured I’d go all in. Afterall, what’s better than one cool thing? ALL THE COOL THINGS!
Diiiiiivve my Hawkmen!
Northern Alliance 2300pts
Ice Naiads (Infantry) Horde [230]
Ice Naiads (Infantry) Horde [230]
Frostclaw Riders* (Large Cavalry) Horde [270]
– Ice Bombs [15]
– Helm of Confidence [15]
Frostclaw Riders* (Large Cavalry) Horde [265]
– Ice Bombs [15]
– Banner of Eternal Darkness [10]
Frostclaw Riders* (Large Cavalry) Horde [255]
– Ice Bombs [15]
Frostclaw Riders* (Large Cavalry) Horde [255]
– Ice Bombs [15]
Frostclaw Riders* (Large Cavalry) Horde [255]
– Ice Bombs [15]
Frostclaw Riders* (Large Cavalry) Horde [255]
– Ice Bombs [15]
[Lord Vultan] Frostclaw Champion (Hero (Large Cavalry)) 1 [145]
– Pipes of Terror [10]
[Gordon] Frostclaw Champion (Hero (Large Cavalry)) 1 [140]
– Staying Stone [5]
It’s a fast moving list with an average defence of 4+, 78 ranged shots and a total unit strength of 28. On the downside I’m short on inspiring units, have a low overall unit count and my units can’t keep up the damage in prolonged melee.
Grand Strategy
Having opted for a very one-note army I’m not going to have an opportunity to relax during games. With this in mind I’ve been working out ahead of time how I’m going to play things.
Speed: Most of my units can move 20” at the double and even turn 90 degrees thanks to Nimble. It sacrifices a turn of shooting but allows me to redeploy, grab objectives and do that annoying thing where fliers just leapfrog over enemy infantry. If I’m playing things right I should be able to choose where and when I engage the enemy.
Shooting: Frostclaw Riders have an amazing ranged attack. With a 10” movement and 18” range they can threaten pretty much any enemy unit first turn and hurl explosives. I just have to be wary of getting myself into range of enemy shooting in the same way.
Manoeuvrability: My units are fast moving and Nimble. I shouldn’t have to make any frontal charges unless I choose to… of course I’m also prone to bouts of impatience so I’m bound to make charges I later regret with worrying frequency.
The Wooden Spoons
New for ‘24 I’ve pulled a team of bottom table regulars together as the ‘Wooden Spoons’ to add an extra element to our event. The tournament itself isn’t a team event but has an optional team ranking for those who want to put a group together. It’s not going to lead to us getting any prizes but it will hopefully lead to some esprit de corps, silly jokes and tales to tell. When these little extra aspects of an event are available I find it’s always fun to get involved.
Next Steps
Right now I need to get back to adding the finishing touches to my units and assembling a final horde of Frostclaw Riders. Then I need to finish a display board for my army, print army lists, check the batteries in my chess clock, ensure I have the right tokens, find my dice, phone the hotel… errrr, suddenly I feel less prepared than I was a moment ago.
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