Primal Chorus (U)
B Tier
Cost: 215 | Nerve: 17 | Defense: 5 | Speed: 6
Avg Damage vs Def 5: 4.67 | Durability Index: 5,780 | Unit Index: 26.9
The Primal Chorus combines characteristics from all four elemental types into a single unit. In theory, that should make it one of the most flexible options in the faction.
The problem is that it feels like a classic case of doing everything reasonably well without excelling at anything. There isn’t an obvious weakness, but there also isn’t an obvious reason why I would build around it.
Being able to Surge itself is useful, and I do appreciate having access to several elemental abilities in one profile. I just find myself comparing it to specialist elementals that are much better at their particular role.
Verdict: Perfectly playable, but I usually find a more specialized unit I would rather take.
Guardian Brutes
B Tier
Cost: 210 | Nerve: 17 | Defense: 4 | Speed: 6
Avg Damage vs Def 5: 8.89 | Durability Index: 3,844 | Unit Index: 18.3
I really wish these still had Defense 5.
The offensive profile is actually quite strong. An average of nearly 9 wounds into Defense 5 is among the highest numbers in the faction, and 20 attacks combined with Wild Charge creates a unit that can absolutely remove things when it gets the charge.
The issue is durability. Defense 4 means they can also disappear very quickly once they become the target. Some games they feel incredible. Other games they take one charge to the front and simply evaporate.
I still think they’re worth considering in Herd-heavy lists since there aren’t many alternatives that fill the same role, but they feel less reliable than they used to.
Verdict: High damage and high variance. Some games they’ll carry you, other games they’ll disappoint you.
Scorchwings
C Tier
Cost: 235 | Nerve: 16 | Defense: 4 | Speed: 10
Avg Damage vs Def 5: 4.67 (Melee) / 2.33 (Ranged) | Durability Index: 3,405 | Unit Index: 14.5
Speed 10 is always appealing.
Unfortunately, that’s where most of my excitement for Scorchwings ends. Their durability is poor for the points, their shooting damage isn’t particularly impressive, and their melee damage isn’t much better.
I can see the appeal of having another highly mobile unit in the army, but when I compare them to Air Elementals, Greater Air Elementals, Bray Striders, or even other flying units across Kings of War, they struggle to stand out.
I haven’t found enough value in either the troop or regiment version to justify their price.
Verdict: Fast, but I don’t think they’re doing enough for their cost.
Tree Herder
A Tier
Cost: 255 | Nerve: 18 | Defense: 6 | Speed: 6
Avg Damage vs Def 5: 5.00 | Durability Index: 12,960 | Unit Index: 50.8
The transition from Sylvan to Elemental may have benefited Tree Herders more than almost any other unit in the faction.
Very Inspiring now reaches significantly more units, making them easier to slot into a wide variety of army builds. On top of that, you still get Radiance of Life, Scout, Def 6, and respectable melee output.
I often think of Tree Herders as support pieces first and combat units second, but the reality is they are fairly good at both jobs. Defense 6 and Nerve 18 make them difficult to remove, and 5 wounds into Defense 5 is enough that opponents can’t simply ignore them.
When I build Forces of Nature lists, Tree Herders appear more often than not.
Verdict: One of the safest and most reliable support choices in the faction.
Greater Air Elemental
A Tier
Cost: 195 | Nerve: 18 | Defense: 4 | Speed: 10
Avg Damage vs Def 5: 4.00 | Durability Index: 4,309 | Unit Index: 22.1
I often find myself taking a Greater Air Elemental when I don’t have room for another Tree Herder.
The value here isn’t damage or durability. The value is having Speed 10 on a compact 50mm base. That combination allows the unit to reach places that larger support units simply cannot.
Shambling becomes much less restrictive when you’re moving 10 inches and threatening a 20-inch charge range with Surge support available.
The damage isn’t particularly impressive for the points, and the durability isn’t great either. Still, movement wins games and this unit has movement in abundance.
Verdict: Expensive for its raw statistics, but mobility creates opportunities that are difficult to measure.
Greater Fire Elemental
B Tier
Cost: 225 | Nerve: 18 | Defense: 5 | Speed: 6
Avg Damage vs Def 5: 6.48 | Durability Index: 6,480 | Unit Index: 28.8
The Greater Fire Elemental isn’t bad. In fact, the profile is actually quite good.
Nearly 6.5 wounds into Defense 5 is better than most support units can manage, and Crushing Strength (3) makes the damage profile very reliable against heavily armored targets.
The problem is that every time I evaluate it, I end up comparing it to a Tree Herder. For fewer points, the Tree Herder brings Inspiring, Radiance of Life, Scout, and a more useful support package overall.
There are certainly lists where raw combat output is more important, but I tend to value utility highly in this section.
Verdict: Strong combat piece, but rarely my first choice for the points.
Greater Water Elemental
B Tier
Cost: 225 | Nerve: 18 | Defense: 5 | Speed: 7
Avg Damage vs Def 5: 4.44 | Durability Index: 6,480 | Unit Index: 28.8
Just like the standard Water Elementals, I generally prefer these over their Fire counterparts.
Speed 7 feels dramatically better than Speed 6 in actual games. The extra mobility often means you’re choosing combats instead of reacting to them. Regeneration also has more opportunities to matter at Nerve 18 than it does on smaller units.
The offensive output is noticeably lower than the Greater Fire Elemental, but I think the extra speed and staying power help compensate for that.
Unfortunately, I still run into the same issue. Tree Herders exist.
Verdict: A balanced profile, but difficult to justify over the faction’s strongest support units.
Greater Earth Elemental
A Tier
Cost: 190 | Nerve: 18 | Defense: 6 | Speed: 5
Avg Damage vs Def 5: 4.17 | Durability Index: 12,960 | Unit Index: 68.2
If your goal is simply to put an efficient block of stats on the table, the Greater Earth Elemental deserves serious attention.
The damage output isn’t spectacular, but 4 wounds into Defense 5 combined with Def 6 and Nerve 18 creates a unit that is incredibly efficient for its points.
It has one of the highest Unit Index scores in the entire army, and notably it is cheaper than several of the other Greater Elementals while often being harder to remove.
The obvious downside is Speed 5. There will absolutely be games where your opponent simply avoids it.
Verdict: Slow, but possibly the most efficient support profile in the faction.
Great Totem
B Tier
Cost: 160 | Nerve: 18 | Defense: 6 | Speed: 0
Avg Damage vs Def 5: 0.00 | Durability Index: 12,960 | Unit Index: 81.0
I recently picked one of these up and haven’t had enough games with it to reach a firm conclusion.
The durability statistics are excellent, and interestingly it actually has the highest Unit Index in the entire Support section despite doing no damage itself. That immediately tells me there is probably something here worth exploring.
The challenge is that placement matters enormously. Unlike the Basilean Monolith, once you’ve deployed the Great Totem, you’re committed to that section of the battlefield.
My suspicion is that this unit gets significantly better with experience and proper deployment. I just don’t have enough table time yet to move it beyond a tentative B rating.
Verdict: Potentially a strong contributor, but I need more games before forming a stronger opinion.
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