Introduction to Chaff in Kings of War
In Kings of War, chaff means cheap units that can block or redirect enemy movement. They give your more valuable units room to move, set up a countercharge, or avoid taking an unfavorable charge.
Strategic Deployment of Chaff
Place chaff in front of units you need to protect, or put a mobile unit beside or behind them if it can reach the charge lane. Before deploying it, decide which enemy unit or route you need it to block.
Tactical Considerations for Using Chaff
- Cost-Effectiveness: Chaff units are a cost-effective way to protect your more valuable hammers. Their lower point value means that their loss impacts your army less, while they perform a crucial role in safeguarding your main forces.
- Mobility and Flexibility: The ideal chaff unit is not just expendable but also highly mobile. This mobility allows them to swiftly reposition, either to obstruct an advancing enemy or to open pathways for your own counterattacks.
- Distraction and Disruption: Beyond mere physical obstruction, chaff units can serve as distractions, forcing your opponent to deal with them and potentially disrupting their broader strategic plans.
- Supporting Hammers: By absorbing charges and initial engagements, chaff units allow your main force to engage on your terms, often after the enemy has committed to less advantageous positions or has been forced to deal with the chaff first.
Optimizing Chaff Usage
- Understanding the Enemy: Effective use of chaff requires an understanding of your opponent’s strategy and unit capabilities. Position chaff units to counter specific threats or to create openings for your main units.
- Sacrificial Strategy: Be prepared to sacrifice your chaff units. Their role is often to be a speed bump, slowing down or redirecting the enemy, rather than to survive the encounter.
- Synergy with Hammers: Chaff works best when used in conjunction with your hammers. Coordinate their movements and attacks to maximize the effectiveness of both.
- Learning from Experience: As with any strategy in Kings of War, the best way to master using chaff is through experience. Experiment with different types of chaff units and deployment strategies to find what works best for your army composition and play style.
Conclusion
Chaff works best when it has a specific job: blocking a charge, redirecting an enemy, or opening a path for a countercharge. Decide what threat each unit is meant to address, and be ready to trade it when that creates a better position. Practice will show when a chaff unit can do more than one job.
For another chaff example, see this Dash28 article:
