Army Name: Northern Alliance
Total Units: 35
Units with Crushing Strength ≥ 1: 16
Units with Piercing ≥ 1: 3
Avg Points: 165.3
Avg Defense: 4.3
Avg Melee: 3.5
Avg Speed: 6.3
Unique Keywords (count): 34
Note: This summary only includes non-individual units. Individuals have more keywords, which are difficult to include in the Elo simulation accurately.
Most Cost-Effective Units
| Unit Name, Size | Speed | Melee | Range | Defense | Unit Strength | Attacks | Nerve | Points | Height | Elo | Combined Cost Effectiveness | % Kills vs Def 4 | % Kills vs Def 5 | Keywords |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hearthguard, R | 5 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 20 | 15/17 | 225 | 2 | 1697 | 0.889 | 86.3% | 32.6% | Crushing Strength(2), Wild Charge(1), Fury |
| Frost Giant – Rampage, Ti | 7 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 8+D6 | 18/20 | 235 | 6 | 1246 | 0.740 | 13.5% | 1.6% | Brutal, Crushing Strength(4), Fury, Strider, Chilling Presence, Rampage(Melee D6) |
| Frost Giant – Slayer, Ti | 7 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 8+D6 | 18/20 | 235 | 6 | 1130 | 0.685 | 13.8% | 0.9% | Brutal, Crushing Strength(4), Fury, Strider, Chilling Presence, Slayer(Melee D6) |
| Ice Naiads, H | 5 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 25 | 20/22 | 230 | 2 | 1501 | 0.652 | 34.0% | 1.2% | Ensnare, Regeneration(5+), Wild Charge(1), Icy-Blood |
| Cavern Dweller, M | 6 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 6+D6 | 16/18 | 210 | 4 | 282 | 0.572 | 7.1% | 0.2% | Crushing Strength(3), Lifeleech(3), Strider, Chilling Presence |
Understanding the Table
Elo Ratings and Cost-Effectiveness:
The table above is derived from extensive analysis, where 1.25 million combat simulations were conducted to determine Elo ratings for each unit. These ratings help assess the performance of units in combat. Two key metrics are used to understand cost-effectiveness:
- Elo per Point: This metric evaluates the efficiency of each unit by dividing its Elo rating by its point cost. It offers insight into the unit’s performance in relation to its cost.
- Elo Difference: Derived from a regression model, this metric indicates the difference between the unit’s actual Elo and its expected performance based on cost and size. Positive values indicate better-than-expected performance, while negative values suggest underperformance.
Combined Cost-Effectiveness:
To synthesize these insights, both Elo per Point and Elo Difference metrics are standardized and combined. A weighted formula is applied (60% to Elo per Point and 40% to Elo Difference) to compute the ‘Combined Cost-Effectiveness’. This balanced metric reflects both cost and expected performance.
Combat Simulation Insights:
Additionally, each unit’s capability to eliminate an enemy in a single turn was tested through 100 simulations against two standard unit profiles – one representing the median (Defense 4, Nerve 13/15) and the other the 75th percentile (Defense 5, Nerve 16/18) of units in Kings of War. These simulations provide an estimate of a unit’s potential to decisively impact a battle in one turn.
This review compares unit effectiveness using cost, simulation performance, and combat statistics.
Takeaways
The Northern Alliance is a synergy-heavy faction that got a significant rework in CoK 2024. They have a variety of quality units, but from a combat perspective, the best performers are the various titan options (especially with the change to Frost Giants by adding Fury and Chilling Presence) and the Pack Hunter regiments. They’re cheap and stealthy, and with 24″ bows now are more effective from range. At the same time, they punch above their weight in combat as well. The new Hearthguard stand out as well: 20 attacks on 3s with CS2 will hurt most units, but they’re fragile and can be difficult to get into combat. That said, most of the list holds its own in combat, and the only clear combat outliers are snow foxes–and if you’re relying on snow foxes to win combats, you’re playing the Northern Alliance wrong.
Ice Naiads gained value from Regeneration and the Phalanx upgrade. As a horde, they can anchor a battleline; as a regiment, they can hold objectives and are harder to remove with shooting or fast flyers. Lifeleech (2) and spears add to their staying power, though their points cost can add up.
Speed 10 Frostclaw riders could change how players build the list. They’re the poor man’s Scorchwings: expensive, but they add new options. I expect players to try them over the next few months before the common builds settle.
