In my previous post, I introduced and quantified the six distinct army archetypes in Kings of War through a clustering analysis. These archetypes—Alpha Strike, Gun Line, Grind, Trash, Balanced/Shambling, and Balanced/Mobile—represent the strategic approaches players employ in competitive play. If you’re familiar with Death by Dragon’s army primers, this concept will seem very clear to you. Today, I want to dig deeper into the dynamics of these clusters by examining how they perform against one another in tournament matchups. I’ve pulled data from multiple tournaments, categorized the lists as described in my previous post, and then dug into how those archetypes perform against each other. As expected, there is a real rock-paper-scissors effect in Kings of War army interactions. Understanding these interactions can provide invaluable insights for refining your strategies and thinking through match-up implications.
Cluster Performance Heatmap: Win Rates Across Archetypes
To visualize the performance of each army archetype against the others, I’ve compiled a heatmap-style table that displays the win percentages derived from tournament data. In this analysis, draws are counted as half a win to provide a more nuanced view of each matchup.
Table 1: Win Rates Between Army Archetypes
The heatmap displays win rates between different army archetypes in Kings of War. Each row represents how well an archetype performs against others, while each column represents the opponent. For example, reading across a row shows the win rates of that row’s archetype against all the others, and reading down a column shows how that column’s archetype fares when facing different opponents. The color intensity helps to quickly identify higher (red) or lower (blue) win rates.
Detailed Cluster Performance Analysis
Cluster 0: Alpha Strike
- Win Rates Against Other Clusters:
- Gun Line (Cluster 1): 45.7%
- Grind (Cluster 2): 46.1%
- Trash (Cluster 3): 44.9%
- Balanced/Shambling (Cluster 4): 48.2%
- Balanced/Mobile (Cluster 5): 53.9%
Analysis:
Alpha Strike armies, characterized by their speed and aggression, perform best against Balanced/Mobile armies, securing a 53.9% win rate. Their ability to outpace and outmaneuver these versatile opponents allows them to leverage their superior speed and offensive capabilities effectively. However, they face challenges against Gun Line and Trash armies, with win rates of 45.7% and 44.9% respectively. Gun Line armies can counter their aggression by loading units into terrain and shooting, while Trash armies overwhelm them with sheer numbers.
Cluster 1: Gun Line
- Win Rates Against Other Clusters:
- Alpha Strike (Cluster 0): 54.3%
- Grind (Cluster 2): 41.5%
- Trash (Cluster 3): 40.7%
- Balanced/Shambling (Cluster 4): 46.8%
- Balanced/Mobile (Cluster 5): 58.5%
Analysis:
Gun Line armies excel against Balanced/Mobile and Alpha Strike armies, with win rates of 58.5% and 54.3% respectively. Their dominance in ranged combat allows them to weaken and control the battlefield, effectively neutralizing faster opponents before they can engage in melee. However, they struggle against Grind and Trash armies, with win rates dropping to 41.5% and 40.7%. Grind armies (like EoD with their heal) can shrug off plink damage, while Trash armies like Goblin spam can take their lumps, close the distance, and overwhelm Gun Lines in melee.
Cluster 2: Grind
- Win Rates Against Other Clusters:
- Alpha Strike (Cluster 0): 53.9%
- Gun Line (Cluster 1): 58.5%
- Trash (Cluster 3): 53.8%
- Balanced/Shambling (Cluster 4): 46.2%
- Balanced/Mobile (Cluster 5): 47.1%
Analysis:
Grind armies perform strongly against Gun Line and Trash armies, achieving win rates of 58.5% and 53.8% respectively. Their ability to sustain prolonged engagements through healing and lifeleech allows them to outlast opponents who rely on quick eliminations or overwhelming numbers. However, their performance against Balanced/Shambling and Balanced/Mobile armies is more balanced, with win rates of 46.2% and 47.1%. In other words, they can hold their own against Clusters 0, 1, and 3, but mixed arm lists cause problems for Grind lists.
Cluster 3: Trash
- Win Rates Against Other Clusters:
- Alpha Strike (Cluster 0): 55.0%
- Gun Line (Cluster 1): 59.3%
- Grind (Cluster 2): 46.2%
- Balanced/Shambling (Cluster 4): 53.8%
- Balanced/Mobile (Cluster 5): 44.3%
Analysis:
Trash armies dominate against Alpha Strike and Gun Line armies, with win rates of 55.0% and 59.3% respectively. Their strategy of overwhelming opponents with high unit counts proves effective against focused and defensive strategies. However, they encounter difficulties against Balanced/Mobile armies, which utilize superior mobility to outmaneuver their swarms, resulting in a win rate of 44.3%. Against Grind armies, Trash has a slightly better win rate of 46.2%, but the matchup remains challenging.
Cluster 4: Balanced/Shambling
- Win Rates Against Other Clusters:
- Alpha Strike (Cluster 0): 51.8%
- Gun Line (Cluster 1): 53.2%
- Grind (Cluster 2): 53.8%
- Trash (Cluster 3): 46.2%
- Balanced/Mobile (Cluster 5): 47.1%
Analysis:
Balanced/Shambling armies–which are tough to define, but include things like “wet” undead and some of the mixed armies lists with elementals–exhibit versatile performance across various matchups. They perform slightly better against Grind armies, securing a 53.8% win rate. Against other archetypes such as Trash or Balanced/Mobile, they struggle a bit and have win rates in the mid-40s. This reflects their adaptable nature, which allows them to manage a variety of threats but may lack the focused strengths needed to dominate specialized archetypes.
Cluster 5: Balanced/Mobile
- Win Rates Against Other Clusters:
- Alpha Strike (Cluster 0): 46.1%
- Gun Line (Cluster 1): 41.5%
- Grind (Cluster 2): 52.9%
- Trash (Cluster 3): 55.7%
- Balanced/Shambling (Cluster 4): 52.9%
Analysis:
Balanced/Mobile armies (aka non-shambling mixed arms) showcase strong performance against Grind and Trash armies, achieving win rates of 52.9% and 55.7% respectively. Their emphasis on mobility allows them to exploit weaknesses and adapt quickly to evolving battlefield conditions. However, they face challenges against Alpha Strike and Gun Line armies, with win rates of 46.1% and 41.5%, indicating vulnerabilities to fast aggression and superior ranged attacks.
Strategic Insights: Leveraging Cluster Performance Data
What does this all mean? The analysis of cluster performance offers several strategic takeaways for competitive Kings of War play:
If you’re commanding an Alpha Strike army, you should leverage your speed and aggression when facing Balanced/Mobile armies, but remain cautious when up against Gun Line and Trash opponents. For those leading Gun Line armies, capitalize on your ranged superiority against Alpha Strike and Balanced/Mobile forces, while preparing for the challenges posed by Grind and Trash archetypes. If your army falls under the Grind category, focus on leveraging your sustainability to counter Gun Line and Trash armies, all the while maintaining adaptability to handle versatile opponents. Trash armies have the advantage of overwhelming focused strategies like Alpha Strike and Gun Line, but you must anticipate and defend against counter-moves from Balanced/Mobile forces. Balanced/Shambling armies should adapt their strategies based on the opponent, doing well against Alpha Strike, Gun Line, and Grind lists in particular. Lastly, Balanced/Mobile armies can exploit their mobility to take down Grind and Trash opponents but need to guard against the aggressive tactics of Alpha Strike and the superior ranged attacks of Gun Line armies. When making army composition decisions, tailor your forces not only to fit your preferred playstyle but also to address the common archetypes you are likely to encounter. Incorporate elements that enhance your army’s strengths while mitigating the weaknesses identified in this analysis.
By dissecting the performance dynamics of each army archetype, this analysis equips you with the knowledge to make informed strategic decisions in your Kings of War battles. Whether you’re building your next army list or developing tactics to counter your opponents, understanding these cluster interactions can provide a significant competitive advantage. Embrace these insights to refine your strategies, anticipate your foes, and lead your armies to victory on the battlefield.
Happy gaming, and may your strategies lead you to triumph!
