ConVic 2026 Meta Preview: Forces of Nature Lead a Wide-Open Field

ConVic 2026 is almost here, and the list pack gives us a clean pre-tournament snapshot of the Australian Kings of War scene. This is a 33-list field. It covers 15 factions. The most represented army is Forces of Nature, with 5 lists, but the bigger story is not that Nature is everywhere–it’s that nothing else is everywhere.

A healthy tournament field does not need perfect faction parity, but it should give players a range of problems to solve. ConVic appears to do that. There are durable grind lists, fast pressure lists, stealthy control pieces, shambling cores, heavy ranged builds, and a few very honest “walk forward and ask questions” armies. That should make for a fun tournament. 

Before getting into the data, give the Direct Misfire crew a listen. Their pre-ConVic episode, “DM Missive: ConVic 2026 lists,” walks through Kakwah Kup, new players coming into Kings of War in Australia, ConVic lists, and predictions. You can listen here: Direct Misfire – DM Missive: ConVic 2026 lists. And if all you care about is the underlying data, you can get there here:

TL;DR

• Forces of Nature lead the field with 5 of 33 lists, or 15.2%.
• The field is wide open: 15 factions across 33 players, with no single faction taking over the room.
• Balanced and Grind lists dominate the archetype mix, combining for 26 of 33 lists.
• The average list brings 23.4 Unit Strength, which suggests players are preparing to play scenarios, not just remove models.
• Fire Elementals and Earth Elementals are the most common units, which fits the Forces of Nature story.
• Speed still matters: Xirkaali, Elves, Ratkin, Abyss, and Nightstalkers all show up near the top of the threat-range table.

The Field at a Glance

Here is the basic faction picture.

A few observations jump out immediately:

Forces of Nature are the clear front-runner

At 15.2% of the field, Nature is nearly double its historical baseline in our tracker. That makes sense. The army has good scoring, strong scenario play, and forgiving defensive pieces. It is the kind of faction that travels well.

A thick middle tier

Behind Nature, six factions are tied with 3 lists each, and another seven factions brought 2 lists each. That means 13 of the 15 factions in the room have multiple players. There are very few “lone wolf” armies here. Only Undead and Kingdoms of Men brought a single list.

Some notable absences

Dwarfs, Free Dwarfs, Northern Alliance, Trident Realm, Varangur, Twilight Kin, and Sylvan Kin have zero entries. In a 33-player field, that is completely normal. What matters is that the factions present represent a wide spread of playstyles.

Archetypes: Balanced and Grind Rule the Day

The archetype breakdown tells us how players expect games to be decided.

Almost 80% of the tournament sits in either Balanced or Grind. That means the majority of players are coming with plans to trade pieces, absorb early charges, and play for turns five and six. Pure alpha strike is rare here. Even the four Pressure lists have enough scenario presence to contest ground.

The Unit Breakdown: Elementals Everywhere

Looking at the most popular units reinforces the faction story.

Eight regiments of Fire Elementals and eight regiments of Earth Elementals across a 33-player field is a strong signal. Earth Elementals give Nature players a Defense 6 roadblock with Brutal and Shambling. Fire Elementals give them a mobile, high-damage piece with Vicious and Surge synergy. Backed by Tree Herders and Ice Queens, that is a proven engine.

Threat Ranges: Speed Is Not Dead

While the field leans toward Balanced and Grind, several armies bring serious threat range. Here are the top lists by average charge threat:

The field may lean Balanced and Grind, but several lists can still project meaningful damage from long range.

This is the check on the grind narrative.If you show up with a slow list and assume everyone is going to politely meet you in the middle, the Xirkaali and Elves may have a different plan. Forces of the Abyss also bring serious damage output, with two of the highest expected-damage lists in the field. 

Items: Striding, Slashing, and Haste

The item table has a practical tournament story too.

Sir Jesse’s Boots of Striding are the clear item leader. That fits the room. If the event is full of grindy and balanced lists, terrain navigation matters. Players are paying for reliable contact. They want their key hammers to work through the table, not around it. Brew of Haste also showing up seven times says the same thing from a different angle: players are buying threat extension where they can. ConVic may not be an alpha-strike event overall, but nobody wants to be the shorter threat in the critical exchange. To steal a Jeremy Duvall metaphor, yhat is good seasoning. Not too much spice. Just enough to make the list function.

What I’m Watching

A few questions stand out before dice hit the table.

1. Are Forces of Nature popular because they are best, or because they are comfortable?

There is a difference. A faction can lead the field because it is overtuned. It can also lead because it gives players a reliable toolkit: scoring, healing, defense, shambling pressure, and clear roles. Right now, I would be careful about jumping to the first conclusion. Curious first. Conclusive later (except for Ratkin. They need to be nerfed). 

2. Can the long-threat lists crack the grind?

Xirkaali, Elves, Ratkin, Abyss, and Nightstalkers all have lists that can ask hard early questions. If they control the first meaningful charge, they can make the slower lists play from behind. That does not mean they are favored but does place a premium on smart deployment. 

3. Do the high-Unit Strength armies actually convert scenario pressure?

Unit Strength only matters if it gets to the right places at the right time. Goblins, Abyssal Dwarfs, Ratkin, Elves, and Nature all have strong scoring profiles on paper. The table will decide whether that becomes control or just crowded deployment zones.

4. Are the Abyss lists quietly terrifying?

Forces of the Abyss have three lists, and their average expected damage is the highest faction mark in the field at 78.3. That is real output. The defensive profile is lighter than the high-nerve brick armies, but the pressure is obvious. If the Abyss players trade up early, they may not need to grind for six turns.

Final Thought

ConVic 2026 looks healthy: Forces of Nature are the headline, and they deserve it. Five lists in a 33-player field is not nothing. Fire Elementals and Earth Elementals leading the unit table is not nothing either. But the better story is the field behind them. Fifteen factions. A heavy Balanced and Grind core. Real long-threat pressure. Enough Unit Strength to make scenarios matter. Enough variety that nobody gets to prepare for just one thing.

Now we get the fun part: seeing which signals survive contact with the table.