This glossary collects commonly used terms in the Kings of War community. Definitions are based on community sources including Dash28.org, Goonhammer, DataandDice.com, the Counter Charge podcast, and historical content from Victoria Wargaming. Kings of War 4th Edition introduced several new terms and changed some familiar ones. The biggest changes involve army construction, Command Orders, unit positioning, and shooting. If you’re coming from 3rd Edition, three terminology changes are especially important:
- Keywords → Traits
- Leader Point → Centre-point and Facing-points
- Command Dice → Command Orders
Army construction also changed substantially. Armies are now organized into Battalions, with units classified as Core, Auxiliary, Specialist, Support, or Commander.
Aiming
Definition:
A +1 modifier to a unit’s Shooting rolls when it remained stationary. In 4th Edition, Aiming replaces the older approach of applying a penalty for moving.
Example in Use:
Those Crossbowmen stayed still this turn, so they get the Aiming bonus when they shoot.
Source:
Kings of War 4th Edition rules.
Alpha Strike
Definition:
An aggressive army style built around fast, hard-hitting “hammer” units that aim to strike first and break enemy formations. Often features cavalry, flyers, or monsters with Crushing Strength or Thunderous Charge.
Example in Use:
A Basilean list with Elohi, Knight regiments, and Julius is a classic Alpha Strike army—fast, high damage, and fragile if it doesn’t break through early.
Source:
Dash28: Just the Tips – Alpha Strike
Anvil
Definition:
Similar to an Anchor but usually even tougher and less mobile. Designed to soak up damage and remain in place indefinitely.
Example in Use:
Earth Elementals with Defense 6, high Nerve, and Surge support are classic Anvils.
Source:
Victoria Wargaming, Goonhammer – Constructing an Army
Auxiliary
Definition:
One of the five army-building categories in 4th Edition. Auxiliary choices often include smaller versions of Core units, such as Troops, as well as cheap utility or chaff units.
Core units normally unlock Auxiliary choices within a Battalion.
Example in Use:
The regiment might be Core, while the Troop version is Auxiliary and needs to be unlocked.
Source:
Mantic Games — 4th Edition Army Building.
Battalion
Definition:
The basic building block of a Kings of War 4th Edition army.
A Battalion begins with at least two Core units and one Commander. Additional Core units unlock access to Auxiliary, Specialist, Support, and Commander choices.
Larger armies can contain multiple Battalions.
Example in Use:
I need another Battalion if I want to expand the army further, so I’ll need enough Core units to support it.
Source:
Mantic Games — 4th Edition Army Building.
Battleline
Definition:
The core block of an army meant to grind out fights and control space over several turns. Often slower but consistent.
Example in Use:
A Free Dwarf list with Shieldbreakers and Mastiff packs sets up a stable Battleline with good durability and output.
Source:
Goonhammer – Deliberations on Deployment
Bounce
Definition:
Failing to destroy an enemy unit in melee when you expected the charge to Rout it.
A bounce can be especially costly when the attacking unit is left exposed to a counter-charge.
Example in Use:
The Knights needed an average Nerve roll to remove the regiment but bounced instead, leaving them exposed.
Source:
Honest 4s — Kings of War 101: Terminology and Lingo.
Castle
Definition:
A compact defensive deployment where units remain close together and protect one another.
Castles often keep important shooting or support pieces behind a durable front line while concentrating counter-charging units nearby. Slow, durable armies can use a castle to limit the number of favorable engagements available to the opponent.
Example in Use:
The Dwarfs castled around their shooting and forced the faster army to approach through a narrow section of the board.
Source:
Honest 4s — Kings of War 101: Terminology and Lingo.
Centre-point
Definition:
The defined center of a unit used when determining certain distances and positioning effects.
It replaces part of the function previously handled by the Leader Point in 3rd Edition.
See also: Facing-points.
Source:
Kings of War 4th Edition rules.
Chaff
Definition:
Cheap, disposable units used to delay enemy threats, block charges, or force poor positioning.
Example in Use:
Gargoyles flying in front of a hammer unit to prevent it from being charged are acting as chaff.
Source:
Goonhammer – Deliberations on Deployment
Champion
Definition:
One of the two types of Commander in 4th Edition.
Champions can issue Command Orders and normally roll 2D6 when attempting them.
See also: Commander, Command Order, Warlord.
Source:
Mantic Games — 4th Edition Advanced Games.
Combat Phase
Definition:
The phase previously called the Melee Phase.
The Melee stat is still called Melee, but actual fighting between units takes place during the Combat Phase.
Example in Use:
The unit charged during Movement and will resolve its attacks during the Combat Phase.
Source:
Kings of War 4th Edition terminology changes.
Commander
Definition:
One of the five army-building categories in 4th Edition.
Commanders are divided into Champions and Warlords and are responsible for issuing Command Orders during the Movement Phase.
Every Battalion requires at least one Commander.
Source:
Mantic Games — 4th Edition Army Building and Advanced Rules.
Command Order
Definition:
A special ability issued by a Commander during the Movement Phase.
Each army has its own selection of Command Orders. A Commander generally targets a friendly unit within 12 inches and rolls dice against the Order’s target number. Some Orders can only affect particular unit types or Traits.
Champions normally roll 2D6 when issuing an Order, while Warlords roll 3D6.
Command Orders replaced the experimental Command Dice system used near the end of 3rd Edition.
Example in Use:
My Warlord is close enough to issue a Command Order to the infantry before they charge.
Source:
Mantic Games — 4th Edition Advanced Games.
Control Meta
Definition:
A meta where board control, scenario play, and delayed engagement dominate. Armies focus less on damage and more on contesting objectives and outmaneuvering opponents.
Example in Use:
Nightstalkers with multiple Phantoms and Void Lurkers can thrive in a control meta by contesting tokens and avoiding direct combat.
Source:
Dash28 – Ratkin Review
Core
Definition:
The foundation of army construction in 4th Edition.
Every Battalion requires at least two Core units. Core units also unlock many of the other choices in the army.
Core units are typically substantial battlefield units such as Regiments and Hordes rather than small support units.
Example in Use:
Adding another Core regiment gives me another unlock to use elsewhere in the Battalion.
Source:
Mantic Games — 4th Edition Army Building.
Deferred Flank / Denied Flank
Definition:
A deployment strategy where a player commits few or no units to one side of the battlefield and concentrates most of the army elsewhere.
The goal is usually to create a local numerical advantage while making part of the opponent’s army spend extra turns reaching the fight.
Example in Use:
Rather than matching the cavalry on the left, I used a denied flank and put almost everything on the right side of the table.
Source:
Honest 4s — Kings of War 101: Terminology and Lingo.
Devastated
Definition:
A condition affecting a unit that has accumulated extreme amounts of damage but remains on the battlefield. Devastated has become particularly important in 4th Edition because Ranged Attacks normally cannot Rout a unit unless it is already Devastated.
Example in Use:
The shooting pushed the unit into Devastated territory, which means later ranged attacks can now potentially Rout it.
Source:
Kings of War 4th Edition ranged rules.
Engaged
Definition:
A unit that is currently in combat with an enemy unit.
Fourth Edition also removed the old general requirement to stay 1 inch away from enemy units. Units can now physically touch without necessarily being Engaged, provided it is clear they are not in combat.
Example in Use:
The hero is Engaged, but being Engaged does not necessarily prevent a Commander from attempting a Command Order.
Source:
Kings of War 4th Edition rules.
Facing-points
Definition:
Defined points on a unit used to determine its orientation and positioning.
Together with the Centre-point, Facing-points replace the older Leader Point system and make interactions involving units, terrain, and positioning clearer.
Source:
Kings of War 4th Edition rules.
Flanker
Definition:
A unit deployed on the side of the board with the aim of looping around enemy lines and threatening flanks or objectives.
Example in Use:
A regiment of Centaur Bray-Striders used to pressure a token on the far right flank.
Source:
Nick Williams, KoW Tactics: Unit Class
Flying Circus
Definition:
A list archetype built around multiple flying hammers. These armies rely on speed and manoeuvrability to overwhelm opponents, often ignoring slower ground troops. They excel at picking fights and collapsing flanks but can struggle with scenario play if they lack scoring bodies.
Source
Example in use:
An Elf list featuring three regiments of Drakon Riders and a couple of Dragon-mounted heroes qualifies as a flying circus. It floods the table with high-speed, Flying units that threaten charges across the board.
Source
Glass Hammer
Definition:
A hammer unit that hits extremely hard but has low Defence or Nerve, making it fragile if counter-attacked. Glass hammers deliver explosive damage but must avoid being hit back.
Source, Source
Example in use:
Orc Gore Riders (Thunderous Charge 2, Me 3+) are famous glass hammers. They charge with brutal force but have Defence 4+ and can crumble if charged in return. Mantic notes that orcs are a “glass hammer” army, hitting hard but relying on numbers to compensate.
Source
Grind / Grindy
Definition:
An army style centred on durable units that outlast the opponent through sustained combat. Grind lists stack high Defence, Regeneration or Lifeleech and rely on healing to win attrition wars. They typically move slowly and lack alpha-strike potential.
Source
Example in use:
A Dwarf army with multiple Ironclad hordes (Def 6+, high Nerve) supported by Stone Priests casting Heal qualifies as a grind list. Its goal is to sit on objectives and wear down enemies over several turns.
Source
Gunline
Definition:
A list built around ranged damage output. Gunlines include multiple war machines, ranged infantry units and casters with Lightning Bolt or Fireball spells. They aim to thin or destroy enemy forces before melee. Gunlines can struggle with scenario scoring and are vulnerable to fast, resilient armies that close quickly.
Source
Example in use:
Kingdoms of Men lists with three or four Cannons, two Mortars and hordes of Crossbowmen create a gunline capable of delivering devastating ranged salvos. To compete in scenarios, the army may include a few cheap cavalry units for objective grabs.
Source
Goonhammer
Definition:
A community website featuring tactical articles, army reviews and hobby content for wargames, including Kings of War. Many glossary definitions and meta analyses in this document are drawn from Goonhammer articles.
Example in use:
The site’s article “What is Chaff and How to Use It?” provides a detailed explanation of chaff tactics and introduces the concept of thick chaff.
Source
Hammer
Definition:
A unit designed to deal heavy melee damage, typically paired with Chaff or Surge to ensure it reaches ideal targets. Lacks staying power.
Example in Use:
A Horde of Abyssal Horsemen charging with Thunderous Charge 2 is acting as a hammer.
Source:
Dash28 – Just the Tips: Alpha Strike
Horde / Swarm / Trash
Definition: A list style that overwhelms the battlefield with a large number of cheap units (often 15–20 drops). These armies sacrifice individual unit quality for sheer numbers and board control. Data & Dice calls this archetype “Trash” and notes that such lists flood the table with unit strength and threaten to win by scenario even if they lose many models.
Example in use: A Goblin army with multiple Rabble regiments, Sharpsticks, Trombones, and Mawbeasts can field 18–20 units for under 2,000 points. It overwhelms opponents through attrition and scenario play.
Source: Data & Dice archetype analysis; Goonhammer army styles.
Heal / Healing
Definition: A spell that removes damage from friendly units; many armies rely on healers to sustain anvils and hammers. Healing spells are part of a broader support toolkit described in Data & Dice’s list‑building guide.
Example in use: A Druid with Heal (5) supports Sylvan Kin Tree Herders by removing damage each turn, turning them into effective anvils.
Source: Data & Dice list‑building guide.
Inspiring
Definition: A special rule that lets nearby friendly units re‑roll failed Nerve tests to avoid routing. Most armies include several Inspiring characters because they improve survivability.
Example in use: A Basilean High Paladin with Inspiring stands behind two Knight regiments. If either regiment fails a Nerve check, the opponent must re‑roll; this increases the chance the knights stay on the table..
Source: Mantic’s beginner’s guide.
MSU
Definition:
Short for Multiple Small Units. An army style built around a large number of relatively cheap units rather than a smaller number of powerful units. MSU armies use extra drops, board coverage, redundancy, and favorable trades to create problems for the opponent.
Example in Use:
That list is leaning heavily into MSU. None of the units are especially scary by themselves, but there are so many of them that it is difficult to remove enough scoring pieces.
Source:
Honest 4s — Kings of War 101: Terminology and Lingo.
Playing by Intent
Definition:
A common approach where players clearly state what a move is intended to accomplish and both players agree to that position.
For example, a player might say a unit is being positioned just outside an enemy’s charge range. If both players agree, a small accidental bump or measurement difference later should not change the agreed position.
Playing by intent helps reduce disputes caused by tiny measurement errors.
Example in Use:
I’m placing these Gargoyles just outside 12 inches. Are you happy that they are out of charge range?
Source:
Honest 4s — Kings of War 101: Terminology and Lingo.
Playing for 7
Definition:
Making Turn 6 decisions based on the possibility that the game will continue to Turn 7.
A player who is unlikely to win at the end of Turn 6 may take greater risks or position units for a potential Turn 7 comeback rather than simply minimizing the current loss.
Example in Use:
I cannot take the objective this turn, so I am Playing for 7 and moving everything into position for one last attempt.
Source:
Honest 4s — Kings of War 101: Terminology and Lingo.
Skew
Definition:
A list that invests very heavily in one unit type, mechanic, or strategy. A skew list often asks whether the opponent brought enough tools to deal with that one extreme.
Examples include heavy shooting, unusually large numbers of war engines, repeated copies of the same combat unit, or an army almost entirely built around speed.
Example in Use:
Three major flying hammers plus several fast supporting units pushes the army toward an Alpha Skew rather than a balanced Alpha Strike list.
Source:
Honest 4s — Kings of War 101: Terminology and Lingo.
Snakes / Snake Eyes
Definition:
Rolling double 1s on a 2D6 Nerve test.
Because a natural double 1 keeps a unit on the table regardless of how much damage it has taken, players often say a heavily damaged unit “needs snakes” to survive.
Example in Use:
That unit has 25 damage. It needs Snakes on the Nerve test to stay alive.
Source:
Common Kings of War terminology; Honest 4s — Kings of War 101: Terminology and Lingo.
Specialist
Definition:
One of the five army-building categories in 4th Edition.
Specialists are units that sit outside the army’s normal Core structure and generally require Core units to unlock them. A Battalion is limited in how many Specialist choices it can contain.
Example in Use:
The unit is powerful, but because it’s a Specialist I need the appropriate Core unlock before adding it.
Source:
Mantic Games — 4th Edition Army Building.
Swarm
See Horde / Swarm / Trash above.
Support
Definition:
An official 4th Edition army-building category.
Support choices generally cover units such as war engines and other battlefield assets that sit outside the army’s main Core formations. Support units must be unlocked through the Battalion structure.
Important:
This should not be confused with the informal phrase support unit, which players may use for anything that helps the main battleline.
Source:
Mantic Games — 4th Edition Army Building.
Tarpit
Definition:
A very durable unit that is difficult to destroy quickly but is not necessarily expected to deal much damage.
The Tarpit’s job is to absorb enemy attacks and keep valuable enemy units stuck in combat for several turns.
Example in Use:
The Naiad Ensnarers are functioning as a Tarpit. If the opponent commits a hammer there and fails to break them, that hammer may be occupied for most of the game.
Source:
Honest 4s — Kings of War 101: Terminology and Lingo.
Thick Chaff (Thicc Chaff)
Definition: More durable or dangerous chaff units that can survive longer and even threaten weaker enemy units. Thick chaff may have decent combat stats, higher Defence or better Nerve, allowing them to contest objectives and excel in chaff‑on‑chaff combatsgoonhammer.comdash28.org.
Example in use: Ogre Warriors or Large Infantry like Lizardmen Tyrants can serve as thick chaff. They cost more than standard chaff but can hold up enemy hammers for a turn or two and even deliver flank charges against other chaff units.
Source: Goonhammer chaff article; Dash28 “Hook Book”.
Threat Projection / Threat Range
Definition:
The total area of the battlefield a unit can meaningfully threaten.
For melee units, this usually starts with Speed plus charge distance and can include effects such as Wild Charge. For ranged units, it can combine movement and shooting range.
Threat projection matters even when a unit never attacks because the possibility of an attack can force the opponent to change position.
Example in Use:
The unit only has Speed 5, but its ranged attack means it projects threat much farther than its normal charge range.
Source:
Honest 4s — Kings of War 101: Terminology and Lingo.
Toolbox
Definition:
A list containing several different units designed to solve different battlefield problems. Toolbox armies usually sacrifice some specialization in exchange for flexibility across matchups and scenarios.
Example in Use:
The list has chaff, shooting, a fast flanker, a durable scoring unit, and two different hammers. It is much more of a toolbox than a skew list.
Source:
Honest 4s — Kings of War 101: Terminology and Lingo.
Trade / Trading Up / Trading Down
Definition:
Evaluating an exchange based on the value of the units each player loses.
A unit trades up when its contribution leads to the opponent losing substantially more points or battlefield value than the unit costs. It trades down when the opposite happens.
Trades can involve several units and take place across multiple turns.
Example in Use:
If a 100-point unit destroys a 200-point unit and then dies, it has probably traded up even though both units were eventually removed.
Source:
Honest 4s — Kings of War 101: Terminology and Lingo.
Trait
Definition:
An official descriptor attached to some units in 4th Edition.
Traits replaced the old Keyword system. They are used when rules, Auras, Command Orders, or other abilities need to interact with particular groups of units.
Not every unit has a Trait.
Example in Use:
That Command Order only works on units with the required Trait.
Source:
Kings of War 4th Edition rules.
Trash
Definition:
An army archetype made of many cheap units with low stats but high board control. Trades efficiency for mass and resilience via redundancy.
Example in Use:
A Goblin army with multiple Rabble regiments and Mawbeasts overwhelms the opponent by forcing hard choices and filling the board.
Source:
Data & Dice – Six Archetypes
Unit Strength (US)
Definition:
A measure of how much a unit counts toward controlling objectives, zones, and other scenario elements.
Unit Strength still exists in 4th Edition, but standard values are determined by unit type rather than being printed on every unit profile. Exceptions are noted where necessary.
Example in Use:
I don’t need to destroy that unit. I just need enough Unit Strength in the zone to take control of it.
Source:
Kings of War 4th Edition rules.
Unlock / Unlocking
Definition:
Common shorthand for the army-building system that determines which units can be added to a Battalion.
Core units provide access to additional Auxiliary and Specialist units, while combinations of Core and Specialist units allow Support and additional Commander choices.
Some special characters can also change how particular units are categorized or unlocked.
Example in Use:
I’m taking another Core regiment because I need the unlock for that Specialist.
Source:
Mantic Games — 4th Edition Army Building.
Warlord
Definition:
The more powerful of the two Commander types in 4th Edition.
Warlords normally roll 3D6 when attempting Command Orders, compared with 2D6 for Champions. Each Battalion can contain no more than one Warlord.
See also: Champion, Commander, Command Order.
Source:
Mantic Games — 4th Edition Army Building and Advanced Rules.
