With the Clash of Kings 2025 update, Kings of War introduces a new mechanic: command dice. Each turn, players start with a red, a white, and a blue die that generate power symbols. These symbols drive key actions and orders, but players can invest additional points to buy more dice of different colors. The question is: which dice offer the best return on investment, and how does adding them affect gameplay?
Understanding the Dice
- Red Die (10 points): Faces: [0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 2], Average = 0.83 symbols
- White Die (20 points): Faces: [0, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2], Average = 1.17 symbols
- Blue Die (30 points): Faces: [1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3], Average = 1.83 symbols
The baseline—one red, one white, one blue—yields about 3.83 symbols on average. Adding extra dice increases this average but at a cost:
| Extra Die | Total Cost | Avg. Power Symbols | Cost/Avg. Symbol |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red (+10 pts) | 10 | 4.66 | 2.15 |
| White (+20 pts) | 20 | 5.00 | 4.00 |
| Blue (+30 pts) | 30 | 5.66 | 5.30 |
The red die is the most cost-effective if your goal is to reliably hit moderate thresholds (like 4 symbols). If you’re aiming higher (5 or 6 symbols), the blue die gives better probability boosts but at a steeper price.
Probability and Thresholds
Because certain factions are more heavily dependent on consistently rolling higher values for the Command dice, break points matter. When rolling for at least 4, 5, or 6 power symbols, adding dice shifts the odds. The table below summarizes the probabilities for each dice combination:
| Combination | Cost (Points) | P(≥4) | P(≥5) | P(≥6) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base (Red + White + Blue) | 0 | 49.2% | 24.8% | 9.8% |
| Base + Red | 10 | 64.5% | 38.5% | 18.0% |
| Base + White | 20 | 70.3% | 45.0% | 22.5% |
| Base + Blue | 30 | 78.6% | 55.8% | 31.5% |
Adding extra dice increases the odds of hitting higher thresholds. A red die raises the chance of rolling at least 4 symbols to 64.5% and at least 5 to 38.5%. A blue die raises those chances to 78.6% and 55.8%. It costs more, but gives the largest boost in this table; a red die is the lower-cost option.
Reroll Impact: A Tactical Boost
Command dice can also be spent on actions such as rerolling a missed hit. In 10,000 simulated attacks, a unit with 18 attacks (hitting on 3+, wounding on 3+ with Crushing Strength (2), against Defense 5 and Nerve 15/17) routed its target 32.2% of the time. A command reroll raised the rout rate to 37.5%.
In this simulation, the reroll raised the rout rate from 32.2% to 37.5%—an increase of 5.3 percentage points, or 16.5% relative to the original rate. That is a useful gain for this attack profile; the result will vary with the number of attacks, hit and wound values, and target Defense.
Strategic Takeaways
- Match Your Investment to Your Needs: If your command orders often hinge on hitting moderate thresholds, cheaper red dice offer good value.
- Go Blue for High-Impact Orders: If you’re banking on reliably hitting 5 or 6 symbols, invest in the blue die’s guaranteed power.
- Rerolls as Game-Changers: The ability to reroll missed hits/wounds amplifies combat effectiveness, making command dice more than just a utility tool—they’re a tactical force multiplier.
Preserving Kings of War’s Identity Through Complexity
The math shows what command dice cost and what they can add in the examples above. My question is whether the extra decisions fit Kings of War’s streamlined rules. I have played Advanced Squad Leader for years, so I’m not opposed to complexity). This ties directly into the broader discussion of how new mechanics should support, not dilute, the core identity of Kings of War.
Kings of War’s charm lies in its streamlined rules and ease of entry. Players choose it over more “fluffy” or lore-heavy systems because it’s cleaner, quicker, and more elegant. This simplicity is especially appealing to newer or younger players (like my own kids who started at ages 7 and 9), because the game’s core loop is intuitive and doesn’t demand a massive mental burden. Introducing command dice adds another layer of decision-making and overhead. While providing more tactical depth can be appealing, it’s crucial to ask: does this complexity enhance the game enough to justify the mental load?
Balancing Flavor and Elegance
Over time, incremental additions—more keywords, spells, and scenarios—can dilute what makes Kings of War special. If the game’s brand is defined by simple elegance, tacking on features must pass a strict litmus test:
- Does it significantly improve tactical decision-making?
- Does it justify the extra mental overhead?
- Does it reinforce, rather than undermine, the game’s core identity?
If a new rule doesn’t move the needle, it risks edging the game closer to competitors that excel in depth and fluff. Kings of War will never win by out-fluffing Warhammer. Its competitive edge lies in speed, clarity, and simplicity.
A Clear Competitive Differentiator
Kings of War attracts players who appreciate minimal bookkeeping, crisp rules, and decisive gameplay. Straying too far from that might gain short-term novelty but risks losing long-term appeal. The game thrives by leaning into its strength—straightforwardness—and avoiding complexity for complexity’s sake.
Command dice add more decisions to each turn. I would judge the rule by whether those decisions create useful choices in play, and whether that benefit is worth the extra tracking.
What do I think? It’s tough to say. I’ve played with them a few times and have not been terribly impressed. It’s something else to keep track of that doesn’t appear to add much value to the actual gameplay. I’ll continue to try them out and appreciate that the RC has given us the option, but my first impressions are that the mental overhead doesn’t justify the benefit in gameplay.
Closing Thoughts
The tables show what extra dice cost and how a reroll changed one simulated combat. In my games so far, the added tracking has not yet felt worth the benefit.
I will keep trying command dice and see whether they add enough useful decisions to justify the extra bookkeeping. The Rules Committee has made them optional, which gives players room to test them in their own games.
