Army Review: Forces of The Abyss

NG: Forces of the Abyss is a thematic tricks & traps army. You need to rely on strategy or high nerve + regen to survive. Commands function mainly to change unit characteristics (better melee, making opponents hit worse, free shooting), giving the feeling of abyssals being ever changing & adapting to surprise their foes. The variety of unique hero options feels thematic, letting the player decide what kind of force this is. Are you a small raiding party, going to cause havoc for the dark joy of it? Or is this a vanguard force, led by an infamous greater demon to prepare the way for a full scale invasion?

NG: Mantic provides a surprisingly fleshed out range for FoAbyss. There are some gaps in the range, and there are some models that I would not suggest purchasing (looking at you, molochs and hellhounds). But the plastic sculpts for infantry, berserkers, and nagarri are high quality and give a good feel for the theme of the army. The Vault also carries a fair number of sculpts for the army.

NG: An excellent use of command dice. Changing regen (for most units) from a 1/3 chance to a 1/2 chance are odds any dice gamer will appreciate. I consider this a ‘fallback command’, where its never a bad idea but in lots of situations is overshadowed.

NG: Who doesn’t love free shooting? The ability to give any unit a shooting attack isn’t something to scoff at. Usually ending up in fireball 3, you’re fairly likely to get at least 1 wound through. Excellent for when you’re in the position you want to hold and want to throw out some chip damage, or for late game hail marys to try and waiver a unit to halve its US or outright remove a heavily damaged unit without getting into combat. All that said, again I consider this a ‘fallback command’ for when you don’t have need for Blessing or Betrayal.

NG: Thematic and incredibly useful. The drawback of self-damage means you’ll likely use this primarily on either units you’re sending to an inevitable death OR hordes that you’re confident will be able to survive the counter punch and then regen next turn. Personal favorite is using this on troops of succubi or hordes of abyssal guard. Either way, you’ll be surprised just how potent they become.

NG: Like scorched earth and weakness had an infernal child. This gives units like Imps a chance to actually survive being touched, lets lower abyssals stand up to even some charges from hammers, and is guaranteed to make your opponent dislike you for the next few minutes. Similarly to other things that affect enemy stat lines (scorched earth, weakness, blizzard), Betrayal forces your opponent to re-do their mental math for the upcoming combats. It can be circumvented by double charging the unit, but who wants to double charge imps? A very valuable command if you’re running imps or lower abyssals, less valuable for most of the rest of the units of the army except in certain matchups (lionsnarl charging abyssal berserkers, for example).

NG: Effectively a 2 nerve swing for any units in a 6" bubble, Dark Pit has been in the vast majority of my lists since the Fracture book. I’ve always struggled with using Cloak of Death effectively, since its often found on expensive monsters that you may not want to put in harms way near the battle line, at least at first. Dark Pit solves this, allowing a warlock to throw it anywhere within 12" with a fair amount of impunity since it doesn’t require any LoS. Big fan.

NG: I’ve thought about it, I’ve tried it, I don’t like it. 15 points to worsen the chances of, but not stop outright, commands being issued to a particular unit feels situational at best. There are certainly some matchups where this would be incredibly useful, but until more armies have fleshed out commands it remains to be unlikely this spell will truly affect the outcome of a game.

NG: Cheapest Warlord, Guard made Core

NG: The cheapest warlord option in the army. Great if you want a sturdy combat hero, or if you want to run Abyssal Guard as core. Demonic Will giving 15" on commands is a nice feature as well. For how good the Abyss commands are, Warlord is good value.

NG: Dart, Roadblock

NG: Expensive, but well worth the cost. Speed 10 with flying, defense 5 with regeneration 5, and a strong melee profile. I’ve thrown Ba’su’su into a regiment of cavalry and had him win the grind. Add in the core unit of Gargoyles he unlocks to support him and he can provide a solid counter to enemy flying units or cavalry.

NG: Dart, Hero Hunter

NG: Similar to Ba’su’su, this unit can be a great counter to enemy cavalry or fliers. Brutal D3 and Duellist D3 can make Mau’ti-bu-su a considerable threat to enemy heroes. If you want to run Tortured Souls as core, Mau’ti is an excellent choice. I’d choose this unit if I wanted a dedicated hero hunter, but in general I prefer Ba’su’su if I need a flying warlord.

NG: Commands, Anti-Healing

NG: Fans of the Pannithor novels will love seeing Teynne brought to the field. Slightly shorter range than Ba’su’su or Mau’ti-bu-su, but with an added Fireball spell to even it out. The Searing Pain ability is also incredibly unique, allowing you to stop enemy units from healing from any source for the next turn. Perfect to shut down armies like Basilea or Forces of the Abyss that rely heavily on Iron Resolve, Heal, or Regeneration. That being said, 250 points is fairly pricy for a flier that isn’t speed 10.

NG: Unlocks, Dragon stuff

NG: The non-unique heroic titan, Archfiend is one of two ‘dragon’ options for the FoA army. Melee profile is what you’d expect from a dragon, and the ability to change Molochs from support to specialist will definitely tempt some players. Boasting Regeneration 5 AND Iron Resolve, the profile of defense 5 nerve 19 is going to prove truly challenging for your enemy to overcome. 315 points is high, but you get a terrifying centerpiece for those points.

NG: Monster/Titan Hunter, Anti-Commands

NG: Want a dragon but aren’t interested in specialist Molochs? The Lord of Lies provides the same stats as the Archfiend, with the addition of Slayer (3). A potent mix, given that dragons often are sent to fight enemy units where Slayer and Crush 3 will be incredibly useful. The Seeds of Distrust rule can also have great use cases, especially if your opponent’s army has strong commands. 350 points is eye watering, but it can definitely be worth it if you’re confident in your skills piloting a dragon.

NG: Standard Bearer

NG: The ‘standard bearer’ of the Abyss, Harbinger is a cheap Very Inspiring option. The melee and shooting aren’t anything to write home about, but he is a great choice if you need a hero to sit behind a battle line and reliably dish out the Fleshknit command

NG: Pest

NG: The first of two Spellcaster options, Efreet comes with Fireball 7. Speed 7 can allow the Efreet to dance around enemy units, staying just out of their front arc and slowly piling up wounds. I’d suggest either adding the Inspiring Talisman, or Host Shadowbeast so it can clean up a unit that it already wounded with Fireball.

NG: Pest

NG: Are Ba’su’su and Mau’ti-bu-su too rich for your blood but you still want a reliable counter to enemy fliers? Seductress has you covered. Trading lower points for lower nerve, the Seductress can still be a very effective pest to target enemy war engines or heros, or even stop flying hammers for a turn. The options for Enthrall or Wind Blast also give the Seductress play as a utility piece. I don’t take her often, but into the right matchups she could shine.

NG: Spells, Battleline Support

NG: My pick for the best hero option in Abyss. An affordable spellcaster on a large infantry platform, the Warlock can cast over your battle line and tie down flanking enemies in a pinch. Kit it out with whatever spells you like and let the Warlock provide. One Warlock, if not two, show up in every list I make.

NG: Budget Bruiser

NG: Great if you bought the Champions box as the start of your Abyss army, but not a unit I’d go out of my way to get. Bloody Cardinal is a bruiser, able to walk through plink shooting and lifeleech back some wounds. But with defense 4, nerve 14, any concentrated fire is going to prove very problematic. Dread is a nice rule, but if you’re looking for a bruiser I’d look to our next entry.

NG: Bruiser

NG: The true bruiser of the Abyss lineup. Faster and slightly more durable than the Cardinal due to regeneration 5, with the added benefit of making a single Moloch regiment into a specialist unit, the Despoiler is a great choice to lead a flanking battle group of Molochs.

NG: Dart, Horsemen Unlock

NG: The lone cavalry hero in the army, the Hellequin sits in an interesting spot for me. Defense 5 and regeneration 5 give the Hellequin some staying power, but at only nerve 13 he is vulnerable to a strong punch and single high nerve check from your opponent. Since he doesn’t have the Inspiring rule, you’ll likely either send him on a suicide mission to tie up enemy fliers or cavalry or give him the Inspiring Talisman and have him lead a cohort of Abyssal Horsemen (which he conveniently makes 1 regiment into a core unit). The Hellequin hasn’t made it into many of my lists, but could be useful if you want to run Horsemen.

NG: Chaff, Tar Pit

NG: The most basic infantry choice, the stat profile of Lower Abyssals doesn’t tell the whole story. They are a prime candidate to receive the Betrayal command, turning a 100 point regiment into a nightmare for your opponent’s heavy hitting hammers. The horde option can also be a fantastic tar pit, especially when backed up by a Warlock. The Fleshknit command paired with a spell like Drain Life means that if you don’t remove the horde in one go, it is likely to be a real sticking point for the enemy. Given that it will likely take 2+ enemy units to reliably remove a horde with support, I love putting the Crystal Pendant of Retribution on a horde to punish multi-charges.

NG: Ranged Damage

NG: Abyss’s ranged unit, Flamebearers provide much needed long-range damage output. Able to regenerate damage from incoming enemy fire, Flamebearers are a great option for both range threat and core unlocks.

NG: Annoyance, Missile

NG: Despite a low defense, Succubi are surprisingly hardy. Ensnare helps reduce incoming damage, and even with only regeneration 6 they’re able to last longer than expected in prolonged grinds. I like putting regiments in terrain and using the Hellfire command to help force enemies to charge them, or using troops as chaff and sending them to a glorious end with the Betrayal command.

NG: Fast Chaff

NG: Annoying little creatures; Gargoyles are the premier mobile chaff piece of arguably any army in Kings of War. Cheap enough that you won’t mind sending them to slow down enemy fliers, enough regeneration that enemy shooting will have to continue diverting shots to keep them waivered, and with enough attacks to reliably threaten enemy war engines. They’re also great for late-game objective play, streaking over enemy heads to secure tokens or zones.

NG: Thin Chaff

NG: They are cheap, their stats are bad, and they’re not particularly quick. But enemy units still have to devote a turn of combat to killing them, which is one turn they’re not fighting anything more important. Imps exist to die for the good of the army, and they fill that role perfectly. In the wise words of Erich Trowbridge, “Impin’ ain’t easy.”

NG: Missile, Fast Chaff

NG: They’re fast, they’re nimble, and they’re affordable core units. They won’t win any awards for damage output or durability, but at speed 9 they can reach out and touch stubborn enemy ranged units or quickly plug a hole anywhere in your battle line. If you’re running an Alpha Strike list, these are likely your bread and butter.

NG: Hammer & Anvil

NG: The army’s much needed high defense unit, Abyssal Guard can give as good as they take. The price is well worth it, no matter what size unit you take. Regiments are formidable pieces of a battleline, and hordes (especially with Artifacts) can be truly terrifying blenders. With a little support from chaff and command orders, Abyssal Guard are reliable in almost any combat scenario.

NG: Chaff, Flank Support

NG: They (don’t) fly now! Tortured Souls are an interesting unit, but not one I find myself adding to most lists. With Pathfinder, Strider, and Speed 7, they seem like a reliable unit to find opportunities to punish the enemy battle line. But with a fairly low number of attacks and a melee value of 4, it can be hard to accurately predict how much damage they’ll be able to put through. Troops to act as chaff or sit in terrain and help protect the flanks of your battleline are the most likely use cases.

NG: Many Dice

NG: These are another of my favorite units. With a threat range of 15, they reliably out-speed most units outside cavalry and fliers. High quantity of dice like most berserker type units mean that they’re also a great candidate for the Blessing command. The Defense 4 shortcoming can be smoothed over with a combined nerve value of 18 and Regeneration 5.

NG: Fast Hammer

NG: Melee 3, Thunder 3, yup that’s a cavalry unit! Horsemen are a great choice to fill a fast-hammer role, and the addition of Regeneration 5 means they’ll be able to grind better than most other cavalry units. If you want to more fully seal the fate of your target, hit the Horsemen with the Blessing command and send them on their way. Or, if you’re going against an enemy hammer unit, the Betrayal command has a surprising use case. If the enemy unit has Melee 3 and any amount of Crushing Strength, you can strip away their Crush while maintaining the ability of Horsemen to Thunder into battle.

NG: Hammer

NG: They’re big, they’re mean, and they’re coming your way! The stat profile says it all. 20 attacks on 3s, Crush 2, they’ll put a dent in whatever you point them at. That being said, there are some drawbacks. Defense 4 means that berserker style units will be a true threat even with the Moloch’s comparatively high nerve value, and the Retaliate command may prove more of a hindrance than a help by trapping the Molochs in combat. They’ll need to be properly supported if you want them to stick around.

NG: Unknown

NG: A unit that I keep telling myself I can make work, Nagarri are in a tricky spot. Defense 4, nerve 15, height 4, and no regeneration means that Nagarri will quickly waiver in the face of enemy shooting. Pathfinder helps them get around the board, but the lack of Strider means you need to be clear of terrain prior to charging or else be hindered and lose your Thunder. It may have a use case for its Rallying ability, but I haven’t found that use case. Especially sad, considering how great the Mantic models for them are.

NG: Healing Bruiser

NG: A time-bending demon that can heal friendly units when it deals damage, the Chroneas is a beat stick that is fairly guaranteed to put the hurt on whatever it touches. But with only D6+6 attacks, you really need to find flanks to gain the full value of this unit. Also, gone are the glory days of combo-ing the Chroneas with the Well of Souls into a nigh unkillable death star now that the Temporal Ruptures ability is limited to units with the Upper or Middle Circle keyword. A fun unit, but suffers from the ‘square base issue’ that many monsters and titans do in 4th edition.

NG: Healing Support

NG: At speed 8 with flying and a melee profile that isn’t to be scoffed at, the Well of Souls excels at finding tight flanks in your opponent’s line. But its true purpose is as a damage sponge. Demonic Life-Force allows you to siphon wounds off friendly units and transfer them to the Well, and with a staggering Lifeleech 5 it can quickly erase any memory of those wounds. The Well can help ensure that even after a statistically improbably bad Regeneration roll, your horde of Abyssal Guard is back in fighting shape. 275 points means you’ll need to use it effectively, but the Well of Souls can easily be the difference between your battle line holding or routing at the pivotal moment of a game.

NG: Support, Bruiser

NG: Between Fireball 5 and a tough melee profile, the Fiend is likely to put wounds onto what you point it at. But how many wounds? Low number of attacks means the Fiend won’t be winning almost any 1v1 fights, and the lack of Regeneration means any combat is likely to start whittling down its nerve of 17. Conditional Rallying for Upper Circle units is nice, but I don’t see the 205 points as being well spent on the Fiend. For 45 less points you could have a Despoiler with a very similar damage output, with the added upsides of having Regeneration 5, Inspiring, and 2 command dice to help support other units around it. I might field a Fiend in order to use a cool model, but not if I need a role filled in the army.

NG: Abyss is definitely in a good spot, gut reaction says probably A-tier. It has answers to lots of questions that your opponent will ask, and has the ability to ask its own questions. The unique commands force your opponent to consider their strategy in a way few other armies do, by being able to manipulate the core stats of both your and your opponent’s units. The major drawback in my view is the generally low defense of the army, and the reliance on commands to buff them. Missing critical commands could easily cost you a unit, a flank, a game. The other drawback is your local playgroup will likely quickly adapt and auto-include Fire Oil in their lists, which is incredibly potent against abyss especially when on a shooting horde.

NG: