This is less a new blog and more a continuation of the last one….. After a discussion about it, someone mentioned that we should scrap Forces of Nature these days as they’re no longer relevant. Is that true? It is to a certain degree as there is so many available units that can be so used in other armies that it doesn’t have a very particular style of its own. It’s kind of a mish mash of completely opposing themes.
There’s the tree theme, Shamblers, tree herders, hunters of the wild and forest wardens.
There’s the fire theme, salamanders, salamander veterans, fire elementals and scorchwings. There’s the water theme of Naiads, Wyrm riders and elementals. Earth elementals are a popular choice too.
And then there’s the air theme of elementals and, er…. Shaarlot! Plus a host of other monsters, centaurs and characters to support them.
Throw them altogether it’s an army that can have lots of different directions you can take it but that also works against it by having so many themes it is stretched thin with no clear identity.
You look at a Basilean army or Empire of Dust army and it very obviously has a strong identity about what it is.
The fire theme is transplanted whole and fleshed out in the Salamanders army. If you want to theme an army in that way then the few units in the Nature army are a little redundant to become an army on their own.
The same works with the water theme which is fully explored in the Trident realms army.
The treemen, shamblers, beast of nature and centaurs are a good chunk of the Herd army list.
Earth elementals are, as previously mentioned, EVERYWHERE!
So with all these units elsewhere….. why would you choose to use a Nature army? What does it have to offer? If you go for a specific theme then these other armies have much more to offer. So does it come down to gaming choices? If all you are interested in is competition then who cares about theme?
I think the army list itself is fine, indeed the rules committee have done a lovely job of balancing it. There’s nothing in it which stands out as a must take and nothing horrendously bad. There will be plenty of arguments about this last point but it’s my blog so I can say what I like. Though I may have to stop here and have a violent argument with myself over Wyrm riders.
So Daniel-san, what would YOU do to fix the identity of the Forces of Nature? Here it goes, and I’m hoping Mantic listen…..
Models. All the models released so far are pretty good, in fact some are my favourite models in the Entire mantic range. Greater water elemental I’m looking at you. There are better choices but it’s such an awesome model and I love it so much that I’ll usually take it in a list no matter what just because I want to have it on the table. Some others are older but still quite nice. The list has lots of models that Mantic simply don’t make like Hydra’s, Unicorns, Pegasus, Beast of Nature etc… It’s understandable as they are heavy on the cliché and many other companies make them already and they’re not Mantic IP. They aren’t going to sell many Unicorns because so many options are already out there on the market (I use two old Citadel ones) and it’s more worthwhile investing resources in models that are a bigger priority that can make Kings of War more ‘Pannithor’. Plenty of different things can be made into woodland critters. With League of Infamy we’re getting Unicorn models so I’m hoping that this will slowly translate into Kings of War and we will eventually have this range fleshed out. With having to use so many models from other companies the identity of the army is held back from having that ‘Mantic’ feel like many of the other core armies have.
Centaurs need new models. Thematically they look okay but are a little dated and I’m not the only one to have a hellish time building them. I have 3 units in various states of being built/painted but it wasn’t fun and they’re on the shelf while I do other things less painful. Even resin would help!
A pegasus sculpt would be fantastic and with the options for a different head for a flying unicorn and rider options would fill a hole in several armies and be a fair use of resources.
Keris and Shaarlot are a nice touch, I’ve used both and having a bit of romance in a world of war can’t be a bad thing
But overall there is one thing this army needs more than any other.
The Green Lady.
We have the Avatar but she is okay in the game but other things can do her job much better so she doesn’t seem much time on the tabletop. Plus the model is old and awkward compared to Mantic’s current standard. In the background she is one of the few characters with God-like status and a central focus to the story of Pannithor. She deserves better. She needs to be a character that can stand up to an Arch find of the Abyss, which is a mere servant of her siblings. She needs a new impressive model and rules worthy of a Queen of Nature which the various nations and elements can rally to. In many ways she IS the forces of Nature and it’s this characterisation which can unify the identity of the army.
I use the Hellboy Nimue figure as it’s gorgeous but haven’t had chance to get it on the table yet. When a unicorn can do a similar job for cheaper AND hit stuff and zap stuff then why would I?
Dear Mantic, go green. And I’m not talking Goblins.
Right, now I’ve been reasonable I’m going to start swearing about how bloody useless Wyrm riders are….
Get older. Don't grow up. 