Ranking commands

While 4th edition KoW overall has been a very good experience, there are some pretty big balance issues with commands IMO. I think Mantic didn’t really get the right message from the playtest of command dice in 3.5 ed. The dice themselves wasn’t really that much of an issue, and we are still rolling dice for commands, it was the wild imbalance between faction commands. And with the common commands gone, and several armies having a ton more commands than others, this issue has not improved at all in 4th edition IMO.

Note that the command ratings do not necessarily mean that the armies are also similarly rated overall, as there are lists with poor commands that can still compete very well.

My main issue with the new commands is that some armies have a new phase and lots of options that impact the game greatly, while some armies have practically no interaction with the command system at all, yet have to pay command tax on their heroes.

I would love for the D-F ranked armies to get a rework on their commands, or get some more command options, as they are just missing a toolbox compared to the better rated ones.

Rating

A Forces of nature Blessing of the lady is just a heal for every 4+. Boring, but useful. Can be used on any unit, so lots of high defense units to heal. Nature’s trail gives strider on 4+, working on infantry (which includes heavy infantry now) and large infantry. That is among the best orders out there, especially in an army with air elementals and guardian brutes and lots of TC units. On air elementals, it gives +2 wounds, on guardian brutes against def 5, it is +3.5 extra wounds. And just the fact that your opponent can’t really be helped by terrain is a brutal boost. This one going off on 4+, while lots of worse orders have to fish for 5+ is silly. Goblins Unleash the mawpups. 6 attacks on 4+ with CS1, so +2 wounds on def 4, for any green horde unit. After orcs, this is the second best close combat boosting command! It allows you to always put extra wounds on something, even if charging crappy units into terrain. Really nice on fleabag riders, which is already a very good core unit. 4+ to get it off is really good compared to the elite and vicious orders of other armies, with bigger payout, easier to get off, and it is also always the same effect, no matter if you throw it on a rabble regiment, sharpstick horde or fleabag regiment. You’re standing on my head gives leaper. It allows goblin cavalry to hide behind hills while threatening to look above it, which gives really good tactical options in some match-ups. You can also allow units to see enemies above other ones. A bit situational, but can be very tactically useful in some match-ups. Orcs The green blokes get the best close combat boosting order of all, especially with Thonaar. Green rage gives blast 2 to to hit rolls of 6, or 5+ with Thonaar. It takes a 5+ to get it off, but if you do get it off with Thonaar, you are looking at +8.25 extra hits from a horde, which is 5.5 extra wounds on def 4. In comparisson, brew of sharpness is +4.83 extra hits from a horde. So with Thonaar, you are getting almost double brew of sharpness from an order, which can be used on the units that actually need it. Works on orcs and forged, so that is most of the list. Without Thonaar, it is still pretty much a portable brew of sharpness. Up and at em is WC+n on 4+ for orc units. Helstrikers are the one unit that really want it, but which can’t get it, but you have chariots and gore riders ready to take advantage. Again, the tactical value is good, since your opponent must account for up to +3 WC (or +4 if you load up a warlord with extra dice). Ratkin Plague pots gives stealthy AND ensnare! Very nice order to give extra survivability, and you can continue casting after engagement, which makes it way better than the KoM defence boosting command. 5+ to get it off sounds like it can hold it back, but luckily, birthing daughters are cheap and get +1 to commands, making it reliable. Probably the overall best defensive buff, since it works against both shooting and melee. Only held back by ratpack, so you can’t ensnare tunnel runners or mutant rat-fiends. Scurring claws gives strider, which again is a super order. Ratpack only means that the targets for it are much worse than in nature, but still absolutely a banger of an order on a 4+ / 3+. Xirkaali The new hotness also gets a good five commands from the start. Fight on with honor is heal n on hemicyon, boring, but somewhat useful to remove some plink damages. Pack attack gives brutal 2 to a unit in a combat together with another friendly unit. This one is really good, making double charges that much more likely to wipe the opponent. Reliable with 4+ to get it off, and brutal 2 is IMO better than brutal +n. Bloodhound gives slayer n based on lowest number rolled to get it off, but hunter units only. You can get lucky here and get slayer 6, but likely is slayer 3, which would mostly mean about 1 extra wound, so nothing fantastic about this. Hunter units are also fairly limited. Slayer does work on ranged attacks though, so if you do use plainstalkers (why though?), you might as well give them slayer if it can be useful. Sic’em is TC+1 for hemicyon on 4+. In an army with extremely easy access to strider and good alpha units, this is really good. Worth +2 wounds on wildfangs or lionsnarl. For the greater good inflicts damage on yan unit, and gives speed +n. They can use this extra speed to charge. Nice to get some chakrams into shooting range and of course, it increases possible threat range up to +8″ (unlikely as it is). Would be really funny to see some yan monks charging 18″ though. Good option in some lists, although not sure Yan units will be that popular.

B Halflings These short blokes get a ton of orders, and they also have Mama Beata which can issue an extra gastromancy order a turn, and order gastromancy with 3 dice for only 130pts. They are a bit held back by keyword limitations however, and some of the orders are just not very useful. Nimble feet gives speed +n on 5+, but no charging. Situationally useful to grab an objective, but not too exciting, and muster only. Camouflage gives stealthy to infantry on 4+. Good in some match-ups, held back by infantry only. Bear traps dolls out D6 damage to any enemy units charging this unit. Limited to muster trait. This is a really good order. D6 autodamage is really painful, averaging 3.5 wound on any defence! And it works on all charging units, so that horde of spearspikes you were planning to multicharge and crush with expensive units, suddenly might look less enticing. 5+ to get it off, and having to hold limits it a bit, but still a good order! Running repair is heal n on 4+ for tinkertech. There are some def 6 tinkertech units where this is pretty nice. Butchers block gives slayer n+2. Limited to pride of the shire units. Slayer 3 on juggers is +1.67 wounds on def 4. Not really that great with the very limited unit list it can be used on. 5+ to get it off makes this even worse. Ej stomping juice (gastro) gives wild charge + n to muster units on 4+. Good tactical option, as your opponent must consider the possibility for your to add WC+3 to your units. Muster only keeps it back, as only wild lancers have any serious reach, and they are not that scary. Ferocious fuel (gastro) gives brutal +n to anything on 4+. This is likely the best order halflings have. Combined with ej grenadiers, you have very cheap potential brutal D3+3 units. Works on anything, so you can always have brutal +0-3 Shireberry tonic (gastro) is lifeleach +n on 4+, also with no limits on the recipient. Worst LL command though, as the other ones only need a 3+. Salamanders Cleansing flame gives fireball n+2 on 4+ to flamebound, which covers a lot of good units. About 1.5 wounds to def 4, decent order to get out there, but not something likely to be super useful all the time. Shield of Kthorlaq gives +1 def, but requires 2x 4+. A very good order, but not very reliable. No limits on target, so there are a ton of def 5 high nerve units that can be taken up to def 6, including hordes. Top 3 best defensive buff command, but held back by reliability concerns. Will of the ancients is +1 speed to anything on 4+, but no charging. Pretty decent order that can take scorchwings up to speed 11 for some nice repositioning options. Rekindle gives LL + n on 3+ to flamebound. Lots of good targets for this order. Combined with shield, I can see building grindy salamander lists around the commands. Trident realms Another army with lots of commands, some gold, and some fairly useless. Trawling gives enthral 5 on a 5+ to anything. Situational order, and unreliable. You can probably win a rare game by pulling some unit off the objective last turn, so it can have super high value, but certainly niche. Hardened shell. Barkskin n on 4+ on seamonster. Lots of great and tanky units are sea monster, including def 6 gigas. You can also stack this with normal barkskin. Nice order to make already tanky units even tankier, or make your depth horrors able to take a charge. Barkskin trident realms is a vibe. Aqua-venom is a hammer of measured force that also works on shooting, and that can be slapped around where needed on oceanspawn and amphibean. Very nice in some match-ups, as it can make def 6 turn into def 4. Makes placederm defenders more scary. A bit held back by a lack of non-piercing shooting units. Would have been totally broken in some other armies. Blood in the water. Vicious on 5+, but the target also needs to be hurt. As all the vicious / elite commands, it is not that great, and not reliable on 5+. An extra limitation just makes it a little bit less useful again. Worst vicious / elite type command. The healing tide is the common heal n command. Trident have lots of high def units to use it on. Twilight kin Fear the darkness. Gain dread on 5+. Dread is a better brutal, so this is good, but 5+ holds it back a bit. No target limitations pulls it back up though. (twilight kin can also doll out vicious like candy, so they get more use from dread than direct damage buff) Flesh hooks. Probably one of best defensive buffs. -D6 attacks to ALL enemies attacking this unit, and the attacks are subtracted before doubling for flanks. This can keep units around for a lot longer. -3.5 attacks is the same effect as ensnare against regiment size units, and it works in all directions. 5+ to get it off though, and dark kin (elf units) only. Can be used after you are engaged too.

C Abyssal Dwarfs Mutated throwing mastiff. 15″ range 8 attacks, always hits on 4+, averaging 2 wounds on def 4. A nice order that allows any ironborn unit to dish out some ranged damage. The downside is that it really only works on immortal guard and blacksouls. It does make a couple regiments of blacksouls more viable as a cheap core tax that can fight decently, survive well and dish out some shooting damage. 4+ to get it off is fair. 15″ range makes it probably the best of the ranged damage commands. Last breath. 2D3 CS2 hits to all units engaged with a slave unit in return for removing the unit. Looks fun, and can allow cheap slave units to threaten strong units with 2-6 CS2 autohits. Since you have to remove the unit in your own movement phase for it, I would consider it niche. Dwarfs Throwing mastiffs. 12″ 6 attacks, piercing 1, always hits on 4+, that gives 2 wounds on def 4. Very similar to the abyssal dwarf version, although with better options for targets, with ironclad, ironguard, shieldbreakers and bulwarkers. Goes off on 4+, which is reliable. Fury of the ancients. Retaliate for holdfast or berserker. Retaliate is a weird rule, which demands that you have survived a double charge to gain the effect. Hordes might do it, but most others units will likely die from double charges. Then you need to get it off on a 5+ for +1CS against one enemy unit. Fairly niche use case, unless you build your list with several (bulwarker) hordes. Elves Hunting cat. 12″ 6 attacks, always hits on 3+. Same effect as the dwarf or abyssal dwarf version, 2 wounds on D4. Only works for kindred, which gives tallspears and palace guard as viable units. Palace guard are seen in many lists, so a decent order to allow them to do some reliable ranged damage. 4+ to get it off. Rodinar’s presence. Headstrong and inspiring on a 4+. Not a great order, although elves, lacking the easy access to very inspiring that KoM enjoy, might get some use out of inspiring. Headstrong going off on first 4+, then 3+ makes it not very reliable. Nightstalkers Screamshard gives lifeleach n on 3+ on nightmare units. Butchers are probably the best target, as the only D5 unit that can receive it. About on par with healing commands. A bit held back by the lack of grindy nightstalker units. Planeshifter gives pathfinder on 4+. Good tactical utility, allowing doubling through terrain, although a lot worse than strider. Ogres Snapping crocodog gives elite combat to tribal strength units on 5+, which is + 1.67 wounds on D4 with the best units. Held back by the 5+ to get it off, it is decent, but not great. Smoke bombs gives stealthy on 4+ to tribal or goblin units. A nice order to have around, with lots of good targets for it. Undead Raise the dead is the common LL +n on 3+. Works on decaying horde, so not on soulreavers, but most other stuff, including goreblight. With LL1 already on all relevant units, this is a nice extra bit of heal. Dance of death removes shambling. Also a nice tactical option, often useful in the early game, and can also be clutch for objectives late game. A very good tool in the undead cabinet.

D Basilea Aegis of Kolosu – 4+ heal one wound for each success on faithful units. Boring power, but combined with iron resolve, it allows you to easily clean up chip damage. Faithful only makes it less useful. For the glory of the hegemon – elite, but on a 5+ and does not work on the ogres or elohi. Max, it gives you + 1.67 wounds against D4, and on normal regiments, it is around 0.67 extra wounds. On a 5+, that is not great value. Forces of abyss Unholy shield gives +1 def from ranged attacks from the front for upper circle only. Upper circle is lower abyssals, succubi, hellhounds, gargoyles, imps, tortured souls, abyssal horsemen, chroneas, so actually a big pile of units, several of which do not love getting shot. Needs a 5+ to get it off though, which is too high IMO for his command, which is one of the worst defence buff commands. Still, you might as well throw it around the first two turns. Burn the sinners gives fireball n+2 on 4+. Fireball 3 is 1.5 wounds on def 4, so this is a worse version of the dwarf / elf shooting commands, but in return, it comes with no keyword limitations, so you can get some free fireballs out here and there no matter your list.

E

F Empire of dust Casket of the damned gives +6 dice to surge on that unit on 4+. Might allow some longer surges than what is usually safe to go for, but most surges tend to be 1-2 inches, so it is niche. 4+ makes it fairly reliable, but I would want 3-4 command dice in range for that critical surge to be sure. Compared to undead dance of death, this is much worse at getting stuff where you need it, and not good enough to really bet long surges on. Sandstorm makes ranged and melee attacks gain frozen rule. Better than the northern alliance version, as you can slap it on some enslaved guardian archers and reach out 30″, but there is not that much to gain from frozen in EoD. I guess you can bully movement 5 units with this (as if they needed to be bullied more). It also goes off on 4+, which makes me think the northern alliance one is a misprint and should be 3+. Kingdoms of men – Indominable will gives inspiring self and headstrong on a 4+. Very rarely will this order be worth much. KoM has access to lots of very inspiring heros, so the inspiring is unlikely to matter much. Headstrong can help with unlucky waivers, but then again, you have to first get the order off, and then the headstrong roll, so pretty unreliable (and super boring). Brace for impact looks good with +1 def in the front, but limited to only stoic units, which are overall bad units, consisting of halberds, shieldwall and bowmen. Two of them have def 3, so they won’t really hold a charge anyway, so it is practically only useful for shieldwall (with spears). You also have to fish for 5+ to get this order off, so you can’t rely on it for your battleline. And once engaged, you can’t use it anymore. If it worked on knights, foot guard and dogs of war, this would be good, but as is, it is terrible. KoM also feel like you might as well play without orders, you will try to get off some brace for impact turn 1-2, then you run out of any valid targets for the orders. Northern Alliance These guys have really gotten the short end of the stick. For Thalanar gives viscious, which sounds nice, but you only get it on a 5+, and it is locked to only infantry and heavy infantry, so none of your fast or most punchy units can get it. At the top end, on a human tribesmen unit, this order can give you + 1.8 wounds against def 4. On a regiment with 12 attacks, you are looking at .66 – .83 extra wounds. Not great for a 5+ order. And then it gets worse. Order two gives out frozen to enemy units within 6″ of a frostbeast unit. So it is already limited there, and then it is on a freakin 5+ to do it! This might be the worst order of all. If you are within 6″, then frozen will not help the unit being ordered. There are some niche uses here and there, like sacrificing a unit to gain elite for your ice queens, or sacrificing a unit to slow down several enemy units at once, but it is an insult that this order is on a 5+. If it needs to exist, it should be on a 3+. With NA, you will likely not throw out any meaningful orders for the first couple of turns, and then maybe you can try your luck for some vicious here or there when the grinding starts.