Against the Fish: An Army Overview of the Trident Realms

Against the Fish: An Army Overview of the Trident Realm

By Visibly Reilly and The Atchman

This is an overview of the Trident Realm army. We created it to help players defeat the menace from the deep.  I am going to use a slightly different rating system than I used on my last overview. This time I am going to also rate the likely frequency of appearance, and each unit’s primary role which will result in three ratings.

Rating System:

Power Rating:

·         Hard: High Damage Output (High number of attacks at high CS or TC)

·         Strong: Above Average Damage Output (Elite infantry that hits on 3 or above average number of attacks)

·         Average unit (e.g. Shield Wall, Elven Tallspears, Lower Abyssals)

·         Weak: A unit that projects little or no threat

Frequency of Appearance:

·         Likely: expect to see them every game, perhaps even spammed

·         Common: a unit that you can see probably 50% of the time

·         Rare: You will hardly ever see these on the battlefield

Role:

·         Hammer (A unit that is designed to kill stuff)

·         Anvil (A unit that is designed to be charged and to be able to hold for at least one turn)

·         Screen (chaff, flanking unit, meat shield)

·         Shooting

·         Monster (they have multiple roles, so it is hard to quantify)

·         Character

Infantry:

Naiad Ensnarers: NE area solid infantry choice and would be quite common if there weren’t so many excellent choices in the list. They have three basic rules: Ensnare, Pathfinder, and Regeneration 4+. While possessed of a lower-than-average De 3 and very average Nerve values, the combination of the ensnarers’ basic rules leaves them in an excellent place defensively. The Pathfinder lets them easily enter forests and the like to force Hindered charges which stacks nicely with their native -1 to be hit to the front from Ensnare. To top it all off, whatever wounds they do suffer are halved given their regenerative properties each round and helps them dominate as an area control anchor for Trident Realm battle lines.

If you really want to kill these you need to do it in one shot.

Rating: Average/Rare/Anvil

Randy’s Input: These are pretty decent infantry. Their problem is there are so many competing choices for anvils in Trident Realm which also out damage the ensnarers. Their chief role is as an anvil unit, but they don’t function like other armies’ anvils in that Trident Realm doesn’t often have the hammers able to benefit from such a great tarpit. While ensnarers bring great unit strength (4) to the table and are quite difficult to displace, they’re not bringing a whole lot else—especially when you consider they rarely want to counter charge as that would rob their opponent of a second turn being Hindered.  

Thuul: Thuul are a great choice for a cheap flanking unit. Their high number of attacks with Ensnare AND Stealthy make them perfect in this role. The best thing for them is they also have a melee rating of 3 so they hit a lot. They are most likely to appear in troops rather than regiments just because they excel in the role of screeners.

Rating: Strong/Common/Screen

Randy’s Input: After watching a bunch of battle reports, you can pretty much expect one or two units of Thuul’s every game. The most common unit size is the troop. A troop of Thuul’s can take on a regiment of many other armies. With Ensnare, they can often grind for more than one turn depending on the opponent.

Riverguard Treeleapers: Another solid choice in an army that is LOADED with solid choices! These combine Ensnare, FLY, Nimble, and Pathfinder in the same unit! They are the fastest of the infantry choices and most mobile. Their damage output is average, but they should be able to position for flank charges with their mobility. I would expect to see them in troop sizes as harassing or flanking unit.

Rating: Average/rare/screen

Randy’s Input: The only reason I can see for their rarity is that it is not a common model to paint. Old Games Workshop skinks would be perfect for these as they are essentially the same thing. Also the Thuul have such a high damage output and are both resilient in the shooting and melee phases, they are more common choices.

Placoderms: The new “meta” in Kings of War this year seems to be high armor armies with heal as they seem to be the most forgiving. Placoderms are the epitome of the “Anvil” unit. They actually have more swings than a normal regiment (12 swings is average). They also combine the Phalanx rule with the high armor value. This makes them almost impossible for cavalry to take them out. They do have an average melee output so they don’t project a lot of combat power, but they are perfect for “grind” combat.

Rating: Average/Likely/(anvil/screen)

Randy’s Input: You could argue this unit is strong as it is “strong” in its role as a perfect anvil; especially against cavalry. Placoderms are also an effective screening unit, but are not quite “chaff” they are more of a mini-anvil, that hold stuff up. At 105 points for a troop what an absolute STEAL!

 

Ranged Infantry:

Naiad Heartpiercers: So when Naiads pick up guns they lose all of their special rules except regeneration! Must be some heavy harpoon guns! These are a solid but very short ranged shooting choice because they hit on a 4+ AND have piercing! There are not many units in the game with this ability.

Rating: (Strong shooting damage)/rare/shooting

Randy’s input: In any other army these would be a solid shooting choice. With regeneration they have the ability to take counter battery fire. However their morale is low (like most shooters) so you don’t want them to be shot at too much. One lightning bolt or a fireball and these guys are running. They need to be screened early for this unit to work.

Riley’s Notes: I would say that these are pretty rare right now, but I could easily see Heartpiercers being a unit to look out for as the “meta{ sharpens in 2021. For 120 pts for the Troop, you get eight shots a turn at Piercing (1), that hits on a 4+, and have a threat range of 23” due to Steady Aim. Couple that with a decent melee stat of 5+ and Regen 4+ and you’re left with very decent plink units that shrug off plink damage of their own. Keep them to your weak flank and harry your opponent all for a reasonable cost.

Riverguard Infanry:

Riverguard keep all of their special rules unlike their Naiad brothers. Highly mobile shooting is pretty nice but the damage output is nothing like the Naiad Heartpiercers

Rating: (weak shooting damage)/rare/shooting

Randy’s Input: They should have just combined this with the Treeleapers and gave them the javelin upgrade.  I say that then realize that if they have a javelin they can’t hit anything in melee anymore. Overall this is a pretty weak choice, which is rare in the Trident Realm army.

Swarms:

Tidal Swarm: This is one of the better swarms in the game. Ensnare should actually be the special rule on most swarms as they are a mass of small critters. Ensnare makes them a great chaff unit AND they have unbreakable morale of 12! On top of that they have Pathfinder and can scout. The downside is that most swarms in the game have movement 6. These guys have movement 5, so it depends on the speed of the rest of your list to evaluate whether they are worth it or not.

Rating: weak/rare/screen

Riley’s Notes: Tidal Swarms are the bane of any Shambling list as the majority of such units hit on a 4+ base and are more expensive than the swarm. While Speed 5 isn’t the best, coupled with Scout they are still an excellent jamming unit that can trap non-flying combat units for an extra turn over similar swarms due to their Ensnare ability. They also just so happen to perfectly cover Depth Horrors which are a mainstay in most Trident Realm lists.

Nokken: Are the second form of swarm in the Trident Realm army. They are faster than Tidal Swarms, and add a nifty shooting attack albeit a short ranged one. Their morale isn’t as good, but they retain Ensnare and would be a very decent choice in the counter screen role. The main problem with both swarms is that the Trident Realm has SO many good choices for screening troops that the swarms get left behind.

Rating: weak/rare/(shooting/screen)

Randy’s Input: Many other armies would kill for such good choices for swarms. However Trident Realm have Thuul’s and Placoderms for screening/chaff. That is why you won’t see these on the battlefield.

Large Infantry:

Depth Horrors: Probably the most common unit you will encounter in any Trident Realm list. They marry Ensnare with a high amount of 3+ swings followed by Crush Strength 1. They are the mainstay of many armies. Their only downside is their weak armor. While that is almost irrelevant in melee due to their Ensnare ability, they can be picked on by shooting. Oh but wait—they have an unbreakable 18 Nerve so, unless you kill them, you will never stop them.

Rating: Hard/Likely/Hammer

Randy’s Input: I fully expect to see at least two hordes of these every game. They are such a pain to take out with Ensnare and the fact you can’t waiver them. They are a great grinding unit.

Riley’s Notes: While the hordes of Depth Horrors are what are most commonly seen and/or talked about, the regiments are also a very good buy. Fitting the “thick chaff” idea going around these days, Depth Horror regiments are -/15 Nerve for 110 points and provide some decent combat ability to go with their ability to “tar pit” units. Their De 3+ does hold them back here, but if your gaming area is low on small-arms shooting, I’d recommend giving some regiments of these a shot.

Water Elementals: Water Elementals are probably not as strong of a choice due to shambling. They are faster on the charge than the Depth Horrors and have better armor plus regeneration. Add to that very limited surge in the army and you see why they are not as strong of a choice as Depth Horrors. They are not useless, but they are less useful. You would have to dedicate one of the two Thuul magic users for them to take advantage of the shambling charges.

Rating: Hard/Rare/Hammer

Randy’s Input: In other armies Water Elementals are pretty decent. Those armies though usually have enough “Surge” ability to take advantage of them. It is just that in the TR army the Depth Horrors are so good. The only reason I can see to take them is the potential 14” charge range. You could put the Brew of Haste on them and be a credible anti-cavalry threat.  Still that is dedicating a lot of points to do something that Depth Horrors already do pretty well.

Riley’s Notes: Trident Realm pays over three points fewer per point of Surge at their lowest cost than Empire of Dust does and EoD is still doing quite well as a Surge force so I think it a little off to say TR can’t put down a decent amount of the stuff. Like always, Trident Realm’s unique internal balance makes the question on how Water Elementals are best utilized a little strange, but a case could be made for an center anchor of 2 hordes of Water Elementals (one with Nimble and the other with whatever item you want) backed up by an Aquamage with Surge(8).

Large Cavalry:

Naiad Wyrmriders: Wyrmriders are a weird unit. They have the speed of regular cavalry but a little less hitting power without TC. They have higher morale than a typical cavalry unit. The regeneration is a nice thing for grinding battles and helps them against missile fire. Having Pathfinder built in saves points on Striding and Caterpillar. They have the high attacks of Abyssal Horsemen, but again suffer from the lack of Thunderous Charge.

Rating: Strong/rare/hammer

Randy’s Input: These guys are so hard to classify. If I had to give them a name, I think they are an average cavalry unit. The Pathfinder makes them good on the terrain choked KoW battlefields. They make a nice flanker unit because the TR has so many nice anvil units. I can see Gigas or Placoderms leading the formation with the Wyrmriders ready to exploit. I think the regeneration makes them fairly resilient. It would be nice to put the Chalice of Wrath on them if I were a Trident Realm player.

Riley’s Notes: When v3 first came around, I was disappointed in this unit. After the insane levels of power they enjoyed in CoK 2019, their fall from grace made them full clunky and lackluster. Since the US Masters 2019, however, I’ve changed my opinion on Wyrmriders. Sure, they’re basically a normal cavalry unit, but I don’t think Trident Realm really needs that much damage output from their list on the whole each turn. The army functions more like a scalpel—removing any threats to them winning, but not going for decisive kills that armies like Orcs and Ogres are known for. I’d recommend trying at least one out with Brew of Strength in your list as their threat and damage output is hard for Trident Realm to replicate.

Riverguard Dambusters: This is a really unique unit. It really can’t be compared to anything else in any other army. They are really powerful on the charge with Crushing Strength1 and Thunderous Charge 2. Add to that that the FLY, have Strider and Regeneration (6)! Oh wait that isn’t all! They have the Enthrall spell too!  It is short ranged, but it could be used to pull a unit off of an objective or back over a table side. The downside is they are pricey.

Rating: Strong/rare/hammer

Randy’s Input: These guys are expensive for a unit. Unlike most TR unit’s they have a decent armor of 5, but lack the customary Ensnare. I would expect these to be a rarely seen unit mostly due to the high cost and the high cost of collecting the models. Perhaps a regiment would be more common, but not sure what role it fills. They also compete with another unit in this category:

 

Gigas: What is not to like about effectively ANOTHER Armor 6 unit? Oh and some twit gave them Nimble too which makes no sense to me (I suppose it simulates the movement of crabs). Gigas hit a ton too, though they have a fairly low number of swings. Their CS 2 makes them a threat to anything (with vicious) and they are a great grinding unit. They really have no real weakness. They are the slowest of the units in this category but that doesn’t seem like that much of a limitation since they have Nimble.

Rating: Hard/Likely/(Anvil)

Randy’s Input: I fully expect to see 1 to 2 Hordes of these on the table every time. They are the perfect balance to the Depth Horrors. They are almost invulnerable. Personally I think they are a little under costed for their abilities, but perhaps that is mitigated by less swings (but more reliable swings).

Large Infantry:

Greater Water Elemental: A GWE is not a bad unit, it just competes against the best model in that slot: the Knucker.  

Rating: Strong/Rare/Monster

Randy’s Input: I would be surprised to see this model in a TR army. So the threat level from it is zero.

Knucker: Personally I think this is the best monster in the game. That is with other stuff in the TR list which is among the best of their type in the game. What is not to like with a movement 9, Stealthy, Ensnare, Nimble, Pathfinder, with CS1 and TC 1 that hits on a 3? Besides the Depth Horrors, this is the other most common unit in the game.

Rating: Strong/Likely/Monster

Randy’s Input: Danger, danger, danger! You must keep track of these guys. They are very hard to kill with Stealthy and Ensnare. Their mobility is almost as good as a flyer and they are almost as fast. They might suffer if you can get one of your monsters up against them which is probably your best bet to kill them. Still the best monster in the game for only 150 points.

TITANS:

Coral Giant: Okay it is a GIANT with Ensnare. Too bad they didn’t give it Stealthy too. (Tongue in cheek).

Rating: Strong/Rare/Monster

Randy’s Input: If it were in any other army they would be fairly common. In this army there are other choices. It would not be a weak choice by any means, just not as good as the Kraken. The problem is that the Trident Realm already has enough excellent anvil units and hammer units. This fits right in between and it doesn’t fit either role very well.

 

Kraken: Okay it has the coolest name. The Kraken fills the role of the Coral Giant in many ways. The difference is it is faster with wild charge. It regenerates its wounds and has higher morale. That is why the Kraken will be seen more than the Coral Giant

Rating: Hard/Likely/Monster

Randy’s Input: The Kraken is a much faster version of the GIANT. Ensnare makes it hard to hit which means its lower armor isn’t a factor all that often. Even it if is, the Kraken has a high regeneration keeping it in the game for a long time.

War Engine:

Leviathan’s Bane: LB is a strange war machine. When it hits you may cast the Enthrall spell with the same number as the damage inflicted. So if you did say 2 wounds, you can cast a 2 dice Enthrall.

Rating: Average/Rare /Shooting

Randy’s Input: I have never heard anyone use these before. I feel that Trident Realm is first and foremost a melee army. Any points not spent towards that goal feel wasted to me.

Characters:

Naiad Centurion: This is a pretty typical “general” level character. They do have regeneration which is quite handy, but lack the Ensnare of their troops.

Rating: Average/Rare/Character

Randy’s Input: This is a typical character you would see in many army lists. With Mighty and Inspiring she fits a similar role. There is nothing really special about her, except that she has decent armor and regeneration, so she could be used to hold a charge for a turn against lighter units.

Naiad Wyrmrider Centurion: This is basically the same as the regular centurion except they are mounted. Since they are large cavalry, they can double their attacks with a flank charge. Being on a square base and having Nimble, they will fulfill that role well. Lastly their Nerve is one higher than her foot-bound sister.

Rating: Average/Common/Character

Randy’s Input: I think is this is a solid model. Another advantage is that they can score and with their Inspiring and Thunderous Charge (1), they cannot be ignored. The good thing for their opponents is that they lack Ensnare and Stealthy so they can be shot and killed like a “normal” model.

Naiad Stalker: This model is what I would call a typical hero-level model. Fewer swings and armor than the centurion, but they gain Stealthy and Ensnare. They are more of a “loner” character since they inspire themselves. They act like a mobile gun platform with their harpoon gun.

Rating: Average/rare/Character

Randy’s Input: It is honestly hard for any army to invest in “loner” characters. I see how they could work to take chip shot wounds off of a damaged unit. Since they are virtually immune to missile fire, they would make a credible war engine hunter.  Wings of Honeymaze would solidify them in that role, but they start getting pricey.

Depth Horror Eternal: They are the hero character for the Depth Horrors. I would fully expect to see them in any army that has Depth Horrors (which will be them all). They inspire Depth Horrors, they score, and they are Nimble, so they are the perfect adjutant to any army that has Depth Horrors.

Rating: Strong/Likely/Character

Randy’s Input: You may was well put “auto include” as a category for this model. They are perfect to escort Depth Horrors across the field. As an opponent, I’d target them to remove Inspiring from the Depth Horrors. They are strong because of their scoring and their ability to add 5 nasty CS 2 attacks in melee.

Thuul Aquamage: The Aquamage inspires Water Elementals in this army. They also have a credible missile attack with 10 dice of Icy Breath  Icy Breath adds an additional counter mobility ability to the already strong use of Enthrall and Eckter’s special attacks.

Rating: Average/rare/Character

Randy’s Input: Unless your opponent is going to use Water Elementals or Nokken, I don’t think you will see this guy.

Riley’s Notes: While I agree with all of the above, I would recommend not sleeping on the Rising Tides upgrade the aquamage has access to. For 15 pts, you get Aura (Wild Charge (+1)) for all units. Especially with the ability to really spread the love around for the Wild Charge with the mage being Speed 6, it’s an excellent upgrade and one that might catch even the best players off guard.

Thuul Mythican: By far the most common mage in the Trident Realm armies. They are not only an effective magic user but they are very good combat heroes. Their spells can include, Bane Chant, Lightning Bolt, Wind Blast, and Surge. Taking Lightning Bolt and the Boomstick makes them an excellent late-game model. The fact that they have Ensnare and Stealthy make them very hard to kill as well. Lastly, they inspire Cephalapods which can be useful in lists heavily featuring krakens.

Rating: Strong/Likely/Character

Randy’s input: You will most likely see these guys around the Kraken or Thuul. If there is a kraken in the Trident Realm army, they are almost an auto include. The Kraken is very resilient and the inspiring and complementary spells of the Mythican keep them in the fight longer.

Naiad Envoy: Honestly the best ASB in the game. This army is LOADED for great choices, and this one is one of those. As many of the sources of Inspiring in the Trident Realm army are keyword dependent,  the naiad characters all have generic Inspiring which makes them good choices. The Envoy has the option to upgrade to the Horn of Ocean’s Fury. It is an aura that gives infantry and heavy infantry fury and for only 15 points. The main issue though is that very few Trident Realm armies actually use normal infantry along with the upgrade precluding the envoy from taking any magic items which is especially bad for ASBs given how ubiquitous the Lute of Insatiable Darkness is.

The other upgrade is that the envoy can have Bastion 2 for only 20 points. This is a very good spell to help the Trident Realm hold the line. However, I fully expect the Trident Realm player to stick with the aforementioned, good old Lute of Insatiable Darkness.

Rating: Average/Common/character

Siren: The Siren comes standard with Enthrall for 80 points. Moving the enemy around is a strong theme in Trident Realm armies. On average, the Siren will move an enemy 2”–3” per turn. That isn’t their only spell though. Oh no, they can also have Drain Life (6) or Heal (3) for 30 points. Those two spells are strong with Gigas or Placoderms. Add in the Shroud of the Saint and you have a Heal (6) model. Hex is strong against casting armies like those with Surge. Perhaps the nastiest spell they can get is Weakness (2). This will help preserve the weaker armored Depth Horrors OR make the Gigas and Placoderms virtually invulnerable. Mind Fog (1) for 10 points is not really worth consideration given how unlikely it is to be helpful in a game at only (1) casting value.

Rating: Strong/Common/Character

Randy’s Inputs: The Siren is very versatile. Honestly there are so many good ways to use it in a Trident Realm list, but I am guessing its strongest role is as a support character. Heal and the Shroud of the Saints is a strong combo for a Trident Realm army. However they could go more offensive with Weakness and/or Mind Fog. Because of Ensnare and Stealthy the Siren is hard to kill even with assassins.

Riley’s Notes: One thing that is often missed about Enthrall is that it can be used to drag units into each other. An often state in the midgame is your opponent rolling in with their chaff and keeping their striking units just far enough behind to maintain their ability to pivot past said frontline units for the inevitable counter charge. With Enthrall, you can drag your opponent’s units forward and close that gap they gave themselves for reforming effectively trapping the second line.

When you pull it off, your opponent will be lamenting their very own screens.

Rivergauard Sentinel: The only flying character in the army, though it is short-ranged. They can be used in the assassin role since they have Duelist.

Rating: Average/rare/character

Randy’s Input: The Trident Realm army is flooded with good character choices. While most armies would love to have this choice as an assassin, I doubt they will see the table.

Riverguard Dambuster Sentinel: This is honestly a decent choice. They have Fly, with 5 attacks, CS 2, and TC 1! Their flying is short ranged but with their height, they can jump over most units for some timely flank charges. The modeling opportunities are very cool as well.

Rating: Strong/rare/character

Randy’s Input: I think this is a solid choice for a Trident Realm army. The issue is as above there are SO many good choices and no brainer choices (Knuckers) I would never expect to see this guy on the table. Personally I think they are really cool and can work with the synergy of a TR army.

Special Characters:

Eckter: Really? You give the Trident Realm armies perhaps the best character choices in the game, THEN you give them a no-brainer special character? What is not to like about Eckter? He is simply the best unique model in the game. If there is a character in the game that is invulnerable it Eckter is very close to it. Ensnare, De 6, and Phalanx? Holy crap! Add to that he is CS 2 and has a Wind Blast spell that causes damage. All of these abilities and he is only 165 points; it will take triple that points to kill him.

Rating: HARD/COMMON/Character

Randy’s Input: I don’t know what to say except that he is so good that you can expect to see him and deal with him every game. As one of my friends pointed out to me he can only do so much. And the nice this is at least he can’t score. I am stunned he is so cheap. The most expensive dragon in the game is basically useless against Eckter.

Trident King: The Trident King is a really cool character. I can’t help but think of the character on SpongeBob: “King Neptune”. He has a LOT of attacks, making him basically a land dragon. Add to that good armor AND Ensnare. His strength is only CS 1 but he does have TC1. He has a short-ranged but very effective missile attack. It is 12 attacks with Steady Aim and CS 1 that hits on a 4.

Rating: Hard/Common/Character

Randy’s Input: With Eckter for a steal, not sure why would spend 230 points on the Trident King. Still, I will bet the model looks really cool and that is why you would see him in tournaments at least. The fact is the Trident Realm have so many good character choices and so many easy unlocks, the characters alone will overwhelm many foes.

How to Beat the Trident Realm: Randy’s Input:

I am going to make some suggestions on how to beat the Trident Realm. I have asked my friend Visibly Reilly to do some more in depth stuff or just to add to what I have written.

1)      Know your foe. This is a primary thing to do. The fact is that the Trident Realm is not that common of an army. They will surprise you the first time you play them if you don’t adjust your tactics. The wide spread Ensnare and Armor 6 are very hard to overcome. The charges you think about making early in the game may be a mistake especially if you think you can “one-shot” their units.

2)      Flanks, flanks, flanks Though this could be said of any army it is especially true against certain units in the Trident Realm army. While charging Gigas or Placoderms in the flanks may not bust them up, everything else has pretty weak armor. The best thing is NO DAMNED ENSNARE! Even a swarm charging into a unit of Depth Horrors in the flank can cause significant damage.

3)      Shoot, shoot, SHOOT. There are many units in the Trident Realm army that are virtually immune to shooting. However the Depth Horrors and Thuuls can be weakened with shooting. Don’t waste time on Gigas or Placoderms unless you are shooting high damage attacks from cannons or catapults against them. A Wizard with Boomstick is handy to take out chaff units like Thuuls despite their Stealthy. Just a couple of wounds may run them off the table. ;

4)      Fly, Fly, Fly. Honestly the Trident Realm will have trouble against flyers. They lack the high-speed anti-flyer guys of most other armies. Unless they have Water Elementals, they don’t have the Surge defense of some armies either.

5)      Drops. There are a lot of good units in a Trident Realm army. As in most armies they add up quickly. A couple of key extra drops can help win the game for you.

6)      Magic: There are some spells that are really good against certain Trident Realm units. Drain Life while you are fighting Depth Horrors, Naiads, or Thuuls can win you some fights. The lowly Wind Blast can be good as some of their casters or shooters have a short effective range. Obviously lightning bolt, fireball, or Icy Breath can work against the low armored or chaff units.

7)      Last thing. PLAY THE SCENARIO! Don’t get wrapped up on how much better they are than you or how you can’t hurt them or how much Mantic was a bunch of asses for creating this abomination. Focus on the playing the scenario.

Summary:

It is my opinion that Trident Realm is among the top three of Kings of War armies. That is mainly because it is hard to prepare for them, especially in a tournament situation. Understanding their weaknesses is the key to beating them. Learning to ignore the invulnerable Armor 6 units and pick on the more fragile units is a key to victory.

How to Beat Back the Tide:  Riley’s Inputs

Playing against a Trident Realm force is unlike most other forces in Kings of War. Where armies like Orcs, Ogres, and even Elves are about really putting the screws to their opponent, Trident Realm armies are more subtle and patient in their play. Often, you’ll be expecting the horde of Ensnarers to rush into your regiment of working Joes only for the fishmen to hold back and just position slightly to wait for a better opportunity. This is mainly due to the army’s preponderance of Ensnare as a special rule along with Regeneration which allows the fish people to take a “wait and see” approach to the game and, instead of slamming into the grinder of piece trading, work as an interdiction force instead.

This isn’t to say that they’re all bark and no bite, though. No, units like the Kraken and Depth Horrors utilize the powerful defensive common in Trident Realm to offer them some modicum of protection as they rush the enemy lines and rip the still-beating heart from their chests. Due to KoW v3 being a little high in Waver mitigation, Depth Horrors have become quite the common sight in Trident Realm lists too so expect this more in-your-face style to show up more often than you might otherwise assume.

Now, none of this is to say that Trident Realm are an army without weakness because, while their unique rules give them unique advantages, they also open up some pretty gaping flaws the most exploitable of which is their weakness against shooting. As Ensnare only works against combat and few of the sea’s forces have Stealthy, the majority of Trident Realm force’s lower-than-average defense comes back to bite them. Naiads, for example, have excellent regenerative abilities, but at De 3+ they are far more susceptible to being one shot than other units of their type provided you can mitigate Ensnare.

As with any well-rounded force, Trident Realm isn’t all low defense—one look at Gigas dispels that idea—but they do tend to be a bit more on the elite side of builds given the cost of their units. When designing strategies to defeat the sea, keep in mind that they’re unlikely to have higher than the average number of units and that most of those won’t hit harder than average units of that quality (e.g. Depth Horrors hit about as hard as Ogres, Ensnarers like your average Men at Arms, etc).

Common units I’d expect to see in almost all Trident Realm lists are Depth Horrors, Knuckers, and Eckter. For the former, expect the kind of damage you’d take from a horde of ogres only with the added benefit of essentially negating high CS units due to their lower-than-average defense. Getting past the Ensnare is the big thing here as their defense leaves them vulnerable as does their lack of native Pathfinder. Try to target them with whatever small-arms fire you’ve brought in your list and avoid getting stuck in with your hammers.

For Knuckers, you just let them do their thing. Unless you get lucky with some early shooting, they’re going to be riding the tape and swooping around your sides to meddle in your backline very quickly. Generally, I’ve used a liberal application of Lightning Bolt to deal with these, but you could also make sure to place your battle lines in such a way to support each other as a Knucker—even in the flank—is more of a Wavering/disruption piece than a killer.  When they Waiver your unit, you want your counterattack to be ready and ideally set up on a juicy flank to avoid the Ensnare.

Lastly, we have Eckter. This is another power piece that there isn’t really a great solution to in most forces. He’s De 6, Ensnare, Phalanx, Mighty, and excellent at both ranged attacks and melee. I treat Eckter like I would a non-Individual as, with Ensnare and Phalanx only working to the front, flank charges are your friend. Brute force is really the only permanent solution, but if you can’t manage that, abusing Eckter’s poor speed and lack of terrain mitigation can work out—at least until you can muster enough force to put the Lovecraftian horror down for good.

In conclusion, Trident Realm is a varied force with several competitive builds available to them. In general, they have slightly lower defense than average and are often weak against anything with a high volume of attacks—especially when they’re bows. While Trident Realm lists can differ greatly, the three units you should be ready to deal with are Depth Horrors, Knuckers, and Eckter. If you can deal with them, you have a decent chance of quelling the ocean’s wrath—for a time, at least.