Order of Brothermark Army Review

 

Re-Thinking the “Nordberg”

The “Iron Circle” version of my Sam Nordberg Dash 28 list

https://dash28.org/2020/07/19/kingdoms-of-men-tactics-for-all-comers/

One of the most influential articles for playing Kingdoms of Men was the Dash 28 article by Sam Nordberg.  The concepts contained in the article gave me hope for my Kingdoms of Men.  At one point I was despondent about their average abilities and no real strengths.  Sam gave me some great advice and ideas. Now all of my Kingdoms of Men lists are some sort of variant of his original list.  You don’t have to copy it directly, but there are “modules” in his list that are keys to victory.  These “modules” are what makes the list lethal. 

The Pike Module:

One of the most underappreciated “modules” in the Nordberg list is the “Pike Module”.  The “Pike Module” consists of both four or five regiments of Pikes, and three troops of Fanatics.  This is a very hard combo to defeat.  The Pikemen are basically invulnerable for one turn of melee.  That lets more Pikemen enter the fight, or the Fanatics which are the hitting power of the “Module”. 

Diagram #1  You can see the Fanatics are deployed “slightly” back from the four Pike regiments.  In my “Iron Circle” list, I actually had an extra unit of Fanatics.  It is deployed again slightly back from the last unit of Pikemen. 

Diagram #2  Here the Kingdoms of Men player has aggressively moved his Pike module up to face a nasty Elf attack.  The KoM player is smart to keep his end Fanatics unit just a little over 12” away.  Sure the Dragon can charge the Fanatic Regiment on the end but their destruction is not assured.  Not pictured is the General on Winged Beast ready to flank charge the Dragon if it tries.  The Elves have no choice but to charge into the Pikemen.  That allows the Fanatics to charge in the following turn.  It is unlikely any of the Pikemen will break.  Even if they do, they will normally get charged by something else.  Two troops of Fanatics are a lethal combination.  While there is only a small chance the Fanatics can break one of the Elf hordes, over a couple of turns it “could” happen.  I have seen three troops of Fanatics “one shot” an Empire of Dust Revenant Horde! 

There are times when you have to break up the "Pike Module" due to threats.  For example if confronted with an army with lots of shooting, you may want to place your Fanatics in front of your Foot Guard to give them cover.  This is low risk since the Fanatics will not waver.  My friend Craig used to "mass" the Fanatics into a hammer.  It is always neat to see this list played in so many styles that I've never imagined.  His list was a variant of the Nordberg list with three 'battalions", each with 2 regiments of Pikemen, a unit of Foot Guard, and a flyer.  

The “Pike Module” also serves as a holding/delaying force.  That means they can move aggressively forward to “pin” your foe in place. Your foe has the choice whether to charge or retreat.  This allows the rest of your army to come to the rescue.  Most of my foes try to avoid the “Pike Module”.  When you add in a “Lone Ranger” (Mounted Hero) or a General on Winged Beast, the Pike Module becomes very hard to assail. 

The Three Amigos Module

The “Three Amigos Module” is simply three Mounted Heroes (usually with Indomitable Will).  These three models are a true multi-role faction.  I usually call the Mounted Heroes “The Lone Ranger”.  They normally act alone but they are superb and a central part of the list. 

Flyer defense is the first role for them.  Three of them with a 360 degree charge arc can easily ground a flyer for long enough for something else to help.  It is wise to outfit them with small magic items such as Mace of Crushing, or Sword of Slashing.  The helps insure they can cause the critical single wound to disrupt your foe. 

One of the best, most versatile chaff units in the game is the “Lone Ranger”.  All it takes is one wound to disrupt an enemy formation.  Though the “Lone Ranger “is a “yielding” hero, if he manages to disrupt an enemy formation they cannot charge through him.  They must either fight him or have something else better to do.  On top of that he is VERY hard to destroy in one turn.  With armor five, he rarely takes more than a few wounds and “can” survive.  If he does survive and his is wavered, he can activate his Indomitable Will and either attack again or go somewhere else. 

(Note: the two model version is called “The Lone Ranger and Tonto”). 

Just an aside, not knowing this rule cost me SO MANY GAMES when I first started playing the “Nordberg” list!  I didn’t discover it until after my first GT.  So many of those draws and a narrow loss should have been victories for me, but not knowing the rule cost me. 

The Air Force Module

The “Air Force Module” is three Generals on Winged Beasts.  They are a core concept of the any “Nordberg” list.  Besides being annoying, they are the “can openers” of the list.  With their high crushing strength and their thunderous charge they can tear heavy armor apart. 

The Three Fingers of Death: 

“The Three Fingers of Death” is where you split the three GoWB up.  You would place one on each flank and one in the middle.  That forces your foe to make choices.  Often when your foe turns to deal with one GoWB, it exposes either the flank of that unit or exposes another opportunity.  With this deployment, you can often “jump” the enemy lines.  Once you get a GoWB behind or beside your foe, most games are pretty much over. 

One of the best tactics involves a GoWB and a “Lone Ranger” when dealing with enemy flyers.  The enemy does not want their flyers to be charged.  What the KoM General does is to aggressively move the “Lone Ranger” towards their flyers.  He has to make a choice of getting grounded by the “Lone Ranger” or doing something else.  If he charges the “Lone Ranger” the GoWB will charge them in return.  This will often leave the enemy flyer with a bad choice of trying to beat the GoWB OR the “Lone Ranger”.  Many times the “Lone Ranger” will survive a charge from an enemy flyer.  He can then activate his Indomitable Wil if necessary.  This leaves the enemy in a quandary, one they rarely survive.

The Flying Fist of Despair:

The “Flying Fist of Despair” is simply grouping your GoWBs together to charge a single opponent. All three should easily destroy any regiment in the game, or severely maim most hordes.  The idea is to knock a hole in the enemy line and allow the GoWB easy access to the flank and rear of the enemy force.  This can be devastating if your foe has a weak spot in their line. 

Three Generals on Winged Beast SLAMS a unit of Drakons!  Even if they do not break them, they can execute the “Pop and Hop” tactic

The Wild Weasel:

The “Wild Weasel” is very simple.  It is using your GoWB (and your Lone Rangers) to suppress enemy shooting and spell casters.  Their superior speed and height will often allow them to start destroying enemy shooting units on turn two.  Spell casters will have very few options but to hide behind units so they aren’t charged by the tall GoWB.  Even if you can’t kill them, they will be throwing spells with a cover penalty. 

Just remember when facing shooting that you can run your fanatics in front of your army.  Make them take the damage and not your valuable Foot Guard.  Place them where they can move at maximum speed forward every turn.  Your goal is to flood the shooting lanes with targets.  Normally they cannot kill them all (unless they are a filthy dirty goblin player).  

The Pop and Hop:

The “Pop and Hop” tactic was used very effectively in our “Army Swap” battle report by my friend Craig.  The idea is a double charge into a unit that forces the enemy to attack only one of the attackers.  That is the “Pop” portion. The “Hop” portion is the following turn where the unit charged can only attack one of your units, which allows the untouched General on Winged Beast to “Hop” their lines and threaten their rear. 

 

Diagram 3#  The General on Winged Beast  and a troop of Fanatics charge a unit of Elven Tall Spears.  The General on Winged Beast is virtually no threat to the Elves, but the Fanatics are a significant threat, so they swing at the Fanatics.  In the following turn the General on Winged Beast “Hops “ the line, perhaps charging the Archmage on the hill or just moving into position for a rear or flank charge in the following turn. 

Here is the battle report that demonstrates the “Pop and Hop” to perfection! https://youtu.be/w06xZaZAm4Q

Types of Nordberg Lists:

Players and especially tournaments play at many different points levels. The real “Nordberg” list is designed to work at 2300 points.  However you can play with it at lesser point levels or at least a portion of it. 

2000 Points:

At 2K the list is not ideal.  The reason being is that you can rarely field more than one or two of the modules.  This is one of my favorite 2K lists:

The Newberg with Gandalf

4 Regiments of Pikes

2 Hordes of Foot Guard with IW

3 Troops of Fanatics

2 Generals on Winged Beasts

3 Mounted Heroes (IW, Slashing, Crushing)

GANDALF (Wizard, Inspiring Talisman, Bane Chant, Lightning Bolt 3)

In this list you get “The Pike Module” and the “Three Amigos Module”.  While the “Air Force” is present, 2 is not nearly as large of a threat as is three.  However, it keeps the excellent combination of infantry combined with the power of “The Three Amigos”. 

The CompBERG:

1 Horde of Pikemen (IW, Brew of Strength)

2 Hordes of Foot Guard (IW)

3 Regiments of Fanatics

3 Generals on Winged Beast (Trickster’s Wand, and Staying Stone)

ASB with Lute

2 Mounted Heroes (IW, Crushing and Slashing)

Wait! This isn’t anywhere close to the normal list!  This version features the “Air Force” module to the exclusion of others.  It is a “compromise” which is why it is the “CompBerg”.  While not quite as versatile at the “Newberg” it can still do many of the same things but relies on the strength of the three Generals on Winged Beast.  You have three rock hard infantry hordes, backed up by three regiments of Fanatics.  Remember the “Nordberg” list is designed to be charged and then counter.  This list will do that, BUT you have to avoid having your Foot Guard Hordes double charged.  You must use the “Lone Rangers” or the Fanatics to make that happen.  I would have a Lone Ranger right next to both Foot Guard hordes.  The Pikemen are so good, you really don’t have to worry about anyone charging them. 

There is any number of variations of this list.  I have found these two to be the best however.  The “CompBERG” is very strong in that the infantry hordes can take a hit and dish out damage, especially with Bane Chant.  The “Newberg” is good because it fields two of the best modules and keeps the flexibility of the 2300 point list. 

2150 Points:

Anything above 2000 points the Nordberg comes into its own.  Most variations can field two modules and some three!  Mostly what you have to do is to simply have 4 Regiments of Pikemen, and drop one Lone Ranger. 

4 Regiments of Pikes

2 Hordes of Foot Guard with IW (Caterpillar)

3 Troops of Fanatics

3 Generals on Winged Beasts (Staying Stone, Chalice of Wrath)

2 Mounted Heroes (IW, Slashing, Crushing)

ASB with Lute

2150 points  15 drops  26 US

At 2150 this list plays almost exactly as the 2300 point version.  You have the “Pike Module” and the “Air Force” Module, plus the “Lone Ranger and Tonto”.  This list can take on almost anything and compete.  I have even run a “nice” version of this list with only one flyer.  I replaced the two Generals on Winged Beasts with Regiments of Knights.  It was still brutally effective since it still has the “Pike Module” and the two Hero Module “The Lone Ranger and Tonto”. 

The KNIGHTBerg:

4 Regiments of Pikes

2 Hordes of Foot Guard with IW (Caterpillar)

3 Troops of Fanatics

2 Regiments of Knights

1 General on Winged Beast (Staying Stone)

2 Mounted Heroes (IW, Slashing,  Crushing)

ASB with Lute

2150 points 15 drops  30 Unit Strength

The “KnightBerg” is an excellent balanced list   I normally use it for “friendly” games when I don’t want to dominate with the three flyers.  Don’t be fooled it is still a really good list.  The thing is it depends on the infantry and cavalry to do all the killing instead of the “Air Force”

 2300 Points:

At 2300 points the Nordberg list comes into its own.  It has every tool in the toolbox and is very hard to defeat.  Utilizing all three main modules, plus two hordes of hard hitting Foot Guard makes for a formidable foe for almost anyone.  Against some lists it is almost an “auto win”.  It is especially good at blunting “Alpha Strike” lists. 

The first list to be explored is the one I call the “Orthodox Nordberg”.  I have found it to be the superior version of the list. 

The “Orthodox Nordberg”

5 Regiments of Pikes

2 Hordes of Foot Guard

3 Troops of Fanatics

2 Regiments of Knights

3 Generals on Winged Beast

3 Mounted Heroes (IW, Slashing, Crushing)

ASB with Lute

While this is slightly different than Sam’s original army, it is basically the same. In my play testing the “Three Amigos” needed the magic weapons more than the Generals.  The three General s are usually charging targets in the flank or rear, so the weapons were not quite as important.  Also the addition of Indomitable Will on the “Three Amigos” is a key advantage I have found. 

Understand that the “Orthodox Nordberg” rarely just slaughters its foes.  It isn’t that type of army.  However it is a superior army for scenario play.  It has 17 drops 29 Unit Strength and almost all of that Unit Strength is very hard to kill.  The “Pike Module” alone has 17 Unit Strength!  That is almost as much as some armies. 

My latest permutation of the list is called the “PikeBerg”.  It is virtually identical to the “Orthodox Nordberg” but fixes a problem that I personally have of getting my Foot Guard double charged by my foes. 

The “PikeBerg”

5 Regiments of Pikes

1 Horde of Pikes (Brew of Strength, IW)

1 Horde of Foot Guard (Indomitable Will)

3 Troops of Fanatics

3 Generals on Winged Beast  (Staying Stone)

2 Mounted Heroes (IW, Slashing, Crushing)

ASB with Lute

US 29 Drops 16

You do lose a drop and you go from the “Three Amigos” to the “Lone Ranger and Tonto” with your mounted heroes.  However, a Pike Horde with Brew of Strength and Indomitable Will is virtually invulnerable to melee troops.  It also hits almost as hard as the Foot Guard Horde with 2 handed weapons AND the armor is exactly the same.  However, with “ensnare” that horde can even take double charges (most of the time) which pins your foe in melee and allows you to flank with the “Air Force” or members of the “Pike Module”, particularly the Fanatics.   I can’t even imagine having to face an army with 6 units of Pikemen! It is an “auto win” against a lot of Alpha Strike armies. 

To show you the versatility of this list, I submit my friend Craig's version of the list also know as the: CraigBERG

The CraigBERG

4 Regiments of Pikes

2 Hordes of Foot Guard (Indomitable Will, Chant of Hate, Blessing of the Gods)

2 Troops of Fanatics

1 Regiment of Fanatics (Caterpillar)

2 Generals on Winged Beast  (Slashing, Crushing)

1 Mounted Heroes 

The Captain (Mounted)

Pegasus Hero

Assassin (Wings of Honeymaze)

This is a totally unexpected variant of the list but it fits his playing style.  That is what I mean, feel free to try new things.  

Tom Annis, sent me a list with Ogre Allies to replace the Two Hordes of Foot Guard.  I named this list: The CrocoBERG

The Crocoberg

4 Regiments of Pikes

3 REGIMENTS of Fanatics

3 Generals on Winged Beast

3 Mounted Heroes (IW)

ALLIES:

Two Hordes of Ogre Warriors (Crocodogs)

Ogre Sergeant (Crocodog, Weapon Upgrade)

Again, this list uses three of the modules, but replaces the Foot Guard with the Ogres.  I have personally never tried this list.  I don't have enough Ogre models, but I would say it would work every bit as well as the others presented here.  

Summary:

As you can see the Dash 28 Sam Nordberg army is amazingly flexible.  As I said before rarely does it totally destroy your foe as it isn’t designed with that purpose in mind.  It is designed to win scenarios and suppress your enemy’s strength.  Playing a shooting foe?  “Wild Weasel” tactics apply as you thrust your Generals on Winged Beast forward and your “Amigos”.  “Alpha Strike” list?  Well you have a LOT of Pikemen to slow them down, not to mention Generals on Winged Beast that can out charge most units to hold them up.  If you play it correctly you will rarely lose, though sometimes you will get a lot of “draws”. 

The key to this list is patience.  You really need to carefully position your GoWB for flank and rear charges.  Read Sam’s article again where he illuminates how to do it.  Turns three and four are the critical mass of this list.  It is SO tempting to charge something early with your Generals, but normally you will be better served by moving to your foe’s flank or rear. 

As a final tactical note, this army does not have chaff ‘per se”.  The Fanatics can be used as chaff very well since they cannot be wavered.  Their fairly long charge range is an advantage as a lot of chaff is slow  The Pikes are effectively chaff that is able to hold almost any unit for one turn.  When someone tries to block my Pikemen with chaff, I either send the Fanatics out to destroy them, or a regiment of Pikemen.  You want people to charge your Pikemen, become pinned, and then you counter with the other elements of your army.  Pikemen for some reason seem to fight pretty well.  I have turned many fights by throwing Bane Chant on a unit of Pikemen.  Remember, a combo Fanatic and Pikemen charge is 27 attacks! That can leave a mark on almost anything. 

If you haven’t given the “SAM” list a try you should do it!  Even if I am not playing his exact list, I try and use the “modules” that I have outlined because they work.  They are all keys to victory.