G’day Goonhammer readers! In the depths of the oceans and waterways of Pannithor exist the Trident Realm of Neritica, a vast kingdom populated by a staggering diversity of sentient aquatic creatures. The Trident Realm have everything from mermen and frog-people to tentacled horrors straight out of the world of Cthulhu. They are a secretive bunch, with mysterious ways, and for some their motives can be difficult to discern – both in Pannithor and on the tabletop.
Table of Contents
Why Choose the Trident Realm of Neritica?
The Trident Realm of Neritica is a covenant of all the sea-dwelling races, creatures and leviathans of the oceans and waterways of Pannithor. The Trident Kings can call on anything from the frog-like humanoids known as the Riverguard, to the mysterious cephalopods known as the Thuul, to the stoic yet elegant Naiads.
In Kings of War, the Trident Realm is an army of many atypical units that defy standard conventions. While more classic armies have units that are clearly identifiable as hammers, anvils and chaff, and the Trident Realm has some of these as well, but many more of their offerings do not quite fit the mould.
This can make using the Trident Realm of Neritica tricky at first, but it can also be difficult for opponents. Assumptions about combat outcomes and priority targeting go out the window when presented with such strange units. For a general using the Trident Realm, they are puzzles to solve, but they have many solutions and none are straightforward.
Get ready to go deep into the Trident Realm and their mysteries.
Army Special Rule: Poison Frogs
The purchasable upgrade to a wide-range of units, the Poison Frogs can be used once per game to give Brutal to the unit. It can be used after rolling dice for damage, but before a Nerve Test. It’s a cheap upgrade of 5 points, but the Blade of Slashing or Mace of Crushing are better value for almost the same thing; tipping the scales of the Nerve Test more in your favour. So, if you’ve already bought all the other good 5 point magic items, then get some Poison Frogs; otherwise, save the points.
Key Army Special Rule: Ensnare
Ensnare is the single special rule that throws off opponents of the Trident Realm every game. It’s a simple -1 to hit for units fighting a unit with Ensnare in their front facing, but it messes with people’s brains.
As people become familiar with Kings of War, they develop an innate feeling of how each unit performs. An Undead player will just know deep down that a horde of Wights will do 8 to 10 damage to most things, and will likely use them with this fact in mind. This feeling goes out the window with Ensnare, where suddenly those same Wights will in fact do 6 to 8 damage instead. That’s still a decent amount, but now the routing of the Trident Realm unit is not a guarantee.
Obviously, if someone stops and actually does the math, then they will act accordingly, however in most situations opponents of the Trident Realm just go with their gut feeling. Trident Realm players should use this to their advantage, using units with Ensnare to bait the opponent into a combat they think will be a guarantee, but actually isn’t. When combined with Difficult Terrain, a unit with Ensnare is nigh unshiftable in their front facing, so make sure to take advantage of the battlefield as well.
Army Command Orders
The Trident Realm has some of the best Command Orders in all of Kings of War. Both are excellent and both are cheap. They can even be used without investment into additional Command Dice, so there won’t ever be an occasion when they won’t be useful.
Hardened Shells
For an absolute bargain of 2 Command Points, a unit can be bestowed with a Barkskin token for a turn. This is the same token that can be gained from the Barkskin spell, and in short will block a point of damage when the unit is damaged that turn. Unlike the Barkskin spell, which is harder to cast on higher Defence units, the Hardened Shells Command Order can be put on anything, even those ultra-tough Gigas and Placoderms. Even better, this is one of the few Command Orders that can be used twice, albeit on separate units. What’s more, you can still cast Barkskin on the unit, maximizing the tankiness of what is typically considered a squishier army.
Hidden Paths
For a very cheap 3 Command Points, a unit can gain Pathfinder for a turn. Much of the army has Pathfinder, but notably a lot of the punchier stuff does not. Thuul, Gigas, Depth Horrors and even the Trident King can all benefit from this Command Order. The best thing is, even when you don’t need to use it, you can always use Hardened Shells instead. But don’t forget that Pathfinder is also useful for letting units go At-the-double through Difficult Terrain, so it’s not always about combat, maybe you just really need those Riverguard Dambusters to move fast.
Infantry
Naiad Ensnarers
The basic infantry unit of the Trident Realm, the Naiad Ensnarers are perhaps the flimsiest anvil unit in the game; their role is to take charges and hold up the enemy, but at Defence 3+ it’s not easy to do. But that’s what you want your opponent to think! Taken in regiments and hordes, Naiad Ensnarers can be surprisingly durable, thanks to Ensnare and Regeneration (4+), but they absolutely need to be supported by the terrain and the army.
Sitting on Open Ground, Naiad Ensnarers will get shot off, charged off and perhaps even sneezed off. Stick them in some Difficult Terrain like a Forest, and it’s another story. As outlined above when describing Ensnare, it is the dual application of Difficult Terrain (making units Hindered) and Ensnare that make the secret sauce, both imposing -1 to hit. But that’s only the beginning, add on some Barkskin tokens and +1/+1 Nerve with the Bastion spell (see Naiad Envoy) and this unit will hold ground indefinitely.
As far as damage output goes, a horde of Naiad Ensnarers can get an average of 6 damage when equipped with the Hammer of Measured Force, which is about as much as anyone should invest in them. This is hardly mandatory as Naiad Ensnarers really just want to hold the enemy, and often it’s better to walk back from a combat in Difficult Terrain and force the enemy to charge again in terrain, rather than countercharge for 6 damage.
Naiad Heartpiercers
Naiad Heartpiercers are the primary ranged unit in the Trident Realm roster, and they can pack a decent punch thanks to their 10 Piercing (1) shooting attacks in the regiment. They fall short, literally, with their 18” range, falling victim to units boasting longer ranged attacks such as anyone with a standard bow (see Gladestalkers). Considering the unit is Defence 3+, they cannot last long in a gun fight, and they’re not especially fast, lacking the Pathfinder of the Naiad Ensnarers.
There’s an argument that Heartpiercers can be good Objective holders, capable of sitting in a spot and shooting when possible. Their Regeneration (4+) does mean a decent unit will need to focus on them to take them down, so it’s not unreasonable to have them sitting back for the scenario while also contributing in some small part.
Riverguard
The first of the truly odd units in the Trident Realm are the Riverguard. They are Speed 7 with Fly, Nimble and Pathfinder to represent the mad agility that would be an angry frogman with a spear. They can come in two flavours; combat-style with Crushing Strength (1), or ranged-style with javelins that can go 12” with Piercing (1) and Steady Aim.
These frogs are faster than infantry but slower than cavalry, so depending on the opponent they might want to be hidden behind your lines. Their primary purpose is to hunt for those flanks, which thanks to their Leaper special rule combined with Fly and Nimble, they can readily find and exploit. Which is good, because at Melee 4+ they are not particularly deadly in the front facing, doing an average of 3-4 damage. Be patient with the Riverguard and you’ll be rewarded.
Armed with javelins, the Riverguard become a different unit altogether, but with Ranged 5+ it’s not necessarily an improved unit. If the target is in cover, these hoppy lads are rather useless, and they would much rather be rushing flanks rather than shooting them.
Thuul
The berserker-style infantry of the Trident Realm, coming with the typical bucketload of Melee 3+ attacks with a low Defense 3+. The combination of Stealthy and Ensnare makes them more survivable. Thuul want to be in cover as much as possible, but they lack Pathfinder, so are the perfect target for the Hidden Paths Command Order.
The hardest part about using Thuul, and any berserker unit, is getting the most out of those attacks. They definitely need help dealing damage, but like most berserker-style regiments, they aren’t really worth the investment of the more expensive magic items. They’re just too fragile to be sporting a Brew of Strength, thus you’re better off with the budget-friendly Blood of the Old Gods for Elite and Vicious.
If you like the idea of an army full of betentacled-monsters, then the Kraken (see Titans) with the K’thtur the Tidebringer upgrade is the perfect way to improve Thuul, thanks to the Aura (Thunderous Charge (1) – Deep One only). A Kraken with two regiments of Thuul in tow is enough to give any unit pause, just make sure to keep it all in cover and have your Command Points ready to bestow some Pathfinder.
Placoderms
The Trident Realm for the most part are a squishy lot, with the exception of a few ultra-tough examples. The first of these are the Placoderm, some of the toughest (heavy) infantry in Kings of War. Sporting Defense 6+, 15/17 Nerve and Phalanx, there’s not much that can remove these on their own. Add in the Rally from Bastion (see Naiad Envoy) and these armoured fish just won’t shift. The Guard of the Trident King upgrade for Unit Strength 4 is a no-brainer if you have the points to spare.
The key is to make sure you take advantage of the enemy bouncing off your Placoderms. Their Melee 4+ sees them struggle to take down even lone individuals. If in Difficult Terrain against a Hindered enemy, the countercharge is just not worth it. Pair Placoderms up with a real damage dealing unit, like Dambusters, Wyrmriders or Gigas, and watch the enemy crash into your shoreline – ahem – battleline.
The only downside to Placoderms is the lack of models from Mantic. We know what they look like thanks to their Hero representative, Eckter. I have taken Salamander Primes and given them spears (from Etsy) and tail fins (Milliput), but this was a lot of effort. Perfectly reasonable to find alternatives that match the ultraarmoured seabeasty that they are.
Large and Monstrous Infantry
Depth Horrors
The Depth Horrors are some of the cheapest Large Infantry units in Kings of War, with a respectable damage output owing to their 18 Melee 3+, Crushing Strength (1) attacks. They’re unlikely to single-handledly demolish tough enemy units, but two hordes certainly will. The reason for the low price tag is that they’re Defense 3+, which when you’re Height 3 is a major difficulty. They hate everything from bowfire, to Lightning Bolts to even the humble Fireball spell.
In combat Depth Horrors are a bit more durable with Ensnare, and this is where they shine. The trick is delivering them to combat safely. This can be done with a combination of strategies; screening them with chaff-like units to provide cover like Tidal Swarms, providing Stealthy with the spell Veil of Shadows, hiding them entirely behind big units like Dambusters or Water Elementals. Either way, any damage that gets through is going to hurt, because the Trident Realm has limited access to Heal. Generals that can solve the delivery problem will get a lot out of Depth Horrors, otherwise newer players might be better served with Gigas.
The real downside is there are no Depth Horror models. There is the single Depth Horror Eternal model which could be used to make whole hordes of Depth Horrors, but this would be quite expensive and need considerable conversion to look good. People have done this, and they are the real champions. Otherwise, you’ll have to look for your own deepwater gribbly monsters to proxy.
Water Elementals
The Water Elementals are some of the more durable units of the Trident Realm with a robust combination of Defense 5+, Regeneration (5+) and Fearless. They can take a charge, and hold up the enemy for a considerable amount of time, but their grinding ability falls short when looking at their damage output. Like Placoderms, the Melee 4+ doesn’t help them finish combats, even with Crushing Strength (1). What redeems them somewhat is that they will never be Hindered thanks to Strider so are perfect for pushing up through difficult terrain and obstacles where other units would be significantly hampered.
The main gripe with Water Elementals is the lack of synergy in the army. Not only do the Water Elementals miss out on benefitting from any auras, but the army lacks the units to get the most out of Shambling units. Surge is a powerful tool, but the spellcasters that can cast Surge in Trident Realm are not cheap (see the Thuul Aquamage and Thull Mythican), and have more important uses. With this in mind, Water Elementals are best used as tough units to slow down the enemy, but you will find that the Trident Realm does not lack such units.
Gigas
The elite crustaceans of the Trident Realm, the Gigas are up there with Placoderms as the toughest nuts to crack in the army, all thanks to Big Shield. What sets them apart is that they are no slouch in combat. Despite only having 12 Melee 3+ attacks, they are capable of doing ever so slightly more damage than Depth Horrors, thanks to Crushing Strength (2) and Vicious. Add in the Aura (Elite – Royal Guard only) from the Trident King and these crabs get quite lethal.
The downside is that they are slow, and so will be likely to take charges from the enemy. Thankfully they will usually win the grind thanks to their mean damage output. Just make sure they are supported by Inspiring, Rallying and Barkskin and these murder crabs will do a lot of work for you.
The most interesting part about Gigas is that they are Nimble and Height 2, which makes them very easy to screen. Put units like Tidal Swarms or even infantry out front, and if you have the units positioned correctly these Nimble crustaceans will be able to wiggle their way into combat. That is as long as their massive Monstrous Infantry base size doesn’t stop them.
Large Cavalry
Oceanborne Naiad Wyrmriders
The only unit that comes close to classic cavalry in the Trident Realm are the Oceanborne Naiad Wyrmriders, and even then they differ in many aspects. They’re not quite as lethal as typical heavy cavalry-type units with only Crushing Strength (1), nor are they quite as durable at Defense 4+, but what they sacrifice here they make up for in utility. They can get around the board quickly despite only being Speed 8 thanks to Nimble and Pathfinder. This also means they can pressure the enemy army’s flanks by Turn 2, and are a threat that cannot be ignored.
Like so many units in the Trident Realm, the real trick to getting the most out of Wyrmriders is making sure they get to combat. With low defense and a massive Height 4, everything on the board will want to shoot them. Regeneration (4+) will help with that, but the key is to ensure that as few enemy units as possible can shoot them at one time. Wyrmriders can handle the odd Lightning Bolt, but no unit can regenerate when it’s dead. This means using forests and tall terrain to protect them from being shot. Finally, make sure they don’t get charged, unlike most Naiad units the Wyrmriders do not have Ensnare. Use their Nimble movement to out maneuver the opponent. As you can see, like a lot of Trident Realm units, Wyrmriders are not straightforward in their use, but they are a good unit that can do damage when used well. Team them up with the slightly faster Knucker for a real slippery eel combo.
Riverguard Dambusters
The Riverguard Dambusters are another Trident Realm unit that defies conventions. These mega-toads have Fly but are only Speed 7, so will be outrun by a standard horse. Where they shine is as a second line hammer unit, where their Height 4 and Fly means they can leap over the main battleline to hit juicy targets.
When they do hit, they have decent damage potential thanks to Crushing Strength (2) and Thunderous Charge (1) but the Melee 4+ lets them down a bit, so these are often given the Brew of Sharpness to turn them into real murderfrogs. Unfortunately this does make them very expensive, and would not be recommended as a default loadout. The way the maths works out, against a Defense 5+ target, the Dambusters are slightly better than Gigas, but if they get Disordered they are only as good as Depth Horrors.
Fortunately, there are other means to support the Dambusters. The Riverguard Sentinel has Aura (Vicious – Amphibian only) which will ensure that at least whatever hits will cause damage. The formation known as the Medu’Syth Infiltrators has Aura (Stealthy – Amphibian only) to protect these massive frogs from incoming fire. Finally, the Trident King can be upgraded to have Rallying (2 – Dambuster only), improving the Nerve of a horde of Dambusters to a very respectable 17/19. If you want to go heavy frogs, there are plenty of tools to make them work in Trident Realm.
Treeleaper Dambusters
The ranged version of the Dambuster boasts a formidable 12 Ranged 4+ attacks with Piercing (1) and Steady Aim at a range of 14”. Two units of Treeleapers focussing on a single target will likely bring it down, much like a unit of Abyssal Dwarf Decimators. Unlike the diminutive Abyssal Dwarfs, Treeleapers are Speed 8, making their effective threat range a total of 22”. Leap over your own units, blast an enemy hammer unit, and try and do it in a way that will avoid major retaliation.
That’s where Treeleapers fall short; they are incredibly fragile compared to the Riverguard Dambusters. With Defense 3+ and a Nerve of 12/14, they will be the target of anything and everything. Their bane is 24” ranged bowfire, and they definitely don’t want to see any Fireball or Lightning Bolt. They need to be protected, because they are not a cheap unit, so including these in an army needs to be done thoughtfully. What will be in front of them? How will they engage the enemy safely? Using two regiments of Treeleapers to kill a horde of Soulreavers is all well and good, but it’s still not an economical trade if they get killed immediately afterwards. Thankfully, all the support that works for Riverguard Dambusters works for Treeleaper Dambusters, and excitingly the Aura (Vicious – Amphibian only) works on ranged attacks, too!
Swarms
Tidal Swarm
The pre-eminent chaff unit in the Trident Realm, and one of the best in the game, this unit is perfect for screening your own more fragile units (see Depth Horrors, Thuul, and so on). They get in the way of the enemy, and despite being only Defense 2+, they can be difficult to take out in a single shot thanks to Ensnare and Fearless. Best kept cheap and cheerful in regiments, take two or three units and throw them in front of the army to slow down the enemy, or keep them in the back to hold objectives.
The Nokken Shepherd upgrade gives them a nice little shooting attack for only 5 points on the regiment. If there’s no Magic Artefacts to be spent on units, this certainly isn’t a waste of points. With Piercing (1) and Steady Aim, the enemy can’t ignore it! And it’s only coming from a cheap, throwaway unit. Put your shooting Tidal Swarm in front of your dangerous Gigas, and force the enemy to charge the Tidal Swarms with annoying Tidespray shooting!
War Engines
Leviathan’s Bane
The only War Engine in the Trident Realm army, this is a bolt thrower like any other. This means it shoots 48” with Piercing (2) and Blast (D3) and does not ignore any kind of cover. These are typically the cheapest kind of War Engine, and are perfect for taking down enemy titans and other large things that struggle to be in cover.
The Leviathan’s Bane differs a little in that it is one of the more expensive bolt throwers in Kings of War. Part of this is because it has a slightly higher Nerve than cheaper iterations, but it also has the Harpoon Special Rule. This reels the enemy in towards the Leviathan’s Bane 1” for each point of damage, it’s like fishing! But also like fishing, there’s barely any payoff because this reeling in is very hard to capitalize on. A Leviathan’s Bane is likely to do 1 damage to an enemy unit with Defense 5+. That means three Leviathan’s Banes will move a unit a grand total of 3” on average. This might be used to move a unit into range of other ranged units, like the Heartpiercers or Treeleaper Dambusters, but more often than not this Harpoon rule just helps the enemy get closer! Thankfully, the Harpoon rule says you may move a unit, and in nearly all circumstances, one may not move it. This just makes the Leviathan’s Bane rather expensive for its role.
Oh, it can be upgraded to Piercing (3), which is something to make it more expensive. For the same price, you can get a shooting Tidal Swarm. Do that instead.
Monsters
Greater Water Elemental
The Monster sized Water Elemental boasts a very tough defensive profile with Nerve -/18, Defense 5+, and Regeneration (4+), this sentient tsunami is very difficult to shift. It can fight to some extent, but is limited by its low number of attacks with Melee 4+, so don’t expect it to finish fights alone in a timely fashion. Even in a flank with that exciting Surge you managed to pull off, the Greater Water Elemental is surprisingly underwhelming. Think of it primarily as an anvil unit on a small base.
Put it in between units on the front battleline and nudge it slightly forwards to prevent double charges on your Gigas. The Radiance of Life (Naiads only) is fun, but Naiads don’t really need much more help getting damage back, they need more help not getting too damaged in the first place.
The main reason one does not see Greater Water Elementals much in Trident Realm is that once again it is a tough unit that wants to hold up the enemy in an army of units that want to hold up the enemy. Unfortunately, despite the Greater Water Elemental’s impressive defensive stats, it still only has Unit Strength 1, so it might be better to get Placoderms or Naiads.
Knucker
The Knucker is slipperiest eel the Trident Realm managed to get their hands on. This Monster has just enough combat potential that your opponent will always be wary of it. With Speed 9, Nimble and Pathfinder, it will sneak all over the battlefield, testing the enemy for flanks and weaknesses.
Knuckers can be used in multiple ways. They can go on solo missions to enemy territory, getting into the enemy backline and causing real consternation. They can also be used as escorts for fast hammer units like Dambusters and Wyrmriders, using the Knuckers to hit the enemy first and hold them down until the cavalry can literally arrive! Finally they can be used to tempt the enemy into unfavourable situations. With Ensnare and Stealthy, there is no easy way to remove them, and very often the enemy finds themselves unable to remove a Knucker without investing too much of their own forces, especially when in cover!
Just remember that they only have 6 attacks, so they are unlikely to kill much on their own. Use them for their utility and you will never be disappointed. And at the end of the game, remember to use them for the scenario as they are the fastest unit in the Trident Realm army and have Unit Strength 1.
Riverguard Arbalest
For those that really like 18” shooting with Piercing (1) and Steady Aim (see Heartpiercers), the Riverguard Arbalest brings more on a slightly fast platform. That’s if you consider Speed 6 with Nimble fast. Like the Knucker, these are more of a utility piece, using that mobile platform as much for getting in the way of the enemy, as they can be used to shoot. The shooting is more like a bonus. The downside is that they are not cheap, and unlike a Knucker, the enemy won’t be that concerned by them. Additionally, they are not very tough, and a Lightning Bolt (5) would cause them serious harm.
The biggest gripe personally with this unit is that the Light Leviathan weapon with which these giant frogs are armed looks like a mean ballista, yet has the same lethality as a small, handheld Harpoon Gun of the Naiad Heartpiercers. There’s not much design space between the Leviathan’s Bane and the Naiad Heartpiercers, but this seems a little sad.
Titans
Coral Giant
Whenever anyone describes their favourite faction’s giant-style unit, it is typically summarized with the expression “Best giant in the game!”, and the Coral Giant is no exception! It is the best Giant in the game! It’s got the classic Giant stats that make it both an anvil and a hammer in one massive package, but Ensnare makes it even tougher, with many an enemy flailing uselessly against the Coral Giant for many turns than would be considered decent. On top of this, it also has Iron Resolve for some reason (it’s the only unit in the Trident Realm to have this), which helps it survive yet further.
The real beauty of the Coral Giant is that it does all this for a very decent price. It is more expensive than the Greater Water Elemental, but it can do so much more damage and has more Unit Strength. It’s cheaper than the Kraken, and better in almost every way. Even just one of these in an army is enough to give the opponent pause. Just make sure to protect it from shooting if the opponent is packing, such as by starting it in a forest, as it will be a prime target.
Kraken
The Kraken is a titan that sits somewhere between dragons and giants. It’s reasonably fast with Speed 7 and Wild Charge (D3), lacks the punch of other titans being Melee 4+ with only Crushing Strength (2). Where it shines is outlasting the enemy units in combat, thanks to a relatively high Nerve of 17/19, Ensnare and Regeneration (4+). It will hold enemy units in place, but really needs help to finish them off in a timely fashion, so teaming it up with a Knucker or Wyrmriders is ideal.
The Coral Giant might be better value, but the way the Kraken really excels is when it is upgraded to be K’thtur the Tidebringer, gaining Aura (Thunderous Charge [1] – Deep One only) and Inspiring. One need not be bringing along any other Deep One keyword units (Thuul and Depth Horrors) to get value, simply giving the Kraken both of these rules makes it hit harder on the charge and last longer in combat alone. With this upgrade, the Kraken can be the center of the army, or support a fast flank of Wyrmriders and Knuckers, a fast flank that is annoyingly hard to remove.
Heroes
Naiad Centurion
There are certain Hero units that have such an optimal build (combination of upgrades), that to take them any other way almost seems a disservice. The Naiad Centurion is one such hero. The Naiad Centurion itself is not particularly special, a reasonably punchy Individual that can take quite a beating owing to Defense 5+, Regeneration (4+) and Ensnare.
The real spiciness comes with the special upgrade Trident of the Drowned Sea. This is simply the best shooting attack in the entire Trident Realm army; Ranged 3+ (yes, 3+), Piercing (1), and any damage done to a unit causes them to be Disordered. This veritable hose is the perfect tool to remove Fly from pesky dragons, stop cavalry in their tracks, and shut down enemy shooting, all without actually needing to get into combat.
The shooting attack is already great, but adding the Boots of Levitation so that the Naiad Centurion can move At the Double and shoot is the ultimate combo. This means the Centurion can zip around up to 12” and hose down a horde of Drakons 12” away; a considerable 24” threat range. It’s not a cheap combination, but it reinforces the whole army playstyle of taking enemy charges and then grinding them down.
Naiad Envoy
The Naiad Envoy is the Very Inspiring type of Hero prevalent in most armies, but in the Trident Realm the Envoy is quite a bit more. The Aura (Fury – Infantry and Heavy Infantry only) is fine, but you’ll notice that most of the combat units are more about taking hits rather than giving them, so whether they are Wavered or not is moot. That said, if you are all about Thuul or Riverguard, then this Aura is hardly wasted.
The real usefulness of the Envoy is that it can take the rare spell Bastion (2). This gives a target friendly unit Rallying (1) in addition to +1/+1 Nerve. This spell can turn all the aforementioned tough units into actual brick walls. It might not seem like much of a buff, but any improvement in Nerve can make a big difference. Placoderms with 16/18 Nerve are much harder to shift, and the Rallying ensures that the whole group of units can be bumped up together.
Naiad Stalker
The first assassin-style Hero unit of the Trident Realm is the Naiad Stalker, who is equal parts shooty and stabby. There’s not much utility to the Stalker compared to the Envoy and Centurion, but for some free agents roaming the battlefield doing damage, it’s not bad. Unfortunately the Trident Realm army is packed with so many heroes, this one eventually falls short. It only has Inspiring (self), so it can’t help the rest of the army, and at Defense 4+ it could get removed by a stray Lightning Bolt.
Between the Centurion, the Envoy, the Mythican, the Aquamage, the Siren, Eckter and the Riverguard Sentinel, the Naiad Stalker is more of a luxury. Nice to have if you have the points and a spare Hero slot, but otherwise will stay on the shelf.
Riverguard Sentinel
The second assassin-style Hero unit of the Trident Realm is the Riverguard Sentinel, which is a little silly considering most armies struggle to have good reasons to take one kind of assassin, let alone two. The Riverguard Sentinel, however, is redeemed by the fact that it’s quite a bit better than the Naiad Stalker. It’s also 35 points more expensive, but you will quickly see why.
Firstly, it has Aura (Vicious – Amphibian only) which makes this frog-chief an auto-include in any frog army. Even if you have one horde of Riverguard Dambusters, the Sentinel is worth taking just to make sure they get the job done. Secondly, the Sentinel is Inspiring, so it has a purpose following the army. Finally, it has Fly and Speed 7, so it can hop anywhere it needs to be, and keep up with your froggy forces.
Even without the Amphibian units, the Riverguard Sentinel is worth taking. The Vicious is on melee and ranged attacks, making its damage output that little bit better than a standard Individual. In addition, it’s Defense 5+ with Ensnare, so nothing will be taking it out in combat quickly, just make sure to have it facing the enemy!
Thuul Aquamage
The first of the spellcaster Heroes in the Trident Realms army, the Thuul Aquamage is the support-oriented caster. The main reason to take this squid is for the Rising Tides upgrade that gives Aura (Wild Charge (+1)). This is an excellent upgrade for two reasons. The first is it forces your opponent to remember that your army can charge 1” further than expected, and sometimes they will forget and you will have a nasty surprise for them. Most of the time this won’t happen, so the second reason it is good is to make certain units faster than their common counterparts. This refers to units that are Speed 8 or Speed 6. These are common speeds in Kings of War, and so have 1” extra will actually make a difference. By contrast, this will make no difference to Riverguard Dambusters at Speed 7, because they will always be faster than Ogres but always slower than standard cavalry. So, depending on the content of your army, Rising Tides is either useless, or excellent.
The spells on offer are middling, with only Surge (8) useful if you’re going heavy into Water Elementals (and even then, probably not worth it for the points). If you want spells, go for something useful like Scorched Earth, but really, the Thuul Aquamage is likely to be sprinting At the Double across the battlefield, bringing the Aura (Wild Charge (+1)) to where it’s needed most.
Thuul Mythican
The second spellcaster in the army is another Thuul, but by contrast this squid has a decent combat output with 5 Melee 3+, Crushing Strength (1) attacks. The Mythican typically likes smashing things, but has quite a number of spells to choose from and is the only source of Bane Chant in the army. Unfortunately, these two roles contradict one another, so it’s best to lean into the combat aspect of the Mythican and leave Bane Chant for someone else by using the magic artifact.
With that out of the way, the best use of the Mythican is by turning them into a melee missile with Host Shadowbeast for extra, powerful attacks and Gnome-glass Shield for a nigh impenetrable defense when combined with Ensnare and Stealthy. If there is a threat like cavalry or flyers, the Mythican is the perfect agent to stop them in their tracks, and maybe even put on some serious damage.
Depth Horror Eternal
The quintessential and ever useful Unit Strength 1 Hero unit has a decent melee profile of 5 Melee 3+, Crushing Strength (2) attacks. It’s the perfect unit to stick in the middle of the army to provide Inspiring, hit enemy units in the flanks once the units are all engaged, and generally be useful in scenario scoring. It’s well-priced and reasonably tough. The only downside is the Defense 4+, so make sure to be wary of enemy shooting, because it won’t last long.
This is a perfect unit to put Trickster’s Wand or Talisman of Silence on for some simple spells, giving the Eternal something to do in the first few turns and taking advantage of its Height 3. Otherwise, Blade of Slashing is great just to make sure it makes use of its hitting power.
Naiad Wyrmrider Centurion
The Wyrmrider Centurion is a Large Cavalry Hero of the Wyrmrider variety. The damage potential isn’t bad, and it’s quite tough with Regeneration (4+) and Defense (5+). The only downside of the Wyrmrider Centurion is when it is compared to other units in the army. If you want a fast disruptor of the enemy, the Knucker is cheaper and in most ways superior. If you want a unit with Inspiring that can score points in the scenario, the Depth Horror Eternal is much cheaper. If you don’t even want something with Unit Strength then the standard Naiad Centurion is far more useful with the Trident of the Drowned Sea. The Wyrmrider Centurion is not a subpar unit, but it just isn’t as exciting as a lot of the other units Trident Realm has on offer.
Riverguard Dambuster Sentinel
Another Large Cavalry Hero unit of the Trident Realm, this one is on a Dambuster frog mount. If we compare directly to the previous Naiad Wyrmrider Centurion, it’s slower, slightly punchier with Crushing Strength (2) and Thunderous Charge (1) and slightly lower Nerve for 25 less points. Doesn’t seem that great except for having Fly. Suddenly, this guy is a lot more likely to hit flanks than the Wyrmrider, and when it does, it will hurt (especially if a certain Aura (Vicious – Amphibian only) is nearby.
For 10 points, the Dambuster Sentinel can become a Pond Warden to increase Nerve by 1 and gain Iron Resolve, but this guy isn’t supposed to be a tank, this frog exists to watch for flanks and leap in headfirst. Save the points and instead give it Mace of Crushing to ensure what hits, hurts.
Kyroqsh [1]
The first of the Living Legends in the Trident Realm, Kyroqsh is simply just a Thuul Mythican with one higher Nerve and Speed, Scout, Lightning Bolt (3) and Hunter in the Deep. This is all for the hefty price of 60 more points, which is absolutely not worth it. The bulk of this price increase must be for Hunter in the Deep, which doubles attacks against Large Cavalry, Monsters and Titans. This is fine, but considering Kyroqsh only has 5 attacks with Crushing Strength (1), they’re not exactly about to one-shot dragons and Frostfangs.
Kyroqsh especially falls short when one compares them to the optimal Thuul Mythican build with Knowledgeable, Host Shadowbeast (3) and Gnome-glass Shield. All this still comes in 20 points cheaper than Kyroqsh, and I can say from experience that this build of Mythican is capable of taking down dragons and Frostfangs… just maybe not in a single round. Kyroqsh unfortunately is too overcosted for what is a slightly faster Thuul Mythican with a lame spell.
Siren [1]
The Siren is a Living Legend Hero that leaves all the spellcasters of the Trident Realm, and indeed most armies, in the dust (or puddle?). She has four spells; Enthrall (7), Weakness (3), Mind Fog (2), and Hex (3). This would be ridiculous if it were not for the Siren’s Call that allows her to cast all her spells, one after the other, in a single phase for the entire game. Notice that none of these spells are particularly offensive. They all modulate the battlefield rather than deal damage, which makes her the ultimate utility spellcaster.
The trick is getting the most out of these spells every turn of the game:
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- Hex is clearly only useful if your opponent has a spellcaster, so identify them and make sure the Siren can see them. In the cases there isn’t a spellcaster, don’t be miffed, you’ve got three more spells to use!
- Weakness is useful in the first few turns to tone down shooting, because it works on shooting as well as combat (just not spells). Later in the game Weakness is perfect for helping your tarpit units of Naiads and rocks like Placoderms and Gigas last much longer than they otherwise would.
- Mind Fog is always useful; in the early game it can potentially remove low Nerve chaff units, and in the middle of the game it can help your shooting units by adding on that critical Shattering. Late game it’s the ideal sniper spell to remove those damaged enemy units that are hobbling off to distant objectives.
- Enthrall is the trickiest spell to use, as it has quite short range (18”) and requires the Siren to be positioned correctly around the enemy to get the best effect. Rarely is it helpful to pull the enemy towards you (maybe to get in range of shooting), it is usually best to move the units sideways:
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- Pulling enemy units onto Difficult Terrain to make them Hindered when they charge. Especially useful when they are about to charge your lines.
- Pulling enemy units into the way of the rest of the army, particularly useful when those things are very tall in front of things that are short.
The Siren is a very satisfying Hero to use when one masters the use of these spells. The best part is, they are not the best spells, so your opponent will rarely be mad when you demonstrate your spellcasting superiority.
Eckter [1]
The Placoderm Living Legend Hero Eckter is the ultimate warrior. With 6 Crushing Strength (2) attacks he’s no slouch in combat, but what is most impressive is his incredible durability; Phalanx combined with Defense 6+ and Ensnare will stop everything and anything in their tracks. It’s only a shame that his Nerve is 12/14 but we can’t have everything. Use Eckter to stop all the flyers and cavalry, and remember that both Ensnare and Phalanx remove Nimble from units when Disordered in combat. What Eckter gets, he keeps.
But wait, there’s more! For those wondering if Eckter is really worth it, he even has stuff to do in the early game with Wind Blast (8). A perfect spell for disrupting enemy lines. Use to best effect by pushing units into terrain, pushing units out of charge range, and my personal favourite, pushing units out of forests so that they are behind them and can no longer see anything! If that wasn’t enough, Krakenmaw means that Eckter rolls to damage with Wind Blast. Kyroqsh has got nothing on Eckter (poor Kyroqsh).
Eckter is also the only Placoderm model currently in existence.
Trident King [1]
The Trident King is the top general of the Trident Realm army, and while it sports a decent combat potential, it is the synergy it brings that makes it worth taking. It can choose from three different kingdoms, each of which confer a bonus to a subpopulation of the Trident Realm forces. There’s Aura (Elite – Royal Guard only) which is excellent if you are running Gigas. The Rallying (2 – Dambuster only) is great if going with Dambusters, getting them to a considerable Nerve 17/19 if taking a horde. The last is Aura (Lifeleech (2) – Naiad only) which is good if running lots of Naiads, notably the Wyrmriders who might actually do enough damage to make use of the Lifeleech. Of the three on offer, the Naiad specific one is the least useful, but that’s more on the Naiads than the Trident King.
The way to use the Trident King best is in combination with units. Going into combat alone is not only a waste of the synergy, but also will likely lead to an early demise. Combo-charge the King with Gigas, Dambusters or Wyrmriders for maximum effect. The shooting attack is fine, but don’t try too hard to use it, as it will invariably expose the King to danger, which like in chess is a bad idea.
Formation – Medu’Syth Infiltrators
The Trident Realm formation consists of two troops of Riverguards and a regiment of Riverguard Dambusters. All of the units get increased Nerve which is fine, but the main reason to take the formation is for the Aura (Stealthy – Amphibian only) that is bestowed on the Dambuster regiment. Most formations have what is referred to as a “tax”, the sub-par unit the formation forces you to take in order to enjoy the benefit. For the Medu’Syth Infiltrators, this tax is the regiment of Dambusters. They need to be kept in the back and middle of the army to give the Stealthy, but they have nothing to do while they are there. In combat they don’t have enough attacks to be threatening, but they’re also not a cheap unit that can sit around. If you’re constantly facing armies with a lot of shooting and you like frogs, this might be the solution for you, otherwise, it’s just a waste of points. That’s not putting down the troops of Riverguard, they’re always good, but you don’t need the Medu’Syth Infiltrators to get them on the table.
Final Thoughts
The Trident Realm of Neritica is a varied and complex army that can take a lot of getting used to. It is my hope that the units have been somewhat demystified, and new players emerging from the rock pools have some sense of what goes with what, and what units are hard to work with. Nearly everything has a use, but it’s not always apparent what that is.
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