If you're anything like me, finding a solid king of war army builder is the first thing you do after cracking open a new rulebook. There's something deeply satisfying about clicking buttons and watching your points total tick up toward that perfect 2,000-point limit. But more than just convenience, these tools have become pretty much essential for anyone playing Kings of War. Let's be real—trying to track unit sizes, keyword bonuses, and those pesky magic artifacts on a piece of scratch paper is a recipe for a headache.
The game has grown a lot since the early days of first edition. With the "Red Book" (the 3.5 or refreshed Third Edition rules) and the constant balance updates from the Mantic Games rules committee, the math can get a little crunchy. Using an army builder doesn't just save you from doing long addition; it makes sure your list is actually legal. Nobody wants to show up to a tournament only to realize their "Horde of Orc Ax" was actually five points over the limit or that they didn't have enough Regiments to unlock their favorite Hero.
Why We Stopped Using Pen and Paper
I remember the "old days" of wargaming where we'd sit there with a calculator and a notebook, scribbling out lists and erasing them until the paper was practically see-through. It felt traditional, sure, but it was also incredibly slow. If you decided to swap out a regiment of Shieldbreakers for a troop of Berserkers, you had to recalculate the entire list.
A good king of war army builder changes that dynamic entirely. It lets you experiment. You can throw a list together in five minutes, look at it, realize it lacks "chaff" (those cheap units meant to get in the way), and swap things around with a tap. It gives you the freedom to be more creative because the "cost" of making a mistake is zero. Plus, modern builders are usually updated with the latest errata. If Mantic decides a unit of Elohi needs to cost ten points more, the builder updates, and suddenly you aren't that guy playing with an outdated army list.
The King of the Hill: EasyArmy
If you've spent any time in the community, you know that EasyArmy is pretty much the gold standard. It's the king of war army builder most of us live and breathe by. It was created by a guy named Gregg, who's basically a hero in the wargaming world for how clean and functional the site is.
What I love about EasyArmy is that it's built specifically for the flow of the game. You pick your faction—say, Northern Alliance or Ogres—and it immediately shows you what you can take. The "unlock" system is handled automatically. If you haven't taken enough large infantry or regiments to "unlock" a Titan or a Hero, the tool tells you. It prevents that awkward moment at the gaming club where your opponent has to point out your list is illegal.
One of the best parts is the printout. A lot of digital tools give you a messy PDF that's hard to read. EasyArmy produces a clean, concise sheet that includes all the special rules for your units. If you have "Crushing Strength (1)" or "Phalanx," it's right there in front of you. You don't have to keep flipping through the rulebook every time you go to roll for damage. For a fast-paced game like Kings of War, that's a massive time-saver.
The Battlescribe Factor
Then there's Battlescribe. Now, Battlescribe is a bit of a polarizing topic in the wargaming community lately due to its lack of updates, but for many, it's still a go-to king of war army builder. It's a mobile app, which makes it handy if you're at the game store and just want to quickly check if you can afford to add a "Healing Charm" to your Mage.
The downside to Battlescribe is that it's a general-purpose tool. It wasn't built specifically for Kings of War, so it can feel a bit clunky compared to a dedicated web builder. You have to download data files maintained by volunteers, and sometimes those files can have typos or missed updates. However, it works offline. If your local gaming basement has the cell service of a lead box, having your list saved locally on your phone is a lifesaver.
Building for Synergy, Not Just Points
When you're sitting down with your king of war army builder, it's easy to get caught up in just picking the "coolest" units. I've definitely fallen into the trap of just spamming Hordes because they look intimidating on the table. But the builder actually helps you see the tactical gaps in your force.
When you see your list laid out digitally, you start to notice things. "Wait, I have four hammers (heavy hitters) but no anvils (units that can take a hit)." Or maybe you realize all your units have a Speed of 4, meaning you're going to get outmaneuvered by almost anyone. The builder lets you see these stats side-by-side.
I usually start my list-building process by picking my "core." For me, that's usually a couple of solid infantry blocks. From there, I use the builder to see how many "unlocks" I have. Can I afford a Pegasus for my Army Standard Bearer? Does adding the "Chant of Hate" to my main infantry unit leave me with enough points for a troop of gargoyles? It's like a puzzle, and the builder is the table you're putting it together on.
The Social Aspect of List Building
Another thing we don't talk about enough is how these tools help the community. Most builders allow you to export a "plaintext" version of your list. This is huge for places like the Kings of War Fanatics Facebook group or various Discord servers.
You can post your list, and within minutes, veterans will be telling you why you need more "Inspiring" or why your magic items aren't optimized. It creates a shared language for the game. When everyone uses the same king of war army builder, the lists are easy to read and understand. It makes the barrier to entry for new players much lower. If a newbie asks for help, you can literally send them a link to a pre-made 1,000-point list that they can open and tweak themselves.
Why a Good Layout Matters During the Game
I've played games where my opponent had their list written on a napkin. It was a nightmare. Every time I asked, "What's the Defense on those guys?" they had to spend two minutes searching. When you use a proper king of war army builder, you usually end up with a very organized summary.
In a game that often uses chess clocks, like at many KoW tournaments, every second counts. If you're spending five minutes a turn looking up unit stats, you're going to time out. A digital list builder organizes everything logically. Usually, it's grouped by unit type—Infantry, Cavalry, Monsters, etc. This helps you develop a rhythm. You know exactly where to look to find the "Melee" stat for your Zombies or the "Nerve" value for your Vampire Lord.
Finding Your Own Style
At the end of the day, which king of war army builder you choose comes down to personal preference. Some people love the subscription model of the official Mantic Companion, which offers a ton of extra lore and a slick interface. Others prefer the grassroots, community-driven feel of EasyArmy. And there are still a few "graybeards" out there using Excel spreadsheets they've spent years perfecting.
Whatever tool you choose, the goal is the same: get the math out of the way so you can focus on the strategy. Kings of War is a game of movement and positioning. It's about the "flank charge" and the "double-one" nerve roll that changes the course of the battle. You don't want to be distracted by whether or not you added up the points for your "Brew of Sharpness" correctly.
So, if you're planning your next campaign or just getting ready for a casual game this weekend, do yourself a favor. Fire up a king of war army builder, experiment with some units you've never tried before, and see what kind of havoc you can wreak on the tabletop. The list is just the beginning; the real fun starts when the dice start rolling.