The Bare Necessities, Part XXVII: Khand

Good morning gamers,

As we continue the part of the series where we discuss armies I don't intend to collect, we will be looking today at the Variags and Khand and how you can run these lists with a balanced list in mind. Khand has some really cool mechanics that, by all rights, I should love (as many bows as you like so long as they're mounted on horses, fairly inexpensive heroes with lots of bite, and chariots that run things over). The drawback, of course, is the expense to get started collecting (though chariots can be acquired from various historical ranges and Khandish warriors look a bit like Samurai or Ashigaru troops). 

Credit: Scott's Wargaming

Money for me is a huge factor in what I collect - I might be willing to drop $200 on an army over time, but if getting to a starting place costs $200+, I'm probably not biting (and with a single chariot costing more than $40 at the moment and the horsemen coming in metal blisters, this army won't be on my radar . . . ever). Still, Khand is pretty popular and you can learn a bit about these guys online (the Green Dragon Podcast featured a discussion on Khand - check that out, they interview a Kiwi who has had great success with them).

While I have never run Khand and never fought Khand, my good mate MinutemanKirk (as well as someone I met in a Facebook SBG group) was willing to answer some questions on Khand for me. Here's how our discussion went . . .

Interview Questions with MinutemanKirk and JS (some edits for clarity by Tiberius)

T: Is there ever a time you would run Khandish infantry?

MK: Alright, so I expounded a little bit on my guest blog post. I don't think Khand is a very viable army on its own (right now anyway, fingers crossed for more units/heroes!). I think the situations I would run infantry is if I was trying a horde approach, didn't have the models for more mounted units, or wanted to have a scrub unit for holding down objectives. None of those, apart from not having enough models, are compelling enough for me to run Khand infantry en mass.

JS: No. Never. Except for scenarios or when there are a few points left to boost numbers in warbands. Basic thinking does not work on Khand - your Khandish Horsemen are your infantry and your Khandish Chariots are your real cavalry.

T: Since you can run Khandish Horsemen with an unlimited bow limit (assuming you keep your army bonus), are these horsemen good to run? If so, how many do you run (and what is the ratio of horsemen to chariots)?

MK: Khand cavalry are surprisingly efficient: Fight 4, Strength 4 (using Piercing Strike), and a bow for only 13 points. It allows them the flexibility to be pure skirmishers (although Serpent Horde would be a better choice for that) while also enabling perfectly legitimate melee attacks. The problem with focusing on skirmish while also wanting to use chariots is chariots are inherently NOT skirmishers with their unique movement rules: you can't just stop and run away if the enemy makes a run at you. Their movement rules also make it difficult to skirmish wit chariots on terrain-heavy or other movement-restricted boards. If I had unlimited time and money to run a Khand force, I would probably go for a 2:1 or 3:1 rider to chariot balance. Chariots are great, but they need a little screening and when one or two go down, it leaves a massive hole in the line (and a thirty point loss each). Despite the in-the-way requirement, I've found charioteers are extremely squishy.

JS: Typical warbands would look like this: 1 Khandish King on Chariot + 1 Khandish Charioteer + lots of horsemen. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

T: Chariots are awesome, but how do you keep them from running into each other? Are there issues you've ever run into when facing armies that feature Command/Compel?

MK: I've never had an issue with them running into each other, but then I've also never run more than four chariots at a time. You want to avoid getting them in a column formation whenever possible, because, if a chariot doesn't kill something, the whole column stops. Avoid that and it's relatively easy to avoid friendly tramples. I've also not had an issue with Command/Compel as long as it only comes from a single caster. When using Easterlings with Khand, most opponents either can't get to a chariot before it gets into close combat, or is focused on neutralizing Amdur/Dragon Knights. So far as I understand the rules, even a Command/Compel must follow their movement rules. Thus, if you get a chariot into close combat, a Command/Compel isn't worth the effort since you'll be running over your own guys anyway. (T: so far as I know, that's correct as well - more on this discussion in a few weeks, :-) ).

JS: Your chariots are your cavalry. You want them on the flanks to crush enemy static lines (having them bruise over bowmen blocks is very efficient). Well played, they will never touch each other. You should have on each side one Charioteer/King on Chariot. Your anvil line is composed of your cavalry, shooting while moving, then crushing with Piercing Strike the enemy lines while your Chariots are disturbing spear supporters.

T: Is it worth taking bows on your charioteers instead of axes?

MK: Personally, I would never take a chariot with a bow to skirmish with.

JS: No, never. You want them to run over enemies, then in melee use Piercing Strike. Even if the enemy wins the fight against you (which is not that easy with Monstrous Charge and your 6" banner from the King) he still needs to overcome your shield (your Chariot). Classic charioteers should pick up softer targets. Your King has to deal with the heavier heroes.

T: Any additional thoughts?

MK: Kings are always better to take than Chieftains unless you don't have the models or you don't have the points. You absolutely lose nothing (King's have Heroic March too), and the extra Attack and Defense in close combat are literally lifesavers.

JS: Khand can't do a spear-and-shield formation, but it's best not to find a work around for this - work with what you have. Yes, it is a very non-classic play style, but played correctly, it can be even stronger.

Thanks guys - we'll be looking at a list I derived from this discussion, with a few lists from MinutemanKirk (and a follow-up post from me) at the end of the post.

The List

• Khandish King with Khandish Chariot [ARMY LEADER]
• 1 Khandish Charioteer
• 5 Khandish Horsemen
• 1 Khandish Warrior
• 1 Khandish Warrior with bow
• Khandish King with Khandish Chariot
• 1 Khandish Charioteer
• 5 Khandish Horsemen
• 1 Khandish Warrior
• 1 Khandish Warrior with bow
• Khandish King with Khandish Chariot
• 1 Khandish Charioteer
• 5 Khandish Horsemen
• 1 Khandish Warrior

26 models, 20 bows hitting on a 4+, 3 D6+ models (and 6 D7 Chariots), 21 cavalry/chariots, 6 Might points

Tiberius: The idea of having your cavalry as your infantry (and your chariots as your cavalry) was intriguing to me, so that's what I've done here. I did include a few infantry because of awkward points (could replace them with 3 cavalry instead and do one warrior weapon swap - but I didn't want to sit on 24 models). Heirlooms of Ages Past encouraged me to put at least one infantry model in each warband so that none of the cavalry had to dismount to try to find the Heirloom (and the cavalry can focus on hedging the enemy away from objectives or running their warbands over). This list is going to struggle with our normal list building criteria, having some of the same strengths and weaknesses that Rohan did (with one key difference):

• Khand has no problem getting fast units - almost all of your units are mounted and your infantry are nothing to write home about;
• Khand can't get any actual banners (unless they ally some in - Easterlings are Historical allies and have plenty of options for banners);
• Getting to 30+ models at 700-points would require a lot more infantry (and as both our interviewees mentioned, you probably don't want to do that - though Josiah the Kiwi from the Green Dragon Podcast said it's a worthwhile strategy) - like mounted Rohan forces, we've decided to just not meet this goal;
• Khandish Kings/Chieftains come with bows automatically, as do Khandish Horsemen - any of these models that we take will have bows (and this is really the only way you can neutralize enemy heroes . . . besides running them over with chariots); and
• Khandish Kings give a 6" banner effect, but other than that (and taking Chariot mounts), there aren't really ways for you to augment your troops (though your Horsemen not counting towards your bow limit probably counts as an augment as well).

As I said in the Rohan post, however, not being able to tick all of these boxes is fine for some factions. All this means is that you need to play differently, not that the list is bad or imbalanced. Let's look at what each of these warbands can do - I'm not going to bother explaining what you'd need to buy in order to get this list (I want to keep some dignity - but let's just say it's a LOT of money).

Warbands #1 and #2: The Tactical Kings

Khandish Kings are one of the best generic heroes in the game because a) they can call Heroic Strike (which most generic heroes cannot), b) they have 3 Attacks, c) they have mounts that deal Impact Hits/can intercept blows, and d) are fairly cheap at 125 points each (after buying a Chariot). Tack on a banner bonus (6" banner bonus, I might add) and Courage 5 with 2 Will points, and you've got a really nasty hero to have to fight (with Defense 6 and a Defense 7 Chariot in the way).

As recommended by both players we interviewed today, I have 1 supporting Chariot in each of these squads and the recommended 2-3 horses per chariot for screening (5:2 Horse-to-Chariot ratio). I've also included 2 Khandish Warriors in each squad, who can walk behind everyone else to dig up objectives (assuming everyone else focuses on swarming enemy models trying to get to these objectives). My theory is that the infantry won't attract a lot of aggro, as their Defense is as good as the horsemen (and the horsemen are clearly the more dangerous threat). One of the Khandish Warriors has a bow, so you could leave him behind at an objective if you wanted (maybe with his friend to "guard" him).

Warband #3: The Third King
This is almost a carbon-copy of the first two squads, except that the you've lost the bow-armed Khandish Warrior. This means leaving a Warrior behind at an objective will not allow him to threaten enemy models, but you have an extra guy to "throw in" somewhere (either supporting some of your other infantry at an objective, or tromping behind to dig up an objective).

Scenario Overview

Let’s take a look at each of the available scenarios and see some thoughts/considerations for using this list:

• Domination: Three teams of chariots head to three objectives with three teams of riders to protect their flanks. One of the objectives that begins under your control should probably be guarded by your infantry (maybe all five). The cool thing about chariots is that your opponent might try to just avoid getting hit by them, so objectives might be cleared just because you come towards them. Beware of enemy models getting around/behind your chariots though - you need to get charges in as quickly as possible. Your horsemen should harass enemy warriors who try to flank your chariots.
• Capture and Control: Similar strategy, except that you can use your horsemen to tag and leave objectives as you pass them. One minor difference between these two scenarios is that you probably need all six chariots to charge whoever's in the middle, so be sure to start deep in your deployment zone to keep your chariots from being charged on your first turn. Six chariots up the middle (fanning out to the three other objectives) should do a lot of damage (with your horsemen covering the rear of your chariots as they depart the center).
• Hold Ground: Getting to the center? Eventually, yes. What you want to start by doing, however, is have your warbands arrive as close to enemy warbands as possible (ideally coming on second) and killing enemy models on their way to the center. If your opponent gets there first, no big deal - just ride over them when you get there. Be careful though: if you don't make it to the center before you run over most of his troops, the game could suddenly end. Ideally, there won't be that many models to get to the center to begin with (especially since, if you come on second, your chariots can run over models that just arrived because the trample doesn't count as charging).
• Seize the Prize: Unlike the last scenario, you want to get to the center VERY quickly. Move normally on the first turn and call a Heroic March with one of the Kings while he's in range of all five of the other chariots and barrel towards the center on the second turn to punch through any enemy models that got near the Prize on the first turn. Even if the Marching King gets stuck near the center, you shouldn't have any problems getting everyone within range of the first King. Make a hedge around the Prize with your troops (including your horsemen) and have one of your infantry come up from behind to dig it up. Hand it off to one of your Horseman after that to get it off the board.
• To The Death: Breaking the enemy, huh? We can do that. Two good cavalry charges should do the trick if you can bring both Horsemen and Chariots to bear on your opponent. Be sure to kill banners as soon as you can, as they'll score victory points. You also need to beware how vulnerable you let your horsemen be - quartering your force isn't that hard.
• Lords of Battle: Kill/Wound count, huh? Well, it's easy to get wounds on you, but you can also do wounds pretty easily. Thankfully, even your heroes won't cough up a lot of points (though wounds on your Chariots probably count?), so you might be able to deny points to your opponent. Therefore, go all-out and do as much damage as you can! With your opponent able to deploy on the center line, once again you want to start far enough back that your chariots can't be charged on the first turn.
• Contest of Champions: This . . . will not be fun for you. As the Designer Commentaries make very clear, kills from chariots (and mumak - so at least we're being fair in our discrimination) don't count towards your leader's kill count. I don't think it's worth dismounting your King, but what you probably want to do is direct all five of your other chariots towards your opponent's army leader. Even if you don't run him over, you'll limit the number of models he can kill (five - if he can chew through all of those). Any bodyguards escorting him? Well, no problems there - run them over too! Your Leader will need to deploy REALLY close to the center, so just own that and let your opponent charge you on the first turn if he wants (will guarantee that anything you get to wound will count towards your tally). Your non-chariots should stay away from the enemy army leader to deny easy kills.
• Storm the Camp: Getting some Horsemen into the camp shouldn't be hard - they're fast and you can move a few in there without any problem. Your Chariots will need to control the center of the board, keeping enemy models from getting into your camp. Your infantry can stay in/near your camp just to keep enemy models out.
• Heirlooms of Ages Past: Like I said in my initial write-up, the heroes of this list are the Khandish Warriors, who can dig up Heirlooms as your cavalry focuses on demolishing enemy warbands. Should you pick up the Heirloom, get the Warrior that picks it up away from the action as quickly as possible (you don't need him, after all), letting your cavalry and chariots (as best they can) circle up to protect him.
• Fog of War: Your opponent will have to pick one of your Khandish Kings to kill - so keep those two operating on the periphery as best you can (charging into small clumps of troops, avoiding large clumps of troops). Your army leader can charge recklessly into the enemy, dealing wanton destruction as much as he wants without any real penalty. Pick a terrain piece on the periphery and put some of your Khandish Horsemen on different ones (shooting, of course) just to keep your opponent guessing and to stretch him thin. When looking for a hero to kill, choose anything that will get run over easily (1-2 Wounds, 1-2 Fate). Your Kings are pretty strong, so you could take down something big if you had to (but I wouldn't risk it).
• Clash By Moonlight: Well, you have a good bit of shooting, but almost all archery will wound your warriors on 4s (and S4 archery will wound your warriors on 3s). Your chariots MIGHT save you from some archery, but you're more likely to lose a chariot or two from archery in this scenario than in any other. I wouldn't worry about using your own archery unless your opponent didn't bring any - just charge!

Modifications
Here are some alternate lists based on the interviews I did with Khandish players.

• MinutemanKirk: Eastern Kingdom Alliance - I don't have a full-fledged Khand force, and always pair them with Easterlings. They compliment each other well (hammer and anvil), and make good thematic sense to boot. Charioteers die quickly in my experience, so taking a Khandish Chieftain over more troops is basically to ensure you have a threat of a second chariot past the second turn of combat. Granted, most of the armies I end up fighting have a decent Fight Value and Strength 4, so some of my experience might be slanted. This is a very one-dimensional army, and until they come up with rule changes, new heroes, or Legendary Legions, I'm afraid they will both stay that way.
• Amdur, Lord of Blades with armored horse [ARMY LEADER]
• 10 Easterling Warriors with shields and pikes
• 4 Black Dragon Warriors with shields and pikes
• 1 Black Dragon Warrior with pike, shield, and banner
• Easterling Dragon Knight with armored horse
• 2 Black Dragon Kataphrakts
• Khandish King with Khandish Chariot
• 1 Khandish Charioteer
• Khandish Chieftain with Khandish Chariot
• 1 Khandish Charioteer
• Tiberius: 30-Model Horde – So, the Rule of 30 is a guideline - not an actual rule. A predominantly D4 army could struggle if it lacks numbers (though as was said above, Josiah the Kiwi from the Green Dragon Podcast recommends numbers for this army as well - even at the cost of running some infantry). So let's get them up to 30 models, shall we? In this approach, we've demoted two Kings to Chieftains on Chariots. The 40-point difference per hero comes with a cost (lower Defense/Attacks, no access to Strike, no banner buff) but we can add 3 Horsemen for each model we drop. Our Might store hasn't dropped at all (still at 6 Might) and you can still call Heroic Marches with them (which is good for you). Losing 3 of the Warriors also gets us 2 Horsemen, bringing our model count to 31 models. We could have chosen to demote normal Charioteers into horsemen (basically a two-for-one trade), but this would lower the total number of chariots in this force - and we're counting on those impact hits more than having a better profile when we run into stuff. The list still doesn't have an actual banner, but that just means you need to kill enemy banners before the end of the game in a few scenarios (note that the list still retains one treated-as-a-banner in a Khandish King):
• Khandish King with Khandish Chariot [ARMY LEADER]
• 1 Khandish Charioteer
• 9 Khandish Horsemen
• Khandish Chieftain with Khandish Chariot
• 1 Khandish Charioteer
• 7 Khandish Horsemen
• 1 Khandish Warrior
• Khandish Chieftain with Khandish Chariot
• 1 Khandish Charioteer
• 7 Khandish Horsemen
• 1 Khandish Warrior with bow

Khand is a great faction - I wouldn't start with them, but they look fun! MinutemanKirk's list is certainly the most affordable option, but if you're just going to play friendly games instead of competitive games, you could cut down your expense by picking up Chariots and Horsemen from Warlord Games as proxies. 

Our next post takes us to the rolling hills of the Shire. Instead of beautiful hedgerows and brightly colored smials, we'll be talking to Centaur about the crafty Sharkey and his gang of ruffians, rogues, and hooligans. Think you know what's coming? Is allying even a good idea? Find out next time - until then, happy hobbying!