Horde and elite armies function totally different between AoS and 40k. We’re going to be looking at the two games and comparing how these armies play.
If you’ve played a tabletop wargame for longer than 30 minutes, you’ll find out that there are elite and horde armies. They both have strengths and weaknesses. Today, we’re exploring those kinds of armies in 40k and AoS 2.0. Let’s break it all down.
The Differences of Armies Between 40k & AoS 2.0
40k 8th Edition Armies
Being completely real here; if you aren’t playing a horde army in 8th edition, you’re already losing. Sure Custodes are good but any competitive list you’ll see is a gaggle of Custodes backed by a Guard battalion which is… you guessed it, a horde army (even if there’s a Knight in there too). Also, RIP Grey Knights.
Tyranids were previously placing at the top in competitions all around the country and guess what? They’re a horde army.
We must note that there have been quite a few Eldar placings as well. They aren’t really a horde army, but they aren’t elite either. They do have some bomb psychic powers though.
Advantages to playing Horde: AoS & 40k
If you play a horde army, expect to take casualties… heavy casualties. But that’s an alright thing to have happen since your units cost a fraction of what an elite unit would. With horde armies you are able to cover more ground and deny your opponent objectives easier. But you’ll take casualties by the droves as soon as something targets them.
Have you ever seen an amoeba eating things? It wraps around it slowly and pulls it into its core. That’s exactly how horde armies should play. If something decides to charge into 30+ guys, just wrap around them so they can’t get away. Even though your guys are armed with toothpicks, that’s still 600 attacks with a toothpick. It’ll kill something.
Horde Armies in AoS 2.0
Horde armies in AoS 2.0 are still very good. they function in the exact same way as horde armies do in 8th edition. They deny the enemy objectives and ground to move freely over. The problem is that they die very easily and morale is a nightmare.
The key difference is that Horde armies don’t just walk all over the more elite armies like you would normally see in 8th edition. There are A LOT of horde armies in AoS, but of the armies that are elite like Stormcast Eternals and Beastclaw Raiders, they can really hold their own.
Beastclaw Bruisers
For example: the Frostlord right here can roll over just about anything he wants to. He gets about the same damage output as a Baneblade in 8th and takes half damage. It’s also possible to let him re-roll all failed dice rolls on the first turn. The power of this single model is insane.
Of course, where this army lacks is the inability to hold objectives. An army of Beastclaw Raiders only has a handful of models. They can be very fast and kill almost anything in a single combat, but they lack constant board-wide presence that horde armies have an easier time with.
If you wanted to play an elite army, do it in AoS. They’re actually extremely good. Otherwise, you can play a horde army in any game and still be relatively competitive.
What’s your experience with playing both kinds of armies in AoS 2.0 and 40k? What kind of army do you play? Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group.
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About the Author: Wesley Floyd
Wesley Floyd
Job Title: Staff Writer
Joined: 2018
Socials: @RealmbrushPainting
About Wesley Floyd: Wes has been in the Warhammer hobby since 2015 and joined the Spikey Bits writing team in 2018. He is known for his satirist takes on trending topics and imaginative yet amazingly affordable hobby solutions to painting Warhammer miniatures.
Imperial fanboy, tabletop fanatic, and the self-proclaimed King of Sprues. He knows for a fact that Mephiston red is the best-tasting paint and is the commission painting equivalent of a Wendy’s 4 for $4. If you like what he writes and want to contact him or have your tabletop minatures painted (to a mostly okayish standard), message him on Instagram.
