Learn how to build and pilot a Conquest, the Last Argument of Kings, City States army that won’t break the bank- check it out!
Last time we looked at Conquest, we covered the Nords, and this time, we will look at the other half of their new 2-player starter set, City States.
City States are a take on the Greek type of army with modifications to kind of make them robotic with a sprinkling of gods in avatar forms. Just like the Nord faction, though, I am only going to break down those units that have a model out, even though there are placeholders for many more.
Conquest Two-Player Starter Box:
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To play this army, the two-player set is the place to start. Now, let’s get into some list-building for the army and see what you can do with this versatile box.
Dominate Your Enemies With a Conquest City States Army
Characters:
Aristarch (90 Points, Light Infantry): Mainstay Units; Hoplites, Phalangites, and Thorakites. Restricted Units; Agema, Minotaur Thyreans, and Promethean. March 5, Volley 1, Clash 3, Attacks 5, Wounds 4, Resolve 4, Defense 2, Evasion 0. Battlefield Orders: When activated, this character’s stand can either gain Untouchable (Re-roll defense rolls of 6) or Bravery (Ignores Fearsome and Terrifying) and remove the broken status at the start of this stand’s activation). The shield adds 1 to defense from attacks coming in from the front arc.
If made your warlord when a friendly regiment activates, that regiment adds 1 to its march unit end of round. Also, withdrawal actions from friendly infantry units allow them to move backward their full march and not change facing and automatically perform a clean withdrawal.
This is an excellent anvil type of hero for a big block of troops in the center of the battlefield. Plug him into a unit of light or medium infantry, and they will withstand your opponents’ main blocks of troops in time to allow your heavy hitters to catch up. As a warlord, he is solid if you are going to be using a lot of hit-and-run tactics with your infantry models.
Mechanist (80 Points, Medium Infantry): Mainstay Units; Hoplites and Thorakites. Restricted Units: Hephaestian, Minotaur Haspists, and Promethean. March 5, Volley 2, Clash 2, Attacks 4, Wounds 4, Resolve 3, Defense 2, Evasion 1. Priest 5 with 3 Spells; Aggression Directive (Range 10, Target friendly unit with automation adds +1 clash to a max of 4 until end of round), Clockwork Parade (Range 12, Target Friendly Regiment treats its total charge distance as its March +4 unit end of round), and Iron Stride (Range 8, target friendly unit ignores the effects of hindering terrain until the end of round)
If made warlord when a friendly regiment activates, that regiment gains hardened +1 (when making a defense roll reduce any cleave, brutal impact, or armor piercing by X). Then reduce the March of that standby one until the end of the round. Friendly Clockwork Hoplite Regiments change their class to medium for the entire battle.
This is a defensive caster model, and I kind of love them as a support model to buff up your heavy hitters. We are not covering Clockwork Hoplites yet because they don’t have models, but this character is clearly meant to sit in a block of them and cast out spells.
Polemarch (90 Points, Medium Infantry): Mainstay Units; Agema, Hoplites, Minotaur Haspists, Phalangites, and Thorakites. Restricted Units; Hephaestian and Minotaur Thyreans. March 5, Volley 1, Clash 3, Attacks 5, Wounds 4, Resolve 4, Defense 3, Evasion 0.
When activated, this characters stand can select one of the following: Enemy Regiments performing volley actions against this regiment re-roll hit rolls of 1 until the end of the round, or the regiment gains the unyielding special rule (your opponent cannot claim an objective that is contested by a stand with this rule).
If made, your warlord, the stand this character is attached to adds +1 to its clash (to a maximum of 4), and the regiment gains the Tenacious rule (Whenever this regiment makes a defense roll, treat one failed die roll as a success.)
This is a good character to attach to a slower-moving regiment that might get focus fired at from your opponent’s missile weapons. I don’t see the value of making him your warlord over your other characters, as he only affects a single stand and not your entire army.
Conquest City States Army- Light Units:
Thorakites (140 points, Infantry Light): March 5, Volley 1, Clash 2, Attacks 4, Wounds 4, Resolve 2, Defense 2, Evasion 0. Shield (Add 1 to defense for front arc damage), Fluid Formation (Regiment may perform a free additional action to reform before it takes its first action or after it takes both its actions.
This regiment can draw a line of sight from all arcs.) and Leader (Plus 1 to command stands attack and barrage) special rules. You can add a Xypharchos (25 points), which adds +2 Attacks to the command stand and, if activated from the stack, gain flurry (re-roll all failed to hit rolls when performing a clash or duel.)
You may want to think about adding a Lochagos (15 points) which may use the resolve of friendly character stands within 18″.
If the warlord is within 18″ and uses their battlefield tactics or battlefield orders ability for their stand, it also applies to this one as well.
This is an interesting unit in that you can use it to go forward very quickly and gain ground. So, if you want to boost them, you can add those officers to have them hit your opponent hard at the start of the game.
Keeping them within 18 of a warlord who can also buff them will make them dish out some serious damage or keep them safe from ranged attacks.
Conquest City States Army- Medium Units:
Hoplites (130 Points, Medium Infantry): March 5, Volley 1, Clash 2, Attacks 4, Wounds 4, Resolve 2, Defense 2, Evasion 0. Shield (+1 Defense from attacks from the front arc), Phalanx ( +1 Defense from attacks in the front arc, they cannot have inspired special rule, charge distance is always March +3, and it cannot occupy garrison terrain), Support 2 (During clash actions regiments stands with supporting attacks of 2 rather than 1.) and Leader (Plus 1 to command stands attack and barrage) special rules.
You can add a Dorilates (25 points) to gain furry (re-roll failed clash and duel attacks) and relentless blows (hit rolls of 1 cause an additional hit) and or a Lochagos (15 points), which may use resolve of friendly character stand within 18″ and if the warlord is within 18″ and uses their battlefield tactics or battlefield orders ability for their stand it also applies to this one as well.
This is your bread and butter of the army in that they will march forward and stab anything that gets in their way. With the support of 2, they benefit from larger blocks of units of stands. I would for sure put a Dorilates in this unit, and if you’re not attaching your warlord, the Lochagos as well, but I think adding your warlord to the block is a no-brainer, and just sending it up the middle.
Phalangites (140 Points, Medium Infantry): March 5, Volley 1, Clash 2, Attacks 4, Wounds 4, Resolve 3, Defense 2, Evasion 0. Pike Formation (Enemy regiments suffer -3 to impact special will when coming into contact with the front arc, also enemies that charge do not gain inspired and shock until the end of the round) Phalanx ( +1 Defense from attacks in the front arc, they cannot have inspired special rule, charge distance is always March +3, and it cannot occupy garrison terrain), Support 3 (During clash actions regiments stands with supporting attacks of 3 rather than 1.) and Leader (Plus 1 to command stands attack and barrage) special rules.
You can add a Dorilates (25 points) to gain furry (re-roll failed clash and duel attacks) and relentless blows (hit rolls of 1 cause an additional hit) and or a Lochagos (15 points), which may use resolve of friendly character stand within 18″ and if the warlord is within 18″ and uses their battlefield tactics or battlefield orders ability for their stand it also applies to this one as well.
This unit is interesting because they do not have the shield keyword, so they are a little less defensive than your hoplites, but with them ignoring most impact hits, they will absorb a charge better. They also will dish out more hits with the support 3. If I am running them, I am running a block of 6 with the officers and moving them up a flank to deal with any brutes or monsters my opponent is running at me.
Agema (170 Points, Medium Infantry) March 5, Volley 1, Clash 3, Attacks 5, Wounds 4, Resolve 3, Defense 2, Evasion 0. Fluid Formation (Regiment may perform a free additional action to reform before it takes its first action or after it takes both its actions. This regiment can draw a line of sight from all arcs.), Shield (+1 Defense from attacks from the front arc), and Cleave 1 (any attacks from clash or duel actions reduce targets defense by 1) special rules.
Leader (Plus 1 to command stands attack and barrage) special rules. You can add a Xypharchos (25 points), which adds +2 Attacks to the command stand, and if activated from the stack, gain flurry (re-roll all failed hit rolls when performing a clash or duel.)
For me, these units are best taken in blocks of three so that they can take full advantage of fluid formation, allowing them to move between terrain and units more easily to get those flank and rear charges in. Definitely, that is the officer model, and I think if you can get them into the flank of an opponent who may be tied up with your Hoplites can give you that leg up to break your opponent’s anvil.
Promethean (230 Points, Medium Monster) March 7, Volley 0, Clash 3, Attacks 10, Wounds 14, Resolve 4, Defense 3, Evasion 1. Cleave 2 (any attacks from clash or duel actions reduce targets defense by 2), Hardened 1 (Reduce any cleave, brutal impact, or armor piercing by one against this stand), Priest 2, Herald of the Forge God (At the end of its activation before the deactivating step perform a free spell casting action.
Spells casting requires min success of 4 rather than 2, and add +X dice to the spell casting where X is the number of successful hits caused to an enemy during its activation), Terrifying 1 (Reduce enemy stands in contact with this stand by 1), and Impact 5 (5 impact hits on a charge) special rules. Spells are Temper Resolve (Range Self, all friendly regiments within eight may re-roll defense and moral test rolls until the end of round) and Quench Blades (Range self, all friendly regiments within eight may re-roll hit rolls of 6 and add +1 clash to a max of 4 this round).
This is a fantastic monster to add to your army in that it hits hard yet has a good defense and so has some staying power. It will be on the board quickly because it is a medium unit with a march of 7, so it can catch up to any units ahead of it. Finally, after it stomps on your opponent’s light units, it can then cast magic for a free action that buffs everything around it. The amazing utility of this model helps it support your anvils of hoplites and phalangites, and if it can get a flank on a stand, they have locked up all the better.
Minotaur Haspitsts (180 Points, Medium Brute): March 6, Volley 1, Clash 3, Attacks 4, Wounds 5, Resolve 3, Defense 2, Evasion 1. Shield (+1 Defense from attacks from the front arc), Cleave 1 (any attacks from clash or duel actions reduce targets defense by 1), Vanguard (When this regiment enters the battlefield, it may perform a free march action and can be don’t to bring it onto the battlefield, as long as there are no enemy units within 8″ of where this unit enters the battlefield)
Fearsome (enemy regiments must pass a resolve check before being able to perform a combat rally or combat reform action while in contact with this stand), brutal impact 1 (impact hits reduce targets defense by 1), and impact 2 (when charging this unit performs two impact hits) special rules. Leader (Plus 1 to command stands attack and barrage).
This is a fast-moving brute unit that can cover ground quickly. I am putting them in the flanks of my army and letting them use that Vanguard to run up the side quickly and flank my opponent’s units that I have locked up with my infantry.
Conquest City States Army- Heavy Units:
Hephaestian (250 Points, Heavy Monster): March 7, Volley 0, Clash 3, Attacks 10, Wounds 14, Resolve 4, Defense 3, Evasion 1. Cleave 3 (any attacks from clash or duel actions reduce targets defense by 3), Hardened 1 (Reduce any cleave, brutal impact, or armor piercing by one against this stand), Priest 2, Herald of the Forge God (At the end of its activation before the deactivating step perform a free spell casting action.
Spells casting requires min success of 4 rather than 2, and add +X dice to the spell casting where X is the number of successful hits caused to an enemy during its activation), Terrifying 2 (Reduce enemy stands in contact with this stand by 2), and Impact 5 (5 impact hits on a charge) special rules.
Spells are Trident Strike (Range 6, Inflict one hit per success) and Crucibles Fire (Range self, this regiment gains an aura of death 7, enemy stands in contact take seven hits at the beginning of their draw step this does not trigger a morale test.)
Where your medium monster is a supporting character, this is a one-monster death machine. Taking this bad boy, you are sending it straight at your opponent’s hardest-hitting stuff and not looking back. It is there to do one thing, and that is to kill as much stuff as it can.
Minotaur Thyreans (190 Points, Heavy Brute): March 6, Volley 1, Clash 3, Attacks 5, Wounds 5, Resolve 3, Defense 2, Evasion 1. ), Cleave 3 (any attacks from clash or duel actions reduce targets defense by 3), Fearsome (enemy regiments must pass a resolve check before being able to perform a combat rally or combat reform action while in contact with this stand), brutal impact 1 (impact hits reduce targets defense by 1), and impact 3 (when charging this unit performs two impact hits) special rules.
Leader (Plus 1 to command stands attack and barrage), Terrifying 1 (Reduce enemy stands in contact with this stand by 1), and line breaker (Ignore the shield and baston special rules when performing a clash, duel, or impact attacks) special rules.
These guys are going to get sent after your opponent’s most heavily armored troops and chew through them with the line breaker and cleave they have. Like a heat-seeking missile, don’t let them get off target because they will be wasted against lesser targets, and with a defense of only 2, they can certainly die a death by a 1000 cuts.
Units not covered: (because no models yet)
- Eidolon
- Ipparchos
- Clockwork Hoplites
- Companion Cavalry
- Inquisitors
- Scared Band
- Selinoi Hunters
- Selinoi Rangers
- War Chariots
As the newest faction City States comes out punching with some fantastic infantry and monster units and some pretty good buffing warlords. They need some ranged attackers, but I think you’re going to see a lot of people gravitate to these guys’ playstyle.
On the paint table: 8 Nord Raiders. (Completed 3 Malifaux Raptors and 4 Clockwork traps)
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This box is great if you want to build your own 2000 Point Conquest City States Army!
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About the Author: Travis Perkins
