Kings of War: The Mass-Battle Fantasy Game for Big, Beautiful Armies

Kings of War, by Mantic Games, is the go-to game for players who love sprawling fantasy battles — whole regiments of miniatures crashing into each other across the table. It's fast, clean and famously beginner-friendly, and it's one of the cheapest mass-battle games to get into.

Why it's so approachable

Here's the clever trick at the heart of Kings of War: you don't remove individual models as casualties — you track damage on a unit and remove the whole unit only when it finally breaks. That means no fiddly model-by-model removal, much faster turns, and — crucially for newcomers — you can field a great-looking army without painting every single figure to a display standard. Ranked up, the army is the star, not the individual mini.

Where to start: Ambush

The Ambush starter sets are purpose-built for new players — a smaller, lower-cost skirmish format that's perfect for learning the rules before you scale up to full battles. We currently stock two excellent entry points: the demonic Forces of the Abyss Ambush Set and the undead Empire of Dust Ambush Set. Pick whichever army's look grabs you — both are a complete starting force out of the box.

Abyss or Empire of Dust?

The Forces of the Abyss are fast, ferocious demons that punish hesitation and reward aggression — a great pick if you like to attack. The Empire of Dust are relentless undead legions: slower, but nearly impossible to shake, and brilliant for players who prefer to grind an opponent down. There's no wrong choice; pick the look you'd most enjoy painting in numbers.

Get them painted fast

Because Kings of War is all about the look of massed ranks, speed-painting really shines here. A Speedpaint or Warpaints set from our Army Painter range will get a whole regiment table-ready in an evening — see our guide to painting an army fast. Browse everything in our Kings of War collection and start building your legion today.