Twilight Kin in KoW 4 – tier and analysis

Twilight Kin — B+

List state: 23 September 2026, after Fracture and ahead of the announced Arrogance.

The Twilight Kin are elves who went their own way – and a long way at that. They deliberately rejected the morality and compassion that Elvenholme was famed for in its former glory, and long lives in underground caverns have changed their bodies: they are paler than other elves, and those who consort with beings from the Void have strange eyes. Other peoples know them as the black-hearted elves of the Pit of Leith – and as slavers whose ships are best given a wide berth.

On the table, it's an army with two faces: Dark Kin corsairs hold the centre, and behind them come things that should never walk the world – Voidtouched mutants and Nightstalkers bound by the Summoner Crones. The best lists take two Crones, a wall of corsairs and a hammer of Mutants or Impalers.

What the results say

In the UK, the Twilight Kin win more often than they lose. At Clash of Kings 2026 (160 players, six games), five lists went 15–3–12, which makes 55.0% – the seventh-best result of twenty factions. The best list finished in 23rd place (5–0–1), and the next two in 37th and 45th (3–1–2 each). On top of that, there's a win at Whitburn (12 players, 3–0–0) and podiums at small tournaments – 2nd at Shroud of the Reaper, 2nd at Roll out the Reaper and 3rd at Pride of the Shires – plus 4th place at Southern Crown and 8th at Battle Masters (28 players). Across all known fourth-edition games in the UK, that's 33–3–21, which makes 60.5%.

The flip side: it's a small sample. Nine players used the army in fourth edition, and one of them played 17 of the 57 games (67.6%); the rest have 57.5% between them. In the UK season ranking, the Twilight Kin are only fifteenth, and in the Data & Dice efficiency model fourteenth – although they're fourth for average unit strength. In the USA, the army is almost nowhere to be seen: not a single list played at the US Masters, and at Adepticon the Twilight Kin won four games out of five.

Three of the seven best lists (2nd at Shroud of the Reaper, 4th at Southern Crown and 37th at CoK) were put together by the same player; another player built three lists, one of which is in the top seven (8th at Battle Masters). The unit ratings come from 11 fourth-edition lists from UK tournaments, from May to September – the points costs and stats in them are the same as today.

Hence the B+ – a CoK result on a par with the Xirkaali and the Dwarfs (55–56%), so the same grade, albeit on a small sample.

A few rules to start with

• Traits. Dark Kin: Corsair Voidwalkers, Fleetwardens, Wranglers and Void-Skiffs. Cronebound – the bound Nightstalkers: Bound Butchers, Reapers, Phantoms, Ravagers, Soulflayers, Mind-screech, Voidlurker and Terror; all of them have Stealthy. Voidtouched Mutants and Weavers, Impalers, the Goredrake and the heroes have no faction trait.
• Orders. The Twilight Kin have two of their own:
  • Flesh Hooks (4+) – Dark Kin only: enemy units engaged with this unit's front can't withdraw (Withdraw!) and lose three attacks (though they keep at least one) until the start of this unit's next turn. A Warlord gets it off 87.5% of the time, a Champion 75%.
  • Fear the Darkness (5+) – the unit gains Dread: enemies within 6 inches have -1 to their Nerve. Warlord 70%, Champion 56%.
• Essence of the Bloodshrine. The Summoner Crone also deals damage with Enthral, Hex, Weakness and Wind Blast – after rolling to hit, she also rolls to damage for each hit.
• The tarpit in numbers. An enemy Regiment with fifteen attacks on 4+ and CS (1) does five damage to Voidwalkers. With Ensnare – over three, with Ensnare and Flesh Hooks – almost three, and with all that plus Weakness from a Crone – two.
• Unlocks. The Impaler Soulbane (both versions) makes Impalers Specialist units, Mikayel makes one unit of Impalers Core, and the Captain on Void-Skiff makes Void-Skiffs Regiments Core. Without them, Impalers take up a Support slot. Troops of corsairs, Weavers and Wranglers are Aux.

Warlords

Model photos: © Mantic Entertainment Ltd. Images used with permission.

Void Captain — B-

185 points: seven attacks on 3+ with CS (2) and Elite, Defence 5+, Nerve 17+, Individual, Inspiring and Rallying for Dark Kin.

How to play him: as the Warlord of a corsair list – Rallying gives Hordes of Fleetwardens and Voidwalkers within 6 inches +1 to their Nerve. In combat, over four damage against Defence 4+. The Soulbane, though, is 20 points cheaper and hits harder. One list – 45th at CoK (3–1–2), with two Hordes of Fleetwardens.

Impaler Soulbane — A+

165 points: Hero (Monster Infantry), Speed 5, nine attacks on 3+ with CS (2) and Elite, Defence 4+, Nerve 15+, Fearless, Inspiring, Wild Charge (D3). Impalers in his battalion are Specialist.

How to play him: as the cheapest Warlord in the army and the key to Impalers – with him, they go into Specialist slots, which leaves the Support slots for monsters. He hits properly himself: almost six damage against Defence 4+. Weak spots: Speed 5 and Defence 4+. A 5-point artefact – the Mace of Crushing twice, and the Blade of Slashing and the Healing Brew once each.

Five lists, all of them in the top seven, from three players.

Impaler Soulbane on Nightmare — C+

205 points: Large Cavalry, Speed 8, six attacks on 3+ with CS (2) and Elite, Defence 5+, Nerve 16+, Dread, Fearless, Inspiring. Impalers in this hero's battalion are Specialist.

How to play: the same unlock, faster and with Dread – but six attacks (almost four damage) for 40 points more than on foot. Three lists, all from the same player (8th at Battle Masters, 95th at CoK, 17th at Cogs of War).

Mikayel, Lord of Nightmares — C

275 points: Large Cavalry, Speed 8, nine attacks on 3+ with CS (2) and Elite, Duellist (D3+2), Defence 5+, Nerve 17+, Dread, Fearless, Iron Resolve (1), Stealthy, Very Inspiring. One unit of Impalers in this battalion is Core.

How to play: in combat, almost six damage against Defence 4+, and over eight against a hero. Except that 275 points is almost as much as the Soulbane and a Crone with Weakness put together (280). Nobody took this unit. As a unique unit, this hero can't take an artefact.

Captain on Void-Skiff — C

220 points: a chariot, Speed 7, Fly, seven attacks on 3+ with CS (2), Elite and Thunderous Charge (1), Defence 5+, Nerve 17+, Inspiring and deck harpoons at 18" with Piercing (1). Void-Skiffs Regiments in this hero's battalion are Core.

How to play: this hero makes Void-Skiffs Core, but the Skiffs don't feature at the top. On the charge, four and a half damage. One list – 18th of 24 at Cogs of War.

Champions

Summoner Crone — S

80 points: Individual, Inspiring, Yielding, Defence 4+, Nerve 13+ and Essence of the Bloodshrine. A Shadowmare for 15 (Speed 9). Spells: Bane Chant (3) for 30, Weakness (4) for 35, Hex (3) for 25, Enthral (5) for 35, Wind Blast (5) for 35 and the Arcane Library.

How to play her: two per list – always. Weakness (4) goes off 94% of the time and, thanks to Essence of the Bloodshrine, deals damage as well: it goes on whatever is about to hit the corsairs or the Impalers – against an enemy with CS (1), it takes a quarter off its damage against the corsairs. Bane Chant (3) goes on a Horde of Fleetwardens or on Reapers: the Horde then does almost fifteen damage against Defence 4+ instead of almost twelve. The most common builds are a Crone with Bane Chant and Weakness (145) and a Crone with just Weakness (115). Weak spots: a single attack and Nerve 13+.

She was in all eleven lists, always as a pair. Sixteen of the twenty-two had Weakness, eleven had Bane Chant, and seven had both.

Navigator — C+

100 points: Individual, Very Inspiring, Defence 4+, Nerve 11+ and Savage – every turn, one Dark Kin unit within 12 inches gains Vicious in combat, with no roll.

How to play: as a third commander – with Savage, a Horde of Fleetwardens does almost fourteen damage instead of almost twelve. Except that the top lists usually take the Soulbane and two Crones. One list – 102nd at CoK, without a Warlord.

La’theal Voidheart — C-

155 points: Large Infantry, Speed 7, four attacks on 4+ with Vicious, Defence 4+, Nerve 15+, Inspiring, Pathfinder, Stealthy, Strider, Crone Leech, Lightning Bolt (3) included in the price and the Arcane Library.

How to play: Inspiring and a spellcaster, but Lightning Bolt (3) is one damage a turn, and a Crone with Weakness for 115 gives a lot more. Nobody took this unit. As a unique unit, this hero can't take an artefact.

Bound Butcher Fleshripper — D

160 points: Large Infantry, six attacks on 3+ with CS (2), Defence 5+, Nerve 15+, Fearless, Retaliate!, Stealthy.

How to play: a Champion without Inspiring and without spells – over three damage in combat. None of the lists included it.

Navigator on Void-Skiff — C

150 points: a chariot, Speed 7, Fly, five attacks on 4+ with Thunderous Charge (2), Defence 4+, Nerve 14+, Very Inspiring, Savage and harpoons at 18".

How to play: flying Very Inspiring and Savage for a wing of Void-Skiffs – there was no such list at the top. None of the lists included one.

Core

Corsair Voidwalkers — S

Troop (Aux) 95, Regiment 120, Horde 200. Speed 6, Melee 4+, Defence 4+, Elite in combat, Ensnare, Dark Kin.

How to play them: as cheap Core and a tarpit. The 120-point Regiment is the currency for unlocks – and a wall that the enemy hits at -1 from the front, and which, after Flesh Hooks, also costs the enemy three attacks and the chance to withdraw. They hit weakly: a Regiment does three and a half damage. The lists mostly had Regiments (20 of 27); Hordes appeared, among others, in the 3rd-place list at Pride of the Shires (four, without Fleetwardens) and in the best CoK list (one, with the Brew of Sharpness (45)).

They were in all eleven lists – 27 units.

Corsair Fleetwardens — S

Troop (Aux) 110, Regiment 140, Horde 235. Speed 6, Melee 4+, Defence 4+, CS (1), Elite in combat, Phalanx, Dark Kin; the Horde has Nerve 24+.

How to play them: the Horde is a hammer that holds the line at the same time – thirty attacks with Elite and CS (1): almost twelve damage against Defence 4+, and almost fifteen with Bane Chant. Phalanx means that cavalry and flyers charging their front are Hindered. Weak spots: Defence 4+ and Speed 6. In the best lists, it's almost always a Horde (eight of the ten units).

Nine of the eleven lists, six of the seven best.

Voidtouched Weavers — B-

Troop (Aux) 120, Regiment 155, Horde 270. Heavy Infantry, Speed 6, Melee 5+, Shooting 5+, Defence 4+, Elite when shooting and Void Bolts at 18" with Piercing (1).

How to play them: the army's strongest shooting – after a Halt!, a Horde does almost ten damage against Defence 4+. A Regiment (just under five) isn't enough. In combat, Melee 5+. One list – the best one, 23rd at CoK (5–0–1), with a Horde and The Scrying Gem (25).

Corsair Wranglers — D

Troop (Aux) 135, Regiment 205. Heavy Infantry, Speed 7, Melee 4+, Shooting 4+, Defence 4+, CS (1), Elite in combat, Stealthy and Unleashed Tormentors at 9" with Frostbite, Dark Kin.

How to play: the 205-point Regiment hits in combat like a 140-point Regiment of Fleetwardens – over five damage – and shooting at 9 inches without Piercing makes three and a half on the move. None of the lists included them.

Bound Butchers — B-

Troop 135, Regiment 185. Large Infantry, Speed 6, Melee 4+, Defence 5+, CS (2), Retaliate!, Stealthy, Cronebound; the Regiment has Nerve 18+; limit [2].

How to play them: the only Core with Defence 5+ – a Regiment does almost seven damage against Defence 4+, and when fighting several enemies (Retaliate!), just as much against 5+. They have neither Elite nor the Dark Kin trait, though, so no Rallying and no Flesh Hooks. Two lists (8th at Battle Masters – two Regiments – and 18th at Cogs of War).

Specialists

Bound Reapers — B-

Troop 125, Regiment 165. Speed 6, Melee 3+, Defence 4+, CS (1), Stealthy, Cronebound; the Regiment has Nerve 16+.

How to play them: on paper, the most damage per point without a charge – a Regiment has twenty attacks on 3+: almost nine damage against Defence 4+, and over eleven with Bane Chant. Weak spots: Defence 4+ and Nerve 16+. Two lists from the same player, with two Regiments in each.

Bound Phantoms — A-

Troop 120, Regiment 150. Heavy Infantry, Speed 10, Fly, Melee 4+, Defence 4+, Stealthy, Cronebound.

How to play them: as the cheapest Specialist in the army – chaff, a screen, distant objectives and flanks (six damage into a flank). From the front, they hit for three. Only Troops were played in the lists. Six lists, nine units, five of the seven best.

Voidtouched Mutants — A+

Troop 145, Regiment 190. Heavy Infantry, Speed 7, Melee 3+, Defence 4+, Elite in combat, Thunderous Charge (2), Wild Charge (D3).

How to play them: they're the army's strongest charge – a Regiment does thirteen damage against Defence 4+ and over ten against 5+, and it charges 14 inches plus D3. Without the charge, that drops to almost eight, and after the fight they're left standing with Defence 4+, so it's best to strike where the counter-charge won't reach, or where a Crone can get Weakness off in time. Artefact: Sir Jesse's Boots of Striding (15) – for that one charge through terrain without being Hindered; eight of the fifteen units had them.

Eight lists, fifteen units (thirteen Regiments), five of the seven best.

Bound Ravagers — C

Troop 140, Regiment 215. Large Infantry, Speed 6, Melee 4+, Shooting 4+, Defence 4+, CS (1), Stealthy and Void Cannons at 12" with Piercing (1), Cronebound.

How to play: shooting and combat at over five damage each against Defence 4+ (over seven after a Halt!) for 215 – but in a Specialist slot, which Mutants and Phantoms are already fighting over. None of the lists included them.

Corsair Void-Skiffs — C+

Regiment 155. Chariot, Speed 7, Fly, Melee 4+, Defence 4+, Elite in combat, Thunderous Charge (2), Brutal (1), Dark Kin. Harpoons for 30.

How to play: a flying hammer for 155 – almost eight damage against Defence 4+ on the charge – but with Height 4. The harpoons (just under two damage on the move) aren't worth the extra points. Three lists, none of them at the top.

Support

Impalers — A+

Troop 175, Regiment 245. Monster Infantry, Speed 5, Melee 3+, Defence 4+, CS (2), Elite in combat, Big Shield (Defence 6+ from the front), Fearless; the Regiment has Nerve 17+.

How to play them: as a wall that hits back. Sixteen attacks with Elite and CS (2) make over ten damage against Defence 4+ every turn, and Big Shield gives them Defence 6+ from the front – against shooting too. They're best set up facing the threat, with their flanks guarded: into the flank, an ordinary enemy Regiment does ten damage to them. Speed 5 – it's the opponent who has to come to them. Under a Soulbane, they're Specialist.

Eight lists, thirteen Regiments, four of the seven best – in other words, every list except those of the player who put together three of the top seven.

Bound Soulflayers — C

180 points: Troop, Large Cavalry, Speed 8, Fly, Melee 3+, Defence 4+, CS (1), Thunderous Charge (1), Stealthy and Wind Blast (5) included in the price; limit [2].

How to play: flying cavalry – almost seven damage on the charge – but US 1 and Defence 4+ for 180 points in a Support slot. None of the lists included them.

Twilight Assassin — C-

140 points: four attacks on 3+ with CS (1), Duellist (6), Elite, Defence 4+, Nerve 13+, Individual, Inspiring (Self), Scout, Stealthy and Void Stars at 12" with Piercing (1); limit [1].

How to play: over five damage against a hero, but the Assassin takes up a Support slot that better units are fighting over. None of the lists included one.

Bound Mind-screech — C

160 points: Monster, Speed 6, Fly, five attacks on 4+, Defence 4+, Nerve 15+, US 2, Stealthy, Cronebound and three spells included in the price: Lightning Bolt (6), Drain Life (6) and Wind Blast (6).

How to play: two damage with Lightning Bolt or with Drain Life (and as much healing), or a three-inch push. In combat, nothing. One list – 102nd at CoK. As a Monster, it can't take an artefact.

Goredrake — B+

180 points, Titan: Speed 8, Fly, Strider, seven attacks on 3+ with CS (2) and Vicious, Defence 5+, Nerve 17+; limit [2].

How to play it: as the cheapest Titan in the army – flying, with Defence 5+ – for the flanks, war engines and distant objectives. In combat, four and a half damage. As a Titan, it can take an artefact, but nobody gave it one. Three lists, five models – all of them in the top seven (two each in the lists that came 37th at CoK and 4th at Southern Crown, one in the 45th-place list at CoK).

Bound Voidlurker — A

230 points, Titan: Speed 10, Fly, ten attacks on 3+ with CS (2) and Thunderous Charge (1), Defence 4+, Nerve 19+, Regeneration (5+), Stealthy, Cronebound; limit [1].

How to play it: as a fast monster for the flanks – it charges from 20 inches and does almost six damage against Defence 4+ and 5+, and with Nerve 19+ and regeneration (a third of its damage every turn), it holds out for a long time. Weak spot: Defence 4+. Seven lists, four in the top seven.

Bound Terror — A-

235 points, Titan: Speed 6, twelve attacks on 3+ with CS (1) and Rampage (8), Defence 4+, Nerve 18+, Ensnare, Fearless, Regeneration (4+), Stealthy, Strider, Cronebound; limit [2].

How to play it: as an anvil that hits infantry – against infantry, regular cavalry and war engines, it has twenty attacks and does almost nine damage against Defence 4+, and over five against everything else. Regeneration (4+) removes half of its damage every turn, and Ensnare makes it harder to hit from the front. Six lists, always one, three in the top seven.

How to play Twilight Kin

Three ideas from the top

• A wall of Impalers (23rd at CoK, 5–0–1; 12 units, US 26): an Impaler Soulbane with the Healing Brew; a Crone with Bane Chant and Weakness, a Crone with Blizzard (4); a Regiment and a Horde of Fleetwardens, a Horde of Voidwalkers with the Brew of Sharpness, a Horde of Weavers with The Scrying Gem; two Troops of Phantoms, a Regiment of Impalers; a Terror and a Voidlurker. The same idea was played by the list that came 3rd at Pride of the Shires (four Hordes of Voidwalkers, two Regiments of Mutants and two Regiments of Impalers) and by the 8th-place list at Battle Masters.
• Mutants and flying monsters (2nd at Shroud of the Reaper, 4th at Southern Crown and 37th at CoK – the same player): the Soulbane as a cheap Warlord without Impalers, two Crones with Weakness (usually both with Bane Chant too), one or two Hordes of Fleetwardens, three Regiments of Voidwalkers, Phantoms, two or three units of Mutants, and two Goredrakes or a Terror with a Voidlurker.
• Corsairs with a Void Captain (45th at CoK, 3–1–2; 12 units, US 25): a Void Captain; a Crone with Bane Chant and Scorched Earth (3), a Crone with the Zephyr Crown and Bane Chant; two Hordes of Fleetwardens (one with the Brew of Sharpness), a Regiment of Voidwalkers with Fire-Oil; a Troop of Phantoms, two Regiments of Mutants (one with the Boots, one with the Brew of Haste), two Regiments of Impalers in Support and a Goredrake.

The common denominator: two Crones, Voidwalkers (usually Fleetwardens too) in Core, and a hammer of Mutants, Impalers or both – plus fast monsters. The weakest Twilight Kin lists were the ones with Void-Skiffs (95th and 102nd at CoK, 18th at Cogs of War).

Game plan

1. Deployment. Voidwalkers and Fleetwardens in the middle, the Crones right behind them (Weakness reaches 24 inches, Bane Chant 12), Impalers facing the biggest threat, Mutants and monsters on the wings, and Phantoms in front of the line as a screen.
2. First turns. Stealthy protects the Nightstalkers from shooting, and Individuals are hit at -1 anyway. Phantoms and the Voidlurker go after war engines, wizards and distant objectives.
3. The clash. The enemy crashes into the corsairs – Flesh Hooks takes away three of its attacks and its chance to escape, and Weakness – against an enemy with CS (1) – a further quarter of its damage. Then the Mutants charge in from the side, and Bane Chant goes on the Horde of Fleetwardens.
4. Endgame. The corsair Hordes stand on the objectives, while the Phantoms and Goredrakes grab the distant ones.

What to be scared of

• Lots of shooting at Defence 4+. Mutants and the corsairs have Defence 4+ and no Stealthy – they're easily lost before they get there.
• The opponent's Phalanx. It slows down the flyers – the Voidlurker, Goredrakes, Phantoms – and the Soulbane on Nightmare. Mutants and Impalers aren't afraid of it.
• Temptation. Void-Skiffs, Mikayel and La’theal look interesting, but they either didn't make the top lists or weren't played at all.

Small games

Up to 1000 points:

• an Impaler Soulbane (165);
• a Summoner Crone with Weakness (115);
• a Horde of Fleetwardens (235) and two Regiments of Voidwalkers (240);
• a Bound Voidlurker (230).

985 points in total and six units. At a pairs tournament (1150 points per player), a Twilight Kin list took 3rd place with a very similar line-up: the Soulbane, a Crone with Bane Chant and Weakness, a Horde of Fleetwardens, three Regiments of Voidwalkers and a Voidlurker.

Medium games

At 2000 points, the best bet is the list that won all three of its games at Shroud of the Reaper (12 players):

• an Impaler Soulbane (165);
• two Crones – one with Bane Chant and Weakness (145), the other with just Weakness (115);
• a Horde of Fleetwardens (235) and three Regiments of Voidwalkers (360);
• a Troop of Phantoms (120) and two Regiments of Mutants, one of them with the Boots (395);
• a Bound Terror (235) and a Bound Voidlurker (230).

Exactly 2000 points in total and twelve units.

Big games

At 2300–2500 points, the best bet is one of the three ideas described above – all the top lists were a single battalion.

Pitfalls:

• Void-Skiffs and the Captain on Void-Skiff. The lists with them finished in the bottom half of the table.
• Mutants without the Boots. A charge that's Hindered by terrain costs them Thunderous Charge – half the units in the lists had the Boots.
• Impalers with a flank turned to the enemy. Defence 6+ from the front, 4+ from the flank – positioning decides everything.

In fourth edition, the Twilight Kin are an army that pins the enemy down with hooks and spells, then unleashes the worst it has out of the darkness. In the UK, they win more often than they lose – it's just that hardly anyone plays them.