Undead in KoW 4 – tier and analysis

Undead — B

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

Necromancy is the most abhorrent of the magical arts – outlawed everywhere except Ophidia, and anyone caught studying it faces a painful execution. Even so, necromancers never lack apprentices, because the art promises immortality. The greatest of them raise armies tens of thousands strong – soldiers who never tire, never go hungry, never rebel – and know no mercy.

On the table, it's a two-speed army: slow Shambling infantry, pushed forward by Surge spells, and fast hunters with blood on their claws – werewolves, Soul Reavers and ghouls. Hordes of Zombies and Goreblights hold the centre, and the necromancers tie it all together.

What the results say

The Undead are mid-table on both sides of the Atlantic. At Clash of Kings 2026 (160 players, six games), eight lists went 21–4–23, which makes 47.9% – the fourteenth-best result of twenty factions. The best lists finished in 15th place (5–0–1), 49th (4–0–2) and 61st (3–1–2). After the July update, the Undead won Cogs of War (24 players, 3–0–0), and at Battle Masters (28 players) two lists finished in 11th and 13th place. All the tournaments since July, CoK included, come to 47.4%, and in the UK season ranking the Undead are tenth. Before the update, things were worse – 43.8%, and all seven lists with a PDF finished in the bottom half of the table.

The picture in the USA was similar, though still before the July update: six Undead lists played at the US Masters (64 players), the best one finished in 15th place (with three Wights), and on average it was the tenth-best result of eighteen factions. Data & Dice's efficiency model likes this army more – after Fracture, it puts it in 6th place – but that's a simulation without synergies.

The list that won Cogs of War and the one that came 49th at CoK are the same line-up from the same player. The fourteen lists since the July update were put together by only eight players. The unit ratings come from exactly those fourteen lists: eight from CoK, three from Cogs of War, two from Battle Masters and one from Pannithor Ablaze.

Hence the B. Since the update, it's a mid-table army with one tournament win, and the US Masters, played before the update, showed the same picture.

A few rules to start with

• Two speeds. All the Decaying Horde infantry has Shambling – no At the Double! and only one pivot on an Advance! – and so do Wraiths, Wights, Revenant Cavalry, the Goreblight and the Balefire Catapult. Without Shambling: Werewolves (Speed 9), Soul Reaver Cavalry (8), Soul Reaver Infantry (6) and Ghouls (6, with Wild Charge).
• Surge in numbers. Surge (5) moves a Shambling unit 2.5 inches on average, Surge (6) 3, Surge (8) 4, Ziunok's Surge (8) with Elite almost 5, and a Necromancer with the Tome of Darkness 4.5.
• Orders. The Undead have two of their own:
  • Raise the Dead (3+) – Decaying Horde only: Lifeleech (+n+1), where n is the number of successful dice. A Warlord gets it off 96% of the time, for +3.1 on average; a Champion 89%, for +2.5. A Horde of Zombies with Lifeleech (1) then heals up to four damage on average after combat with the Warlord's order, and up to three and a half with a Champion's – but no more than it dealt.
  • Dance of Death (4+) – the unit loses Shambling for this turn, and infantry also gains Pathfinder. A Horde of Zombies can then go At the Double! for 10 inches. Except that without Shambling, it won't get a Surge that turn. Warlord 88%, Champion 75%.
• Fearless almost everywhere. Werewolves, Soul Reavers, Ghouls and some of the heroes don't have it – they need Inspiring nearby. Every Warlord has it, as do the Crypt Gouger, Lykanis and the Revenant King, the Army Standard Bearer (Very Inspiring, 9 inches) and a Necromancer with the Inspiring Talisman (6 inches).
• Traits. Decaying Horde: Skeleton Warriors and Archers, Zombies, Revenants, Revenant Cavalry, Zombie Trolls and the Goreblight. Fleshfeast – Ghouls, Werewolves and the Goreblight.
• Unlocks. The Vampire Lord makes Soul Reaver Infantry Regiments Core, the Crypt Gouger does the same for Regiments and Hordes of Ghouls, and Lykanis for one unit of Werewolves; Lady Ilona makes Soul Reaver Cavalry Specialist, and the Barrow Wight does the same for Wights. The bottleneck is Specialist: Werewolves, Wraiths, Trolls and Soul Reavers compete for four slots.

Warlords

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

Ziunok Iceblood — B

165 points: Defence 4+, Nerve 13+, Elite (Ranged), Fearless, Individual, Inspiring, Whispers in the Utterdark and spells included in the price: Surge (8) and Fireball (5).

How to play: as the cheapest Warlord and a wizard in one. Surge (8) with Elite moves a unit almost five inches on average, and Fireball (5) does almost three damage against Defence 4+ – and each point of damage it deals can remove one from a Decaying Horde unit within 12 inches (up to three per turn). One list since July, but the best one at CoK: 15th place (5–0–1), a magic gunline. As a unique unit, this hero can't take an artefact.

Vampire Lord — A-

Vampires are all but immortal – some have survived being burned and quartered, and have been reborn in a forgotten crypt from ashes scattered on the wind. They are also born necromancers: a fragment of Akshun'arha's essence flows in their tainted blood.

195 points: seven attacks on 3+ with CS (2), Defence 5+, Nerve 16+, Dread, Duellist (D3), Individual, Inspiring, Lifeleech (2). A horse for 25 (Speed 8), Surge (5) for 20. Soul Reaver Infantry Regiments in his battalion are Core.

How to play him: as a fighting Warlord with Dread – almost four damage against Defence 4+ – who also pushes the army along with Surge. Best on foot, with Surge (5), for 215. Three lists, all of them at the top: the win at Cogs of War and 49th at CoK (the same player, on foot), and 61st at CoK (mounted, with two Regiments of Soul Reaver Infantry as Core).

Barrow Wight — C-

235 points: four attacks on 3+ with CS (3), Defence 6+, Nerve 16+, Fearless, Fly, Individual, Inspiring, Lifeleech (1), Strider, Grave Guardian. Surge (5) for 20, Heal (6) for 30 and the Arcane Library. Wights in this hero's battalion are Specialist.

How to play: a flying warrior-wizard with Defence 6+, but four attacks (just over two damage) for 235 points. The Wights unlock isn't needed – no list filled up its Support slots. None of the lists included one.

Lady Ilona — C-

Even before the vampiric curse, Ilona was known as a cruel, vain and capricious ruler. When she became a vampire, those traits grew a thousandfold: she massacred her own family so that she could rule alone. She despises even other vampires – she carries a silvered sword, enchanted to slay vampires – and she seeks neither unity nor power, only the destruction of everything living and unliving.

240 points: eight attacks on 3+ with CS (2), Defence 6+, Nerve 16+, Duellist (D3), Individual, Inspiring, Lifeleech (2) and Enthral (7) included in the price. Soul Reaver Cavalry in her battalion are Specialist.

How to play her: as a fighting heroine with Defence 6+ – over four damage against Defence 4+ – who drags the enemy in by 3.5 inches on average with Enthral. Soul Reaver Cavalry, however, were played by just one player, who kept them in Support. None of the lists included her. As a unique unit, she can't take an artefact.

Vampire Lord on Undead Pegasus — B-

225 points: Large Cavalry, Speed 10, Fly, seven attacks on 3+ with CS (2), Defence 5+, Nerve 16+, Dread, Inspiring, Lifeleech (2); Surge (5) for 20.

How to play him: as fast Inspiring and Dread for a wing – almost four damage in combat. He isn't an Individual, and at Height 4 he's easy to hit. The most common Warlord since July (five lists), but from only two players, and just one list in the top half of the table – 13th at Battle Masters. The artefact from the lists: the Blade of Slashing (5).

Vampire Lord on Undead Dragon — C-

280 points, Titan hero: Speed 10, Fly, ten attacks on 3+ with CS (3), Defence 5+, Nerve 19+, Inspiring, Lifeleech (2); Surge (5) for 20.

How to play: almost six damage against Defence 4+ and 5+, and Nerve 19+, but no Dread, and 55 points more than the Pegasus. Nobody has taken him since July.

Revenant King on Undead Giant Wyrm — C

290 points, Titan hero: Speed 7, twelve attacks on 4+ with CS (3) and Brutal (1), Defence 5+, Nerve 18+, Fearless, Inspiring, Lifeleech (1), Strider and Plague Breath at 12"; Surge (8) for 30.

How to play: as an anvil Warlord that walks with the infantry and pushes it along with Surge (8) – five damage in combat against Defence 4+ and 5+ – but that's 320 points with Surge for Melee 4+. One list – 148th at CoK.

Revenant King on Undead Winged Giant Wyrm — C-

290 points, Titan hero: Speed 9, Fly, ten attacks on 4+ with CS (3) and Brutal (1), Defence 5+, Nerve 18+, Fearless, Inspiring, Lifeleech (1) and Plague Breath at 12"; Surge (8) for 30.

How to play: Fly and Speed 9 at the cost of two attacks and Strider – just over four damage against Defence 4+. None of the lists included one.

Champions

Necromancer — S

A necromancer is someone who shed their scruples long ago. Each of them sets out on this path for something different, but it always ends the same way: their own need outweighs everything else, and plundering graves becomes just another necessity. Many of them end up enslaved themselves by a more powerful wizard.

60 points: Defence 4+, Nerve 12+, Individual, Yielding; a horse for 15. Spells: Surge (6) for 20, Bane Chant (2) for 20, Heal (3) for 15, Drain Life (4) for 20, Weakness (2) for 15 and the Arcane Library – including Blizzard (4) for 40 and Alchemist's Curse (4) for 45.

How to play him: he's the backbone of the army. The standard build is the Inspiring Talisman (30) and Surge (6) – for 110 points, that's Inspiring for the werewolves and Soul Reavers and three inches of Surge for the infantry – or Bane Chant on top of that. The other school is the offensive wizard: Blizzard (4), Alchemist's Curse (4) – the tougher the target, the more damage – and the Amulet of the Fireheart (15), meaning two different spells in one turn, once per game.

He was in twelve of the fourteen lists (19 models) and in all of the best ones. Fifteen of the nineteen had Surge (6), and eleven had the Inspiring Talisman.

Army Standard Bearer — B+

Honour and duty mean nothing to the undead – but the spells soaked into their bloody banners are a source of unlife that sustains the servants of the undead lords.

90 points: Defence 5+, Nerve 11+, Fearless, Individual, Lifeleech (1), Very Inspiring, Yielding; a horse for 15.

How to play him: as Very Inspiring at 9 inches – and, with the Tome of Darkness (20), Surge (5) as well. That's how six of the seven lists played him. Seven lists, three at the top.

Revenant King — D

145 points: three attacks on 3+ with CS (1), Defence 5+, Nerve 14+, Fearless, Individual, Inspiring, Lifeleech (1) and Rallying for Decaying Horde; Surge (5) for 20, a horse for 15.

How to play: Inspiring, Rallying and Surge (5) add up to 165 points – while a Necromancer with the Inspiring Talisman and Surge (6) costs 110. One list since July, 140th at CoK.

Crypt Gouger — B-

150 points: six attacks on 3+ with CS (1), Defence 4+, Nerve 14+, Individual, Inspiring, Lifeleech (2), Wild Charge (D3) and a Vicious aura in combat for Fleshfeast. Ghouls Regiments and Hordes in this hero's battalion are Core.

How to play: as Inspiring and an aura for the werewolves – inside it, Werewolves do over ten damage against Defence 4+ instead of almost nine. In combat, this hero does just under three. Five lists, but three of them belong to one player with two Gougers and no Warlord; at the top once (11th at Battle Masters).

Lykanis — B-

Among werewolves, there must always be an alpha. Lykanis is the strongest, fastest and deadliest werewolf in the pack – and he holds that position through sheer strength and fury. Whoever hears his howl hears their own death sentence.

185 points: Large Infantry, Speed 9, five attacks on 3+ with CS (2), Defence 5+, Nerve 15+, Inspiring, Lifeleech (1), Nimble, Strider and Rallying for Fleshfeast; limit [1]. One unit of Werewolves in his battalion is Core.

How to play him: he keeps up with the werewolves, gives them Inspiring and Rallying, and moves one Regiment of Werewolves into Core – which frees up a Specialist slot. He hits weakly himself – just under three damage – and he isn't an Individual. Two lists, one at the top (61st at CoK).

Core

Skeleton Warriors — A-

Beneath the soil of Pannithor lie the bones of thousands of warriors from ancient battles, unburied and forgotten – ideal material for a necromancer's legions. Skeletons fight with rusted weapons and in broken armour, but that doesn't matter: a destroyed skeleton can be raised again.

Troop (Aux) 65, Regiment 90, Horde 145. Speed 5, Melee 5+, Defence 4+, Fearless, Lifeleech (1), Shambling, Decaying Horde. Spears for 10, 15 or 20 points: more attacks and Phalanx.

How to play them: as the cheapest Core that actually unlocks something – a Regiment for 90 with Defence 4+, Nerve 15+ and Fearless. They don't hit (two damage). Spears for the opponent's cavalry. The lists usually had a single Regiment – the 15th-place list at CoK had as many as seven. Seven lists, fifteen Regiments, five of the six best.

Skeleton Archers — D

Troop (Aux) 70, Regiment 95, Horde 155. Speed 5, Melee 6+, Shooting 6+, Defence 3+, Fearless, Lifeleech (1), Shambling and bows at 24".

How to play: after a Halt!, a Regiment does just under two damage against Defence 4+. Skeleton Warriors, for 90, have better defence and fight better. One list – 148th at CoK.

Zombies — S

The freshly dead don't rest easy near dark magic – its energy seeps into their corpses and raises them even without a necromancer's spells. Over the course of a campaign, their numbers snowball, because every fallen soldier and every victim joins the swarm.

Regiment (Aux) 70, Horde 110. Speed 5, Melee 5+, Defence 2+, Fearless, Lifeleech (1), Shambling, Decaying Horde. A Legion for 30 (with a Goreblight in the battalion): thirty attacks and Nerve 28+.

How to play them: the Horde, at 110, is the cheapest US 4 in the army – Nerve 22+, Fearless and points on the objectives. It hits weakly (just over four damage), but that's not what it's there for: it holds the centre and buys time. Usually three or four Hordes. The Regiment is Aux, so there's usually no point in it – of the best lists, only the 61st-place list at CoK took one. Artefact: the Hammer of Measured Force (20) – it always damages on 4+; twice in the lists.

Thirteen of the fourteen lists, 36 units (33 Hordes), five of the six best.

Ghouls — C+

Ghouls aren't walking corpses but deranged cannibals who eat the dead. They gather in clans ruled by Corpse-Mothers – the oldest, most bloated matriarchs, revered almost as saints. A necromancer who wants ghouls on the battlefield negotiates with them – though it's usually a formality, because ghouls flock of their own accord to wherever death is in the air.

Troop 80, Regiment 105, Horde 180 – all of them Aux (with a Crypt Gouger, Regiments and Hordes are Core). Speed 6, Melee 4+, Defence 3+, Lifeleech (1), Wild Charge (D3), Fleshfeast.

How to play: the 80-point Troop is a filler – that's how the list that won Cogs of War used it. A Horde in a Gouger's aura does almost nine damage against Defence 4+, but without Fearless and with Defence 3+. The lists with Ghouls as Core under a Gouger – a Horde or two Regiments – finished low at CoK: 107th and 140th out of 160.

Revenants — B

Troop (Aux) 105, Regiment 135, Horde 215. Speed 5, Melee 4+, Defence 5+, Fearless, Lifeleech (1), Shambling, Decaying Horde; the Horde has Nerve 25+.

How to play them: the Horde is an anvil with Defence 5+ and Nerve 25+ – over six damage against Defence 4+. Except that two Hordes of Zombies, for 220, give twice as much US. Three lists, Hordes only, two at the top (the same player).

Revenant Cavalry — B

Troop (Aux) 130, Regiment 180. Speed 8, Melee 4+, Defence 5+, Fearless, Lifeleech (1), Shambling, Thunderous Charge (2), Decaying Horde.

How to play them: a cheap hammer in Core – on the charge, a Regiment does seven and a half damage against Defence 4+. They have Shambling, but also Speed 8, and they make a good target for Surge. Artefact: Sir Jesse's Boots of Striding (15), three times in the lists. Five lists, two at the top (the same player).

Specialists

Wraiths — A-

The souls of the mightiest enemies of vampires and necromancers are condemned to a spectral half-existence in their service. Wraiths look like hooded figures with curved scythes – an image of death drawn from the minds of those who look upon them. They pass through walls, and weapons and arrows pass through them harmlessly.

Troop 140, Regiment 185. Speed 7, Melee 4+, Defence 6+, CS (1), Fearless, Fly, Lifeleech (1), Shambling, Strider.

How to play them: as a flying blocker and chaff with Defence 6+ – a Troop in front of the werewolves as a screen and against the opponent's hammer, a Regiment on a wing. They hit for over three damage themselves. Artefact: the Healing Brew (5). Seven lists, four of the six best.

Soul Reaver Infantry — B

Vampires are an arrogant race, so their ranks draw the mightiest and the vainest. Many knights fell victim to the vampiric curse and now wander in eternal unlife, still proving their superiority over mortals – these are the Soul Reavers, the deadliest warriors in the undead armies.

Troop 160, Regiment 210. Speed 6, Melee 3+, Defence 5+, CS (1), Lifeleech (2), Vicious.

How to play them: twenty attacks on 3+ with Vicious make over ten damage against Defence 4+ for 210 – the most of any infantry in the army – and thirteen with Bane Chant. They have neither Fearless nor Shambling. Under a Vampire Lord, they're Core. Three lists, always two Regiments, two at the top.

Zombie Trolls — B+

Creating a zombie troll is a difficult task – their regeneration makes trolls hard to kill and even harder to raise. But it's worth it: they no longer regenerate, yet they're still enormously strong and tough.

Troop 125, Regiment 180. Large Infantry, Speed 6, Melee 4+, Defence 5+, CS (2), Fearless, Lifeleech (1), Shambling, Decaying Horde.

How to play them: as a cheap hammer in Specialist – almost seven damage against Defence 4+ for 180, with Defence 5+ and Fearless. With Bane Chant, almost seven against 5+ as well. Artefacts from the lists: the Mace of Crushing (5) and the Brew of Sharpness (45). Five lists, three at the top (the 61st-place list took three Regiments).

Werewolves — S

Vampires aren't the only ones cursed through blood. Lycanthropy turns its victims into huge man-wolf hybrids – with bodies almost impervious to weapons and fangs as sharp as razors. They move faster than the eye can follow and fight with a strength and fury far beyond that of their mortal prey.

Troop 170, Regiment 265. Large Infantry, Speed 9, Melee 3+, Defence 5+, CS (1), Lifeleech (1), Nimble, Strider, Fleshfeast.

How to play them: they're a hammer that doesn't need Surge – Speed 9, Nimble, Strider and no Shambling. A Regiment does almost nine damage against Defence 4+, over eleven with the Brew of Strength (40), and over ten with the Blessing of the Gods (25). Usually two Regiments on a wing. They don't have Fearless – Inspiring has to be close by.

Thirteen of the fourteen lists, 23 Regiments, five of the six best, from seven of the eight players. Seven Regiments had the Brew of Strength, and four the Blessing of the Gods.

Support

Wights — B

Wights were once warrior kings; today they are purely supernatural beings that draw their strength from their own legend. Steeped in the blood of the thousands of enemies they slew in life, they have grown to the size of ogres – in ghostly armour, with two-handed spectral swords.

Troop 165, Regiment 240. Large Infantry, Speed 7, Melee 3+, Defence 5+, CS (2), Brutal (1), Fearless, Fly, Lifeleech (1), Shambling.

How to play them: a flying hammer with Fearless – almost nine damage against Defence 4+, and over eleven with the Brew of Sharpness (45). They do have Shambling, though. Four lists, one at the top (15th at CoK, with the Boots). At the US Masters, the best Undead list had three Wights.

Soul Reaver Cavalry — B-

Troop 165, Regiment 250. Cavalry, Speed 8, Melee 3+, Defence 5+, CS (1), Lifeleech (2), Thunderous Charge (2), Vicious.

How to play them: the strongest charge in the army – almost twelve damage against Defence 4+ and 5+, and over nine against 6+. No Fearless, and the Regiments are played in pairs. Three lists, but all from one player; at the top once (13th at Battle Masters).

Goreblight — A+

Necromancy is a matter of trial and error. For every successful raising, there are countless failures that drag themselves along in a painful half-existence. The more resourceful necromancers stitch the ones that still move into a single writhing, whimpering abomination – because few can keep their nerve when a pulsating avalanche of flesh is charging at them.

185 points: Monster, Speed 6, D6+6 attacks on 4+ with CS (2), Defence 5+, Nerve 17+, Height 3, Cloak of Death, Fearless, Lifeleech (1), Shambling, Strider; Decaying Horde and Fleshfeast.

How to play it: as a blocker in the centre – Cloak of Death deals one damage every turn to each enemy unit within 6 inches, with no Nerve test, and in combat it does four damage against Defence 4+. Without it, there's no Zombie Legion. As a Monster, it can't take an artefact.

Ten of the fourteen lists (fifteen models, up to three per list), four of the six best, from six of the eight players.

Balefire Catapult — B-

85 points: War Engine, two shots at 48" with Blast (D3+1), Indirect, Piercing (2), Reload and Vicious; limit [2].

How to play it: it stands at the back and always shoots after a Halt! – almost two damage a turn against Defence 4+, with no penalty for the target's cover. Two lists – four in the 15th-place list at CoK and one in the 148th-place list.

How to play Undead

Five lists from the top

• Werewolves and a bit of everything (the win at Cogs of War, 3–0–0, and 49th at CoK, 4–0–2 – the same player; 13 units, US 27): a Vampire Lord with Surge (5), an Army Standard Bearer with the Tome of Darkness, a Necromancer with the Inspiring Talisman, Bane Chant and Surge (6); a Horde of Revenants, a Horde of Zombies, a Regiment of Skeleton Warriors, a Regiment of Revenant Cavalry with the Boots and a Troop of Ghouls; two Regiments of Werewolves (with the Brew of Strength and the Blessing of the Gods), a Regiment of Zombie Trolls with the Mace of Crushing and a Regiment of Wraiths with the Healing Brew; a Goreblight.
• A magic gunline (15th at CoK, 5–0–1; 20 units, US 29, two battalions): Ziunok Iceblood and four Necromancers (with the Inspiring Talisman and Alchemist's Curse (4), with the Ej Periscope and Blizzard (4), with the Amulet of the Fireheart, Surge (6) and Bloodboil, and with Host Shadowbeast (8)); seven Regiments of Skeleton Warriors, three Troops of Wraiths, a Regiment of Wights with the Boots and four Balefire Catapults. The only list since July with neither Zombies nor Werewolves.
• A Vampire Lord, Soul Reavers and Lykanis (61st at CoK, 3–1–2; 13 units, US 24): a mounted Vampire Lord with Surge (5), a Necromancer with the Inspiring Talisman, Bane Chant, Surge (6) and Veil of Shadows (3), Lykanis with the Blade of Slashing; two Regiments of Skeleton Warriors with spears, a Regiment of Zombies, two Regiments of Soul Reaver Infantry as Core and a Regiment of Werewolves with the Brew of Haste as Core; three Regiments of Zombie Trolls; a Goreblight.
• Two Gougers without a Warlord (11th at Battle Masters, 2–0–2, at 2500 points; the same player also came 12th at Cogs of War and 107th at CoK; 15 units, US 32): two Crypt Gougers and two Necromancers with Surge (6) – one with the Inspiring Talisman and Blizzard (4), the other with the Amulet of the Fireheart, Alchemist's Curse (4) and Bloodboil; four Hordes of Zombies, two Troops of Wraiths (with the Mace of Crushing and the Blade of Slashing), two Regiments of Werewolves (with the Brew of Strength and the Blessing of the Gods) and three Goreblights.
• The Pegasus and Soul Reavers (13th at Battle Masters, 2–0–2, at 2500; the same player also came 15th at Cogs of War and 106th at CoK; 15 units, US 35): a Vampire Lord on Undead Pegasus, an Army Standard Bearer, two Necromancers with Surge (6) – one of them with the Inspiring Talisman; a Regiment of Skeleton Warriors, four Hordes of Zombies, two Regiments of Soul Reaver Infantry, two Regiments of Werewolves and two Regiments of Soul Reaver Cavalry (one with the Boots).

The common denominator: a Necromancer in all six of the best lists; Zombies, Regiments of Werewolves and a Regiment of Skeleton Warriors in five (Zombies as Hordes in four); the Goreblight and Wraiths in four. Nobody played the Barrow Wight, Lady Ilona, the dragon or the winged wyrm.

Game plan

1. Deployment. Hordes of Zombies and the Goreblight in the middle, Werewolves on a wing, Wraiths in front of them as a screen, the necromancers right behind the infantry (Surge has a range of 12 inches), and the Army Standard Bearer placed so that the werewolves are within 9 inches.
2. First turns. The centre moves forward – Dance of Death when there's distance or difficult terrain to cover, and Surge when the enemy has to be reached. The Werewolves look for flanks.
3. The clash. The Goreblight and the Zombies tie the enemy up, Cloak of Death bites every enemy within 6 inches, and the Werewolves, Trolls and Soul Reavers hit whatever is stuck. Raise the Dead goes on a unit that's about to fight.
4. Endgame. The Hordes of Zombies (US 4) stand on the objectives, while the Wraiths and the werewolves grab the distant ones.

What to be scared of

• Losing the necromancers. A Necromancer has Defence 4+ and Nerve 12+, and usually carries Surge (6) and the Inspiring Talisman – every one lost means less Surge for the infantry and less Inspiring for the werewolves.
• Fast armies. Shambling infantry won't catch anyone who doesn't want to fight.
• Temptation. The big Warlords – the dragon, the wyrms, the Barrow Wight, Lady Ilona – cost 235–320 points, and since July only one of them has been played (the wyrm, 148th at CoK). The best lists took a Vampire Lord, Ziunok or the Pegasus – or played without a Warlord.

Small games

Up to 1000 points:

• a Necromancer with the Inspiring Talisman and Surge (6) (110);
• two Hordes of Zombies (220) and a Troop of Ghouls (80);
• a Regiment of Werewolves (265) and a Troop of Wraiths (140);
• a Goreblight (185).

Exactly 1000 points in total and seven units: one Surge, Inspiring for the werewolves, one hammer without Shambling and two Hordes for scoring. The Troop of Ghouls is a filler, as in the list that won Cogs of War.

Medium games

At 2000 points:

• a Vampire Lord with Surge (5) (215), a Necromancer with the Inspiring Talisman and Surge (6) (110), an Army Standard Bearer with the Tome of Darkness (110);
• three Hordes of Zombies (330) and a Regiment of Skeleton Warriors (90);
• two Regiments of Werewolves – one with the Brew of Strength, the other with the Blessing of the Gods (595);
• a Regiment of Zombie Trolls (180) and a Regiment of Wraiths (185);
• a Goreblight (185).

Exactly 2000 points in total and twelve units, with every Specialist slot filled.

Big games

At 2300 points, the best bet is one of the first three lists described above, and at 2500 one of the two from Battle Masters. The list that won Cogs of War differs from the 2000-point one mainly in having one Horde of Zombies instead of three, plus a Horde of Revenants, a Regiment of Revenant Cavalry with the Boots and a Troop of Ghouls. A second battalion only opens up after four Core in the first, but it brings another set of [2] limits: the 15th-place list at CoK had four Necromancers and four Balefires.

Pitfalls:

• Too little Inspiring. Werewolves, Soul Reavers and Ghouls don't have Fearless – without Inspiring nearby (a Warlord, an Army Standard Bearer, a Necromancer with the Talisman), they break more easily.
• Surge after Dance of Death. A unit without Shambling won't get a Surge that turn.
• Ghouls as the backbone. The lists with Ghouls as Core under a Gouger finished CoK in 107th and 140th place.

In fourth edition, the Undead are an army that doesn't tire: the Zombies stand, the Goreblight bites, the necromancers push, and the werewolves finish the job. Mid-table – but with one trophy since the update and a spot at the top of CoK.