Fracture Army Focus: Forces of Nature
5th Aug 2026
Alex Gordon
This is the final article in our Fracture army focus series. You can check out the previous articles here:
All Fracture Releases Are Out Now!
Before we dive into the final army focus article, here’s the big news: all of the Kings of War: Fracture releases are now available!
The Fracture range rolled out across several waves, bringing new miniatures, boxed sets and army content for Basilea, Ogres, Forces of the Abyss and Forces of Nature. Now, with the July releases here, the full launch range is out in the wild.
Been waiting for everything to arrive before starting a new army, expanding your collection, or grabbing the Fracture book itself? Now’s the time to jump in!
A Closer Look at the New Forces of Nature Army List
If you've been reading the Mantic blog over the past few weeks, you'll know that we’ve been teaming up with members of the Kings of War Core Playtesting Group for a special series of army-focused articles, designed to give you a taste of what to expect from the new army lists that are included in Fracture. For this final instalment, we’re looking at the Forces of Nature, with insights from Mike Smith from the CPG.
The Forces of Nature push back against the oncoming tide of the Abyss.
The Forces of Nature are the Green Lady’s living instrument: the defenders of the world’s natural balance, drawn from forest, river, stone, storm, flame and the wild peoples who shelter beneath her protection.
But nature in Pannithor is not gentle. The Green Lady is Mother, Judge and Destroyer; a goddess of balance, renewal and terrible wrath. Galahir may be a sanctuary for those who belong to it, but to outsiders it is a dangerous and ancient realm where the forest itself can become hunter, judge and executioner.
In Fracture, the Green Lady stands at the centre of the unfolding crisis. As the Abyss stirs, void-rents multiply and the aftershocks of Halpi’s Rift shake the world, she has set herself an almost impossible task: to reunite the Shining and Wicked halves of the sundered Celestians, restoring them to their original state.
It is a bold plan, but a deeply controversial one. Some allies reject it outright. Others follow only uneasily. The Salamanders have broken from her service, old wounds with the Ogres remain raw, and even those who might help her do so with suspicion. The Green Lady may be trying to save the world, but her methods are becoming harder to defend.
The Green Lady is on the move - but her methods are alienating some of those she once called allies.
We asked Mike to talk us through the new Forces of Nature list, and share some insights into what players can look forward to when they answer the Green Lady’s call in Fracture.
What do you think is the main appeal of Forces of Nature as an army?
Mike: If you’ve always wanted to play an army full of centaurs, minotaurs, awakened trees and aspects of the four elements, then Forces of Nature may be the army for you.
Given the wide range of units available within the list, there are many playstyles open to players. If you love grinding your opponent down into the ground, then Defence 6+ Earth Elementals or Water Elementals with Regeneration, supported by Druids, are a great place to start.
If you’d rather be outmanoeuvring your enemies, taking the flank and seeing your foes driven before you, then nimble Centaurs and fast-moving Scorchwings can get the job done.
Anything else in between these two builds is also possible. Nature is adaptable. Life, uh, finds a way.
What was the team trying to achieve with the Fracture version of the Forces of Nature list?
Mike: The Forces of Nature list had already proven to be a strong, competitively viable army since the start of 4th Edition.
The Elemental side of the army was already very well developed, in terms of both rules and available models. The roster for Elementals remains largely unchanged, with the exception of a Unique Elemental unit being added, and Forest Shamblers switching traits from Verdant to Elemental.
As well as being a powerful unit in her own right, the Avatar of the Green Lady allows you to take units of Elementals as Core choices.
With Forces of Nature taking such a major role in Fracture, and the Elemental side of the army not needing too much work, the focus was on developing the Herd units.
Traditionally, Herd units have mostly fallen into the same broad niche: low Defence, lots of attacks and Thunderous Charge. During the design process, there was a real drive to distinguish those units from one another, giving them slightly different battlefield roles while still retaining the Herd feel.
Can you share a few highlights from the new list?
Mike: Nothing embodies the nature of the Herd more than a hard-hitting unit moving quickly through the forests, charging from afar with a big punch behind their swings. The Guardian Brutes are still present in the Forces of Nature roster, but their statline has been significantly tweaked. They still have a bucketload of attacks, and they retain Pathfinder and Crushing Strength 2, but they have dropped Thunderous Charge and Vicious.
Don’t worry, though. Their threat range has gone up with the addition of Wild Charge D3, and their increased base size allows them to cover a wider area. Players who want a unit capable of wiping out an enemy regiment in one go should look no further than Guardian Brutes.
Guardian Brutes are one of the most effective damage-dealing units in the Forces of Nature army.
And while some players may bemoan the loss of Brutal on the Guardian Brutes, fear not: the dreaded Grymbrocks come equipped with Brutal 2 as standard. That’s all I’m saying on that unit, though. You’ll have to get hold of Fracture for the full profile!
Are there any new units or returning favourites players should look out for?
Mike: The Great Totem, last seen in Kings of War Second Edition, is back! For those unfamiliar with this unit, the Great Totem is unique because it is, for now, the only unit in the game that can be deployed outside the owner’s deployment zone.
If you love boosting your own units, the Great Totem is the Support choice for you. Once deployed, it cannot move, but it provides several buffs to nearby friendly units. With Rallying, Inspiring, an Aura of Vicious and the ability to issue Command Orders, it makes a real statement from the Forces of Nature player: you want the fight to happen near where it is deployed.
Will you lean into one particular element or theme, or seek a harmonious balance of them all?
Another new unit available to the Forces of Nature is the Primal Chorus. This Unique Support choice represents the four elements working in harmony, featuring special rules from each of the standard Elemental units: Brutal from earth, Leaper from air, Regeneration from water and Vicious from fire.
The Primal Chorus also has the ability to cast the Surge spell on itself, which grants additional attacks if this brings it into contact with an enemy unit.
This unit represents a fantastic modelling opportunity, where all four elements – and maybe even a Druid – can be represented on the base. With all four elemental units available on the Mantic Vault, the 3D printers among us should be able to build this unit very easily indeed! I’m excited to try out the Primal Chorus, and I can’t wait to see what people come up with when modelling it.
Which Command Order best captures the feel of the new list?
Mike: Commanders in a Forces of Nature army are now able to issue the Entanglement of Thorns Command Order. If the friendly unit this Order is issued to is routed in combat during the following turn, enemy units engaged with it can only be given a Hold! post-combat order. That means enemy units can still pivot around their centre, but they cannot move backwards, sideways or forwards.
This order could be clutch in stopping enemies from moving onto an objective, or making sure the remaining Forces of Nature units can get easier flanks on their foes during the following turn. It suits the Forces of Nature identity perfectly, representing the very ground coming alive to trap adversaries in place before the hammer blow falls.
How does the Fracture list bring Forces of Nature lore onto the tabletop?
Mike: To better exert her will on Pannithor and bring balance to it, the Green Lady has had her Druids hard at work researching new spells. Forces of Nature spellcasters now have access to a new unique Arcane Library spell in the shape of Life Awakening, which really helps capture their mastery over nature.
Life Awakening targets a piece of Difficult Terrain. For each success, enemy units nearby take a Piercing (2) hit, while friendly units receive a Barkskin token. This spell builds on the idea that the Forces of Nature are masters of the natural world, and can call upon the wild to aid them in their moment of need.
Gladewalker Druids are one of the most powerful spellcaster options available to the Forces of Nature.
What kind of player will enjoy the new Forces of Nature list?
Mike: The Forces of Nature list does not really have any major gaps in terms of available unit types. There are Shambling units, fast fliers, light and heavy cavalry, Defence 6+ units, multiple spellcasters and fearsome monsters. Perhaps only thing it really lacks is access to War Engines to bombard enemies from afar.
Whether you want a durable army that will outlast your opponent, or a quick and aggressive list that tramples enemies underhoof, you can build viable lists from the units available. Or perhaps you may be more like the Green Lady herself, and seek to follow a more balanced approach when building your army.
Nature Grows Stronger
Thanks again to Mike for sharing his thoughts on the new Forces of Nature army list in Fracture.
The Forces of Nature have always been one of the most flexible armies in Kings of War, but this new list provides even more options to explore the different aspects of the wild. Whether you want durable Elementals, swift Centaurs, brutal Herd shock troops, ancient forest spirits, mystical new Support choices or a balanced force drawn from across Galahir, there’s plenty here to inspire new and existing Nature players alike.
Kings of War: Fracture is available now in hardback and PDF, with the rules content also available through the Mantic Companion for subscribers. Even better, the full Fracture miniature range is now available too, so you can pick up the book and get building your new army straight away.
That brings our Fracture army focus series to a close. Thanks again to Matthias, Matthew, Josh and Mike, who helped us take a closer look at Basilea, Ogres, Forces of the Abyss and Forces of Nature respectively.
The army lists are ready, the miniatures are out, and Pannithor is waiting. What will you build next?
