Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Nerve Check

Ben discusses his tournament run at Crossroads 2026, where he got to play the who's who in North American Kings of War with four epic matches. We then break down some of the top armies and discuss the one-battalion limitation used at the event. Timestamps: 0:00 – Intros, upcoming tournaments, and Forces of Abyss builds • October 3-4, 2026 – Ohio GT, Columbus, OH • October 25, 2026 – Spooky Murder Ghost, Hamilton, ON 6:00 – Ben's Crossroads Experience 23:00 – Results and list reviews 47:00 - Summary and look ahead.

Ben, Jon, and Ray break down the top armies at Clash of Kings UK, run through the upcoming tournament calendar, and spend the back half of the episode refining Ben's Twilight Kin list ahead of Crossroads GT. Timestamps: 0:00 – Intros and the Top Armies at Clash of Kings UK (and how closely they match the tier list) 9:30 – Upcoming Tournaments      • September 18-20, 2026 – Crossroads GT, Elmira, NY      • October 3-4, 2026 – Ohio GT, Columbus, OH      • October 25, 2026 – Spooky Murder Ghost, Hamilton, ON 11:45 – Refining Ben's Twilight Kin List for Crossroads GT P.S. We've got a bet going on the over/under for Komodons at Clash of Kings UK — what's your line? P.P.S. If anyone finishes top 5 with Empire of Dust or Halflings at Clash of Kings UK, we'll ship them a beer anywhere in the world.

Ben, Jon, and Ray are joined by the Dino Lord himself, Cyle Pool, to talk about the upcoming Ohio GT! This 2300-point tournament takes place October 3rd and 4th in Columbus, Ohio, at a casino, and will be the biggest MW event of the year (well, other than the Masters... but does that count?). Ray's already signed up and paid for this one — seats are still remaining, so get in while you can! Timestamps: 0:00 – Intros and Hotel/Casino Awesomeness 5:35 – Honest 4's Scoring System 18:30 – Side Quest Creation and Map Testing (with Future Sharing) 21:10 – The Ohio GT Scene 32:10 – Cyle's Birthday GT and the Ohio Players Players Pack: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LhFxcQxtDR4bp_5OcKPXMb4Nfy_Ef9X-/view?usp=sharing Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/djeESBzy7

Ben, Jon, and Ray are joined by Adam from Master Sight to rank all 20 Armies in Kings of War 4th Edition from a competitive perspective, taking into account the changes in Fracture, which was released in July 2026. We also use this opportunity to correct previous errors in rankings based upon newfound experience. We don't always agree, but this is our reasonably informed opinion from a tournament perspective and takes into account our new experiences and tournaments played. 0:00 to 4:05 - Intros and shooting the shit. 4:05 to end - Ranking the 20 armies Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/djeESBzy7

Ben, Jon, and Ray break down King Beyond the Wall 2026: Ragnarok, the latest Kings of War tournament, hosted in Alexandria Ontario. Huge shoutout to TJ for putting on a great event which will be hard to top. We dig into the armies each of us brought, providing a tournament recap, list breakdowns, and honest thoughts on what worked (and what didn't) under the new rules. Timestamps: 0:00 – General Tournament Recap 6:15 – Ben's Order of the Basilean Knights 29:15 – Jon's Horde of Orcs 33:30 – Ray's Forces of the Abyss

Ben, Jon, and Ray interview Jason, the individual leading the organization and running the 2026 US Kings of War Masters. We discuss: How the MW volunteered as tribute Organization of the event (venue, location, etc) Week before issues Running the Event

Ben, Jon, and Ray discuss King Beyond the Wall 7 and the armies we will be taking to this event. The event is moving to Alexandria Ontario (138 Main St N, Alexandria, ON K0C 1A0) and being hosted by Les Champions! 0:00 to 2:05 - intros and shooting the shit 2:05 to 11:55 - What armies are we taking 11:55 to 16:35 - Rules of rolling an army, new commands in Forces of the Abyss 16:35 to 33:30 - Ray's army is rolled 33:30 to the end - Take Fire Oil & Ben's Rolls for his Army

Ben, Jon, and Ray review the 2026 US Kings of War Masters. We discuss: a. Armies Present b. Average Number of units c. Average Unit Strength d. Highlight 14 different armies from the 8 different regions. Link to all armies: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1U3SMDDfWCVN6eQk5--_1lGG_JyfzPo2L?usp=drive_link 0:00 - 4:50 Introduction and shooting the shit 4:50 - 15:05 Stats discussion 15:06 - 37:30 Army Highlights 37:30 - end: Ray's first match

Ben and Ray go through the Kingdoms of Men list they have used in recent tournaments and explain why they believe Kingdoms of Men are "A" tier in 4th Edition. We then go through the entire list and explain what works and what doesn't - so a Kingdoms of Men list review as well! Please enjoy responsibly! 0:00 to 1:50 - Intros 1:50 to 20:50 - Ben and Ray's tournament lists reviewed 20:50 to end - Kingdoms of Men review Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/gzpQdDB2

Ben, Jon, and Ray are joined by Adam from Master Sight to rank all 20 Armies in Kings of War 4th Edition from a competitive perspective. We don't always agree, but this is our reasonably informed opinion from a tournament perspective. 0:00 to 5:45 - Intros and discussing upcoming tournaments: 6/7 June - Bugeater in Omaha (unfortunately, no Canadians this year) 13 June - Summer Smash Oshawa, Ontario 8/9 August - KBTW 7 in Alexandria Ontario! 5:45 to end - Ranking the 20 armies Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/SFnwV7yP Editors Note: When fortunate enough to play Eric I feel good to go 50/50 against him - but always a great game! Final note: Accepting donations to buy Jon a Void Talon... enough said.

Ben, Jon, and Ray are joined by Tim, James and Paul to discuss King Beyond the Wall 7. The event is moving to Alexandria Ontario (138 Main St N, Alexandria, ON K0C 1A0) and being hosted by Les Champions! 0:00 to 3:00 - intros and shooting the shit 3:00 to end - Talking the tournament EventFacebook Site: https://www.facebook.com/events/1604247863953071/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22surface%22%3A%22search%22%7D%2C%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22attachment%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22newsfeed%22%7D]%2C%22ref_notif_type%22%3Anull%7D Player Pack:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lCNRX7lH9DpkzsaVjIX53x52B4i50B5Gg0DLqbFi1Ac/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.gdkbo12owpjb

Register using this link: https://forms.gle/SCVQQNYHN8HbuuW6A

Nerve Check is joined by Matthew to go through the first round of Carolina Cryptid 2026. Matches are as follows (link to the lists below): Ed- Jake Nic - Nathan Jason - Lamarr Alex - Noah Larry - Tony Tristan - Thomas S Thomas K - Connor Brandon - George Russ - Joey Trent - Jim https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1wfEO_HguDALJ1W594cPFK3GnEGX320y_?usp=sharing

Ben, Jon, and Ray discuss Kings of War: The Next Chapter. Possible new commands, the armies being released, etc. 0:00 to 2:05 - intros and shooting the shit 2:05 - Possible changes, including potential universal commands 16:45 - Two new scenarios, do we actually need more than 12 scenarios? 22:25 - Review the command orders that currently exist for the 4 armies 42:00 - Dreaming up lists

https://www.manticgames.com/news/kings-of-war-the-next-chapter/?fbclid=IwY2xjawRxrSxleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETE3QnZIUEVrMUZNa3pBTmNzc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHgcN6oNslWWE0NQvnNZXe_1Gd_znVs5TCioegcK8PGXWpXzdms4fwyfT40f1_aem_gwMESV1raNrQ8xrv7cLEdg

Join us on Discord:  https://discord.gg/NYHyYyUt

Ben, Jon, and Ray discuss who they build lists in Kings of War 4th Edition. How they choose armies, what they look for when they build armies, and how they refine their lists. 0:00 to 0:45 - intros and shooting the shit 0:45 to end - List building Ray builds a halfling list; Ben a Kingdoms of Men list; and Jon a Trident Realm list. Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/sMdTutav

Ben, Jon, and Ray discuss the magic and shooting in Kings of War 4th Edition. Which armies can shoot, what spells are particularly effective and which ones you should leave at home. 0:00 to 02:25 - intros and shooting the shit 2:25 to 6:15: Ren's tournament 2395 points 6:15 to 12:50: Slow Grow Update/Upcoming Tournaments 12:50: Shooting and Magic Discussion Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/YkNhtWKY

To be honest, I haven't listened to this yet.... all I know is that during March of Death, Ben and Grace sat down for an extended conversation. I will update this tonight after listening to it, but here it is! I should note that Grace has won best painted the last two years in a row at March of Death with two very different and very cool armies. I hope she discusses her paint schemes, army presentation, and inspiration, as I have my slow-growing hobby to work on.

Ben, Ray, and Jon reflect on Fully Loaded 2026, which Ray won using the vile and evil Ratkin. We discuss the hot-button topic of Ratkin and what should be done to that faction to lower their power creep, having come off two tournaments in a row of winning in the North-East and one in the Mid-Atlantic. Ray's Rats: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dJc_LAyMRy_DI-LiViCCUgA4g9Kh6s6a/view?usp=sharing Link to the lists at the event: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1wMGrV2mRSuUslHuthry7P6psLuvEA6y0?usp=sharing

Ben, Jon, and Ray are joined by Chet to go through the 2026 matchups for the first round of Fully Loaded GT! Taking place 13-15 March 2026 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Link to the lists is below... https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1wMGrV2mRSuUslHuthry7P6psLuvEA6y0?usp=sharing

Ben, Ray, and Jon reflect on March of Death 2026. From Ray's experience TO'ing the event, Jon's use of his Ogre army and hunters, concluding with Ben's experience as a random Kingdom of Men faction. We discuss the hot-button topic of Ratkin and what should be done to that faction to lower their power creep, having come off two tournaments in a row of winning in the North-East. March of Death took place February 28 and March 1 in Brantford Ontario. Link to the lists: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1WvoJl95Rb4MJK2OlheBBw893oX6HmoOi?usp=sharing

Ben, Ray, and Jon go through the matchup casts for March of Death 2026. The first two-day 4th Edition Tournament in the North East, taking place February 28 and March 1 in Brantford Ontario. Match ups are: Alex K. Paul Y. Ben T. Nathan C. Christian M. Joel Z. Corey R. Nick S. David R. Justin B. Eamon L. James-A F. Grace Nathaniel W. Harry G. Steve M. Jon M. Mike L. Mark R. Seth C. Matt L. Paul M. Ren M. Tim W. Warren G. Ringer Link to the lists: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1WvoJl95Rb4MJK2OlheBBw893oX6HmoOi?usp=sharing

In this episode, we choose Ben's Army for March of Death 2026, talk about our slow-growth league, which you can join, and the Discord channel we would like you to post your pictures in! 0 to 8 mins 45 Seconds: March of Death events, slow-growth league discussion, and Discord. 8 mins 45 Seconds - We choose Ben's army (dice rolls start at 12 mins 30 Seconds) Now that you know Ben's list, remember lists are due by 22 February 2026 at midnight. Our Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/QHaaNxsTS

Ben, Jon, and Ray discuss the scenarios available in Kings of War 4th Edition, including the new deployment options available based on their recent Mood for Love Experience.

0:00 to 09:10 Mood for Love which used all three deployment options and Jon used an all Ogre Hunter force. 9:10 to 11:04 March of Death  11:05 to end Scenarios - table options - Scenarios (objectives, control, bluff, etc)

We didn't make it to Dead of Winter (snow). In this episode, we focus on the upcoming Mood for Love and March of Death. As a bonus to anyone who listens to this podcast and comments. Ben will play whichever army the viewers choose for him (reply in the comments) at the two-day March of Death event.

Ben, Ray, and Jon are joined by Mike to go through the matchup casts for Dead of Winter 2026. The first 4th Edition Tournament in the North East, taking place January 24-25 in Albany, New York.

First 9 mins 40 Seconds - 4th Ed Upcoming Tournaments

Starting 9 mins 41 Seconds - Match-ups :

1 Chris M vs Jordan B

2 Allen B vs Keith C

3 Harry G vs Jon M

4 Tim O vs Jeff H

5 Andrew C vs Kyler R

6 Chet D vs Nick S

7 Ken H vs Noah H

8 Corey R vs Jon V

9 Cyle P vs Josh R

10 Sam M vs Chris P

11 Owen S vs Jason W

12 Ren M vs Christo M

13 Eric S vs Cory W

14 Erik R vs Ben T

15 Ray S vs Adriel C

16 Eamon L vs Bart K

17 Marcelo R vs Brian R

18 Matt C vs Joe B

19 Stephen K vs Sam K

Sorry for the technical issues with this one; we had issues. Will fix going ahead.

Ben, Ray, and Jon discuss their practice games in advance of Dead of Winter 2026 and the lists they will be taking to the first 4th Edition Tournament in the North East, taking place January 24-25 in Albany, New York.

First 11 mins 45 seconds - 4th Ed practice games

Last 11 mins - our lists for Dead of Winter!

The match-up cast of this event will be published on Tuesday, 20 January 2026!

Armies can be found: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ZKysKYG_p8b1g6LpdEaHGCSB-bS223Lj?usp=sharing

A quick episode, Ben, Ray, and Jon discuss the upcoming Northeast Kings of War tournaments, including:

A. Dead of Winter 24/25 January in Albany NY

B. Mood For Love 31 January in Hamilton, Ontario

C. March of Death 28 Feb/1 March in Brantford, Ontario

March of Death Lists construction: 2500 on the first day, 2000 on the second. The 2000-point army must be represented in the 2500-point list. In the 2000 point list, units can be decreased in size, removed, artifacts changed, and battalions reduced. The idea is that the army has fought a campaign and has been reduced in size.

For those wanting to skip right to the tournaments, skip the first minute and 55 seconds.

Links:

Dead of Winter

https://zombieplanetstore.square.site/product/event-kings-of-war-dead-of-winter-grand-tournament-2026/18546?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=102&fbclid=IwY2xjawPOE99leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFZdGJBQUJ1VmxVSjFPcWZLc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHsi1BMY5q6YQfWppiE-vhKYVdE-7uh3yuXOkUJSIwyzzukZ-IJ-7JIY755Gr_aem_1Dg3M6rU7-LNoJ0v2sULtA

March of Death

https://www.facebook.com/share/1C1yovqH2o/

Ben, Ray, and Jon discuss their thoughts on Kings of War 4th Edition, having now had a chance to read the rules and play their first games.

Ben, Ray, and Jon are joined by Mike S. and Ray C. to discuss Clash of Claus 2025. This tournament was held in Washington on 13 December and was the 1st 4th Edition Kings of War Tournament.

Watch Mike highlight some interesting quirks of the rules that emerged during the tournament, and Ray reflect on the armies amassed to date.

Congratulations to Ed, who won the first tournament of the 4th Edition!

Ben, Ray, and Jon, are joined by Mike to discuss Dead of Winter 2026. The first 4th Edition Tournament in the North East. This will take place January 24-25 in Albany, New York. Link to sign up below: https://zombieplanetstore.square.site/product/event-kings-of-war-dead-of-winter-grand-tournament-2026/18546?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=102&fbclid=IwY2xjawOumcZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeUa2FTN0sLpekA_YYFJPSBjVk3iQGjiQ_ENSLr5Ptvo2zb4TgoXp0rf55-z0_aem_TUS-d62UN0zYhaI1yN3FDQ

We are looking forward to testing the armies and seeing what 4th has to offer.

Part 2 of Ben, Jon, and Ray are joined by Special Guest Harry, to discuss the armies released by the various podcasts to date. This includes: Nightstalkers (Goonhammer) Orcs (Goonhammer) Trident Realm (Mantic Universe Podcast) Forces of Abyss (Counter Charge) Twighlight Kin (Counter Charge) Harry is the author of the website https://blood-fire.com/, which summarizes all the armies discussed to date. Check out his site for all the latest information, in particular: https://blood-fire.com/2025/11/07/kow-4e-army-previews-part-1/ https://blood-fire.com/2025/11/19/kow-4e-army-previews-part-2/

Ben, Jon, and Ray are joined by Special Guest Harry, to discuss the armies released by the various podcasts to date. This includes beginning at 27 minutes:

Northern Alliance (Nerve Check)

Halflings (Nerve Check)

Goblins (Direct Misfire)

Undead (Direct Misfire)

Ogres (Tales from the Warriors Hall)

Salamanders (Tales from the Warriors Hall)

Harry is the author of the website: https://blood-fire.com/ which has summarized all the armies discussed to date. Check out his site at for all the latest information in particular:

https://blood-fire.com/2025/11/07/kow-4e-army-previews-part-1/

https://blood-fire.com/2025/11/19/kow-4e-army-previews-part-2/

Ben, Jon, and Ray discuss Halflings in 4th Edition.

- Halfling Commands,

- What became core, specialist, and support

- The high costs of the commanders and warlords and Halflings in general

- See if you can create a Halfling Army in 4th with Halflings?

Bottom Line: Ray will likely not create a Halfling Army in this edition as he feels the army's core is overvalued.

Dear tens of listeners, in this episode, Ray and Page talk about: 1. Clash Asia 2. Forces of Abyss in 3rd Edition 3. Our planned 4th Edition Armies Halflings 4th Edition Review drops on 10 November

Ben, Jon, and Ray discuss Northern Alliance in 4th Edition.

- How to build an army,

- What became core, specialist, and support

- The high costs of the commanders and warlords

- Test whether Jon's current competitive armies can be ported over from 3rd to 4th.

Mantic provided Nerve Check with the Northern Alliance and Halflings to preview... this is the better of the two armies by far...

Dear tens of listeners, in this episode, Ray and Page talk about: 1. Clash UK 2025 2. Travel Planning or lack thereof 3. How we transport our armies across the world 4. Thoughts on Clash UK 2025 and why you should go. Part 2 to follow...

Dear tens of listeners, in this episode, find out about: 1. Ray's chat with Page Neo from Newbie Dice 2. What Army Ray will be using at Spooky Murder Ghost 3. What army Jon will use at Spooky Murder Ghost Ray accepts full responsibility for any consequences that may befall you.

Crossroads 2025 is a team-based Kings of War tournament. Ben, Jon, and Ray discuss the event and their teams' performance. Hint... we didn't perform as well as we had hoped. It was a fun weekend and a great series of games.

We highly recommend that you make it out for Crossroads 2026, which will be using 4th Edition!

Crossroads 2025 is a team-based Kings of War tournament. Special guest Adam joins Ben and Jon to discuss the first-round matchups, offering their informed predictions on who will win.

In reality, we are likely to be exceptionally wrong. Time will tell. Most importantly, everyone is looking forward to the tournament and a fun weekend.

Ben, Jon, and Ray, discuss: 1. Upcoming Tournaments (first 11 minutes); and 2. Infantry in Kings of War 3rd Edition (minutes 10-35).

Nathan and Ray discuss their plans to visit the UK and participate in Clash UK! We will be bringing two all-mantic armies, Nathan, his Ratkin and Ray, his Forces of Abyss!

Alex joins Ben, Ray, and Jon to discuss King Beyond the Wall 666, which took place on August 9th and 10th in Brantford, Ontario. Ray and Jon recap their game in which Abyssal Berserkers went head-to-head with a shooting Northern Alliance list. Our recommendation to the rules committee is to make the sacrificial imps either worth more (10 points for the regiment/15 for the horde) or remove them altogether as an option for the berserkers. Also, who was right most often on the match-up cast? Listen to find out!

Alex joins Ben, Ray, and Jon to discuss the first-round Matchups at King Beyond the Wall 666, which will take place on August 9th and 10th in Brantford, Ontario. Disclaimer - Please note that this is all for entertainment purposes and is subject to change. Round One match ups: Justin B - Mike L Nathan C - TJ W Ren M - Ben T Ryan K - Ray S Mark R - Paul Y Nicholas S - Eamon L James Alexandre F - Warren G Matt L - Nathaniel W Bryan L - Jon M

Adam Ballard joins Ben, Jon, and Ray to talk about playing Nightstalker's in 2025.  Adam won the US Masters twice with this army so he probably knows what he is talking about. If you are one of our tens of listeners and are not part of Adam's hundreds, check out his channel for tactical insights and game reviews. www.youtube.com/ ⁨@KoWmastersight⁩ 

Adam Ballard joins Ben, Jon, and Ray to talk about the US Masters 2025.  Which Adam was lucky enough to win, and Ray took home the top Canadian at the event!   If you are one of our tens of listeners and are not part of Adam's hundreds, check out his channel for tactical insights and game reviews. www.youtube.com/ ⁨@KoWmastersight⁩ 

Ben and Ray are joined by Greg to review the 2025 US Kings of War Masters first-round opponents and to predict who we think will be the top player in each region.

We were right picking the top three armies at the masters, so we will see if we are better than Adam in choosing the best player from each region.

Ben, Jon, and Ray go through the 2025 Kings of War Masters Tournament Pack. What they think the most popular armies will be: Jon - Imperial Dwarfs, Ray - NS, and Ben - Abyss), The scenarios, along with the timeline to submit army lists (30 June), and other event details. 

Ben, Jon, and Ray discuss Summer Smash 2025, which took place on June 14, 2025, in Oshawa, Ontario. During this tournament, we found out that Bigger is luckier, and luckier is better! Upcoming events:

July - King of the Thames

9-10 August - King Beyond the Wall VI: https://www.facebook.com/share/1AaPfVaZf6/

20-21 September - Crossroads: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1FyW9qV7bq/

Ben, Jon, and Ray talk about the first round match-ups for Summer Smash 2025! Taking place on 14 June 2025 in the Bond St. Event Centre, located at 44 Bond St. E., Oshawa, Ontario.

Yes, we are a bit silly in this one, but that is only because of the oversized army list creations we did for this tournament!

Army Lists Can Be Found: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ZWKdON2Ip6yjAKbNG-85QgF4k6iksv1B?usp=sharing

4 Spots remain if you can make it out to this one-day event!

https://www.facebook.com/events/9361721897268081

Ben, Jon, and Ray talk with Paul, James, and Max about their experience at March of Death! Their first two-day event. How was their experience? What did they learn, and what would they recommend to anyone attending their first two-day Kings of War event? Sign up for King Beyond the Wall VI Facebook Site: https://www.facebook.com/share/15TSkq2iGz/ Registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc9b-TDYtS8fT3lmuLC0GqTtNujQzI8F3lbvAnuPM52lXx5gg/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=117726213316268878925 Admin pack: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tGW2MSwmk59yRfi14fv7uXqVUoeTGAAa/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=117726213316268878925&rtpof=true&sd=true

Ben, Jon, and Ray discuss Auras in Kings of War, notably Cloak of Death, Rally, Radiance of Life, Rally, Dread, and Ordered March.

The first 5 minutes are fluff/intro;

Minutes 5-25 are a discussion on Auras; and Minutes

25-30 are about possible giant heavy lists for Summer Smash!

Editor's Note: For Summer Smash, I am debating between 3 armies:

Forces of Abyss;

Trident Realms; or

Orcs.

Each list will have at least 3 titan/giant models at 2150 points. Which army should I take?