Hi everyone,
Here comes the fourth meta report, this time for the second half of 2025.
Tournament activity continues to increase slightly. According to T3, 16 tournaments were held in Germany in the second half of 2025, two more than in the first half. What stands out most is the growth in participant numbers. While 187 players were counted in the first half of the year, the second half saw 240 players.
Comparing this with 2024: back then, 23 tournaments brought a total of 290 players, while today, 30 tournaments attracted 427 players. This is a significant increase both in the number of tournaments and in participants. However, when looking at how many of these players were actually new to the tournaments, the growth is somewhat smaller than initially expected.
📊 Faction Distribution: H1 vs. H2 2025
| Faction | % H1 2025 | % H2 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| W’adrhŭn | 15.0 % | 15.0 % | 0.0 |
| City States | 10.2 % | 8.75 % | −1.45 |
| Hundred Kingdoms | 14.4 % | 9.17 % | −5.23 |
| Nords | 17.1 % | 13.33 % | −3.77 |
| Dweghom | 9.6 % | 10.83 % | +1.23 |
| Sorcerer Kings | 3.7 % | 5.83 % | +2.13 |
| Yoroni | 4.3 % | 13.75 % | +9.45 |
| Spires | 11.2 % | 7.5 % | −3.7 |
| Old Dominion | 14.4 % | 15.0 % | +0.6 |
| Weaver Courts | 0 % | 0.83 % | +0.83 |
Faction distribution changed slightly in the second half of the year. Most notable is the rise of the Yoroni, who were introduced as a new faction in Q2. Their popularity within the community came as no surprise. Only eight months after their release, they have already become the second most-played faction. Minor nerfs after the World Championship did not slow this trend. In my estimation, the Yoroni could even become the most-played faction in the first half of 2026.
The W’adrhŭn remain stable at 15 %, despite nerfs and fewer new extras. They apparently still appeal to many players’ “inner child,” which explains their continued popularity.
Other gains and losses are harder to attribute directly to the post-World Championship update. The previous top faction, the Sorcerer Kings, remains the least popular faction in Germany.
The Weaver Courts are still very rarely represented. This is because they were only released a few weeks ago and have so far only been played in one tournament.
After looking at the distribution of players, it is worth taking a look at tournament wins by faction, as these are often cited in discussions.
🏆 Tournament Wins: 2nd Half of 2025
| Faction | Wins |
|---|---|
| W’adrhŭn | 5 |
| City States | 1 |
| Sorcerer Kings | 3 |
| Nords | 1 |
| Yoroni | 2 |
| Old Dominion | 3 |
| Dweghom | 1 |
At first glance, this suggests a dominance of W’adrhŭn, Sorcerer Kings, and Old Dominion. Looking closer at the T3 statistics, however, many of these wins are concentrated among a few players. For example, three of the five W’adrhŭn wins and all Sorcerer Kings wins were achieved by the same individual. In fact, just two players secured almost 60 % of all tournament wins. Examining the top three players makes the influence of individual competitors even clearer.
This shows that raw win numbers alone tell us little about the general strength of a faction. Statistics can be heavily skewed by individual outliers, especially given the still limited number of tournaments and players that Conquest has in Germany and worldwide.
The same applies to the T3 table of the best-performing factions. There, the Sorcerer Kings are ranked first, while W’adrhŭn are last. At first glance, one might assume W’adrhŭn are weak. But, as mentioned above, Sorcerer Kings are rarely played. In this case, even 50 % of all Sorcerer Kings tournament placements came from a single player who consistently scored 3:0 results. Accordingly, the faction’s win rate appears disproportionately high.
W’adrhŭn, on the other hand, are played by many different players, including both below-average and some very strong players who regularly place in the top ranks. These few strong players largely shape the subjective perception in the community that W’adrhŭn is a strong faction, even though the majority do not achieve good results with it.
In general, this is a structural issue in the German tournament scene: Many factions lack a player who can consistently, skillfully, and flexibly represent them at a high level. The group of frequent players is small, meaning that individual players have a disproportionately large influence on the perception and meta of each faction. In other words, right now it hardly matters which faction you play if your goal is to win.
Next, we return to the “fun” tier list, which reflects my assessment of the current power balance between factions. Additionally, by popular demand, I’ve included a list showing which factions have achieved at least one decent result in a tournament since the Chios update.
Preliminary note: After the Chios update, I consider the overall balancing to be very healthy again. At the moment, almost all factions fall within the A- to B-tier range. Extreme outliers—either much stronger or weaker—have become rare. To show finer distinctions, I occasionally use a + or −, without implying any artificial hierarchy. Player skill, matchups, and scenarios continue to decide more games than raw faction strength.
Hundred Kingdoms – A-Tier
The Hundred Kingdoms have clearly benefited from their internal balance in the second half of the year. The faction update transformed them from a highly polarizing army into a stable all-round faction. There is no single unit or warband dominating the meta, but there are many effective combinations. The vast majority of players also consider the Hundred Kingdoms army book to be the best rework in 2.0, and I can only agree.
Infantry-heavy builds are now fully tournament-ready, especially thanks to the supremacy of the Imperial Officer. At the same time, mixed infantry/cavalry lists remain the most reliable approach, as they simply have more pressure and flexibility.
What currently prevents the Hundred Kingdoms from pushing into A+ or S-tier is less a lack of tools and more the absence of “unfair” moments. They win games through clean positioning, good scenario control, and consistent performance, not through explosive power turns. This, however, makes them one of the best factions for players seeking reproducible results.
Example list from Kilian, France [2000/2000]
== (Warlord) Theist Priest [115]: Elysian Fragment
Crusaders (5) [220]: [Veteran]
Sicarii (3) [160]:
Archangel (1) [240]: Aspect of the Avenger (Sword)
Archangel (1) [240]: Aspect of the Avenger (Sword)
== Mounted Noble Lord [120]: Dynastic Ally, Tourney Champion
Household Knights (3) [170]:
Household Knights (3) [170]:
Mounted Squires (3) [130]:
Longbowmen (5) [220]:
== Chapter Mage [105]: School of Fire, Art of War
Men at Arms (3) [110]:
Spires – (on hold)
The Spires are about to receive a comprehensive rework, expected to coincide with the release of the new monsters at the end of January. A serious evaluation based on the current army book therefore makes little sense.
Until the rework, the Spires remain playable but noticeably behind the modern meta. Their tier placement will be updated in the next report.
Dweghom – A−-Tier
The rework has noticeably benefited the Dweghom. The faction now has several viable builds that move significantly away from the old “token wall” approach. Particularly noteworthy are the new and updated medium regiments with D4 attacks, which pose major problems for many armies lacking reliable cleave. The revamped Stoneforged, with built-in healing, high resilience, and consistent damage output, is currently one of the most efficient anchor regiments in the game and performs well against common Old Dominion builds.
Tournament results—including a finals appearance in Duisburg and a victory at Victorum Liubice VIII—demonstrate that the Dweghom are competitive again. While matchups against very fast, high-cleave lists remain challenging, overall they have clearly established themselves in the upper mid-tier.
Winners list Victorum Liubice VIII from Tjade "Uziel" Heyer [2000/2000]
The Tempered Creed
== (Warlord) Tempered Sorcerer [140]: Fire School, Thaumaturge
Inferno Automata (3) [170]:
Fireforged (3) [160]:
Stoneforged (1) [230]:
== Tempered Sorcerer [140]: Fire School, Relentless March
Hold Ballistae (3) [130]:
Hold Warriors (3) [130]:
== Tempered Steelshaper [120]: Champion's Horns, Bloody-Minded Focus
Inferno Automata (3) [170]:
Magmaforged (3) [190]:
Steelforged (3) [210]:
Steelforged (3) [210]:
Nords – B-Tier
The nerf to the Captain came unexpectedly and hit the Nords harder than anticipated. In particular, MSU Raider concepts lost a significant portion of their early scenario strength. Currently, Fenr remains the most reliable option for early scoring, which noticeably restricts list construction.
In addition, the Warlord options—aside from Volva and Shaman—are currently only situationally attractive. This has led to a noticeable decline in player numbers. Individual successes, such as builds focused heavily on boars or mixed lists, show that the faction still works, but it is far less forgiving of mistakes than in the first half of the year.
The Nords are not weak, but they have lost some of their previous ease. Players looking to master them now need to plan more precisely and play more cleanly than before.
Winners List Kelpie Con from Tim-Lukas "Nauth" Steinbrüggen [1995/2000]
== Konungyr [120]:
Bow-Chosen (3) [190]:
Bow-Chosen (3) [190]:
Steel-Chosen (3) [180]: Shield Biter
Sea Jotnar (1) [240]:
== Vargyr Lord [135]: Massive Frame
Fenr Beastpack (3) [140]:
Fenr Beastpack (3) [140]:
Werewargs (3) [160]:
Goltr Beastpack (3) [160]:
== (Warlord) Volva [120]: Coils of the Serpent
Huskarls (4) [220]: Skald
W’adrhŭn – A-Tier
The W’adrhŭn remain a reliable tournament faction despite all the nerfs. Both Tribes and Speaker lists are still competitive, even though they now require more planning and better positioning than before.
Subjectively, they may seem less dominant, but objectively, many players—including myself—turn to them exactly when it matters most. This speaks to their high flexibility and robust toolkit. The fact that W’adrhŭn are still deliberately chosen at the highest levels highlights their current strength.
They are not on autopilot, but that is exactly what makes them fair and simultaneously dangerous. Players who master the faction will consistently achieve strong results.
Winners List Duisburg from Mateusz "Podwys" Podwysocki [2000/2000]
== (Warlord) Thunder Chieftain [150]: War
Thunder Riders (3) [220]:
Thunder Riders (3) [220]:
Quatl (1) [180]:
Quatl (1) [180]:
== Winglord Predator [220]: War
Hunting Pack (3) [120]:
Apex Predator (1) [190]:
== Winglord Predator [220]: War
Hunting Pack (3) [120]:
Raptor Riders (3) [180]:
Old Dominion – A+-Tier
Alongside the City States, the Old Dominion is one of the last remaining factions without a comprehensive rework. Yet, or perhaps because of this, it has emerged as one of the big winners of the Chios update and the associated nerfs to many other factions. In particular, Xhiliarch lists with Theocrator have proven effective and clearly outperform many of the currently common tournament lists. The faction benefits from a predictable activation sequence, no Resolve, and reliable output.
At the same time, it can be observed that Varangian Guard are increasingly being integrated into competitive lists. This is less due to internal synergies and more a response to the meta itself: the new Dweghom profiles, as well as the rising number of heavy cavalry, present a growing challenge for classic Athanatoi and Legionary cores—one that the Varangian Guard can efficiently mitigate.
Winners List Teutoburger Wald #2 from Nino Beck [1995/2000]
== Theokrator [280]:
Hashashin (3) [140]:
Hashashin (3) [140]:
== Archimandrite [110]:
Legionnaires (3) [100]:
Legionnaires (3) [115]: Optio
Moroi (3) [180]:
Moroi (3) [180]:
== (Warlord) Xhiliarch [140]: Sanctified Labaron, Calamitas, Blade of the Caelesor
Legionnaires (3) [100]:
Athanatoi (3) [170]:
Athanatoi (3) [170]:
Athanatoi (3) [170]:
City States – B-Tier
The City States are currently viewed rather critically on the international scene. Particularly from Poland and Italy, there have been few flattering assessments of the faction’s current strength. In Germany, however, the picture is noticeably different. Here, the City States continue to achieve consistently strong results and regularly appear in final matchups, even since the Chios update.
In the current meta, the City States increasingly rely on faster, less resilient elements with D3 or D2 attacks and only four hit points, such as the Thorakites and horses. The Polemarch is predominantly played as Warlord, and the army is built as a “glass scalpel”—rewarding precise play but punishing mistakes severely. Strong shooting or Dweghom Sorcerer Warlords, in particular, can hit these lists hard, and they become tricky when the scenario is unfavorable. That shooting has significantly declined in Germany since Chios, however, works in the City States’ favor.
Overall, the City States remain in B-tier. They are stronger than their reputation suggests, can go very far in the right environment, but are dependent on the regional meta.
As an example, here is the winners’ list from the 3rd Schwaben Conquest Tournament.
David "Der_Hack" Schwind [2000/2000]
== (Warlord) Polemarch [155]: Atalanta's Spear, Inscription of Lighter Alloys
Hoplites (6) [275]: Dorilates, Minotaur Haspist Auxiliary
== Aristarch [90]:
Thorakites (5) [230]: Andromachos, Minotaur Thyrean Auxiliary
Companion Cavalry (3) [140]:
== Aristarch [110]: Aristia
Thorakites (5) [230]: Andromachos, Minotaur Thyrean Auxiliary
Companion Cavalry (3) [140]:
Selinoi (3) [120]:
War Chariots (Flogobollon//Skorpios) (1) [130]: Flogobollon
== Polemarch [150]: Blades of Eakides, Inscription of Impact Resistance
Thorakites (5) [230]: Andromachos, Minotaur Thyrean Auxiliary
Sorcerer Kings – B-Tier
After their peak in the first half of the year, the Sorcerer Kings have fallen further down the rankings in the current meta. They remain dangerous, however. The Court of Fire impresses with numerous cards, wide-reaching Juggernaut, and solid healing. At the same time, the fire monsters are very expensive, and mono-fire lists are overall quite predictable. The high number of activations also consumes a lot of time, allowing opponents to estimate fairly accurately when and where decisive actions will occur.
Additionally, there is a glaring lack of strong scoring regiments. This weakness is currently mitigated by the new medium Wind monsters but remains a structural issue for the faction. The Trinavarta represent the only reliable way to score directly in round 2. The ranged variant, Chandavat, is an expensive but worthwhile investment, especially effective against early-rush lists and the still-present, though less frequent, shooting, helping the Sorcerer Kings remain relevant in the game.
Overall, the Sorcerer Kings are clearly a late-game faction. If they manage to survive the early rounds in a controlled manner, they develop enormous control and staying power later in the game. If not, they often lack the tools to regain lost tempo or zones early on.
Emanuels Vögel [2000/2000]
== Maharajah [135]: Court of Earth, Favored of Hormus
Mahut (1) [240]:
Ghols (3) [110]: Court of Air
== (Warlord) Maharajah [135]: Court of Air, Court of Water, Bound to the Elements
Steelheart Djinn (5) [290]:
Trinavarta Chandavat (1) [240]:
Steelheart Djinn (3) [170]:
Trinavarta Chandavat (1) [240]:
== Sorcerer [90]: Court of Air
Ghols (3) [110]: Court of Air
Trinavarta Chandavat (1) [240]:
Yoroni – A-Tier
After the minor nerfs following the World Championship, the Yoroni remain one of the most prominent and powerful factions overall. A key factor is that they are technically easier to play, as many of their mechanics forgive mistakes in positioning and deck-building. Yoroni armies tend to operate with a smaller number of cards, but this disadvantage is more than offset by the activation rules, the high quality of their elite units, and especially their monsters.
Currently, monster lists are particularly widespread, benefiting from the Geisha’s aura, which grants widespread Evasion 3 or Loose Formation, and further stabilized—and even healed—by the Mahotsu. For many opponents, this combination creates an extremely unpleasant experience. However, it is important to remember that the Mahotsu’s spells scale, meaning that against monsters at least three successes are needed. With only six dice, this becomes uncertain, especially under the influence of Interference, as three successes on two dice are by no means guaranteed statistically.
Nevertheless, tournament results clearly show that the Yoroni can function effectively even without monsters, as repeatedly demonstrated by Felix “Tero” Werner across multiple events.
Winners List Rodenbach Part 3 from Daniel „Ducky“ Kühn [1995/2000]
== Jorogumo Mahotsu [280]:
Modular Regiment (2) [160]: Tengu Ayakashi (L), Tengu Ayakashi
Dai Yokai (1) [230]
Dai Yokai (1) [230]
Modular Regiment (2) [160]: Tengu Ayakashi (L), Tengu Ayakashi
== Jorogumo Geisha [260]:
Modular Regiment (2) [150]: Tengu Bushi (L), Tengu Bushi
== (Warlord) Daimyo [125]: Ka, Kenshibu Dancer
Modular Regiment (5) [400]: Kami Ayakashi (L), Kami Ayakashi (4)
Weaver Courts – A oder B-Tier (Preliminary)
The Weaver Courts are still too new for a reliable assessment. Early impressions from online events suggest a solid to strong faction. Their actual position in the meta will largely depend on when the remaining Gallows and Heralds are released and whether their rules remain unchanged. Once these units are available, it is expected that the Weaver Courts could land in the upper tier. On the other hand, it is also possible that the complex and arguably unnecessary rule involving Seed Markers will be adjusted, which could significantly alter the faction’s overall design.
A proper evaluation will follow once more tournament data is available in July next year.
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