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The 2024 Players Guide to Buying Kingdom Death: Monster – Part 1 The Expansions

Added 2024-10-04 09:00:09 +0000 UTC

As I wrote a couple of months ago, once the Gencon releases had landed with me I would take a week to write out an updated purchasing guide to try and help provide some way through the now dozens of white boxes and expansions that we have. In order to do that I'll have to first of all deal with a certain elephant, but before that let us round out what structure I'm going to follow:

For each entry, I'm going to give a paragraph or two outlining what the particular release brings to the game; then I'll give a personal rating for who most benefits from the expansion, if I think it is good, average or poor value for cost (assuming normal shop prices) and how complex I think the expansion is. This last category is a new one I'm including because there's now a clear difference between various expansions in mechanics, with the newer ones becoming more and more complex.

I'll cover the core expansions in this post and then next week we'll go through as many of the white boxes (not beta content, just white box and seasonal) as I can remember existing.

But before that, we have a trunk waving friend to visit.

The Big Cube Shaped Elephant in the Room

Kingdom Death's purchasing progression path is in a weird spot at the moment, the Gambler's Chest Expansion (GCE) brought a whole bunch of new systems along with upgrades for most of the core game content and an entirely new campaign to play. I've not reached the point where I feel I can properly review this behemoth and I've spent over a year with it at this point, that should give you an idea about how complex and big this beast is.

However, one of the largest issues with this is that the content upgrades monsters in a somewhat haphazard way, when it was just a stretch goals box this might not have been an issue, but as it has become a complete single expansion that costs around the same amount as the core game box there certainly is an issue. Here's all of the first generation (pre-GCE expansions) and how much the GCE upgrades each one.

White Lion – Knowledge, Seed Patterns, Scout discovery
Screaming Antelope – Knowledge, Seed Patterns, Scout discovery
Phoenix – Knowledge, Seed Patterns, Indomitable Patterns, Scout discovery
Butcher – Seed Pattern
King's Man – Seed Pattern
The Hand – Showdown adjustment for the in box campaign
Sunstalker – Seed Pattern
Flower Knight – New additional AI cards
Watcher/Gold Smoke Knight – None

So the key things I want to highlight here are the lack of Indomitable Patterns for the White Lion and Screaming Antelope along with the inclusion of one single Sunstalker Seed Pattern. It's a we bit of a mess that makes me hesis, while the extra Sunstalker Seed Pattern isn't so much of an issue because getting extra stuff is an invitation to experience more, rather than an obligation to purchase in order to complete what you already have. The Flower Knight changes are basically irrelevant because they're not traits; the lack of a Core “Watcher” Knowledge and the Indomitable Patterns for the Lion/Antelope being missing is a bit more frustrating, as such the Phoenix gets to eat well while the other two original quarry monsters can only groak.

You see, with the addition of those three elements the Gambler's Chest would have been the perfect second step for any new player looking to expand their game world. Not only would it upgrade almost all of their core game monsters (The Hand doesn't get anything new that matters, nor does that showdown need it) but it would also provide a bunch of new quarry monsters to dabble with and allow a moderately experienced player to upgrade their lantern campaign while also mixing and matching in whatever new components they want. Things like Seed Patterns and the Character deck or monsters like The King, Bone Eaters and Crimson Crocodile are great things that can be slipped into any campaign with minimal fuss.

However, that is not where we are and the GCE is such a huge expense that it's not something any player should lightly purchase, especially when the alternative is to expand on your current Fighting Arts based experience by picking up other really good expansions that have a lower price.

So that's sort of the first fork in the road and it's something I can't advise any player on what the correct choice is because I really don't know. The GCE is phenomenal, but you do need to be invested into wanting a more complex level of game with far more things to track and a lot of bookkeeping. If you wanted to pick this up in order to move slowly into the various elements that's quite possible, however I can't ignore that oversight where the Lantern Knowledge and Indomitable Resources are concerned.

The GCE is a great release, but it's also not a perfect one from the perspective of a not yet enfranchised player and that's a big part of what I have to think about with new players. It's a huge ask to expect someone to pay that much even if it does have this much content stuffed into it.

So that I guess is the Gambler's Chest covered, it's really good, but it isn't the perfect solution it nearly was and if you are content with the Fighting Arts system or want to explore that more before effectively saying goodbye to it with Arc Survivors then this isn't the right first step. Which is fair enough considering that hefty price tag.

Shop Link: https://shop.kingdomdeath.com/collections/expansion/products/gamblers-chest-expansion

The Other Expansions

I'll cover each of these in timeline order, and I'm also going to count the Vignette white boxes as expansions. Which means that we actually start with the White Gigalion!

Vignette of Death: White Gigalion

The first vignette released and it gave us an updated version of the White Lion that can be hunted instead of the L2 and L3 normal versions. In addition this box comes with a one off vignette that can be used to demonstrate the game to experienced board/roleplaying gamers. It works well at that because it showcases the game at an intermediate complexity level that they can handle while also keeping the monster relatively simple to understand. The big issue here is that if you want to showcase the game there is a much better vignette that came out this year. We'll get to that one.

Once added to a campaign this is almost entirely a straight up replacement for the L2/3 White Lions because the resource drops that come from Giggles include a unique resource that provide access to meaningful gear cards. This expansion even fixes the Elder Cat Fang resource and ensures it can craft a good dagger. That's pretty meaningful and as such players who want to keep hunting the white lion, but also need it to be a bit more threatening can use this monster as either a replacement for the higher levels or even consider it a pseudo “Node 3” monster by never hunting the L1 White Lion.

Who Benefits from this most: Veteran White Lion cosplayers.
Rating: It's fine.
Value for Money: Below average for an expansion.
Complexity: Low to Medium

Shop Link: https://shop.kingdomdeath.com/products/vignette-of-death-white-gigalion

Quarry Node 1 – Gorm

For a while I was concerned that over time the Gorm would fall behind as the newer monsters were released, but I can honestly say that while the Crimson Crocodile is definitely the best Node 1 monster for an experienced player; the Gorm, despite missing Knowledges/Seed Patterns (it has Indomitable patterns in white boxes, not ideal due to the extra expense but mentioned for completeness) manages to still provide a great experience even when compared to the Frogdog. It simply holds up, it is a great first purchase after the core game and I am confident that it'll only get better when Campaigns of Death comes out. One of the GOATs for good reason.

Who Benefits from this most: Everyone, though it doesn't have Knowledges or Seed Patterns
Rating: Excellent. This used to be the gold standard for an early game quarry for a reason.
Value for Money: High, I only stopped using this to test out the new monsters
Complexity: Moderate. There's more to manage and understand here, but it isn't at the complexity of Node 3.

Shop Link: https://shop.kingdomdeath.com/collections/expansion/products/gorm-expansion-1-6

Quarry Node 1 – Frogdog

The newest Node 1 monster is the Frogdog and to be honest this one isn't going to be for everyone. While it is a very competently designed monster and also has its own inbuilt “vignette” in a super late game variant, it also is complex without really paying off well. I absolutely have mixed feelings on this particular monster and when I compare it to the Gorm, I think that because of the price it is at it isn't as great a package as that monster is because of value for money.

That written, if you were coming into the game and really loved this miniature, there's a lot here to like as long as you understand that some elements (especially the Knowledge cards) are not going to do very much without other expansions. This monster is clearly the start of a new monster arc/package and I find it hard to assess without seeing the rest of the monsters that were designed to be used in the same upcoming campaign.

Who Benefits from this most: Anyone who can budget for it and wants something other than or in addition to the Gorm.
Rating: Very Good
Value for Money: Average – component quality is higher and there are more miniatures in the box, but I cannot call this a great deal at full MSRP.
Complexity: Moderate. It's more fiddly than the Lion and Gorm.

Quarry Node 2 – Spidicules

Spidicules has always been in something of a tough spot, however changes to the core game locations did improve it because you are no longer punished by the exclusion of the Screaming Antelope also eliminating the Barber Surgeon settlement location (which was an excellent change). However, Spidicules still has a number of areas where it is below par for a monster and having as many areas that are issues is a concern with as much of an expensive box as this is.

The armor set is gated far too late in the game, so at the point where you start to get it is also the point where it is in the sunset of its career (and also it is only slightly better than leather armor overall, meaning that you have a cheaper basic resource option). Also many of the weapons are either analogues of the White Lion weapons or inferior to them, which means it's not super great for a new player looking to go White Lion + Spidicules. Another frustration point is that the story events are weakly balanced and force one player in a four player game to be a “red shirt” every other Spidicules showdown, which is not fun. Finally is is a major feel bad that exactly 1 card from this expansion is part of the green armor crafting requirements, meaning that the GK expansion requires this one, but you don't even need to hunt Spidicules to get that card. That does not feel very good as a consumer.

However, in case I give the impression that this monster is lacking; the showdown is one of the best in the entire game, it's really, really, really good and with some love from Campaigns of Death it is very possible that Spidicules will shoot up the rankings for enfranchised players. I certainly am most excited about the CoD updates for monsters with a lot of unrealised potential like Spidicules.

Who Benefits from this most: Players who want a mean campaign that beats them up or want to experience a boss battle with lots of Adds (Additional monsters).
Rating: Below average, but the showdown is top tier.
Value for Money: Poor – this is an expensive box without a campaign and you don't even get enough Spiderling miniatures in the box.
Complexity: Moderate.

Shop link: https://shop.kingdomdeath.com/collections/expansion/products/spidicules-expansion-1-6

Nemesis Node 1 – Vignette of Death – Killenium Butcher

You can tell there was a fair gap between the previous Vignette and this one because the growth in writing and design is incredibly obvious. Everything that was weaker in respect to the White Gigalion has been polished away in this one, leaving behind an incredible Oz inspired experience with some of the best characters we've seen in a long time. I really love to hate Brave; who is straight up a terrible person despite having good intentions and that's a demonstration about how good the writing is here.

The showdown is also really sweet, the way that it rebuilds and redesigns the Butcher fight with only a few cards is a demonstration of how far Adam and Anna have both grown with their experience in designing. Everything about this vignette is fantastic and I would always hard recommend it ahead of the White Gigalion one if you are looking for something to demo the game to friends while also getting effectively a new spin on an old monster in a way that the White Gigalion never achieved.

Who Benefits from this most: Everyone who has faced the normal Butcher enough times at L2+
Rating: Top Tier
Value for Money: High, the replayability of the showdown along with the legacy elements unlocked through that mean it sticks around longer than the White Gigalion vignette does.
Complexity: High – this new Butcher has entirely new mechanics.

Shop Link: https://shop.kingdomdeath.com/products/vignette-of-death-killennium-butcher

Nemesis Node 1 – Manhunter

The Manhunter is an absolute classic, hardened by time and still unbroken this boss is on par with the monsterful Butcher and is a great element to add to your games, even more so now that we have an established Node framework that will let us confidently extract the Butcher and plop the Manhunter into the same slot in campaign design. The Manhunter is very much analogous to the Butcher and has a similar difficulty level, but a different feel and set of challenges help make this pilgrim feel different.

Apparently crafted by Zachary Barash during a week long design session spent listening to the Undertaker's Theme Song (Rest in Peace) on loop, this genre mash wrestler, colonialist, cowboy slaver from the holy lands has one of the most distinct and weird flavours in the game. But somehow it feels right at home with the world's aesthetic. I can't recommend this one enough; it's got four levels to its showdown, some unique and interesting gear to play with, fun writing and so much more. Pretty much an essential part of the evolving KDM experience in my opinion and it doesn't feel old when sat alongside the newer stuff due either.

Who Benefits from this most: Players who want to explore a sneak peak at the horror that is the Holy Lands, Wrestling Fans and anyone who wants a variant on the Butcher at all levels.
Rating: High
Value for Money: Good, though Nemesis monsters are usually lower value than quarry ones.
Complexity: Medium, but nothing that piloting the Butcher showdown shouldn't have already taught you to handle.

Shop Link: https://shop.kingdomdeath.com/collections/expansion/products/manhunter-expansion-1-6

Quarry Node 2 – Flower Knight

Here is the monster that fell the most in my rankings over time; originally the Flower Knight was one of my favourite monsters, and her sculpt remains absolutely top tier for myself. I love a good flower themed monster (the Orchid Mantis is what lead to my learning Chow Gar Tong Long Praying Mantis style kung fu) and the Flower Knight has all that, but also leans into the romantic swashbuckling knight (I also adore 7th Sea, something I attribute to watching a lot of old swashbuckling movies while spending summers at my grandparents home, I still love the classic versions starring Oliver Reed). The miniature always brings me joy, but I cannot say the same of the mechanical experience which is nicely themed but ultimately doesn't hold up in the face of experienced players. This is a monster you can punch and bite to death if you desire.

For newer players this expansion does offer easy resources (some of which can turn into population), a Fighting Art that smooths out randomness in the Hunt and Settlement Phases and a Secret Fighting Art that is relatively easy to unlock and can give you a survivor who does it all. It also has my favourite Secret Fighting Art which can be gained from the L3 version (which is why I haven't completely retired the monster). So while I have mostly moved on from fighting this monster, I do still cherish my time playing against it and look forward to revisiting it when the Abyssal Woods expansion arrives on my doorstep.

In short; while it doesn't trivialise the game as much as it used to (the Vespertine Bow got nerfed in the 1.6 update) it this can help you if you're struggling due to giving easy access to a lot of resources, population, some solid gear (especially the badge) and strong Fighting Arts/Secret Fighting Arts. So it can be a stepping stone to help players get a solid foundation if a the early game has been a bit too punishing.

There's also a surprisingly low amount of miniatures considering this is a quarry monster not a nemesis one.

Who Benefits from this most: New players who want something to make the starting portion of the campaign a bit smoother.
Rating: Low. It is a beautiful miniature and the theming is incredible but the honest truth is I don't fight this one outside of the L3 fight (mostly in Green Armor campaigns) because it is vulnerable to the default power gamer play style of critical wounds.
Value for Money: Depends on if you need that boost to help you transition from the early to mid game or not. Or if you want to explore powerful strategies. But be aware that at the moment the Flower Knight will fade away from your table as you grow in ability and knowledge. (Note: Not even the extra AI cards in the Gambler's Chest help the Flower Knight's problems)
Complexity: Medium High. It's actually quite a fiddly monster thanks to its terrain interactions and unique crafting “location”.

Shop Link: https://shop.kingdomdeath.com/collections/expansion/products/flower-knight-expansion-1-6

Nemesis Node 2 – Lion Knight

As one of the expansions with some of the most exploitable aspects in it (rivaled only by Spidicules) the Lion Knight is a hard expansion to recommend. This is a Nemesis monster with some “craftable” gear in that it gives you new armor sets that use mixed up elements of the core monster armor pieces and all of those armor sets are sweet and offer new ways to play.

However, the showdown suffers from some jank and has a higher cognitive load than normal due to the survivors being set in roles. Even getting a role survivor miniature for each doesn't help as much as it could do because of how the roles get swapped around at times (and we don't even get both sexes for the miniatures to help ease that load). Add all of that together with a showdown aftermath that makes narrative sense, but feels bad to experience and this is easily the weakest of the expansion nemesis monsters.

Who Benefits from this most: Theatre kids and people who love hybrid armor sets.
Rating: Poor, the showdown has flavour, but flaws. The settlement stuff is sweet though.
Value for Money: Low for a nemesis monster, but the hybrid armor sets are great.
Complexity: Moderate to high. Tracking what each different Role is supposed to be doing is a bear and the extra settlement stuff does increase the load.

Shop link: https://shop.kingdomdeath.com/collections/expansion/products/lion-knight-expansion-1-6

Nemesis Node 2 – Slenderman

The previous gold standard for Nemesis monster, the only reason that Slendy has fallen behind is because of its reliance on the core three quarry monsters (at the moment) meaning that it isn't flexible in what things you can hunt if you really want to experience all of its gear. The monster that Slender replaces is one of the weakest experiences in the core game (The Kings Man) and Slender Man mechanically fits into People of the Lantern far smoother than Eggsy could dream of achieving; due to its oblique links with the Phoenix and overall horror elements Slender Man even feels thematically stronger than The Kings Man. This one is an easy upgrade for anyone who wants to explore the core three monsters more but with a better overall campaign experience.

Also this is one of the few nemesis monsters with extensive crafting as a part of its design and as such there's a lot more value here than most other nemesis monsters can achieve. The Showdown is masterfully designed as well, being mechanically challenging on a level that its predecessor never comes close to and also selling the horror elements surrounding abduction and being left alone in a way that no other expansion has achieved (only Spidy can rival Slender Man on that front).

Who Benefits from this most: Everyone, this is the best Node 2 monster at the moment for players who want to expand on the Core trio of quarry monsters as an experience.
Rating: Excellent
Value for Money: Very high, rivalled only by The Black Knight
Complexity: High

Shop link: https://shop.kingdomdeath.com/collections/expansion/products/slenderman-expansion-1-6

Nemesis Node ??? - The Lonely Tree

The Lonely Tree is the best expansion that I can't recommend you pick up at MSRP. Due to the plastic in this box this nemesis quite an expensive purchase. The reason it is pricey is because its appearance is dependent on either encountering it as a terrain card or as a basic hunt event card. That means it doesn't get onto the table as much as other nemesis monsters which at least guarantee their appearance during set years.

However. When this monster does turn up it is nothing short of a delight, not only does it add a lot more tension to a normal monster showdown (you need to keep the monster away from eating the fruit, which increases positional play pressure); but you also have a really unique showdown against a monster that is rooted into the ground. Now that the various typos that existed in the 1st edition have been dealt with I think this is an easy recommend, but only when discounted.

Who Benefits from this most: Everyone. This monster goes into all of my campaigns, though due to the random chance of encountering this monster sometimes it doesn't turn up at all.
Rating: Actually very high. I think the showdown and way you encounter this monster are well crafted and fun (though fair warning, don't have your favourite survivor(s) consume the fruit to trigger the showdown).
Value for Money: I recommend that you only pick it up during Black Friday or as part of a bundle. A lot of the time it is only a fancy Nightmare Tree.
Complexity: Moderate. It adds tension when it turns up as a dormant terrain piece, but the showdown against it isn't too overwhelming to operate.

Shop Link: https://shop.kingdomdeath.com/collections/expansion/products/lonely-tree-expansion-1-6

Quarry Node 3 – Dragon King

Kingdom Death's dragon is a spin on the traditional one by making it a living star crossed with a version of Godzilla and blended with Attack on Titan vibes. I like this way of changing the monster's breath attack into instead being a chest beam, very anime, very Guyver (quick aside, if you've never seen the CthulhuTech RPG setting it's worth a look as it has a setting that holds campaigns inspired both by living Neon Genesis Evangelion titans and Guyver like corporate espionage).

The showdown against this monster sells the feeling of battling a gigantic beast and it is one of my favourites, but the real gem in the diadem is the People of the Stars campaign, which remains a contender for the best narrative in the entire game's setting so far. Without going into the story in detail it is rich with symbolism and has a lot more to read into than any other campaign; but the writing also gives it that classic KDM punch. In fact about the only weak area here is in respect to the weapons, which lack the bite that a Node 3 weapon requires in order to be able to be a viable progression path. Many of the weapons you could craft here have good baseline designs, they simply needed more strength, but you can support that with the Sunstalker armor set (or the Dragon King/Phoenix ones). This is also currently the only expansion you can pick up the excellent Scythe Mastery card from.

I heartily recommend this monster, it is a spectacle that really puts the big boss into boss battler and the armor/items are all great.

Who Benefits from this most: Everyone should aim to get this.
Rating: 10/10 contains KDM's best boi.
Value for Money: Great. The mini is huge and you get an entire campaign alongside it. I will note that the weapons in this box are a bit stinky, fortunately the armor and items are good.
Complexity: Moderate – The Campaign requires a different approach to the normal ones.

Shop Link: https://shop.kingdomdeath.com/collections/expansion/products/dragon-king-expansion-1-6

Quarry Node 3 – Sunstalker

I gave the Sunstalker the highest possible rating and then even topped that with an additional point back for an 11 out of 10 when I reviewed this expansion a few years ago. Time has only improved the experience further and further; the Sunstalker is absolutely phenomenal with very few dark sunspots on its surface. The monster is amazing fun to right at every level and I adore the campaign, which is clearly a favourite for Adam also (Sunstalker is 100% Adam's work and it is peak design from him) because it keeps getting little extra releases via the store. I don't feel the need to harp on much more about this one, the gear is excellent, the showdown is excellent, the extra campaign is good (give the final nemesis some extra toughness to match the Gold Smoke Knight though) and in all it is an easy recommendation.

Who Benefits from this most: Everyone. This is content that is only surpassed by certain top tier elements of the GCE.
Rating: S+++ 11/10
Value for Money: Really high, this is still the gold standard for quarry expansions.
Complexity: Moderate. The showdown solar mechanic is a little fiddly and minions will start to appear at higher levels.

Shop Link: https://shop.kingdomdeath.com/collections/expansion/products/sunstalker-expansion

Nemesis Node 3 – Black Knight

I've written a whole ass review for this one recently (check the collection at the bottom of this post) and to reiterate that this is a really good expansion that has set a new gold standard for nemesis monsters. It's something that game has needed for a long, long time. A replacement for The Hand's very pedestrian (if thematic) showdown is very welcome because I find The Hand's nonsense wears thin over time.

This is not a lightweight expansion, there's an entirely new board and you need to plan out what gear you're going for while playing. Even if this one wasn't replacing the Hand it would still be a huge recommendation and that is without getting into the really cool way that you make gear with this expansion, something that Nemesis monsters don't always offer.

Also this comes with a decent, but not amazing, short form 5 year campaign, but after multiple playthroughs I personally found that the lore portion of the campaign was better than the actual process of playing it. I have included the new White Lion AI cards into the pool for my normal white lions though, they have mixed things up a wee bit which is nice.

Dogs always make things better.

Who Benefits from this most: EVERYONE.
Rating: TOP TIER
Value for Money: EXCELLENT
Complexity: High, especially compared to “Mr Cutscene” aka The Hand

Shop Link: https://shop.kingdomdeath.com/collections/expansion/products/black-knight-expansion

Quarry Node “4” - Dung Beetle Knight

First up. Note here that this monster (and the Lion God) is not a Node 4 monster on par with the King, it's more a Node 3.5 monster hence why I've put the 4 in quotes. It is certainly a bit tougher than the Node 3 selection, but it's nowhere near the level of The King. I wish that we could

The Dung Beetle Knight is another slam dunk from the original run. This monster is a tough nut to crack, and you never feel completely in control of the showdown which is something I really appreciate. This creature is a Dung Beetle who badly impersonates the Flower Knight while also playing basketball. A real mash up of a showdown and I am here for it.

The settlement side of the expansion is also really interesting, with preplanning required in order to properly navigate the crafting and upgrading (yes upgrading) of gear. This part of the expansion is a very enjoyable system to interact with and there hasn't been anything really like it since. Also the armor set not having the armor keyword makes for some superb wrinkles on builds. Great stuff.

Who Benefits from this most: Players who want a quality difficult monster to add as your top end quarry monster but don't want the GCE at this time. Also expect this one to get a lot of love in Campaigns of Death.
Rating: Excellent
Value for Money: Good, there's a lot to do here and you'll likely keep coming back to it
Complexity: High. Both the showdown and settlement phase stuff have some complicated extra wrinkles.

Shop Link: https://shop.kingdomdeath.com/collections/expansion/products/dung-beetle-expansion-1-6

Quarry Node “4” - Lion God

While the thematics and story behind the Lion God are absolutely incredible (I touch a bit on it in this week's Dark Bestiary video about the White Lions) the mechanics of this expansion can't be held on the same level. I appreciate the Lion God thematically a lot more than I do mechanically; the major issue here is the imbalance between carrot and stick. The Lion God is a lot of stick for very little carrot, which in contrast to both the King and the Dung Beetle Knight really stands out.

Also, this is a quarry monster without even its own resource deck and most of its drops are either Iron or come from a story event during the showdown. Again, the story event here is absolutely superb, it is one of the few looks back at the history of the place of stone faces (Watchers haven't completely erased anything because it is buried and one would assume they keep their distance from a powerhouse like the Lion God). The showdown on the other hand is rather humdrum and includes some punishing elements that have close to zero counter play (see again The King or DBK for a contrast as they includes punishing elements with counter play, thereby creating tension in the showdown while also rewarding smart positional play). There are several indicators of how undercooked this expansion is: Rampage is a mechanic that was discarded from the DBK, lack of craftable gear, being hugely different from its original showdown pitch and most of all The Silver City promising to bring the Lion God up to full glory.

It isn't all bad, there are some elements I really love in the gear, this is still one that I recommend skipping on until we see what The Silver City brings to the table.

Who Benefits from this most: No-one right now except for sadists looking for a challenge
Rating: Poor, the expansion has always felt rushed and half finished.
Value for Money: Low. Even if you get this you're not hunting it a lot. Wait for the Silver City.
Complexity: Average, which is surprisingly low for a Node 4.

Shop Link: https://shop.kingdomdeath.com/collections/expansion/products/lion-god-expansion-1-6

Green Armor – A Campaign selection of Nodes

Green Armor requires the following expansions to be already owned:

Gorm
Spidicules
Manhunter
Lion Knight
Flower Knight
Dung Beetle Knight

Frustratingly this isn't on the shop page, but hopefully that changes. It's also REALLY frustrating that Spidicules is included in this list because all that is needed from that box is one single innovation. This is why I don't recommend picking up this expansion unless you already own and/or want all of the ones listed above. That may well change once Campaigns of Death is out, so this statement is something I'll revisit in future years hopefully.

It's fine enough as a challenge to work out and craft, quite fun at times, but it doesn't feel rounded out and once you have the armor set it'll dumpster most monsters relatively quickly. Again that will change with Campaigns of Death, but right now due to the pre-requisites this is a really expensive expansion and therefor should be late in the purchasing order.

Who Benefits from this most: People who already own the above expansions, it's not worth buying the expansions to make this armor set.
Rating: Meh.
Value for Money: Fine because of its relatively low price point.
Complexity: Very high. Navigating how to craft green armor requires a good amount of planning and forethought, it's a fun challenge for experienced players, but the armor is pretty much the destination. Once you have Green Armor, the monsters mostly struggle to keep up with its high power level.

Shop Link: https://shop.kingdomdeath.com/collections/expansion/products/green-knight-armor-expansion

Final Thoughts

After going through all of these, I the cream of the crop in my opinion are:

The Gambler's Chest Expansion
The Gorm
The Frogdog
The Killenium Butcher
The Manhunter
The Slenderman
The Dragon King
The Sunstalker
The Black Knight

With the Lonely Tree rising up in the rankings when bought for a lower price and the Flower Knight being a good recommendation for newer players looking to help boost their power or recover from a rough start. The others have some good elements like the Lion Knight's Hybrid Armors or Spidicules's showdown, but also have weaker elements that make them less universally appealing.

The issue here is, I really can't answer if it's right to get the GCE early on or not. If the box included everything needed to upgrade the Lantern Campaign and original box monsters then yes, I'd recommend it to everyone who can budget for it. But as written near the head of this piece, the GCE doesn't manage that and as such it's harder to recommend it for all. As such I think the main decision you will have to make comes down to budget and desired complexity.

If you have disposable income that is sufficient to let you pick up the GCE without impacting on your finances, you want to deepen the survivor development portion of the game and you are not concerned about the additional complexity and bookkeeping then that is Path A. You could even ease yourself into it all by playing Lantern with a few of the extra elements (monsters, maybe Arc Survivors and or/encounters) splashed in; or you can jump into the GCE's unique campaign instead.

On the other hand, if you have a budget that allows for picking up a little bit here and there; or you really like the current Fighting Art/Age system that we have in the basic game then I'd recommend picking up the above recommended single expansion releases in whatever order appeals to you (or you could grab the bundle when it's available at a price you can justify). We as a community have enjoyed years of gameplay before the Arc Survivors system turned up and I don't enjoy going back to the old system except when playing with other new players (because it's easier for them), so there's a lot of positives to following the old worn path and going through the best of the 1st Generation releases before graduating to the Gambler's Chest.