How to play as Kinsano - Halo Wars 2

Morgan Kinsano is one of the most fun leaders in Halo Wars 2, though she's been nerfed significantly over the years. She was the first DLC leader released for Halo Wars 2.

Pros

Anti-Infantry Focus

Powers are great against infantry
Inferno is excellent for taking out bases, especially UNSC bases without shields
Flame Wall is wonderful for destroying enemy infantry and bases

Kinsano Cyclops Hero Unit

One of the fastest heroes in the game with High Torque Joint upgrade
Comparable speed to Shipmaster and Arbiter

Unit Drops

Hell Drop (veteran Hellbringer squad)
Flame Warthog Drop
Second most unit drops among UNSC leaders after Captain Cutter

Strong Fire Theme

Many offensive powers centered around fire
Great for pressuring opponents

Cons

Weak Against Air

Flame Warthogs are not effective against air
None of her powers are good against air
Kinsano Cyclops cannot attack air
Must rely on Combat Tech Marines or Wolverines for anti-air

Vulnerable to Vehicles

Infantry focus leaves vulnerability to Wraiths and Scorpions
Gets outplayed often due to anti-infantry based design

Limited Late Game Identity

No specialty beyond flame units
Released before developers established strong leader themes (unlike Yap Yap or Serina)

Build Order

Starting Out

Build supply pads and tell Marines to gather crates
First leader point: Heat of Battle (upon making a kill, units briefly gain damage bonus and increased armor)
Identical to Decimus's Killing Frenzy
Hellcharge was nerfed and isn't as viable anymore
Upgrade supply pads and build a generator

Two Paths Forward

Rush Strategy: Build two barracks and continuously pump Hellbringers
Standard Build: Build second generator for faster tech 2

Second Tech

Build two garages for double pumping Flame Warthogs
Get a mini base with an armory
Train Kinsano and get the Flame Wall upgrade
Build an expo

Flame Warthog Strategy

Overwhelming early tech 2 with Flame Warthogs works well
Tech 1 is usually heavy infantry, giving Flame Warthogs a type advantage
Fun fact: The Flame Warthog passenger has a rocket launcher (single projectile for air)

Leader Points Progression

Third Point: Napalm Missiles (not Redline - save that for later when upgraded)
Fourth Point: Flame Hog Drop (3 veteran Flame Warthogs, costs 850 supplies, no power)
Fifth Point: Inferno (recommended before Firestorm Battle Group)

Tech 3 Considerations

Incendiary Grenades

Contentious upgrade in the community
Replaces constant attack with grenade launcher style
Probably worth getting, but results may vary

Army Composition

Don't spam Flame Warthogs as the match progresses
Transition to standard units based on opponent's strategy
Get vehicle upgrades
Build Nightingales for support
Eventually build a barracks and upgrade Hellbringers for better Hell Drops

Combo Attack Strategy

The Fire Drop Combo

Drop Flame Wall to take down shields
Drop Inferno on the base
Use Hell Drop for veteran Hellbringers with Dispersion Nozzles
Fire Napalm Missiles across everything
Drop Flame Warthogs if available
Use Firestorm Battle Group (grants Hellcharge to all units in the landing zone)

Firestorm Battle Group Tip

Even if you didn't get the Hellcharge upgrade, Firestorm Battle Group grants Hellcharge to all units in the LZ. Great way to get Hellcharge effect without spending the leader point.

Defensive Uses

Choke Points

Inferno works great at natural choke points
On Sentry, the ramps are perfect for Inferno placement
Take advantage of grouped enemy units

Kinsano Cyclops Tips

Speed Advantage

Moves faster than the rest of your army
When selecting all units, they move at the same speed
Click Kinsano individually to have her move ahead
Useful for escaping tough situations or getting somewhere first

Summary

Kinsano excels at fire-based offense and anti-infantry combat. Her weakness is air and vehicles. Early game Flame Warthog pressure is effective, but you must adapt your army composition as the match progresses. Use her powerful ability combos to demolish enemy bases, but be mindful of counters.