Athletic have also had a little more game time to settle their lineup, as Gisborne took the bye in the opening round, before being hammered 7-1 by Havelock North, but rebounding well with a 2-0 victory over PN Marist last Saturday.
For King, who has already taken his team on perhaps the competition's toughest away leg - their narrow 2-1 loss to New Plymouth Rangers a fortnight ago - it would seem starting with a hiss and a roar would be the best bet against the Thistle, rather than conserving energy while they try and get a read on them after the long drive.
"We've just got to take it to them," he said.
"I believe football is a simple game - if you score more than them, you win."
Ryan Holden is currently joint top goal-scorer for the competition with five goals, although King said his most vital function will be dictating terms in the middle of the park, for which any of the key players could capitalise.
A handful of 1sts players who cannot spare the full weekend will join the GVCA Wanganui Athletic Reserves for their Horizons Premiership away match with Marist Development at the Ashurst Domain.
Marist, who beat Massey Celtic 3-2 before heavy losses to Feilding United (5-1) and North End 1sts (5-0), could be just the sort of opponent a reinforced Reserves team can build their confidence against - given they beat North End 5-2 in between defeats to the very top teams in Hokowhitu FC Rangers (6-1) and Wanganui City 1sts (4-1).
"They're making good headway," said King.
"To hold City to four, and that is still a lot of goals, [but] they wouldn't have got the result they were looking for."
While those scorelines suggest the unbeaten Big Orange Wanganui City 1sts should hammer Massey Celtic at Wembley Park today, coach Kelvin Francis sees the exercise as more of a fact-finding mission.
"We've started really well [but] it's kind of an unknown - it's a school team," he said.
"The Massey 1sts had nine players out last weekend, so you don't know if its the same for [Celtic].
"Round 1, I don't over-analyse teams. I have the ability to record the game and take that into the second round."
Returning to the Horizon competition this season with a new-look City squad, Francis is still taking the week-to-week approach, even after the straight-forward dismissals of RSM Rovers (8-0), Palmerston North Boys High (3-0) and the Athletic Reserves.
"You never get carried away. In 2015, we never took anything for granted.
"It's about cutting out the flashy stuff and doing the basics well.
"You could lose the next four and be down the middle of the table."
A sore knee for Ben Hussey will prompt a reshuffle in the backline, but with 20 players fit and ready, Francis has plenty of options, being able to reward those who made both training sessions this week instead of one.
"It puts the pressure on to pick the starters."
Both Anthony Bell and Jordan Joblin-Hall are making every post a winner as they are in a four-way tie at the top of the competition's goalscorers list with four each.
Kickoff for the home game is 2.45pm.
