Peter wrote a great article earlier in the week on the Top 3 at Las Vegas Open 2022 which can be found here. Las Vegas was a huge tournament (the largest ever in AoS I think) but that meant that there were 6 5-0 winners at the end of the five rounds… so to find a winner they did a third day on the 30th January in knockout format with the top 4-1 players included.

As Peter has done the top 3, I’ll do the next 5! There’s also a bonus choice included at the end of my favourite 4-1 from the event.

4th – Mrigank Jha – Stormcast Eternals

Allegiance: Stormcast Eternals
– Stormhost: Knights Excelsior
– Mortal Realm: Ghur
– Grand Strategy: Hold the Line
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Lord-Imperatant (175)**
Lord-Relictor (145)**
– General
– Command Trait: Master of Magic
– Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
– Spell: Thundershock
– Prayer: Translocation
Knight-Judicator with Gryph-Hounds (205)**
– Artefact: Mirrorshield
Knight-Incantor (125)***
– Spell: Lightning Blast

Battleline
3 x Annihilators with Meteoric Grandhammers (240)*
3 x Annihilators with Meteoric Grandhammers (240)*
3 x Annihilators with Meteoric Grandhammers (240)*

Units
3 x Aetherwings (65)***
3 x Aetherwings (65)***
6 x Vanguard-Raptors with Longstrike Crossbows (480)**
– Reinforced x 1

Core Battalions
*Hunters of the Heartlands
**Warlord
***Vanguard

Additional Enhancements
Holy Command: Thunderbolt Volley
Artefact

Total: 1980 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 1 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 75
Drops: 10

Similar lists are fast becoming the most popular Stormcast Eternal List and shows that you can do well without Dragons… although this combination is just a horrible. The key here is the 6 Vanguard-Raptors with Longstrike Crossbows. They have 30″ range so Mrigank’s opponents are going to struggle to hide. The Lord Relictor (General) has the Translocation prayer (2+ with a re-roll) to teleport them so that they really can’t be avoided, and Aetherwings to block the counter charge and allow unleash hells. They can also shoot once in the hero phase, are normally 2+/2+/-2/2 with All Out Attack and 2 mortal wounds on 6+ to hit. Ouch! They can easily delete a unit of Brutes with 30 wounds in a turn!

If you manage to survive that the Annihilators will take an age to kill whilst holding objectives. It’s no suprise this came 4th.

5th – James O’Brien – Stormcast Eternals

2022 wouldn’t be the same without a dragon flying around the top tables… and James has obliged by bringing 9 of them.

Army Faction: Stormcast Eternals
– Army Type: Scions of the Storm
– Army Subfaction: Hallowed Knights
– Grand Strategy: Beast Master
– Triumps: Inspired

LEADER

Gardus Steel Soul (150)*

Lord-Castellant (155)*

Knight-Draconis (300)*
– General
– Command Traits: Master of Magic
– Artefacts: Arcane Tome (Flaming Weapon)
– Mount Traits: Scintillating Trail

BATTLELINE

1 x Stormdrake Guard (680)*
– Drakerider’s Warblade

Stormdrake Guard (340)*
– Drakerider’s Warblade

Stormdrake Guard (340)*
– Drakerider’s Warblade

CORE BATTALIONS:

*Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: (1965/2000)

This isn’t subtle, but it’s good. The reinforced Stormdrake are excellent with mortal wound shooting (no negative to hit on unleash hell), incredible speed (12″ and a hero phase move), and good combat damage these are no slouches. Sure, if you kill them there’s nothing left but they punch back hard if you fail. Definitely an army we’ll be seeing in the future (and have already seen doing well).

6th – Nate Trentanelli – Nighthaunt

I know what you’re thinking… Nighthaunt WTF? – how are they 6th! Well Nate obviously knows what he’s doing but 50% of the army is Nagash who is never a bad model despite the recent changes. Being able to cast 8 arcane bolts if required and go and smash stuff is great… and then heal back any damage taken.

Allegiance: Nighthaunt
– Procession: Emerald Host
– Grand Strategy: Prized Sorcery
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Spirit Torment (115)*
– General
– Command Trait: Lord of the Host
– Artefact: Pendant of the Fell Wind
Nagash, Supreme Lord of the Undead (955)*

Battleline
10 x Chainrasp Horde (95)*
10 x Chainrasp Horde (95)*
10 x Chainrasp Horde (95)*
5 x Hexwraiths (150)*
9 x Spirit Hosts (375)*
– Reinforced x 2

Endless Spells & Invocations
Umbral Spellportal (70)

Core Battalions
*Battle Regiment

Total: 1950 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 2 / 4
Allies: 955 / 400
Wounds: 88
Drops: 1

The Umbral Spellportal also allows Hand of Dust at excessive range so be careful of your Maw-Krushas. He’s also got Spirit Hosts as a tarpit and Chainrasps to hold objectives whilst the Big Lad does the heavy lifting. Take nothing away from Nate… I have no idea how he managed to get this into the top 8 – well done!

7th – Jiwan Noah Singh – Ironjawz

Eventually, we hit the Destruction vein. And it’s the poster boys in the Ironjawz. They smash & bash and take on all comers.

Allegiance: Ironjawz
– Warclan: Bloodtoofs
– Grand Strategy: Predator’s Domain
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Megaboss on Maw-Krusha (480)
– Boss Choppa and Rip-tooth fist
– Artefact: Destroyer
Megaboss on Maw-Krusha (480)**
– Boss Choppa and Rip-tooth fist
– Artefact: Armour of Gork
– Mount Trait: Fast ‘Un
Orruk Warchanter (115)**
– Warbeat: Fixin’ Beat
Orruk Warchanter (115)
– Warbeat: Get ‘Em Beat
Orruk Weirdnob Shaman (90)**
– General
– Command Trait: Master of Magic
– Lore of the Weird: Bash ‘Em Ladz

Battleline
3 x Orruk Gore-gruntas (170)**
– Jagged Gore-hackas
3 x Orruk Gore-gruntas (170)*
– Jagged Gore-hackas
3 x Orruk Gore-gruntas (170)*
– Jagged Gore-hackas
3 x Orruk Gore-gruntas (170)*
– Jagged Gore-hackas

Core Battalions
*Hunters of the Heartlands
**Warlord

Total: 1960 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 0 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 114
Drops: 9

Jiwan has gone Bloodtoofs to make the Gore-Gruntas battleline and the two Maw Krushas are going to smash up the world. If you want to beat this you’ll need screens… lots of them … and acknowledge that they are going to die – quickly. And even then there’s a lot of beef in your face turn 1. At 9 drops Jiwan won’t often get to chose first or second, but the army is scary to let go first and worse to let go second – chose your poison neither option is great!

8th – Russ Tanner – Ogor Mawtribes

And another Destruction force rounds off the top 8… with Ogors. The US AoS scene has some great different versions of Ogors who aren’t seen much in the UK.

Allegiance: Ogor Mawtribes
– Mawtribe: Bloodgullet
– Mortal Realm: Ghur
– Grand Strategy: Beast Master
– Triumphs:

Leaders
Huskard on Thundertusk (335)*
– General
– Blood Vulture
– Command Trait: Nice Drop of the Red Stuff!
– Artefact: Skullshards of Dragaar
– Prayer: Pulverising Hailstorm
Frostlord on Stonehorn (430)
– Artefact: Splatter-cleaver
– Mount Trait: Metalcruncher
Frostlord on Stonehorn (430)
Butcher (135)
– Tenderiser
– Bloodgullet 2nd Spell: Ribcracker
– Lore of Gutmagic: Molten Entrails
Slaughtermaster (140)*
– Bloodgullet 2nd Spell: Ribcracker
– Lore of Gutmagic: Molten Entrails
Hrothgorn (170)*

Battleline
3 x Icefall Yhetees (120)**
3 x Icefall Yhetees (120)**
3 x Icefall Yhetees (120)**

Units
3 x Hrothgorn’s Mantrappers (0)*

Core Battalions
*Warlord
**Hunters of the Heartlands

Additional Enhancements
Artefact

Total: 2000 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 0 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 98
Drops: 10

This is more what I would call a traditional Ogor list with 3 big monsters and cheap battleline. The monsters charge, do mortal wounds, and shed loads of damage. The addition of magic is an interesting call, but I imagine very useful to try those key dispels and both spell caster rocking the same build-out for spells. Molten Entrails’ gives +1 Damage to mount attacks, and Ribcracker subtracts 1 from enemy saves. Nice!

Well done to all in the top 8, and to everyone who got to Vegas to play some Warhammer. Looks like the event was amazing.

Bonus Pick – Matt Nguyen – Beasts of Chaos

Chaos was missing from the top 8 following the changes to Archaeon, but I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to shout out Matt. Not only did he go 4-1 with Beast of Chaos but he was also dressed as a cow all weekend! What a legend.

Allegiance: Beasts of Chaos
– Mortal Realm: Ghur
– Grand Strategy: Hold the Line
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Dragon Ogor Shaggoth (155)***
– Artefact: Tanglehorn Familiars
– Lore of Dark Storms: Hailstorm
Grashrak Fellhoof (150)**
– Lore of the Twisted Wilds: Tendrils of Atrophy
Doombull (115)***
– General
– Command Trait: Master of Magic
– Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
– Universal Spell Lore: Flaming Weapon
Slaves to Darkness Daemon Prince (210)***
– Axe
– Mark of Chaos: Khorne
– Allies

Battleline
6 x Bullgors (260)*
– Great Axes
– Reinforced x 1
6 x Bullgors (260)*
– Great Axes
– Reinforced x 1
6 x Bullgors (260)*
– Great Axes
– Reinforced x 1
3 x Bullgors (130)***
– Great Axes
3 x Bullgors (130)**
– Great Axes

Units
5 x Grashrak’s Despoilers (0)**
9 x Untamed Beasts (70)**
– Mark of Chaos: Khorne
– Allies
1 x Mindstealer Sphiranx (95)**
– Allies

Endless Spells & Invocations
Wildfire Taurus (110)
Doomblast Dirgehorn (45)

Core Battalions
*Hunters of the Heartlands
**Battle Regiment
***Warlord

Additional Enhancements
Artefact

Total: 1990 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 3 / 4
Allies: 375 / 400
Wounds: 151
Drops: 8

I honestly struggle to know how this works as I’ve not been paired against BoC in AoS3, but with all those Bullgors I’ll be amazed if there isn’t close combat involved. Rooooar!!!! The Endless spells give reach and board control and Matt has maxed out the Allies with a cheap monster (Sphiranx), a cheap screen (Untamed Beasts) and the essential Deamon Prince of Khorne. For those who haven’t met this chap yet, he halves charge distances within 18″ for a command point. It’s so difficult to avoid and even makes short charges not automatic.

Great work Matt – a brilliant army and a great result.

— Declan