San Diego Open took place in California, USA on 11th and 12th June. It involved 74 players vying to be crowned champion in a 5 game tournament.

Before I jump into the Top Three, I wanted to remind everyone of our friendly Discord server where you can join in the conversation with the Woehammer crew and suggest articles or series for the website.

Also if there’s a one day or two day tournament you’d like us to cover drop us a comment on this post and we’ll have a look at it for you.

Allegiance: Seraphon
– Constellation: Thunder Lizard
– Mortal Realm: Ghur
– Grand Strategy: Beast Master
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Slann Starmaster (265)*
– General
– Command Trait: Arcane Might
– Spell: Celestial Equilibrium
Engine of the Gods (265)*
– Artefact: Cloak of Feathers
– Mount Trait: Beastmaster
– Universal Prayer Scripture: Curse
Skink Starpriest (130)*
– Spell: Hand of Glory
Skink Priest (80)**
– Universal Prayer Scripture: Guidance
Terradon Chief (80)***
– Artefact: Fusil of Conflaguration

Battleline
30 x Skinks (225)**
– Boltspitters & Moonstone Clubs
– Reinforced x 2
10 x Skinks (75)**
– Boltspitters Celestite Daggers & Star Bucklers
10 x Skinks (75)***
– Boltspitters Celestite Daggers & Star Bucklers

Units
6 x Terradon Riders (210)***
– Sunleech Bolas
– Reinforced x 1

Behemoths
Bastiladon with Solar Engine (250) *PRIORITY TARGET*
Bastiladon with Ark of Sotek (165)**
Bastiladon with Ark of Sotek (165)***

Core Battalions
*Command Entourage – Magnificent
**Battle Regiment
***Battle Regiment

Total: 1985 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 3 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 130
Drops: 6

Danny: Sometimes a Seraphon list comes along that makes me do a little ‘whoop’ because it has something new to talk about! This list has the usual core HQ, but goes off piste by taking 6 Terradons! These super fast moving (16″) ‘tiny dragons’ pop up here and there because they can drop a once per game d3 mw bomb (aka ‘rocks’) over a unit they move over on a 4+. So a unit of 6 can zoom over something important and do an average of 6 mws. It even packs the Terradon Chief who makes the Terradons do their MWs on a 2+ instead of a 4+. That changes the maths to (checks calculations…) a boat load! 2 cheap-as-chips Ark Bastiladons form a durable objective grabbing core while the rest does what Seraphon do. But props for an unusual list that no doubt caught a few people off-guard on the way to 5-0.

List name: Definitely not Gavin’s 2022 LVO list

Allegiance: Cities of Sigmar
– City: Living City
– Mortal Realm: Ghyran
– Grand Strategy: Hold the Line
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Doralia ven Denst (115)*
Sorceress (95)*
– General
– Command Trait: Master of Magic
– Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
– Lore of Leaves: Ironoak Skin
Freeguild General (100)*
– City Role: General’s Adjutant

Battleline
30 x Freeguild Crossbowmen (315)*
– Reinforced x 2
See it is different! He took crossbows.
10 x Freeguild Handgunners (105)*
10 x Dreadspears (90)*
– City Role: Honoured Retinue (Must be 5-20 models)

Units
4 x Dracothian Guard Fulminators (460)**
– Reinforced x 1
4 x Stormdrake Guard (680)**
– Drakerider’s Lance
– Reinforced x 1

Core Battalions
*Battle Regiment
**Hunters of the Heartlands

Total: 1960 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 4 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 125
Drops: 3

Danny: It’s hard to write about Cities lists, mainly because they have so many damn options. As you might guess from the list name, this one has been tried and tested and revolves around the great Living City trait of shooting units being able to move after shooting, which makes them all surprisingly fast and agile, and no doubt leads to many shenanigans and gnashing of teeth and whiffing of charges. Doralia also makes a cameo for wizard sniping, there’s a Sorceress for very cheap magic support, and a few other little tricks. Oh yeah, and 4 Fulminators and 4 Stormdrake Guard. Just a little kicker there. Just imagining playing this list gives me more of a headache than trying to remember what all the random cities units do!

Army Faction: Cities of Sigmar
– Army Type: Living City
– Grand Strategy: Mighty Beachhead
– Triumph: Inspired

LEADERS
Celestial Hurricanum with Celestial Battlemage (280)*
– Spells: Lifesurge
Celestant-Prime (325)**
Celestial Hurricanum with Celestial Battlemage (280)**
– General
– Command Traits: Master of Magic
– Artefacts of Power: Arcane Tome
– Spells: Ironoak Skin

BATTLELINE
Longbeards (105)*
– Ancestral Weapon and Gromril Shield
Longbeards (105)*
– Ancestral Weapon and Gromril Shield
Longbeards (105)**
– Ancestral Weapon and Gromril Shield

BEHEMOTH
Celestial Hurricanum (230)*
Celestial Hurricanum (230)**

OTHER
Dracothian Guard Fulminators (230)**
Khinerai Heartrenders (95)**

CORE BATTALIONS
*Battle Regiment
**Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: 1985/2000

Danny: pops some headache meds Ok, another 5-0 Cities list with a bunch of odd units that synergise in a hundred ways I’m probably missing. At a glance, it’s a really smart list already – a sneaky unit of Khinerai who can now drop out of reserves, fire then move 6″ make for some very cheeky objective grabbers, while the Fulminators and Celestant Prime offer pure, fast moving hammers who wouldn’t have a huge amount of trouble taking down a gargant by themselves. Then there’s the artillery – 3 Celestial Hurricanums – who on top bracket roll 3 dice each and do d3 mortals on a 2+ and give out a 10″ +1 hit aura each – that’s a lot of CP saved with careful positioning over the course of a game. The Longbeards are a tanky battleline choice at a budget cost of 105 too. Is it thematic though? Is it fuck, dwarves would be well sus of all that human magic flying over their heads!

Allegiance: Bonesplitterz
– Warclan: Drakkfoot
– Grand Strategy: Get Dem Bones!
– Triumphs:

Leaders
Savage Big Boss (65)**
– General
– Command Trait: Great Hunter
Wurrgog Prophet (150)**
– Artefact: Glowin’ Tattooz
– Lore of the Savage Beast: Gorkamorka’s War Cry
Wurrgog Prophet (150)**
– Artefact: Mork’s Boney Bitz
– Lore of the Savage Beast: Gorkamorka’s War Cry

Battleline
10 x Savage Orruk Morboys (155)*
10 x Savage Orruk Morboys (155)*
10 x Savage Orruks (165)*
– Chompas

Units
2 x Savage Big Stabbas (80)
2 x Savage Big Stabbas (80)
2 x Savage Big Stabbas (80)
2 x Savage Big Stabbas (80)
2 x Savage Big Stabbas (80)
2 x Savage Big Stabbas (80)
2 x Savage Big Stabbas (80)
2 x Savage Big Stabbas (80)
2 x Savage Big Stabbas (80)
2 x Savage Big Stabbas (80)
2 x Savage Big Stabbas (80)
2 x Savage Big Stabbas (80)
2 x Savage Big Stabbas (80)**
2 x Savage Big Stabbas (80)

Endless Spells & Invocations
The Burning Head (20)

Core Battalions
*Hunters of the Heartlands
**Warlord

Additional Enhancements
Artefact

Total: 1980 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 0 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 192
Drops: 20

Danny: Big. Stabbas. Lots. And Lots. Of. Big. Stabbas. I don’t normally applaud spam lists but going 4-1 at a major with Savage Orruks right now – no Big Chadnos in sight! – is definitely a feat. Props to the double Wurrgog too for what assuredly would be a series of hilarious staring contests and heart-stopping dice rolls (for this list’s opponents).

It’s clever, but it is hilarious. And bloody successful!

Final Tournament Placings (Top 20)