This is the Top Three AoS Lists for the Peace Through Dakka AoS GT that took place in Delaware, USA on 30th and 31st July. It involved 16 players vying to be crowned champion in a 5 game tournament. As a smaller tournament we expect to see some different armies perform well, this time we have two destruction armies in the top 10 as well as some of the more popular recent books.

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The Top Three AoS Lists

Allegiance: Maggotkin of Nurgle
– Subfaction: Drowned Men
– Grand Strategy: Blessed Desecration
– Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

Leaders
Bloab Rotspawned (300)*
– Lore of Malignance: Magnificent Buboes
Festus the Leechlord (150)*
– Lore of Malignance: Gift of Disease
Lord of Afflictions (210)*
– General
– Command Trait: Overpowering Stench
– Artefact: The Splithorn Helm

Battleline
4 x Pusgoyle Blightlords (440)*
– Reinforced x 1
2 x Pusgoyle Blightlords (220)*
2 x Pusgoyle Blightlords (220)*
2 x Pusgoyle Blightlords (220)*
2 x Pusgoyle Blightlords (220)*

Core Battalions
*Battle Regiment

Total: 1980 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 1 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 123
Drops: 1

Brett: An army we have been seeing a lot lately, Blightlords paired with a Lord of Afflictions. In this case teamed with casting heroes all wrapped in a Battle Regiment for a chance at first turn (EDIT or more importantly decide who goes first). Their resilience is the key here, with a pair having 16 wounds and taking (an average) of 36 -1 rend, 1 damage attacks to chew through. Because they aren’t Galletian Veterans Bounty Hunters don’t work so the basic attack infantry of a lot of armies aren’t going to kill a unit of 2 in a turn. And they’ll heal with the Festus potentially increasing that a bit further.

With the Drowned Men pregame move they can be within charge range very quickly for additional mortal wounds (MW). That’s without considering the larger unit of 4 or the Lord of Afflictions. He is more useful at the back to begin with so he can take Blightlords into the sky and redeploy them (EDIT not that anyone does). The Bloab is the better option in this army for pushing forward, his Daemon-Flies and Windspeaker Bells need to be close to the opponent to impact.

A couple of useful spells, Magnificant Buboes to debuff a hero and Gift of Disease for extra disease points. This means they also have dispells and their ward gives some protection from spell damage.

Are Blightlords becoming a defacto DPS check? I certainly think if you are going into a tournament you should be sure you can drop a unit of 2 easily. Looking at Emma’s run it looks like most of the armies would fail that test. That makes it much harder to play the game around objectives and achieving battle tactics because you need to commit real resources to dealing with them

Army Faction: Sylvaneth
– Subfaction: Gnarlroot
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumph: Inspired

LEADERS
Alarielle the Everqueen (840)*
Warsong Revenant (305)*
– General
– Artefact: Arcane Tome
– Spell: The Dweller’s Below

BATTLELINE
Dryads (100)*
Tree Revenants (110)*
Tree Revenants (110)*

OTHER
Spiterider Lancers (420)*

ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS
Spiteswarm Hive (40)
Purple Sun of Shyish (70)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: 1995/2000

Brett: New book and a new look with Spiterider Lancers instead of Kurnoth to support Alarielle. Not a lot of bodies in this army, it is very heavily reliant on Alarielle and the Warsong Revenant. Unfortuately you can’t afford to commit Alarielle too early, she returns on a 6+ with you adding the round number so losing her before the 3rd round is a huge risk. 2 wizards with 7 casts in the list covering a broad range of spells and the ubiquitous Purple Sun as well. The Gnarlroot grove helps get Purple Sun out with it’s 3D6 and discard the lowest near an awakened wyldwood or overgrown feature.

The army is struggling for damage with the Spitelancers, even reinforced, only really offering 29 damage 1 attacks. You can boost that with Bounty Hunters but into a lot of things (Blightlords, Fulminators or Stormdrakes) your mileage may disappoint. They are very durable, if they kill a model they can heal all wounds at the end of their turn. That’s twice a round, chip damage isn’t enough to end them. Alarielle can summon additional units, it’s not clear which Alex took but they would be clutch. The movement tricks that Sylvaneth are known for here would play their part in making Battle Tactics happen. Throughout the event the army scored well. The list for the army is deceptive only showing a damage spell for the Warsong. However Alairelle knows the whole lore and will return models or heal every turn.

As always there are lots of synergies particularly in concert with the trees/terrain. I feel you really want to control priority with this army, mostly to go second Turn 1 and play for the double reasonably often. That allows your army to get closer to you so you can operate near the woods for fight and fade, get spells up for Mortal wounds. And preserve Alairelle. Getting the double is a huge advantage here because you can commit her to combat knowing that if you need to bring here back it’s on Turn 3 with a 50/50 chance. I think this play style of drawing you in, hurting you with small bites all the way and then really damaging attacks deep in the forest is thematic as anything. It suits a very good player though and takes practice so well done Alex.

Army Faction: Ironjawz
– Subfaction: Bloodtoofs
– Grand Strategy: Defend What’s Ours
– Triumph: Inspired

LEADERS
Orruk Megaboss (140)
Megaboss on Maw-Krusha (480)
– Boss Choppa and Rip-tooth Fist
Megaboss on Maw-Krusha (480)*
– Boss Choppa and Rip-tooth Fist
– General
– Command Trait: Mega Bossy
– Artefact: Destroyer
– Mount Trait: Fast ‘Un
Orruk Warchanter (115)*
Orruk Warchanter (115)*

BATTLELINE
Orruk Gore-gruntas (170)*
– Jagged Gore-Hackas
Orruk Gore-gruntas (340)*
– Reinforced: Once
– Pig-Iron Choppas
Orruk Brutes (160)*

CORE BATTALIONS
*Battle Regiment

Brett: Double Maw-Krusha list that’s been around since the start of 3rd edition with two notable changes. One is the extra Megaboss sitting like a cherry on top and the other is the battalions. Early on the with the Double Maw-Krusha, warlords were preferred to give extra artefacts to the 2nd Krusha. This army has gone with the battle regiment for priority control side stepping the debate between Tough ‘Un or Weird ‘Un on the 2nd Krusha for durability.

Otherwise a Megaboss and 5 Brutes to control the home, nasty for anything trying to teleport although they are a slow moving block. 9 Gore-gruntas including a nasty block of 6 with the shorter range weapons, that might create some issues and two Warchanters, probably with Fix ’em and Get ’em beats. The biggest alpha strike list in AoS? The General moving up to 36″ and done properly the other Maw moving 24″. Unit of pigs with a 3D6 charge set up in first turn? Always a lot of muscle getting close fast that forces you to set up very carefully.

Ray’s only loss was to 2nd place after beating another Sylvaneth list in the second round. The first army is a Kurnoth centred tree terror list as compared to Alex’s Aliarelle’s spell slingers. I feel like the Purple Sun might have eaten something important. In any case deploying Aliarelle out of the Maw-Krusha’s reach. The other armies (Cities and SCE) may have struggled in the face of all of that damage. Nice work Ray.

Army Faction: Gloomspite Gitz
– Subfaction: Glogg’s Megamob
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumph: Inspired

LEADERS
Dankhold Troggboss (240)
– General
– Command Traits: Shepherd of Idiotic Destruction
– Artefacts of Power: Aetherquartz-studded Hide
Kragnos (720)

BATTLELINE
Rockgut Troggoths (435)*
Rockgut Troggoths (435)*
Stabbas (150)*
– Bad Moon Icon Bearer
– Gong Basher
– Pokin’ Spear and Moon Shield
– Barbed Net

TERRAIN
1 x Bad Moon Loonshrine (0)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Bounty Hunters

TOTAL POINTS: 1980/2000

Brett: Kragnos and friends? Does Kragnos have friends or just terrified/fascinated followers? Is this a Gloomspite alpha strike?

Whatever’s happening this army is getting into your personal space as quickly as possible and hugging you. Which you might find uncomfortable. There isn’t a lot of subtlety, the Dankhold makes the Rockgut battle line and grants a re-roll before smacking you in the face. Or whiffing – that’s the joy of Gloomspite, mad damage with bad saves and explosions. Double reinforced Rockgut units to take maximum advantage of their ability to return units (on a 4+ return a Troggoth unit at 1/2 strength). Lastly all of the troops are in Bounty Hunters just to hurt a little more.

A lot of fun but not without risk. Jakob’s 3rd round was an opponent that took No Place for the Weak making those battleline’s a primary target. With a reasonable amount of shooting that’s a problem. But this is Gitz, it’s about silly fun and not grinding out wins. The best part of this army is the way it’s going to hit you and either explode or explode you and it’s going to be a fun ride. There’s no overthinking things apart from where that moon is. 3/2 with an army like that is a very solid effort.

Final Tournament Placings