This is the Top Three AoS Lists for the Sacramento GT (Sacremento Slam) that took place in the USA on 27th and 28th July. It involved 12 players vying to be crowned champion in a 5 game tournament.

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The Top Three AoS Lists

Army Faction: Seraphon
– Army Type: Coalesced
– Subfaction: Thunder Lizard
– Grand Strategy: No Place for the Weak
– Triumph: Inspired

LEADERS
Engine of the Gods (265)*
– General
– Command Traits: Prime Warbeast
– Artefacts of Power: Arcane Tome
– Spells: Hand of Glory
– Prayers: Curse
Skink Priest (90)*
– Prayers: Heal
Doralia ven Denst (115)*
Slann Starmaster (265)**
– Artefacts of Power: Itxi Grubs
– Spells: Stellar Tempest
Stegadon with Skink Chief (305)**
– Skystreak Bow
– Artefacts of Power: Fusil of Conflagration
– Mount Traits: Beastmaster
Saurus Astrolith Bearer (140)**

BATTLELINE
Saurus Guard (115)*
Saurus Knights (110)***
– Stardrake Icon Bearer
– Wardrummer
– Celestite Warspear and Powerful Jaws
Stegadon (270)***
– Skystreak Bow

BEHEMOTH
Bastiladon with Solar Engine (250)

ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS
1 x Purple Sun of Shyish (70)

TERRAIN
1 x Realmshaper Engine (0)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Warlord
**Command Entourage – Magnificent
***Bounty Hunters

TOTAL POINTS: 1995/2000

Brett: All the big things Thunder Lizard list with minimum battleline. The Purple Sun to back up the Starmaster, this is more a combat list than casting after all. Just the 3 casts from the Starmaster, 1 from Arcane Tome and prayers from the Skink Priests (importantly they also have an unbind for Endless Spells). The Starmaster is casting at +1, +2 within 12″ of the Saurus Astrolith Bearer and most likely a +1 from the army. Doralia is along for her endless spell removal, the witch hunter is also very good at removing small casting heroes. A nice bonus with a lot of Nighthaunt lists around. 2 Stegadons, both crews are using the Skystreak Bow for a little 24″ shooting in addition to the Solar Engine (on Bastilidon). Great way to pressure all of the shorter range units.

3 Artefacts, from Warlord and Command Entourage. In series they create a wizard (Arcane Tome), heal and allow a recast (Itxi Grubs) and On top of the +1 to casting for coalesced the Battle Traits of Seraphon continue to be what makes the army so effective. -1 to incoming damage, an additional attacks for the Jaws, and summoning. 6 to 10 points are very easy to achieve each turn and give you the broadest range from Skinks, to Saurus (Guard or Knight) – screens and objective to a Salamander Hunting Pack for offense. Beastmaster on the Stegadon with Skink Chief in accordance with the Thunder Lizard mandatory requirements (+1 attack to the mounts weapon) is no penalty.

Overall Thunder Lizard continues to be successful because it’s a well rounded army with a lot of key abilities. Adding the Purple Sun (casting on a 5 most likely) just makes it that much more spicey and buffs all of the incoming attacks which is very useful to Seraphone (most of their attacks lack much rend). Since much of their damage is at range they avoid the issues with the Sun and can dispel it if it goes wild. John scored well through out and was the only undefeated entrant. Target priority would be hard to determine with this list and mortal wounds from ranged very useful to chip damage from it before closing. Most of his opponents were short on both shooting and mortals.

Army Faction: Daughters of Khaine
– Army Subfaction: Zainthar Kai
– Grand Strategy: Bloodthirsty Zealots
– Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

LEADER
1 x Hag Queen (110)*
– Prayers: Sacrament of Blood, Curse
1 x Slaughter Queen (130)*
– Prayers: Catechism of Murder, Sacrament of Blood
1 x Melusai Ironscale (115)***
– General
– Command Traits: Zealous Orator
1 x Bloodwrack Medusa (130)***
– Artefacts: Shadow Stone
– Spells: Mindrazor
1 x High Gladiatrix (90)***

BATTLELINE
5 x Blood Stalkers (180)*
– Krone
5 x Blood Stalkers (180)*
– Krone
10 x Blood Sisters (280)**
– Gorgai
20 x Sisters of Slaughter (270)**
– Handmaiden
– 3 x Death Pennant Bearer
– 4 x Hornblower
– Kruiplash and Bladed Buckler
5 x Blood Sisters (140)**

BEHEMOTH
1 x Avatar of Khaine (155)*

ENDLESS SPELL
1 x Bloodwrack Viper (80)

INVOCATION
1 x Heart of Fury (45)

OTHER
5 x Khinerai Heartrenders (95)*
– Shryke

CORE BATTALIONS:
*Battle Regiment
**Bounty Hunters
***Command Entourage – Magnificent

TOTAL POINTS: (2000/2000)

Brett: Having the misfortune to run into John in round 3 ended David’s run then. With only the 10 x Blood Stalkers in 2 x 5 model units this list would struggle to tackle the Stegodons and Bastildons. That leaves their heroes which aren’t the best trading pieces outside of the High Gladiatrix. With 10 wounds on a 5+ save and a 6+ ward the 5 model units are very fragile. The same is true of the Blood Sisters, this list would be difficult to play unless you were prepared to lose one or more of those units a turn. Ranged is best because Zainthar Kai fight again on death.

2 Priests with 4 spells including Sacrement to advance the Blood Rights table, Curse (MW on a natural 6 to hit) and Catechism of Murder for exploding 6s. Only one wizard with a single cast, the Bloodwrack Viper might not be used a lot. Particularly with Mindrazor being so good. There heroes are mostly in place to buff the larger infantry units, advancing Blood Rites and improving damage dealing. The High Gladiatrix brings a interesting, if difficult to use, assassination ability.

Ultimately David was able to score well throughout, looking at the run through the tournament quite a few of the the lists were susceptible to the sort of pressure DoK are good at. It’s an interesting take on DoK with so many MSU blocks, it would be good to see more games with it.

Army Faction: Ossiarch Bonereapers
– Subfaction: Petrifex Elite
– Grand Strategy: No Place for the Weak
– Triumph: Bloodthirsty

LEADERS
Arkhan the Black (340)
– General
– Spells: Protection of Nagash
Mortisan Soulmason (115)
– Artefacts of Power: Godbone Armour
– Spells: Mortal Contract

BATTLELINE
Kavalos Deathriders (190)
– Mortek Hekatos
– Necrophoros
– Nadirite Blade and Shield
Mortek Guard (280)**
– Mortek Hekatos
– Nadirite Blade and Shield
– 2 x Necrophoros
Mortek Guard (280)**
– Mortek Hekatos
– Nadirite Blade and Shield
– 2 x Necrophoros

OTHER
Morghast Harbingers (360)*
– Spirit Halberd
Necropolis Stalkers (175)*
Necropolis Stalkers (175)*

ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS
1 x Purple Sun of Shyish (70)

TERRAIN
1 x Bone-tithe Nexus (0)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Bounty Hunters
**Expert Conquerors

TOTAL POINTS: 1985/2000

Brett: The current meta is wide open and there have been a few sightings of Ossiarch Bonereapers but they are still far from common, 3rd is a strong effort going 3/5 losing to 1st and 2nd in the final 2 rounds. A pretty traditional Ossiarch list, with Arkhan the Black and a Soulmason as the only heros. The points are tied to the Battleline (Mortek Guard are beefy and dear) with a large unit of Harbingers in bounty hunters to punish the unwary. 5 spells base but Arkhan has additional spells as well as buffs to casting on a degrading profile from his staff. Arkhan is the natural choice for Purple Sun (casting on a 6 for him). He is also a solid combat hero but you don’t want to get him into combat too early due to his casting.

The Soulmason offers re-roll hit rolls of 1, he has an ability where at the end of the hero phase he could apply it to up to D3 models which is a good reason to have him. The points saved on heroes have gone to the combat units, 2 x 20 Mortek Guard (40 wounds) and the reinforced Harbingers (4). Harbingers are very dear, they have a great stat-line but are pretty expensive per wound. Deathriders (and the Harbingers) for some mobility. Again there are a few MSU in the list that are vulnerable to being pickup relatively easily. The idea behind the list is pretty simple, the Mortek Guard camp objectives and you try to bait your opponent into you. They have a 4+ save and 6+ ward but most units have a movement of 4″ to 6″. They are vulnerable to shooting (as happened here).

Scott did see off a few of the meta’s current stars in the first 3 rounds. This list does give you quite a few options and at least some units that can seek to go wide if needed.

Army Faction: Hedonites of Slaanesh
– Army Type: Invaders
– Subfaction: The Lurid Haze
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumph: Bloodthirsty

LEADERS
Sigvald (205)*
Keeper of Secrets (400)*
– General
– Command Traits: Feverish Anticipation
– Sinistrous Hand
– Spells: Slothful Stupor
Synessa (260)**
– General
– Spells: Born of Damnation
Soulfeaster Keepers of Secrets (385)**
– Artefacts of Power: Oil of Exultation
– Spells: Progeny of Damnation
Infernal Enrapturess (130)**

BATTLELINE
Blissbarb Archers (140)*
Hellstriders with Hellscourges (135)*
Blissbarb Archers (140)**
Hellstriders with Hellscourges (135)**

ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS
1 x Purple Sun of Shyish (70)

TERRAIN
1 x Fane of Slaanesh (0)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Battle Regiment
**Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: 2000/2000

Brett: Double Keeper of Secrets in a 2 drop list with Synessa (for her wonderful gaze) and a Purple Sun just to make your opponent’s life difficult. But wait there’s more – in a spell heavy meta let’s introduce a character that forces opposing Wizards within 24″ to reroll successful casts and cause them D3 mortal wounds every time they cast a double. I give you the Infernal Enrapturess. Like Tzeentch, Slaanesh armies usually have a reasonable number of casts, 5 this time, and an extra dispel from the Enrapturess. Invaders allow up to 3 generals in the army (for command point and command purposes), only 2 are listed for this army though.

Feverish Anticipation (re-roll run rolls within 12″) from the mandatory requirements for Lurid Haze. Healing spell (Progeny of Damnation), turn off command abilities (Slothful Stupor) and hero heals (Born of Damnation). Sigvald is as always a swingy combat hero, the number of attacks determined by his charge roll and +3 to charge. He normally picks up something important. Neither Keeper of Secrets is a combat powerhouse (but they aren’t weak either) at least compared to other Greater Demons. The Soulfeaster is a forgeworld variant that loses the potential for a ranged weapon and has an intriguing warscroll ability. You offer your opponent to allow a hero to accept temptation. If they refuse, they take D3 mortal wounds. If they accept then they have 1 more attack this round, at the start of the next combat phase they roll a dice, 4-6 they are slain.

The battleline units are both thin and slightly fragile (as are the heroes for the most part). That allows Depravity Points to accumulate quickly though, Slaanesh relies on speed an summoning to overwhelm you. Shutting it down against invaders is tough with multiple generals and in this case multiple Keepers of Secret to play around. And a Purple Sun just to make life harder (the -1 to saves is pretty strong).Special mention to Synessa’s Staff, D3 if you make a save, D6 if you fail, you are only safe on a 6. Always an interesting army to play, their speed means it’s hard to prevent scoring but their fragility means you can score well into them.

Final Tournament Placings