This is the Top Three AoS Lists for the Game Knight Grand Tournament that took place in London, Ontario, Canada on the 17th and 18th of September. It involved 22 players vying to be crowned champion in a 5 game tournament.

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The Top Three AoS Lists

Army Faction: Sons of Behemat
– Army Type: Breaker Tribe
– Grand Strategy: Make the land tremble!
– Triumphs: Inspired

LEADER
1 x Gatebreaker (525)*
– General
– Command Traits: Monstrously Tough
– Artefacts: Enchanted Portcullis
1 x Warstomper (470)*
– Artefacts: Amulet of Destiny
1 x Gatebreaker (525)**
– Artefacts: Arcane Tome
– Spells: Flaming Weapon
1 x Warstomper (470)**

CORE BATTALIONS:
*Bosses of the Stomp – Magnificent
**Bosses of the Stomp – Magnificent

TOTAL POINTS: (1990/2000)

Brett: Sons of Behemat continuing to benefit from the Season 1 GHB taking out an event this time. Lately we’ve seen a lot of 3 Gatebreaker, Krondspine lists in the podium, this time it’s a more traditional (?) 2 x Gatebreakers and 2 x Warstomper. From the top Breaker Tribe but no loathing shown, and no Mancrushers in the list, with 2 x Bosses of the Stomp for extra artefacts. Grand Strategy is Make the Land Tremble – a unit needs to make a run or charge move every round, very hard to stop. Gatebreaker general with Monstrously Tough (extra 5 wounds) and Enchanted Portcullis (6+ ward). The first Warstomper also has a 6+ ward (Amulet of Destiny) and lastly the other Gatebreaker has Arcane Tome with Flaming Weapon (+1 damage)A tanky build with 2 of the Gargants having more than 40 effective wounds thanks to traits and artefacts.

If you move the Portcullis to another gargant instead of the General there would have been 3 Gargants with more than 40 effective wounds. First round draw against Slaves, the slaves list was running the new Legionnaires and mostly had small units with Be’lakor. Warstompers are less efficient into smaller units with their Titanic Boulder clubs attacks reducing quickly (it caps at 10). The same is true of the Sylvaneth list he faced in round 2. He maxed all of his other rounds including the last against the only other player to max all of his rounds. That match up against Fangs of Sotek would have favoured the Sons with the wards helping against Mortal Wounds and the Warstompers having max attacks against the big Skink blocks. A great run and nice to see a little variation in an army with so few warscrolls.

Army Faction: Seraphon
– Army Type: Starborne
– Army Subfaction: Fangs of Sotek
– Grand Strategy: The Astromatrix
– Triumphs: Inspired

LEADER
1 x Lord Kroak (430)*
– General
1 x Skink Starpriest (130)*
– Spells: Hand of Glory
1 x Saurus Astrolith Bearer (140)**
– Artefacts: Serpent God Dagger
1 x Stegadon with Skink Chief (305)**
– Skystreak Bow
– Artefacts: Cloak of Feathers
– Mount Traits: Celestial Destruction
1 x Skink Priest (90)**
– Prayers: Curse

BATTLELINE
30 x Skinks (225)*
– Skink Alpha
– Boltspitter and Moonstone Club
30 x Skinks (225)*
– Skink Alpha
– Boltspitter and Moonstone Club
10 x Skinks (75)*
– Skink Alpha
– Boltspitter
– Celestite Dagger and Star-buckler
5 x Saurus Guard (115)*
– Saurus Guard Alpha
– Stardrake Icon Bearer
– Wardrummer

BEHEMOTH
1 x Bastiladon with Solar Engine (250)*

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

TOTAL POINTS: (1985/2000)

Brett: Seraphon have continued to be strong for a very long time, not least because of the number of builds they can use. I prefer Fangs of Sotek to Thunder Lizard, not that I play Seraphon, but I think it plays to the mission better. And allows you to stop your opponent playing the mission as well. Choosing a named character as General (Kroak) loses you a Command Trait so it’s not often seen. Still 6 casts and Kroak’s unlimited range +2 dispel/unbind magic is going to be in their favour. Saurus guard are acting as body guards, the Skink Chief, Starpriest and Priest are buffing Skinks and the Astrolith Bearer providing a 6+ ward to units within 12″. Lots of leaders but the core of this list is the 2 x 30 Skink units.

They can be teleported within 9″ (with a 16″ weapon), with more than 15 models they have an extra attack (Unleash Hell with 60 attacks before any other buffs). Before being teleported they will be granted +1 to hit (Skink Priest), +1 attack (Skink Chief – melee only), 6s do a mortal wound in addition with at least +1 to their save and likely 6+ ward. If they have their buffs that unit is potentially doing 25 mortal wounds in addition to any other damage. Skinks look inoffensive but in a large group with buffs they are anything but. Rounding out this potential is the Bastilidon with Solar Engine and the Starbourne summoning which makes Descrate Lands and Against the Odds really easy. They can also pick up Barge through Enemy Lines with a teleport and summon.

That is before the 3 wizards inflict Mortals – Kroak can inflict D3 MW on 3 units 4 times a turn (on a 2+). Your best bet is to go first and try to concentrate on removing as many skinks as possible. A bit easier since they are in the large 30 man units rather than say 2 x 20 with 3 x 10 Skink screens. Once they start getting their buffs they become a much bigger threat and even out ranging them isn’t a guarantee. They will potentially pick up a 15 strong unit of Blood Stalkers or Namarti Reavers following a teleport within 9″. Tanky Gargants seem to be a counter otherwise Michael scored maximum points in each of his 4 previous battles to finish with a great, almost perfect 4/1.

Army Faction: Idoneth Deepkin
– Army Subfaction: Mor’phann
– Grand Strategy: The Creeping Gloomtide
– Triumphs: Inspired

LEADER
1 x Akhelian King (250)*
– General
– Command Traits: Unstoppable Fury
– Bladed Polearm and Falchion
– Artefacts: Arcane Tome
– Mount Traits: Voidchill Darkness
– Spells: Flaming Weapon
1 x Isharann Soulrender (120)*
1 x Isharann Soulrender (120)*

BATTLELINE
30 x Namarti Reavers (510)*
– Icon Bearer
30 x Namarti Thralls (390)*
– Icon Bearer
3 x Akhelian Ishlaen Guard (195)*
– Lochian Prince
– Standard Bearer
– Musician
3 x Akhelian Morrsarr Guard (195)*
– Standard Bearer
– Lochian Prince
– Musician
3 x Akhelian Ishlaen Guard (195)*
– Lochian Prince
– Standard Bearer
– Musician

TERRAIN
1 x Gloomtide Shipwreck (0)

CORE BATTALIONS:
*Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: (1975/2000)

Brett: Straight forward Idoneth list anchored on Namarti with eels for extra mobility. Good to see the eels in a podium list. No real spell casting (1 cast/unbind from Arcane tome), as Morphann the Soulrenders can return and additional 3 models when using their Lurelight to return D3 models. That makes the Namarti much harder to clear particularly since the Gloomtide Shipwreck is garrionsable and give a 5+ ward within 6″. All of the Akehlian’s benefit on the charge with additional rend and damage (King and Morrsarr), and saves (Ishalean). The King is the only model with upgrades which include Unstoppable Fury (+2 attacks for each unit within 3″ in High Tide), Arcane Tome/Flaming Weapon (+1 damage) and Voidchill Darkness (-1 hit to enemy attackers).

The Shipwreck is probably central to this list, in combination with Tides of Death. In the first 2 tides the reavers (and thralls) are key units, wearing you down and stopping you getting to the King and Eels. Then in turn 3 and 4 the King and Eels can unleash and take advantage of run and charge/retreat and charge. 2 units of Eels can fit (no they can’t – they have mounts) in the Shipwreck with the Soulrenders to keep those Narmarti coming back. 30 models with a 5+ save and 6+ ward is hard to shift unless you have a lot of rend. His only loss was to Nighthaunt Scarlet Doom, another army that regrows and can retreat and charge in every round. And really important, they ignore rend, ultimately this army is a rend army. 4/1 is a strong performance, it’s great to see Idoneth on a the podium.

Army Faction: Hedonites of Slaanesh
– Army Type: Invaders
– Subfaction: The Lurid Haze
– Grand Strategy: Defend What’s Ours
– Triumph: Inspired

LEADERS
Sigvald (205)**
– General
The Contorted Epitome (245)**
– General
– Command Traits: Feverish Anticipation
– Artefacts of Power: Oil of Exultation
– Spells: Hysterical Frenzy
Shardspeaker of Slaanesh (135)**
– Artefacts of Power: The Rod of Misrule
– Spells: Battle Rapture

BATTLELINE
Blissbarb Archers (420)***
– High Tempter
Blissbarb Archers (140)***
– High Tempter
Blissbarb Archers (140)***
– High Tempter

OTHER
Symbaresh Twinsouls (260)*
– Egopomp
Symbaresh Twinsouls (260)*
– Egopomp
Mindstealer Sphiranx (95)*

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

CORE BATTALIONS
*Bounty Hunters
**Command Entourage – Magnificent
***Expert Conquerors

TOTAL POINTS: 1970/2000

Brett: For our last list we have 4th, Mitch, who really really likes Blissbarb Archers. Fewer Leaders to increase the troops units but Sigvald and the Contorted Epitome are present with the less common Shardspeaker, it’s Twisted Mirror can give the Twinsouls +1 to wound or have the Epitome wounding on 3s. 3 casts/dispels from the Epitome and Shardspeaker. The Epitome gives rerolls to charges to one unit (Feverish Anticipation) and has an extra wound (Oil of Exultation). The Shardspeaker is carrying the Rod of Misrule (generate command points). The spells do Mortal Wounds (Hysterical Frenzy) and Battleshock modifications (Battle Rapture).

The double reinforced Blisbarb unit can move up to 12” and still shoot giving it a 30” threat range. The 2 unreinforced Blissbarbs are trading pieces and even screens. Expert Conquerors strengthens that role by giving the strong objective control. With the twinsouls supporting the Shardspeaker and Blissbarbs this list will generate a lot of depravity points either inflicting or taking wounds. So a Keeper of Secrets isn’t too far away. As we’ve seen a few times Scarlet Doom was his only loss but the list also scored a little lower than others, a symptom of its fragility perhaps.

Final Tournament Placings