This is the Top Three AoS Lists for the Proving Grounds that took place in Canada on 22nd and 23rd October. It involved 15 players vying to be crowned champion in a 5 game tournament.

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The Top Three AoS Lists

Allegiance: Stormcast Eternals
– Stormhost: Hammers of Sigmar (Scions of the Storm)
– Mortal Realm: Ghur
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

LEADERS
Lord-Imperatant (175)*
– General
– Command Trait: Master of Magic
– Artefact: Arcane Tome
– Spell: Celestial Blades
Lord-Commander Bastian Carthalos (300)*
Lord-Relictor (145)*
– Prayer: Translocation
Knight-Judicator with Gryph-Hounds (205)*

UNITS
3 x Annihilators (200)***
3 x Annihilators with Meteoric Grandhammers (240)***
2 x Dracothian Guard Fulminators (230)***
3 x Vanguard-Raptors with Longstrike Crossbows (240)*
5 x Vindictors (130)**
5 x Vindictors (130)**

CORE BATTALIONS
*Warlord (Magnificent Bonus: Additional Holy Command)
**Expert Conquerors
***Bounty Hunters

ADDITIONAL ENHANCEMENTS
Holy Command: Call for Aid
Holy Command: Thunderbolt Volley

TOTAL: 1995/2000
WOUNDS: 83
DROPS:10

Brett: Now we’re talking, 1 of almost everything really good in the SCE book, drops be damned. The result is some really powerful mortal wound projection and good mobility with Translocation, Annihilators and Fulminators. That combined with Bastian and 30″ shooting is punishing. He’s only lost to a list that could get close enough in the early rounds. With the Annihilators only coming in from reserve the Idoneth could really get an advantage in early rounds. We never see 2x Holy Commands, but I think they are underrated. Here they are giving an extra round of shooting and an extra 10 wounds.

This is just a fun list to play with and has some of the best or most interesting units SCE can bring.

Declan: Small tournaments are great in that you can win with a good 4-1 result, and it means the number of 0-5s is hopefully limited — in this case zero! But Matthew has come out on top with a SCE list that has teleporting, armour saves, and good shooting. It’s also a list we’ve seen before but Translocation has gone out of favour recently – so it’s good to see it still being good enough to get success.

Army Faction: Idoneth Deepkin
– Army Subfaction: Nautilar
– Grand Strategy: No Place for the Weak
– Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

LEADER
1 x Eidolon of Mathlann Aspect of the Storm (355)**
– Artefacts: Arcane Tome
– Spells: Arcane Corrasion
1 x Akhelian King (250)**
– General
– Command Traits: Unstoppable Fury
– Bladed Polearm and Falchion
– Artefacts: Armour of the Cythai
– Mount Traits: Voidchill Darkness
1 x Lotann (115)**

BATTLELINE
1 x Akhelian Leviadon (500)*
– Mount Traits: Ancient
10 x Namarti Reavers (170)**
10 x Namarti Thralls (130)***
10 x Namarti Thralls (130)***

TERRAIN
1 x Gloomtide Shipwreck (0)

OTHER
2 x Akhelian Allopexes (330)*
– Alpha Allopex
– Razorshell Harpoon Launcher
– Barbed Hooks and Blades

CORE BATTALIONS:
*Bounty Hunters
**Warlord
***Expert Conquerors

TOTAL POINTS: (1980/2000)

Brett: This is a very interesting top 3, this list beat the one in first and was beaten by the list below in third. I haven’t seen that before. Idoneth is still throwing up a lot of variety, they haven’t taken a lot of tournaments so there is no “net list”. Here there is a return to the Allopexes/Leviadon with a supporting cast of infantry. Of course Eidolon and the Ahkelian King are here as hammers. Turn priority is important for Idoneth and would have worked in Pendelton’s favour against first place. The heavy hitters here and Reavers could do devastating damage to the small SCE units in the first turn and then deal with Annihilators. Pretty much every other list would have suffered exactly the same way, unless they had Gotrek or a Big Dragon.

Declan: Good to see IdK still doing well – even if they are Aelves. This is a relatively ‘normal’ list since the new book with Leviadon (big turtle), some sharks, a king and a Eidolon. It’s an interesting list which seems to rely on the characters, sharks and turtle… although don’t underestimate the Thralls. I prefer them in bigger units, but they can still contribute to the game.

Allegiance: Stormcast Eternals
– Stormhost: Hallowed Knights (Scions of the Storm)
– Mortal Realm: Ghur
– Grand Strategy: No Place for the Weak
– Triumphs: Indomitable

LEADERS
Gardus Steel Soul (150)**
Lord-Relictor (145)**
– Prayer: Translocation
Lord-Celestant on Stardrake (500)**
– General
– Celestine Hammer
– Command Trait: Master of Magic
– Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
– Mount Trait: Celestial Instincts
– Spell: Thundershock
Gotrek Gurnisson (485)**
– Allies

UNITS
5 x Liberators (115)*
– Heavens-wrought Weapon and Shield
5 x Liberators (115)*
– Heavens-wrought Weapon and Shield
5 x Liberators (115)*
– Heavens-wrought Weapon and Shield
3 x Vanguard-Raptors with Longstrike Crossbows (240)
Everblaze Comet (100)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Expert Conquerors
**Battle Regiment
Holy Command: Thunderbolt Volley

Total: 1965 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 0 / 4
Allies: 485 / 400
Wounds: 74
Drops: 5

Brett: And so here is an army you don’t want to get close to, Gotrek , 5+ wards and fight on death for all of those enticing Liberators. Long range shooting and a dragon are always pretty effective. This list is really banking on Everblaze, Stardrake and the Longstrikes to weaken you at range (30″ to 36″). If there is a weakness it’s the crippling lack of mobility in this force. You can teleport (or translocate them) but their scoring opportunities are going to be fewer with only 4″ to 6″ on everything other than the dragon. You really want the enemy to be coming to you which looks like what happened. His only loss was to another fight on death army. Zainthar Kai is brutal with so many attacks and they get to you fast so it makes sense.

Declan: 2 big characters! We’ve not seen Gotrek in a while and the little dwarf is here to provide a big bubble that the enemy doesn’t want to go into. He’s still a monster in combat and can safely kill most things in the game if he can roll normally.

It’s also great to see a Stardrake doing well – it’s seen as overcoasted by most players but the model is great – even I own one. It’s also a great centre piece for drawing attention to the army – something Gotrek just can’t do.

Army Faction: Cities of Sigmar
– Army Type: Living City
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumph: Inspired

LEADERS
Doralia ven Denst (115)**
Freeguild General (100)**
– Artefacts of Power: Arcane Tome
– Spells: Lifesurge
Freeguild General on Griffon (290)***
– General
– Command Traits: Ironoak Artisan
– Sigmarite Runesword
– Artefacts of Power: Spear of the Hunt
– Mount Traits: Soaring Guardian
Galen Ven Denst (115)***
Haskel Hexbane (180)***

BATTLELINE
Demigryph Knights (175)*
– Preceptor
– Standard Bearer
– Hornblower
– Demigryph Knight’s Lance
Freeguild Greatswords (150)*
– Standard Bearer
– Hornblower
– Guild Champion
Freeguild Greatswords (300)*
– Standard Bearer
– Hornblower
– Guild Champion
Freeguild Crossbowmen (200)**
– Standard Bearer
– Piper
– Marksman
Freeguild Crossbowmen (200)**
– Standard Bearer
– Piper
– Marksman
Freeguild Guard (170)**
– Standard Bearer
– Drummer
– Sergeant
– Freeguild Sword and Shield

OTHER
Hexbane’s Hunters (180)**

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

TOTAL POINTS: 1995/2000

Brett: Is this someone that also plays Warhammer Fantasy battles? This looks a lot like a Fantasy army (also if you are checking on Best Coast Pairings this is listed as Beastclaw Raiders but as you can see, it isn’t). Good to see the Underworlds here with Hexbane, now go see if you can find his warscroll. Huge number of rank and file combat and shooting hampered only by it’s short range. And that’s what’s happened by the looks of it, every army that needed to charge died to a hail of fire. Even the Lumineth list which was Stoneguard following their glow up in the new book. Lists with long range shooting to hit those crossbow men did a lot better. This is the first of the 3/2 lists and scored really well in all rounds (that he won) other than the last. Stoneguard are really good now.

Hard to disassemble a castle like this without shooting or spells, your best option is to play the mission and try to get tactics where you can avoid engaging. Either way try to get rid of the Demigryph Knights as soon as possible to limit his movement and remove them as a threat to your smaller units.

Declan: I’ve not reviewed a Cities of Sigmar list in a while and this one’s interesting. With both the Ven Denst’s making an appearance and with Freeguild Crossbowmen there is a ranged threat here that is not to be ignored. I’m interested in the Greatswords though.

3+/3+ is the stat-line Games Workshop are using for models and units they want to be good in combat. So the Freeguild are going to hit, and the 4+ armour save is not to be ignored. They are not cheap at 150 points for 10, but with a unit of 10 and 20, they will be able to push out some damage. It’s not seen often, as they’re probably not good enough for a 5-0, but they are great if you want to have fun and have a good paint scheme.

Final Tournament Placings