This is the Top Three AoS Lists for Shanghai Slaughter that took place in the China on 14th and 15 January. It involved 20 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

LEADERS
Engine of the Gods (285)*
– General
– Command Traits: Prime Warbeast
– Artefacts of Power: Fusil of Conflagration
– Mount Traits: Beastmaster
– Prayers: Curse
Celestant-Prime (325)*
Lord Kroak (450)*
Skink Starpriest (130)*
– Spells: Hand of Glory

BATTLELINE
Saurus Guard (115)*
Saurus Knights (220)*
– Celestite Warspear and Powerful Jaws
Skinks (75)*
Saurus Knights (110)*
– Celestite Warspear and Powerful Jaws

OTHER
Razordon Hunting Pack (210)*

ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS
1 x Umbral Spellportal (80)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: 2000/2000

Saurus units riding the crest of Seraphon power? Seraphon claiming number one with an Engine of the Gods and Kroak isn’t new. But Saurus Knights and Razordons in Thunder Lizard? It looks like Thunder Lizard was taken for double cosmic engine rolls and the Fusil of Conflagration. Thunder Lizard really boosts the power of an Engine and with Kroak can push out a lot of mortals. This is mostly a short range/melee army though, with the Engine’s 8” range working really well with the 9” range of curse. The Razordon’s bring 18” range (12D6 shots), but are most useful if the enemy gets close where they can both unleash hell and shoot at the end of the charge phase. Essentially, Seraphon Leadbelchers, you can’t leave them, but you can’t charge them.

The Saurus Knights are usually left at home, they don’t accept buffs as well as Skinks but this army is playing heavily into their Predatory-Fighter (+1 attack for Jaws attacks) and Scaly Skin (-1 damage). And they aren’t GVs. Combined with additional damage on the charge and the potential mortals on 6s, the double unit is pretty scary. A big part of the list, though, is the Celestant Prime – arguable if he is worth the cost in Seraphon, but it worked here. His guaranteed charge and damage profile is effective at removing key pieces like MawCrushas, Durthu, or Warsong Revenant. With Kroak shutting down spells it’s not hard to see why Sylvaneth struggled, the same for Skaven. Neither do well with Mortals. Damage reduction limits some of the impact of Ironjawz and the limited rend, but large number of attacks counters Nighthaunt. The army still has Seraphon’s ability to score while countering a lot of the unique abilities of his opponents army. It’s a really well thought out counter list.

Army Faction: Sylvaneth
– Subfaction: Gnarlroot
– Season: The Dwindling
– Grand Strategy: Defend What’s Ours
– Triumph: Bloodthirsty

LEADERS
Arch-Revenant (120)*
– Artefacts of Power: Arcane Tome
– Spells: Regrowth, Verdant Blessing
Treelord Ancient (360)*
– Spells: Treesong, Verdant Blessing
Warsong Revenant (305)*
– General
– Command Traits: Spellsinger
– Spells: Verdant Blessing, Verdurous Harmony

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

OTHER
Kurnoth Hunters with Kurnoth Greatswords (500)*
Kurnoth Hunters with Kurnoth Greatbows (230)*

ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS
1 x Vengeful Skullroot (60)
1 x Spiteswarm Hive (40)
1 x Gladewyrm (50)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: 1985/2000

Nikola here has brought a fairly standard Gnarlroot magic build here, with the Treelord Ancient and Warsong Rev combo for putting down a set of trees early doors with the Ancient for Warsong to use Spellsinger to cast his nasty AoE through.

It’s backed up by a compliment of reinforced Sword ‘Noth – a less popular choice than scythes because of their lesser rend – but a more balanced one overall, I think, due to their potential for MW output against targets who scoff at even 3 rend (such as Nighthaunt for example).

Happily for me, an endless spell enjoyer, the list packs all three Sylvaneth specific ones, and why not? They allo have fantastic utility and get be got off nicely in Gnarlroot with the ‘3d6 pick best 2’ to cast and re-roll from The Dwindling. Not only are they some of the best looking faction specific spells but they really do give the army a lot of options – horrorghast effects, healing, charge bonuses and more – love to see it!

Army Faction: Slaves to Darkness
– Army Type: Knights of the Empty Throne
– Grand Strategy – Take what’s theirs

LEADERS
Chaos Sorcerer Lord (135)*
– Mark of Chaos: Nurgle
– Artefacts of Power: Arcane Tome
– Spells: Demonic speed

Varanguard (290)**
– General
– Mark of Chaos: Khorne
– Fellspear

BATTLELINE
Varanguard (290)**
– Mark of Chaos: Khorne
– Ensorcelled Weapon
Varanguard (290)**
– Mark of Chaos: Khorne
– Ensorcelled Weapon
Splintered Fang (100)*
The Unmade (80)*
Corvus Cabal (80)*
Corvus Cabal (80)*

BEHEMOTH
Krondspine Incarnate of Ghur (480)*

OTHER
Ogroid Theridons (190)*
– Mark of Chaos: Khorne
– Great Axes

BATTALIONS
Battle Regiment*
Overlords of Chaos**

TOTAL POINTS: 2000/2000

Great to see a good run out with the new Slaves book! Although, less happy to see Spinedog – and do bear in mind that the new focus on foot heroes in the forthcoming season will likely mean a list such as this has to change in some big ways.

In the meantime though, it leans into the the obvious highlights of the new book – triple Varanguard in Khorne with lances for that sweet rend 3 charge in one unit, and two units of Ensorcelled Weapons for fast chaff/lower armour targets. With each unit able to fight twice, that’s potentially a lot of pressure coming at you early.

Andy also leans into a bevvy of tech cultists, which is a fantastic section of the new book. Splintered Fang for reliable MW output, The Unmade for running up and turning off Redeploy to help those Varanguard make their charges and not end up in no-man’s land, and double Corvus Cabal for deepstriking and scoring battle tactics. Note – in the new season we lose Barge – so one unit of Corvus for Desecrate is probably going to be the new jam.

It’s interesting that he’s packed in some Theridons – to be fair, they’re a cost effective if not at all durable counter-punch, so why not?

An interesting list that took down what I would imagine are some fairly green match ups, losing only to Nikola’s Sylvaneth, who are quickly proving to be a red matchup for the new chaos bois! Andy – be a hero and take 2nd place next time, without Spinedog! My commenting fingers are ready.

Army Faction: Skaven
– Grand Strategy: No Place for the Weak
– Triumph: Indomitable

LEADERS
Thanquol (415)*
– Warpfire Projectors
– 3 x Warpfire Braziers
– Spells: Skitterleap
Warlock Bombardier (115)*
– Spells: More-more-more Warp Power!
Arch-Warlock (155)*
– General
– Command Traits: Deranged Inventor
– Artefacts of Power: Esoteric Warp Resonator
– Spells: More-more-more Warp Power!

BATTLELINE
Skryre Acolytes (75)*
Skryre Acolytes (75)*
Stormfiends (960)*
– 3 x Windlaunchers and Clubbing Blows
– 3 x Ratling Cannons and Clubbing Blows
– 3 x Shock Gauntlets and Warpstone-laced Armour

OTHER
Warp-Grinder (65)*

ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS
1 x Lauchon the Soulseeker (50)
1 x Soulscream Bridge (80)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: 1990/2000

Skaven is one of those armies that I love to see pop up in these lists. Much like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.

In this case, we get nearly half of the points of the list dumped into one 9-rat unit of Stormfiends with a weapon load-out that punishes at 24″, ruins days at 12″, and ruins lives within 3″. Combining their damage output with the additional wounds of Warpstone-laced Armor allows them to absorb the mortal wounds they will ultimately take when one of the two nearby Warlocks casts More-more-more Warp Power! Stormfiends absolutely love the ability to land those 9 Windlauncher shots at 3+/2+/-3/D3, 9D6 Ratling Cannons at 2+/2+/-1/1, and 12 Shock Gauntlets at 2+/2+/-1/2.

We also get to see two endless spells that will be standards for the new battletome. The bonuses to mobility brought into play by Lauchon and the Soulscream Bridge makes scoring first and second turn battle tactics easier, since it allows those foot heroes (who might normally have a hard time moving more than 9″ in a turn) to jump across the board to claim objectives. Thanquol’s casting bonus allows him to be a very expensive, but reliable taxi driver, with the ability to cast Skitterleap and one of the two endless spells in the same turn, throwing both of the Galletian champions wherever the they need to be.

Final Tournament Placings