The age of content creation is dead! If you’ve been living under a rock recently you may not know that the writers and artists who once provided you with hours of free entertainment are finally obsolete. What takes a human hours or even days to create can be replicated in mere seconds using the latest advances in AI algorithmic content generation. Sure, it’s a little sad that human creativity must be replaced wholesale by the soul-less mimicry of a computer for the sake of saving money. In fact, you’d think that AI might be used to automate jobs and allow people more time for creative expression instead… but that’s just the way the world works! We here at Woehammer can see the way the wind is turning, and we won’t be left behind. That’s why I have rounded up all but one of our writers and fed them into industrial shredders, putting their wasteful corpses to better use burning in the open flame furnaces powering the new Woehammer AI Supercomputer!
In celebration of their sacrifice, Woehammer is proud to present the results of the first ever AI-AOS-GT: “War of the Acronym”! All the players, lists, and results are AI created because why bother even playing the game anymore when an AI can do it for you? This tournament featured 131 players in a 5 game GT style event.
Before I jump into the Top Three AoS Lists, I wanted to remind everyone of our friendly Discord server where you can join in the conversation with the Woehammer crew and suggest articles or series for the website.
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The Top Three AoS Lists
Allegiance: Lumineth Realm-Lords
– Great Nation: Ymetrica
– Grand Strategy: In Warhammer Age of Sigmar, there is no one “correct” grand strategy for the Lumineth Realm-Lords, as each player’s strategy will depend on their individual playstyle and the composition of their army.
– Triumphs: Inspiring Presence
Leaders
Archmage Teclis (460 points)
– General, Command Trait: Aethereal Stalker
– Artefact: Whitefire Tome
– Spell: Elemental Cyclone
– Spell: Solar Concept
– Spell: Gravity Force
Light of Eltharion (200 points)
Scinari Cathallar (140 points)
– Artefact: Zephyrshell
Vanari Auralan Wardens’ unit champion (195 points)
– Banner Bearer, Musician
Battleline
20x Vanari Auralan Wardens (280 points)
20x Vanari Auralan Wardens (280 points)
10x Vanari Dawnriders (320 points)
Other Units
10x Scinari Calligrave (180 points)
3x Alarith Stoneguard (140 points)
5x Vanari Auralan Sentinels (140 points)
5x Vanari Auralan Sentinels (140 points)
Total: 2475/2000 points
Reinforced Units: 13 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 162
Drops: 11
This is a bold departure from some of the typical Teclis lists we’ve been seeing in real games. First of all, this list is 475 points over budget, although the AI tournament organiser obviously didn’t seem to mind. Also, the list, somewhat confusingly, includes a single Vanari Wardens champion as a hero and a unit of 10 Scinari Calligraves at the bargain price of only 180 points! If I may be so bold as to criticise the list-building choices of Cranbus Renfielm here, I might consider merging the two units of 5 Sentinels into a single unit of 10 for the same price. They’ll receive buffs better and help keep your list’s value down to fish for a Triumph if your opponent is any more than 335 points over budget.
Cranbus has given Teclis 3 lore spells I don’t recognise and a command trait and artefact, which is definitely against the rules of matched play games. According to our AI generator, the Aethereal Stalker command trait allows Teclis to “move across terrain features and units as if they were not there, making them highly mobile and difficult to pin down.” An interesting choice for sure, since Teclis can already fly. The Whitefire tome meanwhile “grants an additional spell to the bearer and allows them to reroll failed casting attempts.” Two very powerful abilities, neither of which can be used by Teclis. Some players may consider it bad manners to give your general 2 completely unusable enhancements, but I say: “What a power move!” Cranbus’ second artefact, which is also illegal, is the Zephyrshell on his Cathaller which allows the bearer to “dodge and weave through enemy attacks with ease, striking from unexpected angles and catching their foes off guard.” Sounds good, whatever it does!
Allegiance: Disciples of Tzeentch
– Great Nation: Zaitrec
– Grand Strategy: Ferocious Advance
– Triumphs: All Out Attack
Leaders:
Kairos Fateweaver (400 points)
– Spell Lore: Rain of Tzeentch
– Artefact of Power: Wristbands of Power
The Blue Scribes (140 points)
– Spell Lore: Daemonic Bonding
The Changeling (160 points)
Battleline:
Tzaangor Enlightened Skyfires x9 (360 points)
Tzaangor Enlightened Skyfires x9 (360 points)
Tzaangors x30 (360 points)
– Enhancements: Mutalith Vortex Beast
Other Units:
Realmshaper Engine (0 points)
Total:
1780/2000 points
Reinforced Units: 6 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 121
Drops: 6
Taking a list with 220 points to spare is a huge risk in a competitive tournament, particularly with that last Lumineth list around, but at least it guarantees you a triumph! To have placed second, Eldrida clearly played extremely well despite that handicap. Positioning would have been a big challenge for this list since it does contain a unit of 30 Tzaangor with the “Mutalith Vortex Beast” enhancement, which would significantly increase their footprint. However, their damage output would have been phenomenal! What the rest of the list may lack in flexibility and speed is made up for in those two units of Tzaangor Enlightened who are also, somehow, Skyfires. While it’s unclear how having two separate warscrolls works on the table, I can’t see how it could possibly be bad. Also, this list includes a piece of Seraphon terrain because, sure, why not?
We’re lucky enough to have comments from the player on this list, who describes her gameplan:
“Turn 1: I summoned Pink Horrors onto the battlefield and cast spells that buffed my units. The Pink Horrors fired their magical bolts, while the Tzaangors charged forward towards the enemy.
Turn 2: I summoned Pink Horrors onto the battlefield and cast spells that buffed my units. The Pink Horrors fired their magical bolts, while the Tzaangors continued their assault on the enemy.
Turn 3: The battle intensified, with both sides determined to gain the upper hand. I responded by summoning more Pink Horrors onto the battlefield and casting spells that buffed my units. The Pink Horrors fired their magical bolts, while the Tzaangors continued their assault on the enemy.
Turn 4: The battle reached its climax, with both sides taking heavy losses. I responded by summoning more Pink Horrors onto the battlefield and casting spells that buffed my units. The Pink Horrors fired their magical bolts, while the Tzaangors continued their assault on the Enemy.“
Interesting stuff! That certainly matches my experience of playing against Tzeentch. Eldrida is clearly holding a little back here, as she doesn’t reveal how she used her Enlightened or any of her heroes. But we can’t blame her for playing things close to the chest in the competitive, cut-throat world of AI generated Warhammer battles.
Allegiance: Seraphon
– Legion: Petrifex Elite
– Grand Strategy: The Day is Ours!
Leaders
Skink Priest (90 points)
-General, Command Trait: Great Rememberer, Fiery Convocation, Celestial Rites
-Artefact: Incandescent Rectrices
-Spell Lore: Celestial Apotheosis, Stellar Tempest, Hand of Glory, Searing Storm of White Light
Battleline
40 Skinks (240 points)
– Boltspitters and Moonstone Clubs
3 Saurus Warriors (200 points)
– Spears
3 Saurus Warriors (200 points)
– Spears
Other Units
3 Ripperdactyl Riders (140 points)
5 Chameleon Skinks (120 points)
Total: 990/2000 points
Reinforced Units: 1 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 30
Drops: 6
Okay, listen, I’m really not sure how this list managed to place third. I know I said that the last list would be guaranteed a Triumph, but at only 990 points, this list has it beat several times over. Or, it would have if player “Helena Bonham Carter” had selected a triumph at list creation, which she apparently didn’t. I suspect that her opponents may have been slightly starstruck by the Hollywood darling’s presence and perhaps didn’t play their best against her. It’s the only answer I can put together for how a list, including 6 Saurus for 400 points, could go 7-0 in a 5 game tournament. How about that Skink Starpriest, though, right? With 3 command traits and a spell from Teclis’ warscroll, this guy is an absolute beast. Move over Kroak. There’s a new top dog in town!
Look the AI thing is still pretty new let’s just give it a chance.
Alliegence: T’au Empire
HQ
Commander in XV8 Crisis Battlesuit – 135 points
– 3x Plasma Rifle, Advanced Targeting System
Cadre Fireblade – 42 points
– Markerlight
Troops
5 Strike Team – 45 points
– Pulse Rifles
5 Strike Team – 45 points
– Pulse Rifles
5 Strike Team – 45 points
– Pulse Rifles
Elites
XV8 Crisis Battlesuit Team – 210 points
– 3x XV8 Crisis Battlesuits
– Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod, Advanced Targeting System, 2x Gun Drones
XV25 Stealth Battlesuits – 130 points
– Burst Cannon, Advanced Targeting System
Fast Attack
TX4 Piranha – 80 points
– Fusion Blaster, 2x Gun Drones
TX4 Piranha – 80 points
– Fusion Blaster, 2x Gun Drones
Heavy Support
XV88 Broadside Battlesuit – 135 points
-High-Yield Missile Pod, Smart Missile System, Velocity TrackerXV88 Broadside Battlesuit – 135 points
-High-Yield Missile Pod, Smart Missile System, Velocity Tracker
XV88 Broadside Battlesuit – 135 points
-High-Yield Missile Pod, Smart Missile System, Velocity Tracker
Flyer
Barracuda AX-5-2 – 210 points
– 2x Long-Barrelled Burst Cannons, 2x Missile Pods, Seeker Missiles
Total: 0/2000 points
Reinforced Units: 0 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 0
Drops: 0
Hmm. I’m beginning to suspect that the much vaunted algorithm may not be as intelligent as I was led to believe. I think I’m going to call this experiment a failure and see if any of the other writers managed to crawl out of the shredder’s feed-tube before it’s too late. I’m afraid I don’t have a lot to say about this list because I don’t play 40k, and frankly wasn’t expecting any of these players to be doing so either. However, the name Celestia sounds feminine, meaning that 3 out of the 4 lists featured in this article were played by (fictional) women, which is nice to see! You go, girls! Smash that aetherquartz ceiling!
Why Not Read…
If you enjoyed this article by Ed, why not read his previous one:
I got tears in my eyes from laughing; this is gold! Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I feel that adding Ultron to AoS will really push up the barrier to entry, not every new player can afford a GW approved EMP device and I’ve not seen any 3D prints available.