This is the top three AoS lists for the Broken Ranks Q3 tournament that took place in the USA on the 23rd and 24th of September. 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: Kharadron Overlords
– Army Subfaction: Barak-Mhornar
– Grand Strategy: Slaughter of Sorcery
– Triumphs: Inspired
– Stick To The Code (Amendments): Trust To Your Guns
– Stick To The Code (Artycles): Honour is Everything
– Stick To The Code (Footnotes): Without Our Ships, We Are Naught

LEADER
1 x Arkanaut Admiral (140)*
– General
– Command Traits: Ex-Grundstok
1 x Aether-Khemist (100)*
– Artefacts: Spell in a Bottle
1 x Aether-Khemist (100)*

BATTLELINE
15 x Grundstok Thunderers (480)*
15 x Grundstok Thunderers (480)*
1 x Grundstok Gunhauler (170)*
– Sky Cannon

BEHEMOTH
1 x Arkanaut Ironclad (500)*
– Great Volley Cannon
– The Admiral’s Flagship: The Admiral’s Flagship
– Great Endrinworks: Prudency Chutes

CORE BATTALIONS
*Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: (1970/2000)

Carl Stokes: Another tournament, another glorious victory for the Dawi! Victor’s list sticks to the tried and true axiom of “if it moves, we can shoot it to death” and boy howdy does it work. Not much in the game can stand up to a juiced volley from 15 thunderers and with a 3+ save and rallying on a 4+ from the articyle “Honor is Everything”, it’s shockingly hard to clear out the unit.

When the new book was released, KO players immediately noticed the incredible advantage of having an unstoppable (and free) Soulscream bridge. Even after the most recent nerf, the ability for KO to sling 15 thunderers and/or an ironclad around the battlefield far outweighs the downside of not being able to make use of commands that turn. Plus, the bridge comes with a khemist, whose buff is not a command ability, and can further increase the output (and survivability) of thunderers around him.

The interesting twist in this list is the use of Mhornar rather than Urbaz. Using Mhornar makes it more challenging for opponents to make use of their precious command abilities at the cost of limiting you to one artycle. In a meta where OBR and seraphon are rampant, this provides a little extra utility to the matchup and can help overcome the massive problem of the Aura of Sterility favored by OBR.

The use of prudency chutes over the last word on the ironclad is also a bit of personal flair that can help KO overcome the loss of an ironclad. It’s not a perfect solution, though, since the way disembarking works is that embarked models must be placed within 3” of the boat BEFORE the boat is removed from play. You can’t place models in the cavity left by the boat’s demise. If you wrap the boat in close combat and kill it, everything inside it will die whether or not you have prudency chutes. But in a high shooting meta, preventing the 1/6 chance of losing key characters to an ironclad crash can be vital.

The tactical Gunhauler is also an addition I think more and more KO players will begin to adopt. The speed and utility of an unbracketable 3+ save chariot-esque model that’s unbelievably quick and packs a wizard-killing amount of shooting and bombs cannot be understated in a world where Andtorian Loci are key in many matchups. Victor clearly leaned into this aspect, taking Slaughter of Sorcery as his grand strategy.

All-in-all, the new KO book continues to show its strength, even after attempts at taking it down a few notches. The ease of the book battle tactics combined with the skewed gameplay of massive shooting backed up by shocking mobility is something that armies will have to be prepared to deal with at top tables and expect to see at most major tournaments. Victor has taken a classic KO archetype and made some incredibly well-informed alterations to maximize its power for the current meta which paid off in a big way with this first place finish. Congrats!

Army Faction: Ossiarch Bonereapers
– Subfaction: Null Myriad
– Grand Strategy: Spellcasting Savant

LEADERS
Mortisan Boneshaper (140)*
– General
– Command Traits: Aura of Sterility
– Artefacts of Power: Artisan’s Key
– Spells: Hoarfrost
Mortisan Soulreaper (110)*
– Spells: Merciless Blizzard
Arkhan the Black (380)**
Liege-Kavalos (180)**

BATTLELINE
Mortek Guard (390)**
– Mortek Hekatos
– Nadirite Blade
– 3 x Necrophoros
– 3 x Soulcleaver Greatblade
Kavalos Deathriders (190)**
– Mortek Hekatos
– Necrophoros
– Nadirite Blade
Kavalos Deathriders (190)**
– Mortek Hekatos
– Necrophoros
– Nadirite Blade
Morghast Archai (220)**
– Spirit Halberd

BEHEMOTH
Gothizzar Harvester (160)**

ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS
1 x Aethervoid Pendulum (40)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Andtorian Acolytes
**Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: 2000/2000

Jake Cachey Muhr: The list is a response to the Immortis Guard recursion nerf – where previously taking a Boneshaper, Arkhan, and Katakros would allow for a potential 20 wound recursion per hero phase. With this being no-longer possible, I’ve opted to drop Katakros and the Immortis block for a Harvester, 30x Mortek Guard, and a Soulreaper (my Blizzard Wizard). This creates a pretty durable and scary area my opponent doesn’t want to get stuck into because first – mortek guard can slap pretty good, and also Blizzard Wizard is hanging around them typically.

On top of this I’m designed to capitalize on multiple battle tactics throughout the game. The new block, as mentioned above, can become a problem if stuck in combat for my opponent – but also opens up the tactic for Killing an Enemy with a spell (Blizzard/Pendelum/Etc), Finishing a unit with a Harvester (the Tithe Demands), and can stick me in combat with multiple units for Bait and Trap if needed. I can consistently use my more mobile units (Arkhan, Chargers, Archai) to set up for movement tactics from this GHB. And I’m consistently landing Trample the Defiant. Overall it’s an easy list to consistently land 5/5 tactics.

Without Katakros you lose a bit of your punch and bulk (no +1/+1 hit/Save) so you are forced to play a bit smarter than previously. Depending on opponent you cannot afford to over extend your auras, and Mystic Sheild needs to be getting placed on the right model every turn.

Positioning your harvester is also Key – you never want to be in a position where it can get blasted by a cheeky pile in. Remember that while it’s a good utility model – it also can bop things pretty hard (and has a shooting attack) so capitalize on it’s power when things line up correctly.

Arkhan does Arkhan things – your Boneshaper should always be close enough to heal your Mortek or whatever is going to be threatened – and your Soulreaper is an aggro model that sticks behind a screen at all times preparing for Blizzard.

These models are also extending your null myriad range – which gives a bit more flexibility if needed on multi-objective maps. You should never be in a position that you’re not rolling a 2+ spell ignore with this list.

Army Faction: Beasts of Chaos
– Subfaction: Allherd
– Grand Strategy: Protect the Herdstone
– Triumph: Indomitable

LEADERS
Great Bray-Shaman (100)*
– Spells: Rupture
– Bonding: Krondspine Incarnate of Ghur
Great Bray-Shaman (100)*
– Artefacts of Power: Brayblast Trumpet
– Spells: Tendrils of Atrophy
Beasts of Chaos Tzaangor Shaman (120)*
– General
– Command Traits: Twistfray Cursebeast
– Spells: Merciless Blizzard
Beastlord (140)**
– Artefacts of Power: Arcane Tome

BATTLELINE
Ungors (80)*
– Gnarled Shortspear
Gors (220)**
– Hacking Blade and Beastshield
Gors (220)**
– Hacking Blade and Beastshield

BEHEMOTH
Krondspine Incarnate of Ghur (480)
Cygor (210)

OTHER
Dragon Ogors (210)**

ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS
1 x Malevolent Maelstrom (30)
1 x Doomblast Dirgehorn (30)
1 x Aethervoid Pendulum (40)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Warlord
**Vanguard

TOTAL POINTS: 1980/2000

Joshua Bennett: With this GHB and new book we start out with, it has come to be the standard start of any BOC list with the double Great Bray Shaman and a Tzanngor Shaman.  With one Great Bray bonded with the incarnate.  The trick here is doing your rituals kills your great bray, allowing the incarnate to go wild and do incarnate things.

Also what we see here is three low casting endless spells that feed the Incanate when needed, tag along the Tanngor shaman with the high mobility and the once per game of +3 to cast, and that with primal dice it allows blizzard to be pretty reliable cast.  

The gors give you a very cheap and dependable screen unit to buy you they time and space for the incarnate to do his thing.  The ungors give that off the board threat to backline heroes, causing your opponent to be very careful on how they deploy.  One mistake can cost them some very important support early game.  

While the Incarnate is in your face pinning your army, it’s also causing your wizards to have the negative one to cast, then add the Cygor in the mix where you take mortals when you successfully your spells, a really great combo for this current meta state of wizards.  

All in all, with the screens you bring in the list plus the ones you summon with the artefact, this list has the power to tie you long enough for the incarnate to do its job.  It is very well built and as you can see from the results very well played.

Allegiance: Slaanesh
– Host: Pretenders
– Grand Strategy: Selfish Desire
– Triumphs:

Leaders
Glutos Orscollion, Lord of Gluttony (480)*
– Lore of the Magnificent: Born of Damnation
Lord of Pain (140)*
Contorted Epitome (210)*
– General
– Command Trait: Strength of Goodhood
– Artefact: The Crown of Dark Secrets
– Universal Spell Lore: Flaming Weapon

Units
11 x Blissbarb Archers (160)*
11 x Blissbarb Archers (160)*
11 x Blissbarb Archers (160)*
5 x Blissbarb Seekers (210)*
5 x Slickblade Seekers (210)*
5 x Slickblade Seekers (210)
Geminids of Uhl-Gysh (50)

Core Battalions
*Battle Regiment

Total: 1990 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 0 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 123
Drops: 2

Joshua Bennett: This list takes a little different take on the normal pretenders list we see.  Just a refresher or for a new reader prenders allow you to aquire a lot of command points while also issusing the same command from your chosen general to three different units each phase.  

This list takes mostly the normal approach to the pretenders list.  Stacked with blissbarb archers that have a range of 18 inches that can run and shoot, putting the threat at 30 inches.  Tagged along with blissbarb seekers, it puts them at rend two.  That volume of shots topped with the rend makes this a deadly combination.  

The contorted is pretty much a staple in every pretenders list.  The strength of the godhood command trait added with a flaming weapon makes her a beat stick for every army to fear.  Gloutus is the one we dont normally see, but I can understand the draw to put this almost unkillable hero in any list.  With a 3+ save and a 5+ ward that heals up to six wounds after he fights, it is a problem for any army to deal with.  

The endless spell shuts off all commands and stops the All out Defence that naturally comes during the round of shooting.  This is a great list and was played well to bring it up to the top of the list.

Final Tournament Placings