Motor City Mayhem took place in Detroit, USA on 14th and 15th May. It involved 34 players vying to be crowned champion in a 5 game tournament.

Before I jump into the Top Three, 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.

1st Place – Anthony Trentanelli

Anthony won all five games over the weekend… With Skaven! Along the way he beat Cities of Sigmar/Living City in round 1, Seraphon/Koatl’s Claw in round 2, Idoneth Deepkin/Mor’phann in round 3, Maggotkin of Nurgle/Drowned Men in round 4 and Idoneth Deepkin/Nautilar in Round 5.

Allegiance: Skaventide
– Grand Strategy: Hold the Line
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Thanquol on Boneripper (405)*
– General
– 4 Warpfire Projectors
– Lore of Ruin: Skitterleap
Arch-Warlock (175)*
– Artefact: Vigordust Injector
– Lore of Warpvolt Galvanism: More-more-more Warp Power!
Arch-Warlock (175)*
– Lore of Warpvolt Galvanism: More-more-more Warp Power!

Battleline
9 x Stormfiends (945)*
– 3x Windlaunchers
– 3x Ratling Cannons
– 3x Doomflayer Gauntlets
– Reinforced x 2
5 x Skryre Acolytes (65)*
5 x Skryre Acolytes (65)*

Endless Spells & Invocations
Soulscream Bridge (70)
Warp Lightning Vortex (90)

Core Battalions
*Battle Regiment

Total: 1990 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 2 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 89
Drops: 1

Danny: Skaven took the challenge to wrack up some 5-0s before their new book to heart, went away, and concluded that more-more Stormfiends were the answer. If you haven’t come up against these monstrosities before, hold onto your hats – they’re absolutely savage, with the ability to spew out a hail of rend 2 and 3 firepower – some of which ignores LoS. If More-more-more Warp-power goes off, they’re re-rolling everything. If it doesn’t, they become super swingy and very vulnerable – if anything nasty gets into them, that’s game over. Ultimately, with the mobility and ambushes that Gnawholes and a Soulscream Bridge gives them and Thanquol – the worst nightmare of any unit with more than 5 models in thanks to his frankly insane scaling MW output – this list is a one trick pony. The trick just happens to table you.

Gratz to Anthony for making it work – it’ll be interesting to see how Stormfriends cope with the transition to 3e with re-rolls going extinct….

2nd Place – Ridge Hanna

Ridge managed four wins and a loss over the two days, losing in the 2nd round against Anthony Trentanelli’s Skaven. Along the way they beat Daughters of Khaine/Khailebron in round 1, Disciples of Tzeentch/Hosts Arcanum in round 3, Idoneth Deepkin/Nautilar in round 4 and Maggotkin of Nurgle/Befouling Host in the final round.

Allegiance: Seraphon
– Constellation: Koatl’s Claw
– Grand Strategy: Beast Master
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Engine of the Gods (265)*
– Artefact: Cloak of Feathers
– Mount Trait: Beastmaster
– Universal Prayer Scripture: Curse
Slann Starmaster (265)*
– Artefact: Itxi Grubs
– Spell: Celestial Equilibrium
Skink Priest (80)*
– Universal Prayer Scripture: Heal
Skink Starpriest (130)**
– Spell: Hand of Glory
Skink Starseer (145)**
– Spell: Hand of Glory
Saurus Scar-Veteran on Carnosaur (215)**
– General
– War Spear
– Command Trait: Dominant Predator
– Artefact: Eviscerating Blade

Battleline
30 x Saurus Warriors (315)***
– Spears
– Reinforced x 2
10 x Saurus Knights (220)***
– Blades
– Reinforced x 1
10 x Skinks (75)*
– Boltspitters Celestite Daggers & Star Bucklers

Behemoths
Bastiladon with Solar Engine (250)

Core Battalions
*Warlord
**Command Entourage – Magnificent
***Hunters of the Heartlands

Additional Enhancements
Artefact
Artefact

Total: 1960 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 3 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 114
Drops: 10

Danny: Seasons of War’s very own Ridge continues his Seraphon streak – and at this point by his own admission he is just literally trying to get a big win with every sub-faction, hence the off-meta Koatl’s Claw and a list that leans into what is probably the worst of them. Worst being relative, given it’s still Coalesced for the -1 damage.

Seraphon are a pretty known quantity at this stage, but Ridge still deserves credit for 2nd place while bringing some fun, under-used units like a Skink Starseer, a Scar-vet on Carnosaur, and a giant blob of saurus warriors for proccing the Engine’s Curse prayer with the roughly gazillion attacks they get.

3rd Place – Jack Cawood

Jack finished the weekend with one loss and four wins. His path saw him beat Ossiarch Bonereapers/Petrifex Elite in round 1, then Legion of the First Prince in round 2, Seraphon/Thunder Lizard in round 3. He then lost against Anthony Trentanelli’s Skaven in round 4 before going on to beat Cities of Sigmar/Living City in round 5.

Army Faction: Maggotkin of Nurgle
– Army Subfaction: Drowned Men
– Grand Strategy: Hold the Line
– Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

LEADER
Orghotts Daemonspew (300)
Great Unclean One (495)*
– Bilesword and Plague Flail
– Spells: Flaming Weapon
Festus the Leechlord (150)*
– Spells: Gift of Disease
Lord of Afflictions (210)*
– General
– Command Traits: Overpowering Stench
– Artefacts: The Splithorn Helm

BATTLELINE
1 x Pusgoyle Blightlords (440)*
Putrid Blightkings (250)*
Plaguebearers (150)*

CORE BATTALIONS:
*Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: (1995/2000)

Danny: It’s Drowned Men Nurgle! This version of the archetype leans a little heavier into big ol’ single bodies than normal, with nearly 800 points dedicated to two giant, stinky beat-sticks who both carry plenty of utility too.

Not a whole load of novelty to the list so let’s just say – if you’re planning on turning up to a tournament any time soon, try and have a plan in mind for dealing with a pre-game move that locks down objectives with super durable bodies, two giant heroes who ask the question ‘are you going to put your whole army into us for two turns and MAYBE kill us, or let us run rampant?’ and a one-drop that most likely gets to dictate turn order.

Wildcard – Michael Rausch

Michael won three games and lost two. Along the way he lost to 3rd placed Jack and his Maggotkin of Nurgle/Drowned Men list in round 1, then beat Soulblight Gravelords/Vyrkos Dynasty in round 2, Maggotkin of Nurgle/Drowned Men in round 3. He then lost against Cities of Sigmar/Living City in round 4, before beating Idoneth Deepkin/Mor’phann in round 5.

Allegiance: Ossiarch Bonereapers
– Legion: Petrifex Elite
– Grand Strategy: Hold the Line
– Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

Leaders
Liege-Kavalos (185)
– General
– Command Trait: Mighty Archaeossian
– Artefact: Helm of the Ordained
Arkhan the Black, Mortarch of Sacrament (360)
Mortisan Boneshaper (135)
– Artefact: Godbone Armour
– Lore of Mortisans: Empower Nadirite Weapons

Battleline
30 x Mortek Guard (420)
– Nadirite Blade and Shield
– Reinforced x 2
20 x Mortek Guard (280)
– Nadirite Blade and Shield
– Reinforced x 1
5 x Kavalos Deathriders (190)
– Nadirite Blade and Shield

Behemoths
Gothizzar Harvester (215)***
– Weapon: Soulcrusher Bludgeons

Artillery
Mortek Crawler (215)***

Core Battalions
*Command Entourage – Magnificent
**Hunters of the Heartlands
***Alpha-Beast Pack

Additional Enhancements
Artefact

Total: 2000 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 3 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 110
Drops: 8

Danny: OBR could do with a new book, but they’re still hanging on in there. Not winning big podiums, but giant blobs of buffed up Mortek Guard, re-rolling saves, is never going to go out of style. Add Arkhan for lots of mobile utility, a harvester for bringing those models you fought so hard to finally kill back, and a Crawler (what an amazing model!) for reaching out at to try and pick off key pieces at 36″. OBR lists don’t fluctuate much these days, which is fair enough – and they definitely require a great general to get the finessing of positioning and timing/stacking of buffs right.

Final Tournament Placings