This is the top three AoS lists for Shirecon 2023 that took place in the Sydney, Australia on the 29th and 30th of April. 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: Soulblight Gravelords
– Army Type: Legion of Blood
– Grand Strategy: Empire of Corpses
– Triumph: Bloodthirsty
LEADERS
Neferata (390)*
– Spells: Waste Away
Vampire Lord (130)*
– Artefacts of Power: Amulet of Screams
– Spells: Spirit Gale
– Aspects of the Champion: Tunnel Master
Cado Ezechiar (135)*
– Spells: Soulpike
Vampire Lord on Zombie Dragon (440)**
– General
– Command Traits: Doomed Minions
– Deathlance
– Artefacts of Power: Cloak of Mists and Shadows
– Spells: Vile Transference
BATTLELINE
Deathrattle Skeletons (85)*
– Standard Bearer
– Skeleton Champion
Deathrattle Skeletons (85)**
– Standard Bearer
– Skeleton Champion
Deathrattle Skeletons (85)**
– Standard Bearer
– Skeleton Champion
OTHER
Grave Guard (280)**
– Seneschal
– Great Wight Blade
– 2 x Standard Bearer
– 2 x Hornblower
Grave Guard (280)**
– Seneschal
– Great Wight Blade
– 2 x Standard Bearer
– 2 x Hornblower
Fell Bats (85)**
CORE BATTALIONS
*Warlord
**Battle Regiment
TOTAL POINTS: 1995/2000
I’m going to be writing a lot of similar commentaries aren’t I?
It’s Legion of Blood, with Neferata, the usual ethereal VloZd – and msu deathrattle.
However, the list differs a little from the archetype by doubling down on the Graveguard blobs, with a foot vampire to support them. He’s also packing the fantastic Amulet of Screams for threatening wizards with mortals every time they cast to shore up the Soulblight weakness to magic in general.
Cado also makes an appearance, which is nice to see – he’s still a really solid little indie operator with a lot of tactical flexibility, and even though he loses out on faction synergy, he’s still a great tech piece.
I imagine the new Bonereapers were the biggest threat to Qifan’s campaign, but they couldn’t stop Neffie’s roll, and so we enshrine another SBGL 5-0 in the books, and add another tick to the GW ‘nerf column’…
– Army Faction: Ossiarch Bonereapers
– Subfaction: Petrifex Elite
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumph: Inspired
LEADERS
Katakros (440)*
Mortisan Boneshaper (120)*
– General
– Command Traits: Diversionary Tactics
– Artefacts of Power: Artisan’s Key
– Spells: Drain Vitality
– Aspects of the Champion: Tunnel Master
Liege-Kavalos (180)*
BATTLELINE
Immortis Guard (400)*
Necropolis Stalkers (220)*
– Dread Falchions
Kavalos Deathriders (170)*
– Mortek Hekatos
– Necrophoros
– Nadirite Blade
Necropolis Stalkers (220)*
– Dread Falchions
OTHER
Morghast Archai (240)*
– Spirit Halberd
TERRAIN
1 x Bone-tithe Nexus (0)
CORE BATTALIONS
*Battle Regiment
TOTAL POINTS: 1990/2000
Roland Rivera: Ossiarch Bonereapers have roared onto the scene since the release of their 3rd edition Battletome, and this Petrifex Elite list showcases some of the major reasons behind their success, which are potent elite troops, tons and tons of buffs, and more mobility than what you’d expect from looking at the Move stat on their warscrolls. A note that has to be provided coming in is that this tournament used the Petrifex Elite subfaction ability that was printed on the Ossiarch Bonereapers Battletome, which reduced incoming damage against units with the Hekatos keyword by 1, to a minimum of 1 (it has since been changed by FAQ to be -1 to wound those units in melee). This ability made its elite units very durable against most means of attack, and combined with the healing afforded by Katakros and the Mortisan Boneshaper to make this a very resilient list.
Speaking of Katakros, he is the engine that makes this list go. His Supreme Lord of the Bonereaper Legions command (which hands out +1 to hit and +1 to save in a huge bubble) is a fantastic force multiplier, and he has several other abilities to go with it and can contribute in combat in a pinch (though note that the Supreme Lord of the Bonereaper Legions cannot be issued if Katakros is in combat). The Mortisan Boneshaper does his part by being a Drain Vitality/Mystic Shield caddy that can also do a bit of healing and carries around the Diversionary Tactics command trait for -3 to opposing charges within 12″ of it. The Liege-Kavalos is quick, durable, and can issue Endless Duty for +1 Attacks.
This list also boasts a pretty impressive troop lineup to soak up all these buffs. Immortis Guard are a great grindhouse unit that can both hit hard and take a hit, Necropolis Stalkers are punchy and sneaky-fast thanks to Relentless Advance for +3″ move and Hunt and Kill for run & charge, and the Morghasts are fast fliers that can shut off command abilities. Last but certainly not least, the Kavalos Deathriders are a versatile tech unit that has speed, good durability, and can contribute some damage with their impact hits on the charge.
All in all, while this list is a bit thin on bodies compared to some other armies (something that likely was a factor in its loss to Soulblight), it’s generally good enough at fighting to make up for it.
– Army Faction: Hedonites of Slaanesh
– Army Type: Pretenders
– Grand Strategy: Glutton for Depravity
– Triumph: Inspired
LEADERS
Contorted Epitome (190)*
– Spells: Born of Damnation
Keeper of Secrets (400)*
– General
– Command Traits: Strength of Godhood
– Shining Aegis
– Artefacts of Power: The Crown of Dark Secrets
– Spells: Phantasmagoria
Lord of Pain (135)*
– Aspects of the Champion: Tunnel Master
BATTLELINE
Blissbarb Archers (300)*
Blissbarb Archers (150)*
Blissbarb Archers (150)*
OTHER
Blissbarb Seekers (200)*
Slickblade Seekers (400)*
ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS
1 x Mesmerising Mirror (60)
TERRAIN
1 x Fane of Slaanesh (0)
CORE BATTALIONS
*Battle Regiment
TOTAL POINTS: 1985/2000
Flexibility and speed like all Hedonites lists. Everything fits in a Battle Regiment to give initiative control. The Grand Strategy is to have 36 Depravity Points (DP) at the end of the battle, and the list is designed to deliver. 3 Blissbarb Archers (1 reinforced) and a reinforced Slickblade Seeker unit will create a lot of DP opportunities through temptations and euphoric killers. The Keeper of Secrets can amp up the Slickblade, granting improved rend and damage to himself. Assuming Phantasmorgoria is on the right enemy unit, it can keep the Slickblade from getting clapped as well. And if this isn’t generating enough DP, the Contorted Epitome is better than 60% chance to generate 3 more a turn. Mesmerising Mirror adds to this feast of DP as well.
The list still has 2 Galletian Champions (Epitome and Lord of Pain). The Lord of Pain has the mobility through Tunnel Master. Park him on a remote objective if the centre is won and support him with the Blissbarb Seekers to use his buff to create a really annoying nest, especially late game. Everything in this list is focused on generating DP or survival (for the Keeper), making it very likely that from Turn 2 on the whole list is doing mortals on 6s and has a 5+ ward. That was enough to stop almost everything except new Bonereapers in their tracks. A tough list to face, so much of this list is mutually supporting but also expendable.
– Allegiance: Big Waaagh!
– Mortal Realm: Ghur
– Grand Strategy: Waaagh!
– Triumphs:
LEADERS
Orruk Warchanter (120)*
– Warbeat: Get ‘Em Beat
Orruk Warchanter (120)*
– Warbeat: Fixin’ Beat
Orruk Weirdnob Shaman (90)*
– General
– Command Trait: Master of Magic
– Lore of the Weird: Da Great Big Green Hand of Gork
Orruk Megaboss (140)**
– Artefact: Destroyer
– Aspect of the Champion: Tunnel Master
Swampcalla Shaman with Pot-grot (100)**
– Lore of the Swamp: Choking Mist
Wurrgog Prophet (170)**
– Artefact: Glowin’ Tattooz
– Lore of the Savage Beast: Gorkamorka’s War Cry
– Aspect of the Champion: Fuelled by Ghurish Rage
BATTLELINE
5 x Orruk Ardboys (80)**
– 1x Gorkamorka Banner Bearers
10 x Orruk Brutes (300)***
– Jagged Gore-hackas
– 2x Gore Choppas
– Reinforced x 1
5 x Orruk Brutes (150)****
– Jagged Gore-hackas
– 1x Gore Choppas
UNITS
4 x Ironskull’s Boyz (80)****
6 x Man-skewer Boltboyz (240)*
– Reinforced x 1
3 x Orruk Gore-gruntas (170)***
– Jagged Gore-hackas
3 x Orruk Gore-gruntas (170)****
– Jagged Gore-hackas
ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS
Ravenak’s Gnashing Jaws (70)
CORE BATTALIONS
*Warlord
**Warlord
***Ironjawz Fist
****Ironjawz Fist
ADDITIONAL ENHANCEMENTS
Artefact
Aspect of the Champion
Austin is a long-time Ork player who pushed Ironjawz and Big Waagh into the top 10 and onto the podium consistently. Big Waagh seems to be the way to go for Orks right now. This is an Ironjawz heavy list adapted for the latest Battlescroll. No Warchanta with an Arcane Tome for Hand of Gork here. The Shaman has been brought along. But made general so he can take Master of Magic to get around the Ork casting problem. 6 Leaders is a bit more than a lot of lists, but Big Waagh lives and dies by the Waagh points. A Warchanta and Wurrgog are worth 3 every round. Add in Get ’em beat to increase the chances of a successful charge an another Waagh point.
All of them have a role, though. The Megaboss is the GC everyone loves to hate. With Tunnelmaster and Destroyer, he can act independently to take an objective or clean up an objective for a BT. He works well with Brutes and is a source of free command. The Swampcaller is there for the Boltboyz, either making it hard to shoot them or hand off a poison. And then there is the Wurrgog. The build on the Wurrgog is fun, fights last is always great but the Glowing Tatts (+2 to ward rolls) and Fuelled by Ghurish rage – just when you think it’s dead, it’s back for another round of staring.
Other than that, a couple of expendable units of Boyz for screens or late game objective control. The Brutes are the real powerhouses in the list with the Boltboyz for solid backing. Gore-gruntas for early capture and Waagh points. The only real weakness in the list is Jagged Gore-Hackas. 2 rend is nice, but 1 damage means that the output is very low. Into units like Nurgle marked Knights, they really struggle. They also weaken as the game goes on which which Chaos armies don’t, at least if they have summoning. A very accessible, positive list and one to keep an eye on.