Category Archives: Peter Holland

Faction Focus – Stormcast Eternals

This article is a pilot (so to speak), if there’s enough interest and people find this informative then I’ll continue this with other factions. Let me know what you think!

Win Rate

While the most popular subfaction inside the Stormcast Eternals appears to be the Hammers of Sigmar, Hallowed Knights have the (ever so slightly) higher win rate. Both of these subfactions are inside the ideal 45-55% win range, although I’m sure some SCE players would rather that be on the other side of the 50% mark.

While Celestial Vindicators do have a 60% win rate, that’s only been driven by two players in the last month (two 3-0-2 results) and so is to early to judge.

The same goes for the Astral Templars, Tempest Lords and Anvils of Heldenhammer. There’s not enough data to draw conclusions from this, only that perhaps the fact they’re not being chosen would suggest that players believe they’ll have a higher chance of winning with the other subfactions.

However, players do appear to be struggling to get the wins with Knights Excelsior even though it is one of the more popular factions.

5 wins Results

DateTournamentName
17th July 2022Midwest Bash Tyler Emerson (USA)

4 wins Results

DateTournamentName
17th July 2022Midwest Bash John Lindsey (USA)
17th July 2022Midwest Bash Zano Korellio (USA)
24th July 2022BWG: Summer SlaughterRyan Lavoie (USA)
24th July 2022BWG: Summer SlaughterDavid Klamm (USA)
24th July 2022Miniparadice Anniversary TournamentAndreas Hölter (Germany)
24th July 2022Miniparadice Anniversary TournamentBastian Gerstner (Germany)
Players who achieved 4 wins at a GT

Other Results

Only the Hammers of Sigmar have achieved five wins at tournament so far, while Celestial Vindicators, Knights Excelsior and Hallowed Knights have all also achieved 4 wins.

Advertisements

Top Lists

Top Three AoS Lists - 1st Place, Maggotkin of Nurgle

Allegiance: Stormcast Eternals
Stormhost: Hammers of Sigmar (Scions of the Storm)
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs

Leaders
Celestant-Prime, Hammer of Sigmar (325)*
Lord-Commander Bastian Carthalos (300)*
Knight-Relictor (140)*
General
– Command Trait: High Priest
– Prayer: Translocation
Lord-Castellant (155)*
Artefact: Arcane Tome
– Spell: Celestial Blades

Battleline
10 x Judicators with Skybolt Bows (400)**
Reinforced x 1
5 x Liberators (115)**
Heavens-wrought Weapon and Shield
– 1x Grandweapons
5 x Liberators (115)***
Heavens-wrought Weapon and Shield
– 1x Grandweapons

Units
10 x Protectors (450)***
– 4x Starsoul Maces
– Reinforced x 1

Core Battalions
*Command Entourage – Magnificent
**Expert Conquerors
***Bounty Hunters

Additional Enhancements
Holy Command: Call for Aid
Holy Command: Unleash Thy Hatred

Total: 2000 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 2 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 100
Drops: 8

Brett: A strong return to hero hammer, and after a year of experimenting it’s probably the best way to play Stormcast Eternals (SCE), with a very hero heavy list taking first. The list isn’t without it’s tricks however. Using a Knight Relictor vs a Lord Relictor, an uncommon choice, but when you are staying close to a particular unit – the judicators – the 6″ prayer range isn’t important. The model is more available and importantly saved the 5 points needed to make the list work. Bastian hits very hard (D4) and once per turn can inflict mortal wounds on a unit by rolling D6 against their wound characteristic, on a 6 inflicting a mortal wound. Into a Mega Gargant that’s an average of 6MW per turn. Anyone that plays 40k will recognise the Terminator block at the heart of the list, 10 Protectors. With half the models having Glaives they have +1 to save and can easily receive +1 to hit. As bounty hunters they receive a +1 to damage (D2 against Galletian Veterans). They are also inflicting 4D3 mortal wounds 80% of the time.

The Lord Castellan either stays with the Protectors (+1 to hit and +1 to Save) or the Liberators making the Liberators save on 2s with a 6+ ward near objectives. And Call for Aid means that there are 15 Liberators not 10 in this list. Even placing the judicators into Eternal Conquerors plays a roll, they will count as 30 models on objectives and attacking them exposes you to Unleash Hell. Usually they have the Relictor to translocate them to the rear, a real late game objective threat. The Celestant-Prime is a hero deleter, the trickiest part is whether to use him Turn 2 or 3. Usually in that turn Orrery will guarantee a successful charge. Without his shooting and arriving turn 3 that’s an average of 12wounds into the hero of his choice. Like Bastian he has a 4+ ward.

A very balanced list that deserves to go 5/0 it’s only real weakness is mobility. The combination of Scions and Steadfast March help a lot there as well. It was a very low scoring victory (65) indicating that board control and forcing the opponent off their game was a major part of the victory. In other words a very good general won using this list.

Advertisements

Army Faction: Stormcast Eternals
Army Type: Scions of the Storm
– Army Subfaction: Hammers of Sigmar
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumphs: Inspired

LEADER
Krondys (600)*
Spells: Thundershock
Lord-Relictor (145)*
General
– Command Traits: High Priest
– Artefacts: Mirrorshield
– Prayers: Translocation

BATTLELINE
1 x Dracothian Guard Tempestors (440)*
Judicators with Boltstorm Crossbows (190)*
Thunderbolt Crossbow
Dracothian Guard Desolators (220)**

ENDLESS SPELL
Purple Sun of Shyish (70)

OTHER
Stormstrike Chariot (165)*
Stormstrike Axe and Tempestuous Spear
Stormstrike Chariot (165)**
Stormstrike Axe and Tempestuous Spear

CORE BATTALIONS:
*Battle Regiment
**Bounty Hunters

TOTAL POINTS: (1995/2000)

Brett: Another SCE list doing well, it’s only loss was to the eventual winner. In contrast to our first list this has brought some needed mobility. Interesting choices of Dracothian’s here; Tempestor’s (ranged) and Desolators (axe murderers). Tempestor’s will have an average of 4 hits from their 3 ranged attacks on top of their Dracothian’s breath attack. On top of that by using a unit of 2 for the Desolators they will almost always have an extra 2 attacks. Stormstrike Chariots are very mobile, hard to kill and their impact mortals make them dangerous to most opponents. Along with the Dracothian’s we have the Purple Sun and Krondys. The Purple sun is difficult to cast but Krondys gets a +3 to cast at his top profile making the Sun a CV of 5 and probably on the board from Turn 1. Importantly this list has 4 denies which is a big part of the current meta.

No Holy Command is included on the list but Thunderbolt Volley is likely, given the unreinforced unit of Judicators. All up a very different list to the winner with a lot of mobility but few units so a focus on killing your opponents. The lists he faced in this run up were interesting but ultimately until the last round very exposed to this combination of mobility and Mortal Wounds. Wound output into that Protector brisk wouldn’t have been enough. Well done on the 4/1 result.

Performance Against Other Factions

Stormcast success rates against other factions since the new GHB (Draws are considered 50% win and 50% loss)

Stormcast armies appear to have a great time against armies such as Cities of Sigmar, Hedonites of Slaanesh and Ironjawz. While they suffer against Disciples of Tzeentch, Kharadron Overlords and Slaves to Darkness.

Top 10 Players

Duclus Photographic Light Box – Review

With my older lightbox being very cheap and nasty, I thought it was time to upgrade. I wanted a lightbox with good space, adjustable lighting and easily stored. Step in the Duclus Photographic Light Box!

This lightbox is available from Amazon (affiliate link) in two sizes 30cm or 40cm. The version I purchased and reviewed is the 30cm.

Delivery and Packing

The box

Available on Amazon, the lightbox can be ordered through Prime for next day delivery, and so delivery is always good.

The lightbox itself comes inside its own case which is no more then 4-5cm thick allowing it to be stored very easily. The case itself feels good quality as well with a zip to make sure everything stays inside.

The storage case, and my kitchen hob

What’s Inside?

Inside the case you’ll find six coloured backgrounds, a light diffuser (an excellent addition), lighting controls and the lightbox itself.

Coloured backgrounds

Most photography will only require you to use the white and black backgrounds but the other four could be useful as well, just perhaps not as widely used.

Lighting controls

The lighting controls are simple with three buttons, on/off, increase and decrease for the light intensity. One downside is that the lightbox does not come with any plug so you’ll have to use a phone charger or a USB port to plug the lightbox into.

Set up

The lightbox is relatively easy to set up, unfolding nicely, with a back panel that lifts up to hold its shape. The diffuser attaches using velcro around the edges, then you simply slip in the coloured background you want to use.

The box with the diffuser attached
The light ring

Working on a series of led lights, these are perfectly placed at the top of the box, you also have a port hole which allows you to photograph objectives through from above.

Port Hole view
The complete set up with the white background

Results

As you can see below, using my DSLR camera you can get professional looking shots from what is a relatively cheap piece of equipment.

Opinion

For £37.99 I’m impressed by the quality of the lightbox, I am disappointed in the lack of a plug and the requirement to be near some kind of ISB port but otherwise it ticks all the boxes.

AoS Meta Stats (w/e 17th July 2022)

Here are the AoS Meta Stats for all the Grand Tournaments that have taken place between Monday 11th July and Sunday 17th July 2022. These are all the GT’s that I can locate on Tabletop.to or BestCoastPairing, if you know of any others please send me a link and I’ll add them.

A busy week this week with no less than 8 GT’s taking place across the globe!

Advertisements

Grand Tournaments

Ranked from largest to smallest.

The ATC (American Team Championship) Age of Sigmar Team Event – Tennessee/USA
56 Players

PositionFactionSubfactionResult
1stMaggotkin of NurgleDrowned Men4-0-0
2ndDaughters of KhaineZainthar Kai4-0-0
3rdMaggotkin of NurgleDrowned Men4-0-0
4thIronjawzBloodtoofs4-0-0
5thStormcast EternalsKnights Excelsior4-0-0
6thSkaven4-0-0
7thBeasts of ChaosGavespawn4-0-0
8thBeasts of Chaos4-0-0
9thSkaven 3-1-0
10thBonesplitterzDrakkfoot3-0-1
The ATC (American Team Championship) Age of Sigmar Team Event

Clash 2022 – England/UK
46 Players

PositionFactionSubfactionResult
1stNighthaunt5-0-0
2ndDisciples of Tzeentch4-0-1
3rdBonesplitterz4-0-1
4thSkaven4-0-1
5thNighthaunt4-0-1
6thSylvaneth4-0-1
7thIdoneth Deepkin4-0-1
8thSoulblight Gravelords4-0-1
9thGloomspite Gitz4-0-1
10thNighthaunt3-0-2
Clash 2022

Texas Masters Grand Tournament – Texas/USA
32 Players

PositionFactionSubfactionResult
1stBonesplitterzDrakkfoot4-1-0
2ndMaggotkin of NurgleBlessed Sons4-1-0
3rdIdoneth DeepkinNautilar4-0-1
4thOssiarch BonereapersPetrifex Elite4-0-1
5thSeraphonThunder Lizard4-0-1
6thIdoneth DeepkinMor’Phann4-0-1
7thSoulblight GravelordsKastelai Dynasty3-1-1
8thLumineth Realm-LordsSyar3-0-2
9thSeraphon Thunder Lizard3-0-2
10thMaggotkin of NurgleDrowned Men3-0-2
Texas Masters Grand Tournament

Midwest Bash – Grand Tournament – Missouri/USA
30 Players

PositionFactionSubfactionResult
1stStormcast EternalsHammers of Sigmar5-0-0
2ndStormcast EternalsHammers of Sigmar4-0-1
3rdSons of BehematTaker Tribe4-0-1
4thStormcast EternalsCelestial Vindicators4-0-1
5thMaggotkin of NurgleDrowned Men4-0-1
6thDisciples of TzeentchHosts Arcanum4-0-1
7thDaughters of KhaineZainthar Kai3-0-2
8thDaughters of KhaineZainthar Kai3-0-2
9thSylvaneth Heartwood3-0-2
10thSkaven3-0-2
Midwest Bash – Grand Tournament

Midwest Makeup – Indiana/USA
27 Players

PositionFactionSubfactionResult
1stOssiarch BonereapersPetrifex Elite5-0-0
2ndNighthauntScarlet Doom4-0-1
3rdMaggotkin of NurgleDroning Guard4-0-1
4thBlades of KhorneReapers of Vengeance4-0-1
5thBonesplitterzDrakkfoot4-0-1
6thSylvanethGnarlroot3-0-2
7thFyreslayersLofnir3-0-2
8thSeraphonThunder Lizard3-0-2
9thBeasts of Chaos Allherd3-0-2
10thFyreslayersGreyfyrd3-0-2
Midwest Makeup

Ragnarok the World Goes Dark – England/UK
18 Players

PositionFactionSubfactionResult
1stSeraphonThunder Lizard5-0-0
2ndSkaven4-0-1
3rdBeasts of ChaosGavespawn4-0-1
4thNighthauntScarlet Doom3-0-2
5thDaughters of KhaineDraichi Ganeth3-0-2
6thStormcast EternalsHammers of Sigmar3-0-2
7thFyreslayersLofnir3-0-2
8thMaggotkin of NurgleDrowned Men3-0-2
9thDaughters of Khaine Zainthar Kai2-0-3
10thFlesh-eater CourtsMorgaunt2-0-3
Ragnarok the World Goes Dark

Southern Fried Open – Georgia/USA
18 Players

PositionFactionSubfactionResult
1stCities of SigmarTempest’s Eye4-0-1
2ndFyreslayersLofnir4-0-1
3rdCities of SigmarExcelsis4-0-1
4thSons of BehematTaker Tribe4-0-1
5thSylvanethGnarlroot3-0-2
6thSkaven3-0-2
7thDaughters of KhaineZainthar Kai3-0-2
8thSeraphonThunder Lizard3-0-2
9thSeraphon Koatl’s Claw3-0-2
10thStormcast EternalsHallowed Knights2-0-3
Southern Fried Open

The Hogtown Hoedown – Ontario/Canada
10 Players

PositionFactionSubfactionResult
1stIdoneth DeepkinMor’Phann3-2-0
2ndSons of BehematStomper Tribe4-0-1
3rdNighthauntEmerald Host3-1-1
4thSkaven3-0-2
5thBlades of KhorneReapers of Vengeance2-0-3
6thStormcast EternalsHammers of Sigmar1-2-2
7thSoulblight GravelordsLegion of Blood1-2-2
8thStormcast EternalsHammers of Sigmar2-1-1
9thSkaven1-1-3
10thStormcast EternalsHammers of Sigmar0-1-4
The Hogtown Hoedown
Advertisements

Grand Alliance Stats

These stats reflect the last four weeks of GT’s that we’re aware of at Woehammer.

452 players (+149) took part in 16 GT’s (+4) over the last four weeks.

Grand AllianceWin RateArmies% Share of Armies5-0 Wins4+ Wins
Chaos51.8%9721.46%227
Order51.1%20044.25%631
Death47.9%8117.92%312
Destruction47.2%7416.37%010

Chaos continue to lead the way in the win rates, but there’s a big drop in their win rate from 56.4% last week to 51.8% this week, only just beating Order with 51.1%. While Order once again pick up the most number of armies represented, 5-0 wins (taking the crown from Chaos) and most 4+ wins.

Advertisements

Faction Stats

The below stat show the results for those factions represented by 5 armies or more only.

FactionWin RateArmies% Share of Armies5-0 Wins0-5 Losses
Bonesplitterz64.5%122.65%00
Beasts of Chaos62.2%163.54%00
Seraphon61.2%275.97%30
Disciples of Tzeentch56.7%61.33%00
Nighthaunt56.6%337.30%22
Skaven56.2%163.54%12
Sylvaneth55.6%204.42%01
Lumineth Realm-Lords51.7%132.88%00
Idoneth Deepkin51.6%255.53%00
Maggotkin of Nurgle50.7%296.42%03
Daughters of Khaine50.7%306.64%01
Fyreslayers50.6%173.76%00
Sons of Behemat50.0%143.10%01
Cities of Sigmar48.5%204.42%12
Slaves to Darkness48.4%71.55%12
Blades of Khorne47.7%91.99%01
Ironjawz47.0%163.54%03
Hedonites of Slaanesh46.7%61.33%01
Kharadron Overlords45.6%71.55%11
Stormcast Eternals44.1%419.07%14
Soulblight Gravelords44.1%255.53%02
Ossiarch Bonereapers41.0%143.10%12
Ogor Mawtribes40.0%102.21%02
Kruleboyz39.8%91.99%00
Legion of the First Prince39.7%71.55%02
Flesh-eater Courts37.5%91.99%01
Gloomspite Gitz36.7%91.99%00

It’s back to normal for Slaves to Darkness this week as their win rate plummets back to 48.4% (which is still respectable) and Blades of Khorne fall to 47.7%. While the new battletomes of Nighthaunt and Sylvaneth can also be seen in the +55% area. Daughters of Khaine are smack in the middle with a perfect 50.7% win rate. While Skaven are continuing their climb and now have a win rate of 56.2%.

Advertisements

Faction Breakdown

I’ve decided to do something a little different from subfaction analysis and instead will focus on one or two faction each week and how their stats are broken down. This week we’ll look at Sylvaneth and Nighthaunt.

Age of Sigmar Player Ratings w/e 17th July 2022

The Age of Sigmar Player Ratings are calculated using the Elo System, most known for creating the Chess Rankings. Players begin with a rating of 1,000 then gain or lose points based on their opponents rating.

Ratings will be given to players who attend a two day event with at least 8 players. Those players must be using 2,000 point armies.

This Week’s Ratings

Another week over, and a particularly busy week with 8 GT’s taking place in the US, Canada and UK. Six players have already attended their second event since we began tracking ratings on 1st July. Thomas Guan now tops the Worldwide table as one of those six players. Thomas is also the only player so far to play two different factions in two GT’s.

The health of AoS can be seen just by looking at these top ten places alone, with all the players using totally different factions from one another to get there.

Worldwide Top 10

Grand Alliance – Top 10’s

Moving on, instead of looking at individual regions or countries, I thought it may be interesting to look at the top 10 for each Grand Alliance. Jeremy and Tyler lead the way in order with their Kharadron Overlords and Stormcast Eternals armies.

Due to the number of events held in the US each week, we’re likely to see the board filled with US flags early doors, however as experience players keep winning tournaments this is likely to change.

The UK leads the way in Chaos…… With Max Soule having a stand out performance with his Slaves to Darkness earning him top Chaos spot. Three Maggotkin players appear inside this top 10, but will this wane as everyone gets used to the new GHB?

Andy Hughes and Michael Rausch share the top spot in the Death Grand Alliance, with Michael putting in a fantastic performance with Ossiarch Bonereapers!

Finally, last but certainly not least we have Destruction. With four Bonesplitterz armies appearing on the list (most of them Drakkfoot Big Stabba spam), it seems the other factions like Ironjawz and Sons are moving out of favour. We also have our first Canadian appearance with Garrett Fierling claiming a joint 6th place with his Sons of Behemat army.

I’m looking to write a html database where you can draw up your results or the results of a competitor when you input some search criteria. But that is some way off at present

Interview with Anthony Magro AKA the AoS Coach

Last week I had the pleasure of speaking to Anthony Magro AKA the AoS Coach about his gaming history, what he thought about the new GHB and what he plans for the future.

If you’re not aware of the AoS Coach (and why not?!) Then why not catch up with his YouTube channel.

AoS Coach Intro

Coach is known for interviewing competitive players who have won big tournaments or are known for leading the way with a particular faction. Indeed, our very own Declan was interviewed by Anthony last year!

But that’s enough of me waffling on let’s get to the chat!


Peter: Firstly, thank you so much for agreeing to our interview. We’re big fans of you on the website. I always ask our guests about their gaming background, so I guess my first question is; how long have you been a Wargamer and what first drew you in?

Anthony: G’day and thank you for this opportunity. I’ve been in the hobby since the late 90’s though like many others did take a sabbatical.

I was introduced to Warhammer after my family relocated 500kms and my new school mates showed off the Bretonnia vs. Lizardmen box. At the time I had only the Warhammer Dark Omen video game but I was hooked after that intro game.

My mates and I would set up our own games club at 15 years old and run weekly meets, my first pay-check was on the Grand Theoganist Volkmar and it’s eventually lead to the beast that is AoS Coach. I did dabble in Warhammer 40k between 2e to 5e but I preferred the fantasy games like WHFB, Mordheim and Blood Bowl.

What initially drew me and keeps me here are the people, the story telling and the spirit of competition. I love the wide variety of challenges each match up poses, the puzzle on trying to solve them, and creating those memorable moments. There are so many gaming stories I’ll never forget like how my Empire artillery crew was able to slay a giant… I always believed they used their tools to stab it in it’s infected toe.

Anthony with his first Warhammer Club (3rd from left with the Nike bandana)

Ah the 90’s, the heady days of tie-dye t-shirts and curtain hair cuts! I played hours of Dark Omens and Shadow of Horned Rat myself, I still claim Shadow of the Horned Rat to be the best video game that GW was involved in!

With an early love of Warhammer Fantasy, did you find it difficult to accept AoS when it eventually landed on the scene? And likewise, are you looking forward to the “Old World” once that gets released?

I did. I struggled to get my over Warhammer Fantasy battles but not through a lack of trying. I bought that initial Stormcast vs. Khorne boxset but I wanted to play Free People (the Empire range).  In a time before points & the Generals Handbook when we used a Wound limit to construct army lists, my 60 wounds of basic humans didn’t seem comparable to Archaon & 2 Bloodthirsters. I also missed the maps and having my place in the Warhammer World that was lacking in the older novels like the Realm Gate Wars but the world started to expand through the global Seasons of War campaign, and the world became more tangible when GW released a video by Phil Kelly giving a tour of the mortal realms. That video made a huge difference to me. 

I’m excited to see The Old World and explore a new timeline in the World That Was since it looks to take place a few hundred years before the setting of Warhammer Fantasy Battles. I can only imagine this is our Horus Heresy and gives us the Great War Against Chaos. I just wish the updates were a little more frequent.

Anthony’s DoK

I felt the same way, my Dwarfs just couldn’t seem to compete. Though that could partly be down to me being their pilot.

At what point did you go “all in” with AoS, and what prompted you to create the AoS Coach?

The original Generals Handbook was a game changer for AoS as it put the structure around the game that it was lacking at the time. I know some people enjoyed the original beer & pretzels AoS but it wasn’t for me. I played AoS during the wild west but it was very casually. I wasn’t inspired to start a new army.

Following the original GHB was Australia’s first major tournament at the time: CanCon. Growing up in rural Australia i had never attended a Warhammer Fantasy tournament and this event kick started competitive AoS for Australia. That first CanCon run by Clint was 50 players and our latest CanCon before COVID struck was 220 players. It was this moment that I went from casual player to tournament addicted. It was still another 1-2 years til I bought that next army but I challenged myself to do the best I could with the predecessor to the Cities of Sigmar.

As for AoS Coach, it started after I flew to the UK to play at the Blood & Glory tournament in 2017. I listened to so many great podcasts on my 22 hour flight but they were all international… Facehammer, Heelanhammer, and Garagehammer to name a few. After that trip I was inspired to talk to interesting people about Warhammer and help highlight the Australian scene. I learnt how to play Warhammer in a bubble during a time before the internet and our only source of information was White Dwarf. I hoped AoS Coach channel would distribute information from experts in their faction to improve how we play with and against them.

You also organise events yourself though don’t you? We posted a top three lists on the Sydney GT, which I believe is one of yours?

Yeah I do run events as well as represent my state on our Masters committee. My biggest event is Sydney GT which is around the 100 player mark and I will run smaller one day events throughout the year when needed.

Moving on to the new season of Generals Handbook. What do you think to the new book?

I’m 10 games into this season and have played with 3 different armies (Daughters of Khaine, Gloomspite Gitz & Stormcast Eternals) and I’m enjoying the shake up between GHB’s. The battle plans are more dynamic, endless spells have returned to cause havoc and the battle tactics are definitely harder to score than previous sets. The meta does feel over represented with Bounty Hunter battalions which is keeping armies from over investing in Galletian Veterans.

I do think there are some things which need to be toned down (I’m looking at you Purple Sun & Bounty Hunters). We haven’t quite hit this infantry meta that Games Workshop predicted which I believe is down to the incentives on running large number of GV’s not being strong enough while not wanting to be punished by Bounty Hunters.

I’ve felt the difference between running a faction with faction battle tactics & grand strategies (Daughters & Stormcast) and without (Gloomspite Gitz) but with a bunch of books dropping over the next few months and another GHB at the end of the year, I don’t think the meta will actually settle which will keep players guessing and the game feeling fresh. Hopefully we can push down the price point of that GHB though if it’s going to be 6 monthly moving forward.

Yep, a lot of the tournaments I look at now for the top threes lists have seven or eight different factions inside the top 10. Agreed on the price of the book, I think it may dissuade players from attending tournaments as they’ll be required to spend £60 in 12 months just to play competitively.

But otherwise you must be excited for the new Gitz book rumoured to be coming out later this year?

I will be once it’s announced though it could be Sons of Behemat or Destruction Aelves knowing my luck. After playing Gitz over the weekend at a local store event and finishing 2-1, I’m hopeful they get a solid 3rd edition book like Nurgle or Skaven and some updated spider sculpts would be a bonus. It’s such a great faction that has fallen out of touch with how you play AoS though the recent update to the Loonshrine has helped massively with a 4+ rally and the Loonshrine giving out Da Bad Moon aura. Hopefully they get a bonus to reinforcement points so you can unleash the hordes. Until then, I’ll keep my expectations in check so I’m not disappointed.

Gitz are an incredibly fun army to paint and play with. They deserve to have a solid book because who doesn’t love squigs, troggoths, spiders, and the insanity that is grots.

I think it’s strange that Witch Elves get the bonus to reinforcement points but armies like Gitz or Skaven don’t!?

So what’s next for the Coach? What are you hoping to achieve in the next year or so?

It’s incredibly weird Skaven didn’t get any additional reinforcement points. I expected some type of boost within the allegiance.

As for me, the world is starting to open up again so I’d like to hit the road and attend a few international tournaments in 2023. I’m all booked in for the Las Vegas Open but I’d also like to attend something in England or Europe. I’ve had such an amazing time traveling to events pre-covid that I’d like to just hang out again with everyone and play some great games.

I’m in my 4th year now doing AoS Coach and it’s become more than I could have ever dreamt. The channel recently achieved 15,000 subscribers, over a million views and I’ve had the chance to chat with some of the best players across the world. My goal is to continue to grow the channel and help more players find our awesome game. I do everything in my spare time so it’s about doing more without giving up my other hobbies like fitness or getting divorced rofl.

Ha! Congratulations on that as well! Massive achievement! There aren’t many AoS YouTube channels from what I’ve seen, and certainly not many any where near the quality that you produce. Hopefully we’ll get to meet you you do come to the UK next year, perhaps we’ll even cross swords at an event.

But thank you so much for taking the time to speak to me allowing us to turn the tables and interview you! It’s been an absolute pleasure!

Thank you for asking, i’m usually the one leading the discussion so it was great chatting with you.

AoS Meta Stats (w/e 10th July 2022)

Here are the AoS Meta Stats for all the Grand Tournaments that have taken place between Monday 4th July and Sunday 10th July 2022. These are all the GT’s that I can locate on Tabletop.to or BestCoastPairing, if you know of any others please send me a link and I’ll add them.

Once again, another quiet week, with only 3 Grand Tournaments.

Advertisements

Grand Tournaments

Ranked from largest to smallest.

South Coast Series July – England/UK
40 Players

PositionFactionSubfactionResult
1stSlaves to DarknessHost of the Everchosen5-0-0
2ndNighthauntScarlet Doom4-0-1
3rdSylvanethHeartwood4-0-1
4thSylvanethGnarlroot4-0-1
5thSeraphonFangs of Sotek4-0-1
6thIdoneth DeepkinFuethan4-0-1
7thMaggotkin of NurgleDrowned Men4-0-1
8thBonesplitterzDrakkfoot3-1-1
9thNighthaunt Emerald Host3-0-2
10thDaughters of KhaineZainthar Kai3-0-2
South Coast Series July

Summer on the Coast AoS GT – Washington/USA
37 Players

PositionFactionSubfactionResult
1stKharadron OverlordsBarak-Zilfin5-0-0
2ndDaughters of KhaineHagg Nar4-0-1
3rdBlades of KhorneGoretide4-0-1
4thHedonites of SlaaneshLurid Haze4-0-1
5thSlaves to DarknessHost of the Everchosen4-0-1
6thNighthaunt Scarlet Doom4-0-1
7thSeraphonThunder Lizard3-0-2
8thSons of BehematBreaker Tribe3-0-2
9thSylvanethHeartwood3-0-2
10thSylvanethGnarlroot3-0-2
Summer on the Coast AoS GT

Kingdom of Skrappa Spill – England/UK
28 PlayersGenerals Handbook: Pitched Battles 2022-23 Season 1

PositionFactionSubfactionResult
1stCities of SigmarHallowheart5-0-0
2ndDaughters of KhaineKhailebron4-0-1
3rdCities of SigmarHammerhal4-0-1
4thSkaven4-0-1
5thMaggotkin of Nurgle3-1-1
6thSeraphonThunder Lizard3-1-1
7thDaughters of KhaineKhailebron3-0-2
8thDaughters of KhaineHagg Nar3-0-2
9thNighthaunt 3-0-2
Kingdom of Skrappa Spill

Grand Alliance Stats

These stats reflect the last four weeks of GT’s that we’re aware of at Woehammer.

303 players (-182) took part in 12 GT’s (-4) over the last four weeks.

Grand AllianceWin RateArmies% Share of Armies5-0 Wins4+ Wins
Chaos56.4%6220.46%520
Order51.0%14949.17%421
Death43.8%5016.50%16
Destruction43.8%4213.86%03

Chaos continue to lead the way in the win rates, dropping only slightly from 56.7% last week to 56.4% this week. While Order pick up the most number of armies represented and most 4+. Chaos steal the crown this week for most 5-0’s.

Advertisements

Faction Stats

The below stat show the results for those factions represented by 5 armies or more only.

FactionWin RateArmies% Share of Armies5-0 Wins0-5 Losses
Slaves to Darkness72.2%61.98%11
Beasts of Chaos63.1%134.29%20
Nighthaunt61.3%175.61%10
Blades of Khorne60.0%51.65%00
Sylvaneth58.5%134.29%00
Cities of Sigmar57.1%175.61%11
Seraphon56.3%247.92%21
Kharadron Overlords55.0%61.98%11
Big Waaagh!54.0%51.65%00
Maggotkin of Nurgle53.8%216.93%12
Bonesplitterz51.5%72.31%00
Lumineth Realm-Lords50.0%123.96%00
Daughters of Khaine50.0%175.61%01
Sons of Behemat50.0%82.64%00
Idoneth Deepkin47.8%185.94%00
Sons of Behemat48.5%214.33%01
Skaven46.7%61.98%10
Legion of the First Prince46.7%61.98%01
Stormcast Eternals45.6%268.58%03
Ogor Mawtribes44.8%61.98%01
Fyreslayers43.0%165.28%01
Flesh-eater Courts40.0%51.65%00
Soulblight Gravelords37.8%185.94%02
Gloomspite Gitz33.3%61.98%00
Ironjawz32.8%72.31%02
Ossiarch Bonereapers27.0%103.30%02

Slaves to Darkness and Blades of Khorne continue their run of good form in experienced hands. While the new battletomes of Nighthaunt and Sylvaneth can also be seen in the +55% area. Daughters of Khaine are smack in the middle with a perfect 50% win rate. While Skaven are beginning to climb.

Advertisements

Subfactions

All factions listed below have been represented at tournaments by at least 5 players.

FactionSubfactionWin RateArmies% Share of Armies5-0 Wins0-5 Losses
Maggotkin of NurgleDrowned Men69.1%113.63%10
NighthauntScarlet Doom67.6%72.31%00
Beasts of ChaosNone61.4%72.31%10
Cities of SigmarLiving City57.1%72.31%00
SeraphonThunder Lizard55.7%216.93%21
Sons of BehematBreaker Tribe53.4%61.98%00
Stormcast EternalsHallowed Knights52.9%72.31%00
FyreslayersLofnir51.7%61.98%00
NighthauntEmerald Host48.3%61.98%00
Lumineth Realm-LordsZaitrec48.1%113.63%00
Daughters of KhaineZainthar Kai47.1%72.31%01
Legion of the First Prince46.7%61.98%01
Skaven46.7%61.98%10
Soulblight GravelordsVyrkos Dynasty43.3%61.98%00
Stormcast EternalsHammers of Sigmar42.3%154.95%03
Soulblight GravelordsKastelai Dynasty38.6%72.31%01
FyreslayersGreyfyrd35.2%92.97%01
Ossiarch BonereapersPetrifex Elite27.5%82.64%01

Drowned Men continue to lead the way with a win rate of 69.1% despite Maggotkin overall only having a win rate of 53.8%. Nighthaunt and Scarlet Doom find themselves near the top now as predicted by Danny some weeks ago. Meanwhile at the bottom of the table Ossiarch Bonereapers/Petrifex Elite are the only subfaction below 30% win rate.

Interestingly Fyreslayers have Lofnir (6 PLayers) with a win rate of 51.7% and the more popular Greyfyrd (9 Players) at 35.2%, are people playing the wrong subfaction?

Next Week

I’ll have graphs. Because nothing says stats like some graphs…..

Age of Sigmar Player Ratings 16th July 2022

Below is an update to the Age of Sigmar Player Ratings which now reflects all GT’s that have taken place between the start of July and now.

How do you get an Age of Sigmar Player Rating? (The Rules)

To qualify for an Age of Sigmar Player Rating (ASPR), at present you must have played in a two day tournament at some point since 1st July 2022. That tournament must also have involved at least 8 players. These are referred to as Qualifying Tournaments.

Please contact us on thewoehammer@gmail.com if:

  • You have taken part in a qualifying tournament and you don’t see your name inside our Excel document.
  • There is an error with yours or someone else’s score.
  • We have given you the wrong national flag or nation inside either our graphics hosted here or inside the excel document included in this article.

All scores are calculated using the Elo System used in Chess, and based on a k factor of 20.

Correction

I made an error in my last post when calculating the player scores for Kingdom of Skrappa Spill. James Beeden and Tom Moore were given their first round results as a win and draw respectively. This is incorrect, without an opponent to (which I thought I had found last week through guess work) these players cannot be given a rating for that match. This then affects future opponents who play them. This has been corrected and I apologise for the error.

Top 10 Age of Sigmar Player Ratings – Worldwide

In our first week carrying out the ASPR we see a nice mix of countries inside the top 10. However, so far GT’s have only taken place in England, Italy, Scotland and USA. Once more GT’s are held I think we’ll see familiar names begin to climb and hold onto those top 10 positions.

Top 10 Age of Sigmar Player Ratings – Europe

The ASPR for Europe isn’t too dissimilar from the Worldwide at present. But with the exclusion of the three US players this has meant we get to see Andrea Ferrarese, Arrom Wilson and Matthew Brooks included here.

Top 10 Age of Sigmar Player Ratings – By Country

Below is each Country’s top 10 Player Ratings. These are for all Countries with a representative to date, going forwards I will only carry these out by regions. For example, Europe, Oceania and North America. To see a Country’s top 10 you can filter on the excel document attached.

Age of Sigmar Player Ratings - Scotland
Age of Sigmar Player Ratings - England
Age of Sigmar Player Ratings - USA
Age of Sigmar Player Ratings - Italy
Age of Sigmar Player Ratings - Wales

The Excel Document

Top Three AoS Lists for Kingdom of Skrappa Spill (& Interviews)

This is the Top Three AoS Lists for the Kingdom of Skrappa Spill event that took place in Derby, UK on 9th and 10th July. It involved 28 players vying to be crowned champion in a 5 game tournament.

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.

If you like what we’re doing, why not join our Patreon and help keep it going?

Also if there’s a one day or two day tournament you’d like us to cover drop us a comment on this post and we’ll have a look at it for you.

The Top Three AoS Lists

Top Three AoS Lists - 1st Place, Maggotkin of Nurgle

Allegiance: Cities of Sigmar
City: Hallowheart
– Grand Strategy: No Place for the Weak
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Battlemage (100)**
Hallowheart 2nd Spell: Warding Brand
– City Role: General’s Adjutant
– Mortal Realm: Ghur
– Lore of Whitefire: Ignite Weapons
Runelord (95)**
Artefact: Whitefire Tome – Sear Wounds
– Universal Prayer Scripture: Heal
Freeguild General (100)**
General
– Command Trait: Veteran of the Blazing Crusade
– Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
– Hallowheart 2nd Spell: Warding Brand
– Lore of Whitefire: Ignite Weapons

Battleline
10 x Freeguild Crossbowmen (100)***
10 x Freeguild Crossbowmen (100)***
6 x Demigryph Knights (350)*
Lance and Sword
– City Role: Honoured Retinue (Must be 5-20 models)
– Reinforced x 1

Units
5 x Sisters of the Thorn (130)**
Hallowheart 2nd Spell: Elemental Cyclone
– Spell1: Universal Spell Lore: Ghost-mist
6 x Vanguard-Palladors (430)*
Boltstorm Pistols and Starstrike Javelins
– Reinforced x 1
10 x Protectors (450)*
Reinforced x 1

Endless Spells & Invocations
Chronomantic Cogs (40)
Purple Sun of Shyish (70)
The Burning Head (20)

Core Battalions
*Bounty Hunters
**Warlord
***Expert Conquerors

Additional Enhancements
Artefact

Total: 1985 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 3 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 129
Drops: 9

Peter: Congratulations on your win! How did you find the new GHB?

Freddie: From a battleplans perspective, it felt like the tables where much thinner with the majority of objectives focused around the middle of the table. To be honest I didn’t really like that aspect as it made the games very one dimensional.

From a battle tactics point of view it was a really interesting change. No longer is there 4-5 easy battle tactics, now it’s just 1 or 2. It meant you had to think ahead a couple of turns to ensure you could keep ticking them along.

Overall, refreshing seeing new tactics but would have been better if the battleplans were more open and spread out.

I’ve just interviewed Baz, and we talked a little about how some armies may be able to score battle tactics easier. Some tournaments are now limiting these to only those in the GHB, is this something you agree with?

I do agree that battle tactics should be limited. Not just because my armies have crap ones.

But I’m generally against comps in tournaments as that is a fundamental change to how some armies work. Battle tactic however don’t change how an army should function on a table so limiting some armies is a fair balance/comp to the game. Though I’m sure plenty of DoK players will disagree!

So what’s the key behind your list. What got you the 5-0?

The key unit to the list is the protectors. This units purpose is to safeguard the 3 small heroes of the army. If the heroes die, the buffs stop and the damage efficiency plummets. Throughout the 5 games, only one hero was killed. That was all thanks to the protectors.

Did your purple sun kill anything important?

So vs 3 opponents it didn’t kill a thing. Against the other 2 opponents it single handedly beat them.

Game 2 against Mike Wilding, I autoslayed the flamespyre phoenix and a couple of phoenix guard

Game 3 vs JJ it went bezerk. It killed his general GUO turn 1, then the sloppity bilepiper and orghotts daemonspew turn 2. Called it at that point.

Ow! Having played it and the Cogs (which if I remember correctly gives your wizards a re-roll to casting) do you think it’s overpowered?

With a low volume of casts, Probably not.
With my army that has 7 casts, at a potential 1 to 8 bonus to cast. It is too much. I can see the same issue with nagash and teclis style armies.

Either way to go 5-0 at any event is a huge success. You’re a regular tournament goer, are you hoping to repeat the success of last year and make it to the tSports finals?

Last year was my first year of giving competitive aos a real go and seeing what I could achieve. The fact that it culminated in being invited to the tsports final was a welcome surprise for sure.

This aim for this year is to get No1 cities player worldwide and If that performance gets me an invite to the tsports final then even better haha

Do you have any tips for players looking to get into the tournament scene?

The best way to do it is to jump straight in! Rip the plaster off as it were. I turned up to my first event alone and by the first game I was chatting away talking about the hobby. Don’t get me wrong its a daunting prospect going to tournaments but I can honestly say I have never had a bad experience and have loved every minute of it.

Alternatively ofcourse you can find a local club first and do it that way, probably easier and less stressful than how I did it.

Freddie! Thank you so much for your time and your awesome answers. It’s very much appreciated! Best of luck for the coming season.

Advertisements

Army Faction: Daughters of Khaine
Subfaction: Khailebron
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumph: Inspired

LEADERS
Morathi-Khaine (680)
The Shadow Queen (680)
Melusai Ironscale (115)
General
– Command Traits: Zealous Orator
– Artefacts of Power: Crown of Woe

BATTLELINE
Blood Sisters (280)*
Gorgai
Blood Sisters (140)*
Gorgai
Blood Stalkers (540)**
Krone
Khainite Shadowstalkers (150)**

OTHER
Khinerai Heartrenders (95)*

CORE BATTALIONS
*Bounty Hunters
**Expert Conquerors

TOTAL POINTS: 2000/2000

Peter: Congratulations on your second place! You’ve kicked the new season off well in the GHB, are you hoping to emulate last season and push for the top 16 in the UK?

Baz: Thank you! From my first competitive level game on the 11th November with the lovely Tom Patton which got me hooked.

Kingdom Of Skrappa was my 25 event since, playing DoK for over 90% of them…. a cheeky delve into Gitz for the light heartedness games!

Im a firm believer of reps reps reps, and learning from the fantastic community we have and thats evident in where ive got to so far.

Yes, 100% id to get into the top 16 in the UK, it’ll take a lot of work, but with the community and friends I’ve made thus far, the sky is the limit.

There is a real sense of community with AoS. I’m sure you can replicate last season. So how did you find playing DoK under the new handbook?

Brilliant. The new GHB (love it or hate it, is what it is), it keeps things fresh and keeps the scene on its toes, which I like. The changes have been good in my opinion. DoK do have very good units which you can pull into the Bounty Hunter Battalion for those extra bonuses but its not something to take for granted. They are still very much a glass cannon and will drop, so positioning (hence why I run Khailebron) and timing is key.

Yes they do have the Battletome battle tactics which are huge advantages, but I dont just want to rely on those to win games….

Yeah, there’s been a bit of a murmur about the DoK tactics. So you try and avoid them?

All the GHB battle tactics are new for the community so with not really knowing them fluidly like I did the previous ones. I did use Tides of Battle, (2 units from your starting army in the opponents territory etc), being mindful of time. I think the majority of us took more time at the start of the Hero phases! Lol

So for those unsure, what’s the key behind your list?

No Morathi isnt key, but she certainly helps, especially with the spicy shenanigans thats now out there available to most armies; Purple Sun, im looking at you!

Movement is gives you the huge edge to control where the fighting takes place and at what time, being able to react to dice rolls not going your way and then recover gets you back in the game. I cant recall any other competitive DoK player run Khailebron….. either im doing something wrong, or ive found the hidden gem lol

People joke about my potential none existent relationship with my other half after hearing the number of events ive done, but its like anything, practice practice practice and also don’t fall into the trap of chopping and changing factions etc

As Arnold Schwarzenegger says: “You can’t climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pockets”.

That’s true, most lists I’ve seen go for Zainthar Kai more recently. And you must have a very understanding partner!

Ive got a cheeky list, like many other people, of other builds…..one or two MIGHT be Zainthar Kai

Shes fantastic tbf but she knows I love the hobby, but for me its not just about playing the game. It about the total inclusivity of individuals from all walks of life, its about the night away with friends sharing a hotel, having a meal out, having laughs (and cries at time) all playing a game we love.

Like hundreds of others, it helps keeps my Mental Health in a positive place for sure and coming from someone who is an Armed Forces veteran, medically discharged, Mental Health and Wellbeing is very important 🙂

It’s a fantastic community for support and the social aspect of this game can’t be ignored. Even if it’s just for a hang out while you paint some minis.

I’ll also add, the one thing that has kept my confidence and drive up is the club. Being part of The Warrior Lodge is like having a family…. very much like the military family mentality.

For first timers getting into the hobby, what would you recommend if they’re looking to get into the competitive scene?

The beauty with the competitive scene, is that the term competitive is on a sliding scale, yes you could do GT sized events but smaller hobby shops also have tournaments going on. Get involved with them, try different lists and see what works for you and what you like the feel of. If possible get involved with a club, that’ll give you all the drive and passion collectively as you can share ideas and have that encouragement, as I’ve mentioned above.

I purchased a Samsung Tab 3 and use that for the AOS app but also record all my games etc on that using The Honest Wargamers scoring sheet (shout out to Rob and the team!).

Every game you win, even if you lose on points. You win because you learn.

Thank you so much for agreeing to the interview. Is there anything you’d like to say to those reading this before we end?

Just a huge thank you to everyone I have played and who has supported me to date. Lets all continue the hobby love ❤️

I’d also like to give a huge shout-out to Speccles who ran the event.


Baz is part of the Warrior Lodge based in Nottingham, they have a few upcoming events this year:

  • Quest of Champions 2022: Heat 4 – 6/7th October
  • Quest of Champions 2022: Finals – 22/23rd October
  • Quest of Champions 2023: Heat 1 – 4/5th Feb 2023
  • Quest of Champions 2023: Heat 2 – 1st/2nd April 2023
  • Quest of Champions 2023: Heat 3 – 3rd/4th June 2023
  • Quest of Champions 2023: Heat 4 – 5/6th August 2023
  • Quest of Champions 2023: Finals – 7/8th October 2023

The top 12 from each heat are invited to the finals at the end of the year.

There will also be a mix of 1 dayers so best to keep an eye on their page @LodgeWarrior.

Advertisements
Top Three AoS Lists - 3rd place, Legion of the First Prince

Allegiance: Cities of Sigmar
Subfaction: Hammerhal
– Grand Strategy: No place for the Weak
– Triumph: Inspired

LEADERS
Anointed on Flamespyre Phoenix (290)*
Artefact: the Twinstone
Assassin (80)*
General
– Command Trait: Master of Magic
– Artefact: Arcane Tome
– Spell: Cindercloud
Knight-Incantor (125)*
City Role: General’s Adjutant
– Spell: Wings of Fire

UNITS
20x Phoenix Guard (350)***
Reinforced: Once
20x Phoenix Guard (350)***
Reinforced: Once
20x Phoenix Guard (350)***
Reinforced: Once
– City Role: Honoured Retinue
10x Shadow Warriors (120)**
10x Shadow Warriors (120)**
10x Eternal Guard (120)**
5x Khinerai Heartrenders (95)*

CORE BATTALIONS
*Warlord
**Expert Conquerors
***Bounty Hunters

ADDITIONAL ENHANCEMENTS
Artefact

Total Points: 2000/2000
Wounds: 117
Reinforced Units: 3/4
Allies: 0/400
Drops: 10

The following interview was carried out over email:

Peter: Michael, congratulations on your third place! How did you find the new General’s Handbook?

Michael: The new book is so much more interesting, with many more twists and turns, with the proving ground option being the most interesting.

What is the key to how your army list works?

The key to my army is having units able to withstand the shear number of mortal wounds that dominate the game, also dishing out many deaths by a thousand cuts, it is a game style that has worked for me for a long time.

After coming 5th in the Honest Wargamers top 16 event, are you hoping you can emulate lasts seasons success and push for the podium next year?

I think I have reached my goals this year, so I think I am going to move to a more fun style of play, with a few twists to keep my opponents on there toes.

What’s been your favourite moment of your playing career in the last 12 months?

It would be getting the invite to the Honest Wargamers top 16 event and coming 5th place. Also staying top in the cities faction, with some other great cities players constantly on my heals for top place, though I think I kept it more with the luck of the dice, then skill.

For players looking to get into the competitive scene, what would your advice be?

My advice is 3 to 4 very strong units that work well together and buff each other really does help, but also have fun and always remember sometimes the dice gods will not always be with you, and when they are not just laugh and have fun.

Thank you for your time and I wish you nothing but 6’s in the coming season.

Advertisements

Final Tournament Placings

Age of Sigmar Player Ratings

As you may have spotted in my AoS meta post on Sunday, Woehammer are branching out into Age of Sigmar competitive player ratings.

I will track the rankings of players for all tournaments using the General’s Handbook Pitched Profiles 2022-23 Season 1.

Competitive Player Ratings

The player ratings are based on the Elo system used in Chess*. For those interested in math(s) the K factor we’re using is 20. Players begin with a rating of 1,000 and will gain or lose points based on their opponents rating. For example, someone who beats an opponent with a higher rating than themselves will gain more points. Likewise, a high rated opponent will lose more points if the lose to someone rated less than themselves.

Top 10 Age of Sigmar Player Ratings – Worldwide

Worldwode Age of Sigmar Player Ratings
Woehammer – Worldwide Top 10 Ratings

You can see in our worldwide leaderboard that the English are currently dominating. This is purely due to the fact that 50% of the tournaments so far have taken place in England. As more tournaments take place and players begin to attend more than one tournament, the ratings will really start to show.

I’ve included armies in this first draft, as all the players have only played a single tournament and therefore have only used one army. I will remove these in the future and it will show just the players names.

Top 10 Age of Sigmar Player Ratings – England

England Age of Sigmar player ratings
Woehammer – England Top 10

Speaking of England, here are the Top 10 Age of Sigmar player ratings. Some familiar names are already appearing on this list, such as Freddie Leggett and Baz Norman Jr who were both involved in the tSports Champions events over the last month or so.

Top 10 Age of Sigmar Player Ratings – Scotland

Scotland Age of Sigmar player ratings
Woehammer – Scotland Top 10

England and Scotland are the only two countries with enough players so far to complete a top 10 Age of Sigmar player ratings for them. But in the future top 10’s will be done for regions (Europe, North America etc) rather than countries.

I’ve included the Spreadsheet of all tournament matches that have taken place so far under the new General’s Handbook. This includes the full ratings of all players that have played so far.

What do you think?

AoS Meta Stats (w/e 3rd July 2022)

Here are the AoS Meta Stats for all the Grand Tournaments that have taken place between Monday 27th June and Sunday 3rd July 2022. These are all the GT’s that I can locate on Tabletop.to or BestCoastPairing, if you know of any others please send me a link and I’ll add them.

Once again, another quiet week, with only 3 Grand Tournaments. Two of these were run using the new GHB, while the other was just a little event called the World tSports Champions…..

Advertisements

Grand Tournaments

Ranked from largest to smallest.

From the Ashes – Scotland/UK
22 PlayersGenerals Handbook: Pitched Battles 2022-23 Season 1

PositionFactionSubfactionResult
1stSkaven5-0-0
2ndNighthauntScarlet Doom4-0-1
3rdIdoneth DeepkinMor’Phann4-0-1
4thBonesplitterzDrakkfoot4-0-1
5thSeraphonThunder Lizard3-0-2
6thDaughters of Khaine Zainthar Kai3-0-2
7thSylvanethHeartwood3-0-2
8thBeasts of Chaos3-0-2
9thSoulblight GravelordsKastelai Dynasty3-0-2
10thSons of BehematBreaker Tribe2-1-2
From the Ashes 2022

World tSports Champions – England/UK
16 PlayersGenerals Handbook 2021-22

PositionFactionSubfactionResult
1stNighthauntGrieving Legion5-0-0
2ndIdoneth DeepkinIonrach3-0-2
3rdBeasts of ChaosAllherd4-0-1
4thIdoneth DeepkinFuethan3-0-2
5thSlaves to DarknessHost of the Everchosen4-0-1
6thMaggotkin of NurgleDrowned Men3-0-2
7thCities of SigmarHallowheart2-0-3
8thBonesplitterzDrakkfoot2-0-3
9thLegion of the First Prince 1-0-4
10thStormcast EternalsHammers of Sigmar2-0-3
World tSports Champions

Coliseum of Sigmar Carnage GT – Florida/USA
9 PlayersGenerals Handbook: Pitched Battles 2022-23 Season 1

PositionFactionSubfactionResult
1stLumineth Realm-LordsZaitrec3-0-1
2ndNighthauntEmerald Host4-0-1
3rdStormcast EternalsHallowed Knights3-1-1
4thLegion of the First Prince3-1-1
5thIdoneth DeepkinNautilar2-0-3
6thStormcast EternalsHammers of Sigmar2-0-3
7thSlaves to DarknessHost of the Everchosen0-0-2
8thSons of BehematBreaker Tribe2-0-3
9thDaughters of Khaine Zainthar Kai0-0-4
Coliseum of Sigmar Carnage GT

Grand Alliance Stats

As promised last week, I’ve changed the stats to reflect the last four weeks of GT’s that we’re aware of at Woehammer. Also if you read all the way to the end of the article I have a little surprise for you!

485 players took part in 16 GT’s over the last four weeks.

Grand AllianceWin RateArmies% Share of Armies5-0 Wins4+ Wins
Chaos56.7%9419.38%627
Order50.7%21844.95%834
Death45.8%8216.91%211
Destruction45.0%9118.76%08

Chaos continue to lead the way in the win rates. While Order pick up the most number of armies represented, most 5-0’s and most 4+. When you compare army share to the number of battletomes each Grand Alliance possess you can see that Order are overrepresented, while Chaos are vastly under represented:

Grand AllianceBattletomesBattletome %Actual Rep %
Order937.50%44.95%
Chaos729.17%19.38%
Death416.67%16.91%
Destruction416.67%18.76%

What can we take away from this? Perhaps that Order factions are more appealing than Chaos? New players gravitate towards Order? The Chaos range needs updated miniatures? Or all of the above?

Advertisements

Faction Stats

The below stat show the results for those factions represented by 5 armies or more only.

FactionWin RateArmies% Share of Armies5-0 Wins0-5 Losses
Beasts of Chaos67.1%142.89%20
Legion of the First Prince 61.5%132.68%00
Slaves to Darkness61.1%61.24%01
Seraphon59.7%306.19%52
Blades of Khorne56.7%61.24%00
Maggotkin of Nurgle56.6%357.22%32
Bonesplitterz55.4%102.06%00
Cities of Sigmar54.2%244.95%21
Daughters of Khaine52.8%224.54%02
Nighthaunt52.2%326.60%12
Idoneth Deepkin51.8%234.74%10
Flesh-eater Courts51.7%61.24%00
Lumineth Realm-Lords51.5%214.33%00
Kharadron Overlords51.4%71.44%01
Sylvaneth49.1%112.27%01
Sons of Behemat48.5%214.33%01
Soulblight Gravelords47.1%285.77%11
Stormcast Eternals47.1%6012.37%04
Ogor Mawtribes47.1%282.89%01
Ironjawz44.7%163.30%01
Kruleboyz44.3%112.27%01
Hedonites of Slaanesh44.3%71.44%00
Skaven43.0%91.86%10
Big Waaagh!41.3%81.65%00
Fyreslayers39.5%204.12%02
Gloomspite Gitz30.9%112.27%01
Ossiarch Bonereapers28.2%163.30%02
Factions in Bold are those with 3rd Edition Battletomes published before or during this time period

I’ve highlighted all those faction win rates in red which are outside of the parameters that players have stated would make the game roughly balanced (45-55%).

I’m looking at the bottom of the table as I’m writing this, and its hard not to overlook Fyreslayers, Gloomspite Gitz and Ossiarch Bonereapers with win rates of less than 40%! Gloomspite Gitz are getting their new book this year, so hopefully we’ll see that improve. Fyreslayers have been mugged by Games Workshop rules writers, and it just shows how awful that book is. I feel for long term Fyreslayers players…

At the top of the table Beasts of Chaos now currently lead the way with a win rate of 67.1%! They’ve gone from trash tier to S tier in the space of 3 months. Slaves to Darkness are a bit of an anomaly at the top there, and this is primarily driven by a few high level players who vastly our performed the faction this month, much like Anthony Trentanelli did a few weeks ago with Skaven. Maggotkin of Nurgle and Seraphon win rates have both dropped, but its too early to tell why, as the new rules for Seraphon only really came into effect last week.

Advertisements

Subfaction Stats

FactionSubfactionWin RateArmies% Share of Armies5-0 Wins0-5 Losses
Beasts of ChaosNone70.0%51.03%10
Maggotkin of Nurgle Drowned Men68.0%204.12%20
Legion of the First Prince61.5%132.68%00
NighthauntScarlet Doom60.0%112.27%00
Beasts of ChaosGavespawn60.0%61.24%00
SeraphonThunder Lizard59.6%285.77%42
BonesplitterzDrakkfoot58.3%61.24%00
Cities of SigmarLiving City57.7%132.68%20
Ogor MawtribesBoulderhead56.0%51.03%00
Kharadron OverlordsBarak-Zilfin53.3%61.24%01
Idoneth DeepkinMor’Phann53.3%61.24%10
Lumineth Realm-LordsZaitrec52.9%153.09%00
Sons of BehematBreaker Tribe52.8%153.09%00
Idoneth DeepkinNautilar51.3%81.65%00
IronjawzIronsunz50.0%61.24%01
Daughters of KhaineHagg Nar50.0%71.44%01
Stormcast EternalsAstral Templars50.0%61.24%00
Daughters of KhaineZainthar Kai49.2%122.47%01
Stormcast EternalsHammers of Sigmar48.8%336.80%02
Soulblight GravelordsVyrkos Dynasty48.0%102.06%00
Soulblight GravelordsKastelai Dynasty45.5%112.27%01
Stormcast EternalsHallowed Knights44.7%153.09%01
KruleboyzBig Yellers43.4%81.65%01
Skaven43.0%91.86%10
FyreslayersLofnir42.9%71.44%01
Hedonites of SlaaneshLurid Haze42.0%51.03%00
IronjawzBloodtoofs41.7%102.06%00
NighthauntEmerald Host41.5%132.68%02
Big Waaagh!41.3%81.65%00
Maggotkin of NurgleBefouling Host40.0%71.44%11
FyreslayersGreyfyrd35.8%122.47%01
Ossiarch BonereapersPetrifex Elite28.8%153.09%02
Gloomspite Gitz25.0%81.65%01
Factions in Bold are those with 3rd Edition Battletomes published before or during this time period

Maggotkin of Nurgle are a bit of a strange faction. While you have one of the meta leading Subfactions inside the tome with Drowned Men (68.0%, at the bottom of the pack you have Befouling Host (40.0%). It’s not an irregularity either as 7 players have played that subfaction and one claimed 5 wins at an event and another 5 losses. This suggests to me that while Drowned Men is a simple list to play, Befouling Host is completely the opposite and requires good memory and skill from the pilot.

After almost a year of publication now, both Stormcast and Orruk Warclan battletomes are beginning to show a little lag behind the other updated factions (apart from Fyreslayers of course). As the first of the Battletomes perhaps this has played into their stats slightly as the rules writers learn from their mistakes (apart from Fyreslayers of course) when writing the newer tomes.

Scarlet Doom shows that its the faction of choice for a reason in the new Nighthaunt battletome (60.0%) however, its still early days for this battletome and the other factions could be more complicated to pick up and play. However 60.0% win rate for any subfaction is too high and so they may need a future nerf at some point.

Going forwards as the weeks go on, I’ll be keeping an eye out for Grinin’ Blades beginning to get some more play with their updated allegiance abilities after not being placed at all due to all the Kruleboyz players choosing Big Yellers – this will change. I expect to see them nearing the 50% mark and above. Likewise with Skaven, I expect them to begin climbing the rankings as their new rules come into effect.

THE SUPRISE

I said I had a surprise, and here it is!

Woehammer will be doing a player ranking system for the new General’s Handbook based on the Elo system used by Chess.

Who gets ranked?

Everyone who takes part in a two day event using the General’s Handbook: Pitched Battles Season 1 2022-23. Each week I’ll update the scores of the players as they happen and post them in a separate rankings post which will be published every Saturday.

All players will begin with a rating of 1,000 at the beginning of the season, player ratings will be carried over into season 2 and beyond in the future.

I’ve included the current rankings below (there’s only been two GT’s using the new Handbook) which includes everyone at present. However, I will limit this to the top 20 as more players are ranked. The full downloadable player rankings will be available on the site to download next weekend.

PlayerCountryRegionRating
John BScotlandEurope1,049.4
David JackScotlandEurope1,031.2
Leigh MartinScotlandEurope1,030.3
Zachary ShinnUSANorth America1,029.7
Nathan WatsonScotlandEurope1,029.4
Jonathon RobertsUSANorth America1,020.0
Daniel GomezUSANorth America1,019.2
Cara NewbyScotlandEurope1,010.6
Richard McQuarrieScotlandEurope1,010.3
Karl RohrUSANorth America1,010.0
Alastair MaxwellScotlandEurope1,010.0
Reece FraserScotlandEurope1,010.0
Jamie McHughScotlandEurope1,010.0
Ryan PothecaryScotlandEurope1,010.0
Ian (Yes, just Ian)ScotlandEurope1,009.7
Aaron Burns LeesScotlandEurope1,009.4
Allan GeorgeScotlandEurope1,000.3
Douglas KlemUSANorth America1,000.0
Frank KellyScotlandEurope999.1
Scott SempleScotlandEurope999.1
Alasdair RobertsonScotlandEurope990.0
Michael SmithUSANorth America989.4
James HobsonScotlandEurope988.3
Michael PetersonUSANorth America980.3
Lewis MitchellScotlandEurope971.2
Grant FraserScotlandEurope968.9
Andrew DowlingUSANorth America961.7
AoS Player Rankings on 3rd July 2022