This is the top three AoS lists for the GT Wargame Garrison Madrid that took place in Spain on the 27th and 28th of January. 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: Seraphon
– Army Type: Coalesced
– Army Subfaction: Thunder Lizard
– Grand Strategy: Defend What’s Ours
– Triumphs: Inspired

LEADER
1 x Engine of the Gods (300)
– Artefacts: Arcane Tome
– Prayers: Curse
1 x Lord Kroak (450)*
– Spells: Stellar Tempest
1 x Saurus Astrolith Bearer (160)*
– Aspects of the champion: Tunel master
1 x Skink Priest (120)*
– Prayers: Heal
1 x Saurus Scar-Veteran on Carnosaur (200)**
– General
– Command Traits: Prime Warbeast
– Celestite Greatblade
– Artefacts: Fusil of Conflagration
– Mount Traits: Beastmaster
1 x Knight-Zephyros (100)**

BATTLELINE
10 x Saurus Warriors (100)*
– Saurus Warrior Alpha
– Stardrake Icon Bearer
– Wardrummer
– Celestite Spear and Powerful Jaws
5 x Saurus Guard (120)**
– Saurus Guard Alpha
– Stardrake Icon Bearer
– Wardrummer
10 x Saurus Warriors (100)**
– Saurus Warrior Alpha
– Stardrake Icon Bearer
– Wardrummer
– Celestite Spear and Powerful Jaws

BEHEMOTH
1 x Bastiladon with Solar Engine (260)**

ENDLESS SPELL
1 x Purple Sun of Shyish (90)

TERRAIN
1 x Realmshaper Engine (0)

CORE BATTALIONS:
*Warlord
**Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: (2000/2000)

Do comets rain on the plain in Spain? They do when Kroak is around! He’s fallen a little out of fashion recently in favour of the no-name, whipper-snapper Slann, but he still does the job, as evidenced here – supported by the ubiquitous Engine, Priest, Astrolith (even more important for Special K given his spammable but short range spell) and…

checks notes

A Scar-Vet on Carnosaur!? Fair play to the lad, with their recent points drops they just might cut the mustard as a fast, whiffy but potentially killy monster. Of course, now we’re into the new season, we see the inevitable allied Knight-Zephyros, who is just a stone-cold scoring piece due to her constant teleporting.

Overall, a pretty interesting twist on the Lizards with their new points, and a good result for Alfonso. Get ready to see a lot more of the little Azyros…

Army Faction: Disciples of Tzeentch
– Army Subfaction: Hosts Duplicitous
– Grand Strategy: Master of Destiny
– Triumphs: Inspired

LEADER
1 x Curseling (180)*
– General
– Command Traits: Cult Demagogue
– Spells: Shield of Fate, Arcane Suggestion
– Aspects of the Champion: Tunnel Master
1 x Magister on Disc of Tzeentch (140)*
– Spells: Shield of Fate, Arcane Suggestion
1 x Kairos Fateweaver (440)**
1 x Magister (120)**
– Spells: Shield of Fate, Glimpse the Future
1 x Changecaster (150)**
– Artefacts: The Eternal Shroud
– Spells: Levitate, Bolt of Tzeentch

BATTLELINE
10 x Horrors of Tzeentch (Pink) (250)*
– Iridescent Horror
– Pink Horror Icon Bearer
– Pink Horror Hornblower
– Split and Split Again
10 x Horrors of Tzeentch (Pink) (250)*
– Pink Horror Hornblower
– Iridescent Horror
– Pink Horror Icon Bearer
– Split and Split Again
10 x Horrors of Tzeentch (Pink) (250)*
– Pink Horror Hornblower
– Iridescent Horror
– Pink Horror Icon Bearer
– Split and Split Again

ENDLESS SPELL
1 x Chronomantic Cogs (70)
1 x Umbral Spellportal (80)
1 x Daemonic Simulacrum (70)

CORE BATTALIONS:
*Battle Regiment
**Command Entourage – Magnificent

TOTAL POINTS: (2000/2000)

The future is here with the new GHB, and the future is pink…at least as far as Disciples of Tzeentch are concerned. With Bounty Hunters gone away, Pink Horrors are very much back on the menu as one of the top tarpits in the game, and Juanma has taken 3 x 10 Pinks to really maximise their board control. In addition, by choosing the sub-faction Host Duplicitous, an enemy can be prevented from retreating if the Tzeentch unit has 10 or more models, keeping them in place for some incoming spells. Host Duplicitous can also bring back 5 Pink Horrors once per game on a 4+, but it’s only once per battle regardless of how many units are destroyed and there’s no re-roll: this is Tzeentch, not Gitz!

Pink Horrors are also an excellent screen for the Galletian Champions that want to be slinging spells from the back lines while scoring battle tactics for not being dead and there is one unit for each of the Champions: Curseling, Magister and Changecaster, with the option to summon in additional Changecasters if necessary. The importance of keeping those Pinks around for as long as possible is clear from the Shield of Fate spell cropping up three times on the list to try and get that 5+ ward save. Arcane Suggestion can also be helpful here, with one of the options that Tzeentch players can pick being to reduce hit and wound rolls by 1. Park the Changecaster or Kairos wholly within 12” of a unit of Pinks, then there is an additional -1 to hit on the unit, meaning that All Out Attack would be wasted. Though still only with a 5+ save, a 5+ save followed by a 5+ ward with -1 to hit and wound makes those little daemons hang around a lot longer than they should. A really hammer unit like 10 chosen can still get through them with double fight, but then they’ll be well within spell range and with no 5+ ward against mortals on their warscroll, that’s a trade that favours the Tzeentch player significantly.

In terms of the tech on each Champion, the Curseling general has Cult Demagogue as their command ability, meaning that a double on the dice makes the first casting roll unbindable (and worth a bonus fate point). While lesser (more honest?) armies would roll the dice, Tzeentch can just pick two Destiny Dice and, even if it’s a pair of twos, the casting value 8 Arcane Sacrifice would still go off. The Curseling also has what seems to be the Aspect of the Champion of choice (at least so far): Tunnel Master. This Aspect allows a model to redeploy anywhere on the battlefield outside of 9” of the enemy during the movement phase instead of moving normally. With some armies, this could leave a hero isolated, but Tzeentch can just summon up some Horrors to be the bodyguard for this unit. On some of the new battle plans, that could mean an extra point here or there to turn a loss into a win or at least a draw in close games.

On the subject of close games, Juanma did really well going 3.5/5 with their only loss being against Teclis and Lumineth Realm Lords and even that was only with an 11-9 differential score (that is, a 1-2 point scoring difference at the end of the game). Three more points across two games could have been enough for the 5-0 at the event, underlining what a great weekend Juanma and the Disciples had.

Army Faction: Nighthaunt
– Army Subfaction: The Quicksilver Dead
– Grand Strategy: Fright or Flight
– Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

LEADER
1 x Krulghast Cruciator (150)*
– General
– Command Traits: Cloaked in Shadow
– Artefacts: Arcane Tome
– Spells: Seal of Shyish
– Aspects of the Champion: Fuelled by Ghurish Rage
1 x Guardian of Souls (150)*
– Chill Blade
– Artefacts: Pendant of the Fell Wind
– Spells: Shademist
1 x Spirit Torment (120)*
1 x Lady Olynder (340)*
– Spells: Shademist

BATTLELINE
5 x Hexwraiths (170)*
– Hellwraith
20 x Dreadscythe Harridans (320)**
– Slasher Crone
10 x Dreadscythe Harridans (160)**
– Slasher Crone
6 x Spirit Hosts (260)**

BEHEMOTH
1 x Black Coach (290)
– Reaper Scythe

CORE BATTALIONS:
*Warlord
**Galletian Veterans

TOTAL POINTS: (1960/2000)

Nice little twist on Nighthaunt, with the less seen Quicksilver Dead. The list also saw the return of the Black Coach and Lady Olynder, both of whom haven’t had a lot of airing with the Scarlet Doom lists. The Nighthaunt face off against Scarlet Doom in round 4, saw a stalemate so we can’t say which is better yet.

Still, other than Olynder, we have all of the usual suspects to increase the Harridan’s resistance. They’re still a great warscroll, so 30 is no hardship, especially with the points increase on Bladegheist. Harridan’s are a bit harder to use, but ideally, you want to get them close and charge. Preferably after inflicting some wounds through either mortals or ranges (another reason for the Black Coach). Charge or shoot a unit with the Black Coach and then hit it with the Harridans, they will now be hitting and wounding on 3s, and cause -1 on to wound rolls, adding protection for themselves, and the Black Coach.

A well thought out list, and fun to play. Bringing some different models to the table, Andres is to be commended.

Army Faction: Soulblight Gravelords
– Army Type: Vyrkos Dynasty
– Grand Strategy: Lust for Domination
– Triumphs: Indomitable

LEADER
1 x Vampire Lord (140)
– General
– Command Traits: Pack Alpha
– Spells: Soulpike
1 x Belladamma Volga (200)*
– Spells: Spirit Gale
1 x Necromancer (130)*
– Artefacts: Arcane Tome
– Spells: Overwhelming Dread
– Bonding: Krondspine Incarnate of Ghur
1 x Vampire Lord (140)*
– Spells: Amethystine Pinions
– Aspects of the Champion: Tunnel Master

BATTLELINE
40 x Deadwalker Zombies (240)*
10 x Dire Wolves (130)*
20 x Deadwalker Zombies (120)*
10 x Dire Wolves (130)*

BEHEMOTH
1 x Krondspine Incarnate of Ghur (480)*

OTHER
20 x Grave Guard (280)*
– Seneschal
– 2 x Standard Bearer
– 2 x Hornblower
– Great Wight Blade

CORE BATTALIONS:
*Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: (1990/2000)

2-2-1 is an odd scoreline, and those must have been some nail-biting games! Guillermo has opted for a slightly heavier GC presence than Soulblight would normally bother with, packing double vamp lords, which makes sense as their Tome Celestial battle tactics are definitely not going to help them with scoring this season.

Now that bounty hunters have gone the way of the dodo, blobs of zombies are back on the menu! Dire Wolves continue to be fantastic either way – and here backed up by Belladamma for the fluffy (pun intended) bodyguard rule they provide.

Sadly, there’s a Spinedog – but to be fair to the ‘Blight, they’re in a tough spot in the new season due to their fragile and slow GCs – until the new book comes out, we may see them struggle, so kudos to Guillermo for a strong finish out of the gate.

Final Tournament Placings