Category Archives: Skaventide

Top Three AoS Lists for Silverstream Smackdown 2

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This is the top three AoS lists for Silverstream Smackdown 2 that took place in New Zealand on the 11th and 12th of March. It involved 26 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

Allegiance: Sylvaneth
Glade: Heartwood
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

LEADERS
Warsong Revenant (300)*
General
– Command Trait: Spellsinger
– Artefact: Arcane Tome
– Lore of the Deepwood: The Dwellers Below
Treelord Ancient (330)*
Lore of the Deepwood: Verdurous Harmony
Arch-Revenant (120)*
Aspect of the Champion: Stubborn as a Rhinox

UNITS
6 x Kurnoth Hunters with Kurnoth Scythes (500)*
3 x Kurnoth Hunters with Kurnoth Greatbows (230)*
3 x Revenant Seekers (240)*
5 x Tree-Revenants (110)*
5 x Tree-Revenants (110)*

ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS
Spiteswarm Hive (40)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Battle Regiment

TOTAL: 1980/2000

This solid list from Lee Wilmot is almost a who’s who of Sylvaneth mainstays. The TLA and WSR combination allows aggression from turn 1, using the free tree placement to enable maximum value Warsong bombs followed by either use of the new realmspell Teeth of Gallet, or Dwellers below for better value on horde units like Squigs or massed cultists. This hero combo works with the strike and fading Kurnoth hunters – buffed by the Spiteswarm Hive – and the revenant seekers to ensure the Sylvaneth hammer is kept healthy and outputting maximum damage while the bows sit on a back objective and pick off wounds, or soften up targets, at artillery ranges. Tree revenants sneak off to pick up objectives and provide shooting protection for the warsong and archrevenant, little scamps that they are.

This lists’ real value is in how few truly poor matchups it has, it is a one drop, can alpha decently and loves the double turn, can score 5/5 Battle tactics consistently and really gives opponents few opportunities to interact with the list on their own terms. Even against lists which push the sylvaneth for board space early, like KotET and BoC the Sylvaneth units are often durable enough to weather the early storm and punch out, or alternatively simply relocate key pieces to safer locations and return to playing the objective game. Well done to Lee on his piloting – 5 games of sylvaneth is quite exhausting and mistakes are heavily punished – he’s done excellently to manage the tournament win with a 4-1-0!

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Allegiance: Beasts of Chaos
Greatfray: Darkwalkers
– Grand Strategy: Protect the Herdstone
– Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

LEADERS
Doombull (160)*
– General
– Command Trait: Bestial Cunning
– Artefact: Brayblast Trumpet
– Aspect of the Champion: Tunnel Master
Great Bray-Shaman (95)*
Lore of the Twisted Wilds: Wild Rampage

UNITS
10 x Ungors (80)*
Mauls & Half-Shields
20 x Ungor Raiders (230)*
6 x Bullgors (390)*
Pairs of Axes
10 x Ungor Raiders (115)*
6 x Beasts of Chaos Tzaangor Enlightened on Discs of Tzeentch (430)*

BEHEMOTHS
Krondspine Incarnate of Ghur (480)*
Allies

CORE BATTALIONS
*Battle Regiment

TOTAL: 1980/2000

Brett: With the new book Beasts haven’t set the world on fire but are providing consistent results even if a little back from their recent peak. Jimmy has gone with the Ungors and a Doombull which aren’t common picks but they have their reasons. The Ungors (and Ungor Raiders) are relatively cheap and meet battleline leaving enough points for an Incarnate. That’s important. With BoC’s herdstone increasing rend on turns 2 and 4 you don’t want to commit too early. Because BoC can ambush (deploy to reserve and bring them on in the first or second round) and fade into the shadows (teleport from within 9″ of the board edge to another location 9″ from the board edge and 9″ from enemy units) they can hide very well. But to do that you need something for your opponent to focus on – the Incarnate.

They need at least 2 rounds to do that and that means you can wait until you have at least -1 rend on everything to commit. The Tzaangors can still score a Battle Tactic first round (Desecrate seems likely) while your opponent tries to deal with the Incarnate. If they don’t then he can make their life hell pretty quickly. Still the list might be a little slow without the teleport. They have access to book tactics which are pretty competitive. The Doombull’s had a bit of a glow up, one of his most useful talents is a command that allows a unit to charge in the combat phase – avoiding unleash hell. He’s a Tunnel Master (teleport) and can use his trumpet to summon Ugors (or raiders) to the cause. The Bray Shaman is along to provide exploding 6s. If anything is alive to reach -3 rend from the Bullgors or Doombull (turn 4) pretty much nothing on the opponents army is going to survive.

Only drawing to Sylvaneth and otherwise winning all of his matches is a great effort. Sylvaneth with their fire and fade, mortal wounds and desire to make you come to them is a solid counter. Otherwise an unblemished run with a new books is a great effort.

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Allegiance: Skaven
– Mortal Realm: Ghur
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumphs:

LEADERS
Verminlord Corruptor (350)*
General
– Command Trait: Devious Adversary
– Artefact: Blade of Corruption
– Universal Spell Lore: Flaming Weapon
Grey Seer (120)*
Lore of Ruin: Death Frenzy
Master Moulder (90)*
– Artefact: Rabid Crown
– Aspect of the Champion: Tunnel Master

UNITS
20 x Clanrats (100)*
– Rusty Blade
– 1 x Standard Bearers
– 1 x Standard Bell Ringers
20 x Clanrats (100)**
Rusty Blade
– 1 x Standard Bearers
– 1 x Standard Bell Ringers
6 x Rat Ogors (420)
10 x Gutter Runners (200)**
10 x Gutter Runners (200)**

BEHEMOTHS
Hell Pit Abomination (210)
Hell Pit Abomination (210)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Warlord
**Galletian Sharpshooters

ADDITIONAL ENHANCEMENTS
Artefact

TOTAL: 2000/2000

We’re honoured to have Skaven aficionado and all-around top bloke Kieren Coates join our team. Kieren is well known on the tournament circuit down under and has featured in past editions of our top three. Who better to talk about the ratmen than him?!

Kieren Coates: A classic mixed arms MSU list with the unique twist of no clan Skryre, the list features 6 independently operating threats able to choke up the board while dealing surprisingly large amounts of damage.

Opting against the 1 drop race, the list has no issues in being forced to go first with 6 rat ogres able to hop through a gnawhole with death frenzy, mystic shield, +1 to wound and +3 to charge, leaving it with an impressive 82% chance to land its charge with one reroll.

If youre able to piece through 36 wounds of pure rat meat, that will fight on death to trade back you may just be unlucky enough for the Master Moulder to roll a 3+ upon the units death to bring the whole pack back to life again for round 2

Even beyond the alpha rat ogres, there is still 20 gutter runners skirmishing with ranged mortals, 2 hell pits ready to clear out any hordes or MSU which are not able to piece through 14 wounds in one swing, one of which is likely to get a mutation for 16 wounds at a 4+ save. at only 210 points, it’s incredibly efficient, and when it dies for some unfortunate souls, it has a 1/3 chance to come back to life with D6 wounds ready to swing again.

If you do manage to hit through respawning, death frenzied rate ogres, skirmished gutter runners and horde clearing hell pits, you still have to deal with the big boss which is the verminlord corruptor with the blade of corruption, 2D6 + 2 attacks (with command trait), often hitting at 2’s, 2’s, -2 rend, 2 damage with 6’s to wound being a whopping rend 3 damage 6. Did I mention he has another horde clearing spell to back up the two hell pits?

Once youre through all of that the real humble MVP of skaven, 40 clanrats for 200 points holding the objectives still need to be dealt with, healing D3 clanrats per pack in every battleshock phase.

Overall it’s lots of melle power with chance to revive, horde clearing power and MSU skirmish combined that many lists cant manage to crack through – well done to Locky

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Allegiance: Idoneth Deepkin
– Enclave: Nautilar
– Mortal Realm: Ghur
– Grand Strategy: The Creeping Gloomtide
– Triumphs: Inspired

LEADERS
Sokatra, Leviadon Keeper (140)*
Isharann Tidecaster
Lore of the Deeps: Steed of Tides
– Aspect of the Champion: Stubborn as a Rhinox
Allopleuron The Turtle Emperor (250)*
Akhelian King
General
– Command Trait: Unstoppable Fury
– Bladed Polearm
– Artefact: Arcane Tome
– Universal Spell Lore: Flaming Weapon

UNITS
Turtle Trappers (170)*
10 x Namarti Reavers

BEHEMOTHS
Archelon the Ancient (460)*
Akhelian Leviadon
Mount Trait: Ancient
– Idoneth Deepkin Battleline (Enclave: Nautilar)
Carbonemys the Cleaver (460)*
Akhelian Leviadon
Idoneth Deepkin Battleline (Enclave: Nautilar)
Definitely also a Turtle (480)*
Krondspine Incarnate of Ghur
Allies

ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS
Malevolent Maelstrom (30)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Battle Regiment

TOTAL: 1990/2000

Monster mash hasn’t been the soup of the day for a couple seasons, so it’s nice to see a few heavies make their way back into the Idoneth’s menu. The turtles are going to be very heavy hitters, especially in Nautilar where they count as batteline and get a monstrous action increasing the rend on two of their weapon profiles to -3. Ancient is present to get some extra durability out of the first turtle, but both are there to absorb damage and dish it back out.

The third “turtle” is a krondspine. The addition of the Arcane tome means that the incarnate can be bonded to either the King or the Tidecaster, depending on what the match requires. The lack of druability on Idoneth’s heroes also opens up the option of getting the Incarnate as afar away from the friendly units as possible then just shrugging your shoulders when the bonded hero eventually dies.

Past there the list is self-explanatory. The King does King things. The Tidecaster casts some tides (Steed of, specifically). The reavers fill out the last battleline slot, and act as a decent harassing unit, with the ability to make good use of the turtles’ auras.

Final Tournament Placings

Top Three AoS Lists for the Norsehammer Open

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This is the top three AoS lists for the Norseshammer Open that took place in Norway on the 4th and 5th of March. It involved 36 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

Allegiance: Skaven
Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumphs:

Leaders
Thanquol on Boneripper (430)*
– 4 Warpfire Projectors
– Lore of Ruin: Skitterleap
Verminlord Warbringer (400)**
General
– Command Trait: Devious Adversary
– Artefact: Warpstone Charm
– Universal Spell Lore: Flaming Weapon
Warlock Bombardier (110)*
Lore of Warpvolt Galvanism: More-more-more Warp Power!
Clawlord (110)*
– Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
– Universal Spell Lore: Flaming Weapon
– Aspect of the Champion: Fuelled by Ghurish Rage

Battleline
20 x Clanrats (100)**
Rusty Blade
– 1x Standard Bearers
– 1x Standard Bell Ringers
20 x Clanrats (100)**
Rusty Blade
– 1x Standard Bearers
– 1x Standard Bell Ringers
6 x Stormfiends (640)**
– 2x Windlaunchers
– 2x Ratling Cannons
– 2x Doomflayer Gauntlets
– Reinforced x 1

Units
1 x Warp-Grinder (60)*

Endless Spells & Invocations
Lauchon the Soulseeker (50)

Terrain
3 x Gnawholes

Core Battalions
*Warlord
**Battle Regiment

Total: 2000 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 1 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 116
Drops: 5

Peter: Luckily, one of our Discord members had seen that Ben had discussed his list on the AoS Coach Discord channel. We reached out and asked if we could use the comments on Woehammer. Ben kindly agreed.

Benjamin Flodda: This was my list this weekend testing the rats for upcoming teams tournaments mostly. Nice bonus to go through the weekend undefeated! I think the list is pretty strong and has play into most things, although it’s pretty fragile and it doesn’t take too much poor positioning for things to start to fall apart. But played carefully, I think it has legs.

So, the warpgrinder is basically to give yourself some deployment flexibility. It gives one-drop opponents something to worry about in their deployment if they plan to give away first, and it requires them to always zone out the rattling cannons. Once the fiends are on the table, they are way too easy to play around imo. So they mostly go in deep strike regardless, although deepstriking clanrats is definitely valid in some cases. And if you place the grinder close to a gnawhole it’s amazing how many points it can score you late-game.

The most fun thing in the list is definitely the clawlord combined with arcane tome and launchon. Everybody expects the boat to be for thanquol (which it certainly can be), but early game you can sling the clawlord into the opponent with the boat (taking a mortal which gives him an extra attack) and with double death frenzy, flaming weapon and with +2 attacks from devious adversary. You can shoot down a screen and often get into fun stuff, turn 1, and with +1 to hit and wound from the warbringer, he can really do work! If you then position him within 3 of something after he fought, if he dies he can fight (this time with 13 attacks on 2+ 2+ and damage 3) or he rolls a 3+ and survives, at which point he can fight in the following hero phase AND when he dies. That little dude took down a megagargant on his own this weekend.

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Allegiance: Fyreslayers
– Lodge: Greyfyrd
– Grand Strategy: Master of the Forge
– Triumphs: Indomitable

Leaders
Auric Runefather on Magmadroth (360)**
General
– Command Trait: Blood of the Berzerker
– Artefact: Draught of Magmalt Ale
– Magmadroth Trait: Coal-heart Ancient
Auric Runesmiter (120)**
Forge Key
– Artefact: Ash-cloud Rune
– Prayer: Prayer of Ash
Auric Runemaster (130)**
– Artefact: Volatile Brazier
– Universal Prayer Scripture: Heal
– Aspect of the Champion: Tunnel Master
Auric Flamekeeper (90)***
Battlesmith (150)***
– Artefact: Nulsidian Icon
– Aspect of the Champion: Leadership of the Alpha
Doomseeker (80)**
Knight-Incantor (120)***
Allies

Battleline
15 x Hearthguard Berzerkers (450)*
Broadaxes
– Reinforced x 2
10 x Hearthguard Berzerkers (300)*
Poleaxes
– Reinforced x 1
10 x Vulkite Berzerkers with Bladed Slingshields (150)***

Endless Spells & Invocations
Runic Fyrewall (40)

Core Battalions
*Galletian Veterans
**Warlord
***Warlord

Additional Enhancements
Artefact – Greyfyrd
Artefact – Greyfyrd
Artefact – Warlord**
Aspect of the Champion – Warlord ***

Total: 1990 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 3 / 4
Allies: 120 / 400
Wounds: 117
Drops: 10

Kevin Lathers: The current GHB is starting to hit its stride and has allowed Greyfyrd to finally shine. This subfaction was always popular, but seldom winning, and now that’s changed. It gives Galletian Champions one extra wound and also two extra artefacts. That’s hard to pass up in the current GHN and Duardin glimmerlust always shines for more treasures.

Ole’s list has some interesting inclusions, particularly a Knight-Incantor and a Doomseeker. The Doomseeker is a cheap GC that can occasionally slap something hard if it can get near its “target.” The Knight-Incantor is a utility piece: he provides an automatic unbind for those pesky Lumineth, Skaven (and indeed, he saw two), and Sylvaneth matches while also giving the army a spellcaster for mystic shield. The biggest oddity here is the “Ash-Cloud Rune” which can block spell casting from targeting units wholly within 12” of the user for a turn. A very situational item that means he was very worried about spellcasting.

But the main crux of his list is the Hearthguard Berserkers and Runefather on Magmadroth. While the Hearthguard Berserkers can hold points and shred anything charging them, the DadDroth is the ultimate in Hammer Technology and with Blood of the Berserker can remove any one threat almost guaranteed. A common setup for the Droth is to use the rend rune, enhance it with the heroic action (or finest hour if the rune enhanced or you don’t need more rend), pray for +1 to wound rolls from the Runesmiter, and send him in as a missile of death. 

The Hearthguard Berserkers see the common mix of one unit of poleaxes and one of broad. The broadaxes being buffed by a flamekeeper and benefitting from runes while Poleaxes provide much needed mortal wounds into matchups like Nighthaunt. The flamekeeper can really make Broadaxes shine giving them 3 damage swings, charge in their opponent’s combat phase, or fight on death.

The rest of the list reads as the usual suspects: Runemaster for prayers and fyrewall; Runesmiter for deepstrike and/or Runic Empowerment; and a Nulsidian Battlesmith for spell blocking and wards on the non-HGB.

Overall, the list is going to be a brick on objectives with a dangerous hammer inside.

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

Leaders
Knight-Incantor (120)*
Spell: Celestial Blades
Lord-Relictor (150)*
General
– Command Trait: High Priest
– Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
– Spell: Thundershock
– Prayer: Translocation
– Aspect of the Champion: Tunnel Master
Battlemage (100)*
– Mortal Realm: Ghur
– Allies

Battleline
4 x Dracothian Guard Fulminators (480)*
Reinforced x 1
5 x Liberators (120)*
Heavens-wrought Weapon and Shield
5 x Vanquishers (110)*

Units
6 x Vanguard-Raptors with Longstrike Crossbows (480)*
Reinforced x 1
10 x Protectors (440)*
– 4x Starsoul Maces
– Reinforced x 1

Core Battalions
*Battle Regiment

Additional Enhancements
Holy Command: Call for Aid

Total: 2000 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 3 / 4
Allies: 100 / 400
Wounds: 102
Drops: 1

Brett; Classic, at least in this meta, Stormcast (SCE) list giving probably the best combined arms approach in the current game. Except artillery of course but a combination of hammers from Cavalry (Fulminators), Fire support (Raptors – since artillery really isn’t an AoS “thing”) and Infantry (Protectors). Fulminators going up 10 points have made a lot of people look to Desolators and Tempestors but Fulminators on the charge are still the most consistent high damage hammer around. With Celestial Blades from the Knight Incantor and all out defence they are still hitting on 2s and wounding on 2s with -2 rend and 3 damage. Slightly down with the loss of Bounty Hunters they are good enough to make your opponent either tar pit them (looking at you Gitz) or try to manoeuvre around them.

The Protectors have similar tech piece and are another target for the same buffs. They really benefit from the Battlemage (+2 to movement/charge) and Lord Relictor giving them teleport with an effective 7″ charge. And Starsoul maces, mortals on a 2+. They are a great defensive unit as well with 2+ saves. The problem is that both the Fulminators and the Protectors need to charge and are vulnerable to Unleash Hell. And that brings the Raptors out to play. Their long range shooting could remove screens or, just as easily most other ranged units. Scions of the Storm so they can be kept in reserve, Liberators and even Protectors for screens if they are on the board and really only Sentinels to outrange them.

Has to be said that the Lord Relictor is a very busy fellow, what with prayers, spells and Tunnel Master as well as being the general. That’s a weakness of this list in the Galletian Champion era, all of these heroes are needed elsewhere and none are stellar in combat. Losing only to Lumineth in the second round and coming in a very respectable 3rd Simen proves there is still some life in SCE. Can they get a 2nd book this edition already please?

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Allegiance: Sylvaneth
– Glade: Winterleaf
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Seasons of war: The Dwindling

Leaders
Warsong Revenant (300)*
General
– Command Trait: Spellsinger
– Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
– Lore of the Deepwood: Verdurous Harmony
– Aspect of the Champion: Tunnel Master
Battlemage (100)*
Mortal Realm: Ghur
– Universal Spell Lore: Flaming Weapon
– Allies

Battleline
20 x Dryads (200)*
Reinforced x 1
10 x Dryads (100)*
5 x Tree-Revenants (110)*

Units
6 x Kurnoth Hunters with Kurnoth Scythes (500)*
Reinforced x 1
10 x Gossamid Archers (420)*
Reinforced x 1

Behemoths
Treelord (230)*

Endless Spells & Invocations
Spiteswarm Hive (40)

Core Battalions
*Battle Regiment

Total: 2000 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 3 / 4
Allies: 100 / 400
Wounds: 116
Drops: 1

A nice ‘sampling platter’ list here from Thomas. As ever, the core threats are a big blob of Scythe-noth and a Warsong Rev to handle the arcane side of things. Now, traditionally, Kurnoth are pretty ponderous, but with +3 to normal moves *and* charges from the Spiteswarm Hive, and an additional +3 from the Ghurish Battlemage, they now have an average threat range of 21″ – which is somewhat scarier. Of course, because of when both these spells proc, it means the Hunters also retain their charge bonuses if they choose to teleport – so really, very little of the board is safe, and if you don’t have adequate screens or a way to delete the Kurnoth (much more easily said than done given their durability), then you can expect these things to reap the rewards.

The rest of the list is basically supporting tech – a lone Treelord to fill the behemoth slot of the batreg while also offering Rampage access and the sneaky ‘enemy can’t pile in’ tech – Gossamids (reinforced no less!!) to potentially force melee armies to curl up and cry every time they want to charge something useful, or threaten a fair chance of some nasty spike damage – and plenty of dryads for board control and further screening. Never understimate how powerful -1 to hit and wound is by the way – doesn’t matter if you have a rubbish save if you don’t have to roll any dice.

Well done to Thomas for the 4-1 with a balanced list.

Final Tournament Placings

Top 3 Lists BCP Megapost 26th February 2023

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I thought as Woehammer often struggles to get all the event results out for any given week, it may be a good idea to do one post with all of the lists we intended to cover.

Below, you’ll find all the top three lists this week (that we’re aware of), along with my wildcard choices. We will post individual event results as well, and I will link them to the results below where possible.

Events

  • Warhammer World: Matched Play Event Top 3 Article: Here
    • 1st – Fyreslayers (Greyfyrd)
    • 2nd – Gloomspite Gitz (Jaws of Mork)
    • 3rd – Maggotkin of Nurgle (Blessed Sons)
    • Wildcard – Ossiarch Bonereapers (Petrifex Elite)
  • Cherokee Open Top 3 Article: Here
    • 1st – Gloomspite Gitz (Jaws of Mork)
    • 2nd – Stormcast Eternals (Hammers of Sigmar)
    • 3rd – Lumineth Realm-Lords (Helon)
    • Wildcard – Skaven
  • Small Town Throwdown: Smoke on the Water Top 3 Article: Here
    • 1st – Big Waaagh!
    • 2nd – Blades of Khorne (Reapers of Vengeance)
    • 3rd – Idoneth Deepkin (Nautilar)
    • Wildcard – Slaves to Darkness (Legion of the First Prince)
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Warhammer World: Matched Play Event (UK) – 74 Players

Allegiance: Fyreslayers
– Lodge: Greyfyrd
– Mortal Realm: Aqshy
– Grand Strategy: Master of the Forge
– Triumphs: Indomitable

Leaders
Auric Runefather (120)*
– General
– Command Trait: Spirit of Grimnir
– Artefact: Axe of Grimnir
– Aspect of the Champion: Tunnel Master
Auric Flamekeeper (90)***
Auric Flamekeeper (90)***
Battlesmith (150)***
Artefact: Nulsidian Icon
– Aspect of the Champion: Fuelled by Ghurish Rage
Auric Runemaster (130)***
Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
– Universal Spell Lore: Ghost-mist
– Universal Prayer Scripture: Curse
Auric Runesmiter (120)***
– Runic Iron
– Prayer: Ember Storm

Battleline
15 x Hearthguard Berzerkers (450)*
Poleaxes
– Reinforced x 2
30 x Vulkite Berzerkers with Fyresteel Handaxes (480)**
Reinforced x 2
10 x Vulkite Berzerkers with Fyresteel Handaxes (160)**
10 x Vulkite Berzerkers with Bladed Slingshields (150)***

Endless Spells & Invocations
Runic Fyrewall (40)

Core Battalions
*Galletian Command
**Galletian Veterans
***Warlord

Additional Enhancements
Aspect of the Champion

Total: 1980 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 4 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 162
Drops: 10

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Allegiance: Gloomspite Gitz
– Gittish Horde: Jaws of Mork
– Grand Strategy: Chasing the Moon
– Triumphs: Indomitable

Leaders
Fungoid Cave-Shaman (90)*
General
– Command Trait: The Clammy Hand
– Artefact: Moonface Mommet
– Lore of the Moonclans: The Hand of Gork
– Aspect of the Champion: Tunnel Master
Grinkrak The Great (190)*
Skragrott, The Loonking (160)*
Lore of the Moonclans: Nikkit!Nikkit!
Squigboss with Gnasha-squig (80)**
Squigboss with Gnasha-squig (80)**

Battleline
20 x Moonclan Shootas (125)*
20 x Moonclan Shootas (125)*
36 x Squig Herd (360)**
Reinforced x 2
36 x Squig Herd (360)**
Reinforced x 2

Units
1 x Marshcrawla Sloggoth (150)*
6 x Grinkrak’s Looncourt (0)*
5 x Gobbapalooza (145)**
Spell1: Lore of the Moonclans: Itchy Nuisance
6 x Sneaky Snufflers (110)**

Core Battalions
*Battle Regiment
**Battle Regiment

Total: 1975 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 4 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 250
Drops: 2

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Army Faction: Maggotkin of Nurgle
Army Subfaction: Blessed Sons
– Grand Strategy: Blessed Desecration
– Triumphs: Inspired

LEADER
1 x Be’lakor (355)
1 x Lord of Plagues (140)*
Artefacts: Arcane Tome
– Spells: Gift of Disease
– Aspects of the Champion: Tunnel Master
1 x Bloab Rotspawned (320)*
Spells: Blades of Putrefaction
1 x Lord of Afflictions (230)*
General
– Command Traits: Overpowering Stench
– Incubatch
– Dolorous Tocsin
– Artefacts: The Splithorn Helm
1 x Orghotts Daemonspew (320)**

BATTLELINE
5 x Putrid Blightkings (250)**
Blightlord
– Icon Bearer
– Sonorous Tocsin Bearer
5 x Putrid Blightkings (250)**
Blightlord
– Icon Bearer
– Sonorous Tocsin Bearer
10 x Rotmire Creed (130)**

TERRAIN
1 x Feculent Gnarlmaw (0)

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

TOTAL POINTS: (1995/2000)

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Allegiance: Ossiarch Bonereapers
– Legion: Petrifex Elite
– Grand Strategy: The Day is Ours!
– Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

LEADERS
Liege-Kavalos (160)*
General
– Command Trait: Mighty Archaeossian
– Artefact: Helm of the Ordained
Mortisan Soulmason (120)*
Lore of Mortisans: Arcane Command
Mortisan Boneshaper (110)*
Artefact: Godbone Armour
– Lore of Mortisans: Drain Vitality
– Aspect of the Champion: Tunnel Master

UNITS
6 x Necropolis Stalkers (340)**
– 2 x Dread Falchions
6 x Necropolis Stalkers (340)**
– 2 x Dread Falchions
10 x Mortek Guard (140)
Nadirite Blade and Shield
10 x Mortek Guard (140)*
Nadirite Blade and Shield
5 x Kavalos Deathriders (180)
– Nadirite Blade and Shield

ARTILLERY
Mortek Crawler (200)
Mortek Crawler (200)

ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS
Bone-tithe Shrieker (50)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Warlord
**Galletian Veterans

ADDITIONAL ENHANCEMENTS
Artefact

TOTAL: 1980/2000

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Cherokee Open (US) – 79 Players

Army Faction: Gloomspite Gitz
Army Subfaction: Jaws of Mork
– Grand Strategy: Chasing the Moon
– Triumphs: Indomitable

LEADER
1 x Squigboss (80)*
Aspects of the Champion: Fuelled by Ghurish Rage
1 x Skragrott, the Loonking (160)*
Spells: Itchy Nuisance
1 x Fungoid Cave-Shaman (90)*
– General
– Command Traits: The Clammy Hand
– Artefacts: Staff of Sneaky Stealin’
– Spells: The Hand of Gork

BATTLELINE
10 x Boingrot Bounderz (280)
Bounder Boss
10 x Boingrot Bounderz (280)*
– Bounder Boss
36 x Squig Herd (360)**
12 x Squig Herd (120)**

BEHEMOTH
1 x Mangler Squigs (260)

ENDLESS SPELL
1 x Scrapskuttle’s Arachnacauldron (50)

TERRAIN
1 x Bad Moon Loonshrine (0)

OTHER
1 x Marshcrawla Sloggoth (150)
6 x Sneaky Snufflers (110)

CORE BATTALIONS:
*Warlord
**Galletian Veterans

TOTAL POINTS: (1940/2000)

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Army Faction: Stormcast Eternals
Army Type: Scions of the Storm
– Army Subfaction: Hammers of Sigmar
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Holy Commands: Thunderbolt Volley
– Holy Commands: Call for Aid
– Triumphs: Inspired

LEADER
1 x Bastian Carthalos (300)**
1 x Lord-Relictor (150)**
Prayers: Translocation
1 x Lord-Castellant (160)**
General
– Command Traits: Master of Magic
– Artefacts: Arcane Tome
– Spells: Thundershock
– Aspects of the Champion: Tunnel Master

BATTLELINE
4 x Dracothian Guard Fulminators (480)**
5 x Liberators (120)***
Liberator-Prime
– Heavens-wrought Weapon and Sigmarite Shield
– Grandweapon
5 x Liberators (120)***
Liberator-Prime
– Grandweapon
– Heavens-wrought Weapon and Sigmarite Shield
5 x Liberators (120)***
Liberator-Prime
– Grandweapon
– Heavens-wrought Weapon and Sigmarite Shield

OTHER
3 x Aetherwings (70)*
3 x Vanguard-Raptors with Longstrike Crossbows (240)*
Raptor-Prime
3 x Vanguard-Raptors with Longstrike Crossbows (240)*
Raptor-Prime

CORE BATTALIONS:
*Galletian Sharpshooters
**Warlord
***Galletian Veterans

TOTAL POINTS: (2000/2000)

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Army Faction: Lumineth Realm-lords
Army Subfaction: Helon
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumphs: Inspired

LEADER
1 x Archmage Teclis (700)*
1 x Scinari Calligrave (110)*
Spells: Overwhelming Heat
– Aspects of the Champion: Stubborn as a Rhinox
1 x Scinari Cathallar (110)*
General
– Command Traits: Master of Magic
– Artefacts: Silver Wand
– Spells: Total Eclipse

BATTLELINE
5 x Hurakan Windchargers (130)*
Windspeaker Seneschal
– Standard Bearer
5 x Hurakan Windchargers (130)*
– Windspeaker Seneschal
– Standard Bearer
20 x Vanari Auralan Sentinels (300)*
– High Sentinel
– Spells: Protection of Hysh
10 x Vanari Auralan Wardens (150)*
High Warden
– Spells: Etheral Blessings
10 x Vanari Auralan Wardens (150)*
High Warden
– Spells: Solar Flare

ENDLESS SPELL
1 x Umbral Spellportal (80)
1 x Ravenak’s Gnashing Jaws (70)
1 x Rune of Petrification (60)

CORE BATTALIONS:
*Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: (1990/2000)

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Army Faction: Skaven
Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

LEADER
1 x Verminlord Deceiver (420)
Artefacts: Shadow Magnet Trinket
– Spells: Flaming Weapon
1 x Verminlord Warbringer (400)*
General
– Command Traits: Devious Adversary
– Artefacts: Warpstone Charm
– Spells: Flaming Weapon
1 x Grey Seer (120)**
Spells: Skitterleap
1 x Grey Seer (120)**
Spells: Skitterleap
Aspects of the Champion: Tunnel Master
1 x Thanquol (430)**
– 4 x Warpfire Projectors
– Spells: Skitterleap

BATTLELINE
10 x Night Runners (90)*
Nightleader
20 x Clanrats (100)*
Clawleader
– 2 x Clanrat Standard Bearer
– 2 x Clanrat Bell-ringer
– Rusty Blade
20 x Clanrats (100)*
Clawleader
– 2 x Clanrat Standard Bearer
– 2 x Clanrat Bell-ringer
– Rusty Blade

ENDLESS SPELL
1 x Warp Lightning Vortex (80)
1 x Ravenak’s Gnashing Jaws (70)
1 x Lauchon the Soulseeker (50)

TERRAIN
1 x Gnawhole (0)

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

TOTAL POINTS: (1980/2000)

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Small Town Throwdown: Smoke on the Water (US) – 30 Players

Army Faction: Orruk Warclans
Army Type: Big Waaagh!
– Grand Strategy: Waaagh!
– Triumph: Bloodthirsty

LEADERS
Orruk Warchanter (120)*
– General
– Command Traits: Master of Magic
– Artefacts of Power: Arcane Tome
– Spells: Da Great Big Green Hand of Gork
– Warbeats: Fixin’ Beat
Orruk Warchanter (120)*
Warbeats: Get ’Em Beat
Skragrott, the Loonking (160)*
Orruk Megaboss (140)**
Wurrgog Prophet (170)**
Artefacts of Power: Glowin’ Tattooz
– Spells: Gorkamorka’s War Cry
Wurrgog Prophet (170)**
Artefacts of Power: Gryph-feather Charm
– Spells: Gorkamorka’s War Cry
– Aspects of the Champion: Abhorrant Ghoul King

BATTLELINE
Moonclan Stabbas (125)*
Moonclan Boss
– Bad Moon Icon Bearer
– Gong Basher
– Stabba
– 3 Barbed Nets
Orruk Ardboys (80)**
Orruk Ardboys (240)***
Ardboy Boss
– 3 x Gorkamorka Glyph Bearer
– 3 x Waaagh! Drummer
– 6 x Orruk-forged Shield
Orruk Brutes (450)***
Brute Boss
– Jagged Gore-hacka
Orruk Brutes (150)***
Brute Boss
– Jagged Gore-hacka

ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS
1 x Ravenak’s Gnashing Jaws (70)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Warlord
**Warlord
***Galletian Veterans

TOTAL POINTS: 1995/2000

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Allegiance: Khorne
Slaughterhost: Reapers of Vengeance
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumphs: Charge

Leaders
Bloodthirster of Insensate Rage (280)*
Artefact: Armour of Scorn
Bloodthirster of Unfettered Fury (300)***
General
– Command Trait: Mage Eater
– Artefact: Skullshard Mantle
Skarbrand (390)
Slaughterpriest (100)*
Prayer: Blood Sacrifice
Skarr Bloodwrath (110)*
Slaughterpriest (100)**
Prayer: +1 to hit
– Aspect of the Champion: Tunnel Master

Battleline
5 x Flesh Hounds (100)***
5 x Flesh Hounds (100)***
5 x Flesh Hounds (100)**

Units
9 x The Unmade (80)*

Behemoths
Cygor (210)***

Endless Spells & Invocations
Wrath-Axe (70)
Skulls (50)

Core Battalions
*Warlord
**Vanguard
***Battle Regiment

Additional Enhancements
Artefact

Total: 1990 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 0 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Drops: 8

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Allegiance: Idoneth Deepkin
Enclave: Nautilar
– Mortal Realm: Ghur
– Grand Strategy: The Creeping Gloomtide
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Akhelian King (250)*
General
– Bladed Polearm
– Command Trait: Unstoppable Fury
– Artefact: Potion of Hateful Frenzy
– Mount Trait: Voidchill Darkness
Lotann, Warden of the Soul Ledgers (110)*
Battlemage (100)*
Mortal Realm: Ghur
– Universal Spell Lore: Ghost-mist
– Aspect of the Champion: Stubborn as a Rhinox
– Allies

Battleline
6 x Akhelian Morrsarr Guard (360)*
Reinforced x 1
20 x Namarti Reavers (340)**
Reinforced x 1
10 x Namarti Reavers (170)**
10 x Namarti Reavers (170)**
Akhelian Leviadon (460)*
Mount Trait: Ancient

Core Battalions
*Battle Regiment
**Galletian Sharpshooters

Total: 1960 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 2 / 4
Allies: 100 / 400
Wounds: 97
Drops: 4

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Army Faction: Slaves to Darkness
Army Subfaction: Legion of the First Prince
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumphs: Inspired

LEADER
1 x Centaurion Marshal (145)*
– Artefacts: The Conqueror’s Crown
1 x Chaos Sorcerer Lord (120)*
General
– Command Traits: Master of Magic
– Artefacts: Arcane Tome
– Spells: Chaotic Conduit
– Aspects of the Champion: Fuelled by Ghurish Rage
– Mark of Chaos: Slaanesh
1 x Eternus, Blade of the First Prince (235)*
1 x Be’lakor (355)***
Spells: Daemonic Speed

BATTLELINE
24 x Chaos Legionnaires (330)**
6 x Furies (90)**
6 x Furies (90)***

BEHEMOTH
1 x Chaos Warshrine (185)***
– Prayers: Curse
– Mark of Chaos: Slaanesh

OTHER
1 x Cockatrice (105)*
3 x Gorebeast Chariots (345)***
Exalted Charioteer
– 3 x Chaos Greatblade and Lashing Whip
– Mark of Chaos: Undivided

CORE BATTALIONS:
*Warlord
**Galletian Veterans
***Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: (2000/2000)

Top Three Aos Lists for the Cherokee Open

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Tournament that took place in the USA on the 25th and 26th February. It involved 79 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?

Cherokee Open (US) – 79 Players

Army Faction: Gloomspite Gitz
Army Subfaction: Jaws of Mork
– Grand Strategy: Chasing the Moon
– Triumphs: Indomitable

LEADER
1 x Squigboss (80)*
Aspects of the Champion: Fuelled by Ghurish Rage
1 x Skragrott, the Loonking (160)*
Spells: Itchy Nuisance
1 x Fungoid Cave-Shaman (90)*
– General
– Command Traits: The Clammy Hand
– Artefacts: Staff of Sneaky Stealin’
– Spells: The Hand of Gork

BATTLELINE
10 x Boingrot Bounderz (280)
Bounder Boss
10 x Boingrot Bounderz (280)*
– Bounder Boss
36 x Squig Herd (360)**
12 x Squig Herd (120)**

BEHEMOTH
1 x Mangler Squigs (260)

ENDLESS SPELL
1 x Scrapskuttle’s Arachnacauldron (50)

TERRAIN
1 x Bad Moon Loonshrine (0)

OTHER
1 x Marshcrawla Sloggoth (150)
6 x Sneaky Snufflers (110)

CORE BATTALIONS:
*Warlord
**Galletian Veterans

TOTAL POINTS: (1940/2000)

Dale returns with back to back 5-0s with Gloomspite Gitz. So there’s definitely something in the book. For those who didn’t catch that review, here’s what I said last time:

Dale has gone with Squigs for his main force with Bounders providing some great Spears of damage and the Squig Herd doing mortals when they run away, and the herders can get them back. The lack of command abilities on them worries me, however, a little as people get used to the army… especially with shooting. The buff pieces all have a place as well, with Squigs getting free moves, the moon doing as required, and 5+ward on one unit. It definitely requires some memory to keep all the moving parts in your head.

So, what to add? Well let’s use the time to talk about Skragrott:

Warscroll from Games Workshop via Wahapedia

He’s got loads of new abilities; most of which are build on the previous book. First up he’s a Warmaster so counts as a General in the army as well as your selected one. Great for Command Ability ranges. He’s still a 2 cast Wizard but he’s been reading those books in the last 3 years and now knows the full Lore (if in a Gloomspite List). This is great if the Fungoid is better placed to use his Hand of Gork.

He loses his extra command points, but gets a free command ability each turn – a great substitute. For me the best addition is that he also shines the Light of the Bad Moon so there’s a third source for the benefits – moon, shrine, Skragrott. He retains his 4+ ward and can move the moon… and then his new spell is great! 24″ mortal wound causer — you’re going to want some Mystic Terrain. I’ll do a deep dive into the Warscroll in the future, but he’s now a great addition to any Gitz army.

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Army Faction: Stormcast Eternals
Army Type: Scions of the Storm
– Army Subfaction: Hammers of Sigmar
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Holy Commands: Thunderbolt Volley
– Holy Commands: Call for Aid
– Triumphs: Inspired

LEADER
1 x Bastian Carthalos (300)**
1 x Lord-Relictor (150)**
Prayers: Translocation
1 x Lord-Castellant (160)**
General
– Command Traits: Master of Magic
– Artefacts: Arcane Tome
– Spells: Thundershock
– Aspects of the Champion: Tunnel Master

BATTLELINE
4 x Dracothian Guard Fulminators (480)**
5 x Liberators (120)***
Liberator-Prime
– Heavens-wrought Weapon and Sigmarite Shield
– Grandweapon
5 x Liberators (120)***
Liberator-Prime
– Grandweapon
– Heavens-wrought Weapon and Sigmarite Shield
5 x Liberators (120)***
Liberator-Prime
– Grandweapon
– Heavens-wrought Weapon and Sigmarite Shield

OTHER
3 x Aetherwings (70)*
3 x Vanguard-Raptors with Longstrike Crossbows (240)*
Raptor-Prime
3 x Vanguard-Raptors with Longstrike Crossbows (240)*
Raptor-Prime

CORE BATTALIONS:
*Galletian Sharpshooters
**Warlord
***Galletian Veterans

TOTAL POINTS: (2000/2000)

Before I jump into the list breakdown, I would like to note that I attended Cherokee this year (78th place, please don’t look at me), and faced Matthew’s list in the first round. He was an absolute pleasure to play, and he stomped me into the dirt.

Matthew brought a fair number of mortal wound-dealing and heavy-hitting units. Bastion is insanely tough with great damage output and the Slann-esque ability to place mortals anywhere on the battlefield. The Fulminators use their breath weapon mortals to soften up tougher opponents before charging in to finish them off. The longstrikes are there to fish for 6’s to hit froma safe distance, to try to pick off a unit left out in the open (and their Aetherwing buddies to make those standard shots a little more reliable).

Past that the list focuses on standard-issue units to perform standard-issue jobs. The priest uses translocation to sling his GCs into position (or throw Bastion into you backline). The Lord-Castellant uses his lantern to buff the saves for the Fulminators, leading to the sweet 1+ save, and the addition of the Arcane Tome allows him to weaken his opponent’s heavy-hitters to further protect units like Fulminators and Bastion, who might otherwise be at risk from volume-of-dice attacks.

Great work from Matthew to grab 2nd spot at such a huge event, and great game from me as well! I look forward to seeing where this army goes as we progress more into this GHB.

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Army Faction: Lumineth Realm-lords
Army Subfaction: Helon
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumphs: Inspired

LEADER
1 x Archmage Teclis (700)*
1 x Scinari Calligrave (110)*
Spells: Overwhelming Heat
– Aspects of the Champion: Stubborn as a Rhinox
1 x Scinari Cathallar (110)*
General
– Command Traits: Master of Magic
– Artefacts: Silver Wand
– Spells: Total Eclipse

BATTLELINE
5 x Hurakan Windchargers (130)*
Windspeaker Seneschal
– Standard Bearer
5 x Hurakan Windchargers (130)*
– Windspeaker Seneschal
– Standard Bearer
20 x Vanari Auralan Sentinels (300)*
– High Sentinel
– Spells: Protection of Hysh
10 x Vanari Auralan Wardens (150)*
High Warden
– Spells: Etheral Blessings
10 x Vanari Auralan Wardens (150)*
High Warden
– Spells: Solar Flare

ENDLESS SPELL
1 x Umbral Spellportal (80)
1 x Ravenak’s Gnashing Jaws (70)
1 x Rune of Petrification (60)

CORE BATTALIONS:
*Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: (1990/2000

Jon: Jonathan made sure to get every drop of effectivity out of his list when he made the bold decision to only include one group of Auralan Sentinels in his list. With a maximum shooting range of 24″, requiring line of sight, and two massive obscuring terrain features in the middle of the board it’s very impressive that he was able to surgically pull off his HVT’s.

Two Galatian Champions enable him to consistently play for the generic battle tactics while the full endless spell suite means you can almost assuredly score three to four Lumineth Realm-Lords specific tactics. The Calligrave’s signature spell that ONLY affects heroes that are in line of sight clearly was a great pick.

An interesting decision of giving the Cathallar a Command Trait instead of giving Teclis the nod as General means “This One’s Mine!” is almost never going to be achieved, but it doesn’t seem that Roberts missed it. Great showing from Jonathan! I look forward to hearing about it from attendees and fans in the coming weeks.

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Army Faction: Skaven
Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

LEADER
1 x Verminlord Deceiver (420)
Artefacts: Shadow Magnet Trinket
– Spells: Flaming Weapon
1 x Verminlord Warbringer (400)*
General
– Command Traits: Devious Adversary
– Artefacts: Warpstone Charm
– Spells: Flaming Weapon
1 x Grey Seer (120)**
Spells: Skitterleap
1 x Grey Seer (120)**
Spells: Skitterleap
Aspects of the Champion: Tunnel Master
1 x Thanquol (430)**
– 4 x Warpfire Projectors
– Spells: Skitterleap

BATTLELINE
10 x Night Runners (90)*
Nightleader
20 x Clanrats (100)*
Clawleader
– 2 x Clanrat Standard Bearer
– 2 x Clanrat Bell-ringer
– Rusty Blade
20 x Clanrats (100)*
Clawleader
– 2 x Clanrat Standard Bearer
– 2 x Clanrat Bell-ringer
– Rusty Blade

ENDLESS SPELL
1 x Warp Lightning Vortex (80)
1 x Ravenak’s Gnashing Jaws (70)
1 x Lauchon the Soulseeker (50)

TERRAIN
1 x Gnawhole (0)

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

TOTAL POINTS: (1980/2000)

Peter: We previously states that the Skaven book was one of the oldest books. This is obviously a mistake, with it being under a year old.

Skaven are currently struggling, but with the right pilot, they are still able to compete in the meta… and this army is full of lovely Skaveny tricks. I played a very similar list at Warfare last year and got a small win, but it was touch and go, and a double would have killed me. The army has lots of strike and fade tactics and can hit you wherever Zachary wants. There’s not much you can do to stop them striking where they want with the Gnawholes and Skitterleap.

The Big Combo here is Thanquol and Lauchon. The Soulseeker can move Thanquol who normally can’t Skitterleap… and get him closer than 9″. This means he is superb at horde clearing. If you’ve got a Squig Herd it’s going to die quickly! Just hope there’s some left to flee and cause mortal wounds.

Games Workshop via Wahapedia

With 4 Warpfire Projectors Thanquol is doing 2 mortal wounds for each model within 8″… easily killing any hordes out there. The only protection I found was a cunning redeploy and then try to catch him with a double turn… but it’s risky especially with his Unleash Hell having no negatives… so he can move, fire, unleash hell, fight in combat…! Ouch.

It’s not all Thanquol, the Verminlords are great models and can really dish out damage when they need to. It’s a great list – don’t underestimate it!

Tournament Placings

For the full tournament placings visit Best Coast Pairings.

Top Three AoS Lists for Shanghai Slaughter

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This is the Top Three AoS Lists for Shanghai Slaughter that took place in the China on 14th and 15 January. It involved 20 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

Army Faction: Seraphon
– Army Type: Coalesced
– Subfaction: Thunder Lizard
– Grand Strategy: No Place for the Weak

LEADERS
Engine of the Gods (285)*
General
– Command Traits: Prime Warbeast
– Artefacts of Power: Fusil of Conflagration
– Mount Traits: Beastmaster
– Prayers: Curse
Celestant-Prime (325)*
Lord Kroak (450)*
Skink Starpriest (130)*
– Spells: Hand of Glory

BATTLELINE
Saurus Guard (115)*
Saurus Knights (220)*
– Celestite Warspear and Powerful Jaws
Skinks (75)*
Saurus Knights (110)*
Celestite Warspear and Powerful Jaws

OTHER
Razordon Hunting Pack (210)*

ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS
1 x Umbral Spellportal (80)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: 2000/2000

Saurus units riding the crest of Seraphon power? Seraphon claiming number one with an Engine of the Gods and Kroak isn’t new. But Saurus Knights and Razordons in Thunder Lizard? It looks like Thunder Lizard was taken for double cosmic engine rolls and the Fusil of Conflagration. Thunder Lizard really boosts the power of an Engine and with Kroak can push out a lot of mortals. This is mostly a short range/melee army though, with the Engine’s 8” range working really well with the 9” range of curse. The Razordon’s bring 18” range (12D6 shots), but are most useful if the enemy gets close where they can both unleash hell and shoot at the end of the charge phase. Essentially, Seraphon Leadbelchers, you can’t leave them, but you can’t charge them.

The Saurus Knights are usually left at home, they don’t accept buffs as well as Skinks but this army is playing heavily into their Predatory-Fighter (+1 attack for Jaws attacks) and Scaly Skin (-1 damage). And they aren’t GVs. Combined with additional damage on the charge and the potential mortals on 6s, the double unit is pretty scary. A big part of the list, though, is the Celestant Prime – arguable if he is worth the cost in Seraphon, but it worked here. His guaranteed charge and damage profile is effective at removing key pieces like MawCrushas, Durthu, or Warsong Revenant. With Kroak shutting down spells it’s not hard to see why Sylvaneth struggled, the same for Skaven. Neither do well with Mortals. Damage reduction limits some of the impact of Ironjawz and the limited rend, but large number of attacks counters Nighthaunt. The army still has Seraphon’s ability to score while countering a lot of the unique abilities of his opponents army. It’s a really well thought out counter list.

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Army Faction: Sylvaneth
Subfaction: Gnarlroot
– Season: The Dwindling
– Grand Strategy: Defend What’s Ours
– Triumph: Bloodthirsty

LEADERS
Arch-Revenant (120)*
– Artefacts of Power: Arcane Tome
– Spells: Regrowth, Verdant Blessing
Treelord Ancient (360)*
– Spells: Treesong, Verdant Blessing
Warsong Revenant (305)*
– General
– Command Traits: Spellsinger
– Spells: Verdant Blessing, Verdurous Harmony

BATTLELINE
Dryads (100)*
Tree-Revenants (110)*
Tree-Revenants (110)*

OTHER
Kurnoth Hunters with Kurnoth Greatswords (500)*
Kurnoth Hunters with Kurnoth Greatbows (230)*

ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS
1 x Vengeful Skullroot (60)
1 x Spiteswarm Hive (40)
1 x Gladewyrm (50)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: 1985/2000

Nikola here has brought a fairly standard Gnarlroot magic build here, with the Treelord Ancient and Warsong Rev combo for putting down a set of trees early doors with the Ancient for Warsong to use Spellsinger to cast his nasty AoE through.

It’s backed up by a compliment of reinforced Sword ‘Noth – a less popular choice than scythes because of their lesser rend – but a more balanced one overall, I think, due to their potential for MW output against targets who scoff at even 3 rend (such as Nighthaunt for example).

Happily for me, an endless spell enjoyer, the list packs all three Sylvaneth specific ones, and why not? They allo have fantastic utility and get be got off nicely in Gnarlroot with the ‘3d6 pick best 2’ to cast and re-roll from The Dwindling. Not only are they some of the best looking faction specific spells but they really do give the army a lot of options – horrorghast effects, healing, charge bonuses and more – love to see it!

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Army Faction: Slaves to Darkness
– Army Type: Knights of the Empty Throne
Grand Strategy – Take what’s theirs

LEADERS
Chaos Sorcerer Lord (135)*
– Mark of Chaos: Nurgle
– Artefacts of Power: Arcane Tome
– Spells: Demonic speed

Varanguard (290)**
General
– Mark of Chaos: Khorne
– Fellspear

BATTLELINE
Varanguard (290)**
Mark of Chaos: Khorne
– Ensorcelled Weapon
Varanguard (290)**
– Mark of Chaos: Khorne
– Ensorcelled Weapon
Splintered Fang (100)*
The Unmade (80)*
Corvus Cabal (80)*
Corvus Cabal (80)*

BEHEMOTH
Krondspine Incarnate of Ghur (480)*

OTHER
Ogroid Theridons (190)*
Mark of Chaos: Khorne
– Great Axes

BATTALIONS
Battle Regiment*
Overlords of Chaos**

TOTAL POINTS: 2000/2000

Great to see a good run out with the new Slaves book! Although, less happy to see Spinedog – and do bear in mind that the new focus on foot heroes in the forthcoming season will likely mean a list such as this has to change in some big ways.

In the meantime though, it leans into the the obvious highlights of the new book – triple Varanguard in Khorne with lances for that sweet rend 3 charge in one unit, and two units of Ensorcelled Weapons for fast chaff/lower armour targets. With each unit able to fight twice, that’s potentially a lot of pressure coming at you early.

Andy also leans into a bevvy of tech cultists, which is a fantastic section of the new book. Splintered Fang for reliable MW output, The Unmade for running up and turning off Redeploy to help those Varanguard make their charges and not end up in no-man’s land, and double Corvus Cabal for deepstriking and scoring battle tactics. Note – in the new season we lose Barge – so one unit of Corvus for Desecrate is probably going to be the new jam.

It’s interesting that he’s packed in some Theridons – to be fair, they’re a cost effective if not at all durable counter-punch, so why not?

An interesting list that took down what I would imagine are some fairly green match ups, losing only to Nikola’s Sylvaneth, who are quickly proving to be a red matchup for the new chaos bois! Andy – be a hero and take 2nd place next time, without Spinedog! My commenting fingers are ready.

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Army Faction: Skaven
Grand Strategy: No Place for the Weak
– Triumph: Indomitable

LEADERS
Thanquol (415)*
– Warpfire Projectors
– 3 x Warpfire Braziers
– Spells: Skitterleap
Warlock Bombardier (115)*
Spells: More-more-more Warp Power!
Arch-Warlock (155)*
General
– Command Traits: Deranged Inventor
– Artefacts of Power: Esoteric Warp Resonator
– Spells: More-more-more Warp Power!

BATTLELINE
Skryre Acolytes (75)*
Skryre Acolytes (75)*
Stormfiends (960)*
3 x Windlaunchers and Clubbing Blows
– 3 x Ratling Cannons and Clubbing Blows
– 3 x Shock Gauntlets and Warpstone-laced Armour

OTHER
Warp-Grinder (65)*

ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS
1 x Lauchon the Soulseeker (50)
1 x Soulscream Bridge (80)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: 1990/2000

Skaven is one of those armies that I love to see pop up in these lists. Much like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.

In this case, we get nearly half of the points of the list dumped into one 9-rat unit of Stormfiends with a weapon load-out that punishes at 24″, ruins days at 12″, and ruins lives within 3″. Combining their damage output with the additional wounds of Warpstone-laced Armor allows them to absorb the mortal wounds they will ultimately take when one of the two nearby Warlocks casts More-more-more Warp Power! Stormfiends absolutely love the ability to land those 9 Windlauncher shots at 3+/2+/-3/D3, 9D6 Ratling Cannons at 2+/2+/-1/1, and 12 Shock Gauntlets at 2+/2+/-1/2.

We also get to see two endless spells that will be standards for the new battletome. The bonuses to mobility brought into play by Lauchon and the Soulscream Bridge makes scoring first and second turn battle tactics easier, since it allows those foot heroes (who might normally have a hard time moving more than 9″ in a turn) to jump across the board to claim objectives. Thanquol’s casting bonus allows him to be a very expensive, but reliable taxi driver, with the ability to cast Skitterleap and one of the two endless spells in the same turn, throwing both of the Galletian champions wherever the they need to be.

Final Tournament Placings

Top Three AoS Lists for Ragnarok AoS GT

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This is the Top Three AoS Lists for the Ragnarok AoS GT that took place in the UK on 5th and 6th November. It involved 32 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

Allegiance: Disciples of Tzeentch
Change Coven: Hosts Arcanum
Grand Strategy: Master of Destiny
Triumphs: Indomitable

LEADERS
Curseling, Eye of Tzeentch (180)*
General
– Command Trait: Cult Demagogue
– Lore of Fate: Arcane Suggestion
Kairos Fateweaver (435)*
Lord of Change (400)
Artefact: The Eternal Shroud
– Universal Spell Lore: Flaming Weapon
Fluxmaster, Herald of Tzeentch on Disc (170)* – Artefact: Arcane Tome
– Universal Spell Lore: Ghost-mist

UNITS
10 x Pink Horrors of Tzeentch (250)**
10 x Pink Horrors of Tzeentch (250)**
10 x Kairic Acolytes (120)**

ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS
Horrorghast (40)
Burning Sigil of Tzeentch (50)
Umbral Spellportal (80)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Command Entourage – Magnificent
**Expert Conquerors

TOTAL: 1975/2000
WOUNDS: 69
ALLIES: 0/400
REINFORCED UNITS: 0/4
DROPS: 7

Ed: This list is a very competent summoning/control list and Ryan is focusing all his resources into that style of play as the best lists tend to. Hosts Arcanum gives automatic unbinds on turns 1, 3 and 5 which has valuable synergy with the Curseling. After successfully unbinding a spell, the Curseling can cast his own spell in the enemy hero phase which teaches him his target’s warscroll spell and, crucially, grants the Tzeentch player a fate point despite having denied his opponent a spell. Add together the Curseling’s in-built ability to re-roll unbinds and the extremely reliable casting/unbinding from the Lord of Change and Kairos and Ryan seems to be throwing down a challenge. “I dare you to cast a spell. I dare you to stop me casting a spell.”

The Curseling also has the Cult Demagogue command trait, which gives double fate points to any spell cast on a double and Tzeentch players can guarantee that by using destiny dice. Then the Fluxmaster’s warscroll spell is a bona fide summoning battery all by itself, and can be thrown through the Umbral Spellportal to ensure maximum gain while keeping him safe and sound behind your screens. Add together the spells from the birds and (even the battleline) and Ryan has the potential to generate a huge amount of summoning points in each turn. Enough to summon whatever he needs to most effectively combat his opponent whether that be bodies, ranged damage, melee damage or just more spellcasters. The force potential and versatility of his summoning really can’t be understated.

Finally between Kairos and the Eternal Shroud artefact, Ryan is recycling his spent destiny dice every round. This means he doesn’t need to be precious about spending them to ensure success on a crucial roll and helps to ensure he will meet his grand strategy of having a combined value of 9 or more in his destiny dice at the end of the game. Removing the chance from a game of chance and simply being able to say “I do this” is strong. It’s easy to see how, in the hands of a good player, this list could do so well.

Double Trouble

We reached out to Ryan who shared a picture of the winning army (above) and commented that understanding your opponent’s list is absolutely key to his strategy, as “one screening mistake and you lose the game”. He also shared that this list is not fun to play against as it is “denial heavy” and I can believe it! It’s looks like a hard list to get right, and not one you play to make friends, but rewarding if you can pull it off. Thanks, Ryan and good luck at LGT! Hopefully we’ll see him in another article soon!

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Army Faction: Maggotkin of Nurgle
Subfaction: Drowned Men
– Grand Strategy: Show of Dominance
– Triumph: Inspired

LEADERS
Lord of Afflictions (230)*
General
– Command Traits: Overpowering Stench
– Incubatch
– Dolorous Tocsin
– Artefacts of Power: The Splithorn Helm
Lord of Plagues (145)*

BATTLELINE
Putrid Blightkings (250)*
Icon Bearer
– Sonorous Tocsin Bearer
– Blightlord
Pusgoyle Blightlords (500)*
Pusgoyle Blightlords (500)*
Putrid Blightkings (250)*
Icon Bearer
– Sonorous Tocsin Bearer
– Blightlord

OTHER
Mindstealer Sphiranx (95)

TERRAIN
1 x Feculent Gnarlmaw (0)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: 1970/2000

Ed: The eagle eyed will notice that Luke drew against the previous list, meaning that he was close to taking the event if it weren’t for tiebreakers. That just goes to show how much work Pusgoyle Blightlords do, even after their price hike. People worried, or perhaps hoping, that the age of flies was over should take note: they’re still something to worry about. I’m sure you’re bored to death reading about flies by now though, so I won’t re-tread old ground.

Luke’s special flavour includes a Lord of Plagues and 2 units of Blightkings who can benefit from the Lord of Plague’s +1 attack buff. This really is a list that concentrates it’s power in small, elite groups which can both hold their own and dish it out in equal measures. When you’re playing an army like Nurgle which excels at the attrition game having such a small, focused force like this can be great for speeding up your play and ensuring you get to turn 4 and 5 where your army really comes into its own.

The Mindstealer is a fun touch. It’s 10″ move makes it quite zippy for a Nurgle list, which is good for nabbing an objective while the rest of your Rotbringers gum up the board. It’s -2 bravery aura can help to clear hordes or waste your opponent’s command points on Inspiring Presence. It also gives out a fight-last effect once per round which can be disruptive enough to swing important battles in your favour. Plus, if the opponent uses resources to focus the Mindstealer down it’s only 95 points and it has given a reprieve to your more important units. A worthy unit to fill up those awkward leftover points for any chaos army.

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Allegiance: Skaven
Mortal Realm: Ghur
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

Leaders
Grey Seer (125)**
Lore of Ruin: Skitterleap
Thanquol on Boneripper (415)
4 Warpfire Projectors
– Lore of Ruin: Skitterleap
Verminlord Deceiver (405)**
Artefact: Shadow Magnet Trinket
– Universal Spell Lore: Flaming Weapon
Verminlord Warbringer (395)**
General
– Command Trait: Devious Adversary
– Artefact: Warpstone Charm
– Universal Spell Lore: Flaming Weapon
Grey Seer (125)**
Lore of Ruin: Skitterleap

Battleline
20 x Clanrats (100)*
Rusty Blade
– 2x Standard Bearers
– 2x Standard Bell Ringers
10 x Night Runners (90)*
20 x Clanrats (100)*
Rusty Blade
– 2x Standard Bearers
– 2x Standard Bell Ringers
10 x Night Runners (90)**

Endless Spells & Invocations
Chronomantic Cogs (70)
Warp Lightning Vortex (80)

Core Battalions
*Expert Conquerors
**Warlord

Additional Enhancements
Artefact

Total: 1995 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 0 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 110
Drops: 9

Declan: Skaven again, but this is a very different one to the one I reviewed last time. This one has none of the Warp Lightning shenanigans, but does have 2 Verminlords and Thanquol. Backed up by 2 Grey Seers and there’s not going to be much difficulty casting the Warp Lightning Vortex. On it’s release it was a very popular spell (particularly with KO players with suspicious bottles), but it’s seen less now. However it’s still good tech as it messes with your opponents move and it’s casting value (8) can make it difficult to dispel, but the Skaven have +1 to cast from their mystical Gnawholes.

Games Workshop via Wahapedia

The damage can take a little of getting used to – and you’ll definitely need to explain it – but it’s played for preventing running.

Alexander has also gone for Flaming Weapon on his two Verminlords meaning he can power one up, send it in, kill stuff, and then repeat with the 2nd Verminlord. It’s a hell of a one-two – especially as Thanquol’s there to make it a ‘one-two-three’. There’s a lack of models (for a Skaven army) and the 9 drop means he’s not choosing to go first or second but that’s fine and Alexander did really well.

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Allegiance: Gloomspite Gitz
Option: Grimscuttle Tribes
– Mortal Realm: Ghur
– Grand Strategy: No Place for the Weak
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Dankhold Troggboss (220)**** – Trev the Troggboss
General
– Command Trait: Alpha Trogg
– Artefact: Glowy Howitz
Fungoid Cave-Shaman (95)**** – Freddie the Fungoid
Lore of the Moonclans: The Hand of Gork
Madcap Shaman (80)**** – Madcap Max
Artefact: Moonface Mommet
Lore of the Moonclans: Itchy Nuisance
Breaka-Boss on Mirebrute Troggoth (180)* – The Celestant Slime
Allies

Battleline
6 x Rockgut Troggoths (290)***
Reinforced x 1
6 x Rockgut Troggoths (290)***
Reinforced x 1
3 x Fellwater Troggoths (155)**
3 x Fellwater Troggoths (155)**

Units
5 x Spider Riders (90)*
3 x Rippa’s Snarlfangs (70)*
1 x Marshcrawla Sloggoth (150)* – Drummer Dave

Behemoths
Skitterstrand Arachnarok (160)* – Big Bert & Nipper

Endless Spells & Invocations
The Burning Head (20) – Steve the Swamp Trogg
Mork’s Mighty Mushroom (40) – Marv the Misunderstood

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

Additional Enhancements
Artefact

Total: 1995 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 2 / 4
Allies: 330 / 400
Wounds: 146
Drops: 8

Declan: Gitz on a 4-1… hurrah! Peter knows how to get my comments and Dominic has not let Skagrott’s Asylum (the WhatsApp Group for Gitz players) down here. Every unit is named — even the Endless Spells. He has Troggs which can hit hard especially as Bounty Hunters and a Marshcrawler and Rippas. The only disadvantage here apart from it still being a weak book is that Bounty Hunters against him – especially those on mounted units – really hurt. You can lose a whole Trogg unit in a turn.

Dominic may have had an interesting first three games dodging most of the worst out there, but he did very well to beat Nurgle in game 5… a battletome that is ripping up tournament results everywhere. In fact his only defeat was to Tzeentch piloted by 1st placed Ryan. Great result Dominic.

Final Tournament Placings

Top Three AoS Lists for the PNW Masters

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This is the Top Three AoS Lists for the PNW Masters that took place in USA on 15th and 16th October . It involved 32 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

Army Faction: Seraphon
Army Type: Coalesced
Army Subfaction: Thunder Lizard
Grand Strategy: Continuous Expansion
Triumphs: Inspired

LEADER
1 x Lord Kroak (430)*
1 x Engine of the Gods (265)**
General
– Command Traits: Prime Warbeast
– Artefacts: Arcane Tome
– Mount Traits: Beastmaster
– Spells: Hand of Glory
– Prayers: Curse
– Bonding: Krondspine Incarnate of Ghur
1 x Saurus Astrolith Bearer (140)*
Artefacts: Fusil of Conflagration
1 x Skink Priest (90)*
Prayers: Heal

BATTLELINE
5 x Saurus Guard (115)**
Saurus Guard Alpha
– Stardrake Icon Bearer
– Wardrummer
10 x Skinks (75)**
Skink Alpha
– Boltspitter, Celestite Dagger and Star-buckler
10 x Skinks (75)**
Skink Alpha
– Boltspitter, Celestite Dagger and Star-buckler

BEHEMOTH
1 x Krondspine Incarnate of Ghur (400)
1 x Bastiladon with Solar Engine (250)**

ENDLESS SPELL
1 x Purple Sun of Shyish (90)
1 x Horrorghast (40)

TERRAIN
1 x Realmshaper Engine (0)

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

Total Points: 1970/2000
Units: 9
Drops: 5

Patrick: When I saw that a Seraphon list took first place I didn’t necessarily need to see the list in order to know what it contained.

Thunder Lizard? Check.
Kroak? Check.
Engine of the Gods? Check

The only item that breaks away from the “color by numbers” approach to making Seraphon lists right now is the addition of the Incarnate, where a second Bastiladon would normally go. Let’s be fair, though, the inclusion of an Incarnate doesn’t exactly put Stark at a disadvantage, or really challenge the standard approach to Seraphon list building.

This is not a critique on Stark, however. There is still a level of requisite talent needed to drive a list into a top slot, since reacting to the pace of a battle with Tactic selections is vital. These Seraphon lists don’t reflect poorly on their players, but the Battletome itself. Current Seraphon are an excellent case study in internal balance, and there is clearly an issue with the book, since your options are ThunderKroak or losing.

Congratulations to Stark on their win, and I look forward to seeing an updated Tome to see how these top-tier players shake up their successful lists.

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Allegiance: Daughters of Khaine
– Temple: Zainthar Kai
– Grand Strategy: Bloodthirsty Zealots
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
The Shadow Queen (340)
Morathi-Khaine (340)
Hag Queen on Cauldron of Blood (270)
General
– Bonded to Krondspine
– Command Trait: Zealous Orator
– Crown of Woe
– Prayer: Sacrament of Blood

Battleline
15 x Blood Sisters (420)*
Reinforced x 2
10 x Witch Aelves (115)*
Pairs of Sacrificial Knives
10 x Witch Aelves (115)*
Pairs of Sacrificial Knives

Behemoths
Krondspine Incarnate of Ghur (400)
Allies

Core Battalions
*Bounty Hunters

Total: 2000 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 2 / 4
Allies: 400 / 400
Wounds: 81
Drops: 7

Danny: A last gasp of the ‘Morathi and the stab sneks with special guest, the Spinedog!’ list now that the Incarnate’s points were hiked by 80!

This list, as hinted at above, drops the more expensive bow snakes in favour of all out melee punch, going Zainthar-Kai to allow the 15 stabbers to fulfill the battleline requirement – on top of 2 cheap and cheerful Witch units – without paying the Melusai Ironscale Tax.

Of course, it allows that one big blob to fight on death, and given not much can do 30 wounds to a unit with a 6+++ and the +1 save aura from the Cauldron of Blood, the 4+ rally from ‘Zealous Orator’ is likely keeping them topped up well into the game, for some serious value and revenge kills. In the meantime, the Cauldron buffs the Witches with +1 to wound within 12″, putting them on 3x 3/3 natively, allowing for a good volume of attacks despite the lack of rend.

It’ll be interesting to see if the top players find ways to cut costs and retain the double whammy of two timed-invincible units from here on out – at 480, snek lovers will really feel the squeeze on bodies for board control.

Either way, congrats to Thomas and three cheers for the Spinedog nerf!

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Army Faction: Skaven
Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumph: Inspired

LEADERS
Thanquol (415)
2 x Warpfire Braziers
– 2 x Warpfire Projectors
Spells: Skitterleap
Warpgnaw Verminlord (275)
General
– Command Traits: Devious Adversary
– Artefacts of Power: Vial of Manticore Venom
– Spells: Flaming Weapon
– Bonding: Krondspine Incarnate of Ghur
Warlock Engineer (105)**
Spells: Warp Lightning Shield

BATTLELINE
Clanrats (100)*
Clawleader
– Rusty Blade
– 2 x Clanrat Standard Bearer
– 2 x Clanrat Bell-ringer
Clanrats (100)*
Clawleader
– Rusty Blade
– 2 x Clanrat Standard Bearer
– 2 x Clanrat Bell-ringer
Clanrats (100)*
Clawleader
– Rusty Blade
– 2 x Clanrat Standard Bearer
– 2 x Clanrat Bell-ringer

BEHEMOTH
Krondspine Incarnate of Ghur (400)

ARTILLERY
Warp Lightning Cannon (150)**
Warp Lightning Cannon (150)**
Warp Lightning Cannon (150)**

ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS
1 x Lauchon the Soulseeker (30)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Expert Conquerors
**Grand Battery

TOTAL POINTS: 1975/2000

Declan: Third place and the Third Krondspine… I mean I’m not saying it was a mistake to release it to competitive play… but it doesn’t look like the best decision ever made. In Matthias’ defense he has chosen to use Skaventide with 30 Clanrats and 3 Warp Lightning Cannons. You need to get through the Krondspine quickly because those Warp Lightning Cannons do a lot of damage.

It’s a little weird if you’ve never played it before, but effectively you want to roll low on your first roll to get mortal wounds… roll a 1 first up and that is 6 mortal wounds. But – wait – Matthias also has an Engineer and they make things more interesting.

There are two things that may not immediately clear here. The first is that the D3 mortal wounds on a 1 isn’t too bad. Average of 2 1s; means 4 wounds; and a Lightning Cannon has 8 so you can afford to do this. The second (and more important) is that one Engineer can trigger more than one Cannon in a turn. If Matthais deployed all three together it’s one hell of a mortal wound output. All at 24″ range – wow! I’ve played them with Kragnos before and he didn’t get too far.

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Army Faction: Soulblight Gravelords
Army Type: Vyrkos Dynasty
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumph: Indomitable

LEADERS
Radukar the Beast (315)
Prince Vhordrai (455)
Spells: Amethystine Pinions, Invigorating Aura, Soulpike
Mannfred Von Carstein (380)*
Spells: Amethystine Pinions, Invigorating Aura, Overwhelming Dread
Necromancer (125)*
General
– Command Traits: Pack Alpha
– Artefacts of Power: Arcane Tome
– Spells: Decrepify, Fading Vigour, Invigorating Aura
Belladamma Volga (200)*
Spells: Amaranthine Orb, Invigorating Aura, Spirit Gale

BATTLELINE
Dire Wolves (135)*
Doom Wolf
Deadwalker Zombies (120)**
Deadwalker Zombies (120)**

ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS
1 x Horrorghast (40)
1 x Chronomantic Cogs (40)
1 x Ravenak’s Gnashing Jaws (60)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Warlord – Magnificent
**Expert Conquerors

TOTAL POINTS: 1990/2000

Brett: No Skeletons, no Ghouls and no Grave Guard, just Vampires and some strays that followed them in. Radukur and Belladamma are slow among the heroes (the Necromancer is very slow but no one expects him to move), with Prince Vhordrai and Mannfred mounted on dragons and both having spells to increase the mounts movement. A very high risk approach with very few units and limited board control. You are relying on your few, very mobile, but somewhat fragile units to remove threats. All good if they do but, if they fail to clear something there isn’t a lot else here to score or control the board.

A lot of Endless Spells as well giving rerolls, causing an extra model to flee combat and Ravenak’s MW bomb. It’s good to see something a little different and it must have been fun to face off against, who do you target?

Final Tournament Placings

Top Three AoS Lists for Invasion AOS 2022

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This is the Top Three AoS Lists for the Invasion AOS 22 Tournament that took place in Kristiansand, Norway, on the 17th and 18th September. It involved 44 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

Army Faction: Seraphon
Army Type: Starborne
– Army Subfaction: Fangs of Sotek
– Grand Strategy: Show of Dominance
– Triumphs: Inspired

LEADER
1 x Saurus Astrolith Bearer (140)**
Artefacts: Serpent God Dagger
1 x Slann Starmaster (265)**
General
– Command Traits: Master of Magic
– Artefacts: Arcane Tome
– Spells: Stellar Tempest
1 x Skink Priest (90)**
Prayers: Heal
1 x Skink Starpriest (130)***
Spells: Hand of Glory

BATTLELINE
30 x Skinks (225)*
Skink Alpha
– Boltspitter and Moonstone Club
5 x Saurus Guard (115)***
Saurus Guard Alpha
– Wardrummer
– Stardrake Icon Bearer
10 x Skinks (75)***
Skink Alpha
– Boltspitter
– Celestite Dagger and Star-buckler
10 x Skinks (75)***
Skink Alpha
– Boltspitter
– Celestite Dagger and Star-buckler

BEHEMOTH
1 x Bastiladon with Ark of Sotek (165)***

ENDLESS SPELL
1 x Purple Sun of Shyish (70)
1 x Horrorghast (40)

OTHER
8 x Salamander Hunting Pack (280)*
8 x Salamander Hunting Pack (280)*

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

TOTAL POINTS: (1950/2000)

Comments: Fangs of Sotek continues it’s long run as a great list taking another 5/0 and 1st. This time there is no Kroak and only one Bastilidon but there are two terrifyingly large Salamander Hunting Packs. Otherwise it’s a fairly conventional list with one large (30) Skink unit and 2 x 10 skinks, 5 Saurus Guard (bodyguards), Astrolith, Starmaster, Starpriest and priest. 2 Endless Spells to take advantage of the strong spell casting – Horrorghast and Purple Sun. Noted elsewhere this works well as a combination with Fangs but increasing rend (for the Ark and Skinks) and making battleshock tests terrifying. Back to the Salamanders, each has 2 Salamanders with their 7 attacks, 4 ranged, all hitting/wounding on 3s with -2 rend and D3 damage, 6s do D3 mortal wounds. For each pack that’s an average of 8 damage + 3 MWs. But that could spike as high 21 MWs (extremely unlikely).

Again another list that really wants to make you come to them, the salamanders will stay behind Skinks where feasible to limit charges. Mostly avoid the 30 Skink block. For the most part Tom’s opponents had either limited shooting or limited range leaving them exposed to the Skinks/Salamanders. KO might have had the best of it but Skinks can be teleported or summoned aiding scoring and blocking ships. Good result.

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Allegiance: Skaven
Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumphs: Indomitable

Leaders
Grey Seer (125)**
Universal Spell Lore: Levitate
Verminlord Deceiver (405)**
Artefact: Shadow Magnet Trinket
– Universal Spell Lore: Flaming Weapon
Verminlord Warbringer (395)*
General
– Command Trait: Devious Adversary
– Artefact: Warpstone Charm
– Universal Spell Lore: Flaming Weapon
Warlock Bombardier (115)**
Lore of Warpvolt Galvanism: More-more-more Warp Power!

Battleline
6 x Stormfiends (640)*
2x Windlaunchers
– 2x Ratling Cannons
– 2x Doomflayer Gauntlets
– Reinforced x 1
20 x Clanrats (100)*
Rusty Blade
– 1x Standard Bearers
– 1x Standard Bell Ringers
20 x Clanrats (100)*
Rusty Blade
– 1x Standard Bearers
– 1x Standard Bell Ringers

Units
1 x Warp-Grinder (65)**

Endless Spells & Invocations
Chronomantic Cogs (40)

Core Battalions
*Battle Regiment
**Warlord

Additional Enhancements
Artefact

Total: 1985 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 1 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 115
Drops: 5

Comments: Skaven in 2nd place with a rational list, still has a Warlock for humor but staying safe with solid heroes and clanrat/stormfiend battle line. The only endless spell is Cogs, that leaves point to run 2 x Verminlords and a Grey Seer with the now standard battleline. No Gnawholes listed but I assume some were taken. The Warpgrinder works as a Gnawhole for a single unit that can be placed in reserve with the Warpgrinder and placed at the end of a movement phase. You place the extra unit within 13″ of the Warpgrinder and 9″ from the enemy. Stormfiends to the rear? Like most Skaven lists there is a lot going on, the Grey Seer brings a mini Purple Sun (MWs and -1 to hit rolls for 1 unit).

The Deceiver has his dreaded skitterleap for a teleport that leaves him 6″ from enemies and Warbringer can grant fight on death for 3 units. This is a great combo, you can be aggressive with both the Stormfiends and Deceiver while holding the centre with the Warbringer and granting the Clannrats fight on death. The Warpgrinder teleport, with clanrats also gives some exciting options for scoring. He’s won qgainst very stiff competition with the 3 hammers and his options. That includes beating both flavours of DoK and an Annihilator SCE list.

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Allegiance: Soulblight Gravelords
Lineage: Kastelai Dynasty
– Mortal Realm: Ghur
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumphs:

Leaders
Prince Vhordrai (455)
Lore of the Vampires: Amethystine Pinions
Vampire Lord on Zombie Dragon (435)
General
– Deathlance
– Command Trait: A Craving for Massacre
– Artefact: Fragment of the Keep
– Mount Trait: Foetid Miasma
– Lore of the Vampires: Amethystine Pinions
Mannfred von Carstein, Mortarch of Night (380)**
Lore of the Deathmages: Decrepify

Battleline
5 x Blood Knights (195)*
5 x Blood Knights (195)*
10 x Deathrattle Skeletons (80)**
10 x Deathrattle Skeletons (80)**

Units
10 x Grave Guard (140)**
Great Wight Blades

Core Battalions
*Bounty Hunters
**Battle Regiment

Total: 1960 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 0 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 100
Drops: 5

Comments: Really solid SBGGL effort, running 3rd after a 3rd round loss to Benjamin (2nd) and his evil Skaven. Who has the moral high ground between Chaos and Death? A selection of the best units in the codex with Blood Knights, Grave Guard, 3 really nasty Vampire Lords and a zombie dragon. 3 Behemoths, all dragons, are the primary hammers. The list doesn’t need to castle though – Mannfred works well with the Blood Knights with Vigour of Undeath (12″ aura of +1 to hit and wound). Prince Vhordrai works with the Vampire Lord giving the Vampire Lord the ability to fight in the hero phase. They massive movement (starts at 14″) so it’s hard to screen them out. All of the units gain a ward near a gravesite, try to fight them further than 12″ from gravesites if possible.

As always with SBGL controlling the gravesites becomes increasingly important. They can summon units back through them or use them to summon reserves. The 2 units of Skeletons and the Grave Guard can all be returned at half strength making it a bit like whack a mole trying to keep them down. I feel the 6″ charge from the Deceiver and the Warbringer’s fight on death for adjacent units would have been the keys to bluntening the impact of the dragons. It’s a remarkable list and 4/1 is a good result, in line with similar SBGL performances we’ve seen recently.

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Allegiance: Beasts of Chaos
Greatfray: Gavespawn
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumphs: Inspired,Inspired

Leaders
Great Bray-Shaman (100)**
General
– Command Trait: Unravelling Aura
– Lore of the Twisted Wilds: Vicious Stranglethorns
Great Bray-Shaman (100)**
Lore of the Twisted Wilds: Wild Rampage
Tzaangor Shaman of Beasts of Chaos (135)**
Lore of the Twisted Wilds: Tendrils of Atrophy
Dragon Ogor Shaggoth (155)***
Artefact: Mutating Gnarlblade
– Lore of Dark Storms: Sundering Blades

Battleline
20 x Bestigors (250)*
Reinforced x 1
20 x Bestigors (250)*
Reinforced x 1
10 x Ungors (65)
Mauls & Half-Shields

Units
10 x Ungor Raiders (80)***
10 x Ungor Raiders (80)***
10 x Ungor Raiders (80)***
1 x Chaos Spawn (55)**

Behemoths
Krondspine Incarnate of Ghur (400)
Allies
– Bonded to Tzaangor Shaman
Cygor (125)

Endless Spells & Invocations
Chronomantic Cogs (40)
Ravening Direflock (30)

Core Battalions
*Bounty Hunters
**Warlord
***Vanguard

Additional Enhancements
Triumph

Total: 1945 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 2 / 4
Allies: 400 / 400
Wounds: 125
Drops: 13

Comments: A genuine horde list, makes me wonder why Expert Conquerors wasn’t one of the battalions. 87 models altogether with 4 small heros and a Krondspine. The spells are a mix of MWs and buffing spells (special mention to Wild Rampage – reroll melee wound rolls but -1 to your saves). Cogs and Ravening Direflock are the chosen endless spells, Cogs is interesting, most of the chosen spells have casts around 5 and 6 but this list is short on buffs for casting. Ravening Direflock prevents non BoC units within 12″ from using Rally or Inspiring Presence. That’s not bad for 50 points. I’m assuming that there is a Herdstone in the list but not shown.

This is a list that seeks to outlast it’s opponent,then clap back from Turn 3 onwards. Board wide they are -1 rend until Turn 3 when it becomes -2 rend. Bestigors from Turn 3 are -3 rend total. The play here then is to screen using the Ungors (both kinds) while the Bestigors stay close to the Herdstone for Rally on 4+ (starts at 12″ and increases 6″ per turn). The leaders can pray on the Ungor for additional Primordial Points that allowing summoning more units. Krondspine plays really well into this strategy – your opponent can’t ignore it and sometimes will concentrate early damage on Krondspine. That increases the number of other units that make it to Turn 3.

It worked really well here against armies that had smaller units with good saves. Against -3 rend even a 3+ save looks weak. Then there is the Skaven. Their hammer units would be removing 3 units from this list in a turn. The fight on death is really punishing as well, BoC have few wounds and poor saves so their increased rend most likely leads to their quicker death. Clever build and a deserving 4/1.

Final Tournament Placings

Top Three AoS Lists for Justice Series GT

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This is the Top Three AoS Lists for the Justice Series GT that took place in Liverpool, UK on 15th and 16th October. It involved 80 players vying to be crowned champion in a 5 game tournament.

The Justice Series has been going on for some time now and this is not the first iteration, and – whilst I haven’t been to the venue yet – it is getting good reviews. Ritchie is the manager of the store and gaming venue and he is very visible on Twitter, as well as being a very good player on the UK scene.

They have also just announced their new mascot / character – Justice – who is a female mage knight. You can find out more about her here.

(Pictures copyright Games Workshop)

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

Allegiance: Beasts of Chaos
– Grand Strategy: Show of Dominance
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Dragon Ogor Shaggoth (155)**
– General
– Command Trait: Adamantine Scales
– Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
– Lore of Dark Storms: Sundering Blades

Battleline
6 x Dragon Ogors (250)*
– 4x Paired Ancient Weapons
– 2x Draconic War glaives
– Reinforced x 1
6 x Dragon Ogors (250)*
– 4x Paired Ancient Weapons
– 2x Draconic War glaives
– Reinforced x 1
6 x Dragon Ogors (250)
– 4x Paired Ancient Weapons
– 2x Draconic War glaives
– Reinforced x 1
10 x Ungors (65)***
– Mauls & Half-Shields
10 x Ingots (65)***
– Mauls & Half-Shields

Endless Spells & Invocations
Ravening Direflock (30)

Units
6 x Tzaangor Enlightened on Disc of Beasts of Chaos (360)*
– Reinforced x 1
3 x Tzaangor Skyfires (190)**
3 x Tzaangor Skyfires (190)**
3 x Tzaangor Skyfires (190)**

Core Battalions
*Bounty Hunters
**Battle Regiment
***Expert Conquerors

Total: 1995 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 4 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 180
Drops: 7

Comments: Well, if ever there was a White Dwarf article that had a bigger impact on any gaming system I’ve not seen it. Dan & Freddie (see below) won their last two games with the Beasts, with very similar armies. The only reason you don’t see this as often is because the Dragon Ogre sculpts are big and expensive.

Games Workshop – tearing up a meta near you

Expect some changes in the new Battlescroll due to be released in October, but based on the previous Battlescrolls I wouldn’t expect them to suddenly become rubbish.

Well done to Dan for 1st, and a 5-0!

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Allegiance: Beasts of Chaos
– Greatfray: Gavespawn
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

Leaders
Beastlord (95)*
– Artefact: Mutating Gnarlblade
Dragon Ogor Shaggoth (155)*
– General
– Command Trait: Unravelling Aura
– Lore of Dark Storms: Sundering Blades
Dragon Ogor Shaggoth (155)****
– Lore of Dark Storms: Hailstorm
Great Bray-Shaman (100)****
– Lore of the Twisted Wilds: Savage Dominion

Battleline
6 x Dragon Ogors (250)***
– 3x Paired Ancient Weapons
– 3x Draconic War glaives
– Reinforced x 1
6 x Dragon Ogors (250)***
– 3x Paired Ancient Weapons
– 3x Draconic War glaives
– Reinforced x 1
10 x Ungors (65)**
– Mauls & Half-Shields
10 x Ungors (65)**
– Mauls & Half-Shields
10 x Ungors (65)**
– Mauls & Half-Shields

Units
5 x Centigors (85)*
5 x Centigors (85)****
20 x Bestigors (250)***
– Reinforced x 1
1 x Mindstealer Sphiranx (95)*

Behemoths
Jabberslythe (150)*
Cygor (125)****

Core Battalions
*Battle Regiment
**Expert Conquerors
***Bounty Hunters
****Battle Regiment

Total: 1990 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 3 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 194
Drops: 8

Comments: To say that I’m running out of things to say about Beasts is an understatement (see above). We’re seeing loads of them in the top threes at the moment and they seem to be a great counter to Maggotkin of Nurgle who Freddie beat twice on the way to his 5-0. Well done again!

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Allegiance: Slaves to Darkness
– Damned Legion: Knights of the Empty Throne
– Mortal Realm: Ghur
– Grand Strategy: No Place for the Weak
– Triumphs: Indomitable

Leaders
Knights of the Empty Throne Varanguard x 6 (560)*
– General
– Daemonforged Blade and Warpsteel Shield
– Command Trait: Inescapable Doom
– Artefact: Grasping Plate
– Mark of Chaos: Tzeentch
Knights of the Empty Throne Varanguard x 6 (560)**
– Daemonforged Blade and Warpsteel Shield
– Artefact: Corrupted Nullstone
– Mark of Chaos: Tzeentch
Chaos Sorcerer Lord (135)*
– Mark of Chaos: Tzeentch
– Spell: Mask of Darkness
Chaos Sorcerer Lord (135)*
– Mark of Chaos: Tzeentch
– Spell: Mask of Darkness

Battleline
8 x Iron Golems (75)**
– Mark of Chaos: Tzeentch
8 x Iron Golems (75)**
– Mark of Chaos: Tzeentch
8 x Iron Golems (75)**
– Mark of Chaos: Tzeentch
8 x Iron Golems (75)**
– Mark of Chaos: Tzeentch

Units
1 x Mindstealer Sphiranx (95)**

Behemoths
Chaos Warshrine (215)**
– Mark of Chaos: Tzeentch
– Prayer1: Universal Prayer Scripture: Heal

Core Battalions
*Command Entourage – Magnificent
**Battle Regiment

Additional Enhancements
Artefact

Total: 2000 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 0 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 124
Drops: 4

Comments: It’s an Archaon list, without Archaon… just lots of Varanguard changing the definition of hero and letting Slaves to Darkness take loads of them.

Games Workshop / Wahapedia

And they come back – albeit in smaller numbers…! Wow. They are fast, hit like a ton of bricks and can use hero abilities. You don’t want to be on the receiving end.

This might be one of the last times we see them from this current book so it’s great to see Phil get them to 3rd in a tough tournament. Also a special shout out to Piotr who drew with Phil in the last game, but lost on points scored in the first four games — such small differences.

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Army Faction: Skaven
Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumph: Indomitable

LEADERS
Verminlord Deceiver (405)*
General
– Command Traits: Devious Adversary
– Artefacts of Power: Shadow Magnet Trinket
– Spells: Flaming Weapon
Slynk Skittershank (225)*
Thanquol (415)**
2 x Warpfire Braziers
– 2 x Warpfire Projectors
– Spells: Skitterleap

BATTLELINE
Gutter Runners (210)*
Gutter Runners (210)*
Night Runners (90)**
Nightleader
Night Runners (90)**
Nightleader

OTHER
Gutter Runners (210)*
Skittershank’s Clawpack (225)*

ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS
1 x Quicksilver Swords (60)
1 x Warp Lightning Vortex (80)

TERRAIN
1 x Gnawhole (0)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Battle Regiment
**Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: 1995/2000

Comment: I love Skaven, and had an army of them in Warhammer 8th Edition (and have even rebased some of them), and so I keep an eye out on their successes. Gabe hasn’t gone with Stormfiends, but has taken Night Runners and Gutter Runners. The only thing it’s missing to make it fully Eshin, is the Assassins, but he’s got Thanquol and a Verminlord instead so it’s definitely a Skaven list.

This is another list where I say I don’t understand what it does, or how it does it.

Games Workshop & Wahapedia

At 225 points I’ve not seen Slynk or his Clawpack before… it’s more Eshin so Gabe’s keeping on theme, but they can deploy outside 6″ and near terrain at the end of turn 1, so Gabe can pin in the enemy a little. The blighter can fight as well… as you’d hope for 225!

It’d be really interesting to know how this works, so I’m not suggesting go out and replicate this list, but it is an example that there are still new lists out there that can compete.

Top Three AoS Lists for Trouble at the Mill

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This is the Top Three AoS Lists for the Trouble at the Mill that took place in the UK on 1st and 2nd October. It involved 23 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

Allegiance: Ogor Mawtribes
Mawtribe: Bloodgullet
– Mortal Realm: Ghur
– Grand Strategy: No Place for the Weak
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Frostlord on Stonehorn (430)*
General
– Command Trait: Nice Drop of the Red Stuff!
– Artefact: Splatter-cleaver
– Mount Trait: Metalcruncher
Slaughtermaster (140)*
Bloodgullet 2nd Spell: Molten Entrails
– Lore of Gutmagic: Ribcracker

Battleline
2 x Mournfang Pack (160)*
Culling Clubs or Prey Hackers with Iron Fists
2 x Mournfang Pack (160)*
Culling Clubs or Prey Hackers with Iron Fists
Stonehorn Beastriders (320)*
Weapon: Blood Vulture
Stonehorn Beastriders (320)*
Weapon: Blood Vulture

Units
2 x Frost Sabres (55)*

Behemoths
Krondspine Incarnate of Ghur (400)*
Allies

Core Battalions
*Battle Regiment

Total: 1985 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 0 / 4
Allies: 400 / 400
Wounds: 72
Drops: 1

Brett: A real surprise with Ogor’s taking out a smaller event, 5/0 is a fantastic effort. Along the way Peter beat the next the other podium armies and took all 25 of his battle tactics, missing just 2 Grand Strategies. Only one caster with a single cast knowing 2 spells, -1 to an opposing unit’s save (Ribcraker), and +1 damage for an Ogor Monster’s mount’s attacks (Molten Entrails). FrostLord is the general and has the mandatory trait and artefact for Bloodgullet. Grand Strategy is to clear the opponents battleline, Krondspine is along for the ride. Lastly the Krondspine is probably bonded to the Slaughtermaster and the Stonehorns have the Blood Vulture (very long range Mortal Wound (MW)).

The Slaughtermaster is here for his cauldron and is the only slow moving unit ( 6″). The Frost Sabres move 9″ and everything else is moving 12″, all Ogor units count as 2 on objectives and the Stonehorns (because they are Ogor monsters) count as 10. Together that gives them a lot of scoring potential, especially when there aren’t a lot of Expert Conquerors. Combined with their capacity to do mortals at range, impacts mortals and generally a lot of damage minimum size units are especially vulnerable, even 20 clanrats, and let them charge onto an objective for extra movement. Mobility and hitting power also gives an ability to score several Battle Tactics and play into the Grand Strategy (typically Objective holders are Galletian Veterans/Battleline).

Shoot the Stonehorns off the board if you want to win against this list (min 30″ range is suggested). In the current meta though, 3 fairly tough monsters that have mobility and damage is a good choice similar to the 2 and 3 Mawcrusha lists we are seeing. Without Hunters of the Heartland most armies are exposed to the Monstrous rampage abilities with devestating consequences.

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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: Arcane Tome
– Spells: Mindrazor

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

OTHER
Khinerai Heartrenders (95)**
Shryke

CORE BATTALIONS
*Bounty Hunters
**Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: 2000/2000

Brett: Morathi-Khaine led Daughters of Khaine list, Kahilebron for command ability teleports (so one unit a turn). Khainite Shadowstalkers is a less common choice, here they replace another unit of Blood Sisters (or reinforcement of the second unit). The composition of the Bounty Hunters battalion is unusual, Blood Stalkers benefit less than Blood Sisters (the combat focused Blood girl). Even the Heartrenders, which we sometimes see in Bounty Hunters, is unusual – they are normally better to avoid combat because they are easy to remove.

All of Baz’s opponents lacked the range to effectively deal with the list and avoid the Blood Stalkers shooting. Particularly with double shooting they can remove a major threat per turn and are very hard to get into with being exposed to Unleash Hell. The surprise is the 2nd round loss to the eventual winner. I’d guess Peter went first, took the risk on the double turn bottom of 1 and charged multiple units. Throwing the Frost Sabres in to take the unleash hell and then hitting the Blood Stalkers with a Stonehorn.

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Army Faction: Skaven
Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

LEADER
1 x Verminlord Deceiver (405)
General
– Command Traits: Devious Adversary
– Artefacts: Shadow Magnet Trinket
– Spells: Flaming Weapon
1 x Thanquol (415)*
– 2 x Warpfire Braziers
– 2 x Warpfire Projectors
– Spells: Skitterleap
1 x Warlock Bombardier (115)*
Spells: More-more-more Warp Power!

BATTLELINE
20 x Clanrats (100)*
Clawleader
– Clanrat Standard Bearer
– Clanrat Bell-ringer
– Rusty Blade
20 x Clanrats (100)*
– Clawleader
– Clanrat Standard Bearer
– Clanrat Bell-ringer
– Rusty Blade
6 x Stormfiends (640)*
2 x Windlaunchers and Clubbing Blows
– 2 x Ratling Cannons and Clubbing Blows
– 2 x Shock Gauntlets and Warpstone-laced Armour

ARTILLERY
3 x Warplock Jezzails (120)*

ENDLESS SPELL
1 x Lauchon the Soulseeker (30)
1 x Ravenak’s Gnashing Jaws (60)

CORE BATTALIONS:
*Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: (1985/2000)

Brett: Again one of the more common lists for Skaven (because it works) with both the Deceiver and Thanquol. I won’t go into too much detail, we’ve covered very similar lists a few times. Thanquol has his skateboard (Lauchon) because he likes to be close on cold nights. Thanquol has a balanced build with equal Braziers (melee) and Projectors (ranged) weapons. Warplock Bombadier as a potential sacrifice to the Great Horned Rat (when he explodes) rounds out the leaders. The troops include the standard screens/objective/action units (Clanrats) and Stormfiends to leave a few scars. Some snipers (Jezzails) and Ravenak’s Jaws finish the list. Surprising number of casts (5) with bonuses so expect the Endless Spells to play a part.

Again flexibility is the key to the list, in most games you will choose who goes first (everything is in a Battle Regiment) and then play for the double. Your main threats (Deceiver and Thanquol) are very mobile with Skitterleap and Dreaded Skitterleap. Your screens are deep (20 clanrats), the Stormfiends are solid mid board threat and Ravenak’s Jaws do serious mortals to slower armies like his last 3 opponents. This combination lets you give away first and react from behind your screens. Because their mobility is tied to spells both the Deciever and Thanquol can even be hidden from shooting armies. Outside of the heroes though it’s a slow list and a lot of battle tactics are hard to score if the opponent spreads out. Thomas dropped 4 Battle Tactics and a Grand Strategy. 4/1 is still a great recovery after dropping the first round.

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Army Faction: Gloomspite Gitz
Grand Strategy: Show of Dominance
– Triumphs: Inspired

LEADER
1 x Troggoth Hag (405)**
General
– Command Traits: Master of Magic
– Artefacts: Arcane Tome
– Spells: Flaming Weapon
1 x Fungoid Cave-Shaman (95)**
Spells: The Hand of Gork
1 x Madcap Shamans (80)**
Artefacts: Moonface Mommet
– Spells: Itchy Nuisance

BATTLELINE
20 x Shootas (140)*
Bad Moon Icon Bearer
– Gong Basher
– 3 x Barbed Net
20 x Stabbas (150)*
Gong Basher
– Moonclan Flag Bearer
– Stabba and Moon Shield
– 3 x Barbed Net
20 x Stabbas (150)*
Bad Moon Icon Bearer
– Stabba and Moon Shield
– 3 x Barbed Net

BEHEMOTH
1 x Skitterstrand Arachnarok (180)

ENDLESS SPELL
1 x Mork’s Mighty Mushroom (40)
1 x Scrapskuttle’s Arachnacauldron (60)
1 x Aethervoid Pendulum (40)

TERRAIN
1 x Bad Moon Loonshrine (0)

OTHER
1 x Marshcrawla Sloggoth (150)
3 x Rippa’s Snarlfangs (70)**
3 x Rockgut Troggoths (145)***
3 x Rockgut Troggoths (145)***
3 x Rockgut Troggoths (145)***

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

TOTAL POINTS: (1995/2000)

Brett: Here’s someone that doesn’t care to go first, ever, with 12 drops but a great placing for Gitz. 3/2 defeating Nighthaunt (Scarlet Doom), Sylvaneth and SBGL is pretty amazing. There are a couple of unusual units in the list – the Troggoth Hag (Forge World) and Rippa’s Snarlfangs (Underworld band). The Hag is the centrepiece and likely responsible for most of the effectiveness in the list. She has 16 wounds but heals D6 a turn, moves 8″, has a single cast (2 with arcane tome) and can make a unit -2 to hit (or 2 units -1). Very durable, her main melee weapon is 4 damage with Flaming weapon and she still has her ranged attack and D3 attacks with a possible D6 wounds each. She degrades relatively slowly as well.

Apart from her, Rippa’s Snarlfang’s mobility (12″) will give them the chance to dart out and score Battle Tactics. Near the Marshcrawla, the Rockguts will hit on 2s. With the Hag and Skittersrand Arachnacauldron, there are 2 monsters (see above for why that’s a good thing). The Marshcrawla is granting the other Troggoths with +1 to hit within 18″ of him. The Shootas and Stabbas are screens and scoring units but with the Cave-Shaman (who can also get an exta command point) using hand of Gork, they can also be moved to threaten something or to charge and draw an Unleash Hell.

A range of tools, but unfortunately the Gitz are really showing their age and they can be stopped pretty easily (except the Hag) with attacks that have any rend (making them save on 6s – if they have a save). It shows in the scoring where, despite some strong elements Chris dropped 5 Battle Tactics and 2 Grand Strategies. It’s still a really strong performance with either the weakest or 2nd weakest faction.

Final Tournament Placings