This is the Top Three AoS Lists for the Epic Level Showdown that took place in Georgia, USA on 24th and 25th September. It involved 35 players vying to be crowned champion in a 5 game tournament.
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The Top Three AoS Lists
Allegiance: Maggotkin of Nurgle
– Subfaction: Drowned Men
– Grand Strategy: No Place for the Weak
– Triumphs: Bloodthirsty
Leaders
Be’Lakor, the Dark Master (360)*
– Allies
Lord of Afflictions (210)*
– General
– Command Trait: Overpowering Stench
– Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
– Lore of Malignance: Rancid Visitations
Battleline
10 x Plaguebearers (150)*
2 x Pusgoyle Blightlords (220)*
– 1x Dolorous Tocsin
4 x Pusgoyle Blightlords (440)*
– 2x Dolorous Tocsin
– Reinforced x 1
4 x Pusgoyle Blightlords (440)*
– 2x Dolorous Tocsin
– Reinforced x 1
Units
3 x Nurglings (105)*
Endless Spells & Invocations
Ravenak’s Gnashing Jaws (60)
Core Battalions
*Battle Regiment
Total: 1985 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 2 / 4
Allies: 360 / 400
Wounds: 134
Drops: 1
Brett: We’ve seen the Nurgle Blightlord’s a lot in Season 1, they deny the missions well more than play them well, but to look at this list and think it’s like that would be a mistake. To start with Be’lakor is heading the list (even if he isn’t the general) and it has Plaguebearers and Nurglings even. That’s right there are Galletian Veteran’s in this list. On top of that we have Ravenak’s Gnashing Jaws, the mechanics of this spell are brilliant (roll 3D6 and subtract the target unit’s movement, take the difference as mortal wounds). 3 casts/dispels with Arcane Tome and Rancid Visitations, an anti horde mortal wound spell. Be’lakor is a skill pick, 20% of your army and he can hit really hard but he only has 14 wounds on a 4+ and degrades quickly.
You need to pick your time to commit him and I feel like the durable Blightlords compliment him well. Commit them to the early scoring/battle tactics and bluntening your opponents thrust before swooping in. It might even open up a This One’s Mine which can help a lot with your scoring. The Blightlords are just an effective unit, 8 wounds and 11 attacks each and mortal wounds on the charge and at the end of combat. With disease points they grind units down through a combination of resilience (5+ ward and heal a wound every round) and steady damage. The Nurglings are a natural for either taking an unprotected objective or completing Desecrate the Lands with their Hidden Infestations (they don’t deploy until the end of your first movement phase and must be outside of your deployment).
They arrive 3″ away from Terrain so it will be the next turn before they can do Desecrate. It’s a unique take on a pretty common solution and able to access pretty much all battle tactics (particularly from the GHB). Great work going 5/0 and proving the there is depth to Nurgle.
Army Faction: Idoneth Deepkin
– Subfaction: Mor’phann
– Grand Strategy: The Creeping Gloomtide
– Triumph: Indomitable
LEADERS
Akhelian King (250)*
– General
– Command Traits: Unstoppable Fury
– Bladed Polearm and Falchion
– Artefacts of Power: Arcane Tome
– Mount Traits: Voidchill Darkness
– Spells: Flaming Weapon
– Bonding: Krondspine Incarnate of Ghur
Isharann Soulscryer (150)*
– Prayers: Curse
Isharann Soulrender (120)*
BATTLELINE
Namarti Reavers (170)*
Namarti Reavers (170)*
Namarti Reavers (170)*
Namarti Reavers (170)*
Namarti Thralls (390)*
BEHEMOTH
Krondspine Incarnate of Ghur (400)*
TERRAIN
1 x Gloomtide Shipwreck (0)
CORE BATTALIONS
*Battle Regiment
TOTAL POINTS: 1990/2000
Brett: Another different take on the popular infantry heavy Idoneth list. Instead of a 20 or 30 model units Jon is running his Reavers in 10 model trading units. The Thralls are still in a double reinforced unit. The Soulscryer is one reason for the smaller units, they are much easier to Deep Strike. One can garrison the shipwreck as well. The Soulscryer can take 2 units with him and redeploy at the end of the movement phase within 6″ of the edge of the battlefield and outside of 9″ from an enemy unit. Great for battletactics and sniping important things. The Soulrender is returning units with Lurelight. The King has all of the upgrades which include Unstoppable Fury (+2 attacks for each unit within 3″ in High Tide), Arcane Tome/Flaming Weapon (+1 damage) and Voidchill Darkness (-1 hit to enemy attackers).
Rounding out the list are Krondspine and the Shipwreck.Krondspine is interesting choice but helps before High Tide (turn 3) when Idoneth has fight first available before dropping into Ebb Tide where they can retreat and charge (or shoot). Krondspine gives you an offensive threat that needs to be dealt with. Supported by Reavers and even the King from turn 2 it’s a serious threat, even better if it’s still around in turn 3. The small units of Reavers can make effective use of the Tides of Death, there is less on the line if you run and shoot with a small unit that will most likely be taken out next turn. An interesting take on Idoneth that ran very well and scored well throughout, in the end losing to our winner in the final round. No surprises really, Jon is one of the top ranked players in the world.
Army Faction: Slaves to Darkness
– Army Type: Knights of the Empty Throne
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
LEADERS
Varanguard (560)
– General
– Mark of Chaos: Tzeentch
– Command Traits: Inescapable Doom
– Daemonforged Blade and Warpsteel Shield
– Artefacts of Power: Grasping Plate
Chaos Sorcerer Lord (135)*
– Mark of Chaos: Tzeentch
– Spells: Mask of Darkness
Slaves to Darkness Daemon Prince (210)*
– Mark of Chaos: Khorne
– Hellforged Sword and Malefic Talons
Chaos Sorcerer Lord on Manticore (270)*
– Mark of Chaos: Tzeentch
– Spells: Mask of Darkness
– Bonding: Krondspine Incarnate of Ghur
BATTLELINE
Untamed Beasts (70)*
– Mark of Chaos: Tzeentch
Untamed Beasts (70)*
– Mark of Chaos: Tzeentch
Untamed Beasts (70)*
– Mark of Chaos: Tzeentch
BEHEMOTH
Krondspine Incarnate of Ghur (400)
Chaos Warshrine (215)*
– Mark of Chaos: Tzeentch
– Prayers: Heal
CORE BATTALIONS
*Battle Regiment
TOTAL POINTS: 2000/2000
Brett: Knights of the Empty Throne (without Archaon) being run here by one of the top 10 players in the world (tough crowd in Georgia). Although there is no Archeon it’s still a hero based list and possibly a prelude to what the end of the year may look like with the new book. Only 2 casts/dispels but with both the Krondspine (Endless Spell protection and massive melee threat) and the Warshrine (Behemoth priest). Both Sorcerers know Mask of Darkness (teleport for Mortal units). Everything except the Daemon Prince is Tzeetch marked (reroll save rolls of 1 for everything except the Incarnate and Untamed Beasts) and a 5+ ward against the effects of magic. Varanguard as general with Inescapable Doom (no retreat within 3″) and Grasping Plate (6″ engagement range and 6″ pile in). We’ll assume they are 6th Circle for the extra damage on the charge.
Playing this well takes some considered action, there are 4 solid hammers but they work best with overlapping buffs. Khorne Marked Daemon Prince has the 18″ halve charge and run rolls, he is best close to something important that you don’t want charged. The Krondspine doesn’t benefit from the armies buffs so can act independently but it’s also strong anti endless spell protection. Varanguard are a mobile threat as is the Sorcerer on Manticore but committing them too early could be a mistake. The Untamed Beasts and Sorcerers are mortals and can be teleported with Mask of Darkness. Great for those Battle Tactics. The Sorceror’s can use Eye of the Gods at the end of the turn if they kill a unit. Probably not something to play into, the Sorcerer’s can be removed relatively easily – even the 12 wounds on a 4+, but something to take advantage of
The ideal set up is probably to have the Sorcerer cast Demonic Power (reroll hits and wounds) on the Varanguard before launching them. Keep the Daemon Prince near to the Varanguard to prevent the counter charge. In earlier turns screen with the Untamed Beasts (both the Prince and Manticore fly so can go over the screen if necessary). Initially everything is likely to stay close to the Warshrine for the 6+ ward, particularly if there is much shooting in the enemy’s list. The loss to Lumineth just highlights the issues Slaves have as a melee army that is relatively slow moving with long range mortal wound shooting. Lumineth in particular aren’t likely to push into to you to score giving little room to react to their shooting, 2 turns across open ground is uncomfortable.
Army Faction: Ogor Mawtribes
– Army Type: Boulderhead
– Grand Strategy: No Place for the Weak
– Triumphs: Inspired
LEADERS
Frostlord on Stonehorn (430)*
– General
– Metalcruncher
– Lord of Beasts
– Brand of the Svard
Kragnos, The End of Empires (720)*
BATTLELINE
Mournfang Pack (320)*
– Reinforced: Once
Ogor Gluttons (250)*
Ogor Gluttons (250)*
CORE BATTALIONS
*Bounty Hunters
TOTAL POINTS: 1970/2000
Brett: Do you like a quick movement phase without the distraction of a lot of units (and models)? But Gargants don’t float your boat then get on Ogors, mini, hungrier Gargants looking for their next meal. They also look pretty angry rather than slow witted so that’s something (I always wanted Ogres as a playable race in Warcraft). With a new book coming there is some light at the end of the tunnel, at the moment Ogors are languishing with a 42% winrate with fairly low representation. I’m going with this must have been a Battle Regiment not Bounty Hunters because Bounty Hunters is only 3 units max. Anyone 2 Generals since Kragnos is no one’s servant (he counts as a General).
The Frostlord has Metalcruncher (D6 MW to a unit within 3″ at start of combat) and as a Boulderhead, Lord of Beasts (1″ extra movement) and Brand of Svard (+1 to hit with melee weapons). Kragnos is handing out his 18″ charge with 3D6 rolls. The Gluttons get an extra 2″ move if they are more than 3″ from all enemy units (they’re hungry) and everything does mortal wounds on the charge. Kragnos is unique there where he makes a charge with different profiles if it is against units or a single monster. His Bellowing Roar as he gets wounded is always funny, in a bad way. If you see Ogors you know they are going to concentrate on stomping you, if they are with Kragnos they will be fairly compact.
Michael recovered really well from his early round losses, eventually finishing higher than both of his opponents. As expected scoring was an issue with 6 dropped tactics and 2 dropped Grand Strategies through the weekend. Congratulations on bringing a pretty unique list.
Final Tournament Placings
