This is the top three AoS lists for 2D6 Oslohammer #5 that took place in Norway on the 15th and 16th of July. It involved 22 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.
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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: Orruk Warclans – Army Type: Big Waaagh! – Grand Strategy: Waaagh! – Triumphs: Indomitable
LEADER 1 x Orruk Weirdnob Shaman (90)* – Spells: Da Great Big Green Hand of Gork 1 x Wurrgog Prophet (170)* – Artefacts: Glowin’ Tattooz – Spells: Hoarfrost 1 x Megaboss on Maw-krusha (450)** – General – Command Traits: Hulking Brute – Boss Choppa and Rip-toof Fist – Artefacts: Destroyer – Mount Traits: Fast ’Un 1 x Gobsprakk (240)*** 1 x Orruk Warchanter (120)*** 1 x Orruk Warchanter (120)***
BATTLELINE 5 x Orruk Brutes (140)** – Brute Boss – Boss Klaw & Brute Smasha – Jagged Gore-hacka 5 x Orruk Ardboys (80)** 5 x Orruk Ardboys (80)***
OTHER 3 x Orruk Gore-gruntas (170)** – Gore-grunta Boss – Jagged Gore-hacka 6 x Orruk Gore-gruntas (340)** – Gore-grunta Boss – Jagged Gore-hacka
This is the top three AoS lists for the Aotearoa Masters Grand Tournament that took place in New Zealand on the 20th and 21st of May. It involved 18 players vying to be crowned champion in a 5-game tournament.
As this event had less than 20 players attending there won’t be any list comments here as the guys will be concentrating on the larger events of the week.
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: Guild of Summoners – Grand Strategy: Master of Destiny – Triumphs: bloodthirsty
Leaders Changecaster, Herald of Tzeentch (150)** – Artefact: The Eternal Shroud – Lore of Change: Bolt of Tzeentch – Lore of Change: Treason of Tzeentch Curseling, Eye of Tzeentch (200)** – General – Command Trait: Cult Demagogue – Lore of Fate: Shield of Fate – Lore of Fate: Arcane Suggestion – Aspect of the Champion: Tunnel Master Magister (140)** – Lore of Fate: Glimpse of Future – Lore of Fate: Shield of Fate Contorted Epitome (190)* – Universal Spell Lore: Flaming Weapon – Universal Spell Lore: Ghost-mist – Allies
Battleline 20 x Pink Horrors of Tzeentch (500)* – Reinforced x 1 10 x Kairic Acolytes (120)* – 7x Pair of Cursed Blades – 3x Cursed Glaives 10 x Kairic Acolytes (120)* – 7x Pair of Cursed Blades – 3x Cursed Glaives 10 x Tzaangors (180)* – 10x Pair of Savage Blade
Allegiance: Beasts of Chaos – Greatfray: Darkwalkers – Mortal Realm: Ghur – Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs – Triumphs: Bloodthirsty
Leaders Doombull (180)* – General – Command Trait: Bestial Cunning – Artefact: Brayblast Trumpet – Aspect of the Champion: Leadership of the Alpha Great Bray-Shaman (95)* – Lore of the Twisted Wilds: Wild Rampage
Battleline 10 x Ungors (80)* – Mauls & Half-Shields 20 x Ungor Raiders (230)* – Reinforced x 1 9 x Bullgors (630)* – Pairs of Axes – Reinforced x 2
Units 6 x Beasts of Chaos Tzaangor Enlightened on Discs of Tzeentch (430)* – Reinforced x 1 10 x Chaos Warhounds (110)*
Leaders Dankhold Troggboss (200)* – General – Command Trait: Loonskin – Artefact: Glowy Howzit Fungoid Cave-Shaman (90)*** – Artefact: Staff of Sneaky Stealin’ – Lore of the Moonclans: The Hand of Gork Skragrott, The Loonking (210)*** – Lore of the Moonclans: The Hand of Gork Webspinner Shaman (65)*** – Lore of the Spiderfang: Curse of da Spider God Squigboss with Gnasha-squig (100)** – Aspect of the Champion: Tunnel Master
Battleline 3 x Fellwater Troggoths (160)* 6 x Rockgut Troggoths (320)* – Reinforced x 1 3 x Rockgut Troggoths (160)* 40 x Moonclan Shootas (250)*** – Reinforced x 1 24 x Squig Herd (260)** – Reinforced x 1
Units 5 x Gobbapalooza (160)* – Spell1: Lore of the Moonclans: Itchy Nuisance
This is the top three AoS lists for Valleycon 2023 that took place in New Zealand on the 22nd and 23rd of April. 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: Khorne – Slaughterhost: The Bloodlords – Grand Strategy: The Day is Ours! -Triumphs: Indomitable
LEADERS Bloodthirster of Unfettered Fury (330)** – General – Command Trat: Firebrand – Artefact: Argath the King of Blades Skarbrand (380) Realmgore Ritualist (100)* – Prayer: Blood Sacrifice Herald of Khorne on Blood Throne (160)* Bloodsecrator (110)* – Aspect of the Champion: Tunnel Master Bloodmaster, Herald of Khorne (110)** – Artefact: Halo of Blood
UNITS 30 x Bloodletters (540)** – Gore Drenched icon 10 x Bloodreavers (80** – Reaver Blades 10 x Bloodreavers (80)** – Reaver Blades 10 x Bloodreavers (80)** –Reaver Blades
Peter: We’ve corrected this article to say that Bloodlords can be buffed to cause mortals on 5+ and not 4+ as previously stated.
Hero-hammer is alive and well in the land of Khorne. While I think their book was initially overlooked due to the insane rules from Slaanesh, there is a lot of potential in the new Blades of Khorne battletome. They remain a very tech-y army with a moderate to high skill level, but in the right hands they can get a lot of work done.
In this case, Shaun has packed more than half the points for his army in heroes, and a further quarter of his points in a single, massive unit of Bloodletters.
Working from the top of the list, we’ll start with the Fury Thirster. I think you’ll see this unit + command trait combination a lot. The Thirster starts as a great force mulitplier, allowing one unit per round the chance to roll 3D6 for a charge, as well as providing a -1 to hit debuff for enemies within 8″. Giving him Firebrand allows him the ability to chant prayers as well, and Khorne’s Prayer Scriptures are good enough that you’ll want to pack as many priests as possible. He’s also taken Argath, which will cut ward from nearby units, allowing those aura mortals to go through more easily.
He’s followed up by Skarbrand. Skarbrand’s role in the army didn’t change from the last tome. He’s still a massive beatstick character that suffers from some durability issues. Luckily he’s one of the few bracketing units in the game that gets better as he takes damage, so if your opponent happens to leave him standing with only 1 or 2 wounds they are in huge trouble. His damage output became more reliable in this tome, but he lost the ability to increase the number of attacks for Carnage, so you’re banking on that single die. At his bottom bracket that’s a guaranteed 8 mortal wounds, with a potential 16 mortal wound spike, so that one attack can still be very effective if aimed correctly.
I’ll lump the Realmgore Ritualist and Bloodsecrator in the same bucket, as they both have the same goal: time their once-per-game ability well, then die. The blood tithe points gained from their deaths will be 1 shy of summoning an extra GC to the field, and since their attack increases are once per game, it means they can be effective in death. If you don’t have the opportunity to have them killed, you still have two priests running around the field, both of which are GCs, so scoring some late-game battle tactics should be well within your reach.
The Bloodmaster and Herald are both Daemon priests (5 priests in this list!), and serve different purposes. The Herald can move quickly around the battlefield, and carries a healing prayer that can bring back a few of those bloodthirsters as they die, while the bloodmaster buffs them by giving them +1 to wound against an enemy unit. Tie the bloodletters unit near enough to the Bloodthirster to get a 3D6 charge and they’ll fling themselves across the field lightning-fast while setting off the Bloodlords army trait. Give them All-out Attack and you now have a 30-strong unit fighting in two ranks (thanks to their shiny new 2″ weapon range), hitting on 2s, wounding on 2s, with mortal wounds happening on hit rolls of 5+! A large enough squad can reasonably survive most enemy’s Unleash Hell, so you’ve got a very powerful mobile unit that can dish out a ton of damage.
Past there you have three units of Reavers. They are decently cheap battleline, and work well for screens and blood tithe points. Shaun has also taken a Magnificent Command Entourage, bringing an extra artefact on the Bloodmaster, giving it permanent fight-first (note that this also gives the bloodletters fight first due to The Blood Must Flow in a roundabout way).
Congratulations, Shaun, on your first place win! I love to see Khorne come out strong, and I’m sure we will see more Khorne lists in the near future.
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Allegiance: Sylvaneth – Glade: Heartwood – Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs – Triumphs: Bloodthirsty
LEADERS Warsong Revenant (300)* – General – Command Trait: Spellsinger – Lore of the Deepwood: The Dwellers Below Treelord Ancient (330)* – Artefact: The Vesperal Gem – Lore of the Deepwood: Treesong 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)* 10 x Shadow Warriors (120)* – Allies
ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS Spiteswarm Hive (40)
CORE BATTALIONS *Battle Regiment
TOTAL: 1990/2000
Not the first, nor likely the last time I’ll find myself writing about Lee Wilmot’s Sylvaneth play, I feel it’s worth commenting on a thread of consistency between his Sylvaneth lists that is often glossed over in favour of unit to unit analysis: The kind of list Lee runs, and the reason he is so successful with Sylvaneth vs top factions such as Gitz, KotET, LRL and so forth, is that the lists he makes score well. Lee’s use of things such as the Vesperal Gem on the TLA (automatically cast once per round), tech choices like the Dweller’s below (Sylvaneth’s generic anti-horde spell) and frankly, the inclusion of a TLA at all (to create a tree 3″ away where-ever he wants, once per game) combine to form a picture of consistency. If piloted well, this kind of list will consistently flip objectives each turn and score Battle tactics, building to a trading advantage that allows Take What’s Theirs (the GS) to be scored at the end of the game.
I do have some questions about how this style of list handles some of the new fast – or spell dominant – books like Seraphon, Slaanesh and KO (always KO) so if you see this Lee, please reach out! That said, this list style allows a base formula to be applied each game, with little room to interact for the opponent (unironically a massive positive for tournament play, and the pillar of LRL’s general success) and provides great scope for adjustment on the fly based on battlefield conditions, Revenant Seekers provide mobility and improve consistency by resurrecting Kurnoths that are killed off by Fight On Death or long range chip damage effects while the combination of the pet Shadow Warriors unit and the Tree Revenants allow for objective sitting once the combination of spell damage, ranged damage and Strike and Fading Kurnoth Hunters clear the way. It’s an extremely well structured way to approach list building for the GT environment where a broad range of matchups will be played and a great show of Lee’s system mastery.
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Allegiance: Gloomspite Gitz – Gittish Horde: King’s Gitz – Grand Strategy: Chasing the Moon – Triumphs: Inspired
LEADERS Skragrott, The Loonking (210)*** – Lore of the Moonclans: The Hand of Gork Dankhold Troggboss (200)** – General – Command Trait: Loonskin – Artefact: Glowy Howzit Squigboss with Gnasha-squig (100)* – Aspect of the Champion: Tunnel Master Fungoid Cave-Shaman (90)*** – Artefact: Staff of Sneaky Stealin’ – Lore of the Moonclans: The Hand of Gork Webspinner Shaman (65)*** – Lore of the Spiderfang: Curse of da Spider God
UNITS 40 x Moonclan Shootas (250)** 3 x Fellwater Troggoths (160)** 3 x Rockgut Troggoths (160)** 6 x Rockgut Troggoths (320)*** 24 x Squig Herd (260)* 5 x Gobbapalooza (160)** – Lore of the Moonclans: Itchy Nuisance
Gitz are back baby… although its perhaps more accurate to say that they have arrived for the first time. Sam has brought a ‘soup’ list to 4-1 here and snagged 3rd place. (A soup list in Gitz is one with a few keywords, so in this case Troggs, Squigs, Spiders and Gitz (in the form of the Gobbapalooza))
It’s great to see the Gobbapalooza popping up in lists now that it’s been made into a single warscroll which makes it much easier to understand and – more importantly – stop ‘gotcha’ moments because an opponents forgot which of the 5 scrolls the little green guy was in the last book!
The Webspinner is a fun addition in this list to also represent the Spiderfang, and he’s brought along a free scuttletide (well the Dankhold has!) This makes these three models very good value and we’ll definitely see it in a few more lists before the book has run it’s course.
The main backbone is the Troggs though – hitting like a freight train you’ll need to hit first and hit hard – and then kill them again when they come back from the Loonshrine. It’s a lot of muscle with a small number of attacks but good damage on the Rockguts.
Games Workshop via Wahapedia
They have the ‘elite infantry’ profile of 3+/3+ which routinely means 2+/3+ and have rend 2, damage 3. Sure you don’t get many attacks, but it makes your opponent sweat when they have to take those saving throws. Even Annihilators have cause for (some) concern.
It’s great to see the Gitz getting near the top now and to have so many players dust off their collections after 3 years in the attics. Hopefully I’ll get a game or two in with them soon… getting serious FOMO watching all my fellow Gitz get in the reps!
This is the top three AoS lists for the Sydney Salt Smash that took place in Australia on the 18th and 19th of February. It involved 28 players vying to be crowned champion in a 5-game tournament.
Before I jump into the Top Three AoS Lists, I wanted to remind everyone of our friendly Discord server where you can join in the conversation with the Woehammer crew and suggest articles or series for the website.
If you like what we’re doing, why not join our Patreon and help keep it going?
Also if there’s a one day or two day tournament you’d like us to cover drop us a comment on this post and we’ll have a look at it for you.
The Top Three AoS Lists
Allegiance: Stormcast Eternals – Stormhost: Astral Templars (Scions of the Storm) – Mortal Realm: Ghyran – Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs – Triumphs: Bloodthirsty
Leaders Lord-Veritant (140)** – General – Command Trait: Master of Magic – Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact) – Spell: Thundershock – Prayer: Translocation Knight-Zephyros (100)* – Aspect of the Champion: Stubborn as a Rhinox Celestant-Prime, Hammer of Sigmar (330)* Lord-Arcanum on Tauralon (250)** – Mount Trait: Celestial Instincts – Spell: Starfall
Units 3 x Vanguard-Palladors (200)* – Boltstorm Pistols and Starstrike Javelins 3 x Vanguard-Palladors (200)** – Boltstorm Pistols and Starstrike Javelins 3 x Vanguard-Palladors (200)** – Boltstorm Pistols and Starstrike Javelins 6 x Vanguard-Palladors (400)** – Boltstorm Pistols and Starstrike Javelins – Reinforced x 1 6 x Gryph-Hounds (90)* 6 x Gryph-Hounds (90)*
Stormcast are in a tricky place. They have loads and loads of warscrolls, but many of them are sub-optimal. Whilst Games Workshop tries to correct this by tweaking points up and down, the good warscrolls remain good, and the bad remain bad… and so the ‘good warscroll spam’ armies come to the fore. The good news is that there are different versions of them, so you’ll not necessarily play the same one, but the bad news is that it is a lot of repeated Warscrolls.
That’s no criticism of Sean, who has taken this formula and got 5-0 from it. Sure I am going to criticise him for beating up Gloomspite Gitz (booo!) but in all seriousness he’s done very well with an army of Paladors (very quick, some shooting and reasonable combat effectiveness as well).
The Gryph hounds sync in well here with Warning Cry, which allows units to shoot at deep strikers and summoned units. Effectively giving Sean some free shots against enemy units for limited outlay. If you make it through the shooting, you’ll then have to face a deep-striking unit of Sean’s own – the still great Celestant Prime. It’s good to see him representing the book he comes from!
A really thematic list that is likely to give any opponent pause (or just annoy them). Palladors have been overlooked for most of this edition (and 2nd) for a reason. But they are also 5 wound models with 12″ move and a built-in teleport. They are built for scoring, at least when there are this many backed by the Celestant Prime and the Lord Arcanum for the +1 to hit rolls for the closest Pallador. A well thought out dynamic list.
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Army Faction: Stormcast Eternals – Army Type: Scions of the Storm – Subfaction: Hammers of Sigmar – Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs – Triumph: Bloodthirsty
LEADERS Knight-Vexillor (120)* – Meteoric Standard Knight-Vexillor (120)* – Meteoric Standard Knight-Vexillor (120)* – Meteoric Standard Knight-Vexillor (120)** – Meteoric Standard Lord-Relictor (150)** – General – Command Traits: Master of Magic – Artefacts of Power: Arcane Tome – Spells: Thundershock – Prayers: Translocation Knight-Heraldor (100)** – Aspects of the Champion: Tunnel Master
Back from his Cancon insanity with fewer Vexillors and even more Tempestors. I admire his patience building and painting that them (the armour and arms take a while to eliminate gaps). There are plenty of tricks still, a Knight Heraldor (not often seen or even owned), Shadow Warriors, Castigators, and The Farstriders. All led by a Lord Relictor (with Translocate and Thundershock) who brings Master of Magic to hopefully get Everblaze Comet off. Essentially, this list is trying to deal with SCE mobility issues and damage output in the face of new more serious threats.
Scions of the Storm allows half of the units to be held in reserve and arrive in any turn, which prevents first turn shooting, removing a lot of important pieces. In this case, as a 2 drop army so Yangxue is probably deciding who has first turn, toss up whether to keep it or play for the early double. Everyone should know the Vexillor’s trick now. It’s not OP, but it is a 24″ version of the Stormdrake’s shooting attack with an area of effect. It’s once per game, so deciding when to use it is critical, but they remain a solid Galletian Champion for scoring once they are down, just not very mobile. The Knight Herald is here mostly as a quiet scoring piece with his Tunnel Master but can punish units near terrain, chip damage really but good into some armies that like to lurk near terrain. Of the units – Tempestors have been a very common choice in place of Fulminators lately.
Shadow Warriors duplicate the abilities of Scions of the Storm units on their own warscroll. They don’t count as a coalition force, though, because this is a Scions of the Storm army. Farstriders can teleport, and the Castigators are another cheap screen with Unleash Hell potential that can also be teleported by the Relictor. Very good at picking off any objectives that aren’t well covered. So movement is covered, and output, especially in the first turn or 2, is really good. Hit hard early and then outlast them. Unless the opponent is a horde army or has strong heals, this will probably work. Or Trolls, trolls (Troggoths) are probably a counter. They’re damn scary now
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Allegiance: Gloomspite Gitz – Gittish Horde: King’s Gitz – Grand Strategy: Chasing The Moon – Triumphs: Indomitable
Leaders Dankhold Troggboss (200)** – General – Command Trait: Loonskin – Artefact: Speaky-skull Fetish Fungoid Cave-Shaman (90)* – Artefact: Moonface Mommet – Lore of the Moonclans: The Hand of Gork – Aspect of the Champion: Tunnel Master Fungoid Cave-Shaman (90)* – Artefact: Leering Gitshield – Lore of the Moonclans: Itchy Nuisance Mollog (130)*
Battleline 9 x Rockgut Troggoths (480)*** – Reinforced x 2 6 x Rockgut Troggoths (320)*** – Reinforced x 1 3 x Rockgut Troggoths (160)* 6 x Fellwater Troggoths (320)*** – Reinforced x 1
On the same weekend as Sheffield Slaughter, Ben has guided a Trogg army (Gloomspite Gitz) to a spectacular 4-1. Not bad for an army that was languishing at the bottom of the rankings before the new book. It’s still too early to tell if the book will be above the magical 45%-55% level, but it definitely feels like it should be able to stay away from the mid-thirties it was in during the last incarnation.
The Troggs that Ben has taken also shows the advantage of giving people choices with battalions. Sure, there is only one in the Gitz book, but it is an innovative way of getting people to take Dankhold Troggoths… a great model, but before now, a very weak scroll. The increased regeneration helps here as well, but it comes with a free artefact as well, which is well worth considering for only 180 points. Treat him as a throw-away spear unit and hammer something to death. Just remember he doesn’t come back through the shrine at the end of the turn.
But the Rockguts and Fellwaters do, and with healing now automatic and every hero phase, you’ll need to kill units outright – not an easy thing for the 9 Rockguts.
It’s a great army, and it looks good on the board too – don’t be suckered in by the lack of bodies… these guys will hang around and stick on objectives. My only concern for them would be the mirror into a Squig list, but Ben fought one of those in game 5 and came out on top, so maybe this list can compete long-term.
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Allegiance: Daughters of Khaine – Temple: Zainthar Kai – Grand Strategy: Bloodthirsty Zealots – Triumphs: Inspired
Leaders Hag Queen (120)* – Aspect of the Champion: Fuelled by Ghurish Rage Anointed on Frostheart Phoenix (320) – Allies Slaughter Queen on Cauldron of Blood (300)* – General – Command Trait: Zealous Orator – Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact) -Lore of Shadows: Mindrazor
Battleline 15 x Blood Sisters (450)* – Reinforced x 2 10 x Blood Stalkers (360)* – Reinforced x 1 5 x Blood Sisters (150)*
Units 5 x Khinerai Heartrenders (100)* 5 x Khinerai Heartrenders (100)*
It’s always nice to see a Norathi list! Since her price hike, I think they make more sense than ever. Even though it will always be scary not taking the big momma, once you spread those points over more synergistic bodies, you can end up with a surprising amount of redundancy and board control.
And that’s _kinda_ what Liam has gone for here – by replacing the 700 pt Morathi with a Frostheart Phoenix – which is a durable, fast monster at less than half the points, and a newly-bargain priced Slaughter Queen on Cauldron. Between these two pieces, Liam brings to bear overlapping auras of -1 to wound and +1 to save, which, combined with -1 damage from the Heart of Fury, go a long way to making the fragile Daughters able to take a serious punch.
Beyond that, it’s the usual block of 15 stab sneks, but he’s also brought 10 bows – which I think are pointed for the double shoot but still offer decent ranged output – and the usual double khinerai for amazing scoring options.
A really nice balanced list that cleaned up some strong meta opponents, losing only to what is quickly becoming the clearly-over-tuned Gloomspite book!
