This is the Top Three AoS Lists for the Smite Club Open AoS 2022 that took place in Mesa, Arizona on the 10th and 11th of September. It involved 47 players vying to be crowned champion in a 5 game tournament.

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The Top Three AoS Lists

Army Faction: Cities of Sigmar
– Army Type: Hallowheart
– Grand Strategy: Mighty Beachhead                                                                       

LEADER                                                                                                                                              1 x Battlemage on Griffon (255)*
– Mount Traits: Soaring Guardian
– Spells: Crystal Aegis, Elemental Cyclone, Warding Brand
– Bonding: Krondspine Incarnate of Ghur                                                                                 1 x Freeguild General (100)*
– General
– Artefacts: Arcane Tome
– Spells: Ignite Weapons, Sear Wounds, Warding Brand                                                      
1 x Battlemage (100)*
– General’s Adjutant
– Spells: Ignite Weapons, Sear Wounds, Warding Brand                       

BATTLELINE                                                                                                                                    20 x Freeguild Crossbowmen (200)*
– Marksman
– 2 x Standard Bearer
– 2 x Piper                                                                                                                                               10 x Freeguild Guard (85)*
– General’s Retinue
– Sergeant
– Standard Bearer
– Drummer
– Freeguild Sword and Shield                                                                                                   20 x Freeguild Crossbowmen (200)*
– Marksman
– 2 x Standard Bearer
– 2 x Piper                                                                                                                           

BEHEMOTH                                                                                                                                    1 x Krondspine Incarnate of Ghur (400)*                                                                

ENDLESS SPELL                                                                                                                                     1 x Soulscream Bridge (80)                                                                                                         1 x Purple Sun of Shyish (70)                                                                                                         1 x Ravenak’s Gnashing Jaws (60)                                                                                     

OTHER                                                                                                                                                                    10 x Protectors (450)*
– Protector-Prime                                                                                                                       

CORE BATTALIONS:                                                                                                                  *Battle Regiment                                                                                              

TOTAL POINTS: (2000/2000)

Brett: Demonstrating how open things are we have a Cities list taking a big event that doesn’t lean on Stormdrakes. And answers the question “Where are all of the SCE paladins and why are they always on backorder”. Hallowheart, the mystical city, giving a 5+ magical ward, +1 to cast, and an extra spell to wizards. The list has 3 mage HQs, Krondspine and 210 pts of endless spells to take advantage.. Purple Sun for +1 rend (that’s the effect of -1 to saves) and a 16% per turn to eat something, Ravenak’s for it’s mortal wounds and Soulscream Bridge for teleports. The BM on Griffon is a Ghur mage, I assume the other Battlemage is as well. This means the the Griffon can cast Mystic Shield and Wildform before moving 15″ with +2 to the charge.

Or the other mage could do the same on the protectors before they stepped on the Bridge to move 24″ for a 7+ charge roll. The learned spells include improved magical ward (4+, Crystal Aegis), MW (Elemental  Cyclone), Warding Brand (MW following a hit on a 4+), Ignite Weapons (+1 to wound, includes ranged weapons), and D3 heal with Searing Wounds. The protectors, Krondspine and the Griffon can act as hammers supported by the Crossbows. The Crossbows get an extra attack (2 total) so long as they are more than 3″ from opponents and more than 10 models. That gives 2 units with 20+ attacks potentially wounding on 2s. Challenging.

5/0 against pretty strong lists including Ironjawz, Sylvaneth and Beasts of Chaos. The list has a lot of options centred around a castle with 2 heroes and a lot of archers. Charging into that is hard work but Thomas (who was playing Bonesplitterz last time we saw him) also took down a 30 Sentinel Lumineth list as well.

Army Faction: Flesh-eater Courts
– Grand Court Delusion: Feast Day
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumph: Inspired

LEADERS
Abhorrant Archregent (245)*
– Artefacts of Power: The Dermal Robe
– Spells: Spectral Host
– Bonding: Krondspine Incarnate of Ghur
Abhorrant Ghoul King on Royal Terrorgheist (445)*
– Mount Traits: Gruesome Bite
– Spells: Blood Feast
Crypt Haunter Courtier (110)*
– General
– Command Traits: Dark Acolyte

BATTLELINE
Crypt Ghouls (85)*
Crypt Ghouls (85)*
Crypt Horrors (330)**
Crypt Horrors (220)**

BEHEMOTH
Krondspine Incarnate of Ghur (400)*

ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS
1 x Purple Sun of Shyish (70)

TERRAIN
1 x Charnel Throne (0)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Battle Regiment
**Bounty Hunters

TOTAL POINTS: 1990/2000

Brett: In second we have another uncommon faction who received a bit of a boost recently. Fairly horrific combination of two large blocks of Crypt Horrors combined with Krondspine and the Purple Sun. FEC don’t ignore rend like Nighthaunt so the Purple Sun affects them but with their heals, wound count and regeneration it’s just not that bad. Keep the Abhorrents away, particularly if it goes wild. Potentially you are looking at a very nasty castle, at least early game. The Archregent applies D3 attacks to the larger unit of Horrors (from the Carnal Throne, the Terrorgheist grants them a 5+ ward (they have 6+), on the Throne he can summon for free as well. They reroll all hits within 18″ of an Abhorrent. Dark Acolyte grants the Haunter Courtier the wizard ability and they know the Abhorrent Ghoul Kings Black Hunger giving another attack (or buffing a second unit).

Crypt Horrors with up to 6 attacks (Ferocious Hunger) with 2 wounds normally and 3 wounds on sixes (or 4 and 3 against Galletian Veterans). No rend but weight of dice counts even into 2+ saves. The block of 9 with 4 wounds, 5+ save and 5 or 6+ ward takes serious effort to shift. And they can be returned. The Terrorgheist has rerolls to Fanged Maw, it can receive additional attacks and of course Fanged Maw does 6 MW on 6s. The Terrorgheist can also receive run and charge (on top of 14″ move) from Spectral Host (up to 3 units can receive fly or if they have fly, run and charge). That’s before summoning. Both the Abhorrents can summon a unit of Galletian Veterans anywhere on the board.

Very hard to screen against and almost automatic Against the Odds, Desecrate their Lands and Barge through their lands. This is a list that can surprise people and is difficult to counter, unless you have good shooting. That said he lost his first round and recovered well to go 4/1 to the Sylvaneth list with little shooting sitting just below in 3rd.

Army Faction: Sylvaneth
– Subfaction: Gnarlroot
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumph: Inspired

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

BATTLELINE
Tree-Revenants (110)**
– Waypipes
– Glade Banner Bearer
– Scion
– Protector Glaive
Tree-Revenants (110)**
– Glade Banner Bearer
– Waypipes
– Scion
– Protector Glaive
Dryads (100)**

OTHER
Spiterider Lancers (420)*
– Spiterider Scion
– 2 x Spiterider Standard Bearer
– 2 x Spiterider Hornblower
Revenant Seekers (235)*
Gossamid Archers (220)**

ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS
1 x Spiteswarm Hive (40)
1 x Purple Sun of Shyish (70)

TERRAIN
1 x Awakened Wyldwood (0)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Bounty Hunters
**Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: 1970/2000

Brett: interesting Sylvaneth list with all of the new stuff (or a lot of it anyway). 4 spells Verdurous Harmony (returns models to Tree Revenants) and Treesong (+1 Rend within 9” of a wyldwood). The Warsong has Spellsinger to extend casting range (a Wyldwood becomes a spell portal). Works really well for Unleash Swarm of Spities. This is really dangerous, you want to avoid grouping up and stay away from trees. List tech wise we have 2 endless spells, because the Purple Sun is mandatory.

Otherwise Spiteswarm Lancers for mobile damage, they strike first and can heal making it a little bit tougher. Gossamer Archers to do your opponent’s head (fade when charged), Revenant Seekers to return models (including Lancers). And finally Tree Revenants for opportunist attacks, teleporting and fire and fade. The last are among the most effective scoring units at the moment. No really big threats (the Treelord hits hard though) this list is about control and scoring. Hard to come to grips with and able to wear you down in attritional warfare (flavourful or frustrating). Differential type scoring was its only weakness, because it does rely on a longer game.

Army Faction: Orruk Warclans
– Army Type: Kruleboyz
– Subfaction: Big Yellers
– Grand Strategy: Show of Dominance
– Triumph: Inspired

LEADERS
Breaka-boss on Mirebrute Troggoth (180)*
Killaboss on Corpse-rippa Vulcha (240)**
– General
– Command Traits: Supa Sneaky
– Artefacts of Power: Arcane Tome
– Mount Traits: Fast ’Un
– Spells: Nasty Hex
– Bonding: Krondspine Incarnate of Ghur

BATTLELINE
Man-skewer Boltboyz (360)**
– Boltboy Boss
Man-skewer Boltboyz (360)**
– Boltboy Boss
Man-skewer Boltboyz (120)**

BEHEMOTH
Krondspine Incarnate of Ghur (400)**

OTHER
Hobgrot Slittaz (80)*
Hobgrot Slittaz (80)*
Hobgrot Slittaz (80)*
Hobgrot Slittaz (80)*

CORE BATTALIONS
*Battle Regiment
**Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: 1980/2000

Brett: Kruleboyz 4th, that’s an awesome effort with one of the weakest if not weakest faction right now. Since they appeared as the poster boys of the new edition they’ve struggled to make a serious impression on their own (they are crucial to the success of Big Waagh). How did he do it? You look at it and think it’s a skew list but it really isn’t, this is a balanced list with hard hitting HQs bearing the brunt of combat,  ranged battleline and some of the cheapest screens around. The Hobgrots are not even GVs, his opponents are going to have to kill them the old fashioned way (and they will). Killaboss on Gorpse-rippa Vulcha loaded with Fast’Un, Arcane Tome so there is one wizard and Supa Sneaky for a redeploy. Nasty Hex to turn off wards.

The list is looking to work at range and try to stop someone charging (or using endless spells) with Krondspine, he makes it really hard to get to particularly the bigger Boltboyz units. With their extra range they outrange almost all archers (Sentinels, Raptors and Kurnoth excepted). If you do charge one Unleash hell is going to be fun. With Covered in Mud they may also be invisible so hard to shoot. Gambling that the opponent can’t charge in multiple places (so only one unit uses Unleash hell). The Breaka Boss can pick off things or stop pressure on a flank and the Killaboss offers a lot of mobility particularly mid late game (I think you want to avoid a wild Krondspine too early so your opponent doesn’t send it into your archers).

It’s a different take and great to see hobgrots have a use (bullet shields, awesome), have you painted yours?

Another tournament, and week, throwing up unusual winners. The diversity in winners is amazing and puts AoS in a really great place for interesting games and tournaments. It’s genuinely exciting to see what’s going to win next week, other than Nurgle, there will always be Nurgle.

Final Tournament Placings