Stormcast are known for two things. Dragons and Paladins. Today’s article is about both and a super nasty way to get the most out of the combination of the two.
Everyone loves Karazai and Krondys. Beautiful sculpts with compelling lore and super dope abilities, but they have a critical flaw that’s kept them from seeing much competitive play. 18 wounds, even on a 3+ save, is surprisingly easy to kill.
All too often your badass centerpiece model would get blown off the table in a single shooting/hero phase leaving you missing your key hammer. Several top players found an elegant solution to this: Praetors.
Praetors are a bodyguarding unit that sucks wounds away from your heroes, and Krondys/Karazai are indeed stormcast heroes. But even then, Praetors are slow, and your dragons are trying to fly about the battle wreaking havoc. So what are we to do to keep your dragons from being vulnerable once they’ve gone aggressive?
Well here is the really clever bit. By bringing along a lord relictor with translocation, you can teleport up those Praetors to remain in bodyguard range of your dragons.
“But once my dragon charges in those Praetors will be left 9″ out and won’t be up front with my hero!”
There is truth here, but also a really cool interaction.
Krondys and Karazai are on MASSIVE bases. Approximately 6.5 inches across. What this means is that even if your dragon charges into the fight, the back of their base will still be just 2.5″ away from the Praetors, allowing the bodyguards to stay out of the fight (where they might be targeted by opposing attacks leaving your dragon vulnerable) but still keep your dragons alive so they can rip the heart out of the enemy army.
If you’ve been wanting to field those 520 point terrors but haven’t been able to keep them alive, try this strategy out in your next game!
This is the top three AoS lists for the Fantasianorth Store Championship that took place in Sweden on the 29th and 30th of July. It involved 32 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: Soulblight Gravelords – Subfaction: Vyrkos – Mortal Realm: Shyish – Grand Strategy: Empire of Corpses – Triumphs: Indomitable
Leaders Belladamma Volga (200)** – Lore of the Vampires: Spirit Gale – Lore of the Vampires: Vile Transference Gorslav the Gravekeeper (120)** – General – Command trait: Spoor Trackers – Artefact: Ulfenkarni Phylactercy Necromancer (100)* – Lore of Primal Frost: Merciless Blizzard – Lore of the Deathmages: Waste Away Torgillius the Chamberlain (150)** – Lore of the Deathmages: Fading Vigour – Lore of the Deathmages: Waste Away Vampire Lord (140)* – Lore of Primal Frost: Hoarfrost – Lore of the Vampires: Spirit Gale
Battleline 40 x Deadwalker Zombies (240) – Reinforced x 1 40 x Deadwalker Zombies (240) – Reinforced x 1 20 x Deadwalker Zombies (120) 20 x Deadwalker Zombies (120) 20 x Deadwalker Zombies (120) 10 x Dire Wolves (140)
Units 1 x Corpse Cart (80)** 1 x Corpse Cart (80) 3 x Vyrkos Blood-born (90)
Endless Spells & Invocations Geminids of Uhl-Gysh (50)
Army Faction: Kharadron Overlords – Subfaction: Barak-Mhornar – Grand Strategy: Rule the Skies – Stick To The Code (Amendments): Trust To Your Guns – Stick To The Code (Artycles): Settle the Grudges – Stick To The Code (Footnotes): Without Our Ships, We Are Naught
Army Faction: Stormcast Eternals – Army Type: Scions of the Storm – Subfaction: Hammers of Sigmar – Grand Strategy: Spellcasting Savant – Triumph: Inspired
LEADERS Lord-Arcanum (140)* – General – Command Traits: Master of Magic – Spells: Chain Lightning Knight-Incantor (120)* – Spells: Merciless Blizzard Knight-Vexillor (120)** – Meteoric Standard – Artefacts of Power: Luckstone Knight-Vexillor (120)** – Meteoric Standard – Artefacts of Power: Arcane Tome Lord-Relictor (150)** – Prayers: Translocation
This is the top three AoS lists for the Age of Ropecon that took place in Finland on the 29th and 30th 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.
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: Blades of Khorne – Army Subfaction: Skullfiend Tribe Grand Strategy: Slaughter The Sorcery
LEADER 1 x Bloodsecrator (120)* 1 x Slaughterpriest (110)* – Prayers: Bronzed Flesh, Killer Instinct – Nullstone Adornments: Pouch of Nulldust 1 x Bloodthirster of Unfettered Fury (330)* – General – Command Traits: Firebrand – Artefacts: Ar’gath, the King of Blades – Prayers: Killer Instinct, Bloodbind 1 x Skarbrand (380)** 1 x Bloodmaster (110)** – Prayers: Witchbane Curse, Blood Sacrifice
BATTLELINE 10 x Bloodreavers (80)* 10 x Blood Warriors (190)** 10 x Bloodreavers (80)** 10 x Skullreapers (190)** 8 x Claws of Karanak (100)**
INVOCATION 1 x Hexgorger Skulls (50) 1 x Wrath-Axe (70)
CORE BATTALIONS: *Warlord **Battle Regiment
TOTAL POINTS: (2000/2000)
Not that we really though it would, but it’s good to see that the slight nerfs – which were fair enough, especially to Murderlust – haven’t stopped Khorne from having a good time against some tough opponents. Anttu here has brought the ‘mortals with double thirster back-up’ archetype, and it’s one close to my heart. Usually, the main choice with this kind of list is whether you double down on a big blob of Blood Warriors or go more MSU – and Anttu has opted for the latter here, with 5 battleline units.
The Reavers and Blood Warriors are staples, and the Claws of Karanak are, for my money, still one of the best units in the army, especially in the new season where turn 1 tactics are difficult for Khorne – their pre-game move makes Surround and Destroy a lot more viable. With the points saved by having less Blood Warriors or Crushers, for example, the list packs in a 3rd hammer in the form of 10 Skullreapers, who haven’t seen much love overall but represent a good wound density and the potential for a really decent number of MWs – plus in Skullfiend tribe they gain extra value by being battleline (useful for battle tactics) and the possibility of gaining fight first with a good charge roll.
It’s a great, balanced list that shows off a good amount of warscrolls and took down some serious armies en route to 1st and looks super fun to play.
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Army Faction: Flesh-eater Courts – Subfaction: Morgaunt – Grand Strategy: Growing Kingdom – Triumph: Bloodthirsty
LEADERS Abhorrant Ghoul King on Royal Zombie Dragon (430)* – Mount Traits: Razor-clawed – Spells: Blood Feast, Flaming Weapon Crypt Ghast Courtier (70)* Crypt Ghast Courtier (70)* Abhorrant Archregent (240)** – General – Command Traits: Savage Chivalry – Artefacts of Power: Decrepit Coronet – Spells: Hoarfrost, Spectral Host Abhorrant Archregent (240)** – Spells: Deranged Transformation, Hoarfrost Abhorrant Ghoul King (170)** – Spells: Levitate, Merciless Blizzard
ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS 1 x Chalice of Ushoran (50)
TERRAIN 1 x Charnel Throne (0)
CORE BATTALIONS *Warlord **Andtorian Acolytes
TOTAL POINTS: 1970/2000
Hanna recently joined our Discord server to tell us about Finland’s Ropecon AoS GT, and we jumped at the chance to have her comment about her second placed list at the same time!
Hanna Leppänen: This list is based around lots of summoning and recursion with two Archreagents summoning 20 Beastflayers each and Ghoul King another 10 Beastflayers or 10 Crypt Ghouls. The Morgaunt subfaction lets you bring a Serf -keyworded unit (Beastflayers or Crypt Ghouls) back immediately when they die on a 4+, with the cost of a command point. Add in 2 Crypt Ghast Courtiers, a summoned Varghulf from the Zombie Dragon GK, and potential Heroic Action using muster (6 dice in your hero phase, for every 2+ you can return a Serf to a unit). With Varghulf and Heroic Action you can bring back a Crypt Horror model instead on a roll of 5+ if you wish).
The Recursion means that you have to kill a unit outright to prevent them from mustering back, and even then there is a chance the unit comes back full health wholly within 6″ of a table edge, 9″ away from opponent models. This means you can lose an objective if you’re not careful on your turn. There is the usual restriction of only one of each command per phase, so only one unit can be brought back each phase. The command itself can be used by any model capable of issuing a command. Old books have weird, janky rules and FEC is a prime example of this. Worth to note is that Muster rules allow models to be stringed out and you can muster one unit to get it within 10″ of another source of muster. Chalice of Ushoran is another thing that brings back models at the end of turn, so it can also lead to some weird interactions with objective control, especially on your turn.
Crypt Ghouls and Horrors (also Flayers which are not present in this list) have new warscrolls in Dawnbringers book 1, making Crypt Ghouls more streamlined to play with (re-roll 1’s change to -1 rend when near heroes and 5+/6+ auto-wound instead +1A). Unfortunately this breaks the Morgaunt Bloody Loyalty ability since the Boundless Ferocity ability is always in effect (used to be +1 attacks when over 20 models, Morgaunt Bloody Loyalty gave it on a unit of 10+ when near Courtiers). Crypt Horrors got +1 attacks and – 1 rend near Heroes. Crypt Horrors don’t benefit from Morgaunt CA, but they give you access to the “United Court” battle tactic and are a reasonably punchy unit, especially when buffed. Overall the changes didn’t change the damage numbers too much, but made both less tedious to play.
There is something to be said about FEC spellcasting. Andtorian Acolytes gives extra primal dice on a 3+ at the start of the hero phase, which helps with getting FEC spells off. Most FEC spells are buffs that can lead to a lot of damage with +1/+D3 Attacks and Zombie Dragon 16″ bubble of re-roll wound rolls. Hoarfrost is exceptionally good spell for FEC units, whose biggest downfall is – to hit debuffs with most things having 4+ to hit as baseline. 30 buffed up Crypt Ghouls do quite a lot of damage, especially if you use Feeding Frenzy on them. FEC warscroll spells are great, so for most spellcasters the spell choices were picked to be situational at best, Spectral Host giving the option for ZD to have run & charge, Deranged Transformation giving Horrors +4″ move and Merciless Blizzard for a Hail Mary BT if nothing else was available.
The MVP’s of this list were definitely the Serfs, with Beastflayers being excellent tarpits against damage 2 monsters and Ghouls who do tons of damage when buffed a bit. The list power projects really well and makes it hard to play against since there are multiple threats that don’t fold to an average backline objective holder.
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Allegiance: Interns to Darkness – Damned Legion: Knights of the Empty Throne (run and charge for mounted units) – Mortal Realm: Aqshy – Grand Strategy: Overshadow – Triumphs: Indomitable
Leaders Chaos Lord on Daemonic Mount (160)* (strike first when he charges, grants it to knights) – General – Command Trait: Idolater Lord (Priest) – Artefact: The Conqueror’s Crown (Enemy models with < 3 wounds cannot contest objectives w/in 6″) – Mark of Chaos: Nurgle (-1 to wound in melee) – Universal Prayer Scripture: Curse (6’s to hit are MW in addition) Be’Lakor, the Dark Master (340)* (Can shut down a unit for 1-2 turns) – The Lore of the Damned: Daemonic Speed (3D6 charge for mounted units) Chaos Sorcerer Lord (120)* (can give +1 to hit and wound to a unit) – Mark of Chaos: Undivided (reroll Eye of the Gods) – Lore of Primal Frost: Hoarfrost (D3 to replace melee profile Hit, wound, or rend to that value)
Battleline 10 x Chaos Knights (440)* (Tanky) – Mark of Chaos: Nurgle (-1 to wound in melee) – Ensorcelled Banner: The Eroding Icon (reduce rend by 1 from melee attacks) – Reinforced x 1 18 x Spire Tyrants (140)* (immune to battleshock when within 3″ of enemy) – Mark of Chaos: Nurgle (-1 to wound in melee) – Reinforced x 1 3 x Varanguard (290)* (Killy, can fight twice once per game) – 3x Fellspear (+1 to wound and rend on the charge) – Mark of Chaos: Khorne (+1 Attack on the charge) 22 x Blissbarb Archers (320)* (Ranged death, 41 shots, 18″ 3+/3+/-1/1) – Reinforced x 1
Units 3 x Ogroid Theridons (160)* (Smashy glass cannons) – Mark of Chaos: Khorne (+1 Attack on the charge)
Core Battalions *Battle Regiment
Total: 1970 / 2000
Slaves to Darkness have settled quite comfortably into the ‘also rans’ groove in recent months, with a ‘woops all Varanguard’ or ‘Archaon + HOW MANY Splintered Fang!?’ skew lists occasionally nabbing a cheeky podium – and their recent shot in the arm from the battlescroll seems to have been more of a little jab to the foot.
But! Here we have Damien mixing things up in a way I’ve not seen before but makes a lot of sense. He’s brought Be’lakor, who’s become a relative staple of S2D lists to help them out with control, and the usual must-takes of a Sorceror and 10 Nurgle knights. What’s more surprising is a reinforced blob of Spire Tyrants – presumably because they’re just so cheap now and make for a good pile of bodies, also with -1 to wound from the Nurgle mark via Idolator Lord on the Mounted Lord – who also carries the Conquerors Crown for a cheeky objective stealing play and the abililty to bestow fight-first on the knights, allowing for a double activation with the cavalry units.
He’s also packed in a reinforced unit of Blissbards on loan from Slaanesh, who aren’t cheap but still offer a good volume of reliable shooting attacks that Slaves just otherwise have no access to – plus, I bet they look good in black. The final notable pick is the now bargain-basement Theridons, who are squishy and un-synergistic as always but for 160 pts can bring some absolute pain if they do make it into combat.
Beating out Seraphon twice and KO means the path to 3rd was fraught with real danger, but this list seems to have had the bodies, speed and staying power to handle some serious ranged threat. Big kudos to Damien for an imaginative and successful Slaves list!
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Army Faction: Stormcast Eternals – Army Type: Scions of the Storm – Subfaction: Hammers of Sigmar – Grand Strategy: Overshadow – Triumph: Inspired – Holy command: Call for aid
LEADERS Knight-Incantor (120)* – General – Command Traits: Eater of Magic – Spells: Merciless Blizzard Lord-Castellant (160)* – Artefacts of Power: Arcane Tome Battlemage (100)* – Magic of the Realms: Wildform (Ghur) Lord-Relictor (150)** – Prayers: Translocation
Brett: Stormcast (SCE) have been a rarity for us lately, overtaken by more recent books, but they are still a solid faction, just not the easiest to play. The new GHB may help them with primal dice to buff their otherwise lacklustre casting and the Knight Incantor’s guaranteed deny. No surprises with Liví’s list having one then as well as the Lords Relictor, Castellant and a Battlemage. Essentially, the standard leadership group for SCE. Livi likes living on the edge, taking a 5 wound hero to set up a chance (on a 5+) of removing a spell from their opponent with Eater of Magic. Then doubling down with Merciless Blizzard.
4 leaders means Andtorian Acolytes is easily filled and primal dice are available on 3+. That small change means at least one extra primal dice in the course of a game. With Blizzard needing a 12 to cast that’s a strong bonus. The rest of the list is fairly standard, 4x Tempestors as the hammer unit backed by Retributors and Stormdrake. The Stormdrake’s mobility is their key asset while the Retributors and the Tempestors can benefit (once down) from the combination of Translocation (Lord Relictor) and Wildform (Battlemage) to get anywhere on the board with +2 to charge. That’s better than the Lord Imperatant’s 7″ strat because you can drop just outside 9 (say 9.2″), preventing redeploy but still having an effective 7″ charge.
Price drops (from 140 to 120) on Sequitors have seen them return to lists. They can do a surprising amount of mortal damage and can be a threat. More unusually, Livi has chosen to take Vanquishers, probably to save 20 points for Endless Spells. This is why the Lord Castellant has Arcane Tome. He has a built-in Mystic Shield with his lantern, leaving him free to deploy an Endless Spell. And in a move for innovation, this list has 2 Endless Spells to make up for the lack of ranged. Firstly, the Pendulum for a chance to snipe small heroes and cause annoying wounds and also Gravetide for some more anti horde. As always, the weakness for SCE is scoring from turn 3 onwards when they finally wear down your units. Being able to return a Battleline unit (Call for Aid) helps of course, especially Sequitors, that means you can return a threatening unit.
Solid hammers and a lot of answers make this a tight list in the end and allowed a solid recovery from the first round loss. Great work taking SCE this close to the podium.
This is the top three AoS lists for the Maple Meltdown that took place in the UK on the 27th and 28th of April. It involved 14 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: Ogor Mawtribes – Mawtribe: Boulderhead – Grand Strategy: Ready for Plunder – Triumphs: Bloodthirsty
Leaders Queen Divine (330)** Huskard on Thundertusk – Blood Vulture – Mount Trait: Rimefrost Hide – Prayer: Pulverising Hailstorm Big Chungus (450)* Frostlord on Stonehorn – General – Command Trait: Voice of the Avalanche – Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact) – Mount Trait: Rockmane Elder
Battleline The TERF Eater (310)* Stonehorn Beastriders – Weapon: Blood Vulture Lesbian Bed Death (310)* Stonehorn Beastriders – Weapon: Blood Vulture Netflix Comedy Special (310)** Stonehorn Beastriders – Weapon: Blood Vulture White Male Privilege (270)** Thundertusk Beastriders – Weapon: Blood Vulture
Allegiance: Khorne – Slaughterhost: The Bloodlords – Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs – Triumphs: Indomitable
Leaders Bloodmaster, Herald of Khorne (110)** – General – Command Trait: Embodiment of Wrath – Prayer: Blood Sacrifice Bloodmaster, Herald of Khorne (110)** – Artefact: A’rgath the King of Blades – Prayer: Bloodbind – Aspect of the Champion: Tunnel Master Bloodmaster, Herald of Khorne (110)** – Artefact: Halo of Blood – Prayer: Killer Instinct Herald of Khorne on Blood Throne (160)* – Prayer: Bronzed Flesh
Battleline 20 x Bloodletters (360)* – Reinforced x 1 20 x Bloodletters (360)* – Reinforced x 1 10 x Bloodletters (180)*
Other 8 x Claws of Karanak (100)** 3 x Bloodcrushers (180)* 5 x Garrek’s Reavers (70)*
This is the top three AoS lists for the Birmingham AoS GT that took place in the UK on the 27th and 28th of May. It involved 12 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: Soulblight Gravelords – Lineage: Legion of Blood – Grand Strategy: Lust For Domination – Triumphs: Inspired
Leaders Neferata, Mortarch of Blood (390)* – Lore of the Deathmages: Waste Away Vampire Lord on Zombie Dragon (440) – Deathlance – Lore of the Vampires: Flaming Weapon – General: Doomed minions – Artefact: Cloak of Mist and Shadows Lauka Vai, Mother of Nightmares (300) – Lore of the Vampires: Spirit Gale Crypt Ghast Courtier (70)* – Allies
Battleline 10 x Deathrattle Skeletons (85)* 10 x Deathrattle Skeletons (85)* 10 x Deathrattle Skeletons (85)*
Units 10 x Blood Knights (460)* – Reinforced x 1 1 x Corpse Cart with Unholy Lodestone (70)*
Allegiance: Soulblight Gravelords – Subfaction: Legion of Blood – Mortal Realm: Ghur – Grand Strategy: Lust for Domination – Triumphs:
Leaders Neferata, Mortarch of Blood (390)* – Lore of the Vampires: Soulpike Vampire Lord (130)* – General – Command Trait: Doomed Minions – Artefact: Cloak of Mists and Shadows – Lore of the Vampires: Spirit Gale – Aspect of the Champion: Tunnel Master
Battleline 40 x Deadwalker Zombies (230)* – Reinforced x 1 10 x Deathrattle Skeletons (85)* 10 x Deathrattle Skeletons (85)*
Other 10 x Blood Knights (460)* – Reinforced x 1 10 x Grave Guard (140)* – Great Wight Blades
Behemoth Krondspine Incarnate of Ghur (480)* – Allies
Leaders Lord of Pain (135)** – General – Command Trait: Strength of Goodhood – Artefact: Breathtaker – Aspect of the Champion: Fuelled by Ghurish Rage Contorted Epitome (190)** – Artefact: The Crown of Dark Secrets – Lore of the Magnificent: Phantasmagoria Lord of Hubris (135)**
Battleline 11 x Blissbarb Archers (150)* 11 x Blissbarb Archers (150)* 11 x Blissbarb Archers (150)* 5 x Symbaresh Twinsouls (140)*** 9 x The Unmade (80)*** – Allies 9 x Untamed Beasts (90)*** – Allies 9 x Untamed Beasts (90)*** – Allies
Units 5 x Slickblade Seekers (200) 5 x Slickblade Seekers (200) 5 x Blissbarb Seekers (200)**
This is the top three AoS lists for the Alberta Classic that took place in Canada on the 6th and 7th of May. It involved 19 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: Ossiarch Bonereapers – Subfaction: Petrifex Elite – Grand Strategy: Defend What’s Ours
LEADERS Katakros (440)* Mortisan Ossifector (120)* – General – Command Traits: Dark Acolyte – Artefacts of Power: Lode of Saturation – Spells: Protection of Nagash – Aspects of the Champion: Fuelled by Ghurish Rage Mir Kainan (250)*
Allegiance: Stormcast Eternals – Stormhost: Hammers of Sigmar (Stormkeep) – Mortal Realm: Ghur – Grand Strategy: The Day is Ours! – Triumphs: Inspired
LEADERS Knight-Incantor (120)* – Spell: Celestial Blades Knight-Relictor (120)* – General – Command Trait: High Priest – Prayer: Translocation – Aspect of the Champion: Tunnel Master Lord-Imperatant (170)* – Artefact: Arcane Tome
UNITS 5 x Vanquishers (110)* 5 x Vanquishers (110)* 5 x Vindictors (130)* 3 x Annihilators with Meteoric Grandhammers (240) 3 x Annihilators with Meteoric Grandhammers (240)** 2 x Stormdrake Guard (340)* – Drakerider’s Lance 1 x Stormstrike Chariot (170)* 3 x Vanguard-Raptors with Longstrike Crossbows (240)
ADDITIONAL ENHANCEMENTS Holy Command: Call for Aid Holy Command: Thunderbolt Volley
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Army Faction: Soulblight Gravelords – Army Type: Vyrkos – Grand Strategy: Empire of Corpses – Triumph: Indomitable
LEADERS Radukar the Beast (290)* – General – Command Traits: Hunter’s Snare Torgillius the Chamberlain (125)* – Spells: Fading Vigour Necromancer (90)* – Spells: Waste Away – Aspects of the Champion: Tunnel Master Belladamma Volga (170)** – Artefacts of Power: Ulfenkarni Phylactery – Spells: Spirit Gale
BATTLELINE Deadwalker Zombies (230)* Deadwalker Zombies (230)* Deathrattle Skeletons (255)* – Skeleton Champion – 3 x Standard Bearer Dire Wolves (130)** – Doom Wolf Dire Wolves (130)** – Doom Wolf
LEADERS Snatchaboss on Sludgeraker Beast (290)* – General – Command Trait: Supa Sneaky – Mount Trait: Weird ‘Un Snatchaboss on Sludgeraker Beast (290)** Swampcalla Shaman with Pot-grot (100)* – Lore of the Swamp: Choking Mist Swampcalla Shaman with Pot-grot (100)* – Lore of the Swamp: Choking Mist Murknob with Belcha-banna (80)* Killaboss with Stab-grot (100)* – Artefact: Gryph-feather Charm – Aspect of the Champion: Stubborn as a Rhinox
BATTLELINE 20 x Gutrippaz (300)* 20 x Gutrippaz (300)** 10 x Hobgrot Slittaz (80)**
UNITS 3 x Man-skewer Boltboyz (120)* 3 x Man-skewer Boltboyz (120)* 3 x Man-skewer Boltboyz (120)***
This is the top three AoS lists for Border War 2023 that took place in the Albury, Australia on the 29th and 30th of April. It involved 43 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.
Kharadron Code – Artycle: Settle The Grudges – Amendment: Prosecute Wars With All Haste – Footnote: There’s No Reward Without Risk
LEADERS Arkanaut Admiral (125)* – General – Command Trait: Stormcaller – Aspect of the Champion: Leadership of the Alpha Aetheric Navigator (85)* – Artefact: Voidstone Orb Endrinmaster with Endrinharness (90)*
BATTLELINE 9 x Endrinriggers (360)* – 1x Grapnel Launchers – Reinforced x 2 10 x Arkanaut Company (100)* – 1x Skypikes – 1x Light Skyhooks – 1x Aethermatic Volley Guns Arkanaut Frigate (300)* – Main Gun: Heavy Sky Cannon 10 x Grundstok Thunderers (270)* – 2x Aetheric Fumigators – 2x Decksweepers – 2x Aethercannons – 2x Grundstok Mortars – Reinforced x 1
UNITS 1 x Grundstok Gunhauler (170)* – Main Gun: Sky Cannon – Gunhauler Modifications: Zonbarcorp ‘Debtsettler’ Spar Torpedo
BEHEMOTHS Arkanaut Ironclad (500)* – Main Gun: Great Sky Cannon – Major Installation: Zonbarcorp ‘Dealbreaker’ Battle Ram
CORE BATTALION *Battle Regiment
Total: 2000 / 2000
Sometimes, it pays off to lean into the highlights of a new Battletome, and Luca Foerster’s Barak Zilfin Kharadron Overlords list does this perfectly. One of the biggest loses to Kharadron Overlords was the loss of Aethergold in the new book, which was often used for an on-demand +1 to wound, Luca offsets this by taking the new Settle The Grudges Artycle which gives all Kharadron Overlords units a static +1 to wound against a target chosen at the start of the game. Less versatile, for sure, but often more impactful when multiple units are needed to ensure that something is made dead.
Luca starts things off with a classic Admiral taking Stormcaller and Leadership of the Alpha. Stormcaller allows for the rerolling of dice from the Navigator’s Read the Winds ability, which I will talk about in a moment. He follows that up with an Endrinmaster with Endrinharness, which pays the tax of allowing Endrinriggers to be battleline. Lastly, for heroes, he has taken a Navigator who gets an unbind/dispel and is carrying a Voidstone Orb, which is a once per game Artefact that will auto-unbind a spell. A powerful deterrent against trying to snipe heroes with spells or setting up crippling -1 to hit/wound auras. However, the real power of the Navigator is its Read the Winds ability, which allows it to roll six dice and then choose an effect. It can choose to either pick an enemy unit for each “one” it rolls to deal d3 mortal wounds and half movement until its next hero phase or for each “six” pick a friendly Boat and immediately normal move it D3+3 inches. The extra movement is great, but the real value is crippling fast enemy units, and combined with the reroll from the Admiral’s Stormcaller ability it can flat out win games by crippling the opponent’s ability to advance up the board to contest objectives or complete battle tactics. Sometimes, the best way to win is to not allow your opponent to play, and I especially feel for the poor Sons of Behemat player who ran afoul of this.
Moving onto his troop selection, Luca has taken a sample of the Kharadron mainstays. He has a double reinforced unit of Endrinriggers, which brings a bucket of rend -2 to the game both at range and in melee. They can also heal the boats, but that is just a bonus. The native rend -2 is the real benefit here. Next up, we have a common theme within Kharadron in this edition, the extremely efficient reinforced Thunderers with Special Weapons. They bring a massive amount of firepower at shotgun range, but back that up with a native 3+ save, 20 wounds, debuffs, and even mortal wounds in melee. They are a classic, “Move Me” objective holder with just enough range that they can not be ignored. A unit of Arkanauts rounds out the troop selection.
To finish off the list, Luca brought one of each of the Kharadron boats. An Ironclad toting around the Battle Ram to combo with the once per game 3d6 charge from his Footnote, a battleline Frigate courtesy of Barak Zilfin, and a cheeky Gunhauler to give the larger boats a 6+ ward save and a fast mover to cap objectives later in the game. He packages all of this into a one-drop Battle Regiment at an even 2000 points.
This is a classic list that can do well at range and in melee. It presents a difficult challenge for opponents as the Battletome Battle Tactics allow it to avoid interaction but greatly punishes opponents who spread out to score their own. Combined with Luca’s outstanding play, I pity the poor souls who had to face it.
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Allegiance: Ogor Mawtribes – Mawtribe: Boulderhead – Mortal Realm: Ghur – Grand Strategy: No Place for the Weak – Triumphs: Bloodthirsty
LEADERS Frostlord on Stonehorn (450) – Artefact: Vial of Manticore Venom (Universal Artefact) – Mount Trait: Rockmane Elder Frostlord on Thundertusk (400) – Mount Trait: Matriarch Huskard on Thundertusk (330)* – Blood Vulture – Mount Trait: Rimefrost Hide – Prayer: Keening Gale Icebrow Hunter (120)* – General – Command Trait: Touched by the Everwinter – Prayer: Pulverising Hailstorm – Aspect of the Champion: Leadership of the Alpha
BATTLELINE 6 x Mournfang Pack (510)* – Gargant Hackers – Reinforced x 2 2 x Frost Sabres (80)* 2 x Frost Sabres (80)*
We’ve an absolute legend joining our team for the top three comments this week.
Peter Atkinson (AKA Plastic Craic) has recently made a return with a revamped website and a crack team of top AoS gamers to help him!
Peter Atkinson: Thanks for having me on gents – long time listener, first time caller.
“It’s gotta be Little Lisa Simpson, Springfield’s answer to a question NOBODY ASKED!”
– Ned Flanders
Well he’s pulled one out of the bag here, hasn’t he? The Thundertusk answers the question nobody asked, namely “how can I do chip damage to a chaff unit in the shooting phase?”. The whole point of shooting is that you get to pick where the damage goes, but the limitations around where (and how much) the Thundertusk can apply its output are usually seen as crippling in the hands of most players.
Well, up steps The Mayor to show he’s not most players.
The Factory-standard Frostlord is of course present, with the Manticore Venom artefact being a slightly unorthodox pick, but all Stonehorns will take consistency of output where they can get it. I like it. In fact, I might just copy it.
Then Mat goes off script with the double Tusks: one as a Frostlord for the 3+ save and at least some kind of melee output, and the other packing the 5++ ward Trait. Coupled with the Boulderhead extra wounds and neg -1 to wound on the big lad, Mat has layered up the durability buffs in this army, but he’s done the same with his charge bonuses too. Both Frostlords add stacking +1s to charge in an aura, and the 3rd Mount Trait does the same (for Thundertusks only), so they’re all supporting each other to charge at +2” or +3”. It won’t boost the charge mortals, but it can blow the game wide open with some unexpected long bombs.
And how about those Mournfang? He has the prayer for extra movement on them, so with dual Frosties nearby and their native plus 1” to charge, they’re often gonna be zipping around at +3” to move and +3” to charge. This unit is a ride-on lawnmower, and your army is the mole poking its head out of the ground.
They give zero fucks about overwatch too, so with all their charge mortals added in, KO might not be as scary as you think; and speaking of KO, those Thunderers make a prime target for Thundertusk shooting. You don’t want the pricks rallying back, but bringing them into combat means they can’t use Rally anyway.
In fact, expensive combat units with good saves are where Thundertusks want to be generally, and there’s a lot of that in the meta right now; so if they will ever have a time to shine this is it. They won’t go too badly into Khorne’s Mighty Skullcrushers for example, with a double-tap putting enough mortals into them that a decent charge or two could clean them up without even worrying about that stupid 0+ save. OBR springs to mind too.
In practice though, I think I’d use the Thundertusks just as often to bludgeon through a support hero. 2 mortals, another 2 mortals, Blood Vulture, bam. That’s a 5-wound hero gone. The chances of spiking off a 6-wound hero are not trivial, and across two turns of shooting it’s very likely they’re toast. Efficient sniping? No, but sometime’s a Tyrant’s gotta do what a Tyrant’s gotta do. And something like a Krulghast or Death Frenzy can just switch off your win condition, so efficiency goes out the window at that point and you just do what you have to.
The kitty cats are an ace in the hole, popping up to secure Desecrate and then (because they can’t be shot in cover) usually forcing a far-more-expensive combat unit to hit reverse gear and clear them up. They’re not half bad at soaking up a mortal-wound overwatch too.
I know Mat has owned this army for aeons but it rarely sees the tabletop in competitive play. So I’ll be honest, I looked at this list and thought Mat was bringing a palette-cleanser pick for his hometown GT, so he could relax into his games with no pressure.
Well the more you look at it, the better it gets. It’s surprisingly strong into a couple of dominant new books and you write it off at your peril. Strutting onto the podium with such a unique list is a great achievement – well done mate.
If you found this write-up informative, check out our site over at Plastic Craic where we’re smashing out regular, high-quality Age of Sigmar coverage. See you there.
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Allegiance: Slaves to Darkness – Damned Legion: Knights of the Empty Throne – Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs – Triumphs: Inspired
LEADERS Archaon the Everchosen (860)* – The Lore of the Damned: Daemonic Speed Chaos SorcererLord (120)* – General – Command Trait: Master of Magic – Artefact: Chaos Familiar – Mark of Chaos: Tzeentch – The Lore of the Damned: Daemonic Speed – Aspect of the Champion: Fuelled by Ghurish Rage Chaos Sorcerer Lord (120)* – Mark of Chaos: Nurgle – The Lore of the Damned: Chaotic Conduit
BATTLELINE 6 x Varanguard (580)* – 5x Fellspear – 1x Daemonforged Blade – Mark of Chaos: Khorne – Reinforced x 1 9 x Corvus Cabal (80)* – Mark of Chaos: Undivided 5 x Chaos Knights (220)* – Mark of Chaos: Tzeentch – Ensorcelled Banner: The Blasted Standard
Ok folks, we’ve reached the Slaves sass threshold. What that means is we’ve now seen enough good results, with similar-enough lists, in a short enough time period, that I get to be a little bitch about them.
So what we have here is lots of the two good units in the book (cavalry) in the sub-faction that makes cavalry able to run and charge, with Archaon slapped on top for good measure. Archaon does offer a lot of tactical flexibility thanks to his picking a mark before deployment and not in the list building stage, and even though he’s always been frustratingly easy to kill and frustratingly bad at killing when I’ve run him, when he inevitably gets the Nurgle mark he’s definitely an annoying man-mountain that can stomp an objective while the 6 Varanguard do their thing.
I’ve also spotted that the Chaos Knights have been marked Tzeentch so that they can be yoinked around a bit by the Tzeentch Sorceror Lord. I wonder if that ever actually went off? At least it’s new!
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Allegiance: Stormcast Eternals – Stormhost: Hammers of Sigmar (Scions of the Storm) – Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs – Triumphs: Inspired
LEADERS Karazai, The Scarred (550)* Lord-Castellant (160)* – Artefact: Gryph-feather Charm (Galletian Champion) Lord-Relictor (150)* – General – Command Trait: High Priest – Prayer: Translocation – Aspect of the Champion: Tunnel Master
BATTLELINE 4 x Dracothian Guard Fulminators (480)* – Reinforced x 1 5 x Liberators (120)* – Heavens-wrought Weapon and Shield 10 x Vanquishers (220)* – Reinforced x 1
UNITS 6 x Praetors (280)* – Reinforced x 1
CORE BATTALIONS *Battle Regiment
ADDITIONAL ENHANCEMENTS Holy Command: Call for Aid
Joel’s a really knowledgeable Stormcast Player and has been running a version of this list for most of the edition. You can check out the development of the list and how it plays on his channel Measured Gaming. Some of the most entertaining Battle Reps you’ll watch, but I warn you, it’s very definitely NSFW.
The concept is simple, go first and jam Karazai into something. He is either going to be a wrecking ball or serve as a fantastic distraction (you can’t let him run around). There are still 2 Galetian Champions for battle tactics, the Lord Castellant is one of the strongest here, with a 5+ ward to make him harder to shift. Scions of the Storm lets you get him where you want him if you keep him off the board. There is the choice of either the Vanquishers or the Fulminators to accompany him. 7 Units, only half are allowed in the storm chamber, giving a few options. The Praetors are along to provide their bodyguard to Karazai. Staying close to Karazai is the trick though.
The Praetors are probably a surprise for anyone who hasn’t played against them. With 3 attacks and 2 damage, they have solid output, especially into 4+ and 5+ saves. If your army relies on a big block of something or a couple of models, Karazai is your worst nightmare. Most of the lists Joel faced suffered from that issue or would struggle to affect Karazai as MSU (Bladegheists). If you have a lot of threats and enough units though, you can overwhelm this list and score where they aren’t. I’ll let Kieron cover how the Skaven list worked against Karazai. I’m predicting disposable clan rats helped clog up the works.
If you have the chance it’s worth watching how Joel plays this list, it’s fun if nothing else. He’s also one of the few people that seem to be perfectly fine with the standard Liberator.
This is the top three AoS lists for the London Open that took place in the UK on the 14th and 15th of April. 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: Kharadron Overlords – Sky Port: Barak Zilfin – Grand Strategy: The Day is Ours! – Triumphs: Inspired
Kharadron Code – Artycle: Honour Is Everything – Amendment: Trust to Your Guns – Footnote: Without Our Ships We Are Naught
Leaders Arkanaut Admiral (125)* – General – Command Trait: Ex-Grundstok Aether-Khemist (80)* – Artefact: Spell in a Bottle – Aspect of the Champion: Leadership of the Alpha Aether-Khemist (80)*
Battleline 15 x Grundstok Thunderers (405)* – 3x Aetheric Fumigators – 3x Decksweepers – 3x Aethercannons – 3x Grundstok Mortars – Reinforced x 2 10 x Grundstok Thunderers (270)* – 2x Aetheric Fumigators – 2x Decksweepers – 2x Aethercannons – 2x Grundstok Mortars – Reinforced x 1 10 x Arkanaut Company (100)* – 1x Skypikes – 1x Light Skyhooks – 1x Aethermatic Volley Guns Arkanaut Frigate (300)* – Main Gun: Heavy Sky Cannon – Frigate Regittings: Magnificent Omniscope
Units 3 x Endrinriggers (120)* – 1x Grapnel Launchers
Behemoths Arkanaut Ironclad (500)* – Main Gun: Great Sky Cannon – Major Installation: The Last Word
Russell Taylor: My list is designed around the ability to have one big turn so when I decide it’s the time to go which is usually turn 1 but can be delayed then I can devastate state my opponent’s army.
The key to this is being able to move my ships and get the thunderers out afterwards this is why I have included the soulscream bridge because it allows me to disembark the units inside the ironclad after bridging them meaning I can apply the extra rend from the khemist to my thunderers and also meaning that my 12 inch range guns are also in better range, I took the footnote that allows two commands to be given to a ship so I can fly high my frigate and disembark using two command abilities mirroring the use of the soulscream bridge. The admiral allows me to give another additional rend once per game which can also be used without disembarking if I don’t need to stack all the rend at once.
The combination of these tactics mean I can deploy in the corner out of range of my opponent and then strike with easy killing priority targets and then clearing up in the next few turns.
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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 – Triumphs: Inspired – Holy Command: Call for Aid
LEADER 1 x Knight-Zephyros (100)* – General – Command Traits: Master of Magic – Artefacts: Arcane Tome – Aspect of the Champion: Stubborn as a Rhinox 1 x Aventis Firestrike (270)* – Spells: Thundershock
BATTLELINE 4 x Dracothian Guard Tempestors (440)* 4 x Dracothian Guard Fulminators (480)* 5 x Drakespawn Knights (110)* – Standard Bearer – Hornblower – Dread Knight 10 x Judicators with Boltstorm Crossbows (380)* – 2 x Thunderbolt Crossbow 5 x Sequitors (120)* – Sequitor-Prime – Stormsmite Greatmace (Sequitor-Prime) – 2 x Stormsmite Greatmace
ENDLESS SPELL 1 x Everblaze Comet (90)
CORE BATTALIONS: *Battle Regiment
TOTAL POINTS: (1990/2000)
Dan Sidders: The One with the Goat The list is built with 3 things in mind: it needed to be 1 drop because of the battle pack, it needed to unlock some tome tactics & I wanted it to be a combined arms force that had melee & ranged damage.
The fulminators are battleline in Hammers of Sigmar and delete anything they hit but need a delivery mechanism. That’s where the Drakespawn Knights come in. 10 wounds on a 3+ save for 110 points on cavalry bases. Turned sideways they can screen enough ground to cover a block of 4 large dracoth bases. They also have 10” move the same as the Fulminators so can move up at speed and maintain the screen. They unlock the Pioneers of the Realm battle tactic to contest enemy home objectives with a Cities unit which I completed in 3/5 games. There’s no requirement to control the objective and often one lone survivor would just sneak in during the late game to score the points.
I wanted to get away from the Wildform, Translocate option I had been running because i was throwing the Fulminators forward too early and recently I’ve been trying to slow my gameplay down slightly to force myself to make better decisions.
The shooting hammer came from 10 Crossbow Judicators who have the Rapid Fire rule giving them exploding hits, which when buffed to hit on 2’s provides the highest output shooting available to Stormcast into anything but a 2+ save. It also provides 10 models to stand on an objective and fills a battleline slot. The downside being that they only have 18” range; so I needed something to screen them in order to deepstrike within range.
So my third battleline slot was filled with 4 Tempestors who, like the Judicators have crossbows with exploding hits and the benefit of some rend and mortal wound breath attacks. These guys were deployed out of scions 9” away from my opponents front line – the Judicators sat behind. Lots and lots of shots poured into the enemy. The Tempestors could then risk a charge or simply stand there – the unleash hell they put out is like getting a free fight first! Averaging 10 wounds into any target without a ward. With 24 wounds on a 3+ they generally took up my opponents attention for a couple of turns while the fulminators closed in.
The utility pieces in the list were provided by the heroes; the Zephyros innately teleports and counts as 10 on objectives with Stubborn as a Rhinox but always started the game right on the back line. The comet has 36” range so can be deployed outside of unbind range turn 1 due to the Arcane Tome. The Goat, Aventis Firestrike who dropped to 270 points in the recent battlescroll gives me a 2 cast wizard allowing for a mystic shield and Thunderstrike for a -1 to wound aura within 18” boosting the survivability of the fairly elite force. The fact that he’s a 14” flying monster means he can get into the action to supply a well placed roar and also shift from deployment up behind the shooting units to hand out +1 to hit which solves the need for AOA on both units to maximise the damage potential.
The MVP’s were the 5 sequitors who were a second screen for deployment and an objective holder in the early game. Activating their 5+ ward helped to make them stubborn when needed and then when they went down I used Call for aid to resurrect them further up the field and hunt a hero for the No Challenge too Great tome tactic using their exploding 6’s to hit. Perfect now there are lots of Galetian champions running around!
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Allegiance: Lumineth Realm-lords – Great Nation: Helon – Grand Strategy: Defend What’s Ours – Triumphs: Inspired
Leaders Archmage Teclis and Celennar, Spirit of Hysh (720) – General Scinari Cathallar (120) – Artefact: Silver Wand – Lore of Hysh: Speed of Hysh – Aspect of the Champion: Tunnel Master
Battleline 5 x Hurakan Windchargers (140) 10 x Vanari Auralan Wardens (150)* – Spell1: Lore of Hysh: Overwhelming Heat 20 x Vanari Auralan Sentinels (320)* – Spell1: Lore of Hysh: Speed of Hysh – Reinforced x 1
Units 20 x Vanari Auralan Sentinels (320)* – Spell1: Lore of Hysh: Speed of Hysh – Reinforced x 1
Mo Ashraf:It’s a fairly standard Teclis castle build with 2×20 sentinels doing a lot of the heavy lifting. The changes to the standard list were taking only one unit of Windchargers and also taking Gnashing Jaws/Horrorghast as endless spells.
The biggest change is that I took sharpshooters on the sentinels, which meant I wasn’t a 1 drop and instead a 6 drop. Throughout the event, I was out dropped by everyone bar 1 player, so didn’t get the choice often to choose 1st or 2nd. I realised this was a mistake though, and in the future, I will go for the 1 drop as the one game I lost could have potentially been avoided if I chose to make them go first.
The extra endless spell meant that one of the book battle tactics of having 2 endless spells on the field was fairly easy to achieve, especially in the late game when opponent wizards were killed off. But the lack of extra units of windchargers/screen meant that the army did feel fairly small.
The list starts really starts to excel later turns of the game when it can start moving up out of the castle to score more objectives, so early game is about killing from a distance as much as possible.
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Allegiance: Fyreslayers – Lodge: Greyfyrd – Mortal Realm: Ghur – Grand Strategy: Master of the Forge – Triumphs: Inspired
Leaders Gotrek Gurnisson (480) – Allies Auric Runefather (120)* – General – Command Trait: Leader of the Duardrazhal – Artefact: Axe of Grimnir Auric Runeson (80)** – Ancestral War-axe Auric Runemaster (130)** – Artefact: Volatile Brazier – Universal Prayer Scripture: Heal Auric Flamekeeper (90)** – Artefact: Gryph-feather Charm (Galletian Champion) Grimwrath Berzerker (110)*** – Artefact: Draught of Magmalt Ale – Aspect of the Champion: Fuelled by Ghurish Rage
Battleline 10 x Hearthguard Berzerkers (300)* – Poleaxes – Reinforced x 1 10 x Hearthguard Berzerkers (300)** – Poleaxes – Reinforced x 1 20 x Vulkite Berzerkers with Fyresteel Handaxes (320)*** – Reinforced x 1
Kevin Lathers: A rare Gotrek list hits the upper ranks of a GT. Gotrek seems like a natural fit for Fyreslayers: he’s a duardin, they’re a duardin, etc. But he doesn’t really provide much FS don’t already have, such as the ability to kill things in the combat phase. So it’s uncommon to see him.
This list leans hard into him with the Runefather taking Leader of the Daurdrazhal, a CT which allows Gotrek to benefit from the Fyreslayers’ runes (most importantly the movement rune).
He also has a natural buddy in the Grimwrath Berserker, who is basically a mini-me for Gotrek. Between the two of them there’s basically nothing in the game that can stand up to them in the combat phase.
The rest of the list is two units of HGB, brick walls to both screen and hold objectives and Vulkite Berserkers, another objective holder and infantry with a little more mobility. These are supported by a flamekeeper to add a little utility and/or damage to them depending on the situation.
What’s conspicuously missing from the list is a Battlesmith, so this army will be without 4+ Rally, a 5+ ward once per game, and the very helpful Nulsidian Icon which can block offensive/endless spells on a 4+ (almost needed vs. Tzeentch, Seraphon, or LRL). Instead, this list is going to really rely on the 4+ wards from the HGB and Gotrek’s ability to soak up damage as a distraction carnifex.
Oh, and the Molten Infernoth, which does the thing it always does: knock MWs into anything and everything for 40 points.
Overall, this list will take some skilled piloting, but if done right the infantry can hold objectives while Gotrek and Mini-Gotrek clean the board of pests.
This is the top three AoS lists for Sparkle Party Deathmatch VIII that took place in the USA on the 11th and 12th of March. It involved 52 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: Soulblight Gravelords – Lineage: Legion of Blood – Grand Strategy: Vampiric Conquerors – Triumphs: Bloodthirsty
Leaders Neferata, Mortarch of Blood (350)* – Lore of the Deathmages: Fading Vigour Vampire Lord (140)** – General – Command Trait: Master of Magic – Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact) – Expertise: Arcane – Universal Spell Lore: Levitate – Aspect of the Champion: Tunnel Master Lauka Vai, Mother of Nightmares (280)*** – Lore of the Vampires: Spirit Gale
Battleline 5 x Black Knights (100)*** 5 x Black Knights (100)*** 10 x Deathrattle Skeletons (80)* 10 x Deathrattle Skeletons (80)*
Units 10 x Blood Knights (400)*** – Reinforced x 1 20 x Grave Guard (280)** – Great Wight Blades – Reinforced x 1 1 x Corpse Cart with Unholy Lodestone (80)*
Some of our readers may remember that we interviewed Jeremy Veysseire some time ago on General Speaking. We reached out once more, and ever the gentleman, Jeremy agreed to give us a rundown of his list.
Jeremy Veysseire: The important thing about the Legion of Blood army I played at Sparkle Death party is that it was designed originally roughly 1 year ago to counter the hyper aggressive meta that was around Maggotkin Flies, Dragons and Ironjawz through the following important mechanics of Neferata’s spell allowing a unit of mine to ignore negative modifiers to saves (aka REND) for either Neferata and the Blood Knights on a 3+ save platform making them easily 2+ save during the crucial fights and the minus 1 to hit Aura from Neferata’s Command Ability, the reduction in attacks to 1 unit with the book spell. The additional mechanics that were more of a bonus such as the Bravery Reduction, the additional models fleeing and the Horrorghast combo really punished in some cases Dragons and the flies themselves since my army does not do straight raw damage per say but more of this “I will kill you by a thousand slow cuts while you scream for the hills.”
So we fast forward to Spark Death Party, why bring this army since the meta has evolved so much since then? Well, I wanted to see if the combo was a good counter to Gitz, Slaves and Mawtribes, which all fit those hyper aggressive archetypes. The difference being that all of those armies have abilities to deal out a lot more MW consistently than the previous meta (yes, even more than dragons) and still punch very hard. I made some tweaks by incorporating Lauka Vai and the Corpse Cart for the +1 to cast aura, hoping that in some games I could get Lauka Vai’s spell off allowing me to really control how my opponent could choose the engagement and the additional thought process was if the Gitz armies went deep in Squig Herd since they can’t reroll charges, it could potentially stop them when they want to charge.
Now lets cover some of the additional combos in the list that are less obvious, Levitating Blood Knights to always be able to move any enemy units when they retreat and plant themselves easily where they want while removing terrain to clunk them up. Making the Grave Guards Sworn protectors allows me the ability to do another Battle Tactic “A Matter of Honor” with them and just in the off chance I can get them to activate in the Hero Phase with the Vampire Lord. Lauka Vai’s MW on the Charge really allows me to sometimes get Neferata out of combat or lets me remove a GC consistently with her as she can be kind of a surgical strike unit and she provides the Blood Knights coverage if Neferata fails to cast her spell.
At the event itself, I played in order into FEC, Fyreslayers, Mawtribes, Gitz, Cities of Sigmar. My first 4 matchups were exactly the type of army I wanted to face, aggressive melee armies and man oh man did the combo work. Some highlights, keep Gotrek debuffed with less attacks and half charges while the army picked up everything else around him, into Mawtribes watching Stonehorn hit on 5’s with Neferata’s minus 1 to hit, into Gitz watching BK just absolutely lock units up and the Black Knights blocking avenues up the board. Neferata slayed a Terrorgheist, a Phoenix, a Grimwrath, and terrified the Heroes on Stonehorn with her dagger. The army obviously got to play the type of armies it was designed to fight into and it did incredibly well due mostly to its ability to keep my opponent’s army locked away and debuffed as I cut him ever so slightly to drain him of his life essence like perhaps…a Vampire. But honestly, all it took was probably a non Static shooting army like KO or Seraphon to just ruin my day. What a great last ride for this army before the new battletome.
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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 Command: Thunderbolt Volley – Triumphs: Inspired
LEADER 1 x Lord-Castellant (160)* – Artefacts: Quicksilver Draught – Aspects of the Champion: Tunnel Master 1 x Lord-Relictor (150)*** – General – Command Traits: High Priest – Prayers: Translocation 1 x Battlemage (100)**** – Ally – Realm: Ghur
BATTLELINE 5 x Judicators with Boltstorm Crossbows (190)** – Judicator-Prime – Thunderbolt Crossbow 5 x Judicators with Boltstorm Crossbows (190)** – Judicator-Prime – Thunderbolt Crossbow 2 x Dracothian Guard Fulminators (240)**** 5 x Drakespawn Knights (110)**** – Dread Knight – Standard Bearer – Hornblower
OTHER 10 x Protectors (440)* – Protector-Prime – 4 x Starsoul Mace 3 x Vanguard-Raptors with Longstrike Crossbows (240)** – Raptor-Prime 1 x Stormstrike Chariot (170)*** – Stormstrike Axe and Tempestuous Spear
Total Points: 1990/2000 Total Drops: 10 Total Units: 10 Total Wounds: 109
Through our friends at Stormkeep, we were able to reach out to Stark and ask if he’d give us a rundown of his list. Thanks again, Stark, for the comments, I’m sure we’ll be hearing from you again in the future!
Stark Pister: This list is a natural evolution of my HaXbows list from last season, with which I topped out at 4-1. Last season I played 15 Judicators + 3 Longstrikes in a 3 drop with double chariot bounty hunters and so this list pulls back on the shooting and chariots for a more durable anvil/hammer in the block of 10 protectors to fit the more midboard grind battleplans of this season.
In my opinion the strongest Stormcast lists tend to be mixed arms builds with durable screens protecting efficient shooting and high damage melee hammers to riposte threats that try to get through the screens to threaten the shooting, all supported by minimal characters since our faction synergies tend to be minimal. I tend to build my tournament lists with this a general philosophy as the balanced nature allows the flexibility to deal with most types of opponents. In a similar vein, I try to have units with diverse types of damage to have the tools to minimize polarized matches. I find Stormcast’s incredibly deep roster tends to provide the options to really customize what you want available in any given meta.
This new season presents a lot of opportunities and a lot of challenges for Stormcast lists. Fortunately, our main minimal support characters are all GCs (except Gardus). One of our big strengths is the ability to snipe out small enemy buff heros and now that is even better with enemy GC’s being critical for half the non-book tactics and several battle plans, incentizing use of the Sharpshooter battalion. However, they balanced sharpshooters well by forcing it to be 3 required units so you can’t be very low drop. High drops can be problematic for shooting armies because an early double can allow melee to close the gap and for opposing shooting to gain the upper hand in output, so this needs to be compensated for somehow. Longstrikes make the perfect GC hunters, and with scions, translocate, and Thunderbolt volley, they provide very flexible turn one threat that helps offset those high drops. The added threat of the Judicators forces conservative screening of heros while they efficiently clear those screens from a safe distance.
The Gallatian Command battalion provides the opportunity for a very strong combo in Stormcast when used alongside a Galatian Champion with the Quicksilver Draught and the new Tunnel Master makes it easy to set up even with a hero like the Castellant who wants to be on the board in the hero phase for his ability. More importantly, it allows the combo to be down at the start of the game as part of your initial deployment castle, and with the help of the Relictor, it can be anywhere it needs to be on turn one. This allows you to defend from alpha strike armies that choose to go first against you (or the rare person you outdrop), while being able to get them buffed and into the optimal position when given top of one. Lord Castellant is the perfect hero for this job not just because of his ability to buff them to a 1+ save but critically because he has a 40mm Gryph Hound that enables the whole 10 block to fit within the 2.5″ bubble to allow them to strike first with him when someone charges them. This provides a HUGE deterrent to hitting your midbaord castle from the front and specifically acts as protection of your main melee hammer against the double turn.
The Ghur Battlemage helps make up for the paladin speed issues in the mid game and pairs well with the Relictor for melee units in general throughout. I often lead with Mystic shield on one of the screens to help with weathering the potential double as well, before flipping to wildform to go on the offensive. He also provides the bare minimum magic defense, which coupled with heroic willpower and the relictor Dispel at least let you disrupt the low hanging fruit.
The efficient battleline slots provide the opportunity to pick up an all-star screen in the Drakespawn Knights, who pair well with the Chariot to safely claim objectives and pin large threats until their buffs are down. The Chariot even has vanguard battalion to reroll its first charge outside of hero range. Because the battleline are the riposte and ranged units, they can easily stay back to protect heros from shooting for a while.
Another critical consideration this season has been the battle tactics. The teleporting GC lineup and Sworn Bodyguard paladins make most of the new ones achievable with some planning, though This One’s Mine is rarely an option. Hammerstrike Assault and Draconith Desctruction can be good backup options, albeit riskier that come in handy against armies where killing the one thing needs to be your focus anyway. The spicy Drakespawn pick can even sneak a late game Pioneers of the Realms.
Shoutouts to my mentor Matt Beasley for helping refine the list and forcing me to get reps in (and for lending the Drakespawn), to my painting mentor Ricky Fischer whose squigs I beat in round 5 to finish the tournament, and to the whole of Dimensional Cascade. Special thanks to my partner Larc for the unending support of my unbelievably-high-time-commitment hobbies.
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Army Faction: Slaves to Darkness – Army Subfaction: Knights of the Empty Throne – Grand Strategy: Follow the Path to Glory – Triumphs: Bloodthirsty
LEADER 1 x Be’lakor (355) – Spells: Binding Damnation 1 x Chaos Sorcerer Lord on Manticore (265)* – General – Command Traits: Master of Magic – Artefacts: Arcane Tome – Spells: Daemonic Speed – Mark of Chaos: Undivided 1 x Chaos Sorcerer Lord (120)* – Spells: Chaotic Conduit – Mark of Chaos: Undivided – Leadership of the alpha 1 x Exalted Hero of Chaos (100)* – Rune-etched Blade and Chaos Runeshield – Mark of Chaos: Undivided
BATTLELINE 3 x Varanguard (290)* – 3 x Daemonforged Blade – Mark of Chaos: Khorne 10 x Chaos Knights (460)* – Doom Knight – Standard Bearer – Hornblower – Cursed Lance – Ensorcelled Banner: The Eroding Icon – Mark of Chaos: Nurgle 5 x Chaos Knights (230)* – Doom Knight – Standard Bearer – Hornblower – Cursed Lance – Mark of Chaos: Khorne 10 x Splintered Fang (100)*
ENDLESS SPELL 1 x Umbral Spellportal (80)
CORE BATTALIONS: *Battle Regiment
TOTAL POINTS: (2000/2000)
Another notch on Be’lakor’s bedpost! If you’ve not met him on the table before, Be’lakor’s man schtick is being able to stop a key unit from doing stuff (on a 3+ each phase) until your next hero phase. He’s been hotly debated in (all 9) S2D player circles because, while he offers a great amount of short-term control, which potentially allows you varanguard/10 knights (as in this list) to do their work, it’s also entirely possible that you roll a few crucial 2s, and then you’ve basically paid 355 pts for a not very durable, not very killy and kinda fast hero.
He has been cropping up recently though, suggesting that, overall, he’s worth it for the time he buys the hammers to do their work. Ricky here has actually gone for KOTET, which will allow the two units of knights, the Varanguard, and the Sorcerer on Manticore to all make up plenty of ground by running and charging. Obviously, that’s going to allow a fair bit of early pressure, especially with daemonic power being cast on 3d6 with a re-roll by the Manticore Sorc, allowing one unit to charge with 3d6 as well. I imagine the spell-portal is also there to allow the Manticore’s warscroll spell – one of the few good offensive spells S2D has access to – to reach out across the board to soften stuff up.
Finally, we have an Exalted Hero, who is utterly garbage, but only 100 points, and I imagine it is mainly there for GC based scoring.
Taking down one of the two mirrors and also managing to chew through NH and a monster heavy Ogor list means this is a great result with a techy list from Ricky!
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Army Faction: Cities of Sigmar – Army Type: Hallowheart – Grand Strategy: The Day is Ours! – Triumphs: Inspired
LEADER 1 x Battlemage (100)* – General’s Adjutant – Spells: Roaming Wildfire, Ignite Weapons – Aspects of the Champion: Tunnel Master 1 x Freeguild General (100)* – General – Command Traits: Veteran of the Blazing Crusade 1 x Celestial Hurricanum with Celestial Battlemage (290)* – Spells: Ignite Weapons, Sear Wounds 1 x Anointed on Frostheart Phoenix (320)** – Artefacts: Arcane Tome – Spells: Sear Wounds, Flaming Weapon 1 x Lord-Arcanum (140)** – Spells: Warding Brand, Roaming Wildfire
BATTLELINE 20 x Freeguild Handgunners (200)* – Marksman – 2 x Standard Bearer – 2 x Piper – Long Rifle 20 x Freeguild Crossbowmen (200)* – General’s Retinue – Marksman – 2 x Standard Bearer – 2 x Piper 10 x Freeguild Crossbowmen (100)* – Standard Bearer – Marksman – Piper 10 x Flagellants (80)** – Prophet 10 x Freeguild Guard (80)** – Sergeant – Standard Bearer – Drummer – Freeguild Halberd 10 x Freeguild Guard (80)** – Sergeant – Drummer – Standard Bearer – Freeguild Halberd
Once you get one player comment, you can often get two or three from the connections those players have. That was the case here as well when Stark said he could reach out to Louis-Philippe for his comments.
Louis-Philippe: The Anointed on Frostheart Phoenix should only have Flaming Weapon (The mistake has been spot before start of the tourney and opponents were dully advise).
Game plan: First of all, AoS is a dice game. Luck is part of the game, but careful planning can sway the odds in your favour. …sometime 😛
Flagellants are there for the easy ‘’Sanctify’’ battle tactic T1 (White dwarf). Since I always let my opponent go first (I was lucky not to face a 1 drop), he usually doesn’t kill anything. So that was a free one turn 1. (Aside from game 4, where the battleplan didn’t favour that BT (Position Over Power). Fun fact, that was the only game my opponent concentrated on his resource to kill my flagellant on his T1.
This list has 4 (double, cause Hallowheart) casters, meaning an 8 cast hero phase T1. The Hallowheart command ability lets you take D6 mortals for the same amount in casting bonus. Meaning this list is usually casting at +1, if not +2 or +3, but could reach a whopping +9! and since all your spells are cast on 6s (aside Flaming weapon) unless your opponent is able to unbind, everything goes flying out. Fun fact (not so fun for my opponent): In my 4th round T1 hero phase, I was casting with a +5 from that command ability since my phoenix failed all his ward saves. Got to heal 3 wounds back with Sear Wounds though.
I mostly face Melee lists (Fireslayer, Skaven (night/gutterrunners), Nighthaunt, nurgles (beast), Soulbright Grave lord)
So, the plan was to deploy away from their charge range. For the skaven, I deployed my shooting units 3’’ aways from the front of my shaft unit, so his deepstriking rats only had my shaft to shoot at (and my Fulminators which they killed with mortals). He also charged my shaft with his deceiver (one of them failed the charge). His deceiver didn’t like mortals from magic bottom of 1 (and the other rats didn’t like my shooting).
As for the Soulbright, well Jeremy is impressive, tactics wise and had a bit of luck, he stole initiative T2, forcing me to move forward by burning my ‘’back’’ objective, and had Neferata do 1 wound (yes only 1 unsaved wound to my Phoenix, mind you it was the dagger that got through, Phoenix was at 11 health, he rolled a 5… pouf no more Phoenix).
Units : The goal was to use the Freeguild Guards and Flagellants as chaff around the Handgunners and Crossbowmen. My general and the battle mage from Ghur had to be close to each other for the adjutant rule and my general was in the middle of the range unit, providing +1+1 with his CP and a 18’’ wholly whiting immune to bravery. The Phoenix was there to act as tarpit and increase survivability (if there’s any) of the chaff unit since his -1 wound bubble affects any enemy unit within range. Fulminators are there to act as a menace, which they did great since most of my opponents were scared of them and diverted resource to deal with them. Finally, th Lord-Arcanum was there to :
Be an extra GV
Give 1 more (possibility of 2) HP to the fulminators
But mostly give 6’’ more movement range on the Quicksilver Swords, which make them a 20’’ threat range on cast (remember the casting bonuses I talked about earlier)
Battleplans : R1-Prize of Gallet R2-Ours for the taking R3-Only the Worthy R4-Position over power R5-Jaws of gallet.
Possible upgrade : Swap ‘’Tunnel Master’’ from the battlemage to the Lord-Arcanum.
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.
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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
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)
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)***
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
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
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.
