This is the top three AoS lists for the US Open Tacoma that took place in the United States on the 15th and 16th of July. It involved 97 players vying to be champion.

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The Top Three AoS Lists

Army Faction: Ossiarch Bonereapers
– Subfaction: Mortis Praetorians
– Grand Strategy: Spellcasting Savant
– Triumph: Inspired

LEADERS
Arkhan the Black (380)
Katakros (460)
Mortisan Boneshaper (140)
– General
– Command Traits: Dark Acolyte
– Artefacts of Power: Artisan’s Key
– Spells: Drain Vitality

BATTLELINE
Kavalos Deathriders (180)
– Mortek Hekatos
– Necrophoros
– Nadirite Blade
Immortis Guard (440)
Necropolis Stalkers (220)
– Dread Falchions
Kavalos Deathriders (180)
– Mortek Hekatos
– Necrophoros
– Nadirite Blade

TOTAL POINTS: 2000/2000

Walter Brock: With the new season Ossiarch Bonereapers have started out of the gate running. This list uses Mortis Praetorians as the sub faction of choice, which allows a unit to counter charge after an enemy unit finishes a charge within 12”. This has a lot of potential things it can do. From stopping other units from charging, to taking objectives from the opponent when otherwise the objectives would have been lost. For mortis Praetorians the sky’s the limit when it comes to the crazy things it can do.

Spell casting savant means the Boneshaper needs to survive until the end of the game to score the grand strat. Because of the Immortis Guard can take hit for it. That means the opponent will need to chew through a lot of tanky models just to stop the grand strat.

Arkhan and Katakros are a two man wonder show. Each being able to heal three different units wholly within 24. Combine that with the Shapers Key and you could potentially return 4 Immortis guard each of your command phases, not to mention all the other things that can be healed too. Katakros has his very powerful Aura of +1 save and +1 hit. Arkhan is a spell casting master at +2 to cast and deny with three casts and unbinds. While also knowing all the lore spells. I could go on and on about what these two do, but we might actually be here all day

Dark acolyte gives the shaper access to an easy battle tactic with a powerful spell of the users choice. On top of it having a very potent healing ability.

Going into the units. Death riders grant access to a solid battle tactic while being able to play multiple roles in a list from screens to taking objectives or even trying to snipe out small heros with there impact hits. These add a lot of options and flexibility to an OBR gameplan.

Immortis Guard and are the Anvil and the hammer. They are very hard to take out. They can’t be ignored most of the time and they demand your attention. Being a 2+ save with katakros’s command ability and then you can stack defensive spells like mystic shield and reinforce construct makes them very difficult to take down. Now add all the healing abilities and it adds up to what feels like an immovable object. They also come with a once per game fight again so they can smack things around incredibly hard.

Stalkers are a unit with multiple choices. They can move fast with their command ability. They can become as tanky as Immortis guard in combat. They can even go full damage mode and take out large threats. They do a good job at rounding out the list and add another tool to the OBR arsonal. Well done to this player

Army Faction: Seraphon
– Army Type: Starborne
– Army Subfaction: Fangs of Sotek
– Grand Strategy: Spellcasting Savant
– Triumphs: Indomitable

LEADER
1 x Lord Kroak (410)*
1 x Skink Starseer (150)*
– Spells: Speed of Huanchi, Merciless Blizzard
1 x Skink Oracle on Troglodon (270)**
– Spells: Cosmic Crush, Speed of Huanchi
1 x Slann Starmaster (275)**
– General
– Command Traits: Lord of Celestial Resonance
– Artefacts: Spacefolder’s Stave
– Spells: Comet’s Call, Hoarfrost
1 x Saurus Astrolith Bearer (140)**

BATTLELINE
5 x Saurus Guard (140)*
– Saurus Guard Alpha
– Icon Bearer
– War-drummer
5 x Raptadon Chargers (150)*
– Raptadon Charger Alpha
– Icon Bearer
– Hornblower
5 x Raptadon Chargers (150)*
– Raptadon Charger Alpha
– Icon Bearer
– Hornblower}
5 x Drakespawn Knights (110)*
– Standard Bearer
– Hornblower
– Dread Knight
10 x Skinks (90)*
– Skink Alpha
– Boltspitter
– Celestite Dagger and Star-buckler

ENDLESS SPELL
1 x Malevolent Maelstrom (30)
1 x Suffocating Gravetide (30)
1 x Chronomantic Cogs (50)

TERRAIN
1 x Starborne Realmshaper Engine (0)

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

TOTAL POINTS: (1995/2000)

It’s dooble-forg, with a Trog – just like the ‘good’ ‘old’ days. In fairness, I’ve always been bullish on the Trog as a utility piece – even when it’s not being used as a kamikaze spell portal, it has an excellent warscroll spell (halving charges is not to be underestimated), a clutch -1 to hit aura (one of the strongest defensive effects in the game), built-in healing, some modest spike damage potential and the Terror ability – what’s not to love?

We also see double Chargers here, which I’m also a big fan of – point for point they’re the best output in Starborne, and with Speed of Huanchi can be an absolute rocket. I’m guessing the allied Drakespawn are essentially a cheap and equally fast screen for them with that sweet 3+ save, but either way they won’t be long for this world…

With 5 wins, over what looks on the surface to be about the toughest variety of opponents going – such as the shifty BoC, anti-magic Khorne, swarming Gitz, and TWO SBGL – it’s clear that this list and Stark’s generalship truly adhere to The Great Plan!

Army Faction: Beasts of Chaos
– Army Subfaction: Darkwalkers
– Grand strategy: Desecrating Brayherd

LEADER
1 x Doombull (180)*
– General
– Command Traits: Bestial Cunning
– Artefacts: Bleating Gnarlstaff
1 x Great Bray-Shaman (100)*
– Artefacts: Brayblast Trumpet
– Spells: Hoarfrost
1 x Be’lakor (340)*

BATTLELINE
10 x Ungors (80)
10 x Ungors (80)
9 x Bullgors (630)
– Warheard Drummer
– Warheard Banner Bearer
– Bloodkine
– Cleaving Axe and Bullshield

BEHEMOTH
1 x Chaos Gargant (150)

ENDLESS SPELL
1 x Geminids of Uhl-Gysh (50)

OTHER
20 x Ungor Raiders (260)*
10 x Ungor Raiders (130)*

CORE BATTALIONS:
*Warlord

TOTAL POINTS: (2000/2000)

Roland Rivera: This Beasts of Chaos list, piloted by Worlds Team USA member Jiwan Noah Singh, is trying to do one thing: deliver a giant blob of Bullgors to the spot where they can do the most damage. To that effect, everything in this list is geared around getting them there. The Doombull General has the Bestial Cunning command trait to set up a full deepstrike within 7″, the Bray-Shaman has Hoarfrost to counteract their base 4+ to hit, the Chaos Gargant projects an aura of -1 save, and the Ungor Raiders provide volume shooting to clear screens and expose juicy targets. It also has a potent spell in Geminids of Uhl-Gysh to soften up the target by stripping them of the ability to use commands. The Bulls themselves straddle the line between offense and defense by wielding Axes & Shields – the difference in offense is not large, and a 4+ save can give them enough staying power to survive a counter-attack and crush a second target.

Speaking of survival, the list also has a potent disruption piece in Be’lakor, which can potentially neuter an enemy hammer long enough for your Bullgors to crush it, or prevent reprisals against the Bullgors once they have delivered their payload. It also has access to some emergency bodies via the Brayblast Trumpet, which can be used to summon another unit of Ungor Raiders for more shooting, or a unit of Gors to impose strikes-last in some matchups. Last but not least, a couple of Ungor units serve as cheap objective grabbers and screens for your Heroes or the Bullgors. All in all, this is a highly technical list that walks on a razor’s edge, but in the hands of a skilled pilot (as it was here), it can be devastatingly effective.

Army Faction: Disciples of Tzeentch
– Army Subfaction: Hosts Arcanum
– Grand Strategy: Master of Destiny
– Triumphs: Indomitable

LEADER
1 x Kairos Fateweaver (440)*
1 x Ephilim the Unknowable (190)**
– Spells: Unchecked Mutation
1 x Fluxmaster (180)**
– Artefacts: The Eternal Shroud
– Spells: Hoarfrost
1 x Magister (140)***
– General
– Command Traits: Arcane Sacrifice
– Spells: Arcane Suggestion
1 x Gaunt Summoner of Tzeentch (230)***
– Spells: Merciless Blizzard

BATTLELINE
10 x Kairic Acolytes (120)*
– Kairic Adept
– Cursed Blade and Arcanite Shield
– Scroll of the Dark Arts
– Vulcharc
– 3 x Cursed Glaive and Arcanite Shield
10 x Kairic Acolytes (120)*
– Kairic Adept
– Cursed Blade and Arcanite Shield
– Scroll of the Dark Arts
– Vulcharc
– 3 x Cursed Glaive and Arcanite Shield
10 x Kairic Acolytes (120)*
– Kairic Adept
– Cursed Blade and Arcanite Shield
– Scroll of the Dark Arts
– Vulcharc
– 3 x Cursed Glaive and Arcanite Shield
10 x Ungors (80)**
– Brayhorn Blower
– Banner Bearer
– Halfhorn
– Pitted Blade

ENDLESS SPELL
1 x Burning Sigil Of Tzeentch (70)
1 x Aethervoid Pendulum (40)
1 x Umbral Spellportal (80)

OTHER
4 x Ephilim’s Pandaemonium (190)**
6 x Furies (80)**
6 x Furies (80)**

CORE BATTALIONS:
*Battle Regiment
**Battle Regiment
***Andtorian Acolytes

TOTAL POINTS: (1970/2000)

Kieron: So new GHB; new list building in this Tzeentch offering from Joe Krier with tonnes to unpack. Let’s start with what looks familiar. The Grand Strategy is the same, Master of Destiny, because there is absolutely no reason to take anything different, especially with Kairos returning a Destiny Dice once per turn and The Eternal Shroud returning them on a 5+ whenever they are used. Most Tzeentch lists tend to lean towards the sub-factions Guild of Summoners or Hosts Arcanum, with Hosts Arcanum being Joe’s choice here for an auto-unbind battle rounds 1, 3 and 5. Merciless Blizzard on a ridiculously high amount (but without a Primal Super-cast) – just unbind it. Bunch of chaff about to be buffed to the moon with Hoarfrost – Tzeentch says no.

When we look at the characters, Kairos is a staple of many lists and does work (just not in combat – hard to hit something if you can only see into the past or the future!). Magister on foot gets the benefit from not being able to be shot when close enough to another unit and can debuff a unit/turn into a spawn from an extended range with Arcane Sacrifice. Fluxmaster carries the Shroud and also is a good choice for Hoarfrost as they have the once per game re-roll with +3 to the cast and it is unlikely to be in range turn 1 of its warscroll spell for extra Fate Points for summoning (although see comments on Endless Spells below). Gaunt Summoner on foot is a great, flexible piece and with its innate +1 to cast hopefully buffed by Kairos to +2 it makes Merciless Blizzard more likely to go off, without having to sacrifice any of the spells you are taking the summoner with. Then it gets a bit funky!

Ephilim the Unknowable is a very appropriately named character as many of you are wondering who he is! He is an Underworlds one-cast wizard who has an entourage of 4 little freaky dudes – his Pandaemonium – that he can sacrifice for +2 to cast for a phase and then bring back some of a subsequent hero phase instead of casting. This little package costs 190 points, which is a lot, with a Curseling being only 10 points more and offering more immediate utility with re-rolling of unbinds. The only reason you would take him is because of his spell and the way it combines with other spells. While Lumineth have a teleport spell, Seraphon have a teleport heroic action and even Tzeentchian sorcerers in Slaves to Darkness have a pseudo-teleport, Disciples of Tzeentch don’t have one that completes in the same hero phase…until now. Ephilim allows a Tzeentch unit to be teleported 9″ away from the enemy, allowing Kairos to operate at maximum efficiency or putting the Gaunt Summoner in striking position for Merciless Blizzard. There are one or two restrictions though…seven to be precise:

1. Casts on an 8
2. Teleporting unit must be wholly within 18″
3. And visible to Ephilim
4. And within 6″ of an objective
5. And more than 3″ away from an enemy
6. And set up 9″ or more away
7. And be able to be placed within 6″ of an objective

It’s restriction 7 that really bites but the potential tactical advantage if it goes off is pretty huge. If you want to get hold of Ephilim and his Pandaemonium, time to get your converting skills on as I can’t find him anywhere!

That’s the characters covered: now onto the units. Joe has gone for three units of Kairics, cheap battleline that can add a couple of spells in for Fate Point generation and, if they pool their spells into one Kairic unit, can get up to rend -3 shooting. Still only 10 shots, but its something. They can also do chip damage on enemy wizards who cast within 18″, causing a mortal wound on a 4+ and maybe setting up the ‘kill with magic’ battle tactic. Even more chaff like are the Ungor Raiders with their pre-game move getting board control and maybe setting up space for Ephilim to do his thing. The last units are 6 Furies, who haven’t seen that much of an outing since the heady days of Legion of the First Prince and the least interactive army in history! They are fast, allowing Surround and Destroy to be an easy turn 1 tactic and have a neat warscroll ability that allows them to run away instead of fighting. They probably won’t last long, but long enough for the casters to get within 18″ and then annihilate whatever was being roadblocked. It’s a similar principle to the Krondspine – just slow down the enemy while scoring points.

Finally, the Endless Spells. Burning Sigil is a great spell to be able to set up T1 with their Arcane Armies rule that can potentially get a spawn created in your opponent’s lines. It is unlikely to do much damage, but it slows everything else down. Combine with the Magister’s spell that can do the same and the Ungors and the Furies, it’s going to take a while to get to the juicy stuff in this Tzeentch list. The next one is Umbral Spellportal which some feel is more of a luxury pick at 80 points, especially as the range at which the portal can be used has come down. Lots of good spells to potentially go through this though in the early game, with Kairos’ warscroll spell a great choice to snipe a key character, the Fluxmaster to build up some summoning or, potentially, the next Endless Spell (although damage would be delayed a turn.) The final Endless Spell is Aethervoid Pendulum, which can carve through units for D6 mortal wounds in its 8″ movement. Tzeentch really don’t like being rushed by multiple units as single-target damage is where they excel, so this spell helps cover up that weakness for a cheap 40 points.

No discussion of a Tzeentch book is complete without at least a passing reference to Disciples of Tzeentch’s superpower – Grand Strategy and Battle Tactics. As Joe showed, going over 20 points for every battle apart from his one loss, Tzeentch are good at scoring. The Grand Strategy is in the bag and then there are at least 7 Battle Tactics that are straightforward to complete (book tactics and GHB), with a couple others that are doable, if more risky, for example casting 3 with Mass Conjuration. However, even here, keep Kairos out of range of unbinds, spank 6 Destiny Dice and pick easy spells, it’s a battle tactic that the Tzeentch player is in control of.

Overall, a Tzeentch list that wants to keep you at arms length, until it doesn’t, and then smashes you into little bits with its mortal wound output. Great performance from Joe, also managing to dodge Khorne and any sneaky Null Myriad players on his path to victory!

Final Tournament Placings