This is the top three AoS lists for BLOOD RITE GT 2023 that took place in Australia on the 25th and 26th of November. It saw 55 players vying to be crowned champion in a 5-game tournament.

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The Top Three AoS Lists

Allegiance: Stormcast Eternals
– Stormhost: Hammers of Sigmar (Scions of the Storm)
– Grand Strategy: Spellcasting Savant
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Knight-Zephyros (100)*
– General
– Command Trait: Heroic Stature
– Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
Knight-Incantor (120)*
– Lore of Primal Frost: Merciless Blizzard
Knight-Relictor (90)**
– Prayer: Translocation
Knight-Vexillor (120)***
– Meteoric Standard
Knight-Vexillor (120)***
– Meteoric Standard
Knight-Vexillor (120)***
– Meteoric Standard

Battleline
2 x Dracothian Guard Fulminators (240)**
4 x Dracothian Guard Tempestors (420)**
– Reinforced x 1
5 x Liberators (100)**
– Heavens-wrought Weapon and Shield
– 1x Grandweapons

Units
3 x Evocators on Celestial Dracolines (240)**
– 2x Grandstaves
5 x Vanguard-Hunters (100)***
– Astral Compass
3 x Vanguard-Raptors with Longstrike Crossbows (230)**

Core Battalions
*Andtorian Acolytes
**Battle Regiment
***Warlord (Extra Holy Command)

Additional Enhancements
Holy Command: Call for Aid
Holy Command: Thunderbolt Volley

Total: 2000 / 2000

Brett Martin: Tom played a fantastic series of games to take the overall win with Stormcast, the first win in a larger GT in quite a while. It’s a very technical army helped by the new tactics, which give Stormcast more of a fighting chance. Heavy ranged mortals that can’t be dispelled from the Knight-Vexillors aren’t a meme – they can weaken a key unit or remove an important buff piece easily.

Vanguard Hunters provide scoring and mobility and the army still have the typical Translocation (on a 3+ for an element of risk). The Knight Zephyros adds more mobility and all up there are 3 dispells and Adtorian Acloytes because it has the Arcane Tome. That’s good coverage into magic armies but the army still isn’t reliant of casting. There are still plenty of threat pieces, Fulminators dropping and charging, Tempestors are strong. Vanguard-Raptors dropping near the Knight Relictor. All staples of Stormcast and still good.

Eschewing the normal minimal drops for a Warlord is a solid move, having 2 Holy Command’s is a reflection of the Stormcast Artefacts and Spells. But in this case gaining double shoot on the Raptors and returning the Liberators adds a lot of flexibilty. That’s this lists stregth, it forces a heavy commitment to remove any one piece but losing one of the hammers won’t cripple the army.

Army Faction: Lumineth Realm-lords
– Subfaction: Zaitrec
– Grand Strategy: Spellcasting Savant
– Triumph: Bloodthirsty

LEADERS
Scinari Enlightener (170)*
– General
– Command Traits: Loremaster
– Artefacts of Power: Rune of Senthoi
– Spells: Hoarfrost, Speed of Hysh, Total Eclipse
Scinari Loreseeker (160)*
– Spells: Merciless Blizzard
The Light of Eltharion (230)**
Ellania and Ellathor (190)**
– Spells: Etheral Blessings
Sevireth (270)**

BATTLELINE
Vanari Auralan Wardens (150)**
– High Warden
– Spells: Protection of Hysh
Vanari Dawnriders (120)**
– Steedmaster
– Standard Bearer
– Spells: Protection of Hysh
Vanari Bladelords (240)**
– Bladelord Seneschal
Vanari Bladelords (240)**
– Bladelord Seneschal

OTHER
Vanari Dawnriders (120)**
– Steedmaster
– Standard Bearer
– Spells: Protection of Hysh

ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS
1 x Hyshian Twinstones (30)
1 x Geminids of Uhl-Gysh (50)
1 x Suffocating Gravetide (30)

TERRAIN
1 x Shrine Luminor (0)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Andtorian Acolytes
**Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: 2000/2000

Army Faction: Sylvaneth
– Army Subfaction: Heartwood
– Grand Strategy: Spellcasting Savant
– Triumphs: Inspired
– Seasons of War: The Dwindling

LEADER
1 x Alarielle the Everqueen (820)*
– Spells: Verdant Blessing
1 x Arch-Revenant (120)*
1 x Branchwych� (110)*
– General
– Command Traits: Warsinger
– Artefacts: The Vesperal Gem
– Spells: Verdant Blessing, Throne of Vines

BATTLELINE
6 x Kurnoth Hunters with Kurnoth Greatbows (460)*
– Huntmaster
3 x Kurnoth Hunters with Kurnoth Greatbows (230)*
– Huntmaster
5 x Tree-Revenants (110)*
– Glade Banner Bearer
– Waypipes
– Scion
– Protector Glaive
5 x Tree-Revenants (110)*
– Glade Banner Bearer
– Waypipes
– Scion
– Protector Glaive

ENDLESS SPELL
1 x Spiteswarm Hive (40)

TERRAIN
1 x Awakened Wyldwood (0)

CORE BATTALIONS:
*Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: (2000/2000)

Danny Wadeson: Sylvaneth have been struggling to podium in recent months, with most more recent results coming from pairing Belthanos and Alarielle. Here we have Alarielle on her own – still a capable multi-phase goddess with tonnes of utility. She’s supported by a much heavier shooting base of 6 and 3 bow-noth than usual, relying purely on 2×5 Tree revs for objective capping – and I’m guessing Alarielle was summoning in 3 Sword-noth for some extra melee bodyguards/objective bullies .

And it performed fantastically, losing only to the sheer ranged output of KO, which is hard for any army to deal with. Gratz to Chris for an unusual list that fills the sky with arrows while Queen big-bug runs rampant – sounds like fun.

Army Faction: Slaves to Darkness
– Army Subfaction: Knights of the Empty Throne
– Grand Strategy: Overshadow
– Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

LEADER
6 x Varanguard (560)*
– General
– 6 x Ensorcelled Weapon
– Mark of Chaos: Nurgle
1 x Chaos Sorcerer Lord (120)*
– Artefacts: Chaos Familiar
– Spells: Warp Reality, Hoarfrost
– Mark of Chaos: Tzeentch
1 x Chaos Sorcerer Lord (120)*
– Spells: Warp Reality, Merciless Blizzard
– Mark of Chaos: Tzeentch

BATTLELINE
6 x Varanguard (560)*
– 6 x Fellspear
– Mark of Chaos: Khorne
6 x Varanguard (560)*
– 6 x Fellspear
– Mark of Chaos: Khorne
9 x Untamed Beasts (80)*

CORE BATTALIONS:
*Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: (2000/2000)

Roland Rivera: It’s no secret that Slaves to Darkness players rely heavily on Varanguard because of their package of speed, durability, power, and consistency, but this list goes a step further than most and runs 3(!) blobs of 6 VG, one of which contains the General because a 5+ Rally on that kind of beef is a valuable resource indeed.

As you would expect from an army that spends over 80% of its points on 3 potent hammers, the strategy here is highly straightforward; move fast, hit hard, don’t give your opponent much of an opportunity to hit you back. Untamed Beasts give you access to a screen/objective grabber, and the Sorcerer Lords keep you topped up with buffs.

While the strategy of the list is straightforward, and the gameplan can get a bit dicey if your forward rampage gets slowed down, doing so is easier said than done. You need only look to the list’s record for evidence of that.

Bean: When 12 Varanguard just isn’t enough (and frankly, I agree), one is left with a touch choice. Do you look through your tome, hoping to find a spark, something that ignites your list into something more? Maybe some screens, some deep strike, perhaps some utility? Nah, fuck that. Just slap 6 more Varanguard in there and offer your opponent a moment to pray before the game begins. An absolute baller list going 4-1 at the Blood Rite GT, it has everything you need to crush your opponent into truly fearing Archaons legions of scawy horsemen.

Starting off with a Nurgle marked unit of Varanguard as the General, they are -1 to wound in melee (Nurgle mark) and give the Varanguard a 5 up rally (when the command is issued by this unit). Coupled with Ensorcelled Weapons and most likely the hoarfrost from the Chaos Sorcerer Lord giving them 2-3 rend, that’s 30 attacks, 3/3’s, at potentially 3 rend. Absolutely horrific scenes.

Backing them up is 12 more Varanguard, Khorne marked for +1 attack on the charge, and armed with Fellspears for +1 to rend and +1 to wound on the charge. If in doubt, just remember your ABC’s with these guys (always be charging) and you’re golden. 2 Sorcerer lords for some utility, offering a cheeky 6 up ward (on top of the Varanguards already built in 4 up mortal ward) as well as a blizzard threat, some untamed beasts for a sneaky pregame move, dead on 2k points, what more could you want? A deadly list that I personally love, congrats on the 4-1!

Also, did I mention the Varanguard can run and charge? Yeah. Try and run. We dare you.

Final Tournament Placings

https://www.bestcoastpairings.com/event/38FHLYBL2C