This is the top six AoS lists for the CanCon 2023 that took place in Australia on 21st and 22nd of January. It involved 202 players vying to be crowned champion in a 5 game tournament.

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The Top Six AoS Lists

Allegiance: Beasts of Chaos
– Greatfray: Gavespawn
– Mortal Realm: Ghur
– Grand Strategy: Protect the herdstone
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Dragon Ogor Shaggoth (155)**
– General
– Command Trait: Unravelling Aura
– Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
– Lore of Dark Storms: Sundering Blades
Great Bray-Shaman (100)**
– Lore of the Twisted Wilds: Wild Rampage
Beastlord (95)**
– Artefact: Mutating Gnarlblade

Units
6 x Dragon Ogors (290)*
– 6x Draconic War glaives
– Reinforced x 1
10 x Gors (70)***
– Gor-Blades & Beastshields
10 x Gors (70)***
– Gor-Blades & Beastshields
6 x Tzaangor Enlightened on Disc of Beasts of Chaos (360)*
– Reinforced x 1
6 x Tzaangor Enlightened on Disc of Beasts of Chaos (360)*
– Reinforced x 1
10 x Tzaangors of Beasts of Chaos (175)
– 10x Pair of Savage Blade
10 x Tzaangors of Beasts of Chaos (175)
– 10x Pair of Savage Blade
10 x Ungor Raiders (80)**

Endless Spells
Chronomantic Cogs (70)

Core Battalions
*Bounty Hunters
**Warlord
***Expert Conquerors

Additional Enhancements
Artefact

Total: 2000 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 3 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 168
Drops: 11

Bests of Chaos (sic) run roughshod over another big tournament. And why shouldn’t they? Unthinking beasts – they’re just following their nature, going with the flow – what fault is it of theirs if no puny tree-man, hungry-man, rat-man, green-man or hungry-man-but-further-away can stand up to them?

Composition wise, we have the core HQ, the usual dragon ogors, but only to the tune of 6 to make space for twelve Enlightened on Discs and 2x 10 Tzaangors. Plus, of course, some of the annoyingly good little chaps who don’t cost enough.

Anyway, the previews have started for their new book, so speculation is rife as to whether they’ll receive the necessary re-writes to corral the herd. I hope they do, because there’s only so many times I can think of new ways to sneak my ‘NERF BoC FOR THE LOVE OF GORS’ agenda into these top 3s.

Nevertheless, taking down any tournament this big deserves praise so well done to Geordie. And to be fair, you don’t see Tzaangors that often, and they’re cool.

Allegiance: Seraphon
– Constellation: Thunder Lizard
– Grand Strategy: Continuous Expansion
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Slann Starmaster (285)****
– General
– Command Trait: Arcane Might
– Artefact: Fusil of Conflaguration
– Spell: Stellar Tempest
Engine of the Gods (285)***
– Artefact: Incandescent Rectrices
– Mount Trait: Beastmaster
– Universal Prayer Scripture: Curse
Skink Starpriest (130)****
– Spell: Hand of Glory
Skink Priest (120)****
– Universal Prayer Scripture: Curse
Skink Priest (120)****
– Universal Prayer Scripture: Heal

Units
30 x Skinks (225)**
– Boltspitters & Moonstone Clubs
– Reinforced x 2
10 x Skinks (75)**
– Boltspitters Celestite Daggers & Star Bucklers
5 x Saurus Knights (110)*
– Lances
5 x Saurus Knights (110)*
– Lances
Bastiladon with Solar Engine (250)***
Bastiladon with Solar Engine (250)***

Endless Spells
Horrorghast (40)

Core Battalions
*Bounty Hunters
**Expert Conquerors
***Linebreaker
****Command Entourage – Magnificent

Additional Enhancements
Artefact

Total: 2000 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 2 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 112
Drops: 11

So Seraphon just got a lot more expensive, and Corey’s list here will be one of the last to enjoy their old ‘bargain’ prices.

In the meantime, it works as we’ve come to expect. Slann as magic powerhouse, Engine of the Gods as a mixed phase utility, well, engine, and a mixture of skink support priests, one of the starry variety.

(Slightly) interestingly, Corey brings so many skinks you’d expect them to be in Fangs of Sotek – but no! We’re in Thunder Lizard still, so one of those two bastiladons can still double fire, stacked with Skink priest buffs. The big skink blob I imagine is meant to capitalise on the durable prayer platform that is the Engine, getting Curse off on a juicy target (on a 3+ while near terrain within their own territory due to their Primeval Domain rule) for the 60 skink shots to fish for some 6s.

We also have 2x 5 knights here, who made a surprise comeback this season as cost-efficient bounty hunters with weight of attacks – but obviously, that’s a tactic going more extinct than the dinosaurs dodo.

Big gratz on the 5-0 with a balanced Seraphon list – shame it’s now about 75 pts more expensive, lacking its most useful battalions, and doesn’t play nicely into the new realm rules. Seraphon could be about to experience a serious lull going into their new book – but that’s fine, they’re cold-blooded, they will have their time in the sun again.

Allegiance: Maggotkin of Nurgle
– Subfaction: Blessed Sons
– Grand Strategy: Blessed Desecration
– Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

Leaders
Bloab Rotspawned (320)**
– Lore of Malignance: Plague Squall
Morbidex Twiceborn (320)***
Orghotts Daemonspew (320)
Lord of Afflictions (230)**
– General
– Command Trait: Overpowering Stench
– Artefact: The Splithorn Helm
Plague Priest (100)**
– Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
– Universal Spell Lore: Levitate
– Universal Prayer Scripture: Heal

Units
10 x Rotmire Creed (125)*
10 x Rotmire Creed (125)*
10 x Rotmire Creed (125)*
9 x Corvus Cabal (80)***
5 x Chaos Chosen (240)***
– Mark of Chaos: Nurgle

Core Battalions
*Expert Conquerors
**Command Entourage – Magnificent
***Battle Regiment

Additional Enhancements
Artefact

Total: 1985 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 0 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 101

I hope everyone enjoyed those Expert Conquerors while they lasted. While not as egregious as Bounty Hunters, I can’t say that I’m sad to see it go. Joel made use of them with a triple Rotmire in the same way that many Nurgle players do. It’s interesting to watch Nurgle over the course of this edition since they evolved from pure fly spam to bringing hero hammer + Rotmire creed.

And what a hero hammer this list is. 5 heroes are in play, with all of them being the classic nurgle combination of decent damage output and great resilience (you could even say they are disgustingly resilient). Joel has also brought along a couple of Slaves to Darkness allies to fill in the gaps that Nurgle armies tend to have. The Corvus Cabal brings some much-needed mobility to grab early objectives and the Chaos Chosen are an excellent vehicle for damage output.

Looking forward, I’m not sure that this list will need much adjustment for the new season. Joel already has a pair of solid Galletian Champions, some excellent potential Bodyguards, and the ability to reliably score three or four battle tactics without sweating too much. Overall, I’m excited to see what changes are made for the next GT.

Congratulations to Joel. He brought a well-crafted list, and played it effectively to achieve a 5-0.

Allegiance: Seraphon
– Constellation: Fangs of Sotek
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Slann Starmaster (285)*
– General
– Command Trait: Arcane Might
– Spell: Stellar Tempest
Skink Starpriest (130)*
– Spell: Hand of Glory
Saurus Astrolith Bearer (155)*
– Artefact: Serpent God Dagger

Units
30 x Skinks (225)*
– Boltspitters & Moonstone Clubs
– Reinforced x 2
10 x Skinks (75)*
– Boltspitters Celestite Daggers & Star Bucklers
10 x Skinks (75)*
– Boltspitters Celestite Daggers & Star Bucklers
2 x Salamander Hunting Pack (280)*
– Reinforced x 1
2 x Salamander Hunting Pack (280)*
– Reinforced x 1
Krondspine Incarnate of Ghur (480)*
– Allies

Core Battalions
*Battle Regiment

Total: 1985 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 4 / 4
Allies: 480 / 400
Wounds: 92
Drops: 1

Another 5-0 Seraphon list, this time with added Spinedog! Boy, am I glad that’s become a rare occurrence. Of course, it’s still a powerful piece, and on paper, it does make sense for Seraphon, given they lack an otherwise durable bully piece.

Henry has also brought some Salamanders in this particular iteration of the standard Fangs list (buff pieces, loads of skinks), which play really well into the Starborne teleport and provide an excellent dual-phase threat.

All in all it’s clear how this list hurts you – it’s a kind of techy twist on the ‘pin-cushion’ archetype, with excellent objective play in a handy one drop for, most likely, forcing opponents to move up into a much easier charge range of the Spinedog.

Gratz to Henry, and here’s hoping the new Seraphon book makes it less appealing than ever to take the ‘dog!

Allegiance: Sylvaneth
– Glade: Heartwood
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumphs: Indomitable

Leaders
Arch-Revenant (120)*
Branchwych (130)*
– General
– Command Trait: Spellsinger
– Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
– Lore of the Deepwood: Verdurous Harmony
Drycha Hamadreth (335)*
– Lore of the Deepwood: Regrowth

Units
6 x Kurnoth Hunters with Kurnoth Greatbows (460)*
– Reinforced x 1
6 x Kurnoth Hunters with Kurnoth Scythes (500)*
– Reinforced x 1
5 x Tree-Revenants (110)*
3 x Revenant Seekers (235)*
3 x Aetherwings (65)*

Endless Spells
Spiteswarm Hive (40)

Core Battalions
*Battle Regiment

Season
Season of Blugeoning

Total: 1995 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 2 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 112
Drops: 1

Drycha! You love to see it. The evil tree spirit in a mech suit is still a relatively rare sight given her competition in Durthu and Alarielle, but her ability to choose between 10 extra melee or shooting attacks makes her a fast, durable and flexible piece that I don’t think gets enough love.

Gary here has gone heavy with Kurnoh – a reinforced blob of both the shooty and scythy variety (both of which, as always, are backed up by the +1 to wound aura of the Arch-Revanant). Then, just the one unit of teleporty tree revs and a fantastic support unit of Seekers. It’s a nice balanced list with huge reach, two big blobs that will keep regrowing (via Seekers and Verduous Harmony) if you don’t have the ability to take them down fast enough, and the tactical Drycha option.

The fact it could handle such a diverse set of opponents – the magic dominance of Tzeentch, through the ranged punch of Underguts Ogors and even a semi-mirror – en route to the rare Sylvaneth 5-0 is testament to the general and how adaptable the list is. It’s really cool.

Allegiance: Stormcast Eternals
– Stormhost: Hammers of Sigmar (Scions of the Storm)
– Mortal Realm: Ghur
– Grand Strategy: Take What’s Theirs
– Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

Leaders
Knight-Vexillor (120)**
– Meteoric Standard
Knight-Vexillor (120)**
– Meteoric Standard
Knight-Vexillor (120)*
– Meteoric Standard
Knight-Vexillor (120)*
– Meteoric Standard
Lord-Relictor (145)*
– General
– Command Trait: Master of Magic
– Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
– Spell: Thundershock
– Prayer: Translocation

Units
2 x Dracothian Guard Tempestors (220)*
2 x Dracothian Guard Tempestors (220)*
2 x Dracothian Guard Tempestors (220)**
2 x Dracothian Guard Tempestors (220)**
5 x Judicators with Skybolt Bows (200)*
5 x Judicators with Skybolt Bows (200)**

Everblaze Comet (90)
*Battle Regiment
**Battle Regiment

Holy Command
Holy Command: Thunderbolt Volley

Total: 1995 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 0 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 98
Drops: 2

If you follow Stormcast chat on Australian servers, this list might not be a surprise. Why such a skew list and why does it work – first credit to the General, but this is a durable shooting list which doubles down on Mortal Wounds. Each Vexillor can grant a re-roll charge to a unit within 12″. And each Vexillor can be deployed from Azyr (Scions of the Storm). So one play is to use the Vexillors to buff important charges after moving just outside 9″ (no redeploy). Or drop both just beyond 9″, allowing the Tempestors to shoot, then charge. Enormous flexibility and mobility. Backed by Judicators with a double shoot potential. The strength of this list is the extreme difficulty opponents have in stopping or limiting scorring. The Tempestor units with 12 wounds need serious attention to remove. They will tie up big threats turn after turn, unlike the larger units that some of the biggest hitters can remove in a turn.

Then there is the Mortal Wound output, another nice trick, Everblaze Comet to drop a bomb on any castles, with a CV of 6, Master of Magic makes it almost certain to go off when you want it. That with Thundershock to short those charges (leaving a CP for Unleash). And each of the Vexillors has a mini Everblaze. The list is a 2 drop (all of the best SCE lists try for minimum drops) for that small advantage. Scoring wise, this list wasn’t just good at scoring it’s own Battle Tactics but preventing some of the opponents (sometimes a lot of theirs). This list was rated as one of the strongest at Cancon and scored extremely well in the first 3 rounds before falling away in the last 2. Still major victories but not as many “other” points as some of the higher ranked lists. To be expected with the final pairings being into stronger opponents. It’s innovative and effective, and it is fantastic to see SCE from a different angle.

Tournament Placings

For a full run down of all the tournament positions, why not visit Stats and Ladders. It’s a brand new site that allows tournament organisers to… well… organise their tournaments. I have to say, it’s incredibly easy to use, and the best bit, it’s free!