Tag Archives: Cities of Sigmar

Age of Sigmar, Army Lists, Fantasy, The Woehammer Crew, Tournaments

Top Three AoS Lists from GGMaitland Age of Sigmar GT – 5/6th March 2022

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GGMaitland Age of Sigmar GT was a five game event that took place in Maitland, Australia on 5th and 6th March. It saw 37 players fight it out to be claimed champion.

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The 1st and 3rd Lists (2nd place not available)

1st Ashley McEwan – Sons of Behemat

Ashley won all five games beating Big Waaagh! in Round 1, Blades of Khorne/Reapers of Vengeance in Round 2, Seraphon/Fangs of Sotek in Round 3, Cities of Sigmar in Round 4 and Seraphon/Thunder Lizard in the last round.

Allegiance: Sons of Behemat
– Tribe: Taker Tribe
– Grand Strategy: Hold the Line
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders

Kraken-eater Mega-Gargant (490)*
– General
– Command Trait: Extremely Intimidating
– Artefact: Glowy Lantern
– Universal Spell Lore: Flaming Weapon
Gatebreaker Mega-Gargant (525)*
– Artefact: Vial of Manticore Venom (Universal Artefact)
Warstomper Mega-Gargant (470)**

Battleline

1 x Mancrusher Gargants (170)**
1 × Mancrusher Gargants (170)**

Endless Spells & Invocations
Purple Sun of Shyish (70)

Core Battalions
*Bosses of the Stomp – Magnificent
**Footsloggas – Unified

Additional Enhancements
Artefact

Total: 1895 / 2000
Wounds: 129
Drops: 3

Declan – Having been top of the pile at the beginning of AOS3, Sons of Behemat have taken a bit of a hit in the meta as players moved to other Tier S armies. Ashley’s smashing face like its 2021 but with an endless spell and a (virtually) guaranteed triumph.

The Gatekeeper will be doing the smashing, but it’s good to see the two small guys attending as well, who will be helpful for holding objectives. Whilst they are easy to kill individually, you have to make the decision not to shoot / attack the bigger guys instead.

It’s still a good list and Ashley’s done really well to beat two Seraphon lists on his path to victory.

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3rd Joel Graham – Big Waaagh!

Joel managed an impressive four wins and one loss, losing against 1st Sons of Behemat/Taker Tribe in Round 1. Then continuing to beat Ogor Mawtribes/Bloodgullet in Round 2, Slaves to Darkness/Despoilers in Round 3, Lumineth Realm-Lords in Round 4 and Daughters of Khaine/Khelt Nar in Round 5.

Allegiance: Big Waaagh!
– Grand Strategy: Beast Master
– Triumphs:

Kragnos, The End of Empires (720)
Gobsprakk, The Mouth of Mork (280)*
Orruk Warchanter (115)*
– Warbeat: Fixin’ Beat
Wurrgog Prophet (150)*
– General
– Command Trait: Master of Magic
– Artefact: Glowin’ Tattooz
– Universal Spell Lore: Levitate
Megaboss on Maw-Krusha (480)**
– Boss Choppa and Rip-tooth fist
– Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
– Mount Trait: Fast ‘Un
– Universal Spell Lore: Flaming Weapon

5 x Orruk Ardboys (85)**
– 1x Gorkamorka Glyph Bearers
5 x Orruk Ardboys (85)**
– 1x Gorkamorka Glyph Bearers
5 x Orruk Ardboys (85)*
– 1x Gorkamorka Glyph Bearers

*Warlord
**Battle Regiment

Artefact

Total: 2000 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 0 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 93
Drops: 6

Declan – Ah, Big Waaagh! It’s a great allegiance that I love playing but Joel has gone in a very different direction. With three big monsters (Kragnos, Maw Krusha & Gobsprakk), a Warchanter and Wurrgog to keep the points flows. As readers of this blog will know the Wurrgog is a monster if you go within 12″ of him with his stare ability, and Kraggy and Maw Krusha can smash into most foes and do crippling damage, whilst Gobsprakk provides some magic defense.

I really like Big Waaagh because there are so many ways to play it and Joel has gone very differently to my version – and done well.

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Wildcard – Jacob Strachan – Lumineth Realm-Lords

Jacob managed to get four wins anda single loss during their weekend and finished 4th. Beating Lumineth Realm-Lords in Round 1, losing against Soulblight Gravelords/Vyrkos Dynasty in Round 2, then beating Sons of Behemat/Taker Tribe in Round 3, Daughters of Khaine/Hagg Nar in Round 4 and Sons of Behemat/Breaker Tribe in the final round.

– Army Faction: Lumineth Realm-Lords
– Subfaction: Zaitrec
– Grand Strategy: Prized Sorcery
– Triumph: Indomitable

LEADERS
Scinari Loreseeker (170)*
Sevireth, Lord of the Seventh Wind (345)*
Vanari Lord Regent (155)*
– General
– Command Trait: Fast Learner
– Artefact: Gift of Celennar
– Spell: Speed of Hysh
– Spell: Protection of Hysh

BATTLELINE
30x Vanari Auralan Sentinels (510)*
– Reinforced: Twice
– Spell: Protection of Hysh
10x Vanari Auralan Sentinels (170)*
– Spell: Total Eclipse
10x Vanari Auralan Wardens (145)*
– Spell: Lambent Light
10x Vanari Auralan Wardens (145)*
– Spell: Lambent Light

OTHER
1 x Hurakan Spirit of the Wind (265)*

ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS
Emerald Lifeswarm (60)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: 1965/2000

Declan – LRL as a wildcard is an interesting choice from Peter and this one is what I would call a ‘typical’ LRL build. A maximum unit of Sentinels with 30″ no line of sight mortal wound shooting. Meanwhile Severith and the Spirit of the Wind dance around the opponent and are virtually impossible to catch given their ability to move 12″ in both shooting phases (forget redeploy!).

Either surround them, shoot them or hope for the 12″ charge!

The Final Tournament Placings

– Declan & Peter

Age of Sigmar, Army Lists, Fantasy, The Woehammer Crew, Tournaments

Top Three AoS Lists from War in the North – 5/6th March 2022

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War in the North was a five game event that took place in Cairns City, Australia on 5th and 6th March. It saw 26 players fight it out to be claimed champion.

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The Top Three Lists

Zenith Mills-Shorter – Idoneth Deepkin

Zenith won all five games beating Sons of Behemat/Taker Tribe in Round 1, Nighthaunt/Emerald Host in Round 2, Flesh-eater Courts/Court of Delusion in Round 3, Disciples of Tzeentch/Hosts Duplicitous in Round 4 and Cities of Sigmar/Phoenicium in the last round.

Allegiance: Idoneth Deepkin
– Enclave: Fuethan
– Grand Strategy: Vendetta
– Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

Leaders
Eidolon of Mathlann, Aspect of the Storm (330)*
– General
– Command Trait: Unstoppable Fury
– Artefact: Cloud of Midnight
Isharann Soulscryer (140)*
– Universal Prayer Scripture: Heal

Battleline
10 x Namarti Thralls (130)*
10 x Namarti Reavers (170)*
10 x Namarti Reavers (170)*

Units
2 x Akhelian Allopexes (330)*
– Razorshell Harpoon
– Reinforced x 1
2 x Akhelian Allopexes (330)*
– Razorshell Harpoon
– Reinforced x 1

Behemoths
Akhelian Leviadon (380)*
– Mount Trait: Reverberating Carapace

Core Battalions
*Battle Regiment

Total: 1980 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 2 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 103
Drops: 1

Declan – The last swimming attacks before the new book! I don’t play against them often, and with the army about to change significantly… lets just say congratulations and well done to Zenith for giving a right royal send off!

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Josh Carroll – Disciples of Tzeentch

Josh managed an impressive four wins and one loss, losing only against 1st placed Zenith and his Idoneth Deepkin/Fuethan in Round 4. Along the way he beat Ironjawz/Blooftoofs in Round 1, Kruleboyz/Big Yellers in Round 2, Stormcast Eternals/Hammers of Sigmar in Round 3 and Stormcast Eternals/Hallowed Knights in Round 5.

Allegiance: Tzeentch
– Change Coven: Hosts Duplicitous
– Grand Strategy: Hold the Line
– Triumphs: Inspired

LEADERS
Kairos Fateweaver (435)*
– Lore of Change: Bolt of Tzeentch
Ogroid Thaumaturge (165)*
– General
– Command Trait: Will of the Phantom Lord
– Artefact: Brand of the Spirit Daemon
– Lore of Fate: Shield of Fate
Gaunt Summoner of Tzeentch (255)*
– Lore of Fate: Arcane Suggestion

UNITS
10 x Pink Horrors of Tzeentch (250)*
10 x Pink Horrors of Tzeentch (250)*
10 x Pink Horrors of Tzeentch (250)*
3 x Screamers of Tzeentch (100)*
3 x Screamers of Tzeentch (100)*

ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS
Chronomantic Cogs (45)
Soulscream Bridge (70)
Umbral Spellportal (70)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Battle Regiment

TOTAL: 1990/2000
WOUNDS: 75
ALLIES: 0/400
REINFORCED UNITS: 0/4
DROPS: 1

Declan – Ah Tzeentch! Not seen them in a top three recently, but Josh has brought them back with a great 4-1 result. As with many Tzeentch armies this is all about the spells, and pinning the opponent into their deployment with the Soulscream Bridge and the Pink Horrors. Don’t be taken in by that wound count… each pink horror unit is 50 wounds, but only counts as 10 so that’s another 120 wounds to add (or 195 total)… plus summoning!

This is not easy to kill – so how to you fight it; well get on the objectives as quick as you can; have teleports (outside 30″ range) and make sure that you take into account Kairos’ ability to change a die roll – don’t let it cause you to lose a battle tactic!

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Ty Gordon – Cities of Sigmar

Like Josh, Ty won four games and lost only to eventual winner Zenith and his Idoneth Deepkin/Fuethan list in Round 5. Along the way he beat the Maggotkin of Nurgle/Befouling Host in Round 1, Stormcast Eternals/Hammers of Sigmar in Round 3, Nighthaunt/Emerald Host in Round 3 and Flesh-eater courts/Court of Delusion in Round 4.

Allegiance: Cities of Sigmar
– City: Phoenicium
– Grand Strategy: Dominating Presence
– Triumphs: Bloodthirsty
Anointed on Frostheart Phoenix (315)*
– General
– Command Trait: One with Fire and Ice – Golden Mist
– Artefact: Phoenix Pyre Ashes
Assassin (80)*
Assassin (80)*
Assassin (80)**
Celestial Hurricanum with Celestial Battlemage (280)
– Lore of the Phoenix: Golden Mist
Anointed on Frostheart Phoenix (315)*
– Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
– Universal Spell Lore: Flaming Weapon
10 x Phoenix Guard (175)*
10 x Phoenix Guard (175)*
10 x Phoenix Guard (175)*
10 x Shadow Warriors (120)
10 x Shadow Warriors (120)**
1 x Scourgerunner Chariots (80)*
*Warlord
**Vanguard
***Hunters of the Heartlands
Artefact

Total: 1995 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 0 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 106
Drops: 12

Declan – The Pheonix ride with 4+ Ward save and very difficult to kill, with the range on the Hurricanum causing mortal wounds at range, and the assassins striking out of the Pheonix Guard units. It’s got a lot of tools, but is not a common or ‘net’ list so it’s good to see something different doing well. The double Frostheart is vicious… I can’t kill one with a Maw Krusha if it’s full health (although a Wurrgog is useful), so although it’s only 106 wounds, this has a lot more effective resistance.

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Wildcard – Matthew Kimber – Gloomspite Gitz

Matthew managed to get two wins and two draws during their weekend and finished 8th. Beating Lumineth Realm-Lords/Helon in Round 1, losing against Soulblight Gravelords/Legion of Blood in Round 2, drawing against Sons of Behemat/Taker Tribe in Round 3, beating Stormcast Eternals/Hallowed Knights in Round 4 before drawing against Nighthaunt/Emerald Host in the final round.

– Army Faction: Gloomspite Gitz
– Subfaction: Glogg’s Megamob
– Grand Strategy: Hold the Line
– Triumph: Inspired

LEADERS
Kragnos (720)
Dankhold Troggboss (240)*
– General
– Command Traits: Shepherd of Idiotic Destruction
– Artefacts of Power: Aetherquartz-studded Hide
Fungoid Cave-Shaman (95)*
– Spells: The Hand of Gork

BATTLELINE
3 x Fellwater Troggoths (155)*
3 x Fellwater Troggoths (155)*
6 x Rockgut Troggoths (290)*
– Reinforced: Once
3 x Rockgut Troggoths (145)*

OTHER
1 x Marshcrawla Sloggoth (150)*

CORE BATTALIONS
*Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: 1950/2000

Declan – 2 wins and 2 draws with Gitz… Great result from Matthew and a great pick from Peter. It is true that Kragnos is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here, and – if you can keep him away from mortal wound shooting – he’ll smash through what he charges. The Troggoths can do some damage, and the 5+ ward on the Rockguts is a nice additional defense measure. Whilst the Marshcrawla provides +1 to hit in a huge bubble.

It’s good to see Gitz recovering a little, but they seem to only be able to do this with Kragnos at the moment – it’s a shame the book isn’t good enough on its own!

The Final Tournament Placings

– Declan & Peter

Age of Sigmar, Army Lists, Fantasy, The Woehammer Crew, Tournaments

Top Three AoS Lists from Brewdog AOS GT – 25th February 2022

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The Brewdog AOS GT was a five game event that took place in Aberdeen, Scotland on 25th Feb. It saw 34 players fight it out to be claimed champion.

Most Selected Faction/Subfaction

Win Rate

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The Top Three Lists

John B – Cities of Sigmar

John B won all five games beating Sons of Behemat/Taker Tribein Round 1, 3rd placed Mike Callaghan with his Ironjaws/Ironsuns in Round 2, 2nd placed Phil McGuinness with his Ironjaws/Bloodtoofs in Round 3, Bonesplitterz/Icebone in Round 4 and Maggotkin of Nurgle/Drowned Men in the last round.

Allegiance: Cities of Sigmar
– Subfaction: Living City
– Grand Strategy: Beast Master
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Freeguild General on Griffon (290)*
– General
– Lance
– Command Trait: Ironoak Artisan
– Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
– Mount Trait: Soaring Guardian
– Lore of Leaves: Lifesurge
Doralia ven Denst (115)*
Sorceress (95)*
– Lore of the Leaves: Ironoak Skin

Battleline
10 x Freeguild Crossbowmen (105)*
10 x Freeguild Crossbowmen (105)*
10 x Freeguild Crossbowmen (105)*

Units
4 x Stormdrake Guard (680)*
– Drakerider’s Lance
– Reinforced x 1
4 x Dracothian Guard Fulminators (460)*
– Reinforced x 1

Core Battalions
**Battle Regiment

Total: 1955 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 2 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 113
Drops: 1

Declan – Peter’s found me a non-Stormcast, non-Seraphon 5-0 list… however this is a Stormcast list in disguise with two of the best units from the book included – Stardrake Guard and Dracothian Fulminators. Mortal range shooting is currently very powerful and with over half the army being from a different book is it really Cities?!

The Freeguild Crossbowmen provide some shooting whilst holding objectives and providing bodies, and the Freeguild General on Griffon can help take out screens and charge with the Stormdrake and Fulminators — have your own screens present.

It’s a very powerful list but does need practice to win, and a little luck to go 5-0; Well done John B.

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Phil McGuinness – Ironjawz

Phil managed an impressive four wins and one loss, losing against John B and his Cities of Sigmar/Living City in Round 3. He beat Sylvaneth/Winterleaf in Round 1, Cities of Sigmar/Living City in Round 2, Beast of Chaos/Darkwalkers in Round 4 and Sons of Behemat/Taker Tribe in Round 5.

Allegiance: Ironjawz
– Subfaction: Bloodtoofs
– Grand Strategy: Hold the Line
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Megaboss on Maw-Krusha (480)*
– Boss Choppa and Rip-Tooth Fist
– Mount Trait: Fast ‘Un
– Artefact: Destroyer
Orruk Warchanter (115)*
– Get ’em Beat
Orruk Warchanter (115)*
– Fixin’ Beat
Orruk Weirdnob Shaman (90)**
– Spell: Da Great Big Green Hand of Gork
Megaboss on Maw-Krusha (480)*
– General
– Boss Choppa and Rip-Tooth Fist
– Command Trait: Mighty Waaagh! Leader
– Artefact: Arcane Tome
– Lore of the Weird: Bash ‘Em Ladz

Battleline
5x Orruk Brutes (160)**
5x Orruk Brutes (160)**
6x Orruk Gore-Gruntas (160)**
– Reinforced: Once

Core Battalions
*Warlord
**Battle Regiment

Additional Enhancements
Artefact

Total: 1940 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 1 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 114
Drops: 5

Declan – With the rise of Stormcast the Ironjawz may have been forgotten, but this list is still hard as nails and smashes and bashes it’s way through tournaments.

The two Maw Krushas are insanely quick and with Hand of Gork from the Shaman it is possible to have them on a 3″ charge at the end of the hero phase (teleport 12.5″ away, Mighty Destroyers). The Warchanters increase the damage output of the Krushas significantly and the Brutes (whilst small units) provide some solid defense of objectives. They can’t be taken out without an active effort.

Good to see Ironjawz in the top 3 again. I’m sure more will get there soon.

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Mike Callaghan – Ironjawz

Like Phil, Mike won four games and lost only to eventual winner John B and his Cities of Sigmar/Living City list in Round 2. Along the way he beat the Flesh-eater Courts/Court of Delusion in Round 1, Cities of Sigmar/Living City in Round 3, Sons of Behemat/Taker Tribe in Round 4 and Lumineth Realm-Lords/Iliatha in Round 5.

– Army Faction: Ironjawz
– subfaction: Ironsunz
– Grand Strategy: Hold the Line
– Triumph: Inspired

LEADERS
———-

Megaboss on Maw-Krusha (480)*
– General
– Boss Choppa and Rip-tooth Fist
– Command Trait: Master of Magic
– Artefact: Arcane Tome
– Spell: Da Great Big Green Hand of Gork
Orruk Warchanter (115)*
– Warbeat: Get ‘Em Beat
Orruk Warchanter (115)*
– Warbeat: Fixin’ Beat
Megaboss on Maw-Krusha (480)*
– Boss Choppa and Rip-tooth Fist
– Artefact: Destroyer
– Mount Trait: Fast ‘Un

BATTLELINE
———-

10x Orruk Brutes (320)**
– Reinforced: Once
5 x Orruk Ardboys (85)*
5 x Orruk Brutes (160)**

UNITS
———-

3x Orruk Gore-Gruntas (150)*
3x Rippa’s Snarlfangs (70)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Warlord
**Hunters of the Heartlands

ADDITIONAL ENHANCEMENTS
Artefact

Total: 1975 / 200
Reinforced Units: 1 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 121
Drops: 9

Declan – … as if by magic, there’s a second one — like buses! Almost identifical in the character loadout, with the shaman being dropped, but the 2 Warchanters & 2 Maw Krushas being maintained. This allows for Phil to take Ironsunz which have a superb counter charge ability at the end of the opponent’s phase.

The 10 Brutes are a very damaging unit, especially when given the Warchanter Violent Fury buff (+1 damage) once the Maw Krushas are out of range or dead. With lots of Drops this army rarely has the choice to go first, but with 121 wounds and 2 Maw Krushas there’s not much in the game that will successfully alpha-strike it.

A final shout out for taking Rippas… Phil’s clearly a great strategist! Read here to find out why I think they’re one of the best units available to the Ironjawz.

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Wildcard – Cara Newby – Beasts of Chaos

Cara managed to get three wins and a draw during her weekend and finishing 7th. Beating Cities of Sigmar/Living City in Round 1, drawing against Blades of Khorne/Reapers of Vengeance in Round 2, beating Lumineth Realm-Lords/Zaitrec in Round 3, losing against 2nd placed Phil and his Ironjawz/Bloodtoofs in Round 4 before beating Lumineth Realm-Lords/Syar in the final round.

– Army Faction: Beasts of Chaos
– Subfaction: Darkwalkers
– Grand Strategy: Predator’s Domain
– Triumph: Indomitable

LEADERS
———-

Dragon Ogor Shaggoth (155)***
– Artefact: Tanglehorn Familiars
– Spell: Hailstorm
– Spell: Sundering Blades
Grashrak Fellhoof (150)***
– Spell: Savage Dominion
– Spell: Tendrils of Atrophy
Great Bray-Shaman (100)***
– Spell: Wild Rampage
– Spell: Tendrils of Atrophy
Great Bray-Shaman (100)****
– Artefact: Desolate Shard
– Spell: Wild Rampage
– Spell: Vicious Stranglethorns
Great Bray-Shaman (100)****
– Spell: Savage Dominion
– Spell: Vicious Stranglethorns
Doombull (115)****
– General
– Command Trait: Nomadic Leader

BATTLELINE
———-

6x Bullgors (260)**
– Reinforced: Once
30x Gors (225)**
– Two Gor-Blades
– Reinforced: Twice
20x Gors (150)**
– Two Gor-Blades
– Reinforced: Once
10x Ungor Raiders (90)***
5x Grashrak’s Despoilers (0)****

BEHEMOTHS
———-

Ghorgon (155)*
Jabberslythe (165)*

ENDLESS SPELLS
Doomblast Dirgehorn (45)
Wildfire Taurus (110)
Ravening Direflock (50)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Alpha-Beast Pack
**Hunters of the Heartlands
***Warlord
****Warlord

ADDITIONAL ENHANCEMENTS
Artefact
Spell

Total: 1970 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 4 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 151
Drops: 13

Declan – Beasts of Chaos are having a resurgence following the recent White Dwarf article and it is good it see. Cara has gone full magic (I won’t pretend to know what it all does), with an additional spell for 5 characters, giving loads of options for all occasions, as well as all 3 Endless spells for the Beasts.

This is backed up by two Monsters allowing easy access to Monstrous Takeover and bonus points for other battle tactics. They are cheap enough to throw away as well once they’ve picked up the additional points available.

And it’s rounded off by some horde Battleline and 6 Bullgors. What an army… and hopefully I’ll see some Beasts of Chaos on my travels soon.

The Final Tournament Placings

– Declan & Peter

Age of Sigmar, Army Lists, Fantasy, The Woehammer Crew, Tournaments

Top Three AoS Lists from The Emerald City Open – 19th/20th February 2022

2 Comments

The Emerald City Open was a five game event over two days that took place in Pull-em-ups, WA on 19th and 20th Feb. It saw 46 players fight it out to be claimed champion.

Most Selected Faction/Subfaction

No suprise that Stormcast Eternals/Hammers of Sigmar lead the way again in the number of armies.

Win Rate

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The Top Three Lists

These were the top three lists from the Emerald City Open tournament.

Mat Beasley – Legion of the First Prince

Matt won all five games beating Slaves to Darkness/Ravagers in Round 1, Stormcast Eternals/Hammers of Sigmar in Round 2, Daughters of Khaine/Khailebron in Round 3, Soulblight Gravelords/Kastelai Dynasty in Round 4 and Stormcast Eternals/Hammers of Sigmar in the last round.

Allegiance: Legion of the First Prince
– Mortal Realm: Ghur
– Grand Strategy: Beast Master
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
———-

Be’Lakor, the Dark Master (360)**
– Lore of Ruinous Sorcery: The Master’s Command
Kairos Fateweaver (435)*
– Lore of Ruinous Sorcery: The Master’s Command
Bloodthirster of Insensate Rage (280)
– General
– Command Trait: Ruinous Aura
– Artefact: Armour of the Pact
Slaves to Darkness Daemon Prince (210)**
– Sword
– Mark of Chaos: Khorne
The Contorted Epitome (255)**
– Artefact: Fourfold Blade
– Universal Spell Lore: Flaming Weapon

Battleline
———-

10 x Bloodletters (115)**
5 x Flesh Hounds (105)*
5 x Flesh Hounds (105)*

Endless Spells & Invocations
———-

Emerald Lifeswarm (60)
Umbral Spellportal (70)

Core Battalions
*Battle Regiment
**Warlord

Additional Enhancements
Artefact

Total: 1995 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 0 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 87
Drops: 6

Declan – Matt is running an army that has been popular in the UK since AOS3 dropped back in September – in Magic the Gathering it would be called a ‘control’ deck.

Be’Lakor can cause a unit to miss entire phases once a game (which can mean two turns), Kairos can change a dice roll once a game, and the Khorne Daemon Prince halves charges.

This allows Matt to complete almost impossible Battle Tactics or – more usefully – stop an opponent succeeding in one. In games where winning by 1 point is a win this is a great ability.

However this army is not ‘pick up and play’ and needs practice, practice, practice to get right – as such a great result for Matt.

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Mason Knox – Seraphon

Mason managed an impressive four wins over the weekend, losing only to Stormcast Eternals/Hammers of Sigmar in Round 4. He beat Stormcast Eternals/Hammers of Sigmar in Round 1, Cities of Sigmar/Living City in Round 2, Lumineth Realm-Lords/Alumnia in Round 3 and Cities of Sigmar/Living City in Round 5.

Army Faction: Seraphon
– Army Type: Coalesced
– Subfaction: Thunder Lizard
– Grand Strategy: Beast Master
– Triumph: Bloodthirsty

LEADERS
———-

Engine of the Gods (265)*
– Artefacts of Power: Fusil of Conflagration
– Prayers: Heal
– Mount Trait: BeastMaster
Skink Priest (80)*
– Prayers: Guidance
Slann Starmaster (265)*
– General
– Command Traits: Arcane Might
– Spells: Stellar Tempest

BATTLELINE
———-

5 x Saurus Guard (115)*
1 x Stegadon (265)*
1 x Stegadon (265)*

BEHEMOTH
———-

1 x Bastiladon with Solar Engine (250)*

OTHER
———-
10 x Chameleon Skinks (230)*
10 x Chameleon Skinks (230)*

TERRAIN
———-

1 x Realmshaper Engine (0)

CORE BATTALIONS
– *Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: 1965/2000

Declan – The Seraphon army has been tearing up the tournament scene recently and that is because it has a toolbox of options and so can pivot into any meta and any changes to the meta. Mason has taken a few of the usual suspects – Bastiladon with Solar Engine, Stegadons and Engine of the Gods – and has added his own unique twist with 2 x 10 Chameleon Skinks.

I don’t remember seeing so many before and they add their shooting to that of the longer range monsters… and the shooting meta is strong at the moment.

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Alexander Gonzalez – Soulblight Gravelords

Alexander also won four of his five games, losing only in Round 4 against Cities of Sigmar/Living City. Along the way he beat the Ossiarch Bonereapers/Mortis Praetorians in Round 1, Beast of Chaos/Allherd in Round 2, Soulblight Gravelords/Vyrkos Dynasty in Round 3 and Soulblight Gravelords/Kastelai Dynasty in Round 5.

Allegiance: Soulblight Gravelords
– Lineage: Vyrkos Dynasty
– Grand Strategy: Predator’s Domain
– Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

Leaders
———-

Vampire Lord on Zombie Dragon (435)
– General
– Deathlance
– Command Trait: Pack Alpha
– Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
– Mount Trait: Foetid Miasma
– Universal Spell Lore: Flaming Weapon
Radukar the Beast (315)**
Mannfred von Carstein, Mortarch of Night (380)
– Lore of the Deathmages: Fading Vigour

Battleline
———-

10 x Deathrattle Skeletons (85)**
10 x Deathrattle Skeletons (85)**
10 x Dire Wolves (135)**

Units
———-

20 x Grave Guard (280)*
– Great Wight Blades
– Reinforced x 1
20 x Grave Guard (280)*
– Great Wight Blades
– Reinforced x 1

Core Battalions
*Hunters of the Heartlands
**Battle Regiment

Total: 1995 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 2 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 118
Drops: 5

Declan – 40 Grave Guard! Wow! I’ve fought 20 of them before and they can kill a Mega Gargant over a couple of rounds of combat. Backed up by Mannfred and a Zombie Dragon, this army can get where it needs to get to.

The really secret tech (may not be secret) is Mannfred’s command ability:

From: Wahapedia

Considering most armies pay 1 command point for a one phase +1 to hit this is amazing value for a command ability. Sure it’s a relatively small range but with the smaller boards and Mannfred’s ability to run away from combat this is almost impossible to stop. Then it’s Grave Guard for the win!

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Wildcard – Brian Cox – Beast of Chaos

Brian won 4 games with Beasts of Chaos and finished the event in 7th. He lost second game against eventually 3rd place finisher Alex and his Soulblight Gravelords/Vyrkos Dynasty list. He won against Beasts of Chaos in Round 1, Legion of the First Prince in Round 3, Cities of Sigmar/Living City in Round 4 (which included 40 crossbows, 4x Stormdrake Guard and 4x Fulminators) and Daughters of Khaine/Khailebron in the last round. Truly a great achievement.

Allegiance: Beasts of Chaos
– Greatfray: Allherd
– Mortal Realm: Ghur
– Grand Strategy: Prized Sorcery
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
———-

Doombull (115)*
– General
– Command Trait: Dominator
– Artefact: Blade of the Desecrator
Dragon Ogor Shaggoth (155)*
– Artefact: Tanglehorn Familiars
– Lore of Dark Storms: Hailstorm
Grashrak Fellhoof (150)*
– Lore of the Twisted Wilds: Savage Dominion
Tzaangor Shaman of Beasts of Chaos (135)***
– Lore of the Twisted Wilds: Tendrils of Atrophy

Battleline
———-

3 x Bullgors (130)**
– Great Axes
3 x Bullgors (130)**
– Great Axes
3 x Bullgors (130)**
– Great Axes
3 x Bullgors (130)***
– Great Axes
3 x Bullgors (130)***
– Great Axes

Units
———-

3 x Tzaangor Enlightened of Beasts of Chaos (95)***
3 x Tzaangor Enlightened of Beasts of Chaos (95)
3 x Tzaangor Enlightened of Beasts of Chaos (95)
3 x Tzaangor Enlightened of Beasts of Chaos (95)
10 x Ungor Raiders (90)
10 x Ungor Raiders (90)
10 x Ungor Raiders (90)
1 x Mindstealer Sphiranx (95)
– Allies

Endless Spells & Invocations
———-

Doomblast Dirgehorn (45)

Core Battalions
*Warlord
**Hunters of the Heartlands
***Vanguard

Additional Enhancements
Artefact

Total: 1995 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 0 / 4
Allies: 95 / 400
Wounds: 165
Drops: 17

Declan – Another great choice from Peter. 17 drops is immense and really brings a clear example of MSU (multiple small units).

The ally – Mindstealer Sphinx – at 95 points is a bargain of a Monster in the Realm of Ghur allowing Brian to pick up the Monsterous Takeover battle tactic, and his large number of units probably gave him good control over the board.

I’ve not played BoC in the AOS3 because they aren’t doing well or present in the Meta much. Hopefully this will encourage a resurgance – and the game will be better for it! Congratulations to Brian for doing really well with a lower tier army!

The Final Tournament Placings

– Declan & Peter

Age of Sigmar, Army Lists, Fantasy, Peter Holland, Tournaments

Top Three AoS Lists from the Quest of Champions (Heat 1) – 5th/6th February 2022

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The Quest of Champions is a series of two day events that take place during the course of the year organised by the Warrior Lodge. The top twelve from each event go through to a grand final at the end of the year. The first heat took place this weekend just gone in Nottingham (UK) at the heart of the wargaming world. A total of 26 players took part over five games.

Most Selected Faction/Subfaction

Unusual in that there’s only one Stormcast army present which isn’t a Hammers of Sigmar list, and only one Ironjaws/Bloodtoofs army present.

Win Rate

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The Top Three Lists

These were the top three lists from the Quest of Champions 1st Heat.

Tom Mawdsley – Maggotkin of Nurgle

Tom won all five games beating Ironjaws/Bloodtoofs in Round 1, Sylvaneth/Gnarlroot in Round 2. 4th placed Gabe Huddlestone and his Ironjaws/Ironsunz in Round 3, Maggotkin of Nurgle/Filthbringers in Round 4 and Soulblight Gravelords/Kastelai Dynasty in the last round.

Allegiance: Maggotkin of Nurgle
– Subfaction: Befouling Host
– Grand Strategy: Beast Master
– Triumph: Bloodthirsty

Leaders
———-
Great Unclean One (General) (495)**
– Command Trait: Master of Magic
– Artefact: The Witherstave
– Spell: Fleshy Abundance
Lord of Afflictions (210)**
– Artefact: The Splithorn Helm
Rotbringer Sorcerer (145)**
– Spell: Gift of Disease
Morbidex Twiceborn (320)

Battleline
———-
20x Plaguebearers (300)*
– Reinforced: Once
1x Beast of Nurgle (110)*
x Beast of Nurgle (110)*

Units
———-
3x Nurglings (105)**
1x Pusgoyle Blightlord (110)

Endless Spells
———-
Soulscream Bridge (70)

Core Battalions
———-
*Hunters of the Heartlands
**Warlord

Total Points: 1975 pts

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Andy Hughes – Seraphon

Andy won all but one of his five games and only lost to fourth placed abe Huddlestone and his Ironjaws/Ironsunz. He beat Maggotkin of Nurgle/Befouling Host in Round 1, 3rd Placed Freddie Leggett and his Cities of Sigmar/Tempest’s Eye in Round 2, Lumineth Realm-Lords/Zaitrec in Round 3 and Maggotkin of Nurgle/Filthbringers in Round 5.

Allegiance: Seraphon
– Subfaction: Dracothian’s Tail
– Grand Strategy: Prized Sorcery
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
———-
Slann Starmaster (General)(265)**
– Command Trait: Ancient Knowledge
– Artefact: Godbeast Pendant
– Spell: Mystical Unforging
– Spell: Stellar Tempest
Engine of the Gods (265)*
– Mount Trait: Starborne
– Prayer: Heal
Saurus Astrolith Bearer (150)**
Skink Starseer (145)**
– Spell: Hand of Glory

Battleline
———-
10x Skinks (75)*
10x Skinks (75)*
5x Saurus Guard (115)**

Units
———-
2x Salamander Hunting Pack (280)**
– Reinforced: Once
2x Salamander Hunting Pack (280)**
– Reinforced: Once
2x Salamander Hunting Pack (280)**
– Reinforced: Once

Endless Spells
———-
Emerald Lifeswarm (60)

Core Battalions
———-
*Battle Regiment
**Battle Regiment

Total Points: 1990 pts

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Freddie Leggett – Cities of Sigmar

Travis Kelly also won four games and like Shawn, he only lost to 2nd placed Andy and his Seraphon/Dracothian’s Tail. Along the way he beat the Fyreslayers/Lofnir in Round 1, Flesh-eater Courts/Feast Day in Round 3, Stormcast Eternals/Hallowed Knights in Round 4 and Ironjaws/Ironsunz in Round 5.

Allegiance: Cities of Sigmar
– Subfaction: Tempest’s Eye
– Grand Strategy: Prized Sorcery
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
———-
Runelord (General)(100)**
– Command Trait: Hawk-Eyed
– Prayer: Curse
Doralia ven Denst (115)**
– City Role: General’s Adjutant
Celestial Hurricanum with Celestial Battlemage (280)**
– Artefact: Patrician’s Helm
– Spell: Aura of Glory
Anointed on Frostheart Phoenix (315)
– Artefact: Arcane Tome
– Spell: Flaming Weapon

Battleline
———-
20x Irondrakes (340)*
– Reinforced: Once
5x Freeguild Pistoliers (105)**
5x Freeguild Outriders (110)**
10x Longbeards (105)*
– City Role: Honoured Retinue

Units
———-
2x Dracothian Guard Fulminators (230)*
2x Dracothian Guard Fulminators (230)*

Endless Spells
———-
Soulscream Bridge (70)

Core Battalions
———-
*Hunters of the Heartlands
**Warlord

Additional Enhancements
———-
Artefact

Total Points: 2000 pts

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The Final Tournament Placings

Age of Sigmar, Army Lists, Fantasy, Peter Holland, Tournaments

Top Three AoS Lists from the Las Vegas Open – 28th/29th and 30th January

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The Las Vegas Open is different to most other events that you would probably attend. 177 players took part in five games over two days on Friday 28th and Saturday 29th January. The top eight of from the first two days then played in a knockout tournament on Sunday 30th January to decide the overall winner.

Most Selected Faction/Subfaction

Ironjawz/Bloodtoofs are the most common faction at the LVO this year, closely followed by the usual Soulblight Gravelords/Vyrkos Dynasty and Stormcast Eternals/Hammers of Sigmar.

Win Rate

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The Top Three Lists

These were the top three lists from the Las Vegas Open 2022.

Gavin Grigar – Cities of Sigmar

Gavin Grigar went though the whole tournament unbeaten, winning eight games and winning the crown.

Allegiance: Cities of Sigmar
– Subfaction: Living City
– Grand Strategy: Hold the Line
– Triumph: Inspired

Leaders
———-
Doralia ven Denst (115)*
Sorceress (General)(95)*
– Command Trait: Master of Magic
– Artefact: Arcane Tome
– Spell: Ironoak Skin
Freeguild General (100)*
– City Role: General’s Adjutant

Battleline
———-
30x Freeguild Crossbowmen (315)*
– Reinforced: Twice
10x Dreadspears (90)*
– City Role: Honoured Retinue
10x Freeguild Crossbowmen (105)*

Units
———-
4x Dracothian Guard Fulminators (460)**
– Reinforced: Once
4x Stormdrake Guard (680)**
– Reinforced: Once

Core Battalions
———-
*Bosses of the Stomp – Magnificent
**Hunters of the Heartland

Total Points: 1960 pts

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Levan Sichinava – Soulblight Gravelords

Levan only lost two games out of eight the whole weekend, one of which was to Gavin in 1st place.

Allegiance: Soulblight Gravelords
– Subfaction: Vyrkos Dynasty
– Grand Strategy: Unknown
– Triumphs: Unknown

Leaders
———-
Gorslav the Gravekeeper (75)*
Necromancer (125)*
– Artefact: Arcane Tome
– Spell: Decrepify
Big Drogg Fort-Kicka (525)*
Vampire Lord (General)(140)*
– Command Trait: Pack Alpha
– Spell: Invigorating Aura
– Spell: Soulpike
Vengorian Lord (280)**
– Artefact: Terminus Clock
– Spell: Invigorating Aura
– Spell: Flaming Weapon

Battleline
———-
60x Deadwalker Zombies (345)*
– Reinforced: Twice
60x Deadwalker Zombies (345)**
– Reinforced: Twice
10x Deathrattle Skeletons (85)**

Units
———-
Corpse Cart with Balefire Brazier (80)**

Core Battalions
———-
*Warlord
**Battle Regiment

Total Points: 2000 pts

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Jeremy LeFebvre – Cities of Sigmar

Jeremy also went the whole three days with a remarkable win rate of 6 wins to one loss. The loss was to eventual winner Gavin.

Allegiance: Cities of Sigmar
– Subfaction: Phoenicium
– Grand Strategy: Dominating Presence
– Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

Leaders
———-
Annointed on Frostheart Phoenix (General)(315)*
– Command Trait: One with Fire and Ice – Golden Mist
– Artefact: Phoenix Pyre Ashes
Assassin (80)*
Assassin (80)*
Assassin (80)**
Celestial Hurricanum with Celestial Battlemage (280)
– Spell: Golden Mist
Annointed on Frostheart Phoenix (315)*
– Artefact: Arcane Tome
– Spell: Flaming Weapon

Battleline
———-
10x Phoenix Guard (175)***
10x Phoenix Guard (175)***
10x Phoenix Guard (175)***
10x Shadow Warriors (120)**
10x Shadow Warriors (120)**
1x Scourgerunner Chariot (80)*

Core Battalions
———-
*Warlord
**Vanguard
***Hunters of the Heartlands

Total Points: 1995 pts

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The Final Tournament Placings (Top Eight)

Age of Sigmar, Army Lists, Fantasy, Peter Holland, Tournaments

Top Three AoS Lists from PSU:March to War (UK) – 22/23rd January

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This event saw a total of 32 players take part over five games. The event was organised by Purple Sparkly Unicorns.

Most Selected Faction/Subfaction

The Hammers of Sigmar are still one of the most popular armies at tournaments around the globe.

Win Rate

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The Top Three Lists

These were the top three lists from PSU: March to War.

Paul Scott – Maggotkin of Nurgle

Paul’s Moggotkin in action against Freddie’s Cities of Sigmar in Round 5

Paul won all three games and beat our very own Declan with his Big Waaagh! in Round 1, Kruleboyz/Big Yellers in Round 2, Stormcast Eternals/Tempest Lords in Round 3, Ironjawz/Bloodtoofs in Round 4 and finally the Cities of Sigmar/Hallowheart second place list of Freddie Leggett in Round 5.

Allegiance: Maggotkin of Nurgle
– Coalesced: Befouling Host
– Grand Strategy: Hold the Line
– Triumph:

Leaders
———-
Horticulous Slimux (225)**
Great Unclean One (General)(495)***
– Command Trait: Master of Magic
– Artefact: The Witherstave
– Spell: Fleshy Abundance
Lord of Afflictions (210)***
– Artefact: Arcane Tome
– Spell: UNKNOWN
Lord of Afflictions (210)***

Battleline
———-
1x Beasts of Nurgle (110)*
20x Plaguebearers (300)*
– Reinforced: Once
1x Beasts of Nurgle (110)**
1x Beasts of Nurgle (110)**
1x Beasts of Nurgle (110)**
1x Beasts of Nurgle (110)**

Core Battalions
———-
*Hunters of the Heartlands
**Battle Regiment
***Command Entourage

Total Points: 1990 pts

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Freddie Leggett

Freddie won four games from five and only lost to Paul’s Maggotkin of Nurgle/Befouling Host in Round 5 who finished 1st overall. Along the way he beat Ironjawz/Ironsunz in Round 1, Nighthaunt/Emerald Host in Round 2, Stormcast Eternals/Hammers of Sigmar in Round 3 and Seraphon/Fangs of Sotek in Round 4.

Allegiance: Cities of Sigmar
– Subfaction: Hallowheart
– Grand Strategy: Prized Sorcery
– Triumphs: Indomitable

Leaders
———-
Sorceress (95)*
– General’s Adjutant
– 1st Spell: Warding Brand
– 2nd Spell: Ignite Weapons
Runelord (General)(100)*
– Command Trait: Veteran of the Blazing Crusade
– Prayer: Curse
Anointed on Frostheart Phoenix (315)*
– Artefact: Arcane Tome
– 1st Spell: Flaming Weapon
– 2nd Spell: Sear Wounds

Battleline
———-
6x Demigryph Knights (350)**
-Reinforced: Once
10x Dreadspears(90)*
30x Irondrakes (510)**
– Reinforced: Twice
10x Longbeards (105)*
5x Sisters of the Thorn (130)*
– 1st Spell: Ignite Weapons
– 2nd Spell: Crystal Aegis

Behemoths
———-
Celestial Hurricanum (230)*

Endless Spells
———-
Soulscream Bridge (70)

Core Battalions
———-
*Battle Regiment
**Hunters of the Heartland

Total Points: 1995 pts

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Andy Bryan – Seraphon

Andy also won four games and beat Stormcast Eternals/Hammers of Sigmar in Round 1, lost against the fifth placed list of Jack Mayland’s Ironjawz/Bloodtoofs in Round 2 and beat Seraphon/Thunder Lizard in Round 3, Kruleboyz/Big Yellers in Round 4 and Stormcast Eternals/Hammers of Sigmar in the last round.

Allegiance: Seraphon
– Subfaction: Thunder Lizard
– Grand Strategy: Beast Master
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
———-
Engine of the Gods (General)(265)*
– Command Trait: Prime Warbeast
– Artefact: Fusil of Conflaguration
– Mount Trait: Beastmaster
– Prayer: Heal
Slann Starmaster (265)*
– Spell: Celestial Apotheosis
Skink Starpriest (80)*
– Prayer: Heal

Battleline
———-
10x Skinks (75)*
Stegadon (265)*
Stegadon (265)*
Stegadon (265)*
Stegadon (265)*

Behemoths
———-
Bastiladon with Solar Engine (250)*

Core Battalions
———-
*Battle Regiment

Total Points: 1995 pts

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The Final Tournament Placings

Age of Sigmar, Hamsfans, Sci-Fi

Start Collecting: Anvilgard – Beginners 2,000 Point Army

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Following on from Declan’s article last week where he covered a competitive list that could be made using the Start Collecting! Ogor Mawtribes boxed set, we continue this week with a look at the Start Collecting! Anvilgard set.

What’s in the box……!?

1 Black Ark Fleetmaster

1 Kharibdyss, this can also be built as a War Hydra

10 Black Ark Corsairs

1 Scourgerunner Chariot, this can also be built as a Drakespawn Chariot

13 miniatures, including a hero a chariot and a monster.

One of the best things about the Start Collecting! boxes are the savings. In this case, (as of 18/12/21 in GBP) the box is £60 and the collected contents, if purchased individually, retail for £100 giving a sweet £40 saving (or a free Kharibdyss/War Hydra, if you prefer).

What is Anvilgard?

Anvilgard – A lovely place to visit…. Wish you were here!

Anvilgard is a subfaction of the Cities of Sigmar faction in the Order Grand Alliance for Age of Sigmar, to play the army you will need a copy of the Cities of Sigmar Battletome.

Anvilgard, also known as the City of Scales was a port city in the realm of Aqshy on the Charrwind coast. The city is surrounded by jungle and the Ironweld Arsenal constantly pump out defoliants which shroud the city in a stinking fug. The city was dominated by Blackscale Coil crime syndicate and has some interesting rules which align with this lore. This City of Sigmar fell to the forces of Morathi during the events of Broken Realms: Morathi but is still a playable subfaction in the game.

The background and the rules for Anvilgard encourage the use of our monster and the Privateers, so the box actually fits really well with the lore for the city.

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Fans of Warhammer Fantasy will note that if they have an old Dark Elf army (and didn’t burn it), then Anvilgard may be a good entry into Age of Sigmar…. though not the only possibility.

Here’s a quick rundown of our units, please note this article was written on 18/12/21 and points etc. may change:

The Black Ark Fleetmaster is not a world destroying hero but at 70 points they are cheap and importantly have the Scourge Privateers Keyword. This means that, if used as your General, they make both Scourgerunner Chariots and Black Ark Corsairs Battleline. Furthermore, if your Fleetmaster hangs around with their Corsair buddies, they have a buff which will improve their fighting abilities.

Fleetmaster

Kharibdyss/War Hydra: The Kharibdyss comes in at 165 points and the War Hydra at 170. So, which one should we build? Well, sadly neither of these are brilliant in terms of their rules at the moment but they are great models and incredibly lore friendly for the city. Both are monsters, so can use the monstrous rampage actions and can give you bonuses in five of the eight core Battle Tactics. On the flipside, monsters give away points when slain and these are not particularly survivable so be cautious. Both of these monsters have some limited healing, though the Kharibdyss only triggers if it slays a model and the War Hydra does have a ranged attack. Playing Anvilgard, we get access to Drakeblood Curses, this gives us an extra buff which we can put on our beasties to make them a little more impactful such as improving their charge or debuffing enemy bravery. Personally, I would build the Kharibdyss purely because I prefer the model and it plays so nicely into the nautical theme of Anvilgard.

Kharibdyss

Scourgerunner Chariot/Drakespawn Chariot: The Scourgerunner Chariot and Drakespawn Chariot both come in at 80 points. Sadly, there isn’t much, in my opinion, to recommend the Drakespawn Chariot. If you would like to theme your army around a Dreadlord on Black Dragon then these do become battleline but unfortunately, they aren’t terribly impactful (no pun intended). The Scourgerunner chariot, however, becomes battleline with our Fleetmaster General and has a few things in its favour. Big Base Action, with a 120 x 92mm base the unit can be handy for blocking up the table and is quick with a 12″ move. Furthermore, its shooting attack is quite nice, two shots with a reasonable chance of hitting and wounding and d3 damage plus a chance of causing D3 mortal wounds.

Scourgerunner Chariot

Black Ark Corsairs: Our ten corsairs come in at 85 points for ten models on 25mm bases and can be armed with either vicious blade and handbow or vicious blade and wicked cutlass. An argument can be made for the ranged version but our first unit, I would recommend building with the blade and cutlass. The reason for this is the Black Ark Fleetmaster, our Fleetmaster can buff the Corsairs with +1 to the attack characteristic of their melee weapons, so it is definitely worth bearing that in mind.

Corsairs

So, our army list looks like this:

Allegiance: Cities of Sigmar
– City: Anvilgard (Illicit Dealings: Black Market Bounty)
– Grand Strategy: Hold the Line
– Triumphs: Inspired

Black Ark Fleetmaster (70)*
– General
– Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
– City Role: General’s Adjutant
– Lore of Dark Sorcerery: Vitriolic Spray

10 x Black Ark Corsairs (85)*
– Vicious Blade & Wicked Cutlass
– City Role: Honoured Retinue (Must be 5-20 models)

1 x Scourgerunner Chariots (80)*

Kharibdyss (165)*
– Drakeblood Curse: Fell Gaze

*Battle Regiment

Total: 400 / 750
Reinforced Units: 0 / 1
Allies: 0 / 100
Wounds: 33
Drops: 1

I gave our General the Arcane Tome to make them a wizard and made the Corsairs their honoured retinue, to make the Fleetmaster more survivable. The Kharibdyss has received the Drakeblood Curse of Fell Gaze, this will stack with the native ability of the beast and will make battleshock a scary proposition for low bravery armies. This would be a fun start to an Anvilgard army but could also be used as a nice start for any Cities faction, though particularly Har Kuron (excellent if you want to port over a Dark Elf army as you can include your Witch Elves) or Misthavn.

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Is it worth buying multiples of these?

I would say yes to picking up a few if I wanted to build into Anvilgard. I should note, though, that if you are going into this Start Collecting! you are probably already accepting you are not playing at the competitive ‘Bleeding Edge’and you are leaning further into that. A second box will allow you to bulk out your Corsair unit to the maximum twenty for an Honoured Retinue and give you an extra Scourgerunner (which I would probably use as a separate unit, rather than increase to a unit of two). The only potentially questionable second unit is the Fleetmaster as the Command Ability to buff the Corsairs cannot be stacked so they may find their way on to be traded or sold. You could, of course, convert your Fleetmaster to something else as you will have plenty of spare bits from the Corsair set and they might look nice as an alternative crew model in one of your Scourgerunner Chariots. A third box could be useful, especially for the Chariot and you could convert the Corsairs into some nicely themed Shadow Warriors with a head swap with left over bits from other kits.

Sorceress

Looking to expand further, I would consider adding a Sorceress to our fledgling army, her warscroll spell debuffs an enemy unit’s to hit roll and also does D3 mortal wounds, she could be the Fleetmaster’s Adjutant and provide some extra Command Point generation as well. If taking a Sorceress, it’s worth remembering she can get buffs to cast by shanking her comrades with the Darkling Covens keyword, so give her some pawns to sacrifice! Cities of Sigmar also get +1 to cast Endless Spells, so it is worth perusing those to see which you might like and which might support your playstyle. I would suggest vitriolic spray as her chosen spell, removing enemy armour saves is not to be sniffed at, despite the short range. I like the idea of pairing her with Darkshards who can provide good sacrifice fodder while giving some shooting.

One of the most beautiful models still around from Warhammer Fantasy, in my opinion, is the Dreadlord on Black Dragon and they nicely line up with our theme. The Dreadlord is also quite strong and their buff works nicely on other Order Draconis and themselves, so consider some Drakespawn Knights for flavour. Picking up the Black Dragon, in combination with our two Kharibdyss, also opens up more Battle Tactics to us.

I would also consider branching out a little into Daughters of Khaine for a bit of fun and variety, the Khainite Shadowstalkers are beautiful models and their teleport ability is a great addition to any army.

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This is what our 2K army might look like, add in Regiments to taste:

Allegiance: Cities of Sigmar
– City: Anvilgard (Illicit Dealings: Dabbling in Sorcery)
– Grand Strategy: Hold the Line
– Triumphs: Inspired

Sorceress (95)
– City Role: General’s Adjutant
– Lore of Dark Sorcerery: Vitriolic Spray

Dreadlord on Black Dragon (290)
– Lance of Spite & Tyrant Shield
– Artefact: Drakescale Cloak
– Drakeblood Curse: Jutting Bones
– Mount Trait: Foetid Breath

Black Ark Fleetmaster (70)
– General
– Command Trait: Blackfang Crimelord

20 x Black Ark Corsairs (170)
– Vicious Blade & Wicked Cutlass
– City Role: Honoured Retinue (Must be 5-20 models)
– Reinforced x 1

1 x Scourgerunner Chariots (80)

1 x Scourgerunner Chariots (80)

20 x Darkshards (230)
– Reinforced x 1

10 x Dreadspears (90)

Kharibdyss (165)
– Drakeblood Curse: Fell Gaze

Kharibdyss (165)

5 x Drakespawn Knights (125)

10 x Shadow Warriors (120)

5 x Drakespawn Knights (125)

9 x Khainite Shadowstalkers (120)
– Allies

Chronomantic Cogs (45)



Total: 1970 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 2 / 4
Allies: 120 / 400
Wounds: 149
Drops: 8

I think this can be made more competitive with the addition of a Hurricanum, perhaps a Runepriest and an Anointed on Frost Phoenix instead of some of the Aelf units but this does somewhat compromise the theme for me and I truly enjoy this theme, if you are looking for a very competitive list then Anvilgard is probably not the place to start in any case.

To sum up, this is an excellent Start Collecting! with some great models and a good discount but it doesn’t have the most competitive choices and it doesn’t line up with the most competitive of factions. If you enjoy the aesthetics, lore and theme of Anvilgard though, it does fit them perfectly and is 100% a great buy.

All the Best and for the Witch King *cough* Sigmar!

Age of Sigmar, Black Library, Declan Walters, Fantasy, Games Workshop, Reviews

Book Review – Gloomspite

2 Comments

by Andy Clark

Review by Declan Waters

I really wanted to love this book. In theory it has everything that appeals to me. Fantasy, set in the new Age of Sigmar world, staring the Goblins (Grots) who were my first army and still grace the wargaming table for me. Unfortunately, it fell down and I think it’s to do with the marketing and editor and not the author – which is even more of a shame.

The book follows a group of mercenaries – Swords of Sigmar – who warn the militia of Draconium about an impending disaster. Unfortunately they don’t know what the disaster is, except it will come from below.

The Swords and the characters in Draconium and well written, interesting characters – with an equal mix of women & men (the characters genders are not relevant to the story, but after so many male fantasy books, this is welcome relief – well done Andy Clark) – and a fun story. 4* for the author.

However, the book’s title in ‘Gloomspite’ and this was released at the same time as the army book. All other races get a book from Black Library with their army as the heroes (or anti-heroes); the Gloomspite (Grots) get a story where humans are the heroes and they are the peril. I know that they are ‘destruction’ but that is no reason to not get a story expanding the reader’s knowledge of the Gitz. I realise it is difficult to write from the point of view of destruction armies, but with the vast world available in Age of Sigmar, it must surely be easier than other fantasy settings. 2* for marketing & editing.

Okay, but not really about Gitz!

Rating: 3 out of 5.

The book is available from Black Library direct, your friendly local book store, or audible (audiobook)