This is the Top Three AoS Lists for the Salt City GT that took place in New York, USA on 23rd and 24th July. It involved 31 players vying to be crowned champion in a 5 game tournament.

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The Top Three AoS Lists

Allegiance: Maggotkin of Nurgle
– Subfaction: Filthbringers
– Mortal Realm: Ghur
– Grand Strategy: Show of Dominance
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Morbidex Twiceborn (320)
Rot Coven Rotbringer Sorcerer (120)***
– General
– Command Trait: Grandfather’s Blessing
– Lore of Malignance: Gift of Disease
Rot Coven Rotbringer Sorcerer (120)***
– Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
– Lore of Malignance: Magnificent Buboes
Rot Coven Rotbringer Sorcerer (120)***
– Artefact: Rustfang
– Lore of Malignance: Cloying Quagmire

Battleline
10 x Putrid Blightkings (500)*
– Reinforced x 1
10 x Plaguebearers (150)**
10 x Plaguebearers (150)**

Units
3 x Nurglings (105)***
3 x Plague Drones (200)**

Endless Spells & Invocations
Purple Sun of Shyish (70)
Ravenak’s Gnashing Jaws (60)
Quicksilver Swords (60)

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

Total: 1975 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 1 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 137
Drops: 9

Brett: The sorcerous arm of Nurgle comes out to play and dominates the field going five wins, with all five Battle Tactics and his Grand Strategy for a full 35 points in each round. Three wizards here to take full advantage of the Filthbringers ability. Standing in a group (3″ of each other) they have a +3 to casts, unbinds and dispelling rolls. No coincidence then that there are 3 Endless Spells in the army. Purple Sun is casting on a 5+ (67% chance). Gnashing Jaws and Swords deal direct Mortal Wounds (CV3 with the buff), but they are a bit spicier here because they have the Nurgle keyword if cast by a Rotbringer; applying disease points from their presence and if they do damage.

Morbidex is a little more unusual but gives solid combat punch to the army that might lack that (Rend -1, -2 and -3 on different weapons) while still naturally very tanky. 12 wounds, 3+ save and 5+ ward who heals half the wounds taken every round. That’s 54 damage at 0 rend to bring him down in a single round. And as the king of the Nurglings, he can return one unit of Nurglings per turn, the army has a swarm of them to keep him company.

The army plays into the Season 1 battalions but I don’t think the list correctly marks them, because Plague Drones are mounted (and not Galletian Veterans). Plaguebearers are in Eternal Conquerors so they count as 3 models each on objectives.

Blightkings in Bounty Hunters is a good move for such a big investment. The combination of Blightkings as the hammer with the Plague Drones and Endless Spells makes this a very mobile (for Nurgle) army. Alternatively park the Blightkings in the middle and dare your opponent to remove their 240 effective wounds. The Command Trait gives a little bit more control to the Cycle of Corruption and Arcane Tome gives an extra cast to a Rotbringer (4 total). There’s also the cheeky inclusion of Rustfang to scare off enemy heroes if they attack the Rotbringers.

Beyond the Endless Spells we also have Gift of Disease (spread disease points), Magnificent Buboes (debuff enemy hero) and Cloying Quagmire to slow an enemy and reduce the potential for charges.

A successful and innovative army that shows the depths of the Nurgle book. We haven’t even delved into the Cycle of Corruption and summoning (teleporting for fun) but the mixture of de-buffs, resilience, movement and multiple casts would make this both fun to play and difficult to play against.

Allegiance: Fyreslayers
– Lodge: Greyfyrd
– Mortal Realm: Aqshy
– Grand Strategy: Master of the Forge
– Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Auric Runefather on Magmadroth (360)**
– General
– Command Trait: Blood of the Berzerker
– Artefact: Axe of Grimnir
– Magmadroth Trait: Coal-heart Ancient
Auric Runemaster (125)**
– Artefact: Volatile Brazier
– Universal Prayer Scripture: Curse
Battlesmith (150)**
– Artefact: Nulsidian Icon
Auric Runesmiter (135)**
– Forge Key
– Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
– Universal Spell Lore: Ghost-mist
– Prayer: Prayer of Ash

Battleline
15 x Hearthguard Berzerkers (480)*
– Broadaxes
– Reinforced x 2
15 x Hearthguard Berzerkers (480)*
– Broadaxes
– Reinforced x 2
10 x Vulkite Berzerkers with Fyresteel Handaxes (170)*

Endless Spells & Invocations
Molten Infernoth (40)
Runic Fyrewall (40)

Core Battalions
*Expert Conquerors
**Command Entourage – Magnificent

Additional Enhancements
Artefact

Total: 1980 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 4 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 112
Drops: 7

Brett: A great result with Fyreslayers 4/1 with 4 rounds of maximum scoring (separated from 3rd by two points). This army is based around the hidden power of Hearthguard, with two big blocks being powered up by their small heroes and particularly the influence of the Battlesmith and his 4+ rally on them. The Battlesmith can grant a 4+ ward as well with his artefact which is very good for the Vulkite. The list has a lot of artefacts but that is a result of the lodge (Greyfyrd) which gives an additional 2 and grants +1 wound to foot heroes; it’s the obvious choice for this army. The Command Entourage provided another artefact. This makes a tooled up Auric Runefather with a pet who is fighting twice in one turn and has Axe of Grimnir making his main attack -2 Rend and 4 damage. A mobile and threatening monster killer.

Two Priests with an Arcane Tome to increase the casts/denies to 3. Fyreslayers don’t have a spell lore so a generic spell is listed. The Runemaster has the Volatile Brazier to reroll an invocation (prayer). Prayer of Ash is a defensive spell that reduces incoming wound rolls by 1. Very useful to keep those big blocks of Hearthguard around. The Hearthguard have the Broadaxe, in my opinion the more consistent and better weapon although they are hampered by their 5+ save. Near any Fyreslayers hero they also have a 4+ save though. To top off the list there is a Runic Firewall to block paths and maybe grant wards and a Molten Infernoth for some chip MW.

Solid performance with the army only dropping the round to Luke whose Maggotkin are more mobile. With the exception of one army they are all pretty tough armies, some with a lot of shooting, typically an area of weakness for Fyreslayers. They are a slow moving army and avoiding those Hearthguard would be the best option for trying to defeat them, but that’s easier said than done with those large blocks.

Army Faction: Orruk Warclans
– Army Type: Ironjawz
– Army Subfaction: Bloodtoofs
– Grand Strategy: Waaagh!
– Triumphs: Inspired

LEADER
1 x Megaboss on Maw-Krusha (480)*
– General
– Command Trait: Touched by the Waaagh!
– Boss Choppa and Rip-tooth Fist
– Artefact: Arcane Tome
– Mount Trait: Fast ‘Un
– Spell: Bash ‘Em Ladz
1 x Orruk Warchanter (115)*
– Get ‘Em Beat
1 x Orruk Warchanter (115)*
– Get Fixin’ Beat

BATTLELINE
6 x Orruk Gore-gruntas (340)**
– Jagged Gore-Hackas
6 x Orruk Gore-gruntas (340)**
– Jagged Gore-Hackas
3 x Orruk Gore-gruntas (170)*
– Jagged Gore-Hackas
3 x Orruk Gore-gruntas (170)*
– Jagged Gore-Hackas

INVOCATIONS & ENDLESS SPELLS
Purple Sun of Hysh (70)

CORE BATTALIONS:
*Battle Regiment
**Bounty Hunters

TOTAL POINTS: (1970/2000)

Brett: What is there to say, Ironjawz are awesome, but this is a Mawcrusha and 18 piggies. There is no subtlety here – these are coming across the board as fast as they can. Both of the big blocks are in Bounty Hunters to boost their damage against GV. The inclusion of an Arcane Tome on the Mawcrusher is interesting, presumably for the Purple Sun. The Purple Sun and Bash ‘Em Ladz have the same casting value (8). Get the Sun out as soon as possible and then try and get the +1 to wounds from Bash em ladz?

First turn (or any turn really, but only one) that Mawcrusha can move 36″ with Fast ‘un and Mighty Destroyer’s. While Tyler would like you to go first and move closer, he really doesn’t need it on most AoS boards. At least one of the big Gore-grunta units will also have a 3D6 from Get ’em ladz. However this is a 3 drop army, we are seeing a lot of larger drops at the moment which might give Tyler an edge.

This is a massive alpha strke army that you want to avoid until you can wear them down. It’s important to remember not only Mighty Destroyers but Touched by the Waagh. The Megaboss can call his Waagh any time and then everything is rerolling their charges, a wall of charging Gore Gruntas. His only loss was to the eventual winner, those Blightkings being just the thing to weather a massive charge.

Army Faction: Orruk Warclans
– Army Type: Kruleboyz
– Army Subfaction: Big Yellers
– Grand Strategy: Show of Dominance
– Triumphs: Inspired

LEADER
1 x One-eyed Grunnock (470)
1 x Snatchaboss on Sludgeraker Beast (315)*
– General
– Command Traits: Supa Sneaky
– Artefacts: Vial of Manticore Venom
– Mount Traits: Weird ’Un
1 x Swampcalla Shaman and Pot-grot (105)*
– Spells: Da Black Pit
1 x Swampcalla Shaman and Pot-grot (105)*
– Spells: Levitate

BATTLELINE
6 x Man-skewer Boltboyz (240)*
– Boltboy Boss
6 x Man-skewer Boltboyz (240)*
– Boltboy Boss
10 x Gutrippaz (180)*
– Gutrippa Banner Bearer
– Gutrippa Drummer
– Wicked Stikka
6 x Man-skewer Boltboyz (240)*
– Boltboy Boss

OTHER
10 x Hobgrot Slittaz (80)*

CORE BATTALIONS:
*Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: (1975/2000)

Brett: For our extra list today we’ve chosen the 5th place, another Ork list, Kruleboyz going 4/1. Mass ork shooting with a Giant friend. And some Hobgrots. Again it’s a pretty straight forward list, you have the choice of either closing with the infantry and being shot. Or you can focus on the Giant (Sons of Behemat) so it can’t rampage, and be shot. It all fits in a Battle Regiment and is one drop.

Including Grunnock is interesting, a 35 wound stomping model will take a lot of focus for most armies. As a monster with a vicious stomp attack, the ability to ignore screens or engagement to an extent and mortal wounds (MW) on the charge it’s a lot to deal with. Keep it within 15″ of at least one Bolt Boyz unit and a Shaman and they’ll be able to pepper whatever is trying to deal with it with MW (on a 5+). The challenge is to use the bows without exposing them, Big Yellers helps by extending their range by 3″ (to 27″). This means Sentinels, Judicators or Raptors will still outrange them but a lot of armies only have 18″ on their archers. Even with the Hobgrots there don’t seem to be enough screens, and small units of Gutripperaz seem to melt quickly.

I’d be tempted to increase one of the Boltboyz to a 9 and drop one of the 6s. If you drop the grots you would have enough for another Gutrippaz unit. They won’t have poison unless they are within 12″ of the Sludgeraker but it feels more robust and still very damaging. That said this army as written went 4/1 so Jeff knows what he’s doing. The Sludgeraker is a great unit to anchor the lines against to make use of it’s Sludgeraker Venom and it’s attacks, you want to keep it healed up to maximise the number of 2 damage attacks. As included he allows a redeploy (Supa Sneaky), Manticore Venom is straight damage increase and Weird ‘un gives a 4+ ward against spells, with the buffed Endless Spells that’s a good idea.

Super solid performance and a good showing with Kruleboyz bringing their sneaky shenanigans – especially a big smelly mercenary (what do you pay a giant anyway?)

Final Tournament Placings