This is the top three AoS lists for the SoCal Open that took place in the US on the 21st and 22nd of October. It saw 37 players vying to be crowned champion in a 5-game tournament.

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The Top Three AoS Lists

Army Faction: Idoneth Deepkin
– Subfaction: Dhom-Hain
– Grand Strategy: Dominion of the Deep Ones
– Triumph: Bloodthirsty

LEADERS
Isharann Tidecaster (130)*
– General
– Command Traits: Teachings of the Túrscoll
– Spells: Hoarfrost
Battlemage (100)*
– Magic of the Realms: Wildform (Ghur)
Akhelian Thrallmaster (100)**
Eidolon of Mathlann Aspect of the Storm (300)**
– Artefacts of Power: Arcane Tome
Akhelian Thrallmaster (100)**

BATTLELINE
Namarti Thralls (220)**
– Icon Bearer
Namarti Thralls (220)**
– Icon Bearer
Namarti Thralls (110)**
– Icon Bearer

BEHEMOTH
Akhelian Leviadon (400)**
– Mount Traits: Reverberating Carapace

OTHER
Akhelian Allopexes (150)**
– Retarius Net Launcher, Barbed Hooks and Blades
Akhelian Allopexes (150)**
– Retarius Net Launcher, Barbed Hooks and Blades

TERRAIN
1 x Gloomtide Shipwreck (0)

CORE BATTALIONS
*Andtorian Acolytes
**Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: 1980/2000

Peter Holland: A few weeks ago our very own Aaron Newbom won the SoCal Open with a Dhom-Hain list. He wrote an entire tournament breakdown for us of the event and you can read that here.

Army Faction: Maggotkin of Nurgle
– Army Subfaction: Befouling Host
– Grand Strategy: Spellcasting Savant
– Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

LEADER
1 x Skabbik Plagueseeker (140)*
1 x The Glottkin (580)**
– Spells: Rancid Visitations
1 x Sloppity Bilepiper (120)**
– Artefacts: Arcane Tome
1 x Poxbringer (130)**
– General
– Command Traits: Master of Magic
– Spells: Fleshy Abundance

BATTLELINE
20 x Plaguebearers (120)**
10 x Plaguebearers (120)**
10 x Plaguebearers (120)**
10 x Plaguebearers (120)**

TERRAIN
1 x Feculent Gnarlmaw (0)
1 x Feculent Gnarlmaw (0)

OTHER
3 x Nurglings (100)*
3 x Nurglings (100)*
6 x Furies (80)*
6 x Furies (80)*
5 x Skabbik’s Plaguepack (140)*

CORE BATTALIONS:
*Battle Regiment
**Battle Regiment

TOTAL POINTS: (1930/2000)

Roland Rivera: At this point in the season, seeing a Glottkin Nurgle list do well isn’t much of a surprise – Nurgle’s favored mortal servants have been on quite the run as of late. However, this list has a couple of interesting twists to it. First among them is the Befouling Host subfaction and the Poxbringer General to give the summoning a bit more oomph. Second is the deep triumph bid – going 70 points under is not a trivial commitment. The reason why this list is doing so is to add a bit of an insurance policy on the Blightkrieg charges, as Bloodthirsty is the only way to get a reroll on them. Last but not least, this list is using its Ally allowance fairly extensively with 2 units of Furies and Skabbik’s Plaguepack, all of which are here to screen and put forward pressure on objectives.

Beyond them, this is very meat-and-potatoes Nurgle – lots of Plaguebearers to dominate the board, a Sloppity Bilepiper to shut off pile-ins, Nurglings to pester enemy deployment and rack up extra Contagion points. But hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I think Alec’s additions give a nice bit of depth to the classic Nurgle Glottkin gameplan, and were probably a real factor in securing the 5-0 finish.

Army Faction: Ossiarch Bonereapers
– Army Subfaction: Mortis Praetorians
– Grand Strategy: Barren Icescape
– Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

LEADER
1 x Katakros (500)*
1 x Arkhan the Black (380)**
1 x Liege-Kavalos (180)**
– General
– Command Traits: Mighty Archaeossian
– Artefacts: Lode of Saturation
1 x Mortisan Boneshaper (140)**
– Artefacts: Artisan’s Key
– Spells: Hoarfrost

BATTLELINE
5 x Kavalos Deathriders (190)*
– Mortek Hekatos
– Necrophoros
– Nadirite Blade
30 x Mortek Guard (130)*
– Mortek Hekatos
– 3 x Necrophoros
– Nadirite Blade
– 3 x Soulcleaver Greatblade
2 x Morghast Archai (220)*
– Spirit Halberd

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

TOTAL POINTS: (2000/2000)

Walter Brock: Today we are looking at a list that went 4-1 with Mortis Praetorians. Praetorians allow a unit to potentially counter charge after an enemy unit has finished a charge. This has many possible applications that lead to incredibly powerful moments to swing the tide of battle. From stopping key enemy charges to denying battle tactics. The praetorians’ counter charge is only limited by the players imagination.
Instead of Spellcasting Savant this player opted for Barren Icescape. This option makes sense since there is no Locus in the list.

We start off with the Katakros and Arkhan double trouble pairing. We have seen this before and will again. These two are a deadly duo that cover each other’s weaknesses and buff each other’s strengths. From Katakros buffing everything up to 11 with his +1 hit and save aura. To Arkhans Spell casting to support the army with buff spells and stop key enemy spells. The synergies between these two are incredibly deadly and I could go on and on about how powerful these two works together if allowed, but we would be here all day.

Next is whats one of the toughest to kill models in the game. A liege Kavalos with the Lode stone Relic and Might Archaeossian command trait. The combination of the two lets the Liege ignore all negative save modifiers and gains +1 to its ward saves. With a command point for a 5+ ward a liege can achieve a 2+ “ethereal” save and a 4+ ward. This combination makes the liege tanky enough to go places that even Katakros and Arkhan Might fear. Top it off with the command ability to give a unit +1 attack and the liege brings a lot to the table for this list.
A boneshaper with Artisans key and Hoarfrost. With katakros, Arkhan and the Boneshaper. This list could potentially bring back 12 Mortek Guard with just the healing abilities alone each OBR hero phase. Hoarfrost on top of all the buffs that the other characters bring can make any unit perform far and above their weight class.

Deathriders are a very powerful all rounder unit. Capable of multiple roles. From screening to protecting the back field or even denying the opponent the ability to move on an objective. They have an answer for almost any situation.

30 Mortek Guard. A giant block of 30 is a threat to behold. With all the buffs added you can easily engage multiple units with these Mortek units, and they can take out multiple units with their one fight. Imagine 30 Mortek. Hitting on 2s and 5s to hit, gain an additional hit. Wounding on 2s at rend 2. Each model has three attacks a piece. That will bring down almost any target they reach. On top of that they have incredible defensive capabilities. Beinh able to potentially ignore negative modifiers due to their command ability. Or all out defense, or a 5+ ward plus the healing mentioned before. This makes Mortek guard incredibly hard to take down.

Lastly is a unit of 2 Archai. This unit’s biggest value is from its no command aura. Being able to stop enemy commands can easily turn the tides of battle. Turning off all out defense and unleash hell. Make it so a unit can’t pass their battle shock. This unit stops the enemies plans dead in their tracks and lets the Bonereapers keep trucking along.

This list ends up as a four drop with a command entourage and a battle regiment. Opting to go for the extra relic. Well done to this player.

Allegiance: Gloomspite Gitz
– Gittish Horde: Jaws of Mork (squig +1 atk on charge)
– Mortal Realm: Ghur
– Grand Strategy: Overshadow
– Triumphs: Indomitable

Leaders
Skragrott, The Loonking (230)**
Squigboss with Gnasha-squig (110)***
– General
– Command Trait: The Clammy Hand (Loonshrine roll x2)
Madcap Shaman (70)*
– Artefact: Moonface Mommet (12” start combat 1 unit -1 save)
– Lore of Primal Frost: Hoarfrost
Webspinner Shaman (65)*
– Lore of Primal Frost: Merciless Blizzard

Units
24 x Squig Herd (280)***
– Reinforced x 1
24 x Squig Herd (280)***
– Reinforced x 1
10 x Boingrot Bounderz (300)**
– Reinforced x 1
5 x Boingrot Bounderz (150)**
5 x Boingrot Bounderz (150)**
5 x Gobbapalooza (170)**
– Lore of the Moonclans: Itchy Nuisance
1 x Marshcrawla Sloggoth (170)**

Core Battalions
*Andtorian Acolytes
**Battle Regiment
***Battle Regiment

Total: 1975 / 2000

Lodivicus: The Jaws of Mork core trend continues! The currently trending core consists of Skragrott, a Madcap Shaman (with Moonface Mommet and Hoarfrost), a Squigboss, Squig Herd, Boingrot Bounderz, Gobbapalooza and the Bad Moon Loonshrine. The quantity of the battleline units varies a bit from list to list, as we see here. Tad chooses two single reinforced Squig Herd (as opposed to one double reinforced unit) and he cuts back the large Bounderz unit to a single reinforced unit to do so. So rather than rehash the core, as we’ve done in previous commentaries, let’s have a look at what the rest of the points are spent on.

A popular choice, the Webspinner Shaman (on foot) is a 65 point Blizzard wizard with a native 5+ ward. He pairs up with the Madcap Shaman as the two Andtorian Loci of the list and together they unlock the Andtorian Acolyte battalion for (hopefully) more primal dice.

In his version, Tad chose offense over defense by forgoing the more common Sneaky Snufflers in favor of the Kruleboyz troggoth cousin, the Marshcrawla Sloggoth. His 18” aura of +1 hit rolls for attacks made with melee weapons is a huge boon to the output of the list, but in particular the Squig Herd units as they can’t receive commands like All Out Attack.

Congratulations Tad on going 4-1 (only losing in round 5 to the Dhom-Hain Deepkin) and continuing this Gitz trend. It will be interesting to see how the meta adjusts to account for this type of list and if it continues to gather steam.

Final Tournament Placings

To view all of the results for the tournament please follow the link below to Best Coast Pairings

https://www.bestcoastpairings.com/event/RCF92KDBUK