Welcome to Competitive Innovations, our weekly feature for a number of game lines across the tabletop wargame space. Each week our army list and tactics experts canvass the top tournaments for their game of specialty, looking at the week’s top match-ups and how they played out on the tabletop to let you know what’s hot, what’s not, and what might be coming next as the competitive meta evolves year-round.

Lowest of Men: Yuletide is upon us, but the last few events of the year have snuck through the oncoming snow before play is halted, bringing with them a few glimpses of the meta to come. Thanks for coming on the Competitive Innovations journey with myself and Wings, it has been an absolute pleasure and, dare I say, the healthiest and most diverse year of comp 40k I have ever analysed and written about. Here’s to many more!

Today:

Warhammer: 40,000 Charity GT by Rogue State Games
Coastal Assault
The Fight Before Christmas 2024 Warhammer 40K Grand Tournament

Wednesday:

Battle for the Fort GT
40k Winter Wars Hybrid GT
Winter GT – A Wh40k Grand Tournament

Warhammer: 40,000 Charity GT by Rogue State Games

45-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Mahwah, NJ, United States on December 14 2024. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

The Showdown – Chaos Space Marines (Bile) versus Aeldari

Linchpin – Fog of War – Tipping Point

Anthony Vanella – Chaos Space Marines (Creations of Bile)
Army List - Click to Expand

Progress, Perfection (2000 Points)

Chaos Space Marines
Creations of Bile
Strike Force (2000 Points)

CHARACTERS

Chaos Lord (125 Points)
• 1x Daemon hammer
• 1x Power Fist
• Enhancements: Prime Test Subject

Cypher (90 Points)
• 1x Cypher’s bolt pistol
• 1x Cypher’s plasma pistol

Fabius Bile (85 Points)
• 1x Fabius Bile
• Warlord
◦ 1x Chirurgeon
◦ 1x Rod of Torment
◦ 1x Xyclos Needler
• 1x Surgeon Acolyte
◦ 1x Surgeon Acolyte’s tools

BATTLELINE

Cultist Mob (50 Points)
• 1x Cultist Champion
◦ 1x Autopistol
◦ 1x Brutal assault weapon
• 9x Chaos Cultist
◦ 9x Autopistol
◦ 9x Brutal assault weapon

Legionaries (90 Points)
• 1x Aspiring Champion
◦ 1x Chaos Icon
◦ 1x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Heavy melee weapon
◦ 1x Plasma pistol
• 4x Legionary
◦ 2x Astartes chainsword
◦ 4x Bolt pistol
◦ 4x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Heavy melee weapon
◦ 1x Lascannon

DEDICATED TRANSPORTS

Chaos Rhino (75 Points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
• 1x Combi-bolter
• 1x Combi-weapon
• 1x Havoc launcher

OTHER DATASHEETS

Chosen (125 Points)
• 1x Chosen Champion
◦ 1x Boltgun
◦ 1x Chaos Icon
◦ 1x Plasma pistol
◦ 1x Power fist
• 4x Chosen
◦ 3x Accursed weapon
◦ 4x Bolt pistol
◦ 1x Boltgun
◦ 2x Combi-weapon
◦ 1x Paired accursed weapons

Chosen (250 Points)
• 1x Chosen Champion
◦ 1x Boltgun
◦ 1x Chaos Icon
◦ 1x Plasma pistol
◦ 1x Power fist
• 9x Chosen
◦ 6x Accursed weapon
◦ 6x Bolt pistol
◦ 3x Boltgun
◦ 4x Combi-weapon
◦ 2x Paired accursed weapons
◦ 3x Plasma pistol
◦ 1x Power fist

Nemesis Claw (110 Points)
• 1x Visionary
◦ 1x Plasma pistol
◦ 1x Power fist
• 4x Legionary
◦ 1x Accursed weapon
◦ 1x Astartes chainsword
◦ 4x Bolt pistol
◦ 4x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Nostraman chainglaive
◦ 1x Paired accursed weapons
◦ 1x Voice Eater

Possessed (240 Points)
• 1x Possessed Champion
◦ 1x Chaos Icon
◦ 1x Hideous mutations
• 9x Possessed
◦ 9x Hideous mutations

ALLIED UNITS

War Dog Huntsman (140 Points)
• 1x Daemonbreath meltagun
• 1x Daemonbreath spear
• 1x Reaper chaintalon

Exported with App Version: v1.24.0 (1), Data Version: v525

vs.

Jack Murphy – Aeldari (Battle Host)
Army List - Click to Expand

Why (1990 Points)

Aeldari
Battle Host
Strike Force (2000 Points)

CHARACTERS

Autarch Wayleaper (150 Points)
• Warlord
• 1x Dragon fusion gun
• 1x Howling Banshee Mask
• 1x Star glaive
• Enhancements: The Phoenix Gem

Farseer Skyrunner (90 Points)
• 1x Eldritch Storm
• 1x Shuriken pistol
• 1x Singing spear
• 1x Twin shuriken catapult

Fuegan (130 Points)
• 1x Searsong
• 1x The Fire Axe

The Visarch (90 Points)
• 1x Asu-var, the Sword of Silent Screams

Yvraine (125 Points)
• 1x Kha-vir, the Sword of Sorrows
• 1x Storm of Whispers

BATTLELINE

Guardian Defenders (100 Points)
• 10x Guardian Defender
◦ 10x Close combat weapon
◦ 10x Shuriken catapult
• 1x Heavy Weapon Platform
◦ 1x Bright lance
◦ 1x Close combat weapon

OTHER DATASHEETS

Falcon (130 Points)
• 1x Bright lance
• 1x Pulse laser
• 1x Shuriken cannon
• 1x Wraithbone hull

Fire Dragons (90 Points)
• 1x Fire Dragon Exarch
◦ 1x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Firepike
• 4x Fire Dragon
◦ 4x Close combat weapon
◦ 4x Dragon fusion gun

Striking Scorpions (65 Points)
• 1x Striking Scorpion Exarch
◦ 1x Biting blade
◦ 1x Mandiblasters
• 4x Striking Scorpion
◦ 4x Mandiblasters
◦ 4x Scorpion chainsword
◦ 4x Shuriken pistol

Swooping Hawks (85 Points)
• 1x Swooping Hawk Exarch
◦ 1x Aeldari power sword
◦ 1x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Hawk’s talon
• 4x Swooping Hawk
◦ 4x Close combat weapon
◦ 4x Lasblaster

Troupe (165 Points)
• 1x Lead Player
◦ 1x Aeldari power sword
◦ 1x Fusion pistol
• 10x Player
◦ 3x Fusion pistol
◦ 10x Harlequin’s special weapon
◦ 7x Shuriken pistol

War Walkers (110 Points)
• 2x Bright lance
• 1x War Walker feet

Warp Spiders (125 Points)
• 1x Warp Spider Exarch
◦ 1x Close combat weapon
◦ 2x Death spinner
◦ 1x Powerblades
• 4x Warp Spider
◦ 4x Close combat weapon
◦ 4x Death spinner

Exported with App Version: v1.24.0 (1), Data Version: v525

Thoughts

Ok, a bit of a blow out to unpack here, but it does allow me to highlight a new meta monster, so let’s get into it. Creations of Bile take CSM combat up a level, with excellent pre-game buffs layered onto some already fast, dangerous combat units. The threat range available once this army gets mid-board is sensational, especially if it takes or rolls for the +2 move – you may notice that makes the entire CSM army as fast as the elves it is hunting for, well, free! Possessed provide the heft and staying power, Chosen add speed and screen clearance with their guns, and Nemesis Claw, a plug in I expect us to see a lot more, shut down enemy efforts to counteract the assault with stratagems.

The Aeldari have problems here – Phantasm and clever positioning can usually help you isolate and dance away from one or two key combat threats in a turn, but if an entire CSM armies stages and rushes at you that option evaporates pretty quickly. The Avatar has been serving as an anvil in lists lately, able to absorb output from quite a few of the meta menaces, but a Possessed bomb with full rerolls to wound in this detachment is going right through him on the dev-wound turn regardless. It’s a recipe for trouble, and it looks like the former menace gave way to the new here in a spectacular romp for the Chaos Marines.

Result

Creations of Bile Victory – 20 – 0

Anthony Vanella – Chaos Space Marines (Creations of Bile) – 1st Place

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Progress, Perfection (2000 Points)

Chaos Space Marines
Creations of Bile
Strike Force (2000 Points)

CHARACTERS

Chaos Lord (125 Points)
• 1x Daemon hammer
• 1x Power Fist
• Enhancements: Prime Test Subject

Cypher (90 Points)
• 1x Cypher’s bolt pistol
• 1x Cypher’s plasma pistol

Fabius Bile (85 Points)
• 1x Fabius Bile
• Warlord
◦ 1x Chirurgeon
◦ 1x Rod of Torment
◦ 1x Xyclos Needler
• 1x Surgeon Acolyte
◦ 1x Surgeon Acolyte’s tools

BATTLELINE

Cultist Mob (50 Points)
• 1x Cultist Champion
◦ 1x Autopistol
◦ 1x Brutal assault weapon
• 9x Chaos Cultist
◦ 9x Autopistol
◦ 9x Brutal assault weapon

DEDICATED TRANSPORTS

Chaos Rhino (75 Points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
• 1x Combi-bolter
• 1x Combi-weapon
• 1x Havoc launcher

OTHER DATASHEETS

Possessed (240 Points)
• 1x Possessed Champion
◦ 1x Chaos Icon
◦ 1x Hideous mutations
• 9x Possessed
◦ 9x Hideous mutations

ALLIED UNITS

War Dog Huntsman (140 Points)
• 1x Daemonbreath meltagun
• 1x Daemonbreath spear
• 1x Reaper chaintalon

Exported with App Version: v1.24.0 (1), Data Version: v525

Archetype

Creations of Bile Rush

Thoughts

Bile is here! The chonkiest, fastest, and most deadly of the melee CSM stake a claim to being one of the better Grotmas detachments with a storming event win. Anthony loads the army up with units that will benefit from the buffs and game plan, big slabs of combat infantry and Rhinos to ferry them forwards. Huntsman provide a little bit of cheap shooting and some high OC to push forwards, and I imagine this list throws an army of infantry at the opponent whilst these and the Rhinos tick off any requisite scoring. The Prime Test Subject Lord gives you a heavy hitting Legio squad that can remove tanks, and the Possessed go-turn will do similar. All in all, a brutal and effective list we can expect to see a lot more. Great work on the event win!

The Best of the Rest

There were 5 more players on 4-1 records. They were:

2nd – Evan Tomchin – T’au Empire (Retaliation Cadre): Massed Crisis and Broadsides in Ret Cadre.
3rd – Luke McCarthy – Tyranids (Vanguard Onslaught): Two Melee Warrior Slabs and plenty of small janky scoring bugs.
4th – Chris Finnegan – Dark Angels (Gladius Task Force): Massed Deathwing Knights in Gladius with Azrael leading the charge.
5th – Lane Breneman – Orks (War Horde): Double Battlewagon War Horde, the hero’s calling.
6th – Daniel Guarnaccia – Dark Angels (Gladius Task Force): Triple Ballistus and Deathwing Knights, with a smattering of ATVs and Outriders.

Coastal Assault

36-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Fort Walton Beach, FL, United States on December 14 2024. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

Charles Barber – Ynnari (Battle Host) – 1st Place

Wave Serpent with Bright Lances painted in Biel-Tan colours — Photo Credit: Musterkrux

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Trust Me I’m a Proctologist (2000 points)

Aeldari
Strike Force (2000 points)
Battle Host

CHARACTERS

Farseer (80 points)
• 1x Eldritch Storm
1x Shuriken pistol
1x Singing spear

Yvraine (125 points)
• Warlord
• 1x Kha-vir, the Sword of Sorrows
1x Storm of Whispers

DEDICATED TRANSPORTS

Wave Serpent (110 points)
• 1x Shuriken cannon
1x Twin bright lance
1x Wraithbone hull

OTHER DATASHEETS

Vypers (75 points)
• 1x Bright lance
1x Twin shuriken catapult
1x Wraithbone hull

ALLIED UNITS

Kabalite Warriors (110 points)
• 1x Sybarite
• 1x Blast pistol
1x Phantasm grenade launcher
1x Sybarite weapon
• 9x Kabalite Warrior
• 1x Blaster
9x Close combat weapon
1x Dark lance
1x Shredder
1x Splinter cannon
5x Splinter rifle

Mandrakes (70 points)
• 1x Nightfiend
• 1x Baleblast
1x Glimmersteel blade
• 4x Mandrake
• 4x Baleblast
4x Glimmersteel blade

Reavers (65 points)
• 1x Arena Champion
• 1x Agoniser
1x Bladevanes
1x Cluster caltrops
1x Heat lance
1x Splinter pistol
• 2x Reaver
• 2x Bladevanes
2x Splinter pistol
2x Splinter rifle

Venom (70 points)
• 1x Bladevanes
2x Splinter cannon

Exported with App Version: v1.23.0 (63), Data Version: v507

Archetype

Aeldari Hull Spam

Thoughts

Alright, fair play, that wasn’t what I expected to scroll through. SIX Wave Serpents, Charles? That’s insane! Absolute go wide transport spam is an Eldar classic but we’ve not seen much of it lately, this build can chuck out a surprising number of mortal wounds, the shooting on the transports is really quite dangerous, and there are loads of points left over for infantry to score and attack positions with. Is this a new direction for the Aeldari? I love it! Well done on the event win.

The Best of the Rest

There were 5 more players on 4-1 records. They were:

2nd – Carter Leach – Chaos Space Marines (Deceptors): Massed Accursed and Cultists with a smattering of supporting shooting.
3rd – Tyler Hammond – Chaos Daemons (Daemonic Incursion): Double Bloodthirster, Skarbrand and lots of scoring pieces.
4th – Jacob Ooton – Thousand Sons (Cult of Magic): Thousand Sons Goodstuff.
5th – Steven Rota – Necrons (Hypercrypt Legion): Four C’tan in a Tesseract Vault in Hypercrypt.
6th – Coele Whaley – Blood Angels (Liberator Assault Group): The full 18 Sanguinary Guard and double Vindicator, baller.

The Fight Before Christmas 2024 Warhammer 40K Grand Tournament

34-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Dickson City, PA, United States on December 14 2024. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

Derek Apsche – Chaos Space Marines (Chaos Cult) – 1st Place

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

cultists syll (1995 points)

Chaos Space Marines
Strike Force (2000 points)
Chaos Cult

CHARACTERS

Cypher (90 points)
• 1x Cypher’s bolt pistol
1x Cypher’s plasma pistol

Dark Apostle (95 points)
• 1x Dark Apostle
• 1x Accursed crozius
1x Bolt pistol
• Enhancement: Amulet of Tainted Vigour
• 2x Dark Disciple
• 2x Close combat weapon

Dark Commune (95 points)
• 1x Cult Demagogue
• Warlord
• 1x Autopistol
1x Commune stave
• Enhancement: Incendiary Goad
• 1x Mindwitch
• 1x Close combat weapon
1x Warp Curse
• 1x Iconarch
• 1x Autopistol
1x Chaos Icon
1x Close combat weapon
• 2x Blessed Blade
• 2x Commune blade

Dark Commune (90 points)
• 1x Cult Demagogue
• 1x Autopistol
1x Commune stave
• Enhancement: Warped Foresight
• 1x Mindwitch
• 1x Close combat weapon
1x Warp Curse
• 1x Iconarch
• 1x Autopistol
1x Chaos Icon
1x Close combat weapon
• 2x Blessed Blade
• 2x Commune blade

Fabius Bile (85 points)
• 1x Fabius Bile
• 1x Chirurgeon
1x Rod of Torment
1x Xyclos Needler
• 1x Surgeon Acolyte
• 1x Surgeon Acolyte’s tools

BATTLELINE

Cultist Mob (50 points)
• 1x Cultist Champion
• 1x Autopistol
1x Brutal assault weapon
• 9x Chaos Cultist
• 9x Autopistol
9x Brutal assault weapon

Cultist Mob (50 points)
• 1x Cultist Champion
• 1x Bolt pistol
1x Brutal assault weapon
• 9x Chaos Cultist
• 9x Autopistol
9x Brutal assault weapon

Cultist Mob (50 points)
• 1x Cultist Champion
• 1x Autopistol
1x Brutal assault weapon
• 9x Chaos Cultist
• 9x Autopistol
9x Brutal assault weapon

Traitor Guardsmen Squad (70 points)
• 1x Traitor Sergeant
• 1x Corrupted pistol
1x Power weapon
• 9x Traitor Guardsmen
• 9x Close combat weapon
1x Flamer
6x Lasgun
1x Meltagun
1x Plasma gun

DEDICATED TRANSPORTS

Chaos Rhino (75 points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
1x Combi-bolter
1x Combi-weapon
1x Havoc launcher

OTHER DATASHEETS

Accursed Cultists (195 points)
• 10x Mutant
• 10x Blasphemous appendages
• 6x Torment
• 6x Hideous mutations

ALLIED UNITS

Daemonettes (100 points)
• 1x Alluress
• 1x Slashing claws
• 9x Daemonette
• 9x Slashing claws

Nurglings (40 points)
• 3x Nurgling Swarm
• 3x Diseased claws and teeth

Syll’Esske (120 points)
• 1x Axe of Dominion
1x Cacophonic choir
1x Scourging whip

Exported with App Version: v1.23.0 (63), Data Version: v507

Archetype

Chaos Cults

Thoughts

Derek’s brand of Chaos Cult nonsense marches on. I like the addition of the Syll’Esske / Daemonette bomb to the list, you can either run these together for a dev wound blender unit, or separately for scoring, and it adds to the general ‘carpet with teeth’ vibe that Derek is becoming infamous for. Really well done on the event win!

The Best of the Rest

There were 4 more players on 4-1 records. They were:

2nd – Stefan Oliveira – Orks (Bully Boyz): The list is titled ‘Glorious Melee Combat’, and I concur.
3rd – Michael Butler – Adepta Sororitas (Bringers of Flame): Paragon / Exorcist / Castigator Bringers of Flame.
4th – Larry Kutch – Grey Knights (Teleport Strike Force): Triple Librarian / lots of Dreadknight GK.
5th – Craig Valvano – Chaos Daemons: Belly, a GUO, Shalaxi, and multiple Soulgrinders.

Wrap Up

Alright gang, Christmas beckons! Have a fantastic holidays, and we will see you after for an absolute Wild West of a post-Grotmas meta. I can’t wait.

Lowest of Men, out.

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[40K] Competitive Innovations in 10th: Chaotic Christmas pt.2

Warhammer: 40,000 Charity GT by Rogue State Games

The Showdown – Chaos Space Marines (Bile) versus Aeldari

Linchpin – Fog of War – Tipping Point

Thoughts

Result

Anthony Vanella – Chaos Space Marines (Creations of Bile) – 1st Place

The List

Archetype

Thoughts

The Best of the Rest

Coastal Assault

Charles Barber – Ynnari (Battle Host) – 1st Place

The List

Archetype

Thoughts

The Best of the Rest

The Fight Before Christmas 2024 Warhammer 40K Grand Tournament

Derek Apsche – Chaos Space Marines (Chaos Cult) – 1st Place

The List

Archetype

Thoughts

The Best of the Rest

Wrap Up

Related

Related

[40K] Competitive Innovations in 10th: Chaotic Christmas pt.2

Warhammer: 40,000 Charity GT by Rogue State Games

The Showdown – Chaos Space Marines (Bile) versus Aeldari

Linchpin – Fog of War – Tipping Point

Thoughts

Result

Anthony Vanella – Chaos Space Marines (Creations of Bile) – 1st Place

The List

Archetype

Thoughts

The Best of the Rest

Coastal Assault

Charles Barber – Ynnari (Battle Host) – 1st Place

The List

Archetype

Thoughts

The Best of the Rest

The Fight Before Christmas 2024 Warhammer 40K Grand Tournament

Derek Apsche – Chaos Space Marines (Chaos Cult) – 1st Place

The List

Archetype

Thoughts

The Best of the Rest

Wrap Up

Related

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