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[40K] Competitive Innovations in 10th: Cult Hits pt.2

By Lowest of Men

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.

Once again no pithy intro, this time because the CI offices have been beset by papa Nurgle’s gifts.

Today we’ve got:

  • Gonghammer 2024
  • ADFWGA-HEROCON 24
  • Heroes Of The Mid Table Fall GT 2024
  • MAD Warhammer 40k GT 11.30 – 12.01
  • Open Chemmer Grand Tournament
  • Viking Games – Rise of the Valkyries

On Wednesday we covered:

  • The Leicester 40k Super Major
  • 5. 40Kings Cup
  • Bembel Clash #11
  • WARPSTORM GT CYPRUS
  • Incursion Events 40K Singles GT 30/11 – 01/12/24
  • Athens Warlord

Gonghammer 2024

66-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Wollongong, NSW, Australia on November 29 2024. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

The Showdown

Matchup & Mission – Imperial Knights versus World Eaters

Jordan McGregor – Imperial Knights (Noble Lance)
Army List - Click to Expand

vs.

Nathan Princi – World Eaters (Berzerker Warband)
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Thoughts

I’ve seen the Knight / World Eaters game go many different ways over the years. Ultimately they both do something the other one hates – WE pack massive damage at close quarters and can close the distance quickly, but IK possess weapons profiles on their guns that will simply eviscerate Khorne’s faithful once they make themselves visible. I like the adjustments to the Knights list here in line with Imperial agents- bringing just a little bit more by way of screening and scoring from the Agents book forces the World Eaters to commit resources onto things that aren’t Knight chassis, and gives them a chance to get a leg up on resources.

For the World Eaters, they have 7-8 units here that can all happily kill an armiger if they connect. The game will rest on whether they can hit enough of them early, and weather through a turn or so of counterfire before pushing on. In the event this game was razor close, with the World Eaters squeaking their way to a five point victory!

Result

World Eaters (Berzerker Warband) Victory – 74 – 61

Nathan Princi – World Eaters (Berzerker Warband) – 1st Place

Credit: Robert “TheChirurgeon” Jones

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

World Eaters Goodstuff

Thoughts

Every slate sees World Eaters cop some pre-emptive nerfs, and they always just keep on slaying. Speedy, punchy, with a wonderfully rounded detachment that gives them all the tricks they need to ply their trade. There’s been plenty of experimentation with Terminators and without Angron lately, but this list dials it back to what’s been working for the World Eaters for quite some time. Fantastic work on the event win!

Jordan Bennett – Blood Angels (Liberator Assault Group) – 2nd Place (Undefeated)

Lemartes. Credit: Rockfish
Lemartes. Credit: Rockfish

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

BA Jump Packs

Thoughts

A big brick of Assault JPIs leads the charge in this otherwise quite typical Blood Angels list – it seems Liberation Assault Group is the way, as is throwing in a smattering of supporting shooting to do some work without committing your fragile infantry. One Sanguinary Guard brick and the Death Company gives you a big ‘go’ turn – you just need to pick it carefully, as you won’t typically get a second try! Awesome work on the top placing.

Jordan McGregor – Imperial Knights (Noble Lance) – 3rd Place

Imperial Knight Armiger Helverin
Imperial Knight Armiger Helverin. Credit: Pendulin

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Knights with Agent Friends

Thoughts

The massed Armiger list from the Showdown – chucking in supporting transport / infantry from Imperial Agents really does help you leverage your wall of shooting more effectively. Some of the cards in Pariah just work better with foot infantry, which means you are less likely to lose Armigers for cheap trying to score cards. They can also screen and bait in a way the big vehicles can’t – all in all, a match made in heaven! Awesome work.

Pulse H – Genestealer Cult (Host of Ascension) – 4th Place

Genestealer Cult Benefictus.

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Host of Ascension Mixed Arms

Thoughts

Give it up for Melee Acolytes- quickly becoming one of my favourite GSC units with their massed damage three and anti-vehicle capabilities. In Hosts you can buddy these lads up with a Biophagus, hit CRIT 5s, and really go to town on almost anything. Cult Ambush is in the balance crosshairs, and my gut instinct is Host might end up the frontrunner after the changes- unlike it’s peers it is less hellbent on throwing all of it’s assets away early game, and can win on attrition by keeping key damage dealers alive and re-using them. If CA changes radically, this might well be the way to go…

The Best of the Rest

There were 7 more players on 4-1 records. They were:

  • 5th – Oliver Johnson – Genestealer Cult (Outlander Claw): Outlander goodstuff with lots of MSU.
  • 6th – Alexander Englezos – Tyranids (Vanguard Onslaught): Vanguard Ravener spam? Nice!
  • 7th – Joshua Brodie – Raven Guard (Ironstorm Spearhead): Ironstorm with tonnes of speeders and Shrike for some flavour.
  • 8th – Bren Kentwell – Thousand Sons: Tsons goodstuff with Blue Horrors and a Karnivore instead of Vortex Beasts.
  • 9th – Sean Baumann – Leagues of Votann: Double Land Fort / Triple Sagitaur Votann.
  • 10th – Rainer Jensen – Necrons (Hypercrypt Legion): Monolith Hypercrypt with Nightbringer and a single Wraith brick.
  • 11th – Tim Sunderland – Orks (Bully Boyz): Massed Meganobz and double Battlewagon Bully Boyz.

ADFWGA-HEROCON 24

48-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Campbell, ACT, Australia on November 29 2024. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

Joe Loke – Death Guard (Plague Company) – 1st Place

Credit: Robert “TheChirurgeon” Jones

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Brawler Death Guard

Thoughts

Guns are for cowards, and people who can still process pain properly. This Death Guard list goes for the mid-board with everything it’s got – jamming Rotigus in in support, and loads of Plaguemarines and Deathshroud. Mortarion and Typhus hold things together and help debuff and buff where required. Death Guard are rising as the meta shifts favourably around them, and they’ve got an intriguing, stealth toting new detachment – is it good times ahead!? Well done on the event win!

The Best of the Rest

There were 7 more players on 4-1 records. They were:

  • 2nd – Jawad Salah – Chaos Daemons (Daemonic Incursion): Two Bloodcrusher bricks, some Greater Daemons and scoring utility.
  • 3rd – Rowan Kennett – Tyranids (Vanguard Onslaught): Techy mixed arms Vanguard with a Warrior and Zoan brick.
  • 4th – Liam Stephens – Leagues of Votann (Oathband): Triple Sagitaur / Double Fort Votann.
  • 5th – Tim Zuber – Adeptus Custodes (Talons of the Emperor): Old school golden slabs Custodes.
  • 6th – Dale Mann – Adeptus Mechanicus (Skitarii Hunter Cohort): Triple Disintegrator, Canis, and a wall of trash.
  • 7th – Jack Willoughby – Necrons (Awakened Dynasty): Awakened Dynasty Necrons with utility bricks of Wraith, Lychguard, and Destroyers. I really like this one!
  • 8th – Garrett Gepp – Tyranids (Invasion Fleet): Invasion Fleet with a Zoan brick, double Maleceptor, and plenty of chaff.

Heroes Of The Mid Table Fall GT 2024

42-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Langley Twp, BC, CA on November 30 2024. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

Stu Angel – Genestealer Cult (Outlander Claw) – 1st Place

Kelermorph. Credit: Corrode

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Outlander Claw Goodstuff

Thoughts

The word is firmly out on GSC power now, and this Outlander list makes hay by throwing more OC thank you can shake a stick at onto the things we get all our primary points from. A tried and true template, and the spare resources go into a Clamavus for those pesky uppy-downy armies. Solid list, and a great result!

The Best of the Rest

There were 6 more players on 4-1+ records. They were:

  • 2nd (4.5-0.5) – Garry Sacco – Black Templars (Gladius Task Force): Delicious stagey Templars with lots of Sword Brethren, a Repulsor and a Redeemer.
  • 3rd (4.5-0.5) – Mike Garcia – Adeptus Custodes (Talons of the Emperor): Double Caladius and lots of infantry.
  • 4th – Rupert Campbell – Aeldari (Battle Host): A very techy Ynnari list with loads of scoring pieces and some Scourge and Harlies for incision.
  • 5th – Liam Bath – Necrons (Hypercrypt Legion): Triple Doomsday Ark / Silent King Hypercrypt with a brick of Wraiths.
  • 6th – Ramzi Chennafi – T’au Empire (Retaliation Cadre): Massed Crisis and double Riptide in Ret Cadre.
  • 7th – Dan Miner – Leagues of Votann: Triple Sagitaur, double Fort Votann.

MAD Warhammer 40k GT 11.30 – 12.01

34-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Fairfield, CA, US on November 30 2024. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

Floof Cox – Genestealer Cult (Host of Ascension) – 1st Place

Neophyte Hybrids. Credit: Rockfish
Neophyte Hybrids. Credit: Rockfish

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Neophyte Carpet

Thoughts

Ok, Neophyte spam in Host of Ascension is legit. You get damage, you get tonnes of OC, you get more bodies than a lot of elite speccd armies are ready to kill in a go, and you have endless opportunities to proc a return to reserves when they fail to kill a 20 man in one go. Very effective, truly drowning the opponent in belligerent labourers. Really well done on the event win!

The Best of the Rest

There were 6 more players on 4-1 records. They were:

  • 2nd – Scott Toebe – Death Guard (Plague Company): Fifteen Deathshroud, Rotigus, and triple War Dog.
  • 3rd – Edwin Cho – Orks (Green Tide): 100+ Boyz in Green Tide. Waaagh!
  • 4th – Scott Cairns – Astra Militarum (Combined Regiment): Triple Russ / Rogal Dorn and plenty of scoring.
  • 5th – Taylor Davis – World Eaters: Lord of Skull / Eightbound heavy World Eaters.
  • 6th – Erik Sousa – Chaos Knights: War Dog spam with some Nurgle Daemons.
  • 7th – Jacob Quinn – Necrons (Hypercrypt Legion): Double C’tan / Silent King Hypercrypt.

Open Chemmer Grand Tournament

30-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Viña del Mar, Valparaíso, Chile on November 30 2024. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

Martin Davila – Adepta Sororitas (Bringers of Flame) – 1st Place

Credit: Keewa

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

No Exorcist, No Problem!

Thoughts

Brings of Flame have been a little on the down of late but this build smashes through without leaning on Exorcists for out of sight damage. Shoving more Immolator mission play in gives you a bit more give and go between you and the real guns, and the Vahl unit continues to break out as a crucial damage piece. Glad to see there are still viable builds here after the nerfs, really well done on the top finish!

The Best of the Rest

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

  • 2nd – Bruno Fajardo – Necrons (Hypercrypt Legion): Double C’tan / Triple Doomsday Hypercrypt.
  • 3rd – Sebastián Segura – T’au Empire (Retaliation Cadre): Massed Crisis teams, a Ghostkeel and some Vespid.
  • 4th – Alejandro Jorquera – Blood Angels (Liberator Assault Group): A big Terminator brick, some Hellblasters, and plenty of punchy melee.
  • 5th – Claudio Münzer – Tyranids (Invasion Fleet): Loads of big bugs in Invasion Fleet.

Viking Games – Rise of the Valkyries

28-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Östergötlands län, SE on November 30 2024. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

David Klang – Blood Angels (Liberator Assault Group) – 1st Place

Primaris Chapter Master Dante. Credit: Jack Hunter

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Blood Angels Mixed Arms

Thoughts

A storming event win for the Blood Angels! I think it has taken players a little while to adapt to the new demands of the book, but mixed arms using the Lone Ops and scoring pieces to bait opponents in for the knock out blow seems to be working. Triple Ballistus and a single Vindicator make up the ranged contingent here! Really well done on the event win.

The Best of the Rest

There were 2 more players on 4-1 records. They were:

  • 2nd – Sebastian Magnusson – Genestealer Cult (Biosanctic Broodsurge): Broodsurge GSC with all the Aberrants and double Metamorph bricks.
  • 3rd – Dag Samuelsson – Adepta Sororitas (Bringers of Flame): Double Exo, triple Castigator, Vahl suits Brings of Flame.

Wrap Up

Grotmas reigns supreme! New rules are falling like the fresh snow, and there is joy (and lamentation) all through the town. Truly, it is a good time to play Warhams. Get out there and enjoy yourselves, I’ll see you again next week.

Lowest of Men, out.

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