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Competitive Innovations in 10th: A Challenger Approaches pt.3

By Lowest of Men
We’ve got Lowest of Men in charge today as we turn into the home straight, covering the final five tournaments from another bumper weekend. That includes:
  • 2024 St. Louis Annual Last Minute Tournament (SALT)
  • 4. Nurglemania (2-täger)
  • War At The Westward IV
  • Triple Cities GT @ Dragon Master Games
  • Saarhammer 40k #36 GT 2 Tage

If you’re looking for any of the following, check out part 1:

  • Squig City: Casino Royale
  • Frontier Open 2024
  • Kennedy-Con 40K
  • ValleyCon 2024
  • The Deck Box Masters Grand Tournament April 27th-28th

…or part 2 for these:

  • Ozcon GT
  • High Noon Showdown 2024
  • Warzone: Dice Goblin
  • Incursion Events 40K GT 27-28/04/2024
  • Red Dragon April GT

2024 St. Louis Annual Last Minute Tournament (SALT)

57-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in St. Louis, MO, United States on April 27 2024. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

The Showdown

Matchup & Mission – Space Wolves versus Genestealer Cults

Gary Frank – Space Wolves (Stormlance Task Force)
Army List - Click to Expand

vs.

Ryan Verbeck – Genestealer Cult (Ascension Day)
Army List - Click to Expand

Thoughts

Prison time is a very serious thing. In recent times in the 40k world we invoke captivity and powerlessness by christening oppressive playstyles as, for example ‘Wolf Jail’ (blocking somebody with limited Warhammer skills like Nassim in their deployment zone with a bajillion howling wolf marines), but one might equally refer to ‘Cult Jail’ (blocking somebody in their deployment zone with endless waves of disposable regenerating Neophytes).  In this match up, first drop can have a big say in deciding who is going to jail. If the Cults can drop a 20 man Neo brick mid board and screen the entire thing out, then the Space Wolves are up against it digging their way out for quite some time. In return, if an infiltrator block can make a big old staging channel for the Wolves, the GSC will fall victim to being run over, something their index has always been vulnerable too, even in its pomp.

Both forces can really hurt the other – GSC guns will smash through Thunderwolves, invulns be damned, and any space wolf unit that connects with a cult one is going to utterly destroy it. If either army can break out and find space on the board (GSC probably more able to do this late game), they can make the other one pay. In the event this looks like an absolute nailbiter that the Cult narrowly won. If someone wants to let me know who put who in jail, or if jail tactics even featured, do let me know.

Result

Genestealer Cult (Ascension Day) Victory – 57 – 54

Ryan Verbeck – Genestealer Cult (Ascension Day) – 1st Place

Primus. Credit: Rockfish
Primus. Credit: Rockfish

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

GSC Neo Spam

Thoughts

GSC have crept back into relevance in recent times. Partially because the shape of the competitive game has changed, partially because people have simply forgotten HOW MUCH DAMAGE?! they can do, and partially because GSC players have emotionally recovered from how insane and bizarre their index was on release. This list combines enormous screening potential via Neophytes with solid Chimaera mounted primary play – Guard allies are great for solidity and cheap units which, ironically, GSC really lack now everything is priced like it could, just maybe, live forever. A book isn’t too far away but I am delighted to see the Cults emerging from hiding. Long may it continue.

Chris Green – Blood Angels (Sons of Sanguinius) – 2nd Place (Undefeated)

Blood Angels Chaplain Lemartes
Blood Angels Chaplain Lemartes. Credit: Jack Hunter

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Blood Angels Goodstuff

Thoughts

Blood Angels have consolidated around a fairly consistent model now. Wreck lives with Death Company, apply utility, foil counter attacks with the Sanguinor, and layer on healthy amounts of flamer to the midboard. It is, perhaps, the most thematically rounded and flavourful Blood Angels have actually been in my years playing the game, with genuine Mixed Arms flavour that still packs their traditional ‘I will now put my fist through your entire head’ feel. Deceptively flexible, extremely dangerous, and, increasingly, a well known entity, we will see plenty more of this army over the next few months after a slate that gave it a little tickle, said ‘what are you like eh’, and sent it on its way.

The Best of the Rest

There were 8 more players on 4-1 records. They were:

  • 3rd – Jordan Nach – Grey Knights (Teleport Strike Force): Dreadknights, a Redeemer, and some small Terminator blocks.
  • 4th – Tyler White – Grey Knights (Teleport Strike Force): Dreadknights, some Armigers, and some Paladins.
  • 5th – Brent Simon – Aeldari: Fire Prisms, War Walkers, and a big slab of Wraithblades.
  • 6th – Nicholas Rupel – Chaos Daemons: A Bloodcrusher / Monster mash hybrid list.
  • 7th – Gary Frank – Space Wolves: Here comes Wolf Jail!
  • 8th – Derek Glassman – Elysian Drop Troops: Astra Militarum Goodstuff.
  • 9th – Jimmy B – Grey Knights: GK Mech Spam with Dreadknights, Redeemers AND Armigers.
  • 10th – Jeff Grogan – Leagues of Votann: Lots of Hearthguard, Bikers, and associated Transports.

4. Nurglemania (2-täger)

46-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Nürnberg, BY, DE on April 27 2024. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

Fritz Peters – Necrons (Hypercrypt Legion) – 1st Place

The Silent King
The Silent King. Credit: Pendulin

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Silent King Hypercrypt

Thoughts

Silent King Hypercrypt absolutely slaps. Comboing the angle-shooting power of HC with ignoring modifiers is incredibly potent and will simply overwhelm an awful lot of defences. This list goes light on utility and much heavier on raw output, but will simply body the unwary and can score the cards after turning you into a smoking crater. Really potent, and very effective. Well done on the event win!

Roman Kleiber – Orks (Waaagh! Tribe) – 2nd Place (Undefeated)

Ork Squighog Boyz. Credit: Magos Sockbert
Ork Squighog Boyz. Credit: Magos Sockbert

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Badrukk’s Last Stand

Thoughts

A final hurrah for Flash Gitz under the output juicing captaincy of Badrukk, who has announced he is stepping down in order to pursue a career in rap music. I for one can’t wait for ‘Lethal Hits: Volume One’. Big packs of Squighogz are here to run straight through durability armies whilst giggling manically, and this list is tooled up to do what Orks do best. Apply unGorkly amounts of pressure and profit. Really well done on the top placing.

The Best of the Rest

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

  • 3rd – Nikolai Stocks – Grey Knights (Teleport Strike Force): Terminator / Dreadknights / Paladins GK.
  • 4th – Max kanter – Leagues of Votann (Oathband): Full send Sagitaur / Bike spam, with Grimnyr for points scrimping.
  • 5th – Marius Wittenborn – Thousand Sons: VSL style Tsons with a full send Tzaangor brick with the Umbralific Crystal.
  • 6th – Christopher Bacher – Necrons: Awakened Dynasty Necrons with Szeras, two C’tan, and bricks of Wraiths.
  • 7th – Jens Gottfried – Genestealer Cult: All in Neophyte / Acolyte GSC.

War At The Westward IV

37-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Lee Mill Bridge, England, United Kingdom on April 27 2024. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

Aidan Brocklehurst – Blood Angels (Sons of Sanguinius) – 1st Place

Blood Angels Captain With Jump Pack. Credit: Colin Ward

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

All in Jump Pack BA

Thoughts

Imperium master Aiden takes the BA for a spin, with this face crushing list that slams the YES button on Jump Packs. Van Vets compliment the flying brutality of Death Company to give you a list that will simply pounce from safety to smash your face into pieces at the right moment. If you can’t kill it all, very quickly, it will simply kill you very quickly. Excellent work on the event win!

Cameron Giles – Adeptus Custodes (Shield Host) – 2nd Place (Undefeated)

Trajann Valoris
Trajann Valoris. Credit: Pendulin

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Mixed Arms Custodes

Thoughts

Custodes continue their moves away from massed infantry towards supporting shooting from Caladius, that offers them greater flexibility. The future looks a little bleak for the Golden boys, but this weekend they can hold their heads high once again. Really well done on the top placing.

The Best of the Rest

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

  • 3rd – Tom Godfrey – Orks (Waaagh! Tribe): Badrukk, a Battlewagon, plenty of Nobz and supporting utility.
  • 4th – Jack West – Adeptus Custodes (Shield Host): Land Raider / Caladius / Infantry Custodes.
  • 5th – James Mclean – T’au Empire: Triptide, Breacherfish, and plenty of supporting guns.
  • 6th – George McCoulough – Drukhari: Meta Skysplinter with some cheeky Talos.
  • 7th – harry black – Imperial Knights: Canis Rex and three big boy Knights – absolutely epic.

Triple Cities GT @ Dragon Master Games

29-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Binghamton, NY, United States on April 27 2024. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

Clarence Ellsworth – Space Wolves (Stormlance Task Force) – 1st Place

Credit: “Contemptor” Kevin Stillman

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Wolf Jail

Thoughts

An event win for the yeeting power of Space Wolves, filling that board and singing songs of their heroism as they pummel you from the back of a good boy. Small bits of supporting tech – Inceptors and a Lancer – ensure that this list isn’t entirely one note and can react to different opponents, and I feel that this approach will be more common as the Wolf Jail players begin to iterate on the build. Really well done on the event win!

The Best of the Rest

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

  • 2nd – Sam Bouabane – Aeldari (Battle Host): Massed Fire Dragon Falcons, Hornets and War Walkers.
  • 3rd – Alex Miller – Necrons (Hypercrypt Legion): Monolith / C’tan Hypercrypt.
  • 4th – Chris martens – Aeldari (Battle Host): The Avatar and ELDRAD Freaking ULTHRAN lead out a horde of Aspect Warriors.
  • 5th – Bill Shyne – Adeptus Mechanicus: Massed Vanguard and Chickens with some Onager support at range.

Saarhammer 40k #36 GT 2 Tage

28-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Saarbrücken, Saarland, DE on April 27 2024. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

Arne Zerndt – Aeldari (Battle Host) – 1st Place

Credit: Wings

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Go-Wide Aeldari

Thoughts

Eldar continue to find their groove in the game after falling from the loftiest heights of ‘usually can’t lose’. They have bad match ups now but in skilled hands remain utterly devastating. The Yvarine Troupe is an incredibly tarpit unit, deceptively durable and punchy and capable to providing some solidity for a faction that often lacks it. MSU Aspects punch and tick off cards on a whim, and the Haywire Skyweavers help to keep all these pesky tank lists honest. No D Cannons at all here, instead the mantle of ‘shooting you from behind a wall’ passes to three squads of Dark Reapers. A very cool list, well done to Arne on the win.

The Best of the Rest

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

  • 2nd – Fred Otto – Chaos Knights (Traitoris Lance): Not a Daemon in sight, just pure unbridled War Dog spam. Glorious.
  • 3rd – Guillaume Dusaussois – Black Templars (Ironstorm Spearhead): Black Templars Ironstorm with a tonne of tanks.
  • 4th – liam Vsl – Chaos Space Marines (Slaves to Darkness): Tradey-punchy CSM with lots of Chosen, Rhinos, and some supporting shooting.
  • 5th – Sebastian Gehart – Necrons: Triple Monolith Hypercrypt, you absolute monster.

Wrap Up

That’s it for this week folks! New meta beckons – just how different it will be is going to take a week or four to figure out, but the slate has certainly shuffled some things around and the new books should make a splash imminently- whether that’s Orks jumping into the play pool, or Custodes slipping out to get a towel and read a book somewhere a bit safer. The game is spicy and full of life right now so get out and play that thing you like with the guns or the melee or the not dying, whatever it is you get up in the morning for. Be well out there!

Lowest of Men, out.

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