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.
Nothing guarantees your plans have to change more than writing a schedule down – we’ve ended up on the normal plan of Weds/Fri/Sat after all, meaning that today you get Lowest of Men covering:
Finally, Lowest of Men will take the helm as usual on Friday for:
Exported with App Version: v1.30.0 (75), Data Version: v588
Archetype
Ynnari Mischief
Thoughts
A flexible Ynnari list here after my own heart that builds in additional Drukhari elements – 15 Incubi gives you different plug in options with Yvraine and her bodyguard depending on match up, and the Ynnari Archon offers even more combinations! Note the ten brick of Fire Dragons – this is something I’ve been exploring too as sometimes a five just lets you down, and having a delete god button is very important for Ynnari. We should see a lot more of this in a range of Eldar builds going forwards! Amazing work on the event win.
Ferran Villegas Plana – Blood Angels (Liberator Assault Group) – 2nd Place
Mephiston, the Lord of Death. Credit: Corrode
The List
Army List - Click to Expand
LAG – Kelesis [1995 points]
Blood Angels
Battle Size: Strike Force (2000 point limit)
Detachment Choice: Liberator Assault Group
Assault Intercessor Squad [75 points]
• 1 Assault Intercessor Sergeant with Plasma pistol and Power fist
• 4 Assault Intercessors with Astartes chainsword and Heavy bolt pistol
Assault Intercessors With Jump Packs [90 points]
• 1 Assault Intercessor Sergeant with Jump Pack with One plasma pistol and Power fist
• 3 Assault Intercessors with Jump Pack with Astartes chainsword and Heavy bolt pistol
• 1 Assault Intercessors with Jump Pack with Astartes chainsword and Plasma pistol
Assault Intercessors With Jump Packs [90 points]
• 1 Assault Intercessor Sergeant with Jump Pack with One plasma pistol and Power fist
• 3 Assault Intercessors with Jump Pack with Astartes chainsword and Heavy bolt pistol
• 1 Assault Intercessors with Jump Pack with Astartes chainsword and Plasma pistol
Assault Intercessors With Jump Packs [90 points]
• 1 Assault Intercessor Sergeant with Jump Pack with One plasma pistol and Power fist
• 3 Assault Intercessors with Jump Pack with Astartes chainsword and Heavy bolt pistol
• 1 Assault Intercessors with Jump Pack with Astartes chainsword and Plasma pistol
Bladeguard Veteran Squad [160 points]
• 1 Bladeguard Veteran Sergeant with Master-crafted power weapon and Neo-volkite pistol
• 5 Bladeguard Veterans with Heavy bolt pistol and Master-crafted power weapon
Blood Angels Captain [115 points]
• Inferno pistol, Power fist and Rage-fuelled warrior [+35 points]
Captain With Jump Pack [110 points]
• Warlord
• Plasma pistol, Power fist and Speed of the primarch [+25 points]
Chief Librarian Mephiston [135 points]
• Fury of the ancients, Plasma pistol and Vitarus
Impulsor [80 points]
• 2 Fragstorm grenade launchers, Armoured hull, Ironhail heavy stubber and Shield dome
Impulsor [80 points]
• 2 Fragstorm grenade launchers, Armoured hull, Ironhail heavy stubber and Shield dome
Intercessor Squad [80 points]
• 1 Intercessor Sergeant with Bolt pistol, Bolt rifle and Power fist
• 3 Intercessors with Bolt pistol, Bolt rifle and Close combat weapon
• 1 Intercessors with Bolt pistol, Bolt rifle and astartes grenade launcher and Close combat weapon
Lieutenant With Combi-weapon [70 points]
• Combi-weapon and Paired combat blades
Sanguinary Guard [130 points]
• 1 Sanguinary Guard with Encarmine blade, Inferno pistol and Sanguinary banner
• 1 Sanguinary Guard with Angelus boltgun and Encarmine blade
• 1 Sanguinary Guard with Angelus boltgun and Encarmine blade
Sanguinary Guard [130 points]
• 1 Sanguinary Guard with Encarmine blade, Inferno pistol and Sanguinary banner
• 1 Sanguinary Guard with Angelus boltgun and Encarmine blade
• 1 Sanguinary Guard with Angelus boltgun and Encarmine blade
Scout Squad [70 points]
• 1 Scout Sergeant with Astartes chainsword, Bolt pistol and Close combat weapon
• 1 Scouts with Bolt pistol, Close combat weapon and Missile launcher
• 1 Scouts with Bolt pistol, Close combat weapon and Scout sniper rifle
• 2 Scouts with Bolt pistol, Close combat weapon and Combat knife
Created with WarOrgan ()
Archetype
BA MSU
Thoughts
Blood Angels might just be creeping into the upper reaches of the meta at long last. Punchy MSU melee pressure with speed and reach is one of the ways to handle Elves and Orks, and sits nicely in the wider game. After a few months of struggling to find their place, BA are back! I love the width of this list – so many combat units that can hurt you and nothing you can’t afford to lose. Ballistus provide a cheap Anchor and it’s cool to see Mephiston plying his trade! Well done on the top placing.
David Perales Mayo – Aeldari (Aspect Host) – 3rd Place
Exported with App Version: v1.29.1 (1), Data Version: v581
Archetype
Aspect Host MSU
Thoughts
A very cool Aspect Host list that packs some punch through big, non-interactive bricks, some durability via the Avatar, and some small trade pieces in the form of Shining Spears. These aren’t seeing much love outside of this detachment but here the buffs get them to a consistent place even in squads of 3. There is a lot to commend Aspect Host right now – it has better damage boosts than Ynnari, without sacrificing too much by way of toolkit – as people wise up to Lethal Intent, might this be the future? Well done on the top placing!
Josue Izabal – Adeptus Custodes (Solar Spearhead) – 4th Place
Exported with App Version: v1.29.1 (74), Data Version: v581
Archetype
Solar Spearhead Dreads
Thoughts
Whilst the hype centres on the new Lions detachment for Custodes, Solar Spearhead might be having a bit of a resurgence too! Big tough Dreadnoughts is a skew that some of the meta armies dislike, and the triple false- commit of the Contemptors is extremely annoying for Eldar builds to manage as well. The shifting meta-game is throwing up all sorts of welcome returns, and this is certainly one! Amazing work on the placing.
The Best of the Rest
There were 3 more players who either went 5-0 or drew in the final Swiss round while undefeated. They were:
5th – Borja FM – Blood Angels (Liberator Assault Group): Double Baal, double Vindicator, and a Dante inspired Sang Guard brick.
6th – Dekkers – Orks (More Dakka): More Dakka Goodstuff.
7th – Roger Boira – Astra Militarum (Hammer of the Emperor): Triple Rogal Dorn and some Leman Russ with supporting infantry.
THE PHUKET OPEN
60-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Tambon Kamala, จ.ภูเก็ต, Thailand on April 05 2025. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.
Victor Koh – Grey Knights (Teleport Strike Force) – 1st Place
Grey Knights Grand Master in Nemesis Dreadknight. Credit: Colin Ward
The List
Army List - Click to Expand
teleport (2000 points)
Grey Knights
Strike Force (2000 points)
Teleport Strike Force
Exported with App Version: v1.29.1 (74), Data Version: v581
Archetype
GK Teleporters
Thoughts
GK slide back in with their old detachment, as sneaky non-interactive play into gunlines and solid shenanigans for elves comes back into fashion! Mists of Deimos is a very powerful tool to have and that along makes Teleport Strike worth of consideration over the ever-so-tempting rerolls of Warpbane. Business as usual with the components and very cool to see the original index taking names!
q b – Necrons (Starshatter Arsenal) – 2nd Place
Szarekh, The Silent King. Credit: Rockfish
The List
Army List - Click to Expand
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + FACTION KEYWORD: Xenos – Necrons + DETACHMENT: Starshatter Arsenal + TOTAL ARMY POINTS: 2000pts + + WARLORD: Char2: The Silent King + ENHANCEMENT: Chrono-impedance Fields (on Char1: Hexmark Destroyer)
& Dread Majesty (on Char2: Overlord with Translocation Shroud) + NUMBER OF UNITS: 17 + SECONDARY: – Bring It Down: (5×2) + (1×6) – Assassination: 4 Characters +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Char1: 1x Imotekh the Stormlord (100 pts): Gauntlet of Fire, Staff of the Destroyer
Char2: 3x The Silent King (420 pts): Warlord
• 1x Szarekh: Sceptre of Eternal Glory, Staff of Stars, Weapons of the Final Triarch
• 2x Triarchal Menhir: 2 with Annihilator beam, Armoured bulk
Char3: 1x Hexmark Destroyer (100 pts): Close combat weapon, Enmitic disintegrator pistols
Enhancement: Chrono-impedance Fields (+25 pts)
Char4: 1x Overlord with Translocation Shroud (115 pts): Resurrection orb, Overlord’s blade
Enhancement: Dread Majesty (+30 pts)
The Silent King / DDA castle remains a potent shooting force. The unwary simply get blasted away by the movement and reach on the guns and the SK mini-game can defeat many armies on its own. I like the Lychguard brick to give you an anchor with some teeth of its own. All in all, a very effective build that highlights the endurance of the Necrons! Well done on the top placing.
Jensen Goh – Orks (War Horde) – 3rd Place
Battlewagon – Deathrolla and Kannon. Credit: Rockfish
Exported with App Version: v1.29.0 (73), Data Version: v579
Archetype
War Horde Pressure
Thoughts
War Horde is eternal. Whatever temptations Dakka may offer, going really fast and punching people to death with Ghaz, Breaka Boyz, and big slabs of Boyz is just a good time, and it works extremely well too. I like the Battle Wagon and Flash Gitz brick to give you a few additional options amidst the hordes of boys. Really well done on the top placing.
Joe Soon – Dark Angels (Stormlance Task Force) – 4th Place
Credit: Keewa
The List
Army List - Click to Expand
WE JUST WANT SOME HUGS (1995 Points)
Space Marines
Dark Angels
Stormlance Task Force
Strike Force (2000 Points)
CHARACTERS
Azrael (115 Points)
• 1x Lion’s Wrath
• 1x The Lion Helm
• 1x The Sword of Secrets
Assault Intercessors with Jump Packs (90 Points)
• 1x Assault Intercessor Sergeant with Jump Pack
◦ 1x Plasma pistol
◦ 1x Power fist
• 4x Assault Intercessors with Jump Packs
◦ 4x Astartes chainsword
◦ 3x Heavy bolt pistol
◦ 1x Plasma pistol
Assault Intercessors with Jump Packs (90 Points)
• 1x Assault Intercessor Sergeant with Jump Pack
◦ 1x Plasma pistol
◦ 1x Power fist
• 4x Assault Intercessors with Jump Packs
◦ 4x Astartes chainsword
◦ 3x Heavy bolt pistol
◦ 1x Plasma pistol
Deathwing Knights (250 Points)
• 1x Watcher in the Dark
• 1x Knight Master
◦ 1x Great weapon of the Unforgiven
• 4x Deathwing Knight
◦ 4x Mace of absolution
Deathwing Knights (250 Points)
• 1x Watcher in the Dark
• 1x Knight Master
◦ 1x Great weapon of the Unforgiven
• 4x Deathwing Knight
◦ 4x Mace of absolution
Deathwing Knights (250 Points)
• 1x Watcher in the Dark
• 1x Knight Master
◦ 1x Great weapon of the Unforgiven
• 4x Deathwing Knight
◦ 4x Mace of absolution
Exported with App Version: v1.29.1 (1), Data Version: v581
Archetype
DA Storm Lance
Thoughts
A very tried and tested build at this stage, DA Storm Lance remains very good at what it does. Take sneaky stat check infantry, give them surprising amounts of speed, and profit. Timing the send is key, but if you get it right a lot of armies struggle to dig themselves out! Really well done on the top placing.
The Best of the Rest
There were 8 more players on 4-1 records. They were:
5th – Egor Laptev – Blood Angels (Liberator Assault Group): Lots of JPIs, Bladeguard and Sanguinary Guard.
6th – Alan Ching – Ultramarines (Gladius Task Force): Very tank-heavy Ultras Gladius with a Redeemer and about a million different Predators, love it!
Exported with App Version: v1.29.1 (74), Data Version: v581
Thoughts
I’m going to teach you a 40k life lesson, listen up. NEVER, I repeat NEVER, trust anyone who tells you their list is bad in the title. Anyone thinking that much about their list / title is already a lot better / invested in this game than average, so get ready for a sneakily good build. In this case its a REALLY cool one too!
I LOVE this Imperial Fist Stormlance list, genuinely unique, putting the YEET on 20 Terminators and sending. 4++, 4 wounds, access to reactive moves and advance and charge goes an awful long way. Lysander gives you something different too, handing out +1 OC to the bricks and also giving his own -1 to wound. Couple that with the -1 to wound strat in the detachment, and you’ve got two massive slabs that aren’t going down easily at all. Deceptively deadly, and genuinely unique. So sssh with your ‘lol I just threw this together’ title Dan, I ain’t buying it!
In the other corner is a more bog-standard Awakened Dynasty list, pivoting around a 20 Warrior brick, resurrecting characters and some DDAs. The irony for the IF list is that the DDA is probably one of the single best units in the game for actually getting through the Terminators, as it packs plenty of damage 4 with dev wounds, and can push enough through the debuffs to force the bricks to start making 4s, or dying. If the IF list loses it’s supporting shooting (the Vindicators) before the DDAs go down, the attrition war starts to look Necrons favoured. In the end, the glorious innovation failed at the last hurdle but my word, what a run!
Result
Necrons (Awakened Dynasty) Victory – 87 – 62
Ian Stokes – Necrons (Awakened Dynasty) – 1st Place
Necron Skorpekh Lord
The List
Army List - Click to Expand
Awaken the Dragon (1995 points)
Necrons
Strike Force (2000 points)
Awakened Dynasty
Exported with App Version: v1.29.1 (74), Data Version: v581
Archetype
Awakened Goodstuff
Thoughts
Awakened Dynasty has reanimated as the weapon of choice for Necron players. Pivoting around a 20 man of Warriors with Orikhan (a stat check a lot of armies simply cannot answer), the build then plays tricks with resurrecting characters to avoid trading and grind down the opponent. It still shoots pretty well, and plays all the phases of the game. a strong showing from one of the OG rulesets, very well done!
The Best of the Rest
There were 9 more players on 4-1 records. They were:
2nd – Oscar van Huizen – Chaos Daemons (Shadow Legion): Shadow Legion antics with the Fadethirster and a Great Unclean One.
3rd – Luke Melvin – Chaos Daemons (Daemonic Incursion): Double Bloodthirsters and Skarbrand in Daemonic Incursion, glorious.
4th – Dan Richards – Space Marines (Astartes) (Stormlance Task Force): The amazing Imperial Fist Terminators list from the showdown.
5th – Samuel Hawkins – Necrons (Awakened Dynasty): Awakened with big bricks of Wraiths and Destroyers.
6th – James Ross – Imperial Knights (Noble Lance): A Valiant, a Warden, and lots of Armigers.
7th – Matthew Andrews – Blood Angels (Liberator Assault Group): Big bricks of Death Company and Sanguinary Guard.
8th – Ray Mordy – Orks (More Dakka): Double Gorkanaut, double Morkanaut Dakka – if there is a cool way to play the detachment, this is it!
9th – Chris Stout – Tyranids (Invasion Fleet): Big bug, little bug Invasion Fleet with all the usual suspects.
10th – Andy Taylor – Imperial Knights (Noble Lance): A Crusader, Armigers, and an Eversor.
Courage & Honour X
36-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Wales, GB on April 05 2025. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.
Nicholas Willingale – Orks (More Dakka) – 1st Place
Wrecka Krew Tankbusta Gunners by Craig “MasterSlowPoke” Sniffen
The List
Army List - Click to Expand
how much dakka???? well that seems unreasonable!!! (1995 points)
A swansong for Dakka, as this go-wide shooting build blasts it’s way to first place. Zod jail is hilarious and lethal, and the MSU Nob units offer you precision hard-target removal for the places the Lootas and Shootas fear to tread. Brutally Kunning indeed. Well done on the event win!
The Best of the Rest
There were 7 more players on 4-1 records. They were:
2nd – Christopher Scriven – Adeptus Custodes (Lions of the Emperor): Massed Wardens with Blade Champs in Lions.
3rd – Arwyn Phillips – Leagues of Votann (Oathband): Triple Land Fort / 20 Berzerks in Oathband.
4th – Liam Keane – Chaos Daemons (Shadow Legion): A Khorne-Daemon heavy Shadow Legion build.
5th – Andrew Lewis – Astra Militarum (Combined Arms): Taurox / Leman Russ heavy Combined Arms.
6th – Rhys Smith – Blood Angels (Liberator Assault Group): Double Terminator brick BA. Ok Terminators might be becoming a thing?!
7th – Ben Creighton Griffiths – Imperial Knights (Noble Lance): Canis, a Cerastus, and plenty of Armigers.
Exported with App Version: v1.29.1 (74), Data Version: v581
Archetype
Ultramarines Gladius
Thoughts
A nice run out for the standard Gladius Ultras template here, which remains a deadly and effective suite of tools. Lots of Dakka and if you come to play with it Gulliman and Marneus will have a thing or two to say about it. A tasteful Gladiator Reaper provides some horde clearance and control lanes for those pesky Orks and Elves. Really well done on the top placing!
The Best of the Rest
There were 4 more players on 4-1 records. They were:
2nd – Korben Lowthorpe – Black Templars (Gladius Task Force): Blade Templars Gladius with plenty of transports and MSU melee – the Emperor’s Champion makes an appearance!
3rd – Sam Dickinson – Dark Angels (Stormlance Task Force): Chunky DA Stormlance with 15 DWK.
4th – Nathan Smith – Necrons (Starshatter Arsenal): Silent King / DDA goodstuff.
5th – Toby Barnwell – Adeptus Mechanicus (Haloscreed Battle Clade): A downright sexy Haloscreed list that packs in a nice mix of combat reach and shooting punch, as Cawl holds it down. Beautiful.
Wrap Up
There we are folks! I’ve no idea what the meta is, but it definitely looks like Marines of all flavours are reasserting themselves quite aggressively. Will this continue after Dakka bites the bullet this week? Time will tell! It’s sunny, consider prioritising beer gardens over Warhammer at least some of the time in the coming weeks, and have a great weekend!
Lowest of Men, out.
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– Orks (More Dakka): More Dakka Goodstuff.
(1995 Points)
