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.

Big Warhammer is now thoroughly back in session, with a massive weekend just past and the LVO coming up in a few days time. Players have also had a chance to get to grips with their new Grotmas treats, and some big hitters have started making a move. This week, we’ve got especially prominent performances from the Slaaneshi Legion of Excess and the Ork Taktikal Brigade, but there are plenty more making an impact, and alongside them we’ve got new builds of classic detachments (particularly from Imperial Knights), and a frankly alarming number of Ultramarines. The metagame is wide open going into LVO, and it continues to be a thrilling period to report on.

Let’s do some of that then – today, we’re starting with:

The Nottingham 40k Super-Major
Winter War Grand Tournament
Red Dragon GT – January 40k
GT QUALIFIER MODENA – GT Italiano 2025
We Have LVO at Home GT
Grand Clash – Warhammer 40k Tournament – 2 Day GT

On Friday, Lowest of Men will be covering:

Denver 40K Fight Club January Open 2025
Guild War I
The Brawl GT – Beachhead Warm Up!
North Sea Slam IRONMAN 2025
Warpstorm

…and we do in fact have our first triple threat of the year (already!) so on Saturday I’ll be back with:

Exterminatus X Big Ben 10
A Grimdark New Years, SGA Finals
NYKO 2025
Hawaii “War on the Shore” Charity GT 2025
Fight for the Fallen GT

Our patrons are just as excited about all the new detachments as I am, and this week have selected the following Showdowns:

Legion Of Excess vs Sort-of-Blood Angels Liberator Assault Group at the Nottingham Super-Major
Green Tide vs. Reaper’s Wager at Denver Fight Club
Creations of Bile vs. Starshatter Arsenal at Fight for the Fallen

The NOTTINGHAM 40K SUPER-MAJOR

375-player, 7-round Supermajor in England, United Kingdom on January 11 2025. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

The Showdown

Scorched Earth – Inspired Leadership – Crucible of Battle

Will Whitaker – Chaos Daemons (Legion of Excess)
Army List - Click to Expand

The tempta lord (1990 Points)

Chaos Daemons
Legion of Excess
Strike Force (2000 Points)

CHARACTERS

Keeper of Secrets (290 Points)
• 1x Phantasmagoria
• 1x Shining Aegis
• 1x Snapping claws
• 1x Witstealer sword

Keeper of Secrets (320 Points)
• 1x Phantasmagoria
• 1x Shining Aegis
• 1x Snapping claws
• 1x Witstealer sword
• Enhancements: false majesty

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

The Masque of Slaanesh (85 Points)
• Warlord
• 1x Serrated claws

Tormentbringer on Exalted Seeker Chariot (140 Points)
• 1x Exalted Seeker tongues
• 1x Lashes of torment
• 1x Ravaging claws

Tranceweaver (60 Points)
• 1x Ravaging claws

BATTLELINE

Daemonettes (100 Points)
• 1x Alluress
◦ 1x Slashing claws
• 9x Daemonette
◦ 1x Daemonic Icon
◦ 1x Instrument of Chaos
◦ 9x Slashing claws

Plaguebearers (110 Points)
• 1x Plagueridden
◦ 1x Plaguesword
• 9x Plaguebearer
◦ 1x Daemonic Icon
◦ 1x Instrument of Chaos
◦ 9x Plaguesword

OTHER DATASHEETS

Fiends (210 Points)
• 1x Blissbringer
◦ 1x Barbed tail and dissecting claws
• 5x Fiend
◦ 5x Barbed tail and dissecting claws

Fiends (105 Points)
• 1x Blissbringer
◦ 1x Barbed tail and dissecting claws
• 2x Fiend
◦ 2x Barbed tail and dissecting claws

Seekers (160 Points)
• 1x Heartseeker
◦ 1x Lashing tongue
◦ 1x Slashing claws
• 9x Seeker
◦ 1x Daemonic Icon
◦ 1x Instrument of Chaos
◦ 9x Lashing tongue
◦ 9x Slashing claws

Seekers (80 Points)
• 1x Heartseeker
◦ 1x Lashing tongue
◦ 1x Slashing claws
• 4x Seeker
◦ 1x Daemonic Icon
◦ 1x Instrument of Chaos
◦ 4x Lashing tongue
◦ 4x Slashing claws

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

vs.

Innes Wilson – Blood Angels (Liberator Assault Group)
Army List - Click to Expand

Q. Can a Space Marine army that utilises a detachment from a supplement book (e.g. Dark Angels) still benefit from the +1 to wound from Oath of Moment, if it does not contain any units that have the excluded chapters keywords?
A. Yes (the ‘check’ for the +1 to wound is on unit keywords, not the detachment). (2000 points)

Space Marines
Blood Angels
Strike Force (2000 points)
Liberator Assault Group

CHARACTERS

Captain (80 points)
• Warlord
• 1x Plasma pistol
1x Power fist

Captain (105 points)
• 1x Plasma pistol
1x Power fist
• Enhancement: Rage-fuelled Warrior

Librarian in Phobos Armour (70 points)
• 1x Bolt pistol
1x Force weapon
1x Smite

BATTLELINE

Assault Intercessor Squad (75 points)
• 1x Assault Intercessor Sergeant
• 1x Hand flamer
1x Power fist
• 4x Assault Intercessor
• 4x Astartes chainsword
4x Heavy bolt pistol

Intercessor Squad (80 points)
• 1x Intercessor Sergeant
• 1x Astartes grenade launcher
1x Bolt pistol
1x Bolt rifle
1x Power fist
• 4x Intercessor
• 4x Bolt pistol
4x Bolt rifle
4x Close combat weapon

DEDICATED TRANSPORTS

Impulsor (80 points)
• 1x Armoured hull
1x Ironhail heavy stubber
1x Shield Dome
2x Storm bolter

OTHER DATASHEETS

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

Desolation Squad (200 points)
• 1x Desolation Sergeant
• 1x Bolt pistol
1x Castellan launcher
1x Close combat weapon
1x Vengor launcher
• 4x Desolation Marine
• 4x Bolt pistol
4x Castellan launcher
4x Close combat weapon
4x Superkrak rocket launcher

Incursor Squad (80 points)
• 1x Incursor Sergeant
• 1x Bolt pistol
1x Occulus bolt carbine
1x Paired combat blades
• 4x Incursor
• 4x Bolt pistol
1x Haywire Mine
4x Occulus bolt carbine
4x Paired combat blades

Infiltrator Squad (100 points)
• 1x Infiltrator Sergeant
• 1x Bolt pistol
1x Close combat weapon
1x Marksman bolt carbine
• 4x Infiltrator
• 4x Bolt pistol
4x Close combat weapon
1x Helix Gauntlet
1x Infiltrator Comms Array
4x Marksman bolt carbine

Reiver Squad (80 points)
• 1x Reiver Sergeant
• 1x Combat knife
1x Grapnel Launcher
1x Reiver Grav-chute
1x Special issue bolt pistol
• 4x Reiver
• 4x Combat knife
4x Grapnel Launcher
4x Reiver Grav-chute
4x Special issue bolt pistol

Scout Squad (70 points)
• 1x Scout Sergeant
• 1x Astartes chainsword
1x Bolt pistol
1x Close combat weapon
• 4x Scout
• 4x Bolt pistol
4x Close combat weapon
2x Combat knife
1x Missile launcher
1x Scout sniper rifle

Sternguard Veteran Squad (100 points)
• 1x Sternguard Veteran Sergeant
• 1x Close combat weapon
1x Power fist
1x Sternguard bolt pistol
1x Sternguard bolt rifle
• 4x Sternguard Veteran
• 4x Close combat weapon
4x Sternguard bolt pistol
3x Sternguard bolt rifle
1x Sternguard heavy bolter

Vindicator (175 points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
1x Demolisher cannon
1x Hunter-killer missile
1x Storm bolter

Exported with App Version: v1.24.0 (64), Data Version: v525

Thoughts

A spectacular melee throwdown on the top table of this week’s supermajor, with new and improved Slaanesh Daemons facing new and (surprisingly) improved Oaths from Blood Angels. The latter is (helpfully) explained in Innes’ army list – losing super Oaths is tied to taking a unit with the Blood Angels keyword, so you can take Liberator Assault Force with no special units, and still get the +1 to Wound. This obviously works very nicely with Liberator’s Charge boost, allowing even the smallest of units to do spectacular damage in the right situation (and you can use Red Rampage when you need to hit hard in multiple places). Innes’ list uses a tonne of small squads that can cover ground quickly, relying on the fact that nothing is safe to be near to in order to quickly and enduringly dominate the table.

Slaanesh, obviously, is not the safest army to try and do that against. The units on Will’s side of the table can slice through Space Marines at speed, mostly not even needing to use the Seductive Gambit. Just in general, the Marines need to be far more careful about picking their battles here, as the Slaanesh stuff will probably be able to overpower them in a straight fight, despite the Blood Angels boosts. They do have the advantage of a bit of ranged firepower to try and shape the flow of battle to their advantage – Vindicators are great here, and there’s enough small units to screen them from sudden charge, and the Desolation Marine unit is certainly valuable for clearing out the Fight First Daemonettes early on. The UKTC round 7 map exacerbates this, as it’s one of the ones with basically no safe mid-field objectives, so the Daemons lack of firepower bites especially hard.

The flip side of that, of course, is that this map also provides fantastic staging for big monsters mid-board, which is going to allow Slaanesh to force a throw-down fight at some point. When that happens, advantage shifts to them substantially – go-wide armies like the Marines here rely on being able to carefully plan out their kills and allocation of resources, and there are multiple things in the Slaanesh list that can throw that off. Will’s version isn’t built hard for Thieves of Pain like one we’ll look at later, but it’s still there as a threat to suddenly shuffle a bunch of damage around, and the Fight on Death from the Tormentbringer is also ultra good in this game, as it can easily result in a whole Marine unit being taken with whatever they’re picking up. Finally, Syll’Esske is hugely valuable as something that can step out onto an open mid-field objective early and tank some shooting or as just a sticky brawler providing a further way to stifle the Marine momentum.

I think this ultimately comes down to how much damage the Marines can nail in shooting on the big pre-confrontation turn. I don’t think Slaanesh can avoid them getting a decent shooting window, but if that volley doesn’t do enough damage then I think Slaanesh can sweep things from there. Both players here are extremely good, and will almost certainly have figured out these dynamics, and I honestly think either could take it down. In the event, Slaanesh came out on top, and you’ve got to think it’s an army to watch for LVO as it should be very strong on GW terrain as well.

Result

Chaos Daemons (Legion of Excess) Victory – 75 – 61

Will Whitaker – Chaos Daemons (Legion of Excess) – 1st Place

Credit: Liebot – https://instagram.com/liebot_pics

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

The tempta lord (1990 Points)

Chaos Daemons
Legion of Excess
Strike Force (2000 Points)

CHARACTERS

Keeper of Secrets (290 Points)
• 1x Phantasmagoria
• 1x Shining Aegis
• 1x Snapping claws
• 1x Witstealer sword

Keeper of Secrets (320 Points)
• 1x Phantasmagoria
• 1x Shining Aegis
• 1x Snapping claws
• 1x Witstealer sword
• Enhancements: false majesty

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

The Masque of Slaanesh (85 Points)
• Warlord
• 1x Serrated claws

Tormentbringer on Exalted Seeker Chariot (140 Points)
• 1x Exalted Seeker tongues
• 1x Lashes of torment
• 1x Ravaging claws

Tranceweaver (60 Points)
• 1x Ravaging claws

BATTLELINE

Daemonettes (100 Points)
• 1x Alluress
◦ 1x Slashing claws
• 9x Daemonette
◦ 1x Daemonic Icon
◦ 1x Instrument of Chaos
◦ 9x Slashing claws

Plaguebearers (110 Points)
• 1x Plagueridden
◦ 1x Plaguesword
• 9x Plaguebearer
◦ 1x Daemonic Icon
◦ 1x Instrument of Chaos
◦ 9x Plaguesword

OTHER DATASHEETS

Fiends (210 Points)
• 1x Blissbringer
◦ 1x Barbed tail and dissecting claws
• 5x Fiend
◦ 5x Barbed tail and dissecting claws

Fiends (105 Points)
• 1x Blissbringer
◦ 1x Barbed tail and dissecting claws
• 2x Fiend
◦ 2x Barbed tail and dissecting claws

Seekers (160 Points)
• 1x Heartseeker
◦ 1x Lashing tongue
◦ 1x Slashing claws
• 9x Seeker
◦ 1x Daemonic Icon
◦ 1x Instrument of Chaos
◦ 9x Lashing tongue
◦ 9x Slashing claws

Seekers (80 Points)
• 1x Heartseeker
◦ 1x Lashing tongue
◦ 1x Slashing claws
• 4x Seeker
◦ 1x Daemonic Icon
◦ 1x Instrument of Chaos
◦ 4x Lashing tongue
◦ 4x Slashing claws

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

Archetype

Pure Murder Legion

Thoughts

The hype is real, and Will earn’s Legion of Excess the first of three trophies it took this week. As covered above, his version doesn’t build hard around the tricks of the detachment, instead just ensuring he’s got ample supplies of fast, deadly killers to unleash, and having the Stratagems in a back pocket to flip the momentum or direction of the game at a key moment. Melee stocks seem to be rising again, so the Tormentbringer seems like an especially strong touch, and Syll’Esske continues to be a phenomenal datasheet, perhaps better here than ever before. Well done to Will on the huge win!

Innes Wilson – Blood Angels (Liberator Assault Group) – 2nd Place

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Space Marines
Blood Angels
Strike Force (2000 points)
Liberator Assault Group

CHARACTERS

Captain (80 points)
• Warlord
• 1x Plasma pistol
1x Power fist

Captain (105 points)
• 1x Plasma pistol
1x Power fist
• Enhancement: Rage-fuelled Warrior

Librarian in Phobos Armour (70 points)
• 1x Bolt pistol
1x Force weapon
1x Smite

BATTLELINE

Assault Intercessor Squad (75 points)
• 1x Assault Intercessor Sergeant
• 1x Hand flamer
1x Power fist
• 4x Assault Intercessor
• 4x Astartes chainsword
4x Heavy bolt pistol

DEDICATED TRANSPORTS

Impulsor (80 points)
• 1x Armoured hull
1x Ironhail heavy stubber
1x Shield Dome
2x Storm bolter

OTHER DATASHEETS

Vindicator (175 points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
1x Demolisher cannon
1x Hunter-killer missile
1x Storm bolter

Exported with App Version: v1.24.0 (64), Data Version: v525

Archetype

Blood Angels-Style Product

Thoughts

I mean fair’s fair, using the list title to store a load-bearing FAQ is a novel and valid use of it. Otherwise, all covered in the Showdown, and hey, it’s a go-wide melee army where every unit can punch up if needed, we all know full well what Innes can do with those. Great work as always!

Josh Roberts – Ultramarines (Gladius Task Force) – 3rd Place

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Nottingham GT 2025 (1995 points)

Space Marines
Ultramarines
Strike Force (2000 points)
Gladius Task Force

CHARACTERS

Captain in Gravis Armour (90 points)
• 1x Boltstorm gauntlet
1x Power fist
1x Relic blade
• Enhancement: Artificer Armour

Lieutenant with Combi-weapon (70 points)
• 1x Combi-weapon
1x Paired combat blades

Marneus Calgar (200 points)
• 1x Marneus Calgar
• 1x Gauntlets of Ultramar
• 2x Victrix Honour Guard
• 2x Victrix power sword

Roboute Guilliman (345 points)
• Warlord
• 1x Emperor’s Sword
1x Hand of Dominion

OTHER DATASHEETS

Ballistus Dreadnought (130 points)
• 1x Armoured feet
1x Ballistus lascannon
1x Ballistus missile launcher
1x Twin storm bolter

Company Heroes (95 points)
• 1x Ancient
• 1x Bolt pistol
1x Bolt rifle
1x Close combat weapon
• 1x Company Champion
• 1x Bolt pistol
1x Master-crafted power weapon
• 2x Company Veteran
• 2x Bolt pistol
2x Close combat weapon
1x Master-crafted bolt rifle
1x Master-crafted heavy bolter

Vindicator (175 points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
1x Demolisher cannon
1x Hunter-killer missile
1x Storm bolter

ALLIED UNITS

Callidus Assassin (100 points)
• 1x Neural shredder
1x Phase sword and poison blades

Archetype

Bobby G Gun Club

Thoughts

Josh takes third place, fielding a build that’s very similar to some of the Ironstorm setups we looked at last week, only it’s Gladius. I’m struggling to think of a time where we’ve had builds that are so close to one another in two different detachments, and that mostly says a lot about the raw power of the Bobby/Marneus/3xVindicator/3xBallistus. It’s one of the premium shooty stat check builds in the game right now, and I’m guessing the thinking behind running as Gladius rather than Ironstorm (especially on UKTC boards) is that you don’t need the extra killing power from the latter, whereas being able to Advance/Shoot or do an Advance/Charge push with the Characters could be game-changing. Well done to Josh on another podium finish.

Nassim Fouchane – Astra Militarum (Bridgehead Strike) – 4th Place

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Astra Militarum
Bridgehead
Strike Force (2000 Points)

CHARACTERS

Militarum Tempestus Command Squad (95 Points) Bombast Enhancement
• 1x Tempestor Prime
• Warlord
◦ 1x Plasma pistol
◦ 1x Tempestus dagger
• 4x Tempestus Scion
◦ 4x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Hot-shot laspistol
◦ 1x Hot-shot volley gun
◦ 1x Master Vox
◦ 1x Meltagun
◦ 1x Plasma gun

Militarum Tempestus Command Squad (70 Points)
• 1x Tempestor Prime
◦ 1x Command Rod
◦ 1x Tempestus dagger
• 4x Tempestus Scion
◦ 4x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Hot-shot lasgun
◦ 1x Hot-shot laspistol
◦ 1x Hot-shot volley gun
◦ 1x Medi-pack
◦ 1x Meltagun
◦ 1x Plasma gun

Tank Commander (225 Points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
• 1x Demolisher battle cannon
• 1x Heavy stubber
• 1x Hunter-killer missile
• 1x Lascannon
• 2x Multi-melta

Ursula Creed (55 Points)
• 1x Duty and Vengeance
• 1x Power weapon

BATTLELINE

Catachan Jungle Fighters (65 Points)
• 1x Jungle Fighter Sergeant
◦ 1x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Laspistol
• 9x Jungle Fighter
◦ 9x Close combat weapon
◦ 2x Flamer
◦ 7x Lasgun
◦ 1x Vox-caster

Infantry Squad (60 Points)
• 1x Sergeant
◦ 1x Plasma pistol
◦ 1x Power weapon
• 7x Guardsman
◦ 7x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Flamer
◦ 6x Lasgun
– 1x Voxcaster
• 1x Heavy Weapons Team
◦ 1x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Laspistol
◦ 1x Mortar

Tempestus Scions (120 Points)
• 1x Tempestor
◦ 1x Plasma pistol
◦ 1x Power fist
• 9x Tempestus Scion
◦ 9x Close combat weapon
◦ 4x Hot-shot lasgun
◦ 1x Hot-shot laspistol
◦ 1x Hot-shot volley gun
◦ 1x Meltagun
◦ 2x Plasma gun
◦ 1x Vox-caster

Tempestus Scions (120 Points)
• 1x Tempestor
◦ 1x Plasma pistol
◦ 1x Power fist
• 9x Tempestus Scion
◦ 9x Close combat weapon
◦ 5x Hot-shot lasgun
◦ 2x Meltagun
◦ 2x Plasma gun

DEDICATED TRANSPORTS

Taurox (65 Points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
• 1x Storm bolter
• 1x Twin autocannon

Taurox Prime (90 Points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
• 1x Storm bolter
• 1x Taurox gatling cannon
• 1x Twin Taurox hot-shot volley gun

OTHER DATASHEETS

Heavy Weapons Squad (50 Points)
• 3x Heavy Weapon Team
◦ 3x Las small arms
◦ 3x Mortar
◦ 3x Weapons team close combat weapons

Tempestus Aquilons (110 Points)
• 1x Tempestor Aquilon
◦ 1x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Hot-shot lascarbine
◦ 1x Sentry flamer
• 8x Tempestus Aquilon
◦ 8x Close combat weapon
◦ 6x Hot-shot lascarbine
◦ 1x Hot‐shot long‐las
◦ 1x Plasma carbine
• 1x Gunfighter
◦ 1x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Hot-shot lascarbine

Archetype

Bridgehead

Thoughts

Much like Innes and MSU combat Marines, you know Nas is going to be packing the new guard hotness, and sure enough he’s got Bridgehead Strike locked and loaded here, going for the version with a bit more on-table threat from Tank Commanders and staging hulls. That does, again, make sense on UKTC boards – they tend to favour firing lines down the side for long-ranged stuff rather than close-range in the middle, so Bridgehead on pure Deep Strike would be too easy to screen out. Tank Commanders and a few Taurox neatly close that gap – TCs with access to pocket Advance/Shoot are exactly the kind of ranged threat that does well on UKTC, providing Nas with a way to initiate violence when required. Three Mortar squads helps with that too, ensuring that any Infantry list playing too much of a passive game is going to get chipped away. I think the Tank Commander variant is very likely to be the correct choice on Bridgehead going forward, so if you want to do well with guard go ahead and copy Nas (usually a safe bet). Well done on a top four placing!

The Best of the Rest

There were 8 more players on 5-0 records. They were:

5th – Brian Seipp – Orks (Taktikal Brigade): See writing about UK events is easy because I know all the lore, and I can tell you that Taktikal Brigade has to be awesome if it’s lured Brian off of War Horde after so long. Here he’s unleashing a very shooty build, taking advantage of Shokk Attack Gun Big Meks being able to lead new Tankbustas, plus one Mega-armoured Mek Kaptin with a full Flash Gitz unit to unleash an absolute torrent of firepower. When things get close and personal, Breaka Boyz with Warbosses heft their hammers and get stuff done, packing an astounding amount of violence into a small unit. Well done Brian!
6th – Alex Ginns – Leagues of Votann (Oathband): Votann with a bit of everything, adding a full Thunderkyn unit with an Iron-master to the standard mix of toys.
7th – Tom Lowman – Genestealer Cult (Biosanctic Broodsurge): My esteemed co-author puts me to shame once more by nailing a 5-0 finish with his beloved Genestealer Cult (fun fact – he got this gig by smashing me with GSC and being very nice about it), sticking to the plan of hammering foes with early pressure from Purestrains and Aberrants, taking advantage of the new version of Cult Ambush to dial down the amount of scoring chaff to maintain the investment in the spicy stuff. Great work!
8th – Ratnu Vaidya – Chaos Knights (Traitoris Lance): Dogs.
9th – Matt Bell – Necrons (Starshatter Arsenal): Silent King, triple Doomsdays, enmitic Lokhust Heavies for anti-horde.
10th – David Gaylard – Astra Militarum (Bridgehead Strike): Bridgehead with big Krieg units to gum up the table early on, and a single Tank Commander for a shooty counterpunch. Also packs a Field Ordnance Battery to add indirect, which having listened to David’s (very good) podcast, I can relay is there because D2 gives you a shot of depleting Space Marine Infiltrators, who are otherwise a nightmare for this list.
11th – Nathan Roberts – Death Guard (Plague Company): Mortarion and hulls galore.
12th – Toby Bennett – Dark Angels (Stormlance Task Force): Advance/Charge Deathwing Knights supported by a full Outrider/Command Squad brick to squeeze maximum value from MOUNTED tricks and unleash a devastating alpha strike.

Winter War Grand Tournament

48-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Buffalo, NY, United States on January 11 2025. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

Christian Kosanovich – Imperial Knights (Noble Lance) – 1st Place

Converted Knight Warden — Knight Errant Striiguth, piloted by piloted by Jafnather Yarl Rúna Vestrfjall of House Ulfir. Credit: Tom Saunders

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ FACTION KEYWORD: Imperium – Imperial Knights
+ DETACHMENT: Noble Lance
+ TOTAL ARMY POINTS: 1990pts
+
+ WARLORD: Char3: Knight Errant
+ ENHANCEMENT: Banner of Macharius Triumphant (on Char2: Knight Errant)
+ NUMBER OF UNITS: 9
+ SECONDARY: – Bring It Down: (5×2) + (3×6) – Assassination: 4 Characters
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Char1: 1x Canis Rex (450 pts)
• 1x Canis Rex: Chainbreaker las-impulsor, Chainbreaker multi-laser, Freedom’s Hand
• 1x Sir Hekhtur: Close combat weapon, Hekhtur’s pistol
Char2: 1x Knight Errant (390 pts): Thermal cannon, Stormspear rocket pod, Questoris heavy stubber, Thunderstrike gauntlet
Char3: 1x Knight Errant (420 pts): Warlord, Thermal cannon, Stormspear rocket pod, Questoris heavy stubber, Thunderstrike gauntlet
Enhancement: Banner of Macharius Triumphant (+30 pts)

1x Armiger Helverin (130 pts): 2x Armiger autocannon, Armoured feet, Questoris heavy stubber
1x Armiger Warglaive (140 pts): Reaper chain-cleaver, Thermal spear, Questoris heavy stubber
1x Armiger Warglaive (140 pts): Reaper chain-cleaver, Thermal spear, Questoris heavy stubber
1x Armiger Warglaive (140 pts): Reaper chain-cleaver, Thermal spear, Questoris heavy stubber
1x Armiger Warglaive (140 pts): Reaper chain-cleaver, Thermal spear, Questoris heavy stubber

Char4: 1x Ministorum Priest (40 pts): Zealot’s vindictor

Archetype

Triple Bigs

Thoughts

Huh, apparently it’s big boy season. Imperial Knights made out really well in the Dataslate by picking up 10pts discounts on both Armiger flavours, which appears to have unleashed several new options. The first one is on show here – you can get three good big Knights and five Armigers on the table again, and there’s a sufficiently large number of enemy hulls out there right now that Canis and the Errant are in a target-rich environment. Enemies teching to clear out five or six mid-sized hulls are going to find themselves overwhelmed by this, especially as the Errants also the ability for the Warglaives to line up Melta-range shots with Advance/Shoot. Nice to see some of the “normal” big Knights getting a look in for a change, well done to Christian for flying the banner here!

The Best of the Rest

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

2nd – Trevor DeVantier – Necrons (Starshatter Arsenal): Silent King, triple Doomsday, lots of Skorpekh and Ophydian MSUs (both of which do really well out of +1 to hit and optional +1 to Wound when pushing to flip an objective).
3rd – Tom Bojanowski – Space Wolves (Stormlance Task Force): We shall never escape from Wolf Jail (here with Gladiator Lancer backup).
4th – James Crandall – Chaos Knights (Traitoris Lance): Big Knight fever reaches the eye of terror also, with a Desecrator and battle cannon/thermal Despoiler taking the field in charge of dogs, here the newly discounted Executioners and Huntsmen instead of classic Brigands. Once again, it seems like getting to put one more small Knight in alongside bigs and utility stuff (here a Beast of Nurgle and some Nurglings) really helps builds get over the line.
5th – Eric Head – Death Guard (Plague Company): Mortarion, various hulls, and a good amount of nasty Infantry, both a full Plague Marine unit in a Rhino and a full Blightlord brick.
6th – Dalton Jarka – Grey Knights (Warpbane Task Force): A balance of Dreadknights and a mix of Strike and Purifier MSUs, plus one big Purifier brick with Crowe.
7th – Jonathan Baco – Death Guard (Plague Company): Character spam with a few durable bricks (two Deathshroud units and Typhus/Poxwalkers). Also has a Rhino that appears to be purely for two Plaguecasters to do drive-bys in, which is hilarious.

Red Dragon GT – January 40k

40-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Ottawa, ON, CA on January 11 2025. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

Alice Braithwaite – Chaos Daemons (Legion of Excess) – 1st Place

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Still less Erotic than 40k Teams (1985 points)

Chaos Daemons
Strike Force (2000 points)
Legion of Excess

CHARACTERS

Contorted Epitome (80 points)
• 1x Coiled tentacles
1x Ravaging claws

Keeper of Secrets (320 points)
• 1x Phantasmagoria
1x Shining Aegis
1x Snapping claws
1x Witstealer sword
• Enhancement: False Majesty (Aura)

Keeper of Secrets (320 points)
• 1x Phantasmagoria
1x Shining Aegis
1x Snapping claws
1x Witstealer sword
• Enhancement: Dreaming Crown (Aura)

The Masque of Slaanesh (85 points)
• Warlord
• 1x Serrated claws

BATTLELINE

Daemonettes (100 points)
• 1x Alluress
• 1x Slashing claws
• 9x Daemonette
• 1x Daemonic Icon
1x Instrument of Chaos
9x Slashing claws

Plaguebearers (110 points)
• 1x Plagueridden
• 1x Plaguesword
• 9x Plaguebearer
• 1x Daemonic Icon
1x Instrument of Chaos
9x Plaguesword

OTHER DATASHEETS

Fiends (210 points)
• 1x Blissbringer
• 1x Barbed tail and dissecting claws
• 5x Fiend
• 5x Barbed tail and dissecting claws

Seekers (80 points)
• 1x Heartseeker
• 1x Lashing tongue
1x Slashing claws
• 4x Seeker
• 1x Daemonic Icon
1x Instrument of Chaos
4x Lashing tongue
4x Slashing claws

Soul Grinder (180 points)
• Daemonic Allegiance: Slaanesh
• 1x Harvester cannon
1x Iron claw
1x Scream of despair
1x Warpsword

Exported with App Version: v1.25.0 (65), Data Version: v538

Archetype

Pain Battery Slaanesh

Thoughts

A second win for Slaanesh here, with Alice’s build leaning even harder into the detachment’s new tricks. Taking both False Majesty and the Dreaming Crown allows Keepers to stand (slightly) back while big Fiend units absolutely eviscerate anything they touch, and including an Epitome/Daemonette wound battery for Thieves of Pain lets them run amok for an extended period. A Soul Grinder can also take excellent advantage of this, while also providing a third big hammer to go with the two Keepers in games where the opponent just needs to be bodied on multiple fronts. This feels like a super strong balance between raw unit power and squeezing excessive value out of a powerful detachment, huge congratulations to Alice on taking a trophy with it.

The Best of the Rest

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

2nd (4.5-0.5) – Ridvan Martinez – Drukhari (Skysplinter Assault): Heavier-duty Skysplinter, going surprisingly light on Transports to fit in a Talos unit and a Voidraven, and eschewing Incubi in favour of the cheap-ish Mortal Wound bomb from a full Wrack unit in a Raider.
3rd – Phil Ivanusic – Necrons (Starshatter Arsenal): Silent King-free Starshatter, though keeping triple Doomsdays and supporting them with a Wraith tarpit and lots of Destroyers of various shapes and sizes.
4th – Zach Comeau – Astra Militarum (Bridgehead Strike): Triple Tank Commander Bridgehead with Earthshaker Carriages for indirect, and a surprisingly small (though lethal on the go turns) Scion contingent.
5th – Jonathon Betteridge – Ultramarines (Vanguard Spearhead): Deep Strike/redeploying Vanguard with a nasty Infiltrating Eradicator brick, plus an on-trend unit of Desolation Marines for Indirect.
6th – Thomas Cosgrove – Adeptus Custodes (Solar Spearhead): Dreadnoughts galore and some Caladius tanks.
7th – Steph Job – Chaos Daemons (Legion of Excess): Heavier Legion, adding Be’lakor and a second Soul Grinder instead of Fiends, plus a few chariots to control the board (and as additional users of Thieves of Pain).

GT QUALIFIER MODENA – GT Italiano 2025

38-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Modena, Emilia-Romagna, Italia on January 11 2025. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

Giorgio castelli – Necrons (Starshatter Arsenal) – 1st Place

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Player: Giorgio castelli
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ FACTION KEYWORD: negron
+ DETACHMENT: Starshatter arsenal
+ TOTAL ARMY POINTS: 2000
+
+ WARLORD: the silent King
+ ENHANCEMENT:on catacombe command Barge (dread majesty), on skorpekh lord (Chrono impedance field), on technomancer (demanding leader)
+ NUMBER OF UNITS: 16
+ SECONDARY: assassination: 16 bring: 20+
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

CHARACTERS

Catacomb Command Barge (150 points)
• 1x Gauss cannon
1x Overlord’s blade
1x Resurrection Orb
Enanchement: dread majesty

Skorpekh Lord (105 points)
• 1x Enmitic annihilator
1x Flensing claw
1x Hyperphase harvester
Enanchement: Chrono impedance field

Technomancer (95 points)
• 1x Staff of light
Enanchement: demanding leader

The Silent King (420 points)
• 1x Szarekh
• Warlord
• 1x Sceptre of Eternal Glory
1x Staff of Stars
1x Weapons of the Final Triarch
• 2x Triarchal Menhir
• 2x Annihilator beam
2x Armoured bulk

OTHER DATASHEETS

Canoptek Reanimator (75 points)
• 2x Atomiser beam
1x Reanimator’s claws

Canoptek Scarab Swarms (40 points)
• 3x Canoptek Scarab Swarm
• 3x Feeder mandibles

Canoptek Spyders (75 points)
• 1x Automaton claws
1x fabricator claw array
1x gloom prima
2x particle beamer

Canoptek Wraiths (230 points)
• 6x Canoptek Wraith
• 6x Particle caster
6x Vicious claws

Cryptothralls (60 points)
• 2x Cryptothrall
• 2x Scouring eye
2x Scythed limbs

Doomsday Ark (190 points)
• 1x Armoured bulk
1x Doomsday cannon
2x Gauss flayer array

Lokhust Destroyers (35 points)
• 1x Close combat weapon
1x Gauss cannon

Exported with App Version: v1.24.0 (64), Data Version: v525

Archetype

SK Starshatter

Thoughts

Notch up another one for Starshatter here, going for Silent King/triple Doomsdays as the damage core, and a Wraith unit and some Canoptek Spyders (who are indeed pretty great here, I expect to see at least one in more lists) in flex slots. I do like the cute choice to use a Skorpekh Lord as a bearer for the Chrono-Impedance fields, as he provides a nasty counter-charge with Mortals and big swings if the enemy gets too close (especially if he’s in the Dread Majesty aura).

The Best of the Rest

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

2nd – Marco Santopadre – Chaos Daemons (Blood Legion): Double big Bloodcrusher brick plus double Rendmaster, with a nasty Bloodthirster as an additional threat, and some Infantry/utility pieces to support and score while the enemy is under pressure.
3rd – Edoardo Pierini – Imperial Knights (Noble Lance): A teleporting Atrapos and many, many Armigers.
4th – Federico Faralli – Astra Militarum (Combined Regiment): Ultra hull-heavy Guard with Dorns, triple Tank Commander and some bonus Russes.
5th – Marco Brandonisio – Ultramarines (Ironstorm Spearhead): Bobby G gun club.
6th – Riccardo Ghio – Grey Knights (Warpbane Task Force): A couple of Dreadknights, Purifier MSUs and a supporting Agents contingent with an Immolator, some Sisters and Draxus.

We Have LVO at Home GT

31-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Roseville, Minnesota, US on January 11 2025. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

Miles Engrav – Ultramarines (Ironstorm Spearhead) – 1st Place

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Im so original (1995 Points)

Space Marines
Ultramarines
Ironstorm Spearhead
Strike Force (2000 Points)

CHARACTERS

Judiciar (90 Points)
• 1x Absolvor bolt pistol
• 1x Executioner relic blade
• Enhancements: Master of Machine War

Roboute Guilliman (345 Points)
• Warlord
• 1x Emperor’s Sword
• 1x Hand of Dominion

Techmarine (90 Points)
• 1x Forge bolter
• 1x Grav-pistol
• 1x Omnissian power axe
• 1x Servo-arm
• Enhancements: Adept of the Omnissiah

BATTLELINE

Intercessor Squad (80 Points)
• 1x Intercessor Sergeant
◦ 1x Bolt pistol
◦ 1x Bolt rifle
◦ 1x Power weapon
• 4x Intercessor
◦ 1x Astartes grenade launcher
◦ 4x Bolt pistol
◦ 4x Bolt rifle
◦ 4x Close combat weapon

OTHER DATASHEETS

Ballistus Dreadnought (130 Points)
• 1x Armoured feet
• 1x Ballistus lascannon
• 1x Ballistus missile launcher
• 1x Twin storm bolter

Bladeguard Veteran Squad (180 Points)
• 1x Bladeguard Veteran Sergeant
◦ 1x Master-crafted power weapon
◦ 1x Plasma pistol
• 5x Bladeguard Veteran
◦ 5x Heavy bolt pistol
◦ 5x Master-crafted power weapon

Gladiator Reaper (160 Points)
• 1x Armoured hull
• 1x Icarus rocket pod
• 1x Ironhail heavy stubber
• 2x Tempest bolter
• 1x Twin heavy onslaught gatling cannon

Inceptor Squad (120 Points)
• 1x Inceptor Sergeant
◦ 1x Assault bolters
◦ 1x Close combat weapon
• 2x Inceptor
◦ 2x Assault bolters
◦ 2x Close combat weapon

Scout Squad (70 Points)
• 1x Scout Sergeant
◦ 1x Astartes chainsword
◦ 1x Bolt pistol
◦ 1x Close combat weapon
• 4x Scout
◦ 4x Bolt pistol
◦ 2x Boltgun
◦ 4x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Missile launcher
◦ 1x Scout sniper rifle

Storm Speeder Hammerstrike (125 Points)
• 1x Close combat weapon
• 1x Hammerstrike missile launcher
• 2x Krakstorm grenade launcher
• 1x Melta destroyer

Vindicator (175 Points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
• 1x Demolisher cannon
• 1x Hunter-killer missile
• 1x Storm bolter

Exported with App Version: v1.25.0 (2), Data Version: v538

Archetype

Bobby G Gun Club

Thoughts

Don’t sell yourself short Miles – you’re the first Bobby G list I’ve read this week with the Judiciar/Bladeguard unit, so there’s some difference here from the norm. They help dissuade mid-durability melee threats from trying to overwhelm the hulls, and can also unleash a nasty surprise on foes who accidentally set up Unbowed Conviction while relying on damage reduction. There’s also a Gladiator Reaper, which feels well timed as Orks and Bridgehead Guard rise up. See Miles, plenty of originality! Also the big guns that reduce enemy armies to a soup-like homogenate in under five Battle Rounds. Those too.

The Best of the Rest

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

2nd – Nicholas Bialek – Adeptus Custodes (Talons of the Emperor): While Solar Spearhead is making a splash, Talons/Shield Host but with bikes now are also performing for the Custodes. Here, 3×2 Praetors join a couple of Warden blocks to provide a very mobile and hard to pin-down brawler build.
3rd – Jeremiah Petit – Adeptus Custodes (Talons of the Emperor): Similar, but slightly fewer Infantry for even more bikes, pushing two of the units up to three models.
4th – Ben Cherwien – Grey Knights (Warpbane Task Force): Four Dreadknights and lots of Purifiers (10/10/5). Uncomplicated, but demonstrably effective.
5th – Michael Nicchetta – Dark Angels (Ironstorm Spearhead): Primarch Ironstorm, but with the Lion this time, and a nasty Azrael/ICC squad for additional melee punch. Oh, also Canis Rex for additional melee PUNCH.

Grand Clash – Warhammer 40k Tournament – 2 Day GT

28-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Courtice, ON, Canada on January 11 2025. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

Dan Bruce – Space Wolves (Champions of Russ) – 1st Place

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ FACTION KEYWORD: Imperium – Adeptus Astartes – Space Wolves
+ DETACHMENT: Champions of Russ
+ TOTAL ARMY POINTS: 1995pts
+
+ WARLORD: Char2: Logan Grimnar
+ ENHANCEMENT: Black Death (on Char5: Wolf Lord on Thunderwolf)
+ NUMBER OF UNITS: 16
+ SECONDARY: – Bring It Down: (3×2) – Assassination: 8 Characters – Cull The Horde: 1×5
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Char1: 1x Bjorn the Fell-Handed (190 pts): Heavy Flamer, Trueclaw, Twin lascannon
Char2: 1x Logan Grimnar (115 pts): Warlord, Storm Bolter, The Axe Morkai
Char3: 1x Ragnar Blackmane (90 pts): Bolt Pistol, Frostfang
Char4: 1x Chaplain in Terminator Armour (75 pts): Relic Shield, Crozius Arcanum
Char5: 1x Lieutenant in Phobos Armour (55 pts): Bolt Pistol, Master-crafted Scoped Bolt Carbine, Paired Combat Blades
Char6: 1x Lieutenant with Combi-weapon (70 pts): Combi-weapon, Paired Combat Blades
Char7: 1x Wolf Guard Battle Leader on Thunderwolf (80 pts): Crushing teeth and claws, Power fist, Plasma pistol
Char8: 1x Wolf Lord on Thunderwolf (125 pts): Relic shield and close combat weapon, Close combat weaponCrushing teeth and claws, Thunder Hammer, Close combat weapon
Enhancement: Black Death (+25 pts)

5x Assault Intercessor Squad (75 pts)
• 1x Assault Intercessor Sergeant: Plasma Pistol, Power Fist
• 4x Assault Intercessors: 4 with Astartes Chainsword, Heavy Bolt Pistol

5x Reiver Squad (80 pts)
• 1x Reiver Sergeant: Combat Knife, Special Issue Bolt Pistol
• 4x Reivers: 4 with Special Issue Bolt Pistol, Combat Knife
5x Scout Squad (70 pts)
• 1x Scout Sergeant: Bolt Pistol, Close Combat Weapon, Astartes Chainsword
• 1x Scout: Bolt Pistol, Close Combat Weapon, Missile Launcher
• 3x Scouts: 3 with Bolt Pistol, Close Combat Weapon, Combat Knife
10x Wolf Guard Terminators (370 pts)
• 1x Wolf Guard Terminators: Storm shield, Power fist, Close Combat Weapon, Power fist
• 7x Terminators: 7 with Storm shield, Power fist, Close Combat Weapon, Power fist
• 2x 1 per 5 models: 2 with Cyclone missile launcher, Storm Bolter, Power fist, Close Combat Weapon, ➤ Cyclone missile launcher – frag, ➤ Cyclone missile launcher – krak, Storm Bolter, Power fist
6x Thunderwolf Cavalry (240 pts): 6 with Storm shield, Crushing teeth and claws, Heirloom weapon
3x Thunderwolf Cavalry (120 pts): 3 with Storm shield, Crushing teeth and claws, Heirloom weapon
1x Gladiator Lancer (160 pts): Armoured Hull, Icarus Rocket Pod, Ironhail Heavy Stubber, Lancer Laser Destroyer, 2x Storm Bolter
1x Impulsor (80 pts): Shield Dome, Armoured Hull, Ironhail Heavy Stubber, 2x Storm Bolter

Archetype

Herohammer Champions

Thoughts

A fancy Space Wolf curveball to close us out here, or possibly that should be deathball, as the centrepiece here is a huge brick of Terminators (supported by a second alpha unit in the full ThunderCav squad). Being able to take storm shields across the unit, plus having a Chaplain for Mortal resistance, makes this squad a true nightmare to crack, they’ll punch out almost anything, and Death Howl helps them roll through the enemy causing absolute chaos. Elsewhere, you get some nice Wolf bonuses like the Ragnar/Assault Intercessor blender and Bjorn, and the list is rounded out with some Reivers and a cheap Lieutenant for harrassment and scoring. Reivers in two top lists in one day. Truly we live in an age of marvels. Great stuff from Dan.

The Best of the Rest

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

2nd – Adam Prewer – Ultramarines (Vanguard Spearhead): Teleport Centurions and pals.
3rd – Zac Snowden – Grey Knights (Warpbane Task Force): Three GMDKs, a big Brotherhood Terminator unit, and Purifiers.

Wrap Up

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[40k] Competitive Innovations in 10th: Excessive Krumpin’ pt.1

The NOTTINGHAM 40K SUPER-MAJOR

The Showdown

Scorched Earth – Inspired Leadership – Crucible of Battle

Thoughts

Result

Will Whitaker – Chaos Daemons (Legion of Excess) – 1st Place

The List

Archetype

Thoughts

Innes Wilson – Blood Angels (Liberator Assault Group) – 2nd Place

The List

Archetype

Thoughts

Josh Roberts – Ultramarines (Gladius Task Force) – 3rd Place

The List

Archetype

Thoughts

Nassim Fouchane – Astra Militarum (Bridgehead Strike) – 4th Place

The List

Archetype

Thoughts

The Best of the Rest

Winter War Grand Tournament

Christian Kosanovich – Imperial Knights (Noble Lance) – 1st Place

The List

Archetype

Thoughts

The Best of the Rest

Red Dragon GT – January 40k

Alice Braithwaite – Chaos Daemons (Legion of Excess) – 1st Place

The List

Archetype

Thoughts

The Best of the Rest

GT QUALIFIER MODENA – GT Italiano 2025

Giorgio castelli – Necrons (Starshatter Arsenal) – 1st Place

The List

Archetype

Thoughts

The Best of the Rest

We Have LVO at Home GT

Miles Engrav – Ultramarines (Ironstorm Spearhead) – 1st Place

The List

Archetype

Thoughts

The Best of the Rest

Grand Clash – Warhammer 40k Tournament – 2 Day GT

Dan Bruce – Space Wolves (Champions of Russ) – 1st Place

The List

Archetype

Thoughts

The Best of the Rest

Wrap Up

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