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Competitive Innovations in 10th: Festive Fury pt.2

By Lowest of Men

We need all the Warhammer you have.

…no that’s too much.

A plus-ultra sized week continues here, with another seven events on the docket. Let’s see how it’s looking out there.

Today we have Lowest of Men investigating:

  • Warzone: Atlanta 2023 Warhammer 40k Major Tournament (Major)
  • Warhound GT in December at Game Grid (Major)
  • Iron Cage GT: Winter Whammy
  • HEROCON
  • Team arKCanite Presents: Winter Slaughter
  • Sword and Board Warhammer 40K Tournament
  • Winter War Zone 2023

If you’re looking for any of the following, go look at Part 1 with Wings:

  • The Leicester UKTC  Super-Major (Supermajor)
  • Feliz Exterminatus (Major)
  • Merry Slaaneshmass 2023 (Major)
  • Obsec presents the 9th annual Perth GT, 40k Masters 2023
  • Waisted Potential Presents: YYC LVO PREP Ogres Den December GT
  • Évzáró Gálatorna 2023
  • Eye of Terror Fall ’23 GT

Warzone: Atlanta 2023 Warhammer 40k Major Tournament

95-player, 7-round Major in Atlanta, GA, US on December 01 2023. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

Warzone Atlanta does an unusual thing where the first two rounds are optional (though required for best general).

Z Martin – Aeldari (Battle Host) – 1st Place

Craftworld Mymeara Storm Guardians. Credit: Jack Hunter

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Aeldari Mech Slayers

Thoughts

Aeldari might, might just be starting to evolve again as the slate beckons. This build highlights a possible direction for the pointy eared in a meta filled with vehicles and big melee brawlers. Fire Dragons and Falcons can hit extremely hard and rinse enemy armour, D Cannons make a return as a very dangerous elite slayer that doesn’t need to stick a head out to engage, and overall the threats are spread once wider again without the need to invest in the expensive heavy hitters like Wraithguard and the Yncarne. It’ll be intriguing to see if this becomes the new trend! Well done on the first place.

David Purcell – Astra Militarum (Combined Regiment) – 2nd Place

Leman Russ Battle Tank. Credit: Rockfish
Leman Russ Battle Tank. Credit: Rockfish

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Guard Mixed Arms

Thoughts

Another top placing for the humble guard index, which packs mission play and hard target removal in the form of Russ tanks and Catachans, with plenty of flex left over for game play assets like Sentinels and Ogryns. Less dependent on artillery here (though a couple of pieces make an appearance), the guard book can go-wide with units to score and shoot with, and in careful hands can box with the best of them. Really well done on taking second place David!

Chris Dailey – Astra Militarum (Combined Regiment) – 3rd Place

Rogal Dorn Battle Tank. Credit: Scott Horras “Heresy”

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Guard Double Dorn

Thoughts

As if to hammer that point home, another Guard offering! This one puts two heavy hitters in the firing line with Rogal Dorn goodness, but otherwise the basic concept remains the same. Blast the foe away at a distance and use cheap OC2 infantry to deny and to score. Note the cheeky Cyclops Demolition Vehicle for sneaking into hard to reach places, such a cheap little secondary scoring asset. Very well done sir!

Daniel Hesters – Aeldari (Battle Host) – 4th Place

Credit: Greg Narro

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Aeldari Hybrid

Thoughts

Something of a mixed build here that channels some of the known qualities (Nightspinners, Fuegan, the Yncarne), but backs them up with some of the new arrivals (Falcons and Fire Dragons), as well as a run out for the Voidweavers. The latter have a lot of sneaky play with their ability to force a battleshock which can help to swing primary and deny enemy opportunities for counterplay. A great list that spreads the threats wide, very well done!

The Best of the Rest

There were 7 more players on 5 wins, either going 5-2 or 5-0 from round 3. They were:

  • 5th – Namon Allen – T’au Empire: Triple Ghostkeel, Triple Skyray, loads of supporting utility. An absolute banger of a list.
  • 6th – Thomas Byrd – Ultramarines: Gladius Ultramarines with the Company Heroes and Aggressor / Calgar combos on display, with a lot of Inceptors supporting.
  • 7th – Seth Piper – Black Templars: Double Redemptor, double Sword Brethren, some Crusaders and the hard hitting characters.
  • 8th – Nick Keever – Leagues of Votann: Five Sagitaur, Fifteen Hearthguard, and an Ironmaster / Thunderkyn brick.
  • 9th – Collin Cochran – Chaos Space Marines: Abaddon gunline CSM.
  • 10th – Kyle Jackling – Leagues of Votann: 20 Hearthguard, triple Sagitaur, single Fort. Punchy!
  • 11th – Gabriel Nixon – Death Guard: List unsubmitted. I bet it smelled.

Warhound GT in December at Game Grid

60-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Lehi, UT, US on December 02 2023. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

Chase Chappell – Grey Knights (Teleport Strike Force) – 1st Place

Grey Knights Stormraven Gunship. Credit: Colin Ward

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Grey Knights Madness

Thoughts

A legendary Grey Knights list here that hits the 10/10 for innovation. There is a Land Raider, there is a Storm Raven, there are punchy silver dudes to ride in them and dispense cold hard justice to the Daemonic foe. The Vehicles give this some basic protection from indirect and, if, (and it’s a big if) they can deliver their cargo to the foe the excellent GK melee can do the rest. Throw in the tricks and movement shenanigans on top and you’ve got a lit that can bludgeon or bamboozle as required. Nonetheless, this top placing is a remarkable achievement, colour me impressed.

Jason McKenzie – T’au Empire (Kauyon) – 2nd Place (Undefeated)

TX78 Sky Ray Gunship. Credit: Rockfish
TX78 Sky Ray Gunship. Credit: Rockfish

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Tau Mixed Arms

Thoughts

A nice blend of Kroot utility pieces and heavy lifters in the form of Crisis and Skyrays here, this build spreads the threats wider and has plenty of small pieces to block, screen and trade with. I feel this approach suits current Tau best, as ‘all in brick’ action gets played around and nullified too easily and the low points costs are one of their genuine advantages. This list can play the game without immediately just throwing away Bring it Down to the enemy, but it will still have to have a plan for bodying them hard enough to outdo a strong secondary score. Awesome work and well done on second!

Richard Kilton – Orks (Waaagh! Tribe) – 3rd Place

Ork Beast Snagga Boys. Credit: Magos Sockbert
Ork Beast Snagga Boys. Credit: Magos Sockbert

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Ork Goodstuff

Thoughts

A Comprehensive mobile pressure list in the mould Orks have seen most success with. A few nice tech pieces here – Bikerz are quick enough to offer early harassment or cheap throwaway pieces, and Burna Boy overwatch is potent enough to root out pesky elves and clear screens. All the usual heavy hitters are here too with Badrukk and Mozrog leading the charge, an excellent all rounder list.

Antonius Tolman – World Eaters (Berzerker Warband) – 4th Place

Credit: Robert “TheChirurgeon” Jones

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

The World Eaters Model Range

Thoughts

World Eaters have a small problem from a Comp Innovations standpoint, and that is that the builds doing well simply all fall within the same suite of units without an awful lot of variation. This is a model range issue, and please World Eaters players, don’t take offence as I start to run out of things to say about you other than ‘I love to see World Eaters doing well’. More Berzerkers here for a touch more mission play which gives it a stronger passive late game after the initial rampage. Really nice work on the top placing!

The Best of the Rest

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

  • 5th – Nick Gaddis – Leagues of Votann: Massed Sagitaurs and Hearthguard. If it ain’t broke…
  • 6th – Daniel Reddehase – Death Guard: Tonnes of Rhinos and Nurglings with Triple Malignant Plaguecasters knocking about. Death Guard are on the cusp of greatness you know…
  • 7th – Evan Stump – Ultramarines (Vanguard Spearhead): John Lennon flavoured Vanguard Ultramarines.
  • 8th – Jordan Gledhill – Chaos Daemons: Pure madness. Shalaxi, double Keeper, and some Soulgrinders. Jordan, you absolute madman, well done.

Iron Cage GT: Winter Whammy

54-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Bedford, TX, US on December 02 2023. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

The Showdown

Priority Targets – Hidden Supplies – Search and Destroy

Brian Ellis – Emperor’s Children (Slaves to Darkness)
Army List - Click to Expand

vs.

Kit Smith Hanna – Dark Angels (Ironstorm Spearhead)
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Thoughts

Ok, we have two very different ways of playing to a theme on display here. In the CSM corner, a beautiful Emperor’s Children themed list that goes hard on marks of Slaanesh, Noise Marines, Lucius, and a healthy smattering of some of the key CSM pieces (Chosen, Accursed, etc). It can reach out and touch you in bad places, and it has an enormous width of units to play the game with.

In the other corner, the Dark Angels are Iron Hands, because that’s a good thing to be right now. The Talonmaster slaps and buffs in equal measure, there are tonnes of Redemptors and a couple of flex pieces in the Stormraven and Storm Speeder, with a Darkshroud offering additional defensive buffs to combo with the Ironstorm durability tricks.

Generally speaking these two indices can go toe to toe, but in this particular match up the admirable commitment to Slaaneshi nonsense slightly holds back the EC list as it removes both the highest damage spike potential (Undivided) and, crucially, the ability to protect against shooting via the Nurgle strat. Without this you need to connect hard and decisively into the DA to get the job done, and if you dont? Well, if you don’t you get blasted away and lose by about thirty points, as was the case here. Well done both, and especially Brian for getting creative at personal cost!

Result

Dark Angels (Ironstorm Spearhead) Victory – 98 – 61

Kit Smith Hanna – Dark Angels (Ironstorm Spearhead) – 1st Place

Credit: Greg Chiasson

The List

See showdown.

Archetype

Dark Angels Ironstorm

Thoughts

As above. Love the cheeky Storm Raven, you sure showed Gonyo!

Brad Townsend – Cult Mechanicus (Rad-Cohort) – 2nd Place (Undefeated)

Kataphron Breacher with Heavy Arc Rifle and Hydraulic Claw
Kataphron Breacher with Heavy Arc Rifle and Hydraulic Claw. Credit: Pendulin

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Ad Mech Rad Cohort

Thoughts

A run out for the Rad Cohort just as a new era of Ad Mech options is ushered in. Great heavy target removal in Breachers and Ironstriders, lots of mission play in small ad mech  bodies, and a foray out for the Dragoons, who just might be gracing our pages more in future… very well done on the top placing!

The Best of the Rest

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

  • 3rd – Robert Moreland – Astra Militarum (Combined Regiment): A Stormsword, a Hellhound, and many of the usual tech pieces.
  • 4th – Brian Ellis – Emperor’s Children (Slaves to Darkness): The awesome Slaanesh list from the showdown.
  • 5th – Clifton “Murica” Russell – Astra Militarum: Double Banesword because HELL YES! And Chimaera heroes to die on the line.
  • 6th – Apollo Chang – Aeldari: Aeldari Goodstuff.
  • 7th – NATHANIEL BJORGE – Necrons: Warrior brick, Lychguard brick, plenty of Destroyers and buffing characters.
  • 8th – Alex Ehrich – Chaos Space Marines: Triple Accursed with FIVE Predators backing them up.
  • 9th – Justin Phillips – Leagues of Votann: Triple Fort / Quadruple Sagitaur Votann.

HEROCON

46-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Campbell, ACT, Australia on December 01 2023. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

Ewart Searle – Black Templars (Ironstorm Spearhead) – 1st Place

Primaris Sword Brethren. Credit: SRM

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Ironstorm Templars

Thoughts

Templars in Ironstorm feels a really good way of blending shooting excellence with world ending precision melee. The Templars specific units shore up the latter- Sword Brethren have secured a place in the game as an excellent trading piece, and Hellbrecht takes them up to eleven. Rhino staging is a very common approach right now  and Ironstorm backs these up with enhanced durability, brutal ranged output and sneaky tricks to blunt enemy return fire. I really like this build which can simply body the unwary off the board. Great work on the win!

The Best of the Rest

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

  • 2nd – Joe Loke – World Eaters (Berzerker Warband): Double Rhino World Eaters with more Berzerkers.
  • 3rd – Tim Evers – Chaos Knights (Traitoris Lance): Armiger spam with Daemon allies.
  • 4th – Dale Mann – Aeldari (Battle Host): Triple Spinner / Wraithguard Aeldari with the Avatar of Khaine.
  • 5th – Richard Hill – Death Guard: Delightfully mad Death Guard with loads of Beasts of Nurgle, PBCs and Bloat Drones.
  • 6th – Liam Stephens – Leagues of Votann: Sagitaur spam Votann with a single Land Fort and some Thunderkyn.
  • 7th – David Corcoran – Leagues of Votann: Thirty Hearthguard with Sagitaur support. Yikes.
  • 8th – Todd Saxton – Chaos Knights: Double Despoiler, some War Dogs, and a Great Unclean One. Hero tech.

Évzáró Gálatorna 2023

32-player, 6-round Grand Tournament in Budapest, Magyarország on December 02 2023. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

Richárd Ivány – Orks (Waaagh! Tribe) – 1st Place

Ork Beastboss on Squigosaur. Credit: Magos Sockbert
Ork Beastboss on Squigosaur. Credit: Magos Sockbert

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Ork Pressure

Thoughts

Most of the usual suspects here, with Trukks ferrying punchy green lads to the fray. A Battlewagon adds some of that Land Raider energy to help stage in the midboard with a bit more durability, and Meganobz provide a serious incision threat via lots of Dev wounds on the charge. Orks will simply run you over if you aren’t careful! Very good work on the top placing here.

The Best of the Rest

There were 3 more players on 5-1 records. They were:

  • 2nd – Fábián Dénes – T’au Sept (Kauyon): Double Breacher Devilfish, Crisis, and a solitary Hammerhead.
  • 3rd – Adam Pusztai – Aeldari (Battle Host): Aeldari Goodstuff.
  • 4th – Zoltán Sipos – Leagues of Votann (Oathband): Sagitaur / Hearthguard Votann. A lot of appreciation for someone called Zoltan playing dwarves here…

Sword and Board Warhammer 40K Tournament

31-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Cape Town, Western Cape, ZA on December 02 2023. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

Joedrich Stander – Iron Hands (Ironstorm Spearhead) – 1st Place

Blood Ravens Invictor Warsuit. Credit: Scott White

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Ironstorm Pressure

Thoughts

Some Invictors enter the fray for the Ironstorm here. I really like these as an early game threat to just shove into the ruckus as the guns to to work. Not many surprises in the rest of the list, double Rep Ex shoots super hard with the Ironstorm buffs and a big block of Redemptors anchor the castle as Inceptors drop down to troubleshoot (hehe). A really good, agressive build, very well done on the victory Joedrich!

The Best of the Rest

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

  • 2nd – David Holmner – Adeptus Custodes (Shield Host): Big bricks of Infantry and Sagitarum with Armigers in support.
  • 3rd – Orion Adams – Tyranids (Synaptic Nexus): A shooty Nexus build with Maleceptors, Exocrines and a solitary Norn Emissary.
  • 4th – Zak Ludick – Space Wolves (Ironstorm Spearhead): Shooty Ironstorm Space Wolves with some Razorback Grey Hunters, Ballistus, and Two Vindicators. Shout out to the Wulfen Dreadnought, this list is amazing.
  • 5th – Jay Salmon – Tyranids (Invasion Fleet): Invasion Fleet nids with loads of Gaunts and two big bricks of Zoanthropes.

Winter War Zone 2023

28-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Northern Ireland, GB on December 02 2023. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

Dan Ahern – Adeptus Astartes (Firestorm Assault Force) – 1st Place

Rainbow Warriors Stormraven Gunship by Craig “MasterSlowPoke” Sniffen

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Firestorm Salamanders

Thoughts

Salamanders slap in Firestorm, where the buffs from Vulkan He’stan help to amp up the damage potential via stratagem shenanigans. Infernus Marines can suddenly punch well above their weight in this detachment, and this list packs a Drop Pod sucker punch along with two great big hard targets in the Stormraven and Land Raider. Awesome stuff, and really cool to see this take down an event.

The Best of the Rest

There were 3 more players on 4-1 records. They were:

  • 2nd – Martin Sloan – Black Templars (Righteous Crusaders): Glorious Black Templars melee with loads of Crusaders and Sword Brethren ferried forth by a Land Raider. You know which type.
  • 3rd – Harry McComb – Chaos Space Marines (Slaves to Darkness): CSM Goodstuff in the Liam VSL mould.
  • 4th – Colin Power – Aeldari (Battle Host): Ynnari with Scourges and Fire Dragons for raining down brutal high damage on the foe.

Wrap Up

My goodness, what a lot of Warhammer you’ve all been playing! A healthy game, with CSM and Aeldari gradually slipping from their previous chokehold of dominance, and a lot of festive warfare being doled out. See you all again next time!

Lowest of Men, out.

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