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Competitive Innovations in 10th: Open for Business pt.2

By Lowest of Men

Back for part 2, as we head south to Texas to look at the Lone Star Open, where chaotic things are afoot, then even further south to Australia, where the Imperium seems to be doing a better job of holding the line. Today, Lowest of Men will be covering:

  • Frontline Gaming LSO 2024 Warhammer 40K Champs
  • Dice Arcade Winter GT
  • Saskatchewan Open 2024
  • Forthvalley GT 2024

If you’re looking for the following, check out part 1 with Wings on Wednesday:

  • Warhammer 40,000 Grand Tournament: US Open Tacoma
  • Baltic Cup XII – WCW Qualifier Golden Ticket
  • [Ropecon] Warhammer 40.000 – The Monsters of Hyperbölea
  • TLM x Layton July GT
  • Los clavos del Carnicero

Frontline Gaming LSO 2024 Warhammer 40K Champs

223-player, 6-round Grand Tournament in Allen, TX, US on July 20 2024. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

The Showdown

Scorched Earth – Inspired Leadership – Crucible of Battle

Robert Hawkins – Chaos Daemons (Daemonic Incursion)
Army List - Click to Expand

vs.

Derek Apsche – Chaos Space Marines (Chaos Cult)
Army List - Click to Expand

Thoughts

Ok, a fascinating showdown that highlights two of the current meta darlings for chaos and what makes them tick. On the Daemons side, tonnes of scoring units and chaff, and several massive heavy hitting Greater Daemons. Free of needing to invested in Belly now, those points can be channelled elsewhere. It is great at dropping into pockets, delivering OC to unexpected places, and smashing up things that cannot screen out it’s attacks. Daemons also play secret missions surprisingly well with their considerable mobility and battleline / warlords that are relatively durable to boot. But there is an ‘if’, that hangs over Chaos Daemons…

IF they have the space to do these cool things in.

Into a more conventional tanks / msu CSM list, Daemons can thrive, punish the gaps and dance around the threats very effectively, I’ve had it done to me before (hi Luke, wherever you are). However, this Chaos Cults list has precisely NO CHILL and no intention of leaving space on the board (or the relevant parts of it at least) for anything exciting to happen. Massed Accursed and Cultists can flood forwards quickly, and rapidly, leaving, if so minded, precisely no space for Daemons to drop into and redeploy via deep strike via a 3 inch, drop, much less anything better. It’s exactly these kinds of builds that cause Daemons enormous headaches as they find themselves simply unable to ply their tricks in constrained space which forces them into a much clunkier land ruckus instead. I’d hazard a guess that’s what happened here, with the Chaos Cults grinding out a big win on the scoreboard.

Result

Chaos Space Marines (Chaos Cult) Victory – 77 – 44

Derek Apsche – Chaos Space Marines (Chaos Cult) – 1st Place

That Gobbo

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Chaos Cults

Thoughts

One of the biggest engines in the CSM Codex is the same as the Index – massed Accursed Cultists, which, although no longer a regenerating nightmare (most of the time- see ‘this detachment’) are still a phenomenal board control and disruption piece. This list goes all in on Cultist bodies with amped up tricks with a Dark Apostle and Bile complimenting the more typical Dark Communes. In Chaos Cults they are fast, deceptively dangerous, and can completely choke the board, which is a very powerful trick to have in the locker in a world of armies looking to exploit space. Used well this build is horrifying, well done on the event win!

Clifton “Murica” Russell – Orks (Dread Mob) – 2nd Place (Undefeated)

Mek Gun with Kustom Mega-kannon
Mek Gun with Kustom Mega-kannon

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Badrukk’s Avengers

Thoughts

Badrukk may be dead, but his legacy lives on. THIRTY FLASH GITZ (I’m picturing them carrying his little resin coffin, Ghanaian pallbearer style, whilst firing blind with their free hands) compliment the usual Grot / Gun based shenanigans in this brutal Dread Mobz build. I particularly like the enormous overwatch control lanes that the big bricks of Gitz give you – with their SUSTAINED shooting they are highly relevant for zoning out portions of the board that marine bodies might want to travel into, whilst Grotz chew up the primary and sprinkle mortal wounds around with cheeky reactive trash throwing. It’s a beautiful all-in infantry build that showcases there is life in the wonderful Ork codex even as it shakes off some heavy hits in the slate. Really well done on the top placing.

NATHANIEL BJORGE – Tyranids (Vanguard Onslaught) – 3rd Place (Undefeated)

Hive Tyrant. Credit: Rockfish
Hive Tyrant. Credit: Rockfish

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

ONSLAUGHT, LOOK IT UP

Thoughts

Full credit to Nathaniel, who has taken the ‘onslaught’ in Vanguard Onslaught very, very seriously indeed. Massed Genestealers with Broodlords threaten an enormous scout moving alpha strike, followed up by Ravener and Warrior packs. This build must trade dearly on blocking and tying up the enemy as it feels incredibly light on follow up shooting or durability, which is a testament to just how scary the push potential of those Purestrain bricks is. Really well done on the top placing.

Dominic Gierber – Ynnari (Battle Host) – 4th Place

Credit: Greg Narro

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Ynnari Shooting

Thoughts

A brutal Ynnari build that runs giggling out of the store with all the cheap Drukhari shooting to prop up the poor, overpriced darlings of the Index formerly known as overpowered. This list has so many ways to hurt you on cheap, efficient shooting platforms and can dodge engagements with shoot and scoot antics and Fire and Fade. Wraithblades anchor the midboard, and Yvraine parties with some cheap Storm Guardians instead of the Harlies she’s often cavorting with. This list can mission for days and has just enough solidity to lock down board control as the guns go to work. Really well done.

The Best of the Rest

There were 17 more players on 5-1 records. They were:

  • 5th – Robert Hawkins – Chaos Daemons: The mixed arms Daemons list from the showdown.
  • 6th – Colin McDade – Orks (Bully Boyz): Bully Boyz with a Squig brick.
  • 7th – Nick “Doots” Toomey – Adepta Sororitas (Hallowed Martyrs): Tank heavy Hallowed Martyrs Sisters with Vahl.
  • 8th – Dakota Boyer – Astra Militarum: Double Rogal Dorn guard with lots of supporting infantry squads.
  • 9th – Kit Smith – Tyranids (Invasion Fleet): Chonky monster heavy Invasion Fleet with double Tyrannofex.
  • 10th – Dalton Treat – Death Guard: Mech / Deathshroud heavy Death Guard with Mortarion leading the charge.
  • 11th – Matthew Geyer – T’au Empire (Mont’ka): Mont’ka pressure with loads of Breachers and Riptides.
  • 12th – Robert Moreland – Astra Militarum: Bullgryn Slabs, Leman Russ and a Stormsword. I LOVE.
  • 13th – Greg Harris – Adeptus Custodes (Shield Host): Infantry / Caladius Custodes with a Telemon!
  • 14th – Schuyler Quinn – Thousand Sons: Massed characters, Rubrics, and two Vortex Beast.
  • 15th – Julian Hingle – Salamanders (Firestorm Assault Force): Firestorm Salamanders with loads of Transport / Infantry shenanigans and Inquisitor Coteaz (hopefully the old model, poor guy)
  • 16th – Ethan Davis – World Eaters: A very novel triple Master of Executions / Bezerker brick WE build.
  • 17th – Jeremey Lea – Chaos Knights: Massed War Dogs and Nurglings.
  • 18th – Benjamin Wood – Chaos Knights: Massed War Dogs, Nurglings, AND a Sloppity Bilepiper.
  • 19th – Christian Alessi – T’au Empire (Mont’ka): Mont’ka pressure with triple Hammerhead and some Ghostkeel.
  • 20th – Andrew Champion – World Eaters: Eightbound heavy WE with a Lord of Skulls.
  • 21th – Hunter Nichols – Space Wolves (Champions of Russ): Murderfang, Bjorn, and triple Wulfen Dreadnoughts, baller.

Dice Arcade Winter GT

63-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Gymea, New South Wales, AU on July 19 2024. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

The Showdown

Scorched Earth – Swift Action – Tipping Point

Woody Wu – Adeptus Custodes (Shield Host)
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vs.

Alexander Englezos – Adeptus Mechanicus (Skitarii Hunter Cohort)
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Thoughts

Two contrasting styles throw down, as ‘really not many bodies’ Custodes / Canis square up to ‘really an awful lot of bodies’ Ad Mech. The Custodes list is very well rounded, with some combat punch via Guard, Venatari for Ingress push plays, and Canis Rex and Caladius standing behind them threatening complete eradication on any who dare show their faces. It’s a list that can wreck elite armies and targets rapidly, with just enough scoring sprinkled in along side.

Into the Ad Mech their challenge is one of volume. You really can shove bodies into Ad Mech lists these days, and this Hunter Cohort build packs truckloads of Vanguard into Duneriders for mission play. There are plenty of small scoring pieces and block pieces as well and ‘Ad Mech Jail’ is a very real threat. The combat threat of Dragoons and Ruststalkers is very real too, and if a couple of the Custodes heavy hitters go down they’re going to struggle to reckon with this tide of infantry whilst also manging to put up a respectable score, which saw the Ad Mech through to a solid win here.

Result

Adeptus Mechanicus (Skitarii Hunter Cohort) Victory – 100 – 69

Alexander Englezos – Adeptus Mechanicus (Skitarii Hunter Cohort) – 1st Place

Skitarii Marshal
Skitarii Marshal. Credit: Pendulin

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Ad Mech Hunter Cohort

Thoughts

Ad Mech got buffed to the gills in the dataslate, and we are steadily begin to see the effects of this out in the world now. The list packs an awful lot of ranged output into less platforms now with the buffs to Ballistari, which enables it to cram even more points into forward blocking and mission play. I like Dragoons as a counter charge piece even more now they have slightly more options to boost their combat potential. All in all, a really solid list, well done on the event win.

Egor Kalinin – Necrons (Hypercrypt Legion) – 2nd Place

C'tan Shard of the Void Dragon. Credit: Rockfish
C’tan Shard of the Void Dragon. Credit: Rockfish

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Hypercrypt Vault Tec

Thoughts

Egor brings an end to the Monolith versus Tesseract Vault debate forever by happily marrying them both together, under the watchful eyes of the Silent King. Brings a tear to my eye so it does. This list has an awful lot of ranged output and can switch positions in a heartbeat to apply it mercilessly, whilst the mobility of the detachment also helps it to score cards and, in a pinch, secret missions as well. Hypercrypt has massively enjoyed Pariah so far, long may it last!

Jordan McGregor – Adepta Sororitas (Bringers of Flame) – 3rd Place

Adepta Sororitas Castigator Battle Tank - Order of the Gilded Cilice - Credit: Colin Ward
Adepta Sororitas Castigator Battle Tank – Order of the Gilded Cilice – Credit: Colin Ward

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Brings of Flame Goodstuff

Thoughts

This archetype has broken out reaaalll quick for the Sisters, with Bringers of Flame setting up shop as their premier detachment. Phenomenally mobile, extremely punchy, with great tricks and traps thrown in via Dominion and Immolator related shenanigans, this list can leave you punch drunk and stranded very quickly indeed. I really rate the baby 45 point Arco units as throwaway scoring pieces- no matter what you do to adjust Sisters, they always seem to find one of these somewhere eh! Very well done on the top placing.

Jay Mann – T’au Empire (Kauyon) – 4th Place

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Tiger Sharks

Thoughts

This is getting out of hand, now there are two of them! Tiger Shark real good, so two Tiger Sharks even better. Exactly how much mileage you get from these planes depends how their deployment is ruled, but they are extremely deadly and cost effective alongside a reliable all rounder Kauyon list like this one. Really well done on the top placing.

The Best of the Rest

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

  • 5th – Todd Wedmaier – World Eaters: World Eaters Goodstuff.
  • 6th – Kirby – T’au Empire (Mont’ka): Mont’ka pressure with some Fireknife Crisis teams.
  • 7th – Nathan Princi – World Eaters: Massed Eightbound and a couple of Forgefiends.
  • 8th – Daniel Xerri – Grey Knights: Canis and Dreadknight hull spam.
  • 9th – Woody Wu – Adeptus Custodes (Shield Host): Caladius / Canis and Infantry.
  • 10th – Michael House – Thousand Sons: Triple Mutalith Vortex Beast Tsons, yikes.
  • 11th – Oscar Dyer – Chaos Daemons: Kairos and Bloodthirster centred Daemons with some Rendmaster buffing.

Saskatchewan Open 2024

42-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Saskatoon, SK, Canada on July 20 2024. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

Anthony Richardson – Drukhari (Skysplinter Assault) – 1st Place

Drukhari Archon. Credit: Corrode

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Drukhari Ravagers

Thoughts

An intriguing adjustment to the typical Skysplinter builds we have seen here, as Scourge make way for Ravagers. This frees up a little bit of points flex that is channelled into additional scoring pieces with triple Mandrake / Cronos. Pain token management looks a little bit easier for this list, with the more accurate Ravagers less reliant on tokens to function, and plenty of Cronos coverage for regen anyway. Really interesting to see an embellishment on the Skysplinter theme, congratulations on the event win!

Frasier Parry – World Eaters (Berzerker Warband) – 2nd Place (Undefeated)

Credit: Robert “TheChirurgeon” Jones

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

EIGHTBOUND

Thoughts

A brutal, fist to the face type of World Eaters list here that doesn’t mess about and crams in the damage dealers. Eightbound are terrifying and three squads of the Exalted version makes a successful, game ruining trap going off all the more likely, so dance with this build at your peril! Kharn sneaks in amongst the usual characters for extra damage dealing, as if that were needed. A glorious, riotous build, well done.

The Best of the Rest

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

  • 3rd – Adam Green – Leagues of Votann: Massed Bikers and Hearthguard with supporting Sagitaurs.
  • 4th – Casey Stengler – Chaos Daemons: Triple Lord of Change, double Keeper and Rotigus. Oh. My. Word.
  • 5th – Byron Livingstone – Tyranids (Invasion Fleet): Chonky Invasion Fleet monsters with the Swarmlord leading the charge.
  • 6th – Morgan Smerek – Chaos Knights: War Dogs with Rotigus tagging along.
  • 7th – Zach Hansen – Aeldari: Massed Skyweavers, D Cannons and Aspect Warriors with Fuegan at the head.
  • 8th – Chanse Kuffner – World Eaters: Massed Eightbound with Forgefiends.

Forthvalley GT 2024

32-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Scotland, GB on July 20 2024. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

Ryan Kerr – T’au Empire (Retaliation Cadre) – 1st Place

Commander Farsight. Credit: Jack Hunter

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Battle Suit Ret Cadre

Thoughts

I’d actually started to miss Crisis Suits. There, I said it. Bane of my life 98% of the time, when they’re not popping up in Tau lists something simply doesn’t feel right. No such problems here with a Retaliation Cadre build that slams a bunch of Crisis teams in tooled up for every conceivable occasion. The flexibility with being able to apply these in clutch locations across the game with 3 inch deep strike makes them much more useful, and you can make additional ingress push plays with the suits that don’t come in that way. A very strong, fast, and deceptively sneaky build, I love it. Well done on the win.

The Best of the Rest

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

  • 2nd – Allan Davidson – Aeldari (Battle Host): Ynnari with Drukhari Scourge and Lelith backing up Troupe / D Canon nonsense.
  • 3rd – Chris Irvine – Space Marines (Astartes) (Sons of Sanguinius): Big brick little brick Blood Angels with a nasty slab of Vanguard Veterans.
  • 4th – Innes Wilson – Chaos Space Marines (Renegade Raiders): Josh Roberts style Renegade Raiders with a brick of Warp Talons for good measure.
  • 5th – Tim Dagnall – Chaos Space Marines (Renegade Raiders): Tank Car Park Renegade Raiders with a brick of Nurglings.
  • 6th – Samuel Norton-Alexander – Adepta Sororitas (Bringers of Flame): BoF Goodstuff with a Paragon squad.

Wrap Up

That’s it for this week folks! The WTC lists have gone live so expect to see homage / copycat lists beginning to populate our event feeds over the next week or two. Very exciting game right now and it was particularly nice to see World Eaters breaking out well this week amongst a few of the other stars. Get out and enjoy the warhams before it’s too hot to be stuck in a hall.

Lowest of Men, out.

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