Nearly there! Five more events to cover this week, just in time for a weekend to happen, and there to be more events. It’s the circle of life.

Today I’m joined by a special guest, Peter “The Falcon” Colosimo. Peter joined Rob from the Honest Wargamer in the commentary booth at the Capital City Bloodbath, and thus got to see the top lists from the event in action, so is taking the wheel for coverage of the Showdown and top four from that event. You can see an archive of the streamed games on the CanHammer YouTube channel.

I’ll be covering the remaining GTs, and in total today we’re looking at:

The Capital City Bloodbath (Major)
Gameology Pasadena ‘Hammer of Wrath’ GT
GemHammer GT 2022
Swordcon
Korea Summer Slam

If you’re looking for any of the following, take a look at yesterday’s article:

Salt Lake Open 2022 (Major)
The 2022 Gateway Open 40K Grand Tournament (Major)
Tables and Towers GT
Feast Of Blades Singles GT August
Seasons of Waaagh! (The Return) A WH40k GT

Let’s start with the big one – take it away Peter!

Capital City Bloodbath – 40K Champs

122-player, 6-round Grand Tournament in Ottawa, ON, CA on August 20 2022. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

The Showdown

Matchup & Mission – Tide of Conviction

Sam Procopio – Blood Angels: Blood Angels with big Sanguinary Guard units.
Army List - Click to Expand

++ Battalion Detachment 0CP (Imperium – Adeptus Astartes – Blood Angels) [120 PL, 2,000pts, 1CP] ++
+ Configuration +
**Chapter Selector**: Blood Angels
+ HQ +

Chapter Master [8 PL, 160pts, -3CP]: 3. Soulwarden, Bolt pistol, Chapter Command: Chapter Master, Frag & Krak grenades, Inferno pistol, Jump Pack, Relic blade, Rites of War, Stratagem: Angel Exemplar, Stratagem: Relic, Stratagem: Warlord Trait, Visage of Death, Warlord

Librarian [7 PL, 145pts, -1CP]: 3) Null Zone (Aura), 4) Psychic Scourge, 5) Fury of the Ancients, Chapter Command: Chief Librarian, Force sword, Frag & Krak grenades, Inferno pistol, Jump Pack, Psychic Mastery, Smite, Stratagem: Hero of the Chapter

Sanguinary Priest [7 PL, 155pts, -1CP]: Astartes Chainsword, Bolt pistol, Chapter Command: Chief Apothecary, Frag & Krak grenades, Jump Pack, Selfless Healer, Stratagem: Hero of the Chapter

+ Troops +

Incursor Squad [5 PL, 105pts]
. 4x Incursor: 4x Bolt pistol, 4x Frag & Krak grenades, 4x Occulus bolt carbine, 4x Paired combat blades
. Incursor Sergeant: Bolt pistol, Frag & Krak grenades, Occulus bolt carbine, Paired combat blades

Intercessor Squad [5 PL, 100pts]: Auto Bolt Rifle
. 4x Intercessor: 4x Bolt pistol, 4x Frag & Krak grenades
. Intercessor Sergeant: Astartes Chainsword, Bolt pistol, Frag & Krak grenades

+ Elites +

Death Company Marines [8 PL, 150pts]: Jump Pack
. Death Company Marine: Frag & Krak grenades, Thunder hammer
. Death Company Marine: Frag & Krak grenades, Thunder hammer
. Death Company Marine: Frag & Krak grenades, Thunder hammer
. Death Company Marine: Frag & Krak grenades
. . Bolt pistol and chainsword: Astartes Chainsword, Bolt pistol
. Death Company Marine: Frag & Krak grenades
. . Bolt pistol and chainsword: Astartes Chainsword, Bolt pistol

Sanguinary Guard [17 PL, 210pts]
. Sanguinary Guard: Angelus boltgun, Encarmine sword, Frag & Krak grenades
. Sanguinary Guard: Angelus boltgun, Encarmine sword, Frag & Krak grenades
. Sanguinary Guard: Angelus boltgun, Encarmine sword, Frag & Krak grenades
. Sanguinary Guard: Angelus boltgun, Encarmine sword, Frag & Krak grenades
. Sanguinary Guard: Angelus boltgun, Encarmine sword, Frag & Krak grenades
. Sanguinary Guard: Angelus boltgun, Encarmine sword, Frag & Krak grenades
. Sanguinary Guard: Angelus boltgun, Encarmine sword, Frag & Krak grenades

Sanguinary Guard [17 PL, 220pts]
. Sanguinary Guard: Angelus boltgun, Encarmine axe, Frag & Krak grenades
. Sanguinary Guard: Angelus boltgun, Encarmine axe, Frag & Krak grenades
. Sanguinary Guard: Angelus boltgun, Encarmine axe, Frag & Krak grenades
. Sanguinary Guard: Angelus boltgun, Encarmine axe, Frag & Krak grenades
. Sanguinary Guard: Angelus boltgun, Encarmine axe, Frag & Krak grenades
. Sanguinary Guard: Encarmine axe, Frag & Krak grenades, Inferno pistol
. Sanguinary Guard: Encarmine axe, Frag & Krak grenades, Inferno pistol

Sanguinary Guard [17 PL, 220pts]
. Sanguinary Guard: Angelus boltgun, Encarmine sword, Frag & Krak grenades
. Sanguinary Guard: Angelus boltgun, Encarmine sword, Frag & Krak grenades
. Sanguinary Guard: Angelus boltgun, Encarmine sword, Frag & Krak grenades
. Sanguinary Guard: Angelus boltgun, Encarmine sword, Frag & Krak grenades
. Sanguinary Guard: Angelus boltgun, Encarmine sword, Frag & Krak grenades
. Sanguinary Guard: Encarmine axe, Frag & Krak grenades, Inferno pistol
. Sanguinary Guard: Encarmine axe, Frag & Krak grenades, Inferno pistol

Scout Squad [4 PL, 70pts]
. Scout Sergeant: Astartes Chainsword, Bolt pistol, Frag & Krak grenades
. 4x Scout w/Combat knife: 4x Bolt pistol, 4x Combat knife, 4x Frag & Krak grenades

+ Fast Attack +

Assault Squad [6 PL, 90pts]: Jump Pack
. 2x Space Marine: 2x Astartes Chainsword, 2x Bolt pistol, 2x Frag & Krak grenades
. Space Marine Sergeant: Frag & Krak grenades, Inferno pistol, Lightning Claw
. Space Marine w/Special Weapon: Frag & Krak grenades
. . Plasma Pistol & Chainsword: Astartes Chainsword, Plasma pistol
. Space Marine w/Special Weapon: Frag & Krak grenades
. . Plasma Pistol & Chainsword: Astartes Chainsword, Plasma pistol

Land Speeders [3 PL, 70pts]
. Land Speeder: Multi-melta

+ Heavy Support +

Eliminator Squad [4 PL, 75pts]: Las Fusil
. Eliminator Sergeant: Bolt pistol, Camo cloak, Frag & Krak grenades, Instigator Bolt Carbine
. 2x Eliminators: 2x Bolt pistol, 2x Camo cloak, 2x Frag & Krak grenades

+ Dedicated Transport +

Land Speeder Storm [3 PL, 50pts]: Cerberus launcher, Heavy bolter

++ Total: [120 PL, 1CP, 2,000pts] ++

vs.

François Lalonde – Hive Fleet Leviathan: Leviathan Warrior Spam
Army List - Click to Expand

++ Battalion Detachment 0CP (Tyranids) [74 PL, 1,600pts, 4CP] ++

+ Configuration +

Hive Fleet: (Hunt) Augmented Ferocity, Leviathan

+ Stratagems +

Hive Predator [-1CP]: Extra Warlord Trait
Relic [-1CP]

+ HQ +

Hive Tyrant [9 PL, 210pts]: Adrenal Glands, Heavy Venom Cannon, Lash Whip and Monstrous Bonesword, Power: Psychic Scream, Power: The Horror, Relic: The Maw-claws of Thyrax, Warlord

Neurothrope [5 PL, 100pts]: Power: Catalyst, Power: Onslaught
Tyranid Prime [5 PL, 85pts]: Devourer, Lash Whip and Bonesword, Warlord Trait: Direct Guidance

+ Troops +

Tyranid Warriors [12 PL, 305pts]: Adrenal Glands, Flesh Hooks
. Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Dual Boneswords
. Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Dual Boneswords
. Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Dual Boneswords
. Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Dual Boneswords
. Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Dual Boneswords
. Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Dual Boneswords
. Tyranid Warrior: Dual Boneswords, Venom Cannon
. Tyranid Warrior: Dual Boneswords, Venom Cannon
. Tyranid Warrior: Dual Boneswords, Venom Cannon

Tyranid Warriors [8 PL, 175pts]: Adrenal Glands, Flesh Hooks
. Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Dual Boneswords
. Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Dual Boneswords
. Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Dual Boneswords
. Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Dual Boneswords
. Tyranid Warrior: Dual Boneswords, Venom Cannon

+ Elites +

Tyrant Guard [8 PL, 120pts]
. 3x Tyrant Guard (Scything): 3x Two Rending Claws, 3x Two Scything Talons

Venomthropes [5 PL, 105pts]
. 3x Venomthrope: 3x Toxic Lashes

Zoanthropes [7 PL, 150pts]: Power: Onslaught, 3x Zoanthrope

+ Heavy Support +

Biovores [3 PL, 45pts]: Biovore

++ Patrol Detachment -2CP (Tyranids) [19 PL, 400pts, -3CP] ++

+ Configuration +

Detachment Command Cost [-2CP]

Hive Fleet: (Hunt) Augmented Ferocity, Leviathan

+ Stratagems +

Rarefied Enhancements [-1CP]: Extra Bio-artefact

+ HQ +

Winged Hive Tyrant [11 PL, 225pts]: Adrenal Glands, Lash Whip and Monstrous Bonesword, Power: Neuroparasite, Power: Paroxysm, Relic: The Reaper of Obilterax

+ Troops +

++ Total: [93 PL, 1CP, 2,000pts] ++

Thoughts

This match was either going to be an absolute Bloodbath (fitting for the event it happened at) or a nail biter of pokes and trades. Tide of Conviction feels like the perfect mission for these 2 lists to go toe-to-toe and vie for supremacy if they’re going to maximize their primary. Capital City Bloodbath went with a slightly different take on player placed terrain with 2 small obscuring L shaped ruins being fixed in the middle of the board to start and rotated based on deployment. This meant the remaining 4 larger Ls, crates and area terrain end up leaving ample room to create ‘safe zones’ for both armies to strike from.

Francois’ take on Leviathan forgoes Harpies for even more claws on the ground and that lead to him playing the list like an inevitable tide in most match-ups, pushing forward aggressively with the warriors and then using his Hive Tyrant with Reaper of Obliterax as a hit-and-run monster relying on Overrun to wind up inside his mass of warriors after every ‘feed’, while his second Tyrant plays backfield defender on the off chance an opponent is able to make a large enough hole in the ranks of warriors at his disposal. On paper, Synaptic Control is a massive nightmare for Blood Angels players as it generally negates fully half of their chapter tactic and forces them to rely on the weight of dice alone. Add in access to Toxic Miasma from the squad of Venomthropes, Warp Shielding from the Zoanthropes, and an impressive aura of Goaded to Slaughter and the Sons of Sanguinius are going to need to be tread lightly if they’re going to have a shot at going toe to toe. With all that said, in speaking to Francois before the match, he still put the game in Sam’s favor as Sam had a great deal of experience in the matchup and he did not.

Sam’s list has had quite a bit of success and has seen slight modifications over the last few months as he has stomped all over the Canadian scene and made multiple forays to the South. 3 large blocks of Sanguinary Guard and a unit of Death Company with Thunder Hammers act as the backbone for a list swimming with tech pieces built purely around maximizing scoring against many of the ‘big bads’ of the current meta. A Chapter Master with Visage of Death and Rites of War can easily be a critical 8 point swing or more in the right matchup, shutting down objective-secured on an objective to steal it away. A Librarian with Null Zone on hand trades off access to Abhor the Witch for the shot at deleting a pesky character or shutting down a key Warp Shielding turn for his Tyranid opponent. Even filled with Scouts, Land Speeder Storms guarantee at least a turn of relentless assault in most missions and a single Assault Marine squad opens up a cheap deep striking unit that can threaten backfield objective holders. Round the list off with Eliminators with Las Fusils and a Bolt Instigator and you have a recipe for speed and board control.

Both players admitted later that this was a matchup of ‘who will blink first’ as if either player over commited to the mid-board early they would be punished. While experience favored Sam, if Francois held back and went for a game of singular trades it was the Leviathan player’s game to lose when it came down to dice. And that’s exactly how it went down. In a nail-biter of a game that swung back and forth repeatedly on the keen generalship of both players, the final score came down to a single Hive Tyrant surviving on 1 wound on Sam’s back objective after scything its way through 11 Sanguinary Guard. Francois played a tight game and never committed more than a single warrior unit at a time into Sam’s forces as he forced Sam’s primary down early with some impressive positioning and use of the fight phase but lost his Reaper Tyrant earlier than he’d have wished when it failed to kill a Sanguinary guard unit that had stepped on the middle objective.

Result

Hive Fleet Leviathan Victory – 77 – 76

François Lalonde – Hive Fleet Leviathan – 1st Place

The List

See showdown.

Archetype

Leviathan Good Stuff, but no birds because Francois thinks they’re a crutch.

Thoughts

Francois’ Synaptic Tide features all of the things that make me shake my head when it comes to the Tyranid codex even after the repeated nerfs, except Harpies, but the man is crazy so he is allowed to be different. Leviathan continues to make its presence known on the top tables and it’s doubtful that will change anytime soon. That said, this list is being piloted by a truly noble soul who was a pleasure both on and off the camera over the weekend.

Jeremy Atkinson – Imperial Knights – 2nd Place

Imperial Knight Paladin. Credit: Jack Hunter

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
* Player: Jeremy “stat-check” Atkinson
* Factions used: Imperium – Imperial Knights
* Army points: 2000
* Reinforcement Points: none pts
* Number of Units / Killpoints: 5
* Pre Game Stratagems: Warlord Trait, Relic, Knight Baron, 2x Heirlooms of the House
* Starting Command Points: 1
* Warlord: Knight Paladin
* Army Trait: Code Chivalric
* Secondary Objectives Information
* Assassination: 7
* Bring it Down: 15
* No Prisoners: 0
* Abhor the Witch: 0
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
== Oath: Defend the Realm Oath: Protect Those in Need == Super-Heavy Detachment = 0 CP, [108 PL, 2000 pts] ==
LOW: 2 Armiger Helverins [16 PL, 310 pts] Armiger Helverin (Heirloom: The Bastard’s Helm, Heirlooms of the Household, Questor Cognis Heavy Stubber), Armiger Helverin (Questor Cognis Heavy Stubber)

LOW: 2 Armiger Warglaives [16 PL, 290 pts] 2xArmiger Warglaive (Questor Cognis Heavy Stubber)

LOW: 3 Armiger Warglaives [24 PL, 435 pts] 3xArmiger Warglaive (Questor Cognis Heavy Stubber)

LOW: Knight Crusader [27 PL, 505 pts] Exalted Court: Master of Vox, Heirloom: Endless Fury, Heirlooms of the Household, Knight Baron, Questor Cognis Heavy Stubber, Thermal Cannon, Warlord Trait (Taranis): Knight of Mars

LOW: Knight Paladin [25 PL, 460 pts] Character (Knight Lance), Exalted Court: Princeps, Heirloom: Sanctuary, Questor Cognis Heavy Stubber, Rapid-Fire Battle Cannon w/ Questor Cognis Heavy Stubber (Questor Cognis Heavy Stubber, Rapid-Fire Battle Cannon), Reaper Chainsword, Stratagem: Relic, Stratagem: Warlord Trait, Warlord, Warlord Trait: Ion Bulwark

Archetype

House Math Your Opponent off the Table

Thoughts

House Taranis has taken up the mantle as the go-to Bougie Knights’ list for a reason and Jeremy ‘Math Man’ Atkinson makes the most of their combos, ensuring that Calculated Targeting is always going to be deadly. We saw this in particularly deadly form on Table 2 of Round 6 when Jeremy was able to remove just about everything that was in line of fire in his second shooting phase, picking up 4 Starweavers and a plethora of Troupes in short order. Applying Princeps to the Knight Paladin means his big knights are being fed consistent rerolls via a Paladin’s Duty and The Bastard’s Helm is no joke, turning 2 Helverins into absolute murder-makers in short order. It’s no wonder Jeremy pulled off a respectable 5 wins and a draw at the event (and a 90 point draw on top of that).

Sam Procopio – Blood Angels – 3rd Place

Blood Angels Angel’s Incursors. Credit: Jack Hunter

The List

See showdown.

Archetype

Jump Packs and Jazz Hands

Thoughts

See my showdown thoughts for my breakdown on what the list does so well. The value each piece adds makes for a Blood Angels list that plays best as a scalpel that just so happens to have a sledgehammer hanging off its handle.

Hamza Syed – Harlequins – 4th Place

The List

Army List - Click to Expand

++ Battalion Detachment 0CP (Aeldari – Harlequins) [87 PL, 2,000pts, 2CP] ++
+ Configuration +

Gametype: 4. Chapter Approved: War Zone Nephilim

Saedath Characterisation: Light: Blaze of Light

+ Stratagems +

Stratagem: Treasures of the Aeldari [-1CP]
Stratagem: Treasures of the Aeldari [-1CP]
Stratagem: Treasures of the Aeldari [-1CP]

+ HQ +
Shadowseer [5 PL, 100pts]: 3. Mirror of Minds (Witchfire), 6. Webway Dance (Aura) (Blessing), Shuriken Pistol
. Shadow Stone

Troupe Master [4 PL, 90pts, -1CP]: 3: A Foot in the Future, Fusion Pistol, Harlequin’s Kiss, Stratagem: Favoured of the Laughing God, Warlord
. Cegorach’s Rose

Troupe Master [5 PL, 105pts]: Aeldari Power Sword, Fusion Pistol, Veiled King
. The Storied Sword

+ Troops +

Troupe [4 PL, 95pts]
. Lead Player: Harlequin’s Blade, Shuriken Pistol
. Player: Fusion Pistol, Harlequin’s Caress
. Player: Fusion Pistol, Harlequin’s Embrace
. Player: Harlequin’s Blade, Neuro Disruptor
. Player: Harlequin’s Blade, Neuro Disruptor

Troupe [4 PL, 90pts]
. Lead Player: Harlequin’s Blade, Shuriken Pistol
. Player: Fusion Pistol, Harlequin’s Blade
. Player: Fusion Pistol, Harlequin’s Embrace
. Player: Harlequin’s Blade, Neuro Disruptor
. Player: Harlequin’s Blade, Neuro Disruptor

Troupe [4 PL, 75pts]
. Lead Player: Harlequin’s Blade, Shuriken Pistol
. Player: Fusion Pistol, Harlequin’s Blade
. Player: Fusion Pistol, Harlequin’s Blade
. Player: Harlequin’s Blade, Shuriken Pistol
. Player: Harlequin’s Blade, Shuriken Pistol

+ Elites +

Death Jester [4 PL, 90pts]: Rift Ghoul

Death Jester [3 PL, 70pts]

Solitaire [6 PL, 110pts]

+ Fast Attack +

Skyweavers [4 PL, 110pts]
. Skyweaver: Skyweaver Haywire Cannon, Zephyrglaive
. Skyweaver: Skyweaver Haywire Cannon, Zephyrglaive

Skyweavers [4 PL, 100pts]
. Skyweaver: Skyweaver Haywire Cannon, Star Bolas
. Skyweaver: Skyweaver Haywire Cannon, Star Bolas

+ Dedicated Transport +

Starweaver [4 PL, 95pts]
Starweaver [4 PL, 95pts]
Starweaver [4 PL, 95pts]
Starweaver [4 PL, 95pts]
Starweaver [4 PL, 95pts]
Starweaver [4 PL, 95pts]

++ Total: [87 PL, 2CP, 2,000pts] ++

Archetype

Warriors of Light at a Catalina Wine Mixer

Thoughts

Hamza’s Light Harlequins list cleaves to what we’ve begun to see emerge as the new way to play clowns – forgoing Void Weavers in their entirety for the power and massive flexibility of 30 troupes Tokyo-drifting around the board and leaving chaos in their wake. Hamza’s list goes deeper into characters than most, offering up juicy assassination targets by running 2 Death Jesters, 2 Troupe Masters AND a Solitaire, but they all further amp up his ability to cripple opponents’ assets and slyly manipulate the board. The Storied Sword Troupe Master with Veiled King can clear waves of models with ease, and who hasn’t stared down the barrel of Cegorach’s Rose? Skyweavers round out the list with some reliable anti-vehicle firepower that don’t just collapse to a stiff breeze.

The Best of the Rest

There were 6 more players on 5-1 records. They were:

5th – Tim Deetlefs – Harlequins: Light Saedath with 3×3 shooty Skyweavers. Great for Secondaries, and an increasingly common sight.
6th – Eric Marcoux – Imperial Knights: House Raven with an Errant and Crusader, then lots of Warglaives and a pair of Helverins where one has the Bastard’s Helm.
7th – Zach Comeau – Astra Militarum: An honest to god guard super-heavy in the 5-1 bracket, a Banehammer taking the field alongside Pask, a Tank Commander and a a couple of big Conscript units.
8th – Isaac Bates – Harlequins: More Light Saedath Harlequins, this time with three solo Voidweavers as a mobile shooty/positioning piece.
9th – Yves Jean-baptiste – Adepta Sororitas: Bloody Rose Goodstuff with a unit each of Paragons and Mortifiers.
10th – Nicholas Jagiello – Necrons: Eternal Expansionists with a couple of C’tan.
11th – Will Paul – Orks: Speed Mob with a big Deffkopta squad and a couple of Wazboms overhead.

GemHammer GT 2022

40-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Dayton, Ohio, US on August 20 2022. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

The Showdown

Matchup & Mission – Tear Down Their Icons

Roland Hubert – Orks: Goff Pressure with Kill Rigs and Ghaz.
Army List - Click to Expand

++ Battalion Detachment -3CP (Orks) [95 PL, 1CP, 1,700pts] ++

+ Configuration +

Clan Kultur: Goffs

Detachment Command Cost [-3CP]

Gametype: 4. Chapter Approved: War Zone Nephilim

+ HQ +

Beastboss on Squigosaur [9 PL, -2CP, 160pts]: 4. Brutal but Kunnin, Headwoppa’s Killchoppa, Stratagem: Big Boss, Stratagem: Extra Gubbinz

Big Mek in Mega Armour [7 PL, 130pts]: Bionik Oiler, Grot Oiler, Kustom Force Field, Kustom Mega-Blasta

Makari [3 PL, 50pts]

Weirdboy [4 PL, 70pts]: 3. Da Jump, 4. Fists of Gork

+ Troops +

Beast Snagga Boyz [5 PL, 100pts]
. 9x Beast Snagga Boy: 9x Choppa, 9x Slugga
. Beast Snagga Nob

Gretchin [2 PL, 40pts]
. 10x Gretchin: 10x Grot Blaster

+ Elites +

Kommandos [4 PL, 60pts]
. Boss Nob: Power Klaw
. 4x Kommando: 4x Choppa, 4x Slugga, 4x Stikkbombs

Meganobz [12 PL, 220pts]
. Boss Meganob: Killsaw, Killsaw
. Meganob: Killsaw, Killsaw
. Meganob: Killsaw, Killsaw
. Meganob: Killsaw, Killsaw
. Meganob: Kustom Shoota, Power Klaw
. Meganob: Kustom Shoota, Power Klaw

+ Fast Attack +

Stormboyz [3 PL, 60pts]
. Boss Nob: Power Klaw
. 4x Stormboy: 4x Choppa, 4x Slugga, 4x Stikkbombs

+ Heavy Support +

Battlewagon [9 PL, 170pts]: ‘ard Case, Deff Rolla, Fortress on Wheels, Killkannon

Kill Rig [11 PL, 190pts]: 2. Frazzle, 6. Squiggly Curse

+ Flyer +

Dakkajet [8 PL, 120pts]: 2x Additional Supa Shoota

++ Supreme Command Detachment +3CP (Orks) [15 PL, 2CP, 300pts] ++

+ Configuration +

Clan Kultur: Goffs

Detachment Command Cost [3CP]

+ Primarch | Daemon Primarch | Supreme Commander +

Ghazghkull Thraka [15 PL, -1CP, 300pts]: Proper Killy (Goffs), Stratagem: Warlord Trait

++ Total: [110 PL, 3CP, 2,000pts] ++

vs.

Joshua Minnich – Tyranids: An unusual Psyker-heavy Jormundgandr list using Synaptic Ganglia for boosted cast ranges.
Army List - Click to Expand

++ Battalion Detachment 0CP (Tyranids) [110 PL, , 1,905pts] ++

+ Configuration +

Gametype: 4. Chapter Approved: War Zone Nephilim

Hive Fleet: (Lurk) Synaptic Ganglia, Jormungandr

+ Stratagems +

Hive Predator [-2CP]: 2x Extra Warlord Trait

Rarefied Enhancements [-2CP]: 2x Extra Bio-artefact

Relic [-1CP]

+ No Force Org Slot +

Tyrant Guard [8 PL, 120pts]
. 3x Tyrant Guard (Scything): 3x Two Rending Claws, 3x Two Scything Talons

Zoanthropes [14 PL, 200pts]: Power: Lurking Maws, Power: Neuroparasite, Power: Smite, 4x Zoanthrope

+ HQ +

Hive Tyrant [9 PL, -1CP, 195pts]: Heavy Venom Cannon, Lash Whip and Monstrous Bonesword, Power: Lurking Maws, Power: Psychic Scream, Power: Smite, Power: The Horror, Relic: Shardgullet, Stratagem: Warlord Trait, Warlord, Warlord Trait: Heightened Senses

Neurothrope [5 PL, 100pts]: Power: Catalyst, Power: Lurking Maws, Power: Onslaught, Power: Smite, Warlord Trait: Synaptic Tendrils
. Relic: Resonance Barb: Power: Paroxysm

Neurothrope [5 PL, 100pts]: Power: Catalyst, Power: Lurking Maws, Power: Paroxysm, Power: Smite

+ Troops +

Gargoyles [4 PL, 80pts]
. 10x Gargoyle: 10x Fleshborer

Hormagaunts [4 PL, 100pts]: Adrenal Glands
. 10x Hormagaunt: 10x Hormagaunt Talons

+ Elites +

Lictor [4 PL, 70pts]

Zoanthropes [14 PL, 200pts]: Power: Lurking Maws, Power: Neuroparasite, Power: Smite, 4x Zoanthrope

+ Fast Attack +

Parasite of Mortrex [4 PL, 80pts]: Relic: Gestation Sac, Warlord Trait: Alien Cunning

Raveners [8 PL, 175pts]
. Ravener: Deathspitter, Two Rending Claws
. Ravener: Deathspitter, Two Rending Claws
. Ravener: Deathspitter, Two Rending Claws
. Ravener: Deathspitter, Two Rending Claws
. Ravener: Deathspitter, Two Rending Claws

+ Heavy Support +

Biovores [9 PL, 135pts]
. 3x Biovore: 3x Chitin-barbed Fists, 3x Spore Mine Launcher

++ Fortification Network 0CP (Tyranids) [6 PL, 95pts] ++

+ Configuration +

Detachment Command Cost: Command Benefit

Hive Fleet: (Lurk) Synaptic Ganglia, Jormungandr

+ Fortification +

Sporocyst [6 PL, 95pts]: 5x Deathspitter

++ Total: [116 PL, 2,000pts] ++

Thoughts

OK, so if you’re the Orks here there are going to be some mixed feelings going into this, because on the one hand this might be the first and only time you get to play Ghazghkull into a Tyranid list without the Reaper of Obliterax on a Flyrant, but on the other hand that is…that is so god damn many Mortal Wounds. Good grief. Three units of Zoanthropes, multiple Neurothropes and all of the Spore Mines from a Sporocyst and full Biovore unit is just an appalling amount of damage.

On some level though, the Orks are actually better placed to deal with it than many armies would be. The mines are going to suck but at least their alpha units are either Ghazghkull (not immediately plinkable to death) or riding in high-wound Transports. They won’t last that long in the face of the sheer horror here, but at least they’ll probably succeed in getting the Orks to the mid-board, where this Tyranid list has quite a bit less crunch than the average. The Dakkajet is also pretty neat here, as it can fly around helpfully taking out Spore Mines that get placed somewhere the Orks don’t immediately need to be, and they should also be able to rack up points on Get Da Good Bits relatively easily. If they can pressure the Tyranids enough on primary then maybe they can make this work?

From the Tyranid point of view, what you definitely want to do here is lazily force the Orks to grind themselves to death against you. I’d likely pick Bring it Down (a fairly easy 9+, Assassinate also an option because of the Rigs), Banners and Psychic Interrogation, swing towards the nearby no-man’s land objective and Banner it, then aim to ensure that whatever the Orks put on the middle objective dies every turn, and build up enough Secondary score to win out. It won’t be the biggest win ever, but it should be enough…and it was. Just about. The Orks had a really good go at toppling the bug menace here, but were very narrowly defeated.

Result

Tyranids Victory – 74 – 72

Joshua Minnich – Tyranids – 1st Place

The List

See showdown.

Archetype

Jormundgandr Zoanthrope Spam

Thoughts

Someone has found another way to do something horrific with the Tyranid Codex. Neat. Love that for us. It is, to be fair, a very smart assembly of horrible brain bugs, so well done to Joshua on the win.

The Best of the Rest

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

2nd – Brenton Weiss – Asuryani: Biel Tan with a mighty three Phoenix Lords, then lots of Dire Avengers coming out of a Webway Gate.
3rd – Roland Hubert – Orks: See showdown.
4th – Nathan Gould – Black Templars: Helbrect with Crusaders, Dreadnoughts and a Land Raider Crusader filled with Assault Centurions, the most stylish choice.
5th – Garrett Stacy – Adepta Sororitas: Bloody Rose Goodstuff.
6th – Cody Stacey – Space Wolves Successors: A mix of spicy wolf units plus a Leviathan Dread and some Assault Centurions as Heroes/Whirlwind.
7th – Ben Wilson – Necrons: Novokh with lots of Warriors and Flayed Ones.
8th – Kevin Ponder – Tau: Bor’kan with two big Crisis teams.

Gameology Pasadena ‘Hammer of Wrath’ GT

35-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Gameology Pasadena, Pasadena, CA, United States on August 20 2022. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

The Showdown

Matchup & Mission – Data-Scry Salvage

Matthew Green – Tyranids: Leviathan Goodstuff.
Army List - Click to Expand

++ Battalion Detachment 0CP (Tyranids) [95 PL, 1CP, 2,000pts] ++

+ Configuration +

Gametype: 4. Chapter Approved: War Zone Nephilim

Hive Fleet: (Hunt) Augmented Ferocity, Leviathan

+ Stratagems +

Hive Predator [-2CP]: 2x Extra Warlord Trait

Rarefied Enhancements [-1CP]: Extra Bio-artefact

Relic [-1CP]

+ HQ +

Broodlord [6 PL, 120pts]: Power: Hive Nexus, Power: The Horror, Warlord Trait: Alien Cunning
. Relic: Resonance Barb: Power: Onslaught

Neurothrope [5 PL, 100pts]: Power: Catalyst, Power: Hive Nexus, Power: Onslaught, Power: Smite, Warlord Trait: Synaptic Tendrils

Winged Hive Tyrant [11 PL, -1CP, 210pts]: Lash Whip and Monstrous Bonesword, Power: Paroxysm, Power: Psychic Scream, Relic: The Reaper of Obilterax, Stratagem: Warlord Trait, Warlord, Warlord Trait: Direct Guidance

+ Troops +

Tyranid Warriors [8 PL, 205pts]: Adrenal Glands
. Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Dual Boneswords
. Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Dual Boneswords
. Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Dual Boneswords
. Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Dual Boneswords
. Tyranid Warrior: Dual Boneswords, Venom Cannon
. Tyranid Warrior: Dual Boneswords, Venom Cannon

+ Elites +

Tyrant Guard [8 PL, 120pts]
. 3x Tyrant Guard (Lash/Sword): 3x Lash Whip and Bonecleaver, 3x Two Rending Claws

Venomthropes [5 PL, 105pts]
. 3x Venomthrope: 3x Toxic Lashes

Zoanthropes [7 PL, 150pts]: Power: Hive Nexus, Power: Neuroparasite, Power: Smite, 3x Zoanthrope

+ Flyer +

Harpy [10 PL, 185pts]: 2x Stranglethorn Cannon, Adaptive Physiology: Synaptic Enhancement, Show Spore Mine Rules

Harpy [10 PL, 190pts]: 2x Stranglethorn Cannon, Adaptive Physiology: Voracious Ammunition, Show Spore Mine Rules

++ Total: [95 PL, 1CP, 2,000pts] ++

vs.

Kyle Parry – Harlequins: Extra Speedy Light Saedath with boats and bikes, plus all Shadowseers in the Character slots.
Army List - Click to Expand

++ Battalion Detachment 0CP (Aeldari – Harlequins) [82 PL, 1,685pts, 6CP] ++

+ Configuration +

Gametype: 4. Chapter Approved: War Zone Nephilim

Saedath Characterisation: Light: Blaze of Light

+ HQ +

Shadowseer [5 PL, 100pts]: 1. Twilight Pathways (Blessing), 2. Fog of Dreams (Blessing), Shuriken Pistol, Warlord

Shadowseer [5 PL, 100pts]: 3. Mirror of Minds (Witchfire), 5. Shards of Light (Witchfire), Shuriken Pistol

+ Troops +

Troupe [4 PL, 85pts]
. Lead Player: Harlequin’s Blade, Shuriken Pistol
. Player: Fusion Pistol, Harlequin’s Embrace
. Player: Fusion Pistol, Harlequin’s Kiss
. Player: Harlequin’s Blade, Shuriken Pistol
. Player: Harlequin’s Blade, Shuriken Pistol

+ Fast Attack +

Skyweavers [8 PL, 135pts]
. Skyweaver: Shuriken Cannon, Star Bolas
. Skyweaver: Shuriken Cannon, Star Bolas
. Skyweaver: Shuriken Cannon, Star Bolas

+ Dedicated Transport +

Starweaver [4 PL, 95pts]

++ Patrol Detachment -2CP (Aeldari – Harlequins) [17 PL, 315pts, -2CP] ++

+ Configuration +

Detachment Command Cost [-2CP]

Saedath Characterisation: Light: Blaze of Light

+ HQ +

Shadowseer [5 PL, 100pts]: 1. Twilight Pathways (Blessing), 6. Webway Dance (Aura) (Blessing), Shuriken Pistol

+ Troops +

Troupe [4 PL, 75pts]
. Lead Player: Harlequin’s Blade, Shuriken Pistol
. Player: Harlequin’s Blade, Neuro Disruptor
. Player: Harlequin’s Blade, Neuro Disruptor
. Player: Harlequin’s Blade, Shuriken Pistol
. Player: Harlequin’s Blade, Shuriken Pistol

Troupe [4 PL, 65pts]
. Lead Player: Harlequin’s Blade, Shuriken Pistol
. Player: Harlequin’s Blade, Shuriken Pistol
. Player: Harlequin’s Blade, Shuriken Pistol
. Player: Harlequin’s Blade, Shuriken Pistol
. Player: Harlequin’s Blade, Shuriken Pistol

++ Total: [99 PL, 4CP, 2,000pts] ++

Thoughts

Tyranids are very much the nemesis of Harlequins at the moment, and big Leviathan Warrior blocks are definitely part of it – once you stack an invulnerable save onto them on top of Leviathan’s permanent Transhuman, they’re just a bit too chunky to reliably shift, and being able to stonewall Harlequins from flipping a key point goes a long way towards neutering what makes them good, and that tends to be exacerbated on hold 2/3 missions.

That said, this Harlequin list looks better suited for this matchup than most – it’s unusually skewed towards doing most of its damage with shooting, and is well set up to actually use the wide deployment to its advantage. With three Shadowseers, one is almost always going to be able to snipe Weave Veil onto a bug unit from outside of deny range (at least if the Tyranids are contesting objectives), and from the other side the bugs are going to have a far harder time than normal scoring a Warpcraft secondary, as all valid targets can throw a deny at it. The Tyranids are also slightly shorter on ground coverage than you might normally see, which makes picking up some Primary points more reasonable than it could be (though still hard in the early game).

I think the Harlequins do end up accumulating a fairly convincing advantage on Secondaries here (especially as Take Your Places is good on this map), but I’d probably still tap up the Tyranids to take this on a mix of Primary, Banners and maybe Grind most of the time. The Harlequins best shot is swinging hard to one side, taking out whatever the Tyranids have put there, then creating some layered defences around it. They do have more units to work with, so this isn’t an unreasonable plan, and it looks like they managed to pull something like that off – the Harlequins flipped the win rate script and took a close victory here.

Result

Harlequins Victory – 71 – 62

Kyle Parry – Harlequins – 1st Place

The List

See showdown.

Archetype

Light Saedath

Thoughts

Armies with a small number of datasheets like Harlequins are always a bit deceptive when it comes to calling a list different, but as hinted at in the showdown I think this one is. Kyle’s list plays an even more effective keepaway game than Harlequins normally do. Packing in a whole bunch of Shadowseers makes sure Weave is a lock, and 3×3 shooty Light Saedath bikes is perfect for maximising other available Secondary options. Very hard to cap the scoring of unless you can just brutally overrun it, and Capricious Reflections makes that challenging. Definitely like this as a way of adapting to Tyranids being a hard matchup, as it plays around some of what makes it so, and thus big kudos to Kyle on the smart list design and win.

The Best of the Rest

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

2nd – Daniel Reddehase – Death Guard: Ferrymen Plague Marine spam.
3rd – Lucas Jessick – Adepta Sororitas: Bloody Rose Goodstuff with a squad of Paragons.
4th – Matthew Green – Tyranids: See showdown.
5th – Jason McKenzie – Adeptus Mechanicus: Mars Veteran Cohort with a big unit each of Ironstriders and Dragoons.
6th – Brendan Molloy – Orks: Goff pressure with Kill Rigs and Ghaz.
7th – Arthur Tu – Chaos Space Marines: Wordbearers with lots of Venomcrawlers and Possessed, plus three individual Obliterators.

SwordCon WH40k

28-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Cape Town, Western Cape, ZA on August 20 2022. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

The Showdown – The Scouring

Matchup & Mission – The Scouring

Heinre Stander – Necrons: Two C’tan, two big Skorpekh units, two big Scarab units and the Silent King
Army List - Click to Expand

++ Supreme Command Detachment +2CP (Necrons) [21 PL, 11CP, 400pts] ++

+ Configuration +

Detachment Command Cost [2CP]

Dynasty Choice: Dynasty: Szarekhan

Gametype: 4. Chapter Approved: War Zone Nephilim

+ Primarch | Daemon Primarch | Supreme Commander +

The Silent King [21 PL, 3CP, 400pts]
. 2x Triarchal Menhir: 2x Annihilator Beam

++ Vanguard Detachment -3CP (Necrons) [51 PL, -5CP, 945pts] ++

+ Configuration +

Detachment Command Cost [-3CP]

Dynasty Choice: Circumstance of Awakening: Relentlessly Expansionist, Dynastic Tradition: Eternal Conquerors, Dynasty:

+ No Force Org Slot +

Viral Construct [1 PL, 15pts]: Canoptek Plasmacyte

+ HQ +

Catacomb Command Barge [9 PL, -2CP, 150pts]: Gauss Cannon, Rarefied Nobility, Relic: Voltaic Staff, Staff of Light, Stratagem: Relic, Warlord Trait (Codex 1): Enduring Will

+ Elites +

C’tan Shard of the Void Dragon [18 PL, 300pts]: Power of the C’tan: Antimatter Meteor

Canoptek Spyders [4 PL, 60pts]: Canoptek Spyder

Skorpekh Destroyers [8 PL, 180pts]
. 2x Skorpekh Destroyer (Reap-Blade): 2x Hyperphase Reap-Blade
. 4x Skorpekh Destroyer (Thresher): 4x Hyperphase Threshers

+ Fast Attack +

Canoptek Scarab Swarms [2 PL, 45pts]
. 3x Canoptek Scarab Swarm: 3x Feeder Mandibles

++ Patrol Detachment -2CP (Necrons) [35 PL, -3CP, 655pts] ++

+ Configuration +

Detachment Command Cost [-2CP]

Dynasty Choice: Circumstance of Awakening: Relentlessly Expansionist, Dynastic Tradition: Eternal Conquerors, Dynasty:

+ HQ +

Chronomancer [5 PL, -1CP, 75pts]: Aeonstave, Dynastic Heirlooms, Relic: Veil of Darkness

+ Troops +

Immortals [4 PL, 80pts]: Gauss Blaster, 5x Immortal

+ Elites +

Transcendent C’tan [14 PL, 230pts]: Fractured Personality: Cosmic Tyrant, Power of the C’tan: Sky of Falling Stars, Power of the C’tan: Transdimensional Thunderbolt

+ Fast Attack +

Canoptek Scarab Swarms [6 PL, 135pts]
. 9x Canoptek Scarab Swarm: 9x Feeder Mandibles

++ Total: [107 PL, 3CP, 2,000pts] ++

vs.

Orion Adams – Hive Fleet Leviathan: Leviathan Goodstuff that cuts down on melee stuff and Warriors for some shooty bugs.
Army List - Click to Expand

++ Patrol Detachment 0CP (Tyranids) [38 PL, 745pts, 2CP] ++

+ Configuration +

Gametype: 4. Chapter Approved: War Zone Nephilim

Hive Fleet: Adaptive, Leviathan

+ Stratagems +

Hive Predator [-1CP]: Extra Warlord Trait

Rarefied Enhancements [-2CP]: 2x Extra Bio-artefact

+ HQ +

Hive Tyrant [9 PL, 195pts, -1CP]: Heavy Venom Cannon, Lash Whip and Monstrous Bonesword, Power: Catalyst, Power: Hive Nexus, Power: Neuroparasite, Relic: Shardgullet, Stratagem: Warlord Trait, Warlord, Warlord Trait: Direct Guidance

+ Troops +

Gargoyles [4 PL, 80pts]
. 10x Gargoyle: 10x Fleshborer

+ Elites +

Tyrant Guard [8 PL, 120pts]
. 3x Tyrant Guard (Lash/Sword): 3x Lash Whip and Bonecleaver, 3x Two Rending Claws

+ Heavy Support +

Carnifexes [7 PL, 135pts]
. Carnifex: Enhanced Senses, Heavy Venom Cannon, Two Carnifex Scything Talons

Exocrine [10 PL, 215pts]: Adaptive Physiology: Voracious Ammunition

++ Patrol Detachment -2CP (Tyranids) [64 PL, 1,255pts, -2CP] ++

+ Configuration +

Detachment Command Cost [-2CP]

Hive Fleet: Adaptive, Leviathan

+ HQ +

Neurothrope [5 PL, 100pts]: Power: Catalyst, Power: Hive Nexus, Power: Onslaught, Warlord Trait: Synaptic Tendrils

Winged Hive Tyrant [11 PL, 210pts]: Lash Whip and Monstrous Bonesword, Power: Hive Nexus, Power: Paroxysm, Power: Psychic Scream, Relic: The Reaper of Obilterax

+ Troops +

Hormagaunts [4 PL, 80pts]
. 10x Hormagaunt: 10x Hormagaunt Talons

Tyranid Warriors [12 PL, 250pts]: Flesh Hooks
. Tyranid Warrior: Lash Whip and Bonesword, Venom Cannon
. Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Lash Whip and Bonesword
. Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Lash Whip and Bonesword
. Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Lash Whip and Bonesword
. Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Dual Boneswords
. Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Dual Boneswords
. Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Dual Boneswords
. Tyranid Warrior: Lash Whip and Bonesword, Two Scything Talons

+ Elites +

Venomthropes [5 PL, 105pts]
. 3x Venomthrope: 3x Toxic Lashes

Zoanthropes [7 PL, 150pts]: Power: Catalyst, Power: Hive Nexus, 3x Zoanthrope

+ Heavy Support +

Carnifexes [8 PL, 145pts]
. Carnifex: Adaptive Physiology: Synaptic Enhancement, Enhanced Senses, Heavy Venom Cannon, Two Carnifex Scything Talons

Tyrannofex [12 PL, 215pts]: Acid Spray, Adaptive Physiology: Dermic Symbiosis

++ Total: [102 PL, 2,000pts] ++

Thoughts

This matchup is weird, as there’s all sorts of odd ways that the units line up. On the one hand, the Tyranid big shooty bugs don’t do that much here – not nothing, because the acid spray is prety neat into those Scarab bricks, but also nowhere near as much as you’d like. However, flip round to the other side and the C’tan aren’t doing a huge amount either – the powers are kind of mediocre in this game, and if they get overconfident the Reaper Flyrant is ready to pick them up. Flip round again though and as the Tyranids you really wish you had a second big Warrior unit here, because The Scouring is the perfect map for that, as there’s essentially no way the opponent can avoid them.

OK, so weird unit line-ups. How do the Secondaries look? Mostly they favour the Necrons, but even there not entirely. The Scouring is easily the worst mission for Treasures of the Aeons, which is otherwise one of the best Secondaries in the game. It’s really good for Ancient Machineries though – if the Necrons go first here, there’s almost zero chance they’re scoring less than 12pts on it. Purge the Vermin is also exceptional on this map. providing some extreme scoring inevitability for the Necrons. Tyranids can get some good points from Psychic Interrogation (unless the SK shuts it down), and should easily pick up a 12 on either No Prisoners or Synaptic Insight (good into Scarabs), but might struggle a bit beyond that. With that in mind, the fundamental issue in this matchup is that both sides can score decently on Secondaries (with the Necrons slightly ahead), but the Necrons have the agency to just reach out and switch off the Tyranids Primary scoring for at least one turn, and it’s going to be tricky for them to recover from that. The best bet for the Tyranids is to try and clear out the Necron army at speed and roll them over, recovering points later on, but with the Silent King and some C’tan ready to make a last stand, that’ll be tough to do fast enough. The Tyranids did walk away from this one with a decent number of points, suggesting that they were able to apply some pressure

Result

Necrons Victory – 89 – 73

Heinre Stander – Necrons – 1st Place

Skorpekh Destroyers. Credit: Chris Cowie

The List

See showdown.

Archetype

Eternal Expansionists

Thoughts

This list is just a lot to chew through, and having two C’tan means that any amount of time the opponent is held up for (at least in most games) is time where they’re bleeding mortal wounds. The big Scarab units are high risk, high reward on some level, because some stuff absolutely murders them, but if the opponent doesn’t have a good answer, they rule. In addition, even if you do come up against opponents with the right answers, Scarabs are pretty easy to hide, and you can use them for one big blowout turn of flipping the Primary (as I suspect happened in the showdown). A very strong army overall, and well done to Heinre.

The Best of the Rest

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

2nd – Ashley Clutten – Adepta Sororitas: Bloody Rose Goodstuff.
3rd – Michael Higgo – Dark Angels: Whoops all Deathwing.
4th – Orion Adams – Hive Fleet Leviathan: See showdown.
5th – Charles Freestone – Harlequins: Light Saedath with six Voidweavers split over three squads.

Korea Summer Slam

All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings. The event was slightly short of GT numbers, but it’s Korea’s first two-day GT, so we’re very happy to include it anyway!

The Showdown

Matchup & Mission – Unknown

Byungwook Kim – Tyranids: Leviathan Goodstuff

Army List - Click to Expand

++ Patrol Detachment -2CP (Tyranids) [53 PL, 1,115pts, -4CP] ++

+ Configuration +

Detachment Command Cost [-2CP]

Hive Fleet: Adaptive, Leviathan

+ Stratagems +

Hive Predator [-1CP]: Extra Warlord Trait

Rarefied Enhancements [-1CP]: Extra Bio-artefact

+ HQ +

Winged Hive Tyrant [11 PL, 210pts]: 2x Monstrous Scything Talon, Power: Paroxysm, Power: Psychic Scream, Power: Smite, Relic: Scythes of Tyran, Warlord Trait: Adaptive Biology

+ Troops +

Tyranid Warriors [4 PL, 95pts]
. Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Dual Boneswords
. Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Dual Boneswords
. Tyranid Warrior: Dual Boneswords, Venom Cannon

+ Elites +

Venomthropes [5 PL, 105pts]
. 3x Venomthrope: 3x Toxic Lashes

+ Heavy Support +

Carnifexes [8 PL, 165pts]
. Carnifex: Adaptive Physiology: Voracious Ammunition, Enhanced Senses, Heavy Venom Cannon, Spore Cysts, Two Carnifex Scything Talons

+ Flyer +

Harpy [11 PL, 230pts]: 2x Heavy Venom Cannon, Adaptive Physiology: Dermic Symbiosis

Harpy [10 PL, 215pts]: 2x Heavy Venom Cannon, Adaptive Physiology: Synaptic Enhancement

++ Patrol Detachment 0CP (Tyranids) [40 PL, 885pts, 4CP] ++

+ Configuration +

Hive Fleet: Adaptive, Leviathan

+ Stratagems +

Hive Predator [-1CP]: Extra Warlord Trait

Relic [-1CP]

+ HQ +

Hive Tyrant [9 PL, 195pts]: Heavy Venom Cannon, Lash Whip and Monstrous Bonesword, Power: Catalyst, Power: Onslaught, Relic: Shardgullet, Warlord

Neurothrope [5 PL, 100pts]: Power: Hive Nexus, Power: Psychic Scream, Power: Smite, Warlord Trait: Synaptic Tendrils

+ Troops +

Tyranid Warriors [12 PL, 300pts]: Adrenal Glands
. Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Dual Boneswords
. Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Dual Boneswords
. Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Dual Boneswords
. Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Dual Boneswords
. Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Dual Boneswords
. Tyranid Warrior: Deathspitter, Dual Boneswords
. Tyranid Warrior: Dual Boneswords, Venom Cannon
. Tyranid Warrior: Dual Boneswords, Venom Cannon
. Tyranid Warrior: Dual Boneswords, Venom Cannon

+ Elites +

Zoanthropes [7 PL, 150pts]: Power: Psychic Scream, Power: Smite, 3x Zoanthrope

+ Heavy Support +

Carnifexes [7 PL, 140pts]
. Carnifex: Enhanced Senses, Heavy Venom Cannon, Thresher Scythe, Two Carnifex Scything Talons

++ Total: [93 PL, 2,000pts] ++

vs.

JD Carter – Imperial Knights: House Taranis with three big Knights up front and three Helverins at the back.

Army List - Click to Expand

++ Super-Heavy Detachment 0CP (Imperium – Imperial Knights) [107 PL, 2,000pts, 2CP] ++

+ Configuration +

Chivalric Oath: Oath: Defend the Realm, Oath: Lay Low The Tyrants

Questor Allegiance: House Taranis, Questor Mechanicus

+ Lord of War +

Armiger Helverins [24 PL, 465pts]
. Armiger Helverin: Questor Cognis Heavy Stubber
. Armiger Helverin: Questor Cognis Heavy Stubber
. Armiger Helverin: Questor Cognis Heavy Stubber

Armiger Warglaives [8 PL, 145pts]
. Armiger Warglaive: Questor Cognis Heavy Stubber

Knight Crusader [27 PL, 505pts, -2CP]: Exalted Court: Master of Vox, Heirloom: Endless Fury, Knight Baron, Questor Cognis Heavy Stubber, Stratagem: Relic, Thermal Cannon, Warlord Trait: Ion Bulwark

Knight Errant [23 PL, 425pts, -1CP]: Heirloom: Armour of the Sainted Ion, Heirlooms of the Household, Questor Cognis Heavy Stubber, Reaper Chainsword

Knight Paladin [25 PL, 460pts, -1CP]: Character (Knight Lance), Exalted Court: Princeps, Questor Cognis Heavy Stubber, Reaper Chainsword, Stratagem: Warlord Trait, Warlord, Warlord Trait: Revered Knight
. Rapid-Fire Battle Cannon w/ Questor Cognis Heavy Stubber

++ Total: [107 PL, 2,000pts, 2CP] ++

Thoughts

I don’t have the mission for this one, so that ends up meaning we need to look at how these armies line up on rate, and the auspices are not that fantastic for the Knights. They are very scary, but Tyranids very much are as well, and I think there aren’t going to be too many missions where the Knights can stay on the board long enough to really contest this. Their best chance would probably be on something like Recover the Relics – with three Helverins and a nasty Crusader, they do have the numbers to potentially blast one or both Harpies out of the sky, and on the Recover the Relics map they’d have some amount of agency to force the bugs to then try and come at them, potentially mowing them down (and getting decent points on the mission Primary) as that happened.

On pretty much any other mission though, I think it’s a bit too easy for the Tyranids to remove a couple of the Knights mobile units, and after that it’ll be very tricky for them. The option of just oblierating the Harpies as absolute priority remains, but it’ll be tough going for the Knights, and the bugs ended up pretty comfortably ahead.

Result

Tyranids Victory – 82-49

Byungwook Kim – Tyranids – 1st Place

The List

See showdown.

Archetype

Leviathan Goodstuff

Why it’s Interesting in 9th

Nice reminder that Carnifexes are extremely good, and here provide some relatively cost-effective roving killers, helping to cover for the fact that the army doesn’t have too many units. A great win by Byungwook – first GT win in a country is something that few people can boast of!

The Rest of the Best

Two more players finished on 5-1. They were:

2nd – JD Carter – Imperial Knights: See showdown.
3rd – Haemin Gang – Black Legion: A mix of lots of different Black Legion toys with Abaddon and a powerful Disco Lord at the head.

Wrap Up

Too much Warhammer, all of the time. See you next week! Questions and suggestions to contact@goonhammer.com.

Competitive Innovations in 9th: The Tyranid Is Somehow Still In Effect pt.2

Capital City Bloodbath – 40K Champs

The Showdown

Matchup & Mission – Tide of Conviction

Thoughts

Result

François Lalonde – Hive Fleet Leviathan – 1st Place

The List

Archetype

Thoughts

Jeremy Atkinson – Imperial Knights – 2nd Place

The List

Archetype

Thoughts

Sam Procopio – Blood Angels – 3rd Place

The List

Archetype

Thoughts

Hamza Syed – Harlequins – 4th Place

The List

Archetype

Thoughts

The Best of the Rest

GemHammer GT 2022

The Showdown

Matchup & Mission – Tear Down Their Icons

Thoughts

Result

Joshua Minnich – Tyranids – 1st Place

The List

Archetype

Thoughts

The Best of the Rest

Gameology Pasadena ‘Hammer of Wrath’ GT

The Showdown

Matchup & Mission – Data-Scry Salvage

Thoughts

Result

Kyle Parry – Harlequins – 1st Place

The List

Archetype

Thoughts

The Best of the Rest

SwordCon WH40k

The Showdown – The Scouring

Matchup & Mission – The Scouring

Thoughts

Result

Heinre Stander – Necrons – 1st Place

The List

Archetype

Thoughts

The Best of the Rest

Korea Summer Slam

The Showdown

Matchup & Mission – Unknown

Byungwook Kim – Tyranids: Leviathan Goodstuff

Thoughts

Result

Byungwook Kim – Tyranids – 1st Place

The List

Archetype

Why it’s Interesting in 9th

The Rest of the Best

Wrap Up

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