This year’s World Championship of Warhammer has come and gone, bringing with it reports that the Ork Kommando meta has fallen short of the finish line. It seems Feel No Pains, Tentacles, and Mouths in odd places were the law of the land this year, with the top two slots having been dominated by Chaos Cultists teams. We covered the results of each group stage bracket last week, so this week it’s time to talk about the Top 8.
One important thing to note about the format of this year’s Championship Top 8 Bracket: Ties were not allowed. Players played additional turning points vying for pure control of objectives to break ties. The longest tiebreaker went all the way to Turning Point 7!
With Kommandos at the top of most tier lists, they were expected to perform well at the World Championships. And that did happen as 3 of the 8 players who brought ended up making the top 8. However, it turned out that even Kommandos’ advantages were unable to overcome the raw power of Chaos Cults – two of the three Cults players made the top 8, and both would go on to take the Gold and Silver medals at the event. Additionally, Gellerpox Infected piloted by Orion W (last year’s Champion), made a strong return showing despite the nerfs they’ve received since his championship run. All this proves that Melee Summer never really ended after the last Balance Dataslate. Prepare yourselves for Melee Winter.
Hopefully once Games Workshop gives the Kommandos and Cults a light nerf we’ll finally see the return of the healthy meta most players feel we had prior to the release of Ashes of Faith.
With the top 8 we do see a pattern of players either choosing high body count teams with strong melee monsters or teams that fall into the gap between elite and hordes with a large number of specialists and tricks. There are two major takeaways here:
- No Elite teams made it to the final 8, and
- Every team could be considered to have either a strong melee presence, or at least excel at up close shooting.
Whether this is a reflection of the top end meta, or the maps presented to players at the WCW favoring these traits isn’t entirely clear. However, it is worth pointing out that all of these teams have seen strong representation at the top tables of major events all year.
We sat down with the top 8 players from the event, though unlike our usual interviews, we asked them all the same six questions. In this article we’re covering responses from the back half of the top 8, the players who finished fifth through 8th. Tomorrow we’ll be back with the top 4.
Our Questions:
- How was the experience at the World Championships of Warhammer as a competitor, and as a fan? Did you meet your goals?
- What did you think of the event? What worked? What didn’t? Are you planning to make a return next year?
- In what ways was the meta different at WCW, compared to your home regions? How did you feel about the meta and the terrain at the event?
- As far as the meta goes, are you happy with it? If you could make changes to it what would they be?
- Talk us through some of your best plays throughout the weekend! Give us some of the details that you’ll never forget!
- Final shout outs to the readers of Goonhammer? Store shout outs? Practice partners?
Starting with Ryan S. at the bottom of the Championship bracket. Piloting the Elucidian Starstriders to the best record in group 1 only losing to Wallace! He’s part of Turning Point tactics, a competitively focused Kill Team channel, that put out a very popular map pack I’ve seen in the community. (Editor’s Note: Love these maps) While he may be last in the group, his final placement was decided on turning point 7 tie breaker! Some incredible grit to last that long in the Open against Orks!
Ryan Slater, Eighth, Elucidian Starstriders, England
How was the experience at the World Championships of Warhammer as a competitor, and as a fan? Did you meet your goals?
- It was absolutely amazing! I got to meet some awesome players from across the world. I think the social side was better than the gaming!
- I set some personal win conditions before coming to the event, because I knew going into this that winning was highly unlikely (if not impossible):
- Get a 50% win rate or better
- Get to the top 8
- Be a great opponent
- I was ecstatic with my performance, I managed to achieve a 50% win rate and made it into the top 8! You’ll have to ask my opponents if I achieved the last win condition but I tried my hardest to make sure they had fun and had to work hard to secure a win. I’ve definitely made some friends for life and that’s a huge bonus!
What did you think of the event? What worked? What didn’t? Are you planning to make a return next year?
- I thought the event was great, as with all things there could be improvements. Having the luxury of some fantastic TOs in the UK I’ve seen some simple tips that would really elevate the playing experience. Objective markers laid out on tables, deployment zones marked with tape and a card to show terrain layout would be amazing. I’d love to see a greater variety of Kill Zones and layouts to make each game feel more unique. Of note the judging on the day was fantastic, Elliot & Ben stepped into a shark pit of competitive players and made sure that the rulings were fair and consistent, they really helped make the event a success.
- I’ll definitely try to make a return next year, having already secured a spot from finishing Top 8. I just need to make sure I can get time off work and head back. I’ll definitely be competing at Golden Ticket events to try and secure the funding as well, so expect to see me on the tournament scene!
In what ways was the meta different at WCW, compared to your home regions? How did you feel about the meta and the terrain at the event?
- It was interesting to see so many players opting for the most competitive teams but also not surprising. I know everyone’s a critic when it comes to terrain, I think the terrain was fine, it favored melee teams and Kommandos who were already strong in the meta, but as competitive players we’re supposed to be able to adapt to new challenges and find solutions. It’d be easy to blame losses or victories on the terrain, but ultimately the terrain was playable and I had a lot of fun trying to figure out the puzzle.
As far as the meta goes, are you happy with it? If you could make changes to it what would they be?
- Overall the meta is in a good place, but there’s a few outliers that need tweaking. It’s clear that Chaos Cults and Kommandos are too strong and also clear that a few teams weren’t represented in the Championship at all so could use some help.
- With Kommandos I’d like to change a few things, I find Sneaky Git Ploy to be really noninteractive, I’d like to see it limited to once per game and only work wholly within 6’ of your own deployment zone and not on vantage, this would stop the Alpha strike plays as well as reduce the early VP leads. I’d also like to see a change to the Just A Scratch Ploy to only work vs Normal Damage. Currently it’s too consistent and makes Orks just too survivable vs so many different threats.
- With Chaos Cults I think changing their mutation so that it’s only achieved when successfully incapacitating an enemy operative would be a good start and/or only healing 2xD3 wounds on a mutation rather than restoring to full. They’re strongest however on Capture where they can freely mutate and not have to worry about conducting mission actions, reducing the objective control of Mutants / Torments by 1 could be a way to address this, whilst also being able to be mitigated by Creatures of Nightmare Strategic ploy, this would at least force them to spend CP or successfully kill the enemy operatives to seize points.
- Finally, I’d love to see a buff to Exaction Squad, specifically to help them counter elites, but you have to be really careful as you don’t want to indirectly buff Inquisitorial Agents. I think a solution to this would be some equipment: “Melta Slug”, equipped to a model with a Combat Shotgun only they gain a 4/3 LIMITED, AP1, P2, Splash 1 costing 3EP it’d give Exaction the chance to punch through some armour and can synergize well with their Malocator (you could also remove splash 1 but on ITD they could use the Lethal 5+ especially vs Tzeentch Legionary). The only other change would be a quality of life change to enable their various special abilities to work with ‘visibility’ rather than line of sight.
Talk us through some of your best plays throughout the weekend! Give us some of the details that you’ll never forget!
- I was pretty happy with my final game vs Kommandos. I managed to go 4-2 on loot on open board TP1. I set up multiple ways to loot all of the middle objectives including GA2, Assassin, LectroMaester & a scouting dash to deny an early loot. For a team with so much forward presence I was happy to take that match up to a draw (kinda).
- My other favorite play was using a Move + Dash + Guard with Vane to end within 2’ of an operative to set-up an Archeotech Beam to give me the activation advantage to then get a late Turning Point advantage. The flexibility and options with Starstriders are so much fun and can make even some of the hardest matchups enjoyable.
Final shout outs to the readers of Goonhammer? Store shout outs? Practice partners?
- Shout out to Chris (UK), Liam (Australia) and Mateusz (Poland) for being my drinking buddies the whole trip! Na Zdrowie!
- Shout out to Notts Kill Team at the Sanctuary Gaming Centre, you guys are legends growing the local community and supporting me from afar!
- Shout out to my Turning Point Tactics Team, giving me advice on my matchups, and supporting me through highs and lows, I’m blessed to be surrounded by such awesome humans.
Qiquems came in seventh winning the tiebreaker match against Ryan S. deep in the seventh turning point. As one of the 3 Spanish players that has been crushing it in Europe let’s hear from the man himself.
Quique “Qiquems” Chatarra, Seventh, Ork Kommandoz, Spain
How was the experience at the World Championships of Warhammer as a competitor, and as a fan? Did you meet your goals?
- First of all, as a fan of the brand, as part of the hobby for 20 years (since I was 12) I cannot express what it is for me to be one of the reference competitive kill team players, and part of the top 8 best players of the event. So yes, I met all my goals, I would have liked to go further in the finals, but I can’t complain.
- Being able to be there, in the first world championships, makes the boy who bought his first box of orks (during the 5th edition of Warhammer Fantasy) proud of the man who competed last weekend in Atlanta.
What did you think of the event? What worked? What didn’t? Are you planning to make a return next year?
- The event worked near perfectly and the first phase of the tournament with the 5 qualifying games was great, and qualifying for the top 8 was sensational. I was able to play with many different players, from all over the world, people with whom it is not easy for me to play a casual game. In that sense it is very good.
- Regarding the technical part, I have two things to highlight that I think can be improved.
- I think Kill Team is a game that should be played, ideally, between 90 minutes and 150 minutes. I think it was not very appropriate for us to adapt to the 40k and Age of Sigmar schedules. I understand the reasoning behind it, but a Kill Team game cannot last 4 hours and a player should not take 25 minutes to activate a single miniature.
- I think the open environment maps could be improved as only having two possible scenery configurations (one horizontal and one diagonal) should of been expanded to at least three. Sometimes the objectives did not have coverage and other times they were too covered. The terrain should of been rearranged to adjust for the change in Kill Zone configuration.
- I am lucky that I have already been invited to participate in next year’s event, and if I have the necessary money to make the trip, you will definitely see me.
In what ways was the meta different at WCW, compared to your home regions? How did you feel about the meta and the terrain at the event?
- As I mentioned in the previous point, the boards were good, or at least, they were not bad, but, in my humble opinion, it is very difficult that with only 2 scenery configurations, you can set up 6 different layouts adapted to each map and situation. I also consider that compared to Spain, there was too much heavy scenery in the center of the table, making very dense boards, and making it very difficult to shoot, especially for factions that depend on their shooting.
- On the other hand, the meta is somewhat different than here in Spain, basically, because the center of the board is so dense, the melee factions, or those with short ranges, shone much brighter, being able to be more confident in the early stages of the game.
As far as the meta goes, are you happy with it? If you could make changes to it what would they be?
- Personally, I think that Kommandos, Navy Breachers, and Chaos Cult are exaggeratedly strong (especially on such dense boards) and that it is a bit unpleasant to play against them. Sometimes it feels like you can’t do anything, or that you don’t have any tools. suitable to handling them.
Talk us through some of your best plays throughout the weekend! Give us some of the details that you’ll never forget!
- I was fortunate to play against many incredible players, on and off the table. Some of the craziest actions were:
- When playing a Kommando mirror, I chose to be a defender, and deploy my 3 Sneaky Gits in the 3 central heavy terrain pieces zoning out my opponent. The other player didn’t know this could happen and when he declared his own Sneaky Gits he couldn’t make any useful placements, and basically wasted three command points.
- Another one, was when I played 7 turning points against Ryan, in the last round, it was a super fun game against his Elucidians. He was a great rival and neither of us had ever had to play 7 turns and end up breaking the tie like that. It was super fun and stimulating and he was a great rival, I remember him fondly and we started to stay in touch after the game.
- I had a great time with Nick who was super friendly, charming, and pleasant. We had an relaxed game that was very stimulating on a tactical level. We drank a bucket of beers together and joked about how he was trying to “poison” me in order to win the game. He is the most pleasant player I have ever had the pleasure of playing with.
- Lastly, I would like to highlight that although it is not part of the tournament itself. When Mike Brandt gave a Bloodbowl board to the Spanish delegation, Ace and I started playing at 1 in the morning with a bucket of beers. We even got to broadcast the game on Twitch and there were a hundred people watching us! It was something magical. I had so many great moments with Ace throughout the event.
Final shout outs to the readers of Goonhammer? Store shout outs? Practice partners?
- I want to thank many people for the possibility of being part of the first Warhammer World Cup. I owe a lot to the entire Spanish community (which is undoubtedly the best in the world ;P), I have no words to thank Java, Wallace and Ace, what good companions they have been throughout the year. Also, I want to thank Jon Sao for being the best coach that an Ork like me could have.
- Finally, I want to thank myself for being a man that the boy I was, when I started Warhammer, would admire.
The Polish Kill Team definitely seemed quite serious when the Just Another Killteam Podcast interviewed Kamil’s teammate Mateusz. While his demeanor may have been serious, his play was technical and efficient. With the best record of group 2 he’s already done his home country proud. Let’s see if he’s still all smiles post event.
Kamil Pardus, Sixth, Imperial Navy Breachers, Poland
How was the experience at the World Championships of Warhammer as a competitor, and as a fan? Did you meet your goals?
- It goes without saying that I was really excited to be there, both as a fan and as a competitor! I was excited to meet a lot of people from around the world and speak about the game we enjoy. I went with tempered expectations, we are talking about the best players you can get, you know? Being able to get to Top 8 was incredibly hard but rewarding and I couldn’t be happier.
What did you think of the event? What worked? What didn’t? Are you planning to make a return next year?
- I picked breachers because they usually have an equal chance to win no matter the opponent. When I saw the terrain layout I knew I made the right call. Melee, especially Kommandos, could run wild and destroy anyone not prepared for them. I never took CAT for example, players were too good to be caught or I always picked Plasma over Rotor, playing it like it’s a second Melta. I will definitely return next year, it was too much fun not to come.
In what ways was the meta different at WCW, compared to your home regions? How did you feel about the meta and the terrain at the event?
- I have to say it wasn’t that different. A lot of Kommandos, mix of other factions, I expected that and picked my most reliable team. I was scared the most of Cults and Gellerpox, my only real counters. While I can deal with almost anything, these teams have too much HP for my regular troops and any melee specialist will die in a fight with big guys, leaving only Melta and Plasma as my real counters. Blooded were wild card to me, no one plays them in Poland and I knew that they are quite popular in other countries. Sadly, I didn’t get a chance to play them, maybe next year? Regarding terrain, as I said earlier, it rewards playing melee heavy teams, a lot of safe places to hide your operatives. My games took a lot longer then usual, mostly because I had to plan around it and I hope it will change next year or I will have to bring my own Kommandos 😁
As far as the meta goes, are you happy with it? If you could make changes to it what would they be?
- Kommandos and Cults will clearly need some adjustments, they outperformed everyone else, in no small part thanks to terrain. Of course, good players are a huge part of that but I think that numbers speak for themselves. One team I did not expect to see in such numbers are Elucidian Starstiders! I loved to play them before nerfs, I was sure they were no longer able to compete at the highest level. Imagine my surprise when I saw 3 players bringing them with one making it to top 8!
Talk us through some of your best plays throughout the weekend! Give us some of the details that you’ll never forget!
- Hmm, it’s gonna be tough to point to anything flashy. Everyone was so good that it was hard to surprise them. If I had to choose I would pick my games versus chaos Cults. In the first game I managed to give my opponent a choice – he will either let me throw a Demolition Charge at his units or let me seal a door with Hutchcutter, locking a third of his team for whole round. I barely managed to win this game, mostly thanks to this play. Second game was also on ITD, on capture (the worst scenario I was afraid of this whole time). I bet everything on early game, once again forcing my opponent into choosing who to sacrifice. Turn 1 I secured 4 objectives, killed 2 Devotees and stopped him from leaving the deployment. Sadly, I lost initiative and got ran over by fresh torments.
Final shout outs to the readers of Goonhammer? Store shout outs? Practice partners?
- Of course! I would like to shout out Hegemon, it’s thanks to them and their tournament I could get my golden ticket and later they sponsored my flight to America. Matisoft Gaming Club, the best place to play Kill Team in Warsaw, and everyone in the DropZone group where me and my friends are doing our best to promote this game to as many people as possible. I’d also like to thank everyone who managed to find time for me to practice matchups (thanks Błażej!) and of course Mateusz who got 9th place and won 3 awards for his performance! Together, we managed to secure Poland as a second place in Kill Team, quite good if I do say so myself.
Rounding out the cast today was the 2nd player out of group 1. Wallace! He was a cheerful competitor and certified muppet man by the end of the weekend. Ultimately he was taken down by Adrian B, in a Kommando mirror match on Saturday. I’m sure his practice partners making it into the top slots will be a big source of pride in the future.
Wallace West, Fifth, Ork Kommandoz, Spain
credits Ryan S
How was the experience at the World Championships of Warhammer as a competitor, and as a fan? Did you meet your goals?
- It has been a memorable experience without a doubt. I had a great time with my teammates and friends, as well as meeting many players from other communities.
- The goal was to be in the top 8 if possible and I got it, but I really wanted to just have good games with strong opponents and have fun in every game and I did it to a large extent.
What did you think of the event? What worked? What didn’t? Are you planning to make a return next year?
- The event as such was fine. Something as “simple” as having water for everyone at the event was very much appreciated. The acoustics weren’t too bad and there was plenty of room on the tables to play and set everything up.
- As an improvement, I’d make the rounds shorter… Kill Team players shouldn’t be playing rounds of 3 hours or more. My plan is to come back next year 😉
In what ways was the meta different at WCW, compared to your home regions? How did you feel about the meta and the terrain at the event?
- The most important thing to take into account is the open tables. We found that the placement of the terrain was a problem for a lot of players. They allow certain factions to exploit the terrain better and have an advantage, directly affecting the meta.
- Analyzing the top 8 shows us how 6 melee factions were able to pass, beating the average (3 orks, 2 cults, 1 gellerpox).
As far as the meta goes, are you happy with it? If you could make changes to it what would they be?
- The meta is in good shape, but certain parameters need to be refined. I would touch on Cultists and Kommandos. Maybe I would consider a slight tweak to Navy considering that other factions may go down/up due to the tweaks. I’m mostly concerned about how terrain placement will affect the meta so much.
Talk us through some of your best plays throughout the weekend! Give us some of the details that you’ll never forget!
- In the game vs my partner and friend Javalow, I had a moment of lucidity by placing the Grot so that his mutant couldn’t move where he wanted on turn 1, blocking his entire turn 2.
I am also proud of my approach in the first game vs Ryan Slater, managing to neutralize his assassin as soon as possible and putting good pressure on Close Quarters.
Final shout outs to the readers of Goonhammer? Store shout outs? Practice partners?
- As a fun detail for the readers, Javalow and I trained 13 games for the World Cup, in which we played different factions for each other to train. In all 13, we randomly came up with mission B. So it’s our turn to play in the world cup and… B again! We had a fit of laughter.
We’d like to thank the players for speaking with us and wish them luck in their next event, especially for those of them planning to make the trip to LVO. Check back tomorrow for the top 4 players from the event. And as always if you have any questions or feedback, drop us a note in the comments below or email us at contact@goonhammer.com.
