At this year’s World Championships of Warhammer John Lennon took his Astra Militarum army to a third consecutive second place finish at GW’s year-end event. We sat down with John to talk about this year’s World Championship, his quest to claim the title, and his feelings on an incredible run of events to end up in the World Championship finals three years in a row.
Hey John, congratulations on your second place finish! Let’s start off by talking about your list: What was behind the decision to take Astra Militarum this year?
Obviously Astra Militarum stood out as one of the best armies in the game to me. With that said, I have three armies that are by far my largest. Tyranids, Marines, and Guard are definitely the three armies I play the most, but I had somehow not taken Guard to a large tournament in tenth. I figured if not now, when? My Tyranids had a small number of very difficult matchups and I have been playing nonstop Marines for about six months, so Guard felt like a breath of fresh air that also had a real chance to make a deep run! I was particularly worried about Sisters of Battle with Exorcists (a Carnifexes worst nightmare) and so I was searching for an army that had a favored matchup into Sororitas, as I figured that was going to be a major gatekeeper in early rounds of the event. I ended up dodging this matchup, but I know that if I had brought my bugs I would have hit it three times!
Walk us through how the list works, and what makes it tick
This Guard list is all about tempo, hulls, and having more units than it should. With a whopping ten tanks, many of which are quite cheap, I have plentiful units to occupy the midfield and draw out real enemy resources. You can’t send 5 scouts to deal with a chimera, after all, and so I wanted my list to kill enemy screens as fast as possible while forcing real damage dealers to come out early in time to meet my big Deep Strike hammer of scions. There are pretty diverse damage profiles, many of which are long range, and tons of buffs to make sure even a high save enemy is going to perish in front of my tankline. Because I took no melee or counter charge units, and have no ability to fall back and act, this list is all about putting forth the best plan A possible. It’s very difficult to make it through the front waves of the guard army, but if you do I don’t have an escape hatch to jump through. The Hydras were a bit of secret sauce that really paid off. They are cheap enough to serve as a disposable screening or scoring piece, tough enough to require an anti tank unit to kill, and also have long ranged guns that receive buffs well and are extremely deadly against flying enemies. Hypercrypt Necrons was another matchup that I thought could be common at the event, and three Hydras makes this as close to an auto win as it can get.
John’s List - Click to Expand Marines get the glory, but Guard gets the job done. Astra Militarum CHARACTERS Lord Solar Leontus (125 Points) Militarum Tempestus Command Squad (110 Points) Platoon Command Squad (60 Points) Tank Commander (240 Points) BATTLELINE Catachan Jungle Fighters (55 Points) Catachan Jungle Fighters (55 Points) Catachan Jungle Fighters (55 Points) DEDICATED TRANSPORTS Chimera (70 Points) Chimera (70 Points) OTHER DATASHEETS Hellhound (115 Points) Hydra (85 Points) Hydra (85 Points) Hydra (85 Points) Leman Russ Battle Tank (170 Points) Leman Russ Battle Tank (170 Points) Leman Russ Exterminator (170 Points) Tempestus Aquilons (90 Points) Tempestus Aquilons (90 Points) Tempestus Scions (100 Points) Exported with App Version: v1.22.0 (48), Data Version: v488
Combined Regiment
Strike Force (2000 Points)
• Warlord
• 1x Conquest
• 1x Konstantin’s hooves
• 1x Sol’s Righteous Gaze
• 1x Tempestor Prime
◦ 1x Plasma pistol
◦ 1x Tempestus dagger
◦ Enhancements: Kurov’s Aquila
• 4x Tempestus Scion
◦ 4x Close combat weapon
◦ 2x Hot-shot lasgun
◦ 1x Hot-shot laspistol
◦ 1x Meltagun
◦ 1x Medi-pack
◦ 1x Plasma gun
◦ 1x Regimental Standard
• 1x Platoon Commander
◦ 1x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Plasma pistol
◦ 1x Power fist
• 2x Veteran Guardsman
◦ 2x Close combat weapon
◦ 2x Lasgun
◦ 2x Laspistol
◦ 1x Master Vox
◦ 1x Regimental Standard
• 1x Veteran Heavy Weapons Team
◦ 1x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Laspistol
◦ 1x Mortar
• 1x Armoured tracks
• 1x Demolisher battle cannon
• 1x Heavy stubber
• 1x Hunter-killer missile
• 1x Lascannon
• 2x Multi-melta
• Enhancements: Grand Strategist
• 1x Jungle Fighter Sergeant
◦ 1x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Laspistol
• 9x Jungle Fighter
◦ 9x Close combat weapon
◦ 2x Flamer
◦ 7x Lasgun
◦ 1x Vox-caster
• 1x Jungle Fighter Sergeant
◦ 1x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Laspistol
• 9x Jungle Fighter
◦ 9x Close combat weapon
◦ 2x Flamer
◦ 7x Lasgun
◦ 1x Vox-caster
• 1x Jungle Fighter Sergeant
◦ 1x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Laspistol
• 9x Jungle Fighter
◦ 9x Close combat weapon
◦ 2x Flamer
◦ 7x Lasgun
◦ 1x Vox-caster
• 1x Armoured tracks
• 1x Chimera heavy flamer
• 1x Heavy flamer
• 1x Heavy stubber
• 1x Hunter-killer missile
• 1x Lasgun array
• 1x Armoured tracks
• 1x Chimera heavy flamer
• 1x Heavy flamer
• 1x Heavy stubber
• 1x Hunter-killer missile
• 1x Lasgun array
• 1x Armoured tracks
• 1x Hunter-killer missile
• 1x Inferno cannon
• 1x Multi-melta
• 1x Armoured tracks
• 1x Heavy bolter
• 1x Hunter-killer missile
• 1x Hydra autocannon
• 1x Armoured tracks
• 1x Heavy bolter
• 1x Hunter-killer missile
• 1x Hydra autocannon
• 1x Armoured tracks
• 1x Heavy bolter
• 1x Hunter-killer missile
• 1x Hydra autocannon
• 1x Armoured tracks
• 1x Heavy stubber
• 1x Hunter-killer missile
• 1x Lascannon
• 1x Leman Russ battle cannon
• 2x Multi-melta
• 1x Armoured tracks
• 1x Heavy stubber
• 1x Hunter-killer missile
• 1x Lascannon
• 1x Leman Russ battle cannon
• 2x Multi-melta
• 1x Armoured tracks
• 1x Exterminator autocannon
• 1x Heavy stubber
• 1x Hunter-killer missile
• 1x Lascannon
• 2x Multi-melta
• 1x Tempestor Aquilon
◦ 1x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Hot-shot lascarbine
◦ 1x Sentry flamer
• 8x Tempestus Aquilon
◦ 8x Close combat weapon
◦ 6x Hot-shot lascarbine
◦ 1x Hot‐shot long‐las
◦ 1x Plasma carbine
• 1x Gunfighter
◦ 1x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Hot-shot lascarbine
• 1x Tempestor Aquilon
◦ 1x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Hot-shot lascarbine
◦ 1x Sentry flamer
• 8x Tempestus Aquilon
◦ 8x Close combat weapon
◦ 6x Hot-shot lascarbine
◦ 1x Hot‐shot long‐las
◦ 1x Plasma carbine
• 1x Gunfighter
◦ 1x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Hot-shot lascarbine
• 1x Tempestor
◦ 1x Plasma pistol
◦ 1x Power fist
• 9x Tempestus Scion
◦ 9x Close combat weapon
◦ 5x Hot-shot lasgun
◦ 2x Meltagun
◦ 2x Plasma gun
Were there any other factions you were considering? You took Ultramarines last year and they’ve just received some notable buffs – were they part of your consideration set?
I love Ultramarines, and the Vanguard Spearhead, but I did want to take something else this year. With the Pariah Nexus tables, I feel like there are a few maps that are quite hostile to the army. Notably layout 7, the maps for day 1, were extremely limiting. I would need favorable matchups to win on those tables! My top two other options were Tyranids and Dark Angels. I genuinely think Tyranids have a lot of play into the top armies right now, and I actually think could have potentially won every game I ended up playing. But, they have a masters Sisters problem! This may be a mental block, but my Tyranids are undefeated against non-sisters in the last year of tournament play, and winless against Adeptas Sororitas. I didn’t think adding exorcists was going to help my chances there!
Dark Angels are extremely good as well, but for the exact same reason as my Tyranids I decided against them. I think a part of this was burnout. I play my Dark Angel gladius for just about every game I could from May through September as part of my prep for the WTC, and two more events after. Then, I just stopped playing them for a month to get some variety in, and so I didn’t have many reps against the new meta, and so decided to practice Guard instead.
You’ve finished second at the Games Workshop year-end event three times in a row now, going back to 2022 – an incredible run by any measure. What are your feelings like on these finishes? What motivates you to come back and try again next year?
It’s a very bittersweet feeling. I can’t deny being proud of a top 2 finish, but I also am still itching to finally break through and take home the gold. Standing on the second step of the podium each year stings, but I’ve always been ready to run right back through the challenge again. Each run has been different and memorable, but I don’t think this one was my last. Still, I don’t see this event as a “final boss” that defines my year, that is definitely the World Team Championships. Instead, this is the end of my three month singles season each year, and leads directly into my preparation to attend the WTC with Team USA.
Let’s talk about your final against the Folger Pyles’ Adeptus Custodes. How did it play out?
I have to start by giving credit to Folger for playing a great game of warhammer, and for being a wonderfully pleasant opponent. With that said, I feel like I made a few too many mistakes to take this one home. I don’t believe that game 9 wore me down, as I was still feeling pretty fresh. Instead, I think that my lack of reps with Guard really let me down here. I got about 8 games with my Astra Militarum before the event, but in hindsight needed to get more diverse opponents. I had not yet played a game against an aggressive army that made it through the first wave of guard screens and my early shooting phases unscathed, and I did not set myself up well for that. Some sloppy screens on my part (placing two guardsmen 41mm apart instead of 39mm) and a bit of overconfidence was my downfall here, and reinforces some lessons that I’ve already learned. But, if you forget your own teachings, the game will remind you! I think that taking an army where I had more reps would have done wonders, as that is always where I have the most success.
Any other games or interesting plays you want to highlight?
I am super pleased to say that I had nine enjoyable games, and every opponent felt like an immediate friend who I would happily play again! If I had to pick one, it would be my semi final against John Winter Russell in an Astra Militarum mirror match. I always enjoy a good mirror, but John had me on the ropes for four battle rounds, and was a joy to play against the whole time. Even though I snuck out a win, that game made me want to tweak my list to include some of those Rough Riders he was punishing me with!
Anything you’d change for your next event? Are you planning a run at LVO?
For now, I have no regrets on the list. I think those hard earned reps and a bit of reflection would carry me far at my next event, but I expect the new detachments will change everything! I’m still on the fence about attending the Las Vegas Open, but I have plenty of team events lined up for the next nine months, and will probably focus more on those than on singles.
Thanks again for answering our questions, and congrats again. Is there anyone else you want to shout-out here?
As always, I have to mention my team and channel, Art of War 40k! I don’t think I could make these kinds of runs if I wasn’t practicing weekly against such good players. With the meta changing around us, we’re reviewing all of these new detachments, and playing games with them, on our YouTube channel there.
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