Welcome to Competitive Innovations, our weekly feature for a number of game lines across the tabletop wargame space. Each week our army list and tactics experts canvass the top tournaments for their game of specialty, looking at the week’s top match-ups and how they played out on the tabletop to let you know what’s hot, what’s not, and what might be coming next as the competitive meta evolves year-round.

Hello again! I had to take last week off as I was preparing for the second LVO of the year which happened over this past weekend. That's not even the biggest event going on this week, as the Sydney Grand Tournament also kicked off in Australia, so we have 2 of the largest super majors in the world in the same weekend! Not only that, there were a few smaller tournaments around the world as well. All have to reckon with the new Battlescroll, which came into effect to shake up the points values of a lot of high performing armies. How did things shake out? Let's take a look!

This week we will cover:

• Sydney Grand Tournament 2025
• LVO XII Warhammer Age of Sigmar Champs
• Michigan GT 2025 Age of Sigmar Championship
• End Times Grand Tournament 2025
• Bread or Dead 2025 - Fresh Out the Oven

Sydney Grand Tournament 2025

125-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Sutherland, NSW, Australia on October 03 2025. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

The Showdown

Mission - Bountiful Equinox

David Sulava - Fyreslayers

vs.

Brook Mills - Soulblight Gravelords

Thoughts

This is...actually surprising. I would have given it to the Soulblight, who have done quite well in the past few months, especially in lists like this. They should have the chaff to handle the Magmadroths before the bigger hammers can get in. However there aren't a ton of Hammers; mostly Vhordrai and the Blood Knights. If Vhordrai gets tied up or taken out early a lot of the list will begin to collapse on itself and it's possible that is what happened, since the game ends in a very crushing victory for the Fyreslayers.

Result

Fyreslayers Victory - 80 - 18

David Sulava - Fyreslayers - 1st Place

Credit: instagram Slotracer1976

The List

See Showdown

Archetype

Magmadroths

Thoughts

With the cost of Magmadroths being brought up, Fyreslayers players are reckoning with how to go forward with the army. Does that mean dropping their Magmadroths? Absolutely not.

This list eschews some of the infantry that might accompany it, since for Magmadroth players those guys were basically just points fillers anyway. The real joy is just running their overly large sons who get +1 to damage while the Father is in combat, injured or dead. It's mostly just push-and-slaughter type gameplay; the Father can pop a once per game +1 attack and the priest can give them bonus attacks as well with a prayer, so they tend to be able to mulch through anything they try.

Mathew Tyrrell - Soulblight Gravelords - 2nd Place (Undefeated)

Prince Vhordrai. Credit: Matthew 'chimp' Ward

The List

Archetype

Elite Soulblight

Thoughts

This is a unique one, hardly any true "units" at all here. It's relying on a Hero (who can fight) and a unit to accompany them, and it doesn't limit itself to one theme. The way the regiments are arranged is helpful in understanding how the list works, but in summary:

Prince Vhordrai aids the Blood Knights, giving them +2 to move, +1 attack or +1 damage for the rest of the game whenever they kill something. So once they kill 3 units they get all of them. The Wight King inflicts -1 to saves for the rest of the battle on crits and grants the Barrow Knights +1 to hit on an objective. Lauka Vai is a little more flexible, granting -1 to rend to the enemy in combat with her and her spell grants +d3 to companion weapon attacks which is great for the Terrorgheist. And the Vampire Lord is a flexible caster and Enhancement caddy, giving any unit a free D6" move and cast one of the great debuffs in the spell lore.

Mitch Bugg - Idoneth Deepkin - 3rd Place (Undefeated)

Raf's Sharks. Credit: Raf Cordero

The List

Archetype

Allopexes

Thoughts

Allopexes are the focus of this list; they're an insanely versatile unit that can both shoot for solid damage and then do crazy damage when they attack injured targets.  The Morsarr Guard work as a shield wall to protect the Allopexes and the Heroes.

Speaking of the heroes, the Eidolon of the Storm is an alright combat hero but its true power is the ability to include -1 to save to 3 enemy units before they try and charge in. Mathaela adds +1 to companion attacks, which of course is great for the Allopexes, and the Tidecaster has a suite of buffs for any unit, including shielding them from shooting attacks and adding to run and charge rolls. All 3 are wizards too so they can use the excellent Spell lore and manifestions (Cogs are great for Allopexes!).

The Best of the Rest

The rest of the top 8 includes:

• 4th - Mitchell Hynes - Flesh-eater Courts: Ushoran and Ghoul King on Terrorgheist with Crypt Horrors and Guard.
• 5th - Christian Bugg - Ogor Mawtribes: Foot Ogors with a Butcher and Slaughtermaster leading Gluttons, Ironguts and Gorgers.
• 6th - Adrian Croft - Fyreslayers: Magmadroths
• 7th - Jordan Harter - Cities of Sigmar: Freeguilders.
• 8th - James Anderson - Skaven: A very off model list with an Arch-Warlock and Warpseer and a bunch of different Skaven guns and Stormfiends.

LVO XII Warhammer Age of Sigmar Champs

118-player, 8-round Major in Las Vegas, NV, United States on October 03 2025. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

The Showdown

Mission - Linked Leylines

Gavin Grigar - Kruleboyz

vs.

Michael Sabetti - Sons of Behemat

Thoughts

Woof. It's nice to see a Sons of Behemat List get to the showdown, but the Kruleboyz have an arsenal practically tailormade to bring this down. The Monsta-killaz can shut down rampages, inflict strike last and get anti-monster for Rend -2 attacks on everything in this list.

If they try and take out the Gutrippaz, it's just too much to cut through, and most likely the Monsta-Killaz will sneak up behind them and take them out back anyway. It's a noble effort but the Kruleboyz actually have this one. Congrats to Gavin for winning the second LVO of 2025!

Result

Kruleboyz Victory - 80 - 35

Gavin Grigar - Kruleboyz - 1st Place

Swampcalla Shaman and Pot-grot. That Gobbo

The List

See Showdown

Archetype

Kruleboyz good stuff.

Thoughts

Kruleboyz got hit by a ton of price hikes in the last update (which was legal for this event) but it seems like they're still doing pretty good! The Swamphorde bullies remain to the go-to subfaction, since it's +1 to attack for attacking the same target with 2 units is huge for Gutrippaz and Monsta-killaz. So, naturally we include a ton of those. Less than before thanks to the points hike, but enough. The Sloggoth can help the units run and charge so you can get multiple units into combat, while the Monsta-killaz and Gutrippaz tear into the enemy.

The Shaman has some nice buffs as well, either to reduce enemy's attacks or buff a unit's saves, based on what is most needed in the moment.

Michael Sabetti - Sons of Behemat - 2nd Place

Gatebreaker Mega-Gargant. Credit: Fowler

The List

See Showdown

Archetype

Big Stompy

Thoughts

There isn't much finesse to this list, it just charges really good. Kragnos adds 3D6 Charge to everything wholly within 12" of him in addition to being a natural beat stick. The Warstomper is great at destroying huge hordes while the gatebreaker is another beat stick. The Big Pig Regiment of Renown is also infamous as being a very strong beat stick for Destruction armies, able to pick up a lot of things if they get the charge off.

As stated at the beginning, there's not a ton of finesse here. They just charge the opponent and pick up whatever gets in their way, and hopefully survive the counter attack (if there's anything left).

The Best of the Rest

The rest of the top 8 includes:

• 3rd - Aaron Elias Newbom - Ironjawz: Mass Infantry.
• 4th - Ian McAleese - Kharadron Overlords: KO Good Stuff.
• 5th - Alec Jerome - Blades of Khorne: Mass mortal infantry mostly Wrathmongers and Bloodreavers
• 6th - Michael Bernstein - Seraphon: Kroak with Aggradons, Krox, Bastiladon and the Profiteers KO RoR.
• 7th - Leo Rautonen - Stormcast Eternals: Herohammer Stormcast with SoG Iridan, Lord-Relictor,  2 Knight-Judicators and Gardus with Prosecutors, Questsworn and Palladors.
• 8th - Jiwan noah Singh - Flesh-eater Courts: Ushoran-less list of 2 Ghoul Kings (on foot and Terrorgheist and lots of Crypt Horrors and Ghouls.

Michigan GT 2025 Age of Sigmar Championship

64-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Lansing, MI, United States on October 04 2025. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

The Showdown

Mission - Noxious Nexus

Gabriel Cobaugh - Skaventide

vs.

Jake L'Ecuyer - Daughters of Khaine

Thoughts

Daughters of Khaine can be terrifying against many armies. With their buffs properly stacked they can tear through most armies like a hot knife through butter. Luckily...the Skaven have a debuff that works almost as a silver bullet.

Witch Aelves have pretty bad Wound rolls, 4+, though they usually try and augment that with the Blood Rites prayer to try and give that +1 to hit and Wound from it being round 5. Plague Monks blessed from the Plague Priest can subtract 1, so to negate that or even worse, if the prayer didn't go off, would blunt a lot of their damage. And then they can follow up with the Rat Ogors and Brood Terror who rip through infantry with their guns, and then fight pretty well in combat too. With the Plague Priest their Ward roll is stripped off, which pretty much removes the only damage protection DoK have. Once Skaven are on the objective they tank hits a lot better than DOK do, so it's a lot harder to dislodge them.

Result

Skaventide Victory - 76 - 30

Gabriel Cobaugh - Skaventide - 1st Place

Brood Terror. Credit: Matthew Ward

The List

See Showdown

Archetype

Skaven good stuff.

Thoughts

The Skaven template has pretty much stayed the same for a while now, and there's not much that has to be changed. With the Plague Monks and Plague Priest you have a very strong screening unit that has versatile options to chant prayers that buff the damage, or reduce incoming attacks. Once they're stuck in the Brood Terror and Rat Ogors fire over them and rip through most infantry units, and then slug it out. Even if you kill them they still get to come back out at half strength so it is a lot to chew through.

Michael Rausch - Fyreslayers - 2nd Place (Undefeated)

The List

Archetype

Fyreslayers mixed-arms

Thoughts

The last Battlescroll came with a notable price hike on the SoG Runeson on Magmadroth so it did mean that Fyreslayers players may need to take a different tact. They're still using the Runeson, let's not get crazy, but by adding some infantry that does expand options on holding objectives.

Notably the Sky Port Profiteers Regiment of Renown can teleport an infantry unit, which fixes one of the Fyreslayers big weaknesses. Now they can teleport onto objectives enemies leave open, and with the buffs from the multiple priests in this list they can be a force to be reckoned with.

The Best of the Rest

The rest of the top 8 includes:

• 3rd - Jack Cawood - Daughters of Khaine: A list that doesnt use Morathi or Krethusa and has a Melusai Ironscale and Bloodwrack Shrine with lots of Blood Sisters, and a few Khinerai and Shadowstalkers for objective grabbing.
• 4th - Jake L'Ecuyer - Daughters of Khaine: See Showdown.
• 5th - Mike Van Epps - Ironjawz: A mix of a bit of everything, with a Tuskboss and Maw-Krusha and Brutez, Brute Ragerz and Maw-Gruntas.
• 6th - Geoffrey Strubler - Ossiarch Bonereapers: Katakros and 2 wizards with Stalkers, Archai and Immortis Guard.
• 7th - Michael Caldwell - Idoneth Deepkin: Storm Eidolon with Allopexes and a few Morsarr Guard and a Leviadon.
• 8th - Mitchell Jones - Seraphon: SoG Carnosaur and Aggradon Lancers and Kroxigors to go with them. Also includes some Hunters of Huanchi and the new Sunpack.

End Times Grand Tournament 2025

47-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Jihomoravský kraj, Czech Republic on October 04 2025. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

The Showdown

Peter Hricák - Cities of Sigmar

vs.

László Gergely - Gloomspite Gitz

Thoughts

Even with the hit Cities took on the chin in the last Battlescroll, it's gonna be tough for Gitz to get through that shield wall. They do have a lot more ability to move around, the Wheelaz can really help there by grabbing objectives or passing over enemy units to do a few mortal wounds. However, given this list is mostly Troggs its mostly a slow wall themselves, so they will have some trouble breaking through to get to the guns behind their defenses.

Result

Cities of Sigmar Victory - 67 - 42

Peter Hricák - Cities of Sigmar - 1st Place

Thalia, Credit: Conner Tolbert

The List

See Showdown

Archetype

Freeguilders

Thoughts

Freeguilders took a bit of a hit on the chin in the last Battlescroll but it appears they can still keep on trucking. The general idea is the same as it's been the past few months but some cuts needed to be made to account for point hikes.

Tahlia can no longer pull units out of combat, which means Cities need to be a bit more careful with their units and not throw them in willy nilly. The 10 horse unit and Steam Tank Commander can still charge and roll over stuff should it need to, while the 5 horse unit and the fusiliers can be a pretty tanky screen with a lot of wounds so the player can keep pelting the enemy with the War Hulk and Big Cannons while the opponent tries in vain to punch through their defenses.

The Best of the Rest

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

• 2nd - Natasa Belic - Daughters of Khaine: Krethusa and Morathi with Slaughter Queen on Cauldron of Blood and Reinforced Witch Aelves/Sisters of Slaughter.
• 3rd - Pavel Šebesta - Idoneth Deepkin: Eidolon of the sea with two turtles and Morsarr Guard.
• 4th - Adam Tomeček - Skaven: Screaming Bell and dual Brood Terrors with Rat Ogors and Doom-flayers.
• 5th - Daniel Taurok - Flesh-eater Courts: An Ushoran-free list with a Ghoul King on Terrorgheist, Abhorrant Cardinal, Gorewarden, and Archregeant and lots of Crypt Guard.
• 6th - Jan Tomeček - Flesh-eater Courts: Ushoran and a Gorewarden with Horrors and Beastflayers.
• 7th - László Gergely - Gloomspite Gitz: See Showdown.
• 8th - Dominik Viehmann - Sylvaneth: Sylvaneth big boys.

Bread or Dead 2025 - Fresh Out the Oven

29-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Richmond, BC, Canada on October 04 2025. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

The Showdown

Frederick Schmidt - Sylvaneth

vs.

Taylor Gougeon - Flesh-eater Courts

Thoughts

These are two of the best alpha charging armies in the game right now. Sylvaneth tend to run much lower count models that are balanced by being big monsters or high wound elite units, and being able to strike and fade. Flesh Eater Courts tend to be more of a horde army, overwhelming their opponent with sheer numbers.

This does give Flesh Eater Courts a bit of an advantage, they're highly mobile and can secure objectives well due to their numbers. Sylvaneth overall do tank hits better and hit harder, they just need to better time their attacks so it requires a skilled pilot to maximize their efficiency.

The battle ends extremely close, with only a 4 point difference.

Result

Sylvaneth Victory - 56 - 52

Frederick Schmidt - Sylvaneth - 1st Place

Belthanos. Credit: chimp

The List

See Showdown

Archetype

Sylvaneth Big Boys

Thoughts

Alarielle and Belthanos remain as the core pillars of most winning Sylvaneth lists. Alarielle brings powerful healing and recursion to the army, while also being a very strong 3 cast wizard and a solid fighter to boot. Belthanos lets anybody in the army Run and Charge, which is crucial for Sylvaneth to be able to get out of combat ASAP and not be left stranded.

After that you do see more variance in lists. Drycha got a serious upgrade in Scourge of Ghyran, losing her ranged attack but getting a much better melee attack, a debuff if enemies try and charge her, and the ability to ignore wards. The Kurnoth with Scythes make solid objective holders with their Anti-Charge, and the Branwych helps give Strike First to an ally unit if anyone is foolish enough to charge them.

The Best of the Rest

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

• 2nd - Taylor Gougeon - Flesh-eater Courts: See Showdown.
• 3rd - Colton Fitzpatrick - Kruleboyz: A very unique monster list lead by Kragnos and includes a Killaboss on Vulcha, Swampboss Skummdrekk, Killaboss on Gnashtoof and guest starring the Big Pig Regiment of Renown.
• 4th - Matthias Krushel - Kharadron Overlords: KO Good Stuff.
• 5th - Alex Butler - Ironjawz: Infantry list with Brutes, Ardboyz and Scourge of Ghyran Wrekkaz.
• 6th - Kyle Leroux - Sylvaneth: Sylvaneth big boys, but no Alarielle. Instead a Spirit of Durthu and Spiterider Lances takes that spot.

Wrap Up

Whew, what a busy week! With the two largest events of the year done and dusted the smoke is probably going to clear for a bit as we go into Q4, but the party isn't going to stop entirely. Not until new Years anyway. There's still lots of time to see how the Battlescroll shakes out, so come see us next week!

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