by the Plastic Craic team, with one special guest!

BAM! Saggy T is one of the big beasts on the Australian AOS calendar – we’ve had some bloody good nights at the Hilton RSL over the years, and although none of the Plastic Craic team will be in attendance this year, we’ll be cheering you on from a distance. Which is probably the best and safest place to cheer from, when the local beer on tap is West End Draught.

And speaking from a safe distance today is our friend in exile Pete Brizio! A notorious Order Wanker and stalwart of the UK tournament scene, Pete B briefly joined the writing team here at Plastic Craic, although he lasted about as long as your typical English opening batsman before chucking in the towel. Pete will forever be sorely missed here at the Craichouse, and we’re rapt to have his takes on his favourite GA at this event.

As a reminder on how this works, we wade through every list so you don’t have to. Our short-format list reviews save a bunch of time by picking out two armies per GA: one strong list that we think should go well, and one other that we think is just really sweet. Life is short so you can trawl through the whole lot here if you’re so inclined, or you can just let us take you on a guided tour through the highlights below. Over to you Pete.

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Order, by Pete Brizio

So I’m backkkkkkkk! From touted major contributor to occasional guest writer when everyone else is busy is quite the fall from grace!¹ I’m guessing views on the site must be struggling after marathon pieces on Khorne (TLDR – no one else read it either), so they reached out to me and my internet clout as one half of the Death and Destruction podcast. I expected to be asked to comment on either Death or Destruction but it turns out you run one Seraphon list at an event, win Best Order and suddenly you have your Destro Bro membership rescinded and you’re asked to pick your fave Order lists. Go figure.

Power Pick: Jai Portelli, Lumineth

Hurakan 1980/2000 pts
Lumineth Realm-lords | Hurakan Temple
Drops: 3
Spell Lore – Lore of Hysh
Manifestation Lore – Morbid Conjuration

General’s Regiment
Archmage Teclis and Celennar, Spirit of Hysh (590) 
• General
Vanari Auralan Sentinels (300) 
• Reinforced

Regiment 1
Sevireth, Lord of the Seventh Wind (350)
Hurakan Spirit of the Wind (250) 
Hurakan Windchargers (190)

Regiment 2
Scinari Calligrave (160) 
• Masterful Tactician • Silver Wand 
Vanari Auralan Wardens (140)

Faction Terrain:
Shrine Luminor

I was expecting to see nothing but LRL lists but it turns out that people in AUS have a bit more variety than some scenes². So my POWER PICK is Jai Portelli’s LRL list. Despite the (alleged) nerfing of LRL, this list is still strong and the faction is still playing a different game to the rest of us mere mortals.

Jai has gone for the big brain combination of Teclis, Sentinels, “Morby Clunge”³, two Foxes and a unit of Windchargers with some support units too. I don’t know how he came up with such a unique list that we haven’t seen anywhere else.

Teclis is throwing out Endless Spells on a casting value of 10 (without rolling), getting a 5+ ward (without rolling) and just representing the magical DOM that he is (without rolling). Meanwhile Sentinels will be shooting you in both turns and chipping away at your toys (heaven help you if you’re running Destro and have a 5+ save). Can we all just agree that Covering Fire needs to be 2 Command Points already?

Foxes and Windchargers will just zoom around the table fucking with you at every opportunity and then if you do charge into the little castle, the Wardens have +1 Rend Anti Charge and can make you Strike Last too. Fun.

The army does other stuff too which will have you asking “Sorry, you do what?” and “Can I just see the rules?”⁴, but at this stage I’d just be regurgitating numerous other list reviews that have been done. I think Jai has enough tools in his army to take on most armies now and just score BTs and rack up points. I really hope they’re a nice person, otherwise they might be facing a bit of stick this weekend. 

And just to show how much of a hypocrite I am, I’ve picked up a load of LRL too – sometimes you gotta bring a gun to a gun fight. 

Coolest List: Ben Tranter, Cities of Sigmar

The List

A sword-day, a red day ere the sun rises! 1950/2000 pts
Cities of Sigmar | Dawnbringer Crusade Drops: 3 

General’s Regiment
Tahlia Vedra, Lioness of the Parch (310) 
• General
Freeguild Cavaliers (340) 
• Reinforced

Regiment 1
Freeguild Cavalier-Marshal (170) 
• Fiery Temper (Re-roll charges for friendly units wholly within 18″) 
Freeguild Cavaliers (340) 
• Reinforced
Freeguild Cavaliers (340) 
• Reinforced
Freeguild Cavaliers (170) 

Regiment 2 
Freeguild Marshal on Griffon (280)
• Sacred Tome (Makes this unit Priest 1) 

So now I’ve picked my tip to do well it’s time to pick my Coolest List and that honour goes to Ben Tranter’s Cities list. Ben basically looked at GW’s website and said I need Horses, lots of fucking Horses. Oh and give me two of those winged monster things as well – they look cool as shit.

This is similar to a list I ran myself back in 3rd, when the Freeguild Cav were a bit of a hammer. They’ve been changed in this edition: less fighty and a bit more survivable, but still speedy across the table. This subfaction gives an additional 2” in turn one making them movement 12”, and using Advance in Formation gives an extra 3” as well. Deploy badly and they’ll be in your face before you know it, and then the reroll charges and +1 to your charge from the Cavalier Marshall will help get those blocks into combat. He also dished out Strike First.

Tahlia is going to bring back a Cav model per unit (up to 3 diff units) whilst in combat, which just sucks. Why the fuck did they make this effect mean you need Tahlia in combat? A 4+/6+ 15 wound model is going down quicker than a pint in the hands of your average “narrative” gamer. You don’t want to risk her in most matchups and she isn’t killing anything she touches. But hey, it’s a great model and I’m sure at some point she’ll get good rules.

The “Slap Griffon” was again a great unit in 3rd Edition and it’s still a bit killy in this build, but the main thing is making them a Priest now, giving you access to two decent Prayers (-1 to wound is always welcome!). I’m really picking this list cause I think an army consisting of 36 cavalry models and 2 monsters is just great – plus this game is about movement, and this army has it in spades! Good luck Ben.

Chaos, by Pat Nevan

SAGT is back in business at a new venue. SAGT holds a special place in AOS history as the first tournament I ever won and comes with a really cool perpetual trophy featuring a little plaque with my name on it. Sure, a bunch of other folks have won it too, but a genuine AOS big deal like me making the trip to Adelaide is probably the most important thing to happen in South Australia in recent memory (that doesn’t involve finding the bodies of the State’s latest grisly serial murderer).

I’m honestly not sure why South Australia has so many bizarre killings. The world is full of passed-over backwaters bereft of hope and opportunity, but their residents are no more likely to fill their backyards with dismembered prostitutes than anywhere else. As it stands, South Australia’s main export (besides making one submarine every 30 years) is providing source material for True Crime podcasts.

Fun Fact: On two separate occasions, South Australians burying victims in remote shallow graves have found another body while digging

Still it’s a nice place to visit provided you avoid the beer, the water and prolonged eye contact with the locals. I’ve had a lot of good times at SAGT and it’s good to see the tournament continuing under new management at a new venue. It’s a bit of a shame the guys decided to put the event in the most crowded month on the AOS calendar, but hopefully we can make it over next year.

Anyways on with the Chaos lists.

Power Pick: Alexander Krohn, Disciples of Tzeentch

Disciples of Tzeentch | Wyrdflame Host
Drops: 2
Spell Lore – Lore of Change
Manifestation Lore – Morbid Conjuration

General’s Regiment
Kairos Fateweaver (440)
• General
Flamers of Tzeentch (240)
• Reinforced
Screamers of Tzeentch (100)
Screamers of Tzeentch (100)
The Changeling (140)

Regiment 1
Lord of Change (380)
• Illusionist
• Nine-eyed Tome
• 1x Baleful Sword
Blue Horrors and Brimstone Horrors (260)
• Reinforced
Pink Horrors (300)
• Reinforced

Alexander Krohn⁵ is one of Australia’s best known competitive players and a stalwart of Team Australia. He would be the obvious favorite to win SAGT if not for his long history of choking during important competitive moments. For this event he has moved on from his main competitive army of KO and broken out his Disciples of Tzeentch. I’m told that his other army is shooting-heavy Skaven, making him a solid contender for worst human being in Age of Sigmar. Still, running the bleakest ranged armies in a competitive wargame is probably the only thing keeping him from engaging in the traditional South Australian pastime of serial murdering⁶, so the AOS community’s loss is society’s gain.

His list is the perfect combination of everything that is miserable to play against in AOS and everything that needs fixing in 4th Ed. Recursion? He’s got the spend-a-command-point kind. Debuffs, boy does he put out debuffs with a glorious -2 to hit around the Big Bird with the artefact. Magic Dom casting. Reinforced shooting units for Covering Fire. Busted Manifestations. Demented points costing. Non-existent play testing. This list has it all of that and more.

I should be comparing this one to other top-table Tzeentch lists to see what Krohn is doing differently but I just couldn’t force myself to look at them. I’d rather head into the South Australian bush and start digging holes at random than play a game against this army, so it’s a pretty solid pick to win.

Coolest List: Andrew Frankhuisen, Blades of Khorne

Generic Gore Pilgrims 3 2000/2000 pts
—–
Grand Alliance Chaos | Blades of Khorne | Bloodbound Warhorde
Drops: 4
Prayer Lore – Blood Blesssings of Khorne
Manifestation Lore – Judgements of Khorne
Faction Terrain – Skull Altar
—–
General’s Regiment
Bloodsecrator (150)
• General
• Firebrand
• Collar of Contempt
Skullreapers (440)
• Reinforced
Skullreapers (440)
• Reinforced
Skullreapers (220)
—
Regiment 1
Slaughterpriest (160)
Bloodreavers (100)
Wrathmongers (140)
Wrathmongers (140)
—
Regiment 2
Bloodstoker (100)
—
Regiment 3
Realmgore Ritualist (110)

I really like this list from Frankie. Cynics might argue that I’ve only picked the list because I’m a Mortal Khorne guy and Frank is a clubmate. Well cynics can get their own fucking blog as far as I’m concerned. This list is not only cool as hell but pretty durned solid. The list is essentially Skullreapers and things that help them kick ass, which is a really solid approach for a 4th Ed Khorne army. Unlike the previous board control/attrition Khorne model, Skullreapers have the berserk output to put an opponent down in 2 turns if you handle them correctly. Frank has gone with 4 drops and 3 Priests so he has a fair amount of divine juice to splash about. The Bloodsecrator adding 3 dice to Rally rolls is also a really solid option for keeping your fragile troops in the fight.

Besides, there is just something awesome about all-infantry Mortal Khorne armies. Just a bunch of bro’s out to kill the hell out of everything they come across. This list can perform really well if you get ’em across the board and into the thick of it ASAP. Frank himself has been around AOS a long time, even if he doesn’t get a lot of games in. SAGT is a good opportunity to deliver a big result. Frank is one of the few South Australians that I don’t suspect of having a bunch of dismembered corpses dissolving in an acid solution somewhere, and it would be nice to see him do well.

Destruction, by Peter Atkinson

South Australia: the land of Redback spiders and Gobbocon (a venerable Fantasy tournament that ran for 20-odd years).  And yet the useless buggers can only muster a handful of Destruction lists between them.  What’s going on?

I don’t know what the problem is, but I know the solution: Needs Moar Orcs.  Ironjawz are a bit crap so I wouldn’t blame anyone for letting them gather dust right now – that’s on GW, not you.  But I’m surprised there wasn’t a single Kruleboyz player.  Maybe I need to come back down there next year and sort this shit out? 

Power Pick: Lawrence Krauter, Gloomspite Gitz

Gitz | Squigalanche
Drops: 2
Spell Lore – Lore of the Clammy Dank
Manifestation Lore – Primal Energy

General’s Regiment
Kragnos, the End of Empires (580)
• General
Gobbapalooza (150)
Rockgut Troggoths (380)
• Reinforced
Spider Riders (110)
Spider Riders (110)

Regiment 1
Squigboss with Gnasha-Squig (110)
• Loontouched
• The Clammy Cowl
Boingrot Bounderz (240)
• Reinforced
Rabble-Rowza (120)
Squig Herd (200)
• Reinforced

Faction Terrain
Bad Moon Loonshrine

I’d be about as likely to borrow another man’s underpants as I would to copy his army list, but I do rate what Lawrence has done here today and I’d happily run this army at an event.  I’ve got no idea how good you are as a player – so Lawrence, if you’re reading this and you’re shit, please put in the performance of a lifetime and vindicate my faith in you.  But looking at how this list has been crafted, I suspect that you’re one to watch.

This army is really aiming to play Proper Warhammer™ with a blend of units offering smash, hold and scutter⁷:

• Objectives: Kraggy caps as 15 models, and then you’ve got 6x Rockguts with OC2.  Even unsupported, they’re a true anvil.  Beyond that you’re largely relying on turning whatever is standing on those objectives into a bloody puddle – since Squigs are Beasts, their max control score is 1, but that’s OK. We know what they’re here for.
• Killing shit: Yup, that’s what Squigs will do.  A fully-buffed unit is bashing out 80 attacks with Crit Mortals and rend 1.  Not bad for a 200-point shitkicker with multiple sources of recursion.
• Getting there: The Rabble Rowza allows those Herd (or Kraggy) to run and charge while Kraggy himself makes them charge 3D6.  The wee man will probably pick you up a BT too, if you can drop him onto terrain, which brings us to…
• Standing around in the right parts of the board: Spider Riders are an efficient pick as that fast unit for BTs, but also as screens strung out sideways.  This includes being cheap enough to stand near the Shrine, and therefore to prevent someone deepstriking straight into combat with your army’s main Battle Trait and punching it out of the game.

Kraggy is pretty easy to kill nowadays but with the insane output from those cheap-ass Squigs, plus the scoreboard pressure from tailored Battle Tactic units and objective holders, Kragnos is going to be the least of their worries.  This is a seriously strong Gloomspite list.

Coolest List: John Fazakerly, Sons of Behemat

Skyrim Orbital Launch Assistance Team 1950/2000 pts
Sons of Behemat | Breaker Tribe
Drops: 2

General’s Regiment
King Brodd (520)
• General
Gatebreaker Mega-Gargant (500)
• Monstrously Tough

Regiment 1
Warstomper Mega-Gargant (460)
• Extra-calloused Feet
Kraken-eater Mega-Gargant (470)

Well that didn’t take long, did it?  The Kraken-eater is only ever allowed to be good briefly, and by accident, before one of life’s joyless bureaucrats stamps him back into the shit again:

Regardles of the above, a selection box of 4x Megas always brings a certain sprinkling of stardust with it.  Four different Megas looks cool – it just does. I’ve played lists like that at club meets with various systems going on, and you end up with players from other games gathering round your table. 

Breaker Tribe is The One With The 6+ Wards, and Extra-Calloused Feet gives your Warstomper some extra Krumpin’ power.  There’s direct synergy there because the additional rend and damage applies to a greater volume of attacks (Stompy already has more Stomp attacks than other Megas, as one would hope and expect) – one of my opponent’s last weekend⁸ used this exact combo against me, so a bunch of mulched Bonesplitterz can testify that this Artefact adds a lot of value.

I’m already on record with how I’d fix Sons – the quick and effective band aid is that they should ignore negative modifiers to hit and wound, which is every bit as thematic as forcing the poor buggers to hit on 4s in the first place.  But that’s for another day.  Tonight we ride on Thunder Road, and John’s Megas will be doing it with swagger and style.  Good luck mate.

Death, By Zak Rockman

Power Pick: Matthew Slattery, SBGL

SAGT 2024 2000/2000 pts
Soulblight Gravelords | Bacchanal of Blood
Drops: 2
Spell Lore – Lore of Undeath
Manifestation Lore – Krondspine Incarnate

General’s Regiment
Neferata, Mortarch of Blood (460)
• General
Askurgan Trueblades (150)
Askurgan Trueblades (150)
Blood Knights (460)
Dire Wolves (140)

Regiment 1
Vengorian Lord (300)
• Lash of the Sire
• Amulet of Screams
Dire Wolves (140)
Fell Bats (100)
Fell Bats (100)

Neferata and Blood Knights – who would’ve guessed this combo …. I would never have though it⁹.
One of the dirty picks (and pretty common) at the end of 3.0 when SBGL were BROKEN. Turns out a 3+ Ethereal save is dumb – and all the more dumb on 30 wounds with a 6+ ward who hit like fucking trucks. It’s a combo on paper that looks shit to face and a lot of armies just don’t have an answer. Additionally – their Riders of Ruin ability basically gives them Fly over infantry units, so they’re able to jump screens and road blocks, and mess up your precious toys.

The Bacchanal of Blood gives Vampire units +1 to cast when not in combat and +1 to wound in combat.
With an AoA on top, this subfaction gives those Blood Knights 31 dice at 2s and 2s, Rend 1 (Anti Infantry) Damage 2. This averages out at about 28.7 damage into a 4+ save which is pretty brutal.

Neferata has a combat profile – she does what you would expect her to do, has a -1 to hit bubble and an auto slay ability that will almost never get off as you have approximately 17 hoops to jump through¹⁰.

A Vengorian Lord has a base melee profile in line with what you’d expect, plus a useful (but dicey) horde-clearer charge ability in Scything Talons. Hes’ pretty tanky – ignoring a point of rend and enjoying the Vampire ability to heal after combat. Our Vengorian Lord becomes even more annoying with its Amulet of Screams (doing chip damage to enemy wizards) and with the *kinky* Lash of the Sire giving the army some move shenanigans to get a few extra inches (for all my below average bros – every inch counts).

Additionally, like most SBGL lists they also just have piles of shit that can get in the way: 20 Dire Wolves (that come back) to stand on circles and eat your opponent’s shit. Two units of Fell Bats – cheap objective scorers and battle tactic achievers (that come back). 2 x 8 Trueblades (that don’t come back) are a decent screen and anvil, and are annoying to deal with their 4+ Strike Last ability. Given the +1 to wound from the subfaction they can throw a bucket of dice at you – whittling down a hammer before they get the opportunity to fight. SBGL remain a relentless nightmare – good luck Matthew, although I suspect it’s your opponents who are going to need it.

Coolest List: Kyle Tregloan, Nighthaunt

The Burning Legion 2000/2000 pts
Nighthaunt | Vanishing Phantasms
Drops: 3
Spell Lore – Lore of the Underworlds
Manifestation Lore – Cthonic Sorceries

General’s Regiment
Lady Olynder, Mortarch of Grief (300)
• General
Dreadscythe Harridans (320)
Reinforced
Scriptor Mortis (120)
– Ruler of the Spectral Hosts
– Covetous Familiar
Spirit Hosts (260)
Reinforced
Spirit Hosts (260)
Reinforced

Regiment 1
Reikenor the Grimhailer (220)
Pyregheists (120)
Pyregheists (120)
Pyregheists (120)

Regiment 2
Awlrach the Drowner (160)

OH MY GOD – Someone did it!!

This list is all kinds of crackhead and I am here for it.

With the battlescroll nerfing Death Stalkers (very fair and its still super strong), it’s nice to see people starting to test the waters with some other subfactions (Battle Formations … whatever) and units.  Kyle’s list is named the Burning Legion (a Tzeentch wannabe) and features some juicy units not often seen in the previous NH lists that would scream down the board.

Vanishing Phantasms gives his army the ability to teleport a unit and bounce around the board – nabbing objectives and threatening key pieces – so overall, generally annoying. Sitting at 3 drops is a risk though and any higher would essentially giving up on having the choice.

Kyle is rocking the Nighthaunt Cthonic Sorceries – which are pretty average, but it’s still cool to see:

• Terminexus puts out some healing or bonuses to run and charge
• Scythe is a mediocre damage manifestation
• Vault of Souls is a little nuke – but has a small threat range
  

That Scriptor Mortis (6 health, moves 8, control score 2 and shockingly a 4+ save) is an absolute combat power piece¹¹ and holds this list’s Heroic Trait and Artefact. Ruler of the Spirit Hosts (the army’s most common pick) brings back a unit at half strength once per game for a CP. An interesting choice for the Scriptor Mortis though is the Covetous Familiar, which cracks out 2+ d3 MW to a unit that uses a Fight ability in combat with this unit. Unsure if this is the strongest choice – the once per game +1 attacks for NH is pretty strong and maybe doing d3 MW a turn is pretty average, especially on a piece that isn’t ideal to have in combat each turn. At some point you’ll get a story out of it, though.

The Scriptor Mortis can also “sentence” a unit (on a 3+) within 18″ and at the end of each turn, on a 4+ they will take mortal damage equal to the battle round number. A cheap hero that is mainly there as a caddy for Ruler of the Spirit Hosts to get some value on bringing back a unit.

This list is also kitted out with 3 of the 5 named Nighthaunt heroes: Awlrach, Reikenor and Lady O.

• Awlrach takes a unit for a boat ride, teleporting anywhere outside 7
• Riekenor does some spells and hates wizards and priests. This guy is in like every NH list – he’s very solid and if you have played against NH, you have probably seen the scented candle king
• Lady O casts some spells, has a 4+ ward and shows her Gussy to horrify the enemy – one of the most famous models to roll nothing but ones. Her once-per-game boardwide heal has brought me back 23 wounds of NH in one turn – it’s pretty lit

Kyle must be super concerned about the safety of his heroes by having 12?!?! Spirit Hosts to give them a 4+ ward while the units cuddle. 20 Harridans are this list’s main hammer – getting +1 to hit and wound when an enemy is hurt, and inflicting -1 to wound on the charge. They throw a butt load of dice to shred opponents to nothing.

And now the coolest part of the list: 3 units of PYREGHIESTS!!! 17 shots at 10″ range, 4s 4s  -1 1 and the same (without the rend) in combat. An end of turn ability to do 2+d3 MW to a unit within 6″ while they stand on circles, and they gain a bonus to their control score.

I LOVE the idea of fucking with people’s math as they go to score objectives, only to see the scores flip as the opponent’s units take a dose of mortal damage, and the Gheists add to their own score. This in conjunction with Lady O’s -3 control score bubble….well, it can be a miserable time.  For 120 points the ability to chip away at your opponent at the end of each turn is not a bad pick.

I am super keen to see how Kyle goes at this event and he’s brought a lot of freshness to Nighthaunt list design, which had focused on spamming as many Hexwriaths and Bladegheists as they had in their parents’ basement, mostly aiming to win games without much skill at all. I’m allowed to say this because I played Nighthaunt at their peak (80% win rate or whatever) – and I know I am taking digs at myself here, but after winning a bunch of games without having to try too hard and even despite making a bunch of mistakes – the kicking is well deserved.

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Good luck to all the Crow Eaters and have fun! Big shoutout to the Craichouse members based in Adelaide – Josh Clark is TOing the event, but Luke Doman is nowhere to be seen (presumably too busy building a bonfire of Dan Houston merchandise).

Hope to see you there next year fellas – have a blast.

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1. Although I still contest that my piece on Warhammerfest was the reason for it being cancelled. That’s the ‘Fest by the way, not Plastic Craic itself ↩︎
2. But not that much! 1 KO, 2 SCE, 1 IDK, 1 LRL, 3 Seraphon, 1 COS ↩︎
3. I’ve been assured that’s what the “yoofs” are calling it ↩︎
4. Heaven help us when their rules get paywalled! ↩︎
5. Universally known as Krohn, even to his parents and girlfriend. ↩︎
6. Probably. I won’t be surprised if the cops do end up digging in his backyard one day. The man is way too nice for somebody that runs awful armies. ↩︎
7. Proper Warhammer now includes standing around on board edges, because apparently standing around on circles was too basic.  Way more profound. ↩︎
8. Shout out to Fletch, awesome game my man. ↩︎
9. /s ↩︎
10. Yes I checked, and that number is accurate ↩︎
11. Also /s ↩︎

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