Here are GW’s Best and Worst Warhammer 40k armies that are either placing at the latest big 10th Edition tournaments or down in the dumps…
Thanks to Mr. Taste at Blood of Kittens, here’s a look at the latest placings and meta from the larger 10th Edition 40k tournaments last weekend!
GW’s Best & Worst Warhammer 40k Armies: September 1st
We celebrated a bit too early with Chaos shooting above Eldar a few weeks ago when the top six places for one GT this week were all Eldar.
Eldar is DEFINITELY way too good, with easily one of their most dominating weeks yet.
Chaos tried to go for a comeback week, but Eldar just plain dominated across the board this week.
But how about the larger meta picture overall? The second-best army in 40k seems to be in constant flux after Eldar. Hopefully, once they get balanced out, we will see a healthier format soon.
Warhammer 40k Meta Overview from August 28th 2023:
Statcheck.com has us covered on the overall Warhammer 40k Meta, too, compiling the data up to August 28th, 2023!
Comparing the newly updated rankings to the previous ones below, Eldar is up a hair, with GSC down the same amount, and all of the runner-up factions seeming to spread out the win rates. At the bottom Death Guard and Votann are still underperforming when hobbyists actually even play them.
Warhammer 40k Meta Overview from August 16th 2023:
This all seems to line up with last week’s results and Deathwatch’s resurgence, perhaps due to their plethora of tactical options and re-rolls.
How to Read This Warhammer 40k Meta Overview Chart:
The Warhammer 40k Meta Overview Chart is color-coded for the most part. Grey is the sweet spot; ideally, every faction would be light grey or between a 45% and 55% win rate. Blues are overpowered, meaning Eldar, GSC, and Imperial Knights all need to be taken down a peg.
In contrast, Oranges are underpowered, with Votann and Death Guard needing some very serious help. Essentially, the darker shades are too far gone and need some changes or shifts in the Meta. That’s not to say every darker blue and orange faction needs balance changes, but it DOES mean something needs to be done.
If Votann and Death Guard see buffs, maybe they’ll shift the meta and lower the blue factions down into grey, but make them too strong, and they’ll shoot up to blue themselves! Game balance and meta are super complex, with each faction (and general’s ability) being its own cogs in the bigger picture.
We know it’s evident that Eldar is too good. Simply put, the most played faction in any competitive game should never be the most winning faction. As the popularity of a faction goes up, the skill, specified knowledge, and experience of the average player in that faction go down (new players moving to it).
With that in mind, you can check out six of the top army lists from events over the weekend below.
The Top 40k Army Lists at the Wasteland Wars GT 2023
We can look back at the event thanks to Best Coast Pairings as if we were all there ourselves. Save $20 by subscribing for a year of BCP by clicking this special promo link.
3rd Place: Patrick M – T’au Empire
2nd Place: Josh Archer – Necrons
1st Place: Matthew Gaddy – Necrons
Matthew won with his Necron list led by two Technomancers and two Overlords for their supportive abilities when paired with squads like the Lychguard. Two Hexmark Destroyers for ranged threats, and a single C’tan as a dense-point efficient threat.
The rest of the units start with a Reanimator for support, 4 Cryptothralls to tank wounds, and 10 Flayed ones for cheap melee models.
There are also 2 Doomsday Arks for mobile vehicles with solid weapons and 20 Lychguards blocks to keep on coming back.
The list then closes on a unit of Destroyers and three Tomb Blades for some more mobility options.
Eldar As Far As The Eye Can See: Seasons Of WAAAGH Top 40k Army Lists
We can look back at the event thanks to Best Coast Pairings as if we were all there ourselves. Save $20 by subscribing for a year of BCP by clicking this special promo link.
Another week, another tournament dominated by Eldar, so instead, we’ll cover the top 3 non-Eldar lists!
10th Place: Sean Kandare – Grey Knights
9th Place: Tom Robichaux – Necrons
7th Place: Luke Henderson – Adeptus Custodes
Luke’s lone non-eldar top 8 finish was a Custodes list led by 2 Blade Champions for fast melee threats and two Shield-Captains for great flexibility with stratagems and stances.
Battleline included 18 Custodian Guard as essential bodies to join the blade champions (or Captains) and benefit from their abilities.
Battleline closes on 15 Prosecutors for some cheaper bodies that help round out points.
The list closes out on 12 Wardens for elite bodies that are much more durable, especially when paired with shield captains, etc.
Click Here For More Top Warhammer Army Lists
What do you think about GW’s best and worst 10th Edition Warhammer 40k army lists dominating the meta now?
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About the Author: Andrew Schrank
Andrew Schrank
Job Title: Miniatures & Warhammer Hobby Staff Writer
Socials: Facebook
About Andrew Schrank: Over the past 15 years, Andrew has played all the games, including tabletop and video games, and immersed himself in the associated lore. Andrew joined the Spikey Bits team in 2018 and covers the Warhammer hobby and tournament scene, along with the latest in tabletop miniatures, each week.
Aspiring diplomat, Lord of Fluff, and Master of Ice Hammer, He loves Star Wars, Chaos Undivided, and Gundam. During his free time, he hunts Platinum trophies on PS5 and reads international news. On weekends, Andrew plays commander and cEDH games, often with unique strategies that push the limits.
He believes each day presents a new opportunity to grow and be challenged.
