Tau Set To Fail & Secrets To The Best 40k Armies Right Now

By Steven Ross | April 9th, 2024 | Categories: 10th Edition 40k, Games Workshop, Necrons, Tau, Warhammer Army Lists, Warhammer Community

As the Tau get set for a fall into their new codex book, here’s what makes the best Warhammer 40k armies work now after Adepticon.

This week, we are taking another look at the top Warhammer 40k armies on the tournament scene and why they work in the current meta.

Tau Set To Fail & Secrets To The Best 40k Armies Right Now

Thanks to Best Coast Pairings, we can look back at the event as if we were all there ourselves. Click this special promo link to save $20 on a year’s subscription to BCP.

The biggest event over the weekend, The Manchester 40k SUPER-MAJOR, has come and gone, leaving us with some exciting and not-so-exciting results. Oh, and there was a little thing called Adepticon as well.

The differences in GW and UKTC terrain/player packets could be on display as the very top cuts of both, while potentially similar at the surface level, were very different once you took a microscope to them.

Manchester Super-Major	Adepticon Champs 2024
Josh Roberts – Necrons	Brandon Vallee – Tau
David Gaylard – Astra Militarum	TJ Lanigan – Thousand Sons
Tony Chew – Aeldari	Shaun Reynolds – Necrons
Richard Grint – Admech	Kevin Leonard – Chaos Daemons
Kyle Grundy – Tau	Justin Cook – Tau
Innes Wilson – Space Marines	Ben Andraka – Tyranids
Markus Hinson – Tau	David T. – Thousand Sons
James McGlough – Black Templars	Steven Ross – Necrons
Mark Crombleholme – Necrons	John Ontto – Orks
Brett Smith – Necrons	Brian Daugherty – World Eaters

Looking at the breakdown, a couple of factions jump off the page quickly; the reigning champ since their codex and LVO, meta bully, without a doubt, would be Necrons with five placings and a first overall. Tau, however, has us doing our best Palpatine impersonation:

Just in time for their new book, they also seem to have been able to compete on both terrain layouts, which is interesting given their propensity for ranged.

The Other Best 40k Armies Right Now

Things we will gloss over today: Tau and Canoptek Court. While both are interesting, Tau has been completely revamped from the ground up, so a deep dive isn’t the best route to take at this time. And Necrons, well, it’s the same old same old we’ve seen for months.

We want the new hotness!

Is that Thousand Sons? They won Cherokee just last month. They bully the apparently wide-awake tomb worlds. Why, yes, that sounds like a great place to start. With two placings in the top 10 and three in the top cut of Adepticon, they definitely had a showing.

How Thousand Sons get it done: Lots of single Damage Attacks, Dev Wounds, and Mortal Wounds. TJ Lanigan’s list did have a surprising amount of Tzaangors as well. Their job is to force opponents to make business decisions every turn, either killing deadly things or important objective things. Speed, Damage, Devs, and Mortals—what’s not to love?

Ad Mech Have Entered The Chat

Next up are the mechanical people—no, not the Necrons. We’re talking Ad Mech! Hunter Cohort has been slinking around on the fringes, and they are definitely a force to be reckoned with. Do not write these guys off. OC OC OC, these little guys absolutely smother their opponent on primary with incredible objective control. They are irritating to get rid of because of their Detachment Rule, giving all their infantry bodies Stealth and Cover.

That snuck these guys into the top 4 at Manchester. Oh, and don’t forget, they can get a 5+, feel no pain, and Lone Operative from strats as well. They must have learned that from the Necrons; a real theme is showing.

Escape from Trash Mountain (2000 Points)

Adeptus Mechanicus
Skitarii Hunter Cohort
Strike Force (2000 Points)

CHARACTERS

Skitarii Marshal (55 Points)
• 1x Control stave
1x Mechanicus pistol
• Enhancements: Clandestine Infiltrator

Skitarii Marshal (55 Points)
• Warlord
• 1x Control stave
1x Mechanicus pistol
• Enhancements: Veiled Hunter

Skitarii Marshal (65 Points)
• 1x Control stave
1x Mechanicus pistol
• Enhancements: Battle-sphere Uplink

BATTLELINE

Skitarii Rangers (90 Points)
• 1x Skitarii Ranger Alpha
• 1x Alpha combat weapon
1x Close combat weapon
1x Mechanicus pistol
• 9x Skitarii Ranger
• 1x Arc rifle
9x Close combat weapon
6x Galvanic rifle
1x Omnispex
1x Plasma caliver
1x Transuranic arquebus

Skitarii Vanguard (80 Points)
• 1x Skitarii Vanguard Alpha
• 1x Alpha combat weapon
1x Close combat weapon
1x Mechanicus pistol
• 9x Skitarii Vanguard
• 1x Arc rifle
9x Close combat weapon
1x Omnispex
1x Plasma caliver
6x Radium carbine
1x Transuranic arquebus

Skitarii Vanguard (80 Points)
• 1x Skitarii Vanguard Alpha
• 1x Alpha combat weapon
1x Close combat weapon
1x Mechanicus pistol
• 9x Skitarii Vanguard
• 1x Arc rifle
9x Close combat weapon
1x Omnispex
1x Plasma caliver
6x Radium carbine
1x Transuranic arquebus

Skitarii Vanguard (80 Points)
• 1x Skitarii Vanguard Alpha
• 1x Alpha combat weapon
1x Close combat weapon
1x Mechanicus pistol
• 9x Skitarii Vanguard
• 1x Arc rifle
9x Close combat weapon
1x Omnispex
1x Plasma caliver
6x Radium carbine
1x Transuranic arquebus

Skitarii Vanguard (80 Points)
• 1x Skitarii Vanguard Alpha
• 1x Alpha combat weapon
1x Close combat weapon
1x Mechanicus pistol
• 9x Skitarii Vanguard
• 1x Arc rifle
9x Close combat weapon
1x Omnispex
1x Plasma caliver
6x Radium carbine
1x Transuranic arquebus

Skitarii Vanguard (80 Points)
• 1x Skitarii Vanguard Alpha
• 1x Alpha combat weapon
1x Close combat weapon
1x Mechanicus pistol
• 9x Skitarii Vanguard
• 1x Arc rifle
9x Close combat weapon
1x Omnispex
1x Plasma caliver
6x Radium carbine
1x Transuranic arquebus

Skitarii Vanguard (80 Points)
• 1x Skitarii Vanguard Alpha
• 1x Alpha combat weapon
1x Close combat weapon
1x Mechanicus pistol
• 9x Skitarii Vanguard
• 1x Arc rifle
9x Close combat weapon
1x Omnispex
1x Plasma caliver
6x Radium carbine
1x Transuranic arquebus

DEDICATED TRANSPORTS

Skorpius Dunerider (80 Points)
• 1x Armoured hull
1x Cognis heavy stubber array

Skorpius Dunerider (80 Points)
• 1x Armoured hull
1x Cognis heavy stubber array

Skorpius Dunerider (80 Points)
• 1x Armoured hull
1x Cognis heavy stubber array

OTHER DATASHEETS

Corpuscarii Electro-Priests (60 Points)
• 5x Corpuscarii Electro-Priest
• 5x Electrostatic gauntlets

Pteraxii Skystalkers (65 Points)
• 1x Pteraxii Skystalker Alpha
• 1x Flechette blaster
1x Taser goad
• 4x Pteraxii Skystalker
• 4x Close combat weapon
4x Flechette carbine

Pteraxii Skystalkers (65 Points)
• 1x Pteraxii Skystalker Alpha
• 1x Flechette blaster
1x Taser goad
• 4x Pteraxii Skystalker
• 4x Close combat weapon
4x Flechette carbine

Pteraxii Sterylizors (130 Points)
• 1x Pteraxii Sterylizor Alpha
• 1x Flechette blaster
1x Pteraxii talons
1x Taser goad
• 9x Pteraxii Sterylizor
• 9x Phosphor torch
9x Pteraxii talons

Pteraxii Sterylizors (130 Points)
• 1x Pteraxii Sterylizor Alpha
• 1x Flechette blaster
1x Pteraxii talons
1x Taser goad
• 9x Pteraxii Sterylizor
• 9x Phosphor torch
9x Pteraxii talons

Pteraxii Sterylizors (130 Points)
• 1x Pteraxii Sterylizor Alpha
• 1x Flechette blaster
1x Pteraxii talons
1x Taser goad
• 9x Pteraxii Sterylizor
• 9x Phosphor torch
9x Pteraxii talons

Serberys Raiders (60 Points)
• 1x Serberys Raider Alpha
• 1x Cavalry sabre and clawed limbs
1x Galvanic carbine
1x Mechanicus pistol
• 2x Serberys Raider
• 2x Cavalry sabre and clawed limbs
1x Enhanced data-tether
2x Galvanic carbine

Serberys Raiders (60 Points)
• 1x Serberys Raider Alpha
• 1x Cavalry sabre and clawed limbs
1x Galvanic carbine
1x Mechanicus pistol
• 2x Serberys Raider
• 2x Cavalry sabre and clawed limbs
1x Enhanced data-tether
2x Galvanic carbine

Serberys Raiders (60 Points)
• 1x Serberys Raider Alpha
• 1x Cavalry sabre and clawed limbs
1x Galvanic carbine
1x Mechanicus pistol
• 2x Serberys Raider
• 2x Cavalry sabre and clawed limbs
1x Enhanced data-tether
2x Galvanic carbine

Serberys Sulphurhounds (55 Points)
• 1x Serberys Sulphurhound Alpha
• 1x Cavalry arc maul
1x Clawed limbs
1x Mechanicus pistol
1x Sulphur breath
• 2x Serberys Sulphurhound
• 2x Clawed limbs
4x Phosphor pistol
2x Sulphur breath

Sicarian Infiltrators (70 Points)
• 1x Sicarian Infiltrator Princeps
• 1x Flechette blaster
1x Taser goad
• 4x Sicarian Infiltrator
• 4x Flechette blaster
4x Taser goad

ALLIED UNITS

Inquisitor (55 Points)
• 1x Combi-weapon
1x Force weapon
1x Psychic Gifts
1x Psychic Shock Wave

Lord Inquisitor Kyria Draxus (75 Points)
• 1x Dirgesinger
1x Power fist
1x Psychic Tempest

Asymmetric Necrons

The last jumping off-the-page eye-catcher, a 97-point loss for the Necrons list. But, it gets better. Hypercrypt… No Monolith? That’s definitely an unexplored avenue for the Hypercrypt Legion, but a quick glance at this list and you realize who needs a giant rock when you have ALL of the damage.

This wild list took (only) one Ctan, a little 40mm based Nightbringer, and then it gets weird: six Wraiths, this isn’t Canoptek Court, they won’t do any damage without their rerolls, 10 Flayed Ones, nine Lokhust Heavy Destroyers with Gauss Destructors, and six Lokhust Destroyers.

That’s a lot of Dakka.

Heavy Destroyers swing a 1 Shot, S14 AP-4 6-Damage(not D6, 6) cannon with Lethals, oh and they’re rerolling and critting on 5s with the Lord in 1 Unit. The other lord, being attached to the 6-man, naturally gets rerolls against objectives, with three shots S5 AP-2 2-Damage.

Both the destroyer units can punch through most things in the game, and they’re teleporting every turn. Flayed Ones in a 10-man is also a surprising and new twist to the meta, but they can really dig into even the heaviest targets with their silly profile: 4 Attacks, S4 AP-1, 1 Damage, Twin-Linked, Sustained 1, but if the target is below half, Critical hits on 3s. They can turn into a blender fast, and also clear chaff with ease.

Teleportmanteau (1995 Points)

Necrons
Hypercrypt Legion
Strike Force (2000 Points)

CHARACTERS

Chronomancer (50 Points)
• 1x Chronomancer’s stave

C’tan Shard of the Nightbringer (255 Points)
• 1x Gaze of death
1x Scythe of the Nightbringer

Lokhust Lord (105 Points)
• Warlord
• 1x Lord’s blade
1x Resurrection Orb
• Enhancements: Arisen Tyrant

Lokhust Lord (100 Points)
• 1x Lord’s blade
1x Resurrection Orb
• Enhancements: Osteoclave Fulcrum

Technomancer (70 Points)
• 1x Staff of light
• Enhancements: Dimensional Overseer

BATTLELINE

Immortals (70 Points)
• 5x Immortal
• 5x Close combat weapon
5x Tesla carbine

OTHER DATASHEETS

Canoptek Wraiths (220 Points)
• 6x Canoptek Wraith
• 6x Particle caster
6x Vicious claws

Deathmarks (130 Points)
• 10x Deathmark
• 10x Close combat weapon
10x Synaptic disintegrator

Flayed Ones (140 Points)
• 10x Flayed One
• 10x Flayer claws

Lokhust Destroyers (180 Points)
• 6x Lokhust Destroyer
• 6x Close combat weapon
6x Gauss cannon

Lokhust Heavy Destroyers (150 Points)
• 3x Lokhust Heavy Destroyer
• 3x Close combat weapon
3x Gauss destructor

Lokhust Heavy Destroyers (150 Points)
• 3x Lokhust Heavy Destroyer
• 3x Close combat weapon
3x Gauss destructor

Lokhust Heavy Destroyers (150 Points)
• 3x Lokhust Heavy Destroyer
• 3x Close combat weapon
3x Enmitic exterminator

Tomb Blades (75 Points)
• 3x Tomb Blade
• 3x Close combat weapon
2x Particle beamer
3x Shadowloom
3x Shieldvanes
1x Twin tesla carbine

Tomb Blades (75 Points)
• 3x Tomb Blade
• 3x Close combat weapon
2x Particle beamer
3x Shadowloom
3x Shieldvanes
1x Twin tesla carbine

Tomb Blades (75 Points)
• 3x Tomb Blade
• 3x Close combat weapon
2x Particle beamer
3x Shadowloom
3x Shieldvanes
1x Twin tesla carbine

It was a wild weekend of Wargaming, with literally thousands of players showing up to put their own twist on the meta. Innovation clearly isn’t dead, and these two titanic events prove it without a shadow of a doubt.

The best time to try that new idea is right now. Do it, have fun, surprise the meta—this is what the hobby is all about.