According to the data from Games Workshop, these are the best (top winning) and worst Warhammer 40k armies in the meta in October 2023!
GW has been keeping a closer eye on the meta recently and is trying to keep everyone around that 50% win rate with the Dataslates, Chapter Approveds, and FAQs. However, the game has a lot of rules and mechanics, so not every army will always stay balanced!
There’s been a lot of talk about the power level of factions in 10th Edition Warhammer 40k, how the meta is shaping up, and if the game is balanced. Now that a decent number of tournaments have happened for 10th over the last few months, we have a better idea of the meta (and we get a second set of numbers from GW).
From the data, there are some pretty obvious winners and losers even after the Dataslate. But the game is far more balanced than the last time we saw a Metawatch, so things are moving in the right direction. Things aren’t perfect yet, but they are getting much better!
GW Confirms the Best & Worst 40k Armies in the Meta Right Now (October 2023)
At least there is some light shining through this time, as factions other than Aeldari have actually won tournaments! While they are still on top, other armies are starting to close the gap. While the first Metawatch was based on about 350 games, the new one is based on over 60,000 games, so it’s pretty decent data this time around.
While GW tries to keep the armies in the 45-55% win range, the number of armies sitting below 50% is a little sad to see, as the top 3 or 4 factions are taking most of the wins at this point.
Warhammer 40k Metawatch: (October 19th, 2023)
The latest best and worst armies of Warhammer 40k and 10th Edition Balance Dataslate Metawatch are from Warhammer Community.
This is a direct reflection of how much more diverse and playable the field as a whole is in the wake of the most recent Balance Dataslate. Jeffrey took out several extremely strong players and powerful factions on the way, including Aeldari piloted by Quinton Johnson – the highest current win-rate army, in the hands of a very well-rated player. He then defeated Jack Harpster, currently considered one of the best players in the world.
It is nice to see something other than Eldar win a top-level tournament, and while the Sisters’ overall win rate isn’t the highest, they have the ability, with some good list-building and great gameplay, can win tournaments!
As you would expect, they took plenty of anti-tank, some cheap units to score objectives, Morvenn Vahl, and Paragons for melee. Also, not to be overlooked, they took three assassins, as do most winning Imperial lists these days.
Despite this and more changes to the Eldar, they are still on top.
With 60,000 games recorded since the Balance Dataslate came out, current faction win-rates are looking very even, with just a few factions outside the 45-55% window:
The game is far more balanced than the last Metawatch we saw, and all but three armies are in that range.
Drukhari takes the bottom spot right now, and it seems they need some big changes to really get back in the meta. While their opposites sit at the top, Aeldari has been on the top of basically all data since the start of 10th edition. Then, Leagues of Votann have flown from the bottom of the meta to the top with the big changes to their army ability, and Orks have managed to take the second spot in the overall meta.
It looks like the NERFS to Imperial Knights and Custodes have had their intended effect, as both of those factions have fallen from grace to below a 50% win rate. Other than that, most armies seem pretty viable, and the win rates have really stabilized overall.
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About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
