Chris Cardamone’s 5-0 Iron Hands won the EI Commencing Armageddon army lists crown by stacking two detachments at the first 11th Edition GT.
One of the first 11th Edition GT wrapped over the weekend, and the podium gave us an early look at how competitive list-building may shake out. Iron Hands finished 5-0, Astra Militarum went 4-1, and Drukhari also ended 4-1. All three used dual-detachment builds, but each army spent its three Detachment Points differently.
Which is interesting because this is the real tournament test for 11th Edition’s Detachment Point system.
The team results were strong, too, with Iron-Claws Wargaming putting Cardamone in first and Emory Garrett in third. Eastern Imperium had Moxley in second and three others in the top 8, which is a solid showing for both teams and a strong start for the new edition’s tournament scene.
EI Commencing Armageddon: Top 3 Warhammer 40k Army Lists
- All three top finishers spent the full 3 Detachment Points on dual-detachment stacks at 2,000 points: The first 11th Edition GT shows that top players are already treating Detachment Points as a major part of army building.
- Chris Cardamone’s Iron Hands ran Hammer of Avernii plus Librarius Conclave to a 5-0 finish on Terminator bricks: The list used three character-led units, Caanok Var as warlord, and plenty of Thunder Hammers.
- Moxley’s Astra Militarum and Garrett’s Drukhari both finished 4-1 with very different builds: Astra Militarum leaned on Designation Force and Mechanised Assault, while Drukhari paired Exhibition of Slaughter with Skysplinter Assault.
Thanks to Best Coast Pairings, we can look through the event using real pairings and battle point data.
Chris Cardamone’s Hammer of Avernii Iron Hands Took First on Durability and Damage
Cardamone’s list is called “Iron Wolves,” and it’s built around 30 Terminators, two Librarians, a Lieutenant, and two Predator Destructors. The core plan is simple: push several tough units into the middle, force the opponent to deal with Storm Shield Terminators, and use Hammer of Avernii to make Oath of Moment hit harder.
The second detachment is Librarius Conclave, which further enhances the Librarian-led units. It gives the army extra support without pulling points away from the main Terminator threat.
Hammer of Avernii Roster Breakdown
Caanok Var leads a 10-model Terminator Assault Squad as the main warlord unit, and his role is to support and keep the army’s damage focused as targets are removed.
The second attached unit has a Librarian with Fusillade leading a 10-model Sternguard Veteran Squad. That gives the list a strong shooting unit capable of clearing lighter targets and helping set up charges. The third attached unit is a Librarian in Terminator Armor with Steel Font leading another 10-model Terminator Assault Squad with the same Thunder Hammer and Storm Shield loadout.
The rest of the list is built for scoring and shooting support, with Incursors, Infiltrators, two multi-melta Land Speeders, and two Predator Destructors with lascannons and Predator autocannons.
Overall, the Iron Hands codex gives this kind of list the tools it wants. Hammer of Avernii improves the army’s target focus, while Librarius Conclave adds support to the units that are already hard to remove.
How Hammer of Avernii Won the Event
Cardamone’s five-round scores were 95, 100, 56, 80, and 100. But it’s that lower score in round three that is worth a look because it shows the list can win even when it is not scoring at full speed.
That is a big part of why the build worked. It doesn’t need to table every opponent or max every turn. It just needs to hold the middle, remove key targets, and make the opponent spend too much effort killing Terminators. When the matchup allows the army to work properly, it can score very highly, as shown by the 95-, 100-, and 100-point rounds.
Gregory Moxley’s Designation Force Astra Militarum Took Second With a Flexible Guard Build
Moxley’s list itself stacks Designation Force and Mechanized Assault, giving Astra Militarum both target control and transport pressure.
That mix lets the army pick priority targets while moving key units around the board. It rocks a Rogal Dorn, two Chimeras, two Taurox chassis, and a Hellhound, so it definitely has enough armor and mobility.
Designation Force Roster Breakdown
Lord Solar Leontus is the warlord attached to a Cadian Command Squad with Cadian Shock Troops as the bodyguard. That unit is the army’s command center and aligns well with Designation Force’s target selection.
A Militarum Tempestus Command Squad leads a Tempestus Scion squad, giving the list a deep strike threat with hot-shot lasguns and meltaguns. Gaunt’s Ghosts add a flexible Lone Operative-style unit that can work on secondaries and pressure weak spots as usual.
Sly Marbo causes further disruptions while a Tech-Priest Enginseer supports Rogal Dorn and helps keep the main tank active.
The damage core is three Kasrkin squads with double melta, double plasma, and a marksman rifle. Meanwhile, the Rogal Dorn carries a Pulverizer cannon, Oppressor cannon, and twin multi-meltas. Next, a Hellhound helps clear infantry off objectives, while Krieg Combat Engineers bring Remote Mines. Finally, Attilan Rough Riders and Death Riders add melee threats, while Scout Sentinels help with mission play.
How Designation Force Played the Mission
Moxley scored 86, 95, 94, 79, and 100 across five rounds. The 79 was his only loss, but the 100 in round five shows the list still had enough tools to still finish strong.
This is what a good Astra Militarum dual-detachment list is trying to do. It picks targets, maintains pressure on objectives, uses transports to control the tempo, and forces the opponent to deal with multiple problems at once.
Emory Garrett’s Skysplinter Assault Drukhari Took Third With Fast Threats and Incubi
Garrett’s list is called “Boats and……..dudes?” and it comes in at 1,975 points. It pairs Exhibition of Slaughter with Skysplinter Assault, using the 11th Edition Drukhari detachments to support fast transports, Incubi, and mobile trading units.
The army is built to move quickly, hit exposed targets, and keep scoring while the opponent tries to catch up.
Exhibition of Slaughter Roster Breakdown
Lady Malys is the warlord and leads a 5-model Incubi squad. That unit is a small, efficient melee threat that can go after characters or remove a key unit.
The larger melee threat, though, is an Archon with Nightmare Shroud leading a 10-model Incubi squad. Together, the two Incubi units give Garrett strong melee pressure out of transports. The army also uses the Pain token economy covered in our How to Play Drukhari guide to push damage when it matters.
The battleline is two 10-model Kabalite Warrior squads. Each squad brings a Blaster, a Dark Lance, a Shredder, and a Splinter Cannon, that gives the army some useful ranged output from units that can still help with objectives.
Getting the units to where they need to be are a Raider and three Venoms, giving the army four boats for its short-ranged units. The elite side of the list saw a 10-model Hellions squad, a 5-model Hellions squad, two Mandrake squads, two Reaver squads with heat lances and cluster caltrops, and two Scourge squads with dark lances. Finally, a pair of Talos rounds out the list with tougher melee and anti-armor support.
How Skysplinter Assault Scored So Well
Garrett’s scores were 100, 96, 96, 100, and 60. The 60 in round five was his only loss, but the first four rounds were extremely strong.
That kind of scoring is exactly what the Drukhari want from this build. The army moves quickly, trades efficiently, and applies pressure to both primary and secondary scoring. If the opponent can’t stop the Incubi or catch the mobile units early, the points can add up quickly.
Final Thoughts on the EI Commencing Armageddon Army Lists & the Warhammer 40k Meta
So one of the first 11th Edition GT gave us a clear early pattern to watch, as the top lists all used the full 3 Detachment Points, and every podium army ran a dual-detachment setup.
That doesn’t mean these exact builds will define the meta, but it does show that Detachment Points are now one of the most important parts of competitive Warhammer 40k army building. Players are not just picking a detachment anymore; they’re building around detachment combinations.
The Iron Hands build is the clearest early example because it is durable, focused, and easy to understand. Astra Militarum showed how strong a toolbox army can be with the right pair of detachments, and Drukhari showed that fast, trade-centric armies still have plenty of room to score big.
The next few GTs will tell us whether this style of detachment builds becomes the norm for the 11th or not. Either way, the top 40k tournament army lists are going to be a lot more interesting now that dual-detachment builds are showing up at the top.
So, if your army has a strong second detachment option, now may be the time to start testing it.
🔗 Related Reads:
- How to Play Space Marines
- How to Play Astra Militarum
- How to Play Drukhari
- Top Warhammer 40k Army Lists
- More Top Warhammer 40k Army Lists
- 40k Tournament Guide
- Warhammer 40k Factions Guide
What do you think of these EI Commencing Armageddon army lists?
