There is a lot of talk the past few days about what’s wrong with 40k, and ways to fix it. Come take a look at what may be the symptoms of the ailment: 40k’s Top Armies?
40k’s Top Tier Lists?
- Eldar Wraithknight / Scat Bike Spam. Weak against Gravstars, alpha stike gravs, and Kataphrons. D weapons are also very bad for them where “allowed”
- Adeptus Mechanicus Conclave Lists. Weak against flyers, hordes and Daemons, and perhaps Knights.
- Imperial Knight Formation Armies (like Tripartite or Adamantite Lances) Weak against Eldar Wraithknight / Scat Bike Spam, and Tyranid / Daemon FMCs.
- “Super Friends” Bikestar (OR Thunder Wolf Star) lists. Weak against Eldar Wraithknight / Scat Bike Spam, and possibly grav lists depending on the player. Plus of course D weapons and STOMPS.
- Daemonbomb Armies with Multi Flying Monstrous Creatures. Weak Against Adeptus Mechanicus Conclave Lists, and “Super Friends” Bikestar lists.
- Tyranid Flying Monstrous Creature Lists – Weak Against Invisible Mechanic Armies like Superfriends and Grav heavy lists.
- Necron Decurion – Weak Against Invisible Mechanic Armies like Superfriends and Grav heavy lists, and lists the can close fast on static battle lines.
You’ll notice from that chart, a lot of those top lists seem to counter-balance each other. Sure ultimately it comes down to who’s piloting said lists because very rarely will you see a novice player trump a veteran player outside of the formulas above (but it can happen).
Except that is when you remove one of these lists from the meta, and create… a Power Vacuum.
I don’t want to derail this post about what happens to the 40k environment when army archtypes start getting banned. You can checkout a huge flowchart type article that breaks that all down here.
Suffice to say, it fundamentally changes not only the points value assigned to units, but also GW’s original intent on how armies stack up against each other.
So the question is how would you rank the armies above power level wise, and are any missing from this list?
Episode 21 -Fixing 40k, One Rule at a Time?
About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at the Las Vegas Open, each of which attracts thousands of players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the 2011 Adepticon 40k Team Tournament. He was even featured for his painting in issue #304 of Games Workshop’s White Dwarf Magazine.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
