Don’t miss the top Warhammer 40k army lists featuring Black Templars, Astra Militarum, and Space Marines from the Celtic Cup GT.
The Celtic Cup GT brought the heat, and we’re not talking about plasma guns.
So, if you want to see which lists ruled the tables and what tricks they used to crush their foes, you’re in the right place.
Let’s break down the top 40k army lists from the weekend, shaking up the meta right now.
Top 40k Tournament Army Lists: Celtic Cup GT
Studying these winning army lists for their tactical synergies can provide great insights for playing your army since the latest balance dataslate rules changes and points updates. If you want to elevate your game even further, consider applying to Team USA to compete at the World Team Championships each year!
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1st Place: Innes Wilson, Space Marines (Ultramarines) Army Lists
This Ultramarines Gladius Space Marine army list pushes forward as one tight formation, stacking defensive buffs, cleanup units, and brutal short-range firepower until the midfield caves in.
It all starts with the character block. The Captain in Gravis Armour tanks the front line, bringing Artificer Armour to soak chip damage and punch back with the relic blade.
The Lieutenant with combi layers wound rerolls onto whatever squad he joins, usually a key infantry brick. Marneus Calgar adds bodyguard support, CP efficiency, and a knockout punch in melee thanks to the Gauntlets of Ultramar. Then Roboute Guilliman arrives as the center pillar, handing out hit buffs, rerolls, fight control, and the raw statline needed to dominate late-game combats.
Uriel Ventris rounds out the package as a flexible midboard bully who boosts infantry output and cleans up weakened targets.
The lone Intercessor Squad handles objective holding. They sit behind the heroes, score primaries, and provide a cheap anchor for Guilliman’s buffs.
The tactical pressure comes from the Incursor Squad, which scouts ahead, screens, tags angles, and forces your opponent to respect early board presence. They do the quiet work that keeps the rest of the army safe.
Then the real firepower rolls up. Two Storm Speeder Hammerstrikes bring melta and missile punch, deleting vehicles and elite threats before they can threaten Guilliman’s block.
The two full units of Victrix Honour Guard form the muscle. One brings the Champion leadership and raw melee output, the other brings the Ancient and the Banner of Macragge for accuracy boosts and sticky durability. Together, they act as the hammer that follows Guilliman into the midfield.
Finally, the twin Vindicators add a serious ranged threat. Their demolisher cannons punish anything trying to peek at an objective or contest the center.
The army scores by holding steady ground, trading efficiently with its characters, and collapsing midboard fights once Guilliman commits. It wins through discipline, durability, and short-range firepower layered exactly where it needs to be.
2nd Place: Scott McCutcheon, Astra Militarum (Imperial Guard) Army Lists
This Combined Arms Astra Militarum army list hits the table like a rolling wave of bodies backed by two angry Rogal Dorns. It plays straight ahead. Infantry flood the midfield, Bullgryn punch holes, Kasrkin clean up, and the tanks level anything that refuses to move.
It all starts with the character package. The Cadian Castellan is your steady warlord, mostly here to hand out orders and keep the line disciplined. The Cadian Command Squad brings the Death Mask of Ollanius, which lets them tank way above their weight.
They sit near your biggest infantry block and keep it alive. The Catachan Command Squad handles the forward pressure work. They push flamer units, keep the jungle fighters coordinated, and anchor side objectives. The lone Ogryn Bodyguard soaks overwatch, screens, and tanks damage that would splatter humans.
Two Rogal Dorn Commanders are your main damage dealers. Multi-meltas, autocannons, and both battle cannons give them the ranged punch to delete elite targets or soften whole squads before your infantry pushes in. These tanks are the pieces your opponent fears most, and the list plays around keeping them shooting every turn.
Your Battleline is a wall of bodies. Cadian Shock Troops bring meltas and plasma, holding home points and trading up with their special weapons. The 20-man block is the backbone, a big scoring footprint that soaks fire and forces hard decisions.
The Catachan Jungle Fighters bring flamers and aggression. They bully light units, hold ruins, and screen for the tanks.
The utility and muscle show up in the two Bullgryn Squads. With brute shields and mauls, they shove straight into enemy lines, absorb punishment, and create space for your guns.
After them, three squads of Kasrkin handle the precision killing. Meltaguns and plasma let them crack armor, finish weakened units, and score secondaries with ease.
Finally, the pair of Chimeras taxi key squads, screen lanes, and set up early objective pressure with their heavy flamers.
The list scores by flooding the board, trading bodies for space, and letting the Rogal Dorns crush anything that tries to break through. Consistent, brutal, and built to grind.
3rd Place: Martin Sloan, Black Templars (Space Marines) Army Lists
This Black Templars Army list, using Gladius Task Force, hits the table with a simple battle plan. The characters supercharge giant Crusader blobs; those blobs run screaming into the midfield, and the Executioners blast anything tough enough to survive the first wave.
Everything starts with the character stack. High Marshal Helbrecht is the offensive engine. He pushes a Crusader block into absurd melee numbers and turns every charge into a blender.
The trio of Lieutenants sprinkle wound rerolls, invuln support, and a little extra punch wherever needed, usually riding inside one of the big foot units. The two Marshals bring disciplined rerolls and leadership buffs.
One is the warlord, but both help keep the Crusader bricks consistent when the punching starts.
Then come the stars. Three massive Crusader Squads, each stuffed with Initiates, Neophytes, power fists, and angry zealot energy. These are your objective holders, board control pieces, and primary damage dealers all rolled into one.
They push up the board early, eat Overwatch with ablative bodies, and slam units with the weight of melee attacks backed by your character buffs.
The lone Intercessor Squad hangs back, handling home objective duty and secondary scoring.
Next up, the big guns. Two Repulsor Executioners are the long-range tank busters. Heavy laser destroyers, multi-meltas, and gatling cannons let them crack armor, so the Crusader blobs do not get stalled by a single tough vehicle. Their firepower also forces opponents off angles your infantry wants to advance through.
Finally, the Scout Squad provides early board pressure, screening, and cheap utility. They grab corners and block deep-strike spots, so the Crusader blocks do not get wrapped or ambushed.
The list scores by flooding the midfield with huge, durable melee units, using Executioners to clear problem targets, and letting Helbrecht punch through anything that stands in the way. It is loud, aggressive, and very on brand for the Templars.
Final Thoughts From Us: Celtic Cup GT Army Lists
Whether you’re charging into battle with the valiant Space Marines, rolling over foes with the relentless Astra Militarum, or summoning the righteous fury of a Black Templars army list, remember that victory tastes sweeter when you’re firing in style!
Each faction showed off exactly why they belong at the top tables, and now players are scrambling to tweak lists, sharpen combos, and keep up with a 40k meta that just won’t sit still.
See the Top Warhammer Army Lists & Latest 40k Tournament Schedule
What do you think of the results from the Celtic Cup GT Warhammer 40k Black Templars, Astra Militarum, and Space Marines army lists?
