Don’t miss the top Warhammer 40k army lists featuring Death Guard and Chaos Space Marines from Lone Star Open 2025.
Updated August 16th, 2025, by Rob Baer with the latest on a player ban from the event.
Lone Star Open 2025 is over, and now we can look at which 40k factions’ playstyles and army lists managed to secure a place at the top!
While the 40k meta may be in free fall, let’s check out what these winners brought in their armies, with our expert commentary on their selections.
Final Tournament Standings:
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!
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.
Note: James Carmona has been DQed from the event for having an invalid army list. That moves Justin Moore up to 3rd, giving Death Guard the top two podiums at the tournament, and renewing calls for GW to balance the current meta that seems to still be in free fall.
1st Place: Junior Aflleje, Death Guard Army Lists
At the Lone Star Open, one Death Guard list proved that slow and steady still wins games. It didn’t sprint. It didn’t surprise. It just refused to die and politely asked everything else to rot.
The list rolled in with two Lords of Contagion and a Lord of Virulence, three walking disease factories with a fondness for melee and a talent for surviving way longer than they should.
Backed by three units of Deathshroud Terminators, the trio had all the protection they needed. The scythe-swinging bodyguards soaked hits, cut down threats, and stared down problems without blinking under their helmets.
Ranged support came from three Foetid Bloat-Drones with Heavy Blight Launchers. They floated through terrain like bloated wasps, spraying decay wherever it mattered. Then four Myphitic Blight-Haulers joined the party, offering more shots and just enough armor to force opponents to waste time trying to get rid of them.
Two Plagueburst Crawlers sat in the backfield, pumping out mortar shells turn after turn. They didn’t move much. They didn’t need to. Once they found their spots, they just kept lobbing infectious misery across the board.
Three units of Poxwalkers rounded out the list. These shambling piles of heresy didn’t shoot, didn’t ask questions, and didn’t fall over easily. They soaked overwatch, claimed objectives, and dared opponents to waste time dealing with them.
2nd Place: Oscar Ruiz, Death Guard Army Lists
3rd Place: James Carmona, Chaos Space Marines Army Lists
- Note: James Carmona has been DQed from the event for having an invalid army list. He played the whole event with a Helbrute in his list.
Final Thoughts From Us:
In the end, the Death Guard proved that good old-fashioned resilience can outlast even the flashiest strategies, while the Chaos Space Marines reminded us that sometimes, embracing the darkness is just part of the game plan.
So whether you’re slow and steady or chaos-fueled, there’s a lesson to be learned from the Lone Star Open 2025… Every model has its moment!
If you’re planning to play in the next big tournament or just looking to spice up your games at home, take a page from these winners and remember: every unit counts, and sometimes, all you need is a good plan and a whole lot of models.
See the Top Warhammer Army Lists & 40k Tournament Schedule for this year
What do you think of the results and top Lone Star Open 2025 Warhammer 40k army lists for Death Guard and Chaos Space Marines?
