Don’t miss the top Warhammer 40k army lists featuring Astra Militarum, Dark Angels, and Death Guard from the Rise of The Empire GT.
The Rise of The Empire 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: Rise of The Empire 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.
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1st Place: David Smith, Astra Militarum Army Lists (Imperial Guard)
The new Astra Militarum Grizzled Company list is built to apply pressure in layers, starting with command support, rolling straight into armored firepower, and finishing with fast melee and elite infantry trades. On the table, it plays like a disciplined hammer blow rather than a finesse army.
At the top, the Cadian Command Squad, Commissar, Gaunt’s Ghosts, and Lord Solar Leontus form the control center. Orders are the fuel here, keeping infantry relevant and tanks lethal.
Gaunt’s Ghosts bring pure utility, forward pressure, screening, scoring secondaries, and generally being annoying in places opponents thought were safe. Lord Solar is the linchpin, pushing rerolls onto the big guns and making sure the army does not whiff when it counts.
The lone unit of Cadian Shock Troops is cheap, flexible, and mostly exists to ride in a Chimera and claim early objectives.
Speaking of Chimeras, both transports are workhorses. They move bodies, block lanes, burn infantry off objectives, and force awkward trades with their flamers and bulk.
From there, the list ramps up the threat level fast. The two Attilan Rough Rider units are disposable missiles. They sit back until the moment is right, then charge in to delete something important and flip an objective. If they die afterward, that’s fine; the damage is already done.
Bullgryns anchor the midboard. This unit exists to stand on a key objective and soak an unreasonable amount of firepower. While the opponent is busy trying to shift them, the rest of the army goes to work.
The Heavy Weapons Squad with mortars handles backfield utility, indirect fire, and cheap scoring.
The Kasrkin squads are elite problem solvers, popping out to clear objectives, trade up with plasma and melta, and punish exposed units.
Finally, the armor closes it out. Three Leman Russ Vanquishers and a Rogal Dorn Battle Tank are the primary damage dealers. They hunt enemy vehicles, monsters, and elite targets from turn one, forcing opponents to react immediately or lose the firepower war.
How This Astra Militarum Army List Scores
Simply put, this list scores by owning the midboard, trading aggressively, and letting its tanks dictate the pace of the game.
2nd Place: Raul Valencia, Dark Angels Army Lists (Space Marines)
This Dark Angels list is all about layered threat pressure, heavy hitters backed by control pieces, with fast Ravenwing units and sneaky infantry doing the dirty work.
On the table, it plays like a slow-tightening vise, forcing opponents to deal with terrifying problems in the center while objectives quietly disappear.
Up front, the Characters set the tone. Azrael anchors the firebase, boosting reliability and durability for nearby units, especially the Hellblasters.
The Judiciar is a classic fight control piece, turning key combats by shutting down enemy swings at the exact wrong moment. The Combi-weapon Lieutenant adds disruption and chip damage, ideal for picking off weakened units or poking objectives.
Then there is Lion El’Jonson, the list’s biggest threat and biggest distraction. He pushes into the midboard, demands an answer, and absolutely punishes anything that tries to meet him head-on.
The Ravenwing Command Squad provides mobile buffs, healing, and melee punch, keeping the fast elements sharp and annoying.
The lone Intercessor squad is pure utility. It holds home objectives, cleans up light infantry, and frees the rest of the army to go hunting.
The real damage starts with the Centurion Devastators. These units are brutal anti-tank and elite killers, sitting back and deleting priority targets every turn. Hellblasters follow that theme, pumping out high-volume plasma shots that shred anything relying on armor or elite saves, especially when standing near Azrael.
Incursor and Scout squads handle scoring and board control. They forward deploy, screen, grab early objectives, and force opponents to waste resources clearing cheap units. Inner Circle Companions are the bodyguard brawlers, excellent at bullying midboard objectives and backing up the Lion in critical fights.
Ravenwing units tie it all together. Black Knights and the ATV provide speed, melta threats, and rapid response plays, swinging flanks or finishing off damaged targets.
How This Dark Angels Army List Scores
This list scores by owning the midboard with durable threats, deleting key enemy units early, and letting fast elements quietly rack up points while the opponent is busy panicking about the Lion.
3rd Place: Jensen Simmons, Death Guard Army Lists
This Death Guard list does exactly what Death Guard players want! It walks forward, clogs the board, and dares the opponent to try to push it off the objectives. It is not fast, it is not subtle, but it is brutally consistent once it gets rolling.
The Characters are the engine. The Biologus Putrifier turns Plague Marines into a real damage threat, stacking lethal output and making every grenade and melee swing matter.
The double Lords of Contagion are the real bullies, built to march with Deathshroud and carve through anything that lets them get close. Next, the Plaguecaster adds mortal wound pressure and forces opponents to respect the psychic phase, while the Tallyman quietly keeps the army functioning by smoothing out rolls and resource flow.
Plague Marines are the core infantry punch. Loaded with heavy plague weapons, plasma, and spewers, they are there to clear objectives and survive the counterpunch. The Rhino exists purely to get them where they need to be before the real grinding starts.
The Land Raider is both a transport and a fire support vehicle. It delivers Deathshroud into the midboard while its lascannons pick at enemy armor. Once it is in position, it becomes another annoying brick the opponent has to deal with.
Deathshroud Terminators are the heart of the list. One big unit and two smaller squads let this army apply pressure across multiple objectives. They soak damage, shut down enemy scoring, and mulch anything that gets within reach.
Pairing them with Lords of Contagion is the main combo here. They are tough bodies with brutal melee, meaning objectives simply do not flip back.
Bloat-Drones provide the speed the rest of the army lacks. They pressure flanks, harass infantry, and help screen against deep strikes. Poxwalkers handle the boring but vital jobs, sitting on objectives, screening, and scoring points, while the rest of the army does the killing.
How This Death Guard Army List Scores
This list scores by owning the midboard, forcing bad trades, and slowly choking the opponent out of primary and secondary points, one diseased step at a time.
Final Thoughts From Us: Rise of The Empire GT
In the end, Astra Militarum showed us that discipline and firepower can turn the tide of battle. The Dark Angels demonstrated that a clever combination of control and swift movements can keep opponents off guard. As for the Death Guard, they may have been lurking in the shadows… But rest assured, their time to shine is always just a plague away!
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 Rise of The Empire GT Warhammer 40k Astra Militarum, Dark Angels, and Death Guard army lists?
