Unlock victory with the top 40k tournament army lists from the King of Blades, featuring T’au Empire and Aeldari.
King of Blades seemed to have it all when it came to Warhammer 40k factions.
We’ve rounded up the top 40k army lists from the event that crushed it, so you can see what’s winning right now, and maybe steal a few ideas for your army.
King of Blades GT: Final 40k Army Lists & Tournament Standings
Checking out these winning army lists and their tactical synergies can really help you sharpen your strategy, especially with the latest updates to the balance dataslate rules and points.
If you’re looking to level up your game even more, think about applying to Team USA to compete in the Warhammer World Team Championships!
Plus, 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.
1st Place: Jason McKenzie, T’au Empire Army Lists
This army does not rush the table; it squeezes it. The early turns are all about taking space, overlapping firing lanes, and making the opponent slowly realize they are running out of safe places to stand.
The Commander in Enforcer Battlesuit is the glue. He floats to whichever lane matters most that turn, adds steady missile fire, and uses the Starflare Ignition System to stay relevant when the fight shifts across the board. He is not here to be flashy. His job is to keep pressure constant and make sure no angle ever feels safe.
Behind him, the Ethereal hides and feeds CP so the engine keeps running, while the Firesight Team quietly finishes off targets that somehow limp away from the main volleys.
The backbone of the list is the wall of Broadside Battlesuits. Heavy rail rifles punish anything big, expensive, or important, while smart missiles clean up lighter units trying to play cagey. These are pure damage dealers and brutal matchup checks.
One mistake in their firing lanes can swing the game on the spot. The Crisis Fireknife unit reinforces that long-range pressure, while the Crisis Starscythe team exists to solve close-range problems.
Meanwhile, the Ghostkeel pushes forward early, forcing awkward movement and soaking up attention. Ignore it, and it hurts; focus it, and the rest of the army shoots freely. Kroot Carnivores do the boring but necessary work, holding objectives and screening until they get cleared.
Next, the Pathfinders and drones make the whole plan function, feeding Marker support and softening priority targets. Piranhas add speed, seeker missiles, and late-game disruption.
Triple Riptides are the knockout punch, dominating mid-board lanes and punishing overextension with overwhelming firepower.
Finally, Stealth Teams forward deploy to control space and drop homing beacons for clean Crisis arrivals, while Vespid Stingwings jump in late to steal objectives and close games.
How This Tau Empire Army List Scores
This list wins by dictating movement, forcing mistakes, and turning one brutal shooting phase into an insurmountable lead on the scoreboard.
2nd Place: Daniel Olivas, Aeldari Army Lists
This Aeldari list does not want a long fight. It wants control, clean trades, and an exit plan. Every turn is about deleting exactly the right unit, forcing a response, then repositioning so the counterpunch never lands where it matters.
The characters drive that tempo. Eldrad Ulthran is the engine, pushing psychic pressure and reliability into the moments that actually decide the turn. Asurmen turns Dire Avengers from a cheap scoring unit into a real mid-board problem that has to be respected.
Jain Zar and Fuegan are pointed threats, not generalists. Jain Zar shuts down infantry pushes and punishes charges, while Fuegan exists to make tanks, monsters, and big centerpiece units disappear the moment they step too far forward.
Lastly, the Autarch smooths everything out, recycling resources and fixing dice just enough to keep the plan on schedule.
The Corsair Voidreavers are pure mission pieces. They sit on objectives, trade up with blasters and power swords, and force the opponent to spend real units clearing them.
That is a win, even when they die. The Wave Serpent keeps the important infantry alive early and delivers them once lanes open and screens thin.
Dark Reapers control long sightlines and pick apart elite units and vehicles without exposing themselves. Fire Dragons are the hard commit, often paired with the Falcon for a brutal arrival that flips a matchup in one activation.
War Walkers back that up with flexible anti-tank fire while staying safely expendable.
Mid-board control comes from Dire Avengers, Howling Banshees, and Striking Scorpions.
Avengers hold space efficiently, Banshees punish overextension, and Scorpions threaten flanks and backfield units.
Rangers handle early pressure and scoring, forcing awkward deployments, while Warp Spiders do everything else, jumping onto objectives, finishing damaged units, and disappearing before retaliation.
How This Aeldari Army List Scores
This list scores by trading surgically, stealing objectives late, and forcing the opponent to chase shadows while points pile up quietly.
3rd Place: Durante “Glynisir” Bozzini, T’au Empire Army Lists
This army is built to play the long game and punish impatience. The early turns are about not dying, owning space, and quietly setting traps. Nothing flashy happens right away, and that is the point.
Once the opponent finally commits to the board, the list flips the switch and starts deleting entire chunks of their army in a hurry.
At the top, Commander Shadowsun is the lynchpin. She sits near the core, handing out rerolls and threatening armor with fusion blasters, always close enough to matter but never far enough forward to be exposed. She waits for a mistake, then helps make sure that mistake is fatal.
The Cadre Fireblade has a single job and does it well, turning the Breacher Team into a real damage unit. When the Breachers step out of the Devilfish, they are not just tagging an objective; they are clearing it.
Early board control comes from bodies and positioning. Kroot Carnivores grab space, screen charges, and die so the rest of the army does not have to. Pathfinder Teams do the heavy lifting for the shooting plan, spotting targets, firing ion rifles, and enabling seeker missiles across the list.
Losing them hurts, but by the time they go down, the damage is usually done.
Stealth Battlesuits and the Ghostkeel lock down the mid-board. Stealth teams forward deploy, force awkward movement, and keep the threat of homing beacon plays hanging over the table.
The Ghostkeel is a problem piece, hard to shift and dangerous if ignored, which makes it perfect bait for bad decisions.
Once Kauyon kicks in, the killing starts. Triple Riptides take over the table, controlling firing lanes and deleting elite units turn after turn. The Hammerhead and Sky Ray handle the hard targets and swing moments, especially when Pathfinders light something up.
Piranhas and Vespid Stingwings close games, grabbing late objectives, firing seekers, and forcing opponents to split their attention.
How This Tau Empire Army List Scores
This list scores by surviving early, overwhelming the mid-game, and letting the opponent walk straight into the trap. By the time they realize what is happening, the scoreboard is already out of reach.
Final Thoughts From Us: King of Blades GT Army Lists
So, what did we learn from the King of Blades? Simple. The T’au Empire doesn’t need to rush when they can erase threats at range, and Aeldari don’t need to stick around when they can trade up and vanish before retaliation. Both armies play the mission like it’s rigged in their favor, and the scoreboard agrees.
If you’re still trying to figure out how to climb out of the middle tables, this is your cheat sheet. Every list here has a plan, and more importantly, a backup plan for when things go sideways. Study the moves, steal the tech, and maybe add a third Riptide while you’re at it. We won’t judge.
The meta might shift again tomorrow, but for now, these are the armies that brought the pain and left with trophies. Your move.
See the Top Warhammer Army Lists & 40k Tournament Schedule for This Year
What do you think of the results and top Warhammer 40k army lists at the King of Blades GT for T’au Empire and Aeldari?
