Don’t miss the top tournament Warhammer 40k army lists for Necrons, Tau, and Ultramarines from the Wayland Games Centre, and how their winning tech can help you.
Want “unbeatable” energy? Wayland Games Centre had a tighter top-8 placement of Warhammer 40k factions, tested under the kind of mission pressure that punishes bad builds.
This breakdown of the latest top 40k army lists highlights the tournament tech worth stealing for your list this week!
Wayland Games Centre: Top 8 Warhammer 40k Army Lists
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.
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1st Place: Ashley Brown, Necrons Army Lists
This Necrons Starshatter Arsenal list wants to hit the table like a slow-moving disaster, jam the middle of the board with problems, and make the opponent decide which nightmare needs dealing with first.
That choice usually goes badly for them, because the list has multiple must-answer threats, a big Warrior brick that won’t go away politely, and just enough utility pieces to keep the whole machine running.
C’tan Shard of the Deceiver
C’tan Shard of the Deceiver starts things off as one of the list’s pressure pieces. He’s there to make deployment and early movement awkward, and he gives the army a threat that can’t just be ignored while the opponent focuses somewhere else.
C’tan Shard of the Nightbringer
C’tan Shard of the Nightbringer is one of the real damage dealers in the list, and probably the one that gets the most immediate respect across the table. He’s the blunt instrument, the unit that makes elite infantry, tough targets, and overconfident midfield pieces all feel a lot less safe.
Illuminor Szeras
Illuminor Szeras is where the list starts to feel less like monster mash and more like an actual army plan. He helps the core infantry element play above its weight and makes the Warrior block feel much more than just a pile of wounds and Objective Control.
Nekrosor Ammentar
Nekrosor Ammentar looks like one of the tech pieces that keeps the list from being too one-dimensional. Between the aura, the ranged presence, and the melee threat, he adds another layer of board control to the midfield push.
Orikan the Diviner
Orikan the Diviner fits right into the same central plan. He makes the main block more annoying to shift and gives the army another piece that rewards patient positioning.
Royal Warden
The Royal Warden with Chrono-impedance Fields rounds out the support package. He’s not the reason the list works, but he’s absolutely one of the reasons it runs more smoothly.
The Silent King
The Silent King is the center of gravity. He’s a damage dealer, force multiplier, and board-control piece all at once. He makes nearby units better, he threatens serious output on his own, and he’s big enough that opponents can’t really pretend he’s not there.
Necron Warriors
The twenty Necron Warriors are the objective holders and glue of the army. This is the unit that turns all those character support pieces into a real game plan. Backed by Szeras, Orikan, the Royal Warden, and nearby utility support, they become the stubborn center that lets the flashy units roam.
Canoptek Reanimator
The Canoptek Reanimator is one of the list’s most important utility units, even if it won’t get the headline. It makes the Warrior brick and other key pieces even more irritating to finish off.
Canoptek Scarab Swarms
Canoptek Scarab Swarms are pure utility. They screen, tag space, block movement lanes, and handle the kind of annoying board tasks that expensive centerpiece models should never be wasting time on.
Cryptothralls
Cryptothralls sit in that same support lane as they help protect the investment around the central block and add another cheap layer the opponent has to chew through.
Flayed Ones
Flayed Ones bring a little bit of nuisance value that the rest of the army appreciates. They pressure awkward corners, threaten weaker backfield pieces, and make secondary play less comfortable for the opponent.
Lokhust Destroyer
The single Lokhust Destroyer adds a bit of ranged reach, can help finish damaged targets, and usually exists as one more cheap tool for angles, backfield presence, or incidental scoring support.
How This Necrons Army List Scores
This army scores by owning the middle, surviving trades, and forcing the opponent to spend too much effort clearing the wrong thing. The Warriors, Scarabs, and support pieces handle the boring but important objective work, while the Silent King and C’tan bully enemies off key points.
2nd Place: Josh Ellmore, Tau Army Lists (T’au Empire)
How This Tau Army List Scores
If you like T’au lists that skip the polite introductions and get straight to removing models, this Retaliation Cadre is worth a look. It’s a clean, brutal setup where every suit team has a job, and none of them are wasting time pretending to be flexible.
Farsight and the commanders keep the pressure high, the Sunforges punch holes in armor, the Fireknives clean up elite targets, and the Starscythes handle the messy board-control jobs once screens start clogging the table. Add in Stealth Suits, Pathfinders, and a little Kroot utility, and the whole thing plays like a fast-moving toolbox of power.
3rd Place: Nicholas Barnes, Ultramarines (Space Marines) Army List
How This Space Marines Army List Scores
This Blade of Ultramar Space Marines army list plants a durable center with Calgar, the Victrix Honour Guard, Company Heroes, and the Wardens, then lets the armor line go to work. Double Ballistus, a Gladiator Lancer, and two Repulsor Executioners give the list a ridiculous amount of long-range pressure, so enemy tanks, elite infantry, and anything trying to stage safely are all living on borrowed time.
The rest of the army handles the table chores, keeps the mission honest, and makes sure the big guns get to keep firing. For anyone who likes Space Marines that win with discipline, firepower, and a firm reminder that blue power armor can still hit like a truck, this is the army for you.
Final Thoughts from us on Wayland Games Centre Army Lists
Wayland Games Center gave us a pretty sharp snapshot of what wins in 40k right now: Necron Army Lists that clog the table with nightmare targets, a Tau Army List that solves problems with suit spam and raw damage, and another Ultramarines Space Marine army list that turns disciplined shooting into a proper beating. Different armies, but these best lists force ugly choices, work towards their objectives, and keep pressure on from turn one.
That’s why results like this are worth watching, to pick the smart tech, cut the dead weight, and figure out what actually helps your own game.
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 Wayland Games Centre for Necrons, Tau, and Ultramarines?
