Check out these creative 40k army ists that managed to go against the new Space Marines Meta and hold their own at Battle For Salvation!
The Battle For Salvation GT brought nearly one-hundred players under one roof to roll dice. Out of all the competition, there were some incredibly unique lists that stood out from the normal Orks and Aeldari mix. They met with varying success against the new Space Marines, however as the meta develops with Imperial Fists and Salamanders on into SoCal Open, hard counters will start to appear.
Thanks to Best Coast Pairings, we can look back at the event as if we were there ourselves.
Admech: David Koszka
Looking at this list, it kind of operated like a one-two punch combo. Corpuscarii Priests and whatever other unit seemed like the better choice depending on what David was going against were loaded into two Drills and crashed the party. While he waited for the drills to turn up, a gun line of two Dunecrawlers and a Valiant stayed mid-field and cleansed objectives/ anything overly aggressive for the front lines.
Throwing in a little speed-bump aspect to the list, Dragoons with Tasers were also brought. These guys could chase down whatever might be clinging to an objective out of LOS from the Valiant or even intercept a scary melee unit on its way to punch the Dominus-class Knight’s ankles in. Great job!
Death Guard: David Pesce
Moving into this Death Guard list, it’s already unique for opting out of taking Mortarion or any Nurglings/Plaguebearers. Instead, the named Psyker, Necrosius the Undying led a Battalion of Plague Marines and Pox Walkers. A majority of the points were dumped into a fatty squad of Blightlord Terminators who deepstruck in by turn 2. Being T5 with a 2+/4++/5+++ meant that those dudes weren’t going anywhere any time soon. Of course, a Foul Blightspawn came to the party because his flamer-profile toxic super soaker is just too good to pass up.
And finally, for a little backfield artillery, three plagueburst Crawlers were taken. But that’s not everything in the list!
To finish everything off and solidify the gunline, three Hellforged butcher cannon Deredeos hit the field. These guys brought multi-damage firepower with a punishing ballistic skill and range. If nothing could tie these guys up in combat, they would be a constant threat in every shooting phase.
Khorne Berzerkers: Corey Begley
While some Alpha Legion was ran in this list, it all had the mark of Khorne. Jumping in, three Lord Discos led a cheap-o Battalion to make full use of a CP battery being fleshed out with a few Cultists, Marines, and some Venomcrawlers. Lord Discos are the on-foot version of the Imperium’s Smash Captain with each one being surprisingly mobile and capable of shredding medium to lightly armored targets.
Moving into the World Eaters aspect of the list, a Dark Apostle chanted forsaken litanies while an Exalted Champion and Master of Executions were seeded into the ranks of some Berzerkers. Each unit of Berzerkers was loaded down with a mix of a power fist, chain swords, and some chain axes. And even in the midst of all the Grav/hover tech the Imperium is getting, these boys still rolled in the classic Chaos Rhino.
For a secondary hammer that could melt power armor, a chunky unit of Bloodletters also dropped in with a Daemon Prince toting an axe. This list relied heavily on getting into melee which is tricky in the shooting meta we’re currently in. However, it always makes non-melee lists sweat to see Khorne Berzerkers hit the table. Great job!
Once again, there never fails to be some daring players out there that go against the grain of the meta and bring units that do surprisingly well. What do you think about these lists? Do you have a favorite unit in your army that you refuse to play without?
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About the Author: Wesley Floyd
Wesley Floyd
Job Title: Staff Writer
Joined: 2018
Socials: @RealmbrushPainting
About Wesley Floyd: Wes has been in the Warhammer hobby since 2015 and joined the Spikey Bits writing team in 2018. He is known for his satirist takes on trending topics and imaginative yet amazingly affordable hobby solutions to painting Warhammer miniatures.
Imperial fanboy, tabletop fanatic, and the self-proclaimed King of Sprues. He knows for a fact that Mephiston red is the best-tasting paint and is the commission painting equivalent of a Wendy’s 4 for $4. If you like what he writes and want to contact him or have your tabletop minatures painted (to a mostly okayish standard), message him on Instagram.
