Is competitive Warhammer 40k really that stale? Like everything, it probably depends on your point of view. Check out this timeline and these top lists!
There’s been some talk going around the internet where some people are thinking that the 40k meta is as stale as it’s ever been- and that’s really saying a lot. While we would agree that the meta was almost in tatters a while ago, Games Workshop managed to pull the game from the brink and fix a lot of units that needed fixing. But where are we now?
What Constitutes a “Healthy” Meta?
A healthy meta is where a game has multiple units/weapons that are all completely viable across multiple factions.
Essentially, we’re saying everyone can play for the team they want to, use the units they like, and still have a shot at coming in first place at a tournament; i.e.: Ork players don’t have to sell out and switch to the Imperium for Castellans and Blood Angels smash Captains (which is what we saw at a tournament scene not too long ago). Don’t believe us?
Knights Take over the Meta at the Bay Area Open
Looking at our coverage from the Bay Area Open, this was one of the larger tournaments that attracted people from multiple states to play. What finished at the top bracket? Knights, Knights, and more Knights. Keep in mind, this was just one of a handful of tournaments that only saw Knights at the top. You can check out each list yourself, but cutting straight to the chase, here were the placings and what was used:
- 1st Place: Death Guard with two Armigers and a Knight
- 2nd Place: Imperial Guard with two Gallants and a Crusader Knight
- 3rd Place: Catachans with a Castellan Knight
- 4th Place: Custodes (yeah he snuck in there)
- 5th Place: Imperial Guard with three Gallant Knights
Imagine the headache that ensued when people realized they would only be playing Knights for every waking moment of the tournament.
Ultimately, this was bad for GW because nobody was buying anything else except Knights and they realized the tabletops were looking more and more mechanized. Eventually, FAQ after FAQ started to drop which helped fix things. Chapter Approved also reworked a ton of points across the board which brought a lot of lesser units from 8th edition up to speed. Which, by the way, we still feel like points changes should be free, in-game hotfixes are value adds, not DLC.
How is the Meta Healthy Today?
While Knights are still in the game (and should be) that’s not all we’re seeing. Sure, there are some cheesy Dark Eldar flyer lists that we’d like to see go, but they aren’t dominating every table like the Knights were for a few months. Just take a look at one of the most recent tournament placings from the 2019 LVO.
- 1st Place: Imperial Guard with Castellan
- 2nd Place: Dark Eldar flyer spam
- 3rd Place: Imperial Guard, Custodes, and Castellan
- 4th Place: Imperial Guard, Adeptus Mechanicus and Castellan
- 5th Place: Ynnari, Drukhari, and Harlequin soup
- 6th Place: Tau with maxed-out Riptides
- 7th Place: Imperial Guard with Knight Lancer (FW Knight)
- 8th Place: Space Marines with Robbie G -When was the last time you saw a 100% Space Marine list place?
- 9th Place: Daemon soup with Ahriman
We aren’t saying that the meta is perfect, but it’s definitely better off than it was. Looking at the data, we can see that there is a way to place high on the leaderboards without running a Knight. Once again, this was just one of the most recent tournaments we broke down. You can even look at the Athoria GT where Orks, GSC, and Eldar all placed at the top as well. You would never have seen that happen in the earlier tournaments of 8th edition. GW has been hard at work.
How do you feel about the meta of 8th edition at tournaments? Is it any different from the meta at your local shop? Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group.
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.
