Tired of Eldar and Imperial Guard controlling the 40k meta? Good! Check out our list of recent armies that are giving them a run for their money!
Games Workshop said at the beginning of 8th edition that every faction would be playable and every unit would be a totally viable option. The sad part is… that can’t be further from the truth. We are seeing the same general lists in every tournament now.
The knee-jerk fly NERF in the fall FAQ also shut down so many armies and left players scratching their heads on how it made sense for a Jump pack unit to fly across the map, land in front of a Guard regiment and voluntarily charge headlong into lasgun hell.
Imperial Guard became even better as screens can NOW even stop flying units from touching what they’re trying to protect. Of course, Eldar is still Eldar. They ignore/get around phases of the game that other factions have to deal with. (that’s what makes Eldar…Eldar).
With all of that being said, are we watching the meta slowly change?
Custodes Place First at NoVA
In a meta where the loyal thirty-two is in every single list with the <Imperium> keyword screening a Castellan Knight, would you believe that Custodes would emerge victorious overall at a tournament?
Let’s take a look at Joe “Papa Behre” Behrend’s list.
Battalion Detachment-Custodes (1461 pts)
- Shield Captain (sword & Board)
- Shield Captain on Bike with Auric Aquilas
- Shield Captain in Terminator Armor
- Allarus Custodians x3 Grenade Launcher
- Vexilus Praetor in Terminator Armor
- Vexilus Praetor
- 3x Cusodian Guard (One Storm Shield, One Sword, Two Spears)
Supreme Command Detachment-Guard (123 pts)
- Company Commander with Kurov’s Aquila
- Primaris Psyker
- Primaris Psyker
Vanguard Detachment-Assassinorum (415 pts)
- Eversor Assassin
- Vindicare Assassin
- 3x Cullexus Assassins
The ONLY thing remotely similar to what most lists are running now is the Guard splashed in for CP farm. But Joe didn’t even take a cheap battalion of Guard for it. He needed any points where he could find them to go into the Custodes. They did the legwork for the army while the Assassins caused all kinds of disruption.
This list faced the biggest and baddest boogeyman lists of the current meta and still was able to shrug off the blows and pull out a win.
Now let’s take a look at one of the factions with an older codex, but may be in the best position to skyrocket to the top in months to come.
Tyranids come in Second Place at SoCal Open
Cooper Waddell’s Tyranid force places second overall at the SoCal Open.
Hive Fleet Kraken Battalion
GSC Supreme Command
Kronos Battalion
Important: We think there might’ve been some kind of Copy/paste error at the tournament. There were three squads of three Ripper Swarms and are TROOPS.
Total CP: 14 Total Points 1999
Tyranids actually shot up to second place after the FAQ. That’s a pretty warm welcome considering that they haven’t really been at the top five list standings since the beginning of 8th edition.
We need to talk about this for a second. A faction that was VERY strong when their codex first came out, but dropped off once codex creep began, placed second in the SoCal open. This all happened right after the Fall FAQ happened where screens were buffed, no turn one deepstrike, and flying units became mouth-breathing idiots when it comes to dealing with screens. Something changed in the midst of all that for Tyranids to become viable again.
Tyranids in the Best Position to Retake the Meta?
With that being said, that is just ONE single Tyranid list…but there’s still another codex on the way for these biomass-hungry Xenos. If the codex creep keeps its pattern and books just keep getting stronger, GSC might be a real force to be reckoned with. The Fall FAQ made them wet noodles when NO turn one deepstriking hit the army. This should most definitely change for the only army geared around ambushing.
There are some pretty hefty rumors popping up around GSC’s codex and if they are true, the Cult will be devastating.
The neat thing about GSC is that Guard detachments and Tyranid detachments can be taken as allies. That combines some of the best Xenos stratagems from the Tyranid book with cheap battalions from both Guard and GSC. Once their codex drops, we may see soup lists of all three of these factions claiming the throne.
Eldar is responsible for doing EXACTLY this. They cherrypick the best units from Craftworld, Drukhari, and Harlequins, roll them all up into one big list, and throw it all at their opponent. This is just a wild guess but keep your eyes peeled for GSC/Tyranids to really put a hurting on the meta. (This is completely banking on a bomb GSC codex of course).
Orks May Be on The Rise as Well
As one of the most anticipated codexes in 8th edition, Orks haven’t gotten the chance to show off their power just yet. We are still waiting to see what kind of lists Ork players take in some tournaments.
Ork fans are sitting down right now and reading over everything carefully trying to bring the best of the codex all in one tight competitive list. Keep your eyes peeled on future tournament results to see what kind of damage Orks can do to the meta.
They are in a VERY good position as of right now, seeing that horde armies already have an upper hand over elite ones. On top of that, almost everything in the Ork arsenal got a points decrease. Orks are able to screen and dominate the board easily.
They may die in droves, but they can even return to the battlefield at full strength for just a couple CP. Check out the latest on the Ork Codex now if you’re interested in all the details.
What do you think about the current meta in 8th edition? What faction are you rooting for to come out on top? Will GSC or Orks redefine the meta? 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.
