GW Confirms the Best & Worst 40k Armies In 2024

By Travis Pasch | February 4th, 2024 | Categories: 10th Edition 40k, 40k News & Articles, Adepta Sororitas, Adeptus Custodes, Adeptus Mechanicus, Aeldari, Dark Eldar Drukhari, Games Workshop, Tabletop Gaming News & Rumors, Warhammer Community

According to the data from Games Workshop, these are the best (top winning) and worst Warhammer 40k armies in the meta up to January 2024!

GW has been keeping a closer eye on the meta recently and is trying to keep everyone around that 50% win rate with the Dataslates, Rules Commentary, and FAQs. However, the game has a lot of rules and mechanics, so not every army will always stay balanced. Now that a wider sampling of tournaments have happened since the last 40k Balance Dataslate in September 2023, we have a better idea of the current win rates by faction.

GW Confirms the Best & Worst 40k Armies In Early 2024 Meta

Here is the latest on win rates and the current Warhammer 40k meta:

At least there is some light shining through this time, as factions other than Aeldari have actually won tournaments (even though they are still number one overall)! While they are still on top, other armies are starting to close the gap. While GW tries to keep the armies in the 45-55% win range, there are only a few outliers this time. Plus, no armies fell below the 45% rate, which we haven’t seen in a while.

Warhammer 40k Metawatch: (January 30th, 2024)

Aeldari armies still sit just above the ideal 55% win-rate, and so there are further adjustments to the number of Fate Dice they start with, changes to the Phantasm stratagem, and a few targeted points increases. The intent is still to tweak a little at a time to ensure one change doesn’t entirely flip their fortunes, and to reduce the reliability of certain powerful abilities.

There is no real surprise here, as Aeldari has been winning since the beginning of the 10th. However, they are now tied with Necrons this time, but after the quick changes to Necrons, we’re not sure how long it will last. Then Leagues of Votann and Chaos are also up pretty high in the rankings, with the first getting a bit of points NERF in the latest Balance Dataslate.

In contrast, their despicable Drukhari cousins have been doing less well for some time, and they now receive a much-needed boost. Changes include updates to points and Power from Pain mechanics, and there’s even Skysplinter Assault – an all-new Detachment – while Archons can now hire Incubi bodyguards.

On the other hand, Drukhari needs a lot of help, and they are getting it in the Dataslate. However… Astra Militarum doesn’t receive much in the way of help and actually got a NERF to Manticores. We’re not really sure about that decision. Blood Angels are also suffering, but they do get some help. Now, let’s look at the last Meta Watch.

Warhammer 40k Metawatch: (November 20th, 2023)

The latest best and worst armies of Warhammer 40k and 10th Edition Metawatch are from Warhammer Community.

Two big names entered the finals for Warhammer 40,000 – but only one could leave victorious. Mani Cheema ultimately took the gold with a Chaos Space Marines list, beating John Lennon’s Ultramarines in a tense championship match.

Chaos Space Marines have been doing really well this edition, and it’s cool to see them win the World Championships! This list focuses heavily on Cultists and Chosen, as most of the best lists seem to be doing right now for CSM. If you play Chaos, this is good to build around, but now let’s check out the meta overall.

At the top with a win rate of 57% are the Craftworlders, who remain powerful after targeted changes in the previous Balance Dataslate – but not oppressively so. Their malevolent Drukhari cousins sit on 44% – lower than the Studio wants, but not by much.

Well, despite all the changes, Aeldari still sits at the top (as they have done since the beginning of the edition) and still has over a 55% win rate. Overall, the game is more balanced than we’ve seen, with only two armies outside the 45%-55% range.

Drukhari takes the bottom spot right now, and it seems they need some significant changes to really get back in the meta. Then, Leagues of Votann flew from the bottom of the meta to the top with the changes to their army ability (and stayed there for about a month now). Custodes have continued to fall after their NERFs, while the Orks remain near the top.

Stu and the Studio aim to nudge these factions in the next points review and Balance Dataslate. Then, the plan is to focus on internal balance – for while most factions are in the Goldilocks Zone for win rates, some only have one or two really viable lists or playstyles. They plan changes that will expand datasheet diversity in the competitive scene, even as new Codexes bring new Detachments that support new ways to play.

It would be nice to get more than one play style for a lot of armies, so we’ll have to see how they change things up with the next Balance Dataslate and FAQ in the Spring of 2024!