40k: Top Meta Lists Before Pariah Nexus & Dataslate Are Wild

By Steven Ross | June 18th, 2024 | Categories: 10th Edition 40k, 40k News & Articles, 40k Rumors, Games Workshop, News & Rumors, Tournament Coverage, Warhammer Army Lists

This weekend was one of the last for the Warhammer 40k Leviathan Tournament Pack Meta, with new missions and a balance dataslate on the way.

With the Pariah Nexus mission deck, a new Balance Dataslate, and multiple Codex books on the horizon, the first era of 10th Edition Warhammer 40k seems to be coming to a close. We’ll take a look at the final standouts with two super majors taking place over the weekend.

Warhammer 40k Meta: The End is Where We Begin Again

With Leviathan winding down, the end is where we begin studying for the upcoming Pariah Nexus season!

Super Majors abound, we’ll be taking a look at Frontline Gaming ACO 2024 Warhammer 40k Champs (Atlantic City, NJ), and The Bristol 40k Super Major (England, UK) to see how this meta finishes up!

Check out the latest full articles on the current best armies in the Warhammer 40k meta and the recent updates from Games Workshop for all the juicy details.

Necrons: Back At It Again With The Reanimations

The First Army has been all over the meta since their codex was released, and Shaun Reynolds showed there’s still new spice to be investigated.

Shawn Reynolds’ Necrons
Necrons
Strike Force (2000 points)
Canoptek Court

CHARACTERS

Technomancer (105 points)
• 1x Staff of light
• Enhancement: Dimensional Sanctum

Technomancer (85 points)
• 1x Staff of light

The Silent King (420 points)
• 1x Szarekh
• Warlord
• 1x Sceptre of Eternal Glory
1x Staff of Stars
1x Weapons of the Final Triarch
• 2x Triarchal Menhir
• 2x Annihilator beam
2x Armoured bulk

Transcendent C’tan (285 points)
• 1x Crackling tendrils
1x Seismic assault

OTHER DATASHEETS

Canoptek Acanthrites (85 points)
• 3x Canoptek Acanthrites
• 3x Cutting beam
3x Voidblade

Canoptek Acanthrites (85 points)
• 3x Canoptek Acanthrites
• 3x Cutting beam
3x Voidblade

Canoptek Doomstalker (135 points)
• 1x Doomsday blaster
1x Doomstalker limbs
1x Twin gauss flayer

Canoptek Doomstalker (135 points)
• 1x Doomsday blaster
1x Doomstalker limbs
1x Twin gauss flayer

Canoptek Doomstalker (135 points)
• 1x Doomsday blaster
1x Doomstalker limbs
1x Twin gauss flayer

Canoptek Wraiths (220 points)
• 6x Canoptek Wraith
• 6x Vicious claws

Canoptek Wraiths (220 points)
• 6x Canoptek Wraith
• 6x Vicious claws

Lokhust Destroyers (30 points)
• 1x Close combat weapon
1x Gauss cannon

Lokhust Destroyers (30 points)
• 1x Close combat weapon
1x Gauss cannon

Lokhust Destroyers (30 points)
• 1x Close combat weapon
1x Gauss cannon

The Silent King is NEVER late, he arrives to the Meta exactly when he plans. Plus, this list isn’t even taking 18 Wraiths!?

While the Canoptek Datasheets are rather limited (but powerful), leading to a rather thin roster of choices, The Silent King still has a lot of really interesting abilities, like Ignoring Modifiers.

So yes, those flat six damage annihilator beams are doing six damage, not d6.

The list also revisited the Transcendent C’tan, a datasheet that really solidifies Necron’s ability to score tactical secondary missions or pivot to fixed if the time is right.

Chaos Space Marines: Stacks on Stacks of AP

Just a quick boat ride across a small pond will get you to the other Super Major of the weekend, taken down by Jonathan Summerfield’s Chaos Space Marines

Jonathan Summerfield’s Chaos Space Marines
Strike Force (2000 points)
Renegade Raiders

CHARACTERS

Chaos Lord (115 points)
• Warlord
• 1x Daemon hammer
1x Plasma pistol
• Enhancement: Mark of the Hound

Fabius Bile (85 points)
• 1x Fabius Bile
• 1x Chirurgeon
1x Rod of Torment
1x Xyclos Needler
• 1x Surgeon Acolyte
• 1x Surgeon Acolyte’s tools

Sorcerer in Terminator Armour (105 points)
• 1x Chaos Familiar
1x Combi-weapon
1x Force weapon
1x Infernal Gaze
• Enhancement: Despot’s Claim

BATTLELINE

Cultist Mob (50 points)
• 1x Cultist Champion
• 1x Bolt pistol
1x Brutal assault weapon
• 9x Chaos Cultist
• 9x Autopistol
9x Brutal assault weapon

DEDICATED TRANSPORTS

Chaos Rhino (75 points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
1x Combi-bolter
1x Combi-weapon
1x Havoc launcher

Chaos Rhino (75 points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
1x Combi-bolter
1x Combi-weapon
1x Havoc launcher

Chaos Rhino (75 points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
1x Combi-bolter
1x Combi-weapon
1x Havoc launcher

OTHER DATASHEETS

Chaos Bikers (70 points)
• 1x Biker Champion
• 1x Chaos Icon
1x Close combat weapon
1x Combi-bolter
1x Plasma pistol
• 2x Chaos Biker
• 2x Astartes chainsword
2x Close combat weapon
2x Combi-bolter
2x Plasma gun

Chaos Predator Destructor (130 points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
1x Combi-weapon
1x Havoc launcher
2x Lascannon
1x Predator autocannon

Chaos Predator Destructor (130 points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
1x Combi-weapon
1x Havoc launcher
2x Lascannon
1x Predator autocannon

Chaos Predator Destructor (130 points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
1x Combi-weapon
1x Havoc launcher
2x Lascannon
1x Predator autocannon

Chosen (250 points)
• 1x Chosen Champion
• 1x Boltgun
1x Chaos Icon
1x Plasma pistol
1x Power fist
• 9x Chosen
• 6x Accursed weapon
7x Bolt pistol
3x Boltgun
4x Combi-weapon
2x Paired accursed weapons
2x Plasma pistol
1x Power fist

Chosen (250 points)
• 1x Chosen Champion
• 1x Boltgun
1x Chaos Icon
1x Plasma pistol
1x Power fist
• 9x Chosen
• 6x Accursed weapon
7x Bolt pistol
3x Boltgun
4x Combi-weapon
2x Paired accursed weapons
2x Plasma pistol
1x Power fist

Havocs (120 points)
• 1x Havoc Champion
• 1x Accursed weapon
1x Meltagun
• 4x Havoc
• 4x Close combat weapon
4x Havoc lascannon

Havocs (120 points)
• 1x Havoc Champion
• 1x Accursed weapon
1x Meltagun
• 4x Havoc
• 4x Close combat weapon
4x Havoc reaper chaincannon

Warp Talons (220 points)
• 1x Warp Talon Champion
• 1x Warp claws
• 9x Warp Talon
• 9x Warp claws

If you aren’t familiar with Raiders yet, it’s time to get to work. The Renegade Raiders detachment grants all Heretic Astartes Assault AND +1 AP against targets on objectives. Who could have guessed that faster guns are good? Faster guns plus AP are even better!

Taking a look at the list you can see how Jonothan is making otherwise uninspiring datasheets to new heights. The Sorcerer in Terminator Armor adds ANOTHER +1 AP for units with a psychic ability each turn. All of a sudden, those Havocs with Reaper Chaincannons and literally no Datasheet Ability (what happened there?) are blasting for 8, and S5, AP-2 shots a pop.

The other datasheets worth investigating are the Predator Destructors, a wildly valuable datasheet in almost any Imperium or Chaos army with access to it. For only 130 points, you get a solid tank chassis, two Lascannons, and a Three-Damage Autocannon.

Don’t forget that the Predator Destructor gives, you guessed it, +1 AP when shooting infantry. That has quickly become: 6 S9, AP-4 3D shots into your elite infantry, bye-bye.

It was a wild weekend of 40k wargaming, with more players eager to add their own twist to the meta. Innovation is clearly not dead, and the best time to try that new idea is right now.

Take your shot, have fun, and surprise the meta—this is what the hobby is all about.

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About the Author: Steven Ross

Steven Ross

Job Title: Competitive 40k Writer

Socials: Steven on Facebook

About Steven Ross: Steven plays more Warhammer 40k in a week than most people do in a quarter, maybe even a calendar year. He studies every Warhammer tournament army list each week, watches all the live streams, and interacts everywhere he can online.

After only being in the hobby for a few years, Steven placed 8th overall out of several hundred at the Warhammer 40k Adepticon Championships in 2024.

Basically, he knows 10th Edition Warhammer 40k like few others, so watch this space for some great advice from tactics to army list building.