Brian Jones won the Cherokee Open 2025 with an Imperial Knights competitive list built around Canis Rex and a Knight Atrapos. Here’s the full breakdown, plus the rest of the top three.
Cherokee Open Winning List (Brian Jones)
Updated on June 24rd, 2026, by Rob Baer with the latest information.
Here’s how a 2025 competitive Imperial Knights list actually looks at the top of an event: Brian Jones ran a Canis Rex and Knight Atrapos lance with four Armiger walkers, a Callidus Assassin, and two Sisters of Battle Immolators to a Cherokee Open win.
The full Brian Jones roster photos are in the 1st Place section just below, with the tactical breakdown right after that.
Final Standings:
The tournament is over, and now we can look at which 40k factions’ playstyles and army lists managed to secure a place at the top! Check out what these winners brought in their armies with our expert commentary on their selections.
Studying these winning army lists for their tactical synergies provides valuable insights for honing your strategic approach since the latest balance dataslate rules changes and points updates. If you want to elevate your game even further, consider applying to Team USA to compete at the World Team Championships each year!
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1st Place: Brian Jones: Imperial Knights Army Lists
There’s something poetic about a towering war machine, draped in the heraldry of a bygone age, striding across a battlefield littered with the ruins of lesser warriors. And at the Cherokee Open 2025, one Imperial Knights force made sure every opponent got an up-close look at just how unstoppable the Emperor’s walking fortresses can be.
This winning list was built around two titanic centerpiece models: Canis Rex and a Cerastus Knight Atrapos. Canis Rex, a Freeblade of legend, is a force of nature with a storied past, and his battlefield presence always turns heads. The Knight Atrapos, an apex predator among its kind, specializes in reducing enemy war engines to so much scrap metal. Together, they led their lance like true champions of the Omnissiah.
Backing up these titans was a squad of lighter walkers; one Armiger Helverin and three Armiger Warglaives. The Helverin, with its twin autocannons, provided some much-needed fire support from the backline, while the Warglaives brought their reaper chainblades and thermal spears into close quarters, cutting down enemy armor and infantry alike.
But even the most heavily armored warriors need a little trickery. That’s where a Callidus Assassin came in. Slipping through the cracks in enemy defenses, this deadly operative ensured that no enemy commander felt safe, eliminating key threats with brutal efficiency.
To round things out, two Sisters of Battle Immolators took the field, their flamers roaring as they delivered their cargo straight into the thick of the action. From there, they negated coverage for whatever units they hit, supporting the Knights’ overwhelming firepower. One carried a Battle Sisters Squad, holding objectives and adding some much-needed bolter fire, while the other housed a Subductor Squad, ready to reinforce the battleline where needed.
This list struck a brilliant balance; massive firepower, tactical mobility, and just the right amount of sneaky tricks. The combination of towering Knights and the more mobile support elements made for a force that could engage at multiple ranges, control key objectives, and ensure that every opponent had to think twice before making a move.
Imperial Knights List Tactics from the Cherokee Open Winner
So what makes Brian’s Cherokee Open list actually work? It’s the way the models cover for each other. Canis Rex and the Knight Atrapos do the heavy lifting in the middle of the board, with Canis answering any infantry block that gets in the way and the Atrapos hunting whatever vehicle or monster the opponent leans on. Neither one wants to be alone, and the rest of the list exists so they don’t have to be.
The four Armigers split the work two ways. The Helverin sits back with its autocannons and trims down infantry and light vehicles from range, while the three Warglaives push up the board to threaten chargers and pin enemy units against the bigger Knights. That gives Brian a board-control wing without spending centerpiece points to get it.
The Callidus Assassin is the screen-buster. Single-character removal, denial of key buffs, and a deep-strike threat that forces opponents to think twice about leaving an objective lightly held. Plus the two Immolators give him scoring units he can actually move, with template firepower riding along for the ride. Bottom line, it’s a Knights list that still has answers when an opponent tries to outplay the centerpiece models, and that’s what carried it to first at Cherokee.
2nd Place: Chris Bingham: Imperial Knights Army Lists
Chris Bingham’s 2nd-place list is another Imperial Knights list, but built around more Armigers and sisters of Battle. Two Knights finishers in the Cherokee Open top three says plenty about where the 2025 competitive meta sits for the faction, and the army list photos below show his exact build.
3rd Place: Ben Andraka: Tyranids Army Lists
Final Thoughts on Army Lists From Cherokee Open 2025
Brian Jones’ Cherokee Open 2025 list is the best look at competitive Imperial Knights we’ve gotten all year; don’t worry, though; Tyranids snuck in a top three as the only non-Knights list. Whether you’re rocking the unstoppable might of the Knights or the swarming surprise of the Tyranids, there’s something to be learned from these top-tier army lists.
These champions have proven that when it comes to 40k, it’s not just about who brings the biggest toys to the battlefield but how you play the game. So, as you paint up your miniatures and strategize your next tournament run, remember: it’s all about balance, tactical wizardry, and maybe a touch of underhanded trickery (looking at you, Callidus Assassin).
The performance of these armies really puts an exclamation mark on the latest competitive Warhammer 40k meta. Studying these winning army lists for their tactical synergies provides valuable insights for making your strategic approach.
See the Top Warhammer Army Lists & 40k Tournament Schedule for 2025
What do you think of the results and top Warhammer 40k army lists at Cherokee Open 2025 for Imperial Knights and Tyranids?
