Litanies of the Faithful

Last weekend saw the World Team Championship of Warhammer 40k, an event where countries from all over the world come together to celebrate their love of the hobby, make new friendships that transcend borders and represent their country send only their most competitive and highly skilled players overseas, out of their own pocket to compete in what is the most competitive event of the year.

The only parallel to this event in the sporting world is the Olympic games, where sport is celebrated and international cooperation and understanding among nations is fostered. Emphasising athletic excellence, sportsmanship, and values of friendship, respect, and fair play where only the best athletes from each country are sent to compete in high stakes competition.

Anyway, if you weren’t busy watching the best 40k players in the world clock out during 4 hour rounds, or forget to deepstrike units, you were probably busy thinking to yourself, ‘What would I run in Ad-Mech if the cavity above my neck was empty and I was unable to think for myself?’.

Let me help you with that.

NB. We won’t be looking at teams lists, teams isn’t real.

The Meta has firmly established itself since the June dataslate with DG, CK, and IK being the top dogs. The release of the Space Wolves, Votann & Black Templars Codexes may shake this up a bit but we’re not due for another balance change for a month. This isn’t the worst meta for Ad-Mech. We’re not fantastic into DG, but can definitely deal with the big stompy robots.

Our first list comes from the Saffron Slam XII, a 25 person 5 game Warhammer GT in England (Saffron Slam XII | Best Coast Pairings).

Our AdMech hero came 2nd, behind DG and above BA – their only loss. The BA list was running Liberator and about 50 Jump pack infantry, seeing the AdMech list it’s likely this was an uphill battle. Interestingly enough, there was no undefeated player at this event. Our hero actually beat the DG player in rd 5, but lost on tie-breakers, lol.

Martyn’s list ‘Come on sucker, lick my battery’: Haloscreed, duh

• Tech-Priest Manipulus: Sanctified Ordnance (6″ range)
• 1×10 Skitarii Rangers
• 6×10 Skitarii Vanguard
• 3x Skorpius Dunerider
• 1×6 Kataphron Breachers – Heavy Arc Rifle
• 3×5 Pteraxii Skystalkers
• 2×9 Servitor Battleclade
• 1×5 Sicarian Infiltrators
• 2×10 Sicarian Ruststalkers

AdMech is eating right now. There really doesn’t seem to be one specific way you need to build a list. While some armies have sort of core builds that are adjusted and adapted AdMech feels a bit like the wild west. I mean sure, Skystalkers and Infiltrators are in almost every list, but the lack of Disintegrators in this list is a change from the norm.

Personally, I would find a list like this very difficult to create. I am a whore for characters, and include at least four in most of my AdMech lists. This list feels like it would be flat out better in SHC, but the shenanigans Haloscreed allows you to pull off lets you jump back into the Duneriders with reactive moves, and boosty move out of them for huge charges. Having 60 Vanguard would make it very difficult for your opponent to score primary as you spread out across the board and slowly die but win?

These aren’t typically the lists I enjoy playing, but with so much stuff if your opponent prioritises killing the Breachers I doubt they would have enough left to stop you from just winning on primary.

Also, Duneriders are just flat-out the best unit in the game, and with this much battleline you would always be receiving your army buff increasing the value you get out of every unit.

Our next player came 85th at their GT, which doesn’t sound that impressive, until you realize the GT had 322 competitors. The Lone Star Open 40k champs is a 6-round GT in the USA with 5 DG players in the top 10, lol. Our hero went down to Custodes in round 2, and Death Guard in round 4.

Brad’s list ‘Holy Shit it’s Admech!!!!’: Haloscreed, duh

• Tech-Priest Manipulus: Cognitive reinforcement (double doctrina)
• 1×10 Rangers
• 2x Skorpius Dunerider
• 1×6 Kataphron Breachers – Heavy arc rifle
• 3x Onager Dunecrawler – Eradication beamer
• 2×5 Pteraxii Skystalkers
• 1×5 Sicarian Infiltrators
• 1×10 Ruststalkers
• 3x Skorpius Disintegrators

Another solo Manipulus list, it’s like this is the only character AdMech has!

This list resides on the opposite side of the spectrum. There is one single unit of battleline, and no other way to get the army rule buff. I suppose you still get either +1 BS/Heavy and +1 WS/Assault but, at what cost? I suppose it doesn’t matter when your opponent is dead.

Brad looked at the meta and saw Knights were on top, he took that personally. 3 Neutron Laser Dunecrawlers and 3 Disintegrators makes short work of any hull heavy lists with 6 Breachers tearing through elites. There are enough other units for actions and 10 Ruststalkers to yeet forward and contest primary. I’m assuming the Rangers are put into the second Dunerider? At this point I would have just taken another unit of Rangers as the boat has to be filled meaning you’re either not stickying your home objective turn 1, or you’re putting Infiltrators in it? Weird. But it works!

Another list from the Lone Star open is Matthew’s AdMech, placing 45th and going down to Blood Angels in round 3, and Deathwatch in round 6.

Matthew’s list ’17 Naked Servitors at RAM RANCH’: Haloscreed, duh. I’ll try to find lists from other detachments next time, but if the only detachment AdMech had was Haloscreed, I think I’d still be happy.

• Belisarius Cawl
• Skitarii Marshal
• Tech-Priest Manipulus: Inloaded Lethality
• Tech-Priest Manipulus: Sanctified Ordnance
• 2×10 Skitarii Rangers
• Skitarii Vanguard
• Skorpius Dunerider
• 1×3 Kataphron Breachers
• 1×6 Kataphron Destroyers
• 1×5 Pteraxii Skystalkers
• 1×3 Serberys Raiders
• 1×9 Servitor Battleclade
• 2×5 Sicarian Infiltrators
• 2×10 Sicarian Ruststalkers
• 2x Scorpius Disintegrators

Man, I really want 10 most Ruststalkers. This is a list I could see myself creating – minus the useless Serberys ofcourse. This list goes wide on damage dealing and scoring units. Splitting damage across Kataphrons, Disintegrators and Ruststalkers.

Taking Cawl and 3 units of Battleline allows you to consistently get your army buff where you need it, and screen your deployment zone effectively. Infiltrators screen and contest the midfield for secondaries and primary early game, while Ruststalker yeets in the midgame contest primary and delete opposing units.

In my opinion lists like this do the best into the general field of Warhammer 40k singles events. They are incredibly flexible and allow you to keep your important assets safe depending on your match up, terrain layout and whether or not you seize the initiative.

Now get out there and play something other than SHC or Haloscreed so I have more interesting things to discuss.