Welcome to Competitive Innovations, our weekly feature for a number of game lines across the tabletop wargame space. Each week our army list and tactics experts canvass the top tournaments for their game of specialty, looking at the week’s top match-ups and how they played out on the tabletop to let you know what’s hot, what’s not, and what might be coming next as the competitive meta evolves year-round.

After a very busy week, we're back to a much more manageable size. We got 4 events from around the world, as the Nurgle meta seems to continue apace, and the Lumineth and Tzeentch books start rolling out to Tournaments worldwide. This week we will be covering:

• Windy City WAAAGH! II: Attack of the Chorfs - United States
• Open AoS de Loire Atlantique by Les Dés'Luminatis - France
• Scorched Earth Open 2026 - World Qualifier - AoS Fundraiser GT - United States
• Golden Age of Oheim GT I - Germany

Windy City WAAAGH! II: Attack of the Chorfs

51-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Elk Grove Village, IL, United States on February 28 2026. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

The Showdown

Mission - Roiling Roots

Raymond Lane - Maggotkin of Nurgle

vs.

Joe Krier - Flesh-eater Courts

Thoughts

Whew, well. That's some matchup.

Both lists have really big boys; Rotigus and Glottkin in one corner and a crap ton of Terrorgheists in the other. While Nurgle is tanky, Terrorgheists are scary and when properly swarming the enemy they can rip a GUO apart limb from limb. To have a shot Nurgle would really need to leverage their vast infantry to properly screen and it doesn't seem like that pans out all that well for them.

Result

Flesh-eater Courts Victory - 65 - 42

Joe Krier - Flesh-eater Courts - 1st Place

Terrorgheist, one of the many Monstrous Denizens you may meet in Thondia Credit: Serotonin

The List

See Showdown

Archetype

FEC Monster Mash

Thoughts

Simple and straightforward on paper, this list does require a bit of a skilled hand to run.

The two Ghoul Kings both offer powerful buffs to the Terrorgheists and Zombie Dragon. The King on Terrorgheist has a delusion to add +2 to charge for the other Monsters around a Hero, plus a passive Run and Charge. Both let them get into combat much sooner, and then switch over the Delusion for the Ghoul on Terrorgheist, which hands out a +1 to attacks for everyone around a Hero.

The Terrorgheists are real scary on their own. They get 6 Claw attacks and 3 Bite attacks, and the Claw attacks only get more numerous against infantry with Command Models, letting them absolutely shred through most things with ease. Their saves make them a big fragile, but it's a lot of wounds to carve through.

The Marrowscroll Herald is a cheap little number to round out the list, which while it's not huge the ability to either disrupt a spellcaster or force them to take Strike Last (against a wave of Terrorgheists) isn't much of a choice at all.

Corey O'Keefe - Kruleboyz - 2nd Place (Undefeated)

Guttrippaz - Credit: RichyP

The List

Archetype

Kruleboyz Good Stuff

Thoughts

Swamphorde Bullies cut down to its essence. Swamphorde Bullies only really care about trying to get multiple units into combat at every opportunity for that +1 attack. Gutrippaz are a bit finicky but with their -1 to be hit against everything but a hero, +1 to save from a spell and the Foul Elixers, they can be hard to crack. They're pretty dangerous too, with their Crit Mortals and +1 to hit and wound from all out attack from the Killaboss.

The Sloggoth gives the army Run and Charge for when that's important, and the Killaboss on Gnashtoof can drag a hero out of combat that might otherwise be a problem. Solid all around approach to grind out the enemy.

The Best of the Rest

There were 8 more players on 4-1 records. They were:

• 3rd - Raymond Lane - Maggotkin of Nurgle: See Showdown.
• 4th - Austin Thimesch - Helsmiths of Hashut: Uruk Taar and mounted Daemonsmith with artillery and bull centaurs.
• 5th - Dustin Forman - Flesh-eater Courts: Monster Mash.
• 6th - Daniel Grego - Blades of Khorne: Mortal Infantry
• 7th - George Coe - Maggotkin of Nurgle: Rotigus and Belga with lotsa Plaguebearers and the Helsmith artillery RoR.
• 8th - David Rodriguez - Stormcast Eternals: Iridan with Palladors, Prosecutors and Vanguard Raptors.
• 9th - Sam McEuen - Flesh-eater Courts: Yet Another FEC Monster Mash.
• 10th - Carlos Munoz - Idoneth Deepkin: Allopexes and Eels.

Open AoS de Loire Atlantique by Les Dés'Luminatis

40-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Bouvron, Pays de la Loire, France on February 28 2026. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

The Showdown

Fabien Dubost - Skaventide

vs.

Matt 0cto - Helsmiths of Hashut

Thoughts

This is a pretty different list from what we usually see out of Skaven. The play seems to be to use Krittok to spread out three Clawsteps ahead to multiple units, and buff the Stormvermin to make them actually pretty terrifying for their cost.

That said, the Helsmiths don't gotta play that game. Being a warmachine the Deathshriekers are going to shred through the Screaming Bell which will put the rest of the army on the back foot against the Dominator Engines with maces coming into slam into them.

Result

Helsmiths of Hashut Victory - 57 - 45

Matt 0cto - Helsmiths of Hashut - 1st Place

Urak Tarr Credit: Mildnorman

The List

See Showdown

Archetype

Artillery and Bulls

Thoughts

This list tries to use its dual Rocket Batteries and Blunderbusses to tear about the enemy from afar.  While they work best on Monsters and Warmachines, they'll take anything really. The Blunderbusses are for what the artillery can't deal with, doing solid damage on their own and inflicting Strike Last if they can kill enough stuff. Once they're properly softened up the Bulls can charge in and clean up whatever happens to remain.

The Best of the Rest

There were 6 more players on 4-1 records. They were:

• 2nd - Thomas DEFAY - Soulblight Gravelords: Prince Vhordrai with Vampires and Radukar the Beast with Deathrattle Skeletons.
• 3rd - Aurélien Meunier - Blades of Khorne: Baleful Lords.
• 4th - Thibault ''Thibaal'' PELTIER-BELHOSTE - Ironjawz: Kragnos and Gordrakk with Brute Ragerz and a Tuskboss.
• 5th - Matthieu Beau - Lumineth Realm-Lords:Herohammer Severith, Ellania and Ellathor and 2 casters with Bladelords to protect them.
• 6th - Fabien Dubost - Skaventide: See Showdown.
• 7th - Abigael Whalee - Idoneth Deepkin: Eels.

Scorched Earth Open 2026 - World Qualifier - AoS Fundraiser GT

32-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Phoenix, AZ, United States on February 28 2026. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

The Showdown

Mission - Passing Seasons

Alec Jerome - Maggotkin of Nurgle

vs.

Henry Simon - Sons of Behemat

Thoughts

This seems pretty handy for the Nurgle. Sons of Behemat never do quite as much damage as you expect them to, and Nurgle is packing a ton of Debuffs and Wards to tank those hits as they wear them down. The real challenge is going to be that Nurgle lacks the serious damage output to dispatch giants rapidly, and Kragnos could put a solid dent into them. Luckily, this list didn't bring Rotigus or the Glottkin so that spares him his juiciest possible target. If they can focus fire well enough to pick up the giants early enough its possible for them to pull ahead in the late game.

Result

Maggotkin of Nurgle Victory - 50 - 30

Alec Jerome - Maggotkin of Nurgle - 1st Place

Credit: MildNorman

The List

See Showdown

Archetype

Nurgle Infantry

Thoughts

Sparing the bigger models in the army, this focuses more on infantry to try to move faster (than Nurgle is usually known for, anyway). Shaman Foulhoof and his Pestigors are your alpha strike, actively desiring to run up the field and confront the enemy in their territory to grab early objectives.

This lets the rest of the army move up and set up. Blightkings and Rotswords are your second wave, Blightkings to mess with Wizards and Rotswords to set up on objectives. While Rotswords like to be charged, they're not too picky and can fight pretty well if they have to go on the offense, too.

The spellcasters in the army are excellent at supporting their army with defense buffs and opposing debuffs like making their own guys -1 to be wounded and shutting off commands for the enemy.

The Best of the Rest

There were 4 more players on 4-1 records. They were:

• 2nd - Camaron A Hallford - Maggotkin of Nurgle: Rotigus with a mix of infantry and knights, plus the Helsmith's artillery RoR.
• 3rd - Colt Hegardt - Hedonites of Slaanesh: Glutos and Sigvald with lots of Twinsouls.
• 4th - Griffin Barboro - Cities of Sigmar: Freeguilders.
• 5th - Henry Simon - Sons of Behemat: See Showdown.

Golden Age of Oheim GT I

30-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Grettstadt, Germany on February 28 2026. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

The Showdown

Mission - Surge of Slaughter

Pascal Weimar - Skaventide

vs.

Maik Schönknecht - Stormcast Eternals

Thoughts

This is a surprising outcome. The Stormcast list is pretty nasty, with the Longstrike having a lot of potential to rip through the enemy heroes and neuter the list early. That said, the Rat Ogors are pretty nasty if they get a fair shake at combat, and the Skaven have much better screens and disposable troops to blunt the Stormcast charge. If the Rat Ogors get a good swing in against the Prosecutors and Palladors, it's entirely possible they settle the fight early.

Result

Skaventide Victory - 84 - 16

Pascal Weimar - Skaventide - 1st Place

Brood Terror. Credit: Matthew Ward

The List

See Showdown

Archetype

Skaven Good Stuff

Thoughts

This is the archetypal Skaven list, down to its bare bones. The Screaming Bell is a Power 2 Wizard which can cast the Bell of Doom for a -1 to wound on enemy units. Combined with the Bell's -1 to be hit Aura on even turns, it makes the Skaven surprisingly tanky. This is aided by the Plague Monks and their furnace, which despite their poor saves can be given a 5+ ward, with all the debuffs in place it's a lot of wounds to chew through.

The main hammer is the Rat Ogors, supported by the Brood Terror. They can damage themselves to get more attacks, and a better to hit from the brood terror, giving a reinforced unit 36 Rend 1 Damage 2 attacks.

The Best of the Rest

There were 3 more players on 4-1 records. They were:

• 2nd - Andreas Hölter - Flesh-eater Courts: Terrorgheist and Zombie Dragons.
• 3rd - Dominik Siebenbürger - Gloomspite Gitz: Mass Squig herds
• 4th - Maximilian Jenner - Idoneth Deepkin: Allopexes and Morrsarr Guard.

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