It's finally here; one of the largest events of the year. The Nova Open is the largest East Coast event in the US and shares a spot on the pantheon of Wargaming conventions with LVO and Adepticon as the most intense competition around.

In addition we also get two more events, one in British Columbia and one all the way in Spain!

Nova Open 2024 Age of Sigmar GT

166-player, 8-round Supermajor in Washington, DC, United States on August 30 2024. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

The Showdown

Mission - Border War

Kaleb Walters - Disciples of Tzeentch

vs.

Michael Rausch - Ossiarch Bonereapers

Thoughts

Although Tzeentch has had a rough go of things, this list answers a lot of the weakness of OBR, most having to do with ranged attacks. OBR have to footslog it, and so they often find themselves caught out in the middle of an empty field being shot at. They're pretty resilient, so it's manageable but when the ranged army can huck tons of mortals at you, it becomes a different story.

The Archai function as a pretty good answer, with their 3+ ward against spells, but that's just one unit and they can't be everywhere. If Tzeentch can keep them bogged down they won't be able to get to where they really need to go. Tzeentch managed to win with Kaleb becoming the champion of Nova.

Result

Disciples of Tzeentch Victory - 41 - 35

Kaleb Walters - Disciples of Tzeentch - 1st Place

The List

See Showdown

Archetype

Twin Lords of Change

Thoughts

Well this is very new. Two lords of change, no listed spell lore. While possibly a mistake, we can just assume it's the conjurations we're after. With the Purple Sun, the Skyfires become quite deadly, able to hit with Rend -2 shots. The Nine-Eyed Tome is one of the few ways to improve Banishment rolls so in addition to summoning endless spells it also focuses on getting rid of the opponent's. With the Horrors in place and the -1 to wound from Wyrdflame and the -1 to hit from Lord of Change they're a lot harder to cleave through than you would think.

Thomas Guan - Lumineth Realm-Lords - 2nd Place

The List

[expand title='Army List - Click to Expand"'] AoS 2000/2000 pts ----- Grand Alliance Order | Lumineth Realm-lords | Hurakan Temple Drops: 2 Spell Lore - Lore of Hysh Manifestation Lore - Morbid Conjuration ----- General's Regiment Sevireth, Lord of the Seventh Wind (350) • General Hurakan Spirit of the Wind (240) Hurakan Windchargers (340) • Reinforced --- Regiment 1 Hurakan Windmage (150) • Silver Wand • Perfect Strike Hurakan Spirit of the Wind (240) Hurakan Windchargers (340) • Reinforced Hurakan Windchargers (340) • Reinforced ----- Faction Terrain Shrine Luminor ----- Created with Warhammer Age of Sigmar: The App App: v1.1.0 (10) | Data: v136 [/expand]

Archetype

Hurakan Windchargers

Thoughts

One of the best go to lists right now, piloted by one of the best US players. Sevireth and the two Spirits of the Wind can run (along with their Windchargers Retinue), shoot and then fall back more or less untouched. Since the Windchargers also skip Wards it also nicely works into the current Nighthaunt Meta (and several other things).

No real surprises here, just a real solid list that can still put up a fight in melee if it has to.

The Best of the Rest

There were 6 more in the top 8:

• 3rd - Gavin Grigar - Gloomspite Gitz: Troggs.
• 4th - Michael Rausch - Ossiarch Bonereapers: See Showdown.
• 5th - Mike McAbee - Nighthaunt: Nighthaunt Good Stuff
• 6th - Madigan Mason - Nighthaunt: More Nighthaunt Good Stuff.
• 7th - Mathew Davies - Lumineth Realm-Lords: Hurakan Skew.
• 8th - Stian Engebretsen - Slaves to Darkness: Be'lakor with cavalry.

The Northern Wastes GT

43-player, 5-round Grand Tournament in Prince George, British Columbia, CA on August 31 2024. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

The Showdown

Matthias Krushel - Daughters of Khaine [expand title='Army List - Click to Expand'] I am bleeding out please send an ambulance pls pls pls pls 1980/2000 pts

Daughters of Khaine | Slaughter Troupe Drops: 2 Manifestation Lore - Morbid Conjuration

General's Regiment Morathi-Khaine (760) • General Blood Stalkers (280) • Reinforced The Shadow Queen (0)

Regiment 1 Hag Queen on Cauldron of Blood (350) • Sevenfold Shadow • Master of Poisons Doomfire Warlocks (150) Witch Aelves with Paired Sciansá (220) • Reinforced Witch Aelves with Paired Sciansá (220) • Reinforced [/expand]

vs.

Jesse Day - Nighthaunt [expand title='Army List - Click to Expand'] Boosheet 2000/2000 pts

Nighthaunt | Death Stalkers Drops: 4 Spell Lore - Lore of the Underworlds Manifestation Lore - Cthonic Sorceries

General's Regiment Lady Olynder, Mortarch of Grief (300) • General Bladegheist Revenants (300) • Reinforced Hexwraiths (320) • Reinforced Myrmourn Banshees (240) • Reinforced

Regiment 1 Reikenor the Grimhailer (210) Dreadblade Harrows (160) Dreadblade Harrows (160)

Regiment 2 Awlrach the Drowner (160)

Regiment 3 Krulghast Cruciator (150) • Ruler of the Spectral Hosts • Lightshard of the Harvest Moon

Created with Warhammer Age of Sigmar: The App App: 1.1.1 | Data: 136 [/expand]

Thoughts

Two armies who need to get that early charge in and...one is Nighthaunt. Which means Nighthaunt have the real advantage here. It's most likely going to come down to proper charges. The Morathi list does have some answers, where Morathi can tank the massive damage that they put out and the Stalkers can weaken them from a distance before the charge. This however doesn't totally answer the superior movement ability the Nighthaunt have access to and the Nighthaunt put out a crushing victory.

Result

Nighthaunt Victory - 48 - 16

Jesse Day - Nighthaunt - 1st Place

Credit: PierreTheMime

The List

See Showdown

Archetype

Nighthaunt Herohammer

Thoughts

While this does still have a lot of the "Nighthaunt Good Stuff" there's a few interesting quirks here. Naturally the focal point is still Olynder, Awlrach. Reikenor, Bladegheists and Dreadblade Harrows but let's look at what the other stuff brings to the table.

Myrmourn Banshees still remain a solid anti-spell presence. While it doesn't get to wait until an unbind fails anymore, it does damage to a Wizard when it successfully unbinds, which might give them pause for smaller wizards. There's a lot of named heroes in this list which mean the artefact and trait need to go somewhere and instead of the usual Executioner he went for the Krulghast. Previously a 3rd ed staple, the ignore first point of damage isn't quite as good as a blanket -1 to wound but it does something. The damage is comparable to an executioner, but has a shooting attack that can warm up before charging in.

Carson Whitlock - Ogor Mawtribes - 2nd Place (Undefeated)

photo credit: keewa

The List

[expand title='Army List - Click to Expand'] Magnificent Bastards 2000/2000 pts

Ogor Mawtribes | Prophets of the Gulping God Drops: 3 Spell Lore - Lore of Maw-magic Prayer Lore - Everwinter Prayers Manifestation Lore - Morbid Conjuration - "Mandatory Conjuration"

General's Regiment Slaughtermaster (130) • General Ironguts (480) • Reinforced

Regiment 1 Butcher (140) Gorger Mawpack (260) Ogor Gluttons (220) Ogor Gluttons (220)

Regiment 2 Frostlord on Stonehorn (360) - "<3 Brayden W" • The Fang of Ghur • Touched by the Everwinter Frost Sabres (70) Gnoblars (120)

Faction Terrain Mawpit

Created with Warhammer Age of Sigmar: The App App: 1.1.1 | Data: 136 [/expand]

Archetype

Foot Ogors with Frostlord Support

Thoughts

This list hits a nice all-rounded feel. The Foot Ogors are pulling a lot of weight right now, arguably undercosted for their wound count and can put out solid damage and Ironguts are even better. Gorgers can scrap pretty good and can deep strike in, a valuable trick in a slow footslogging list.

The Frostlord helps support by skipping wards on high value targets once per game with their artefact and can support themselves with Keening Gale. The Gnoblars and Frost Sabres make excellent screens and fodder for battle tactics like take the flanks or Seize the Centre.

The Best of the Rest

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

• 3rd - Matthias Krushel - Daughters of Khaine: See Showdown.
• 4th - Baudouin Callebaut - Ogor Mawtribes: Ogor Midrange.
• 5th - Dale Johnson - Gloomspite Gitz: Troggs and Gitz
• 6th - David BlanchardWright - Ossiarch Bonereapers: Kavalos and Archai with Soulblight Regiment of Renown for chaff.

La Voz de Sigmar Open

42-player, 6-round Grand Tournament in Lugo, España on August 31 2024. All the lists for this event can be found in Best Coast Pairings.

The Showdown

Fran Marcos - Nighthaunt [expand title='Army List - Click to Expand'] Fantasmicos 2000/2000 pts

Nighthaunt | Death Stalkers Drops: 2 Spell Lore - Lore of the Underworlds Manifestation Lore - Morbid Conjuration

General's Regiment Lady Olynder, Mortarch of Grief (300) • General Bladegheist Revenants (300) • Reinforced Hexwraiths (320) • Reinforced Hexwraiths (320) • Reinforced

Regiment 1 Awlrach the Drowner (160) Bladegheist Revenants (300) • Reinforced Bladegheist Revenants (150) Lord Executioner (150) • Ruler of the Spectral Hosts • Lightshard of the Harvest Moon

Created with Warhammer Age of Sigmar: The App App: 1.1.1 | Data: 136 [/expand]

vs.

Emilio Martin Lindberg - Nighthaunt [expand title='Army List - Click to Expand'] Nighthaunt está roto 2000/2000 pts

Nighthaunt | Death Stalkers Drops: 2 Spell Lore - Lore of the Underworlds Manifestation Lore - Morbid Conjuration

General's Regiment Lady Olynder, Mortarch of Grief (300) • General Bladegheist Revenants (300) • Reinforced Hexwraiths (320) • Reinforced Hexwraiths (320) • Reinforced

Regiment 1 Awlrach the Drowner (160) Bladegheist Revenants (300) • Reinforced Bladegheist Revenants (150) Lord Executioner (150) • Ruler of the Spectral Hosts • Lightshard of the Harvest Moon

Created with Warhammer Age of Sigmar: The App App: 1.1.1 | Data: 136 [/expand]

Thoughts

Trust me I checked these lists at least 3 times to see if there was any difference. There is not. Whether this is some gag or well timed coincidence here we are, the apotheosis of the Nighthaunt meta.

The lack of Dreadblade Harrows is a bit surprising but otherwise these are just regular nighthaunt lists, skewed toward Hexwraiths and Bladegheist Revenants. It really is just going to come down to whoever gets the better charge first, Hexwraiths work great if they can hit the Bladegheist first to charge and power through, while the Bladegheist want to hit the Hexwraiths first to blunt the charge. Olynder supports the units around her and can bring back dead models while Awlrach helps teleport and reposition the rest of the army.

Emilio is the one who clutches it with a very solid lead.

Result

Nighthaunt Victory - 42 - 26

Emilio Martin Lindberg - Nighthaunt - 1st Place

Lady Olynder, Mortarch of Grief. Credit: Rich Nutter

The List

See Showdown

Archetype

Nighthaunt Good Stuff

Thoughts

As I said above, the lack of Dreadblade Harrows is surprising but otherwise this is just Nighthaunt good stuff. It tries to charge early and put the enemy down, if it doesn't, it has ways to charge out later or fall back and charge.

The Best of the Rest

The showdown tiebreaker was the only Round 6 match. There were 7 more players on at least 4-1 records. They were:

• 2nd - Fran Marcos - Nighthaunt: See showdown
• 3rd - Jota Dj - Nighthaunt: Bladegheist Revenant spam. Yes, more than the showdown ones.
• 4th - Martín Rodríguez Quintela - Soulblight Gravelords: Mannfred with Black Knights and Grave Guard.
• 5th - miguel dusold - Slaves to Darkness: Be'lakor with cavalry.
• 6th - Iker Rubio - Lumineth Realm-lords: Teclis and Severith with Windchargers.
• 7th - Alejandro Cobo - Nighthaunt: Nighthaunt good stuff.
• 8th - Bruno Puente - Gloomspite Gitz: Troggs.

Wrap Up

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