Can You Pick the Winner Just from the Lists - An AoS Experiment
Can You Pick the Tournament Winner from the Lists - An AoS Experiment
18 members have voted
In our new tournament I am getting to run an experiment I have always wanted to try. Four players are submitting 2K lists to play in a double round robin tournament. In the first round robin each player will play their own list against each of their opponent's lists. In the second round robin each player will play their opponent's list against their own. To me ultimate bragging rights in AoS would come from being able to beat you with my own list and then turn around and beat you again playing your list against mine. Looking forward to this new approach to the game.
But I also thought it would be an excellent way to test another theory. It is only natural that threads such as these would get very focused on the lists as they are the easiest thing to debate & discuss in such a forum. Taken to an extreme though sometimes it can almost feel like there's no reason to actually play the games. There seems to be some conviction that List A will always win against all comers across all battleplans, or List B has no hope against list C, or list D can't win Battleplan X. As I've said before in a game with as much opportunity for tactical skill as for random chance I think you always have to play the games.
But I am curious if the wisdom of the crowds can suss out a winner just from the lists? In a normal tournament player skill may be too big a factor but here, with each list getting played by multiple players I think there is a little less room for that to completely throw things off. So I've put the poll above and below are the four lists that were submitted:
Allegiance: Fyreslayers
- Lodge: Vostarg
Leaders
Auric Runefather on Magmadroth (270)
- General
- Command Trait: Fiery Endurance
- Artefact: Vosaxe
- Magmadroth Trait: Coal-heart Ancient
Auric Runesmiter on Magmadroth (250)
- Forge Key
- Artefact: Ash-cloud Rune
- Magmadroth Trait: Ash-horn Ancient
- Prayer: Prayer of Ash
Auric Runemaster (120)
- Prayer: Prayer of Ash
Battlesmith (140)
Auric Runesmiter (120)
- Runic Iron
- Prayer: Searing Heat
Battleline
20 x Vulkite Berzerkers (280)
- War-Picks & Slingshields
10 x Vulkite Berzerkers (140)
- Pairs of Handaxes
20 x Hearthguard Berzerkers (400)
- Poleaxes
Units
5 x Auric Hearthguard (120)
Battalions
Lords of the Lodge (150)
Total: 1990 / 2000
Extra Command Points: 1
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 154
-X-X-X
Allegiance: Khorne
- Slaughterhost: Baleful Lords (Host of Chaos)
Leaders
Bloodthirster of Insensate Rage (270)
- Artefact: A'rgath the King of Blades
Bloodthirster of Unfettered Fury (270)
- Artefact: Black Brass Crown
Wrath of Khorne Bloodthirster (300)
- General
- Command Trait: Thirst for Carnage
- Artefact: The Crimson Crown
Skarbrand (380)
Karanak (140)
Battleline
5 x Flesh Hounds (100)
5 x Flesh Hounds (100)
5 x Flesh Hounds (100)
5 x Flesh Hounds (100)
Battalions
Blood Hunt (120)
Blood Legion (120)
Total: 2000 / 2000
Extra Command Points: 2
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 101
-X-X-X-
Allegiance: Ogor Mawtribes
- Mawtribe: Boulderhead
Leaders
Frostlord on Stonehorn (400)
- General
- Command Trait: Lord of Beasts
- Artefact: Brand of the Svard
- Mount Trait: Black Clatterhorn
Huskard on Stonehorn (320)
- Blood Vulture
- Artefact: Alvagr Rune-tokens
- Mount Trait: Frosthoof Bull
Butcher (140)
- Cleaver
- Lore of Gutmagic: Ribcracker
Icebrow Hunter (120)
Battleline
2 x Mournfang Pack (140)
- Gargant Hackers
2 x Mournfang Pack (140)
- Culling Clubs or Prey Hackers with Iron Fists
Stonehorn Beastriders (300)
Units
4 x Ironguts (220)
2 x Frost Sabres (40)
Battalions
Eurlbad (140)
Endless Spells / Terrain / CPs
Balewind Vortex (40)
Total: 2000 / 2000
Extra Command Points: 1
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 95
-X-X-X-
Allegiance: Bonesplitterz
- Warclan: Bonesplitterz
Leaders
Maniak Weirdnob (140)
- Artefact: Glowin' Tattooz
- Lore of the Savage Beast: Gorkamorka's War Cry
Savage Big Boss (90)
Savage Big Boss (90)
Wardokk (80)
- Artefact: Big Wurrgog Mask
- Lore of the Savage Beast: Breath of Gorkamorka
Wurrgog Prophet (160)
- General
- Command Trait: Voice of Da Gods
- Artefact: Dokk Juice
- Lore of the Savage Beast: Brutal Beast Spirits
Battleline
20 x Savage Orruk Arrowboys (240)
10 x Savage Orruk Arrowboys (120)
10 x Savage Orruks (120)
- Chompas
Units
2 x Savage Big Stabbas (100)
2 x Savage Big Stabbas (100)
Behemoths
Rogue Idol (420)
Battalions
Kunnin' Rukk (140)
Teef Rukk (140)
Endless Spells / Terrain / CPs
Extra Command Point (50)
Total: 1990 / 2000
Extra Command Points: 3
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 142
-X-X-X-
To give you as much info as possible to help you make your decision the tournament matches are as follows:
1st Round = Shifting Objective (GH2020)
- Bonesplitterz vs. Mawtribes
- Fyreslayers vs. Khorne
2nd Round = Scorched Earth
- Bonesplitterz vs. Fyreslayers
- Mawtribes vs. Khorne
Round 3 = Focal Points
- Bonesplitterz vs. Khorne
- Fyreslayers vs. Mawtribes
and again, once we've completed the first round robin we will play through the same matches with the players switching lists.
What else? All players have now played in multiple Zoom tournaments and thus have adapted as well as possible to the conditions. Oh yeah, due to set up we are playing on a 48"x58" map. We do our best to scale appropriately (e.g. in Shifting Objectives the side objectives are 9.5" from the edge as opposed to the usual 12"). We do have a decent amount of terrain on table but don't go all out giving each terrain piece a characteristic because this just proved too difficult for the people zooming in to keep track of.
I think that is it. I'll try to answer any questions below.
And please let me know why you made your choice. I am very curious to learn what other players think.
6 Comments
Recommended Comments