Event Overview: The Golden Sprue Cup

On the windswept tundra of upstate New York the Golden Sprue GT just wrapped up the weekend of the 13th. Let’s look at the aftermath of this event, and discuss the results of what the national field might look like in coming months as LVO approaches!

Hey guys, BigVik here after a riveting weekend at the Golden Sprue GT in Upstate NY. The event was run by Adam Fasboldt, one of the hosts on the Masters of the Forge podcast, also known as Loopy on the Independent Characters Forum. Aside from seemingly being the Godfather of the upstate meta, he runs some very fun events in the Albany area.

Let’s start by talking about the American Legion where this event was held. Melvin Roads American Legion might be the poster child for a location ideal for small to medium GTs. The venue is cheap, clean, well managed, has a full bar, and a full menu of bar style food (try the reuben, it’s great!). Furthermore the location had table side service with a semi-dedicated waitress/bartender who ensured no-one wanted for food or drink, and even had breakfast sandwiches and coffee ready both days for hangover nursing gamers. If it doesn’t show, I love this place. Oh and my last point on the location, $2.50 draft beers, and the bar opened at 11 am, nuff said.

The event used the ITC missions packet with some table by table house rules to ensure the terrain remained fair for competitive play. I like the champions packet and think it is a great mix of previous competitive mission packets in the attempt to create something that is fair to all players. This packet shows an attempt to ensure skill is moving more to the table as opposed to the list building phase as it has been for a very long time in 40k. Adam went linearly through the packet throughout the weekend.

After the 5th round the top eight decided to end the event as some had to leave and would have to otherwise drop. This allowed the tournament to end at a reasonable time on Sunday and ensured everyone could get home before the weather got too bad, as is often the case in sunny Albany New York.
Enough with my musings about the event, now onto what you’re reading this article for… THE LISTS

Now keep in mind, this event happened as the Daemons codex came out, so the new codex was not in effect for the GT.

The #1 list!

(Portrait of Jared, curtesy of  fantasy mirrors inc.)

Jared Friedman – Golden Sprue 2018
“YO DAWG I HAVE NO IDEA WTF IM DOING ANYMORE.”
[2000/2000 Points, 9 Command Points]
Battalion – (Thousand Sons, World Eaters, Chaos Daemons, Renegade and Heretics)
HQ
Ahriman
Renegade Commander w/Brutal Assault weapon, Shotgun
TROOPS
10x Pair of Brimstone Horrors
10x Pair of Brimstone Horrors
10x Pair of Brimstone Horrors
Khorne Berzerkers: 7x Chainsword and Chainaxe, 1x Chainsword and Power Sword
DEDICATED TRANSPORT
Chaos Rhino: 2x Combi-bolter, Mark of Khorne
Battalion – (Alpha Legion)
HQ
Daemon Prince with Wings: Intoxicating Elixir, 2x Malefic talon, Warp bolter, Mark of Slaanesh
Sorcerer: Combi-bolter, Force sword, Mark of Nurgle
TROOPS
10x Chaos Cultist w/ Autogun, Mark of Tzeentch
10x Chaos Cultist w/ Autogun, Mark of Tzeentch
10x Chaos Cultist w/ Autogun, Mark of Tzeentch
HEAVY SUPPORT
Obliterators [10 PL, 195pts]: Mark of Slaanesh
Hellforged Scorpius [12 PL, 219pts]: 2x Combi-bolter, Scorpius multi-launcher, Mark of Nurgle
FLYER
Chaos Fire Raptor Assault Gunship: 2x Quad heavy bolter, 2x Twin Lascannon, Avenger Bolt Cannon, Mark of Slaanesh
Chaos Fire Raptor Assault Gunship: 2x Quad heavy bolter, 2x Twin Lascannon, Avenger Bolt Cannon, Mark of Slaanesh

How It Played
I messaged Friedman and asked him about his list, as I’m a Guard player and even after seeing him play the list was a tad behind on how everything worked.

This list used the Brimstones to line up on the deployment and keep deepstrikers off the meat of the list. The Alpha Legion cultists were used to hide out of line of sight, or infiltrate if there is a way in the opponent’s list to push the deep strikes back, or to keep threats off of the Raptors during the first turn or two.The World Eaters allow for a psychic denial stratagem to stop powers like warptime on Magnus, or the like.

How Might The List Change?
Friedman went on to say that this list would change quite a bit before I went to the LVO, as the brimstones has lost much of their points efficiency. He also said that the increased amount of line of sight blocking terrain means that flyers would be forced further out onto the board, and potentially making them a liability from a sturdiness perspective.

I really liked this list, it’s got everything, but I agree with everything he said about the terrain both at the Golden Sprue and LVO, here’s looking at what Friedman brings to LVO, I would think more oblit.s and Berzerkers could be occurring as they clear units off the table quite well.

#2
Mike Kiser
++ Battalion Detachment +3CP (Imperium – Adeptus Ministorum) ++
+ Fast Attack +
2x. 5x Seraphim w/ 2x Seraphim w/ 2x Inferno Pistols
+ HQ +
Canoness w/ Inferno pistol, Power sword
Celestine
+ Troops+
3x 7 Battle Sisters w/ Storm bolter, Sister Superior w/ Bolt pistol, Storm bolter
+ Dedicated Transport +
Sororitas Rhino w/ Storm bolter
+ Heavy Support +
2x Retributor Squad w/ 4 sisters, 4 Heavy Bolters, Retributor Superior w/ Bolt pistol, Boltgun
++ Spearhead Detachment +1CP (Imperium – Space Marines, Salamanders) ++
+ HQ +
Captain w/ Jump Pack, Storm bolter, Thunder hammer
+ Heavy Support +
Min Devastator Squad w/ Heavy bolter, Missile Launcher, 2 Lascannons, Sergeant w/ Boltgun
3 Predators w/ Predator autocannon, Two Lascannons
++ Vanguard Detachment +1CP (Imperium – Inquisition) ++
+ HQ +
Inquisitor w/ Bolt pistol, Force stave, Psyker
Primaris Psyker w/ laspistol, Force Stave
+ Elites +
8 Arco-Flagellants
Imagifier
Ministorum Priest w/ Laspistol, Power maul

How It Played
This list pretty much looks like Sisters for objective grabbing and deep strike push back. This is supported by the Inquisition Vanguard detachment handing out psychic, prayer, and priest buffs. Finally we look at the Spearhead Detachment for the long ranged support with Predators and devastators with support from a Captain.

The Space Marines definitely shore up the primary weakness of Sisters, which is reliable long ranged anti-tank. Between 3 Predators using Kill Shot for +1 to hit and wound with everything, and the captain giving re-rolls 1’s to hit means this list is definitely not too scared of a massive gun line like sisters can sometimes be.

How It Might Change
I don’t see too much of this list changing in the coming months, barring a codex release that outshines the Space Marine inclusions. This really is a good list that can take out a fair number of dudes, and can potentially alpha quite well if it goes first.

#3
DAVID KOSZKA – AM BATTALION – MILITARUM TEMPESTUS
HQ
Tempestor Prime w/ command rod, Kurov’s Aquila, Warlord
Tempestor Prime w/ command rod
ELITE
2 Scion command squads each w/ 4 plasma guns
TROOPS
3x 5 Scions w/ x2 melta guns, bolt pistol
IMPERIUM VANGUARD HQ
• Inquisitor Greyfax
ELITES
Eversor Assassin
Celuxsis Assassin
Callidus Assassin
Vindicare Assassin
ADMECH SPEARHEAD – STYGIES HQ
Tech Priest enginseer w/ servo arm, las pistol
Elites
10 Fulgurite Priests w/ lifeleech staves
10 Corpuscarii Priests w/ electrostatic gauntlets
TROOPS
10 Rangers w/ galvanic rifles, omnispex
FAST ATTACK
4 Dragoons w/ taser lances
HEAVY SUPPORT
2 Dunecrawlers each w/ icarus array
Dunecrawler w/ eradication beamer
TOTAL: 2000

HOW IT PLAYED
This list is a deep strike alpha strike, with the mechanicus as an anchor for the scions and assassin drop ins. CP’s regenerate all over the place with the prime having the relic and warlord trait to let those CP’s get recycled several times.

This list thus has two primary packages, the Mechanicus which seem to be meant to take up board space to keep potential deep strikers away. The Dune crawlers love seeing big flyers like Magnus, Morty, or Storm Raptors as the shear number of shots can ensure whatever it is, it’s not still on the table after concentrated fire (Magnus will need more work than that, but you get what I mean).

I never saw any of David’s games, and would love to have seen his turns 2-3 to see how he used his assassins, but that aside this looks like a very all around list that can accomplish any number of things as needed based on the mission and the match up. This is definitely one of the most unique lists I’ve seen from the Golden Sprue.

How it might change
Again I don’t see this list changing much as time moves foreward, as the Tempestus have already been nerfed points wise, and Mechanicus aren’t perceived as a particularly over powerful army.

Final Reflections
All in all the Golden Sprue GT was a great event, and I definitely plan on attending next year. I won 2 and lost 3 over the weekend which is my worst showing at a GT in years, having gone second every game, and chosen my table side in only 2 games.

Going first is still a massive boon, making small drop armies potentially still very good in the meta. Combining that with the high requirements for line of sight blocking terrain, and ITC missions seem to highly encourage max deep strike armies which can’t be alpha struck off the table, or an army that gives out debuffs to hit, like Altaitoc, Raven Guard, or Alpha Legion.

That all being said I do feel that the ITC Champions missions are still a very good direction for the game, as well as the feeling that 8th Ed is very much one of the most fair editions of the game as I saw a large variety of armies, including some crazy dude fielding Dark Eldar, he even won a couple games!
Crazy times we live in, well that’s it for me, What do you guys think of the Champions Missions, and how is terrain where you guys play? Tell me in the comments!