2023 World Championships AoS Player Profile: Gavin Grigar

The first ever World Championships of Warhammer are this week and we couldn’t be more excited. As part of our event coverage, we’re interviewing competitors from around the world about how they secured an invite, their plans for the event, and what they’re hoping to accomplish.

Competitor Profile

Player name: Gavin Grigar
Age: 30
Country of Origin: USA
Where you won your ticket: Old Town Throwdown

Let’s start with the basics. What army are you bringing to the World Championships, and why did you choose them?

Blades of Khorne. It’s hard to find a more well rounded army in the game than Khorne and I think generally speaking toolbox diversity greatly increases your chances of having success in a GT format.

Gavin's List - Click to Expand

Run us through your list a little bit. What made you choose this list, and why do you enjoy playing it?

Tools and toughness in spades. I really enjoy armies that allow you to work through problems on the board, and on the flip side this army can create some really complex problems for your opponent to solve as well.

What does the list do well against? What match-ups are you hoping to avoid?

The problem with well rounded armies is that while they don’t have any really bad matchups, they don’t have any really good ones either, so my margin for error is generally much lower than a skewed list. Armies with priests are also tricky to play against because they can interact with the Khorne judgements.

Are there any battleplans that you’re hoping to avoid? Why?

Missions where wizards affect the core scoring mechanics are generally difficult for Khorne to play because they can’t bring locus units.

The World Championships of Warhammer isn’t the largest event ever, but it’s certainly the first of its kind. What was your road getting to the event like? Was it something you were aiming for?

I’ve never really been a long-term goal guy; One tournament at a time, one game at a time, one decision at a time. That being said it’s really cool to see the evolution of GW’s Open series and I’m extremely excited and honored to participate.

How does it feel to be going to the event? Are you nervous? Excited? How does it compare to LVO?

I’m really excited to be around a bunch of people I consider really good friends, and coincidently I think that helps negate any nervousness. The invitational element to the tournament results in tangible differences, but at the end of the day we are still just playing AoS.

How do you feel about the event’s unique country-based scoring? Does it add excitement to later rounds for you?

I’ve never really needed extra incentive to get excited to play Warhammer but it’s a cool idea.

How do you expect the competition to be different from other events? Is there anything you’re doing differently to prepare?

Everyone there is primarily invested in performing well, so the competition should be better. Nothing different, it’s still just AoS.

How do you expect you’ll do at the event? What’s a “good event” look like for you, record-wise?

No expectations other than a bunch of really fun and competitive games.

How do you feel about competitive play in this GHB season? How does the meta feel to you right now?

Maybe the most open ended it’s ever been. It reminds me a lot of the initial 3rd edition release in a good way.

You’re currently still in the hunt for the ITC crown this year, and this event could replace one of your scores. How does that factor into your plans?

It doesn’t.

Thanks again for taking the time to answer our questions. Good luck at the event!

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