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.

With the Idoneth book out long enough to be GT worthy and the KO and Blades of Khorne Books not too far behind we’re bound to see some shake ups very soon.

Smaller week this time. Only one event, but it is of decent size, a GT in Belfast Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland Grand Tournament

This 45-player, 5-round Grand Tournament was held in Belfast, Northern Ireland on August 1st 2025. All the lists for this event can be found in Malarki.

The Showdown

Mission – Noxious Nexus

Geir Vedeld – Idoneth Deepkin
Army List - Click to Expand

vs.

Knut Vedeld – Sylvaneth
Army List - Click to Expand

Thoughts

Both of these are charging armies so a lot of it is going to depend on who can get the right timing down. There are a lot of things working in the Idoneth’s favor however. Namely that all the shooting attacks that can allow them to wait until the proper time to strike rather than be baited into the Sylvaneth trap. They’re anti Monster too, and there’s some Juicy monster options in this list.

Now, granted, Sylvaneth get a lot of obscuring and this season is heavy on the obscuring terrain already, so they do have options to hide to some degree but the very high Fly speed on Allopexes means charging remains very much on the table. The Kurnoth Hunters do pose a challenge for charging, but thanks to the recursion from the battle formation it’s likely the Sylvaneth will run out before the sharks do.

Result

Idoneth Deepkin Victory 68 – 37

Geir Vedeld – Idoneth Deepkin – 1st Place

The List

See Showdown

Archetype

Allopexes

Thoughts

I mean, let’s just state the obvioux here: Allopexes are straight up good. 12″ Flying move,  a very gnarly shooting attack from 18″ away (and shooting attacks from multiple units got a lot better with the changes to AoD) and once they get into combat they are crazy strong with their mounts getting 3 Rend 2 Damage 2 attacks a piece.

Everything else in this list works in the service of making them even stronger. The Eidolon is a 2 cast wizard with a warscroll spell that reduces saves by 1 on three units in combat, and also carries an artefact that heals D3 wounds on every cavalry unit within 3″ of it. Quite handy. The new Oracle character also gives +1 attack to three units companion weapons which alleviates some of the pain of a 4+ to hit.

And if you lose any? The new Scourge of Ghyran battle formation has got you covered, drop a CP and it comes right back at the end of the round.

Solomon Morrow – Nighthaunt – 2nd Place (Undefeated)

The List

Solomon Morrow – Nighthaunt
Army List - Click to Expand

Archetype

Nighthaunt Good Stuff

Thoughts

Nighthaunt lists have gradually gotten more creative as time has gone on, which is great to see. Kurdross leads the army as a gnarly beat stick, backed up by Spirit Hosts to boost his Ward save. The Lord Executioner joins him both as a fighter and a caddy for enhancements, alongside the primary hammers in the army, the staple Dreadscythe Harridans and Mymourn Banshees.

Reikenor supports the army as the best caster in the book, and Awlrach helps teleport units around. Pyrgheists can offer some shooting power which also reducing control of the enemy. Finally the ever powerful Black Coach is both quite strong in combat and a strong buff machine for the army.

The Best of the Rest

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

• 3rd – Colin Cochrane – Daughters of Khaine: Krethusa and Aelf Infantry.
• 4th – David McCarthy – Disciples of Tzeentch: Kairos with a Cavalcade of Daemons, plus a smattering with the SoG Ogroid and some Jade Obelisk cultists.
• 5th – Jonnie Kelly – Kruleboyz: A grab bag of most of the book, lead by a Killa-boss on Vulcha with lots of Monsta Killaz and Hobgrots.
• 6th – Arnaud Bouchaud – Ogor Mawtribes: Frostlord on Stonehorn with 5 Huskards on stonehorns (and 1 unit of gnoblars).
• 7th – Knut Vedeld – Sylvaneth: See Showdown.
• 8th – Tony Hutchings – Kruleboyz: Another “grab bag” list with more of the smaller monsters in the army.

Final Thoughts

Thanks again and see you next week!

Have any questions or feedback? Drop us a note in the comments below or email us at contact@goonhammer.com. Want articles like this linked in your inbox every Monday morning? Sign up for our newsletter. And don’t forget that you can support us on Patreon for backer rewards like early video content, Administratum access, an ad-free experience on our website and more.