This week on the Sister Act Podcast, great show btw, Mitch and Scott the hosts asked me a great question:
“How do you consistently perform well with off-meta lists?”
My reply?
“When you’re the Cristiano Ronaldo of Warhammer 40K, you can pick whatever army you like!”
Okay, that was a joke. But in all seriousness, I do have huge admiration for Ronaldo. He’s the epitome of hard work, and that’s something I relate to. I’ve never considered myself particularly gifted, but I’ve learned that hard work can take you further than talent alone ever could.
At school, I was a dyslexic kid, scraping by with average grades, far from being naturally academic. In sports, I made the GB training team for volleyball at 5’10″—while my teammates towered over me at 6’10”. In bodybuilding, I was 22 pounds lighter than everyone else in my class. Even in fashion modelling, I was shorter than most of the guys. The odds were never in my favour.
So why share this? Because these experiences taught me a valuable lesson: If you want to succeed, you either cheat or outwork everyone else. Spoiler: I chose hard work.
That leads me to my point: cheating in Warhammer is lazy. It’s a shortcut for those who tie their entire identity to being “good” at the game, rather than learning, growing, and truly mastering it.
There’s little to gain from winning a Warhammer GT, beyond a golden-coloured piece of paper. The real reward is the satisfaction of playing well and improving game after game.
How This Relates to My GT-Winning List
Now, let’s get to the main reason you’re reading this: How I developed my GT-winning list. Here’s the thing: it’s all about understanding the game’s core rules and making sure your army allows you to play the game to the fullest.
This particular detachment I used allowed me to utilise my understanding of Warhammer 40K’s core rules. I live and breathe this game, constantly coaching, playing, and teaching, which helps me master each phase and interaction.
It’s not just about what army you bring; it’s about knowing how to apply your knowledge. My list gives me the flexibility to adapt to any situation. I can play aggressively or reactively depending on the battlefield. That’s key.
Sisters are a strong faction and have some awesome units, and while most people play Bringers of Flame, the play style didn’t suit me.
So when we had the team event in Texas, The Champions Cup by FLG approaching, the team wanted me to take the strangest army I could and on paper that is Bringers of Flame but I didn’t want to travel all that distance and not love the play stye of the army. Which is why I took Army of Faith to Leeds GT and got 3rd, Cardiff GT and got 1st and a smaller local GT and came 1st.
I needed to prove to myself and the team I could take Army of Faith and I wouldn’t be letting the team down.
Step-by-Step: Building My List
Here’s how I crafted my list:
1. Start with your favourite models. For me, it was Morvenn Vahl and Paragon Warsuits. Find something you enjoy playing—it’s more fun, and you’ll put in more effort.
2. Build around battlefield roles (BRs). Every army needs to cover several key roles:
* Mission playing
* Objective holding
* Mission and objective denial
* Ranged and melee damage dealing
* Force multipliers
3. Categorise your units. I group my units into three categories:
* Those that benefit from the army’s core rule or detachment ability.
* Those that maximise the detachment’s stratagems.
* Those that work independently of the army’s rule.
This approach ensures you’re not overly reliant on any one aspect of your army, and that you have options when your strategy needs to pivot.
4. Refine through practise. This is where the magic happens. Like Ronaldo putting in endless hours on the pitch, you have to test your list over and over. After every game, I evaluate the performance of each unit, considering:
* Their likelihood of achieving battlefield roles.
* Points cost.
* The specific missions.
* Terrain layout.
* Predicted opposition (the current meta).
I make adjustments based on my performance, continually refining until I have the most effective list possible. The goal isn’t perfection but to ensure I can handle most situations well—because in Warhammer, no list is perfect.
With this process, I can pick up almost any army and perform well. I prefer combat-focused factions so any time I can have a list focus on that aspect of the game I am going to enjoy my list.
Want to Build Your Own Winning Lists From Your Model Collection? Join the Vanguard Tactics Academy!
In the Vanguard Tactics Academy, we’ll take you step by step through the core fundamentals of Warhammer 40K. You’ll gain mastery over the game’s mechanics, learn how to write balanced and effective army lists, and—most importantly—you’ll learn how to improve your game ethically.
Our next Academy intake starts on October 21st, and we run a 16-week online course via Discord. You’ll join a community of players dedicated to becoming great opponents and mastering the game, not just winning.
Enrolment for the Academy opens at 12:00 midday on 1st October.
Join the largest community of players who focus on improvement, growth and sportsmanship.
