The LoneWolf Tournament of Texas, formerly one of the largest Warhammer Fantasy GTs in Texas, has continued its rich history of epic competition and top-caliber players in the Kings of War era. Since the shift to Kings of War in 2016, Lonewolf has grown to be among the largest competitive Kings of War events in the world. The upcoming tournament will be held on April 20-21, 2024.
As we approach the event, let’s take a closer look at the overall field. I’ve parsed the lists Tom Annis pulled together via the typical Python script. As always, note that there are likely a handful of errors throughout, so as you spot them, please let me know so I can fix them. Also, non-standard lists (using the print to pdf or jpg versions of the list builder) are non-parsable and are included. If you'd like to see the lists, you can check them out here (courtesy of the Spymaster).
Here's the full report:
Quick Data Analytics Observations
- The 2023 US Masters averaged 14.3 units and 24.1 unit strength. Lonewolf 24, on the other hand, comes in at 13.9 units but 24.7 unit strength. Is this primarily a result of the buff to titan unit strength? Or a shift away from MMU-style lists to something marginally more horde heavy?
- While the average list took 57.4 points of magic items, there were significant swings, with the standard deviation at 35.0 pts. We have everything from Brian Ching’s Abyssal Dwarfs at 135 points to Ethan Allen’s Halflings taking zero. Most tournaments don’t have such large swings, though in fairness that may reflect that this is an open and not an invitational.
- As is often the case, the top three magic items are Sir Jesse's Boots of Striding (21), Brew of Sharpness (12), and Conjurer's Staff (12). A total of 43 separate magic items were taken with an HHI of 423, the exact same number as the Aussie CoK 24.
- We continue to get solid representation, with 20 separate factions taken, led by Empire of Dust (6), Nightstalkers (5), and Abyssal Dwarfs (5) (maybe my favorable review of the Abyssal Dwarfs was correct in seeing a trend?).
Lists to Watch
There are lots of interesting lists in the field. Three to watch:
1. Tom Robinson - Northern Alliance:
Tom Robinson, arguably the best player in the world, is fielding a well-rounded Northern Alliance list. With a B grade in objective, movement, defense, and offense, his army is poised to compete effectively in every phase of the game. The list features 16 drops (23 US), of which 14 (!) are scoring and 7 are nimble. He brings good ranged output (78 attacks) with avg damage output of 61.3. In other words, it’s a solid list that will compete in all areas, has good mobility, and will allow Tom to be Tom in the movement phase.
2. Dustin Howard - Ogres:
Dustin Howard, known for his strong performances with the Empire of Dust, has switched gears to lead an Ogres army. His list boasts a B grade in objective, defense, and offense, making it a solid and competitive choice. With 14 units (all scoring!), including 6 nimble units and an average defense of 4.6, Dustin's Ogres are sure to be resilient on the battlefield. He packs a lot of heal and inspiring, which should make this an army that can take a punch and punch back. The army also features a good mix of unit roles, with 4 buffer units, 3 shock units, and 3 chaff units, allowing for adaptable tactics. You can never really bet against him.
3. Devlin Smith - Empire of Dust:
Devlin Smith's Empire of Dust list is another one to watch closely. With a unit strength of 25 and a B+ grade in both movement and defense, his army is built to withstand the rigors of battle--as you would expect with EoD. He list boasts 21 pips of healing and 10 units with Lifeleech, making it exceptionally resilient. However, piloting this army effectively requires a great deal of finesse. If he can lock opponents down and grind, he’ll do well, but it’s tricky with so many shambling options to maintain the pace of play.
Conclusion
As the LoneWolf Tournament of Texas draws closer, players and spectators alike can look forward to intense battles and strategic decision-making. Will Tom Robinson's Northern Alliance dominate the field? Can Dustin Howard's Ogres prove their worth? Or will Devlin Smith's finesse with the Empire of Dust lead him to victory? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure: the competition will be fierce, and the battles will be epic.
Stay tuned for more updates, and don't forget to check out the tournament lists linked above to dive deeper into the data and analyze the factions for yourself. Good luck at the LoneWolf Tournament of Texas!
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