Warband Tiers

Can You Roll a Crit discusses crit-less tiers.

Today on Can You Roll a Crit I’ll be talking about tiers. Last year I covered crits so it’s time to shake it up. Warband tiers are like onions, they’ll make you cry. This has been a thoroughly requested subject so I’ve given it much thought and used lots of scientifically unbiased (maybe) investigations. After an hour’s long hard work I’ve finally come to my official conclusion. Read on and find where your warband places!

---

Garek’s Reavers are a core warband and easily the best warband in the game. Time to break down why:

• 5 fighters gives you lots of options
• Inspired by having 3 fighters out of action, kill or be killed to become Khorgeous.
• 4 movement going to 5 makes them really fast!
• Saek is 3 damage then gets cleave when inspired. Sucks to be blocks.
• Karsus has a ranged attack
• Arnulf does extra damage on a crit baby.
• Garek has a beard

They’re fast, score immediately for doing 3 charges and attacks plus score objectives for dying! Are you bad at this game? Then Garek’s Reavers will make you amazing!

Steelheart’s Champions are the real best warband. It’s simple to see:

• 3 fighters means you bleed less glory.
• Sevrin and Obryn do 3 damage each!
• Brightshield has 3 smash with 2 damage!
• Inspire upon rolling a block or crit to defend, easy as you’ll be attacked a lot.
• Obryn gains cleave and knockback, what a beast.
• Steelheart gains a multi-swing attack upon inspiring, what a beast.
• Brightshield gets a parry attack against failed enemy attacks, what a beast-ess.

If you want a tough warband that rewards you for sitting back and drawing cards killing all foes next to you so no one is left alive, then this is the warband for you. They kill well, get rewarded for it and are a tough trio to take down. You’ll be undefeated with the warriors of Sigmar.

Sepulchral Guard are really the most bestest warband in the game. It’s easy to miss why:

• 7 fighters means you have so much choice in what to do.
• The warden has a spear that gets better when inspired. 3 smash, 3 damage, range 2 baby.
• Inspire by resurrecting 2 or more fighters. Yes your fighters have to die to inspire but that’s fine.
• The Warden can move 2 to 3 fighters at once.
• Home field advantage. You were born in Shadespire, moulded by it. You didn’t see Shadeglass until you were already a skeleton! Chase out those pesky invaders.
• Keep bringing back fighters and wear down your opponent as they keep trying to kill them. Make them so depressed over the amount of bones they smash so that the quit.
• The Champion’s sword will always break so you have realistic battle damage.
• Get to say “It’s high noon” every time you charge a group of enemies with the Harvester.
• Won the world’s first Grand Clash on the day they came out.

Sepulchral Guard are a challenging but fun warband. You’ll die and you’ll die a lot yet it’s fine as you’re already dead (on the inside)! Wear your foes down until they’re nought but dust while you stand triumphantly on objectives.

Ironskull’s Boyz are truly da strongest of dem all. All you whimpy boyz iz about to find out why:

• Dere’s 4 of ’em.
• DERE’S 4 OF ‘EM.
• All them be tanky ladz with 4 wound. Ironskull, da glorious boss haz 5 wounds!
• Inspire by takin’ damage. Really easy gitz. Go fight or run into dem lethal hexes.
• Gurzag haz 3 damage and re-rolls 1 dice with his choppas when inspired.
• GURZAG ROLLS SMASHES WITH HIS CHOPPA BLADES
• Bonekutta has a big axe
• Hakka and Basha are gud friendz
• WAAAGH!!!
• DERE’S 4 OF ‘EM!

Real fighty boyz know dat Orruks are da whey forward. Smash yer enemiez, hear da lamen- laymen- leeman- CRIEZ OF YER SCRAWNY FOES. Do 3 chargez for sum glory. Kill stuff. Show dem how brutally kunnin’ and kunninly brutal yer really are.

The Chosen Axes are the chosen stars of this tier list. Dominate your foes through these simple steps:

• There’s 4 of them and they’re kinda naked but just don’t look at them from below.
• Grimnir is the toughest fighter in the game. 4 to 5 wounds when inspired and his has a massive key axe that is 4 damage with cleave. It’s also longer than his body. Guts eat your heart out.
• Tefk has 2 axes! He also goes to 3 damage when inspired.
• Vol has a big axe but not too big, he’s a modest Duardin.
• Mad Maegrim is actually mad, plz be safe.
• Inspire by standing on objectives for an action phase, quite easy really.
• Were so powerful that Earthquake had to be made and released in their own expansion to keep the balance.
• Has Sprinter, a universal upgrade with the best card art in the game.

If want stoic fighters that do a blend of aggro and hold objectives then these Chosen Axes are your dudes. You’re slow but it’s fine due to all the push cards available to you. Nothing’s better than watching Grimnir inspired mow down entire enemy warbands.

Spiteclaw’s Swarm are the topest of tiers. Best warband in the game. Do you see:

• Skritch is the Greatest, Yes-Yes. A faction objective and factually correct too.
• All have movement 5.
• Skritch literally is an amazing fighter. Move 5, range 2, damage 3, 2 dodge, CLEAVE ON CRITS MOST IMPORTANTLY.
• You can’t hide from Skritch
• Has a solid paid best friend who is an amazing bodyguard.
• Comes with an endless legion of Skaven.
• Bring back fighters onto any starting hex, suck it Sepulchral Guard!
• Best inspire mechanic the game. Choose when you want to be inspired and get inspired by your opponent
• The faction with the most Grand Clash wins. Not even joking. Spiteclaw’s Swarm have won FOUR Grand Clashes! I contributed to 2 of those.
• I’m not biased at all

Legitimately, Spiteclaw’s Swarm are the best. Not even joking. Fight me bro. Tactically flexible, fast, strong, pure as the driven snow. Join me in the Skritch Appreciation Society. It’s amazing. Also, no, Earthquake does not inspire the entire warband.

Farstriders are Sigmar’s real chosen fighters. These warriors 3 will dispatch all before them:

• Farstrider has a big bird.
• It has the power of crits.
• Raptor Strike is silly well balanced.
• Shout CA-CAW! every time you fire the bird.
• EAAAAGLE is also acceptable.
• How does Archer’s Focus actually improve your ability for the bird to attack? 🤔
• Oh yeah you have 2 other fighters.
• Inspire by being in enemy territory at the end of an action phase.
• Only get the bird when inspired because he’s sleeping.
• Bird has more range than your guns.
• YOU ALL HAVE GUNS BY THE WAY. PEW PEW.
• Farstrider is movement 4 because he never skipped leg day.

If you like birds then the Farstriders are for you. 3 fighters that are tough, durable and have guns. That fire bolts. Remember that they do have melee weapons by the way. Just try to keep in mind the balance between staying alive and inspiring.

Magore’s Fiends are the true kings of tiers. Khorne will show you the way:

• 4 fighters with 4 wounds which equals 8 OMG SACRED NUMBER OF KHORNE.
• Have a doggo Flesh Hound named Riptooth.
• Magore has cleave and Riptooth gets it on crits!
• Inspire by doing successful attacks. Pretty easy, reliable and consistent.
• Has their own faction inspire card.
• Also have 2 other guys.
• They have names but one has no helmet whereas the other does.
• One can’t be pushed back and the other has Knockack, no really it’s true.
• Have them fight each other for infinite Gorefist loops.
• Go from okay to really fast.
• Really the best melee warband. Totally.

If you like Khorne then these are your boys. 4 fighters that hit hard then hit even harder after having hit really hard. Run at your opponents and tear them apart.

Stormsires Cursebreakers are Sigmar’s true chosen warriors. It’s clear to see why:

• Are unique by being 3 fighters.
• Are all wizards.
• Use Stormsire to blast fighters away with magic.
• MAGIC.
• They all know spells.
• Get rewarded for doing complex actions such as casting a spell and killing an enemy fighter with the exact number of damage.
• Spend your first action motivating your warband to Empower themselves.
• Very complex and challenging to play.
• Ammis has 3 smash 3 damage with knockback.
• Rastus has 3 smash 2 damage.
• Might as well always be inspired

Stormsire’s Cursebreakers are truly the most balanced warband in the game. Solid and dependable. There’s not much to go wrong with here. So good that almost every deck is the same.

Thorns of the Briar Queen. They are so the best warband. Don’t be scared, I’ll show you now:

• Has 7 fighters so you have sooooo muchhhh choiceeee.
• The Briar Queen has a big thorny whip. With roses.
• Ghosts > skeletons.
• All get multiple dodge dice upon inspiring.
• Inspire by standing next to enemy fighters at the start of your activation.
• Really easy.
• Varclav is not your leader but is technically better.
• Push all Chainrasps > move 2 to 3 skeletons.
• Suck it, Sepulchral Guard!
• Get to uniquely name the 4 nameless Chainrasps.
• Ignore blocked and lethal hexes because you’re dead like Casper’s franchise.

Thorns of the Briar Queen dominate the game with strong objectives, power cards and upgrades. Sneak around, appear anywhere. Push everything. Yeah there’s a lot of them but you’re spooky scary skeletons ghosts! Just watch out for vengeful Sepulchral Guard players. They bear a grudge. For some reason.

Eyes of the Nine are totally the best warband of them all. Open all your nine eyes to great changer of ways and find out why:

• Easy inspire mechanic of getting a successful range 3 attack off.
• Toned down characteristics to keep the game balanced.
• Vortemis can become damage 4 at range while inspired with only 2 upgrades.
• Has an upgraded ranged attack that hits on channels with cleave.
• K’Charik is your true bird man.
• Can summon a Blue Horror!
• It dies and doesn’t give your opponent glory and turns into a Brimstone horror!
• You also have 2 other fighters.
• As Tzeentch is the master of magic you only have a single wizard capped at level 2.
• So utterly overpowered that not even Jay Clare will use them!

Eyes of the Nine are really good. A little bit difficult to use maybe. Just try to stay alive, use the Blue Horror and have K’Charik kill everything. Simples. Hold objectives for your life. Everyone has ranged 3 attacks so use them to your advantage, even if most of those attacks aren’t very good.

Zarbag’s Gitz honestly are the best knee-stabbers around. Let’s see why:

• 9 fighters, you outnumber everyone and therefore win mathematically.
• Inspire via getting 3 glory.
• Everyone has lots of dodges.
• Snirk is amazing. Swirl him around and laugh as everyone dies.
• HE HAS 3 DODGE.
• Use Scurry by setting up your entire warband into a single line of 7 fighters to have the move 9 fighters at once because you can.
• Stab everyone in the knees with your height disadvantage.
• You get 2 Squigs.
• They’re amazing when inspired but just accept you’ll never see them inspired BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS DIE FIRST.
• Can throw nets on people.

If you like swarming the opponent then Zarbag’s Gitz are for you. Overwhelm your foe with too many targets to kill so that they just get exhausted from trying to kill you. Also always use Snirk. He’s randomly accurate and hilarious. Plus he has 3 dodge. Scurry allows them to be very activation efficient as long as you don’t overwhelm yourself.

Godswon Hunt are the chosen of the Chaos pantheon. I’ll show you why they’re the best of all the chosen warbands:

• The only 6 fighter warband. Own that uniqueness over the other posers.
• Garek’s Reavers are just fools.
• Has a literal doggo.
• He’s blind too!
• Grawl for most loyal Underworlds fighter.
• Argue with everyone over how to pronounce their names, remembering to enforce that your pronunciation is the correct one.
• Jaggathra has a single use spear that will always fail when you use it.
• 4 wound fighters are for people who play on easy mode.
• Do you like Conan the Barbarian?
• Inspire via equipping upgrades which is easy as you’ll be rolling in glory.
• Your leader has a damage 3 bird skull staff.
• Use the Oath objective to boldly reveal your plans which the opponent was never going to stop anyway.

Godsworn Hunt are the best warband because they offer a tactically changing outlook on the game. Run in and laugh with superior muscle as you dispatch all your foes. This warband can do whatever you want it to. Just remember to always kill Riptooth with Grawl.

Mollog’s Mob are the best of the best of the best. It’s just sooo obvious:

• You have a Hulk Troggoth.
• It has 7 wounds!
• Inspired Mollog is a walking Time Trap.
• Has the hidden power to make everyone you play against turn into a salty mess.
• Has a lot of tactical depth.
• Remember to always pray to the dice and look after them for they are your true master.
• I’m Batman Squig.
• You like mushrooms.
• The Spiteshroom is a fun guy.
• You have a sentient rock.
• Always ensure that Tome of Offerings is in your first hand.
• Mollog also has a multi-swing attack to deal with his true nemeses: weak 2 wound swarm warbands.
• Longstrider is not a faction specific Objective despite it basically being one.

Mollog is the best because he’s the biggest fighter of them all. Everyone thinks he’s the best and he’s won all the tournaments except Grand Clashes as those don’t count. He even has 3 other fighters to cheer him on as he kills. If everything goes wrong, just blame your dice.

Thundrik’s Profiteers have risen to the top by sheer determination and skill. Duardin engineering proves they’re first:

• They all have real guns.
• One of them has a big metal balloon.
• Are basically pirate midgets.
• One of them has a chain gun dude.
• If you don’t convert Thundrik into a Big Daddy are you even playing the game?
• I just gave you the idea for a converted underwater warband.
• Not even out yet and are already top.
• Laugh at the naked Chosen Axes.
• Drop a Kharadron nuke on the board after achieving 25 glory before the 3rd end phase.
• Calmly say “Boom, headshot.” after every kill.
• DID YOU GET THAT REFERENCE?
• They’re shiny and chrome.

Thundrik’s Profiteers are the best in the game. Shoot your opponents to death with Duardin craftsmanship. Melee is not a necessity, that’s what the Shadeglass weapons are for. How can the enemy reach you when they’re already dead?

Ylthari’s Guardians are supreme. Let the first Sylvaneth warband show you why:

• They’re not puny Aelves but are actually Forest Sprites given form, remember to always remind fans of Aelves this.
• Are all vegan but you’ll never hear the end of it.
• Every game is a reenactment of Princess Mononoke.
• It’s just all pop culture references at this point.
• Your leader is a snake vine lady thing.
• Good luck trying to copy the official colour scheme.
• Are very weak to Duardin warbands.
• You thought the Godsworn Hunt named were hard to say.
• They’re not Aelves.

Ylthari’s Guardians are the best warband due to their mix of fighters while being only 4 which gives you just enough to work with. They also represent life which counters death making them super effective against undead warbands.

Ironsoul’s Condemnors are honestly really the best most powerful warband ever released. Hey! Listen:

• An elite and unique 3 fighter warband.
• The last Stormcast Eternals warband, for real this time.
• What’s a Dreadfane?
• Steelheart proxy players are overjoyed.
• They’re all warrior wizards too.
• Maces > swords.
• Do you like robes?
• Score immediately for moving a fighter.
• Steelheart’s Champions are totally okay with this.

This truly elite warband is the best. Advance with your magical shieldwall and smash apart your foes with magical fury. Show them the power of Sigmar and the Sequitors.

Lady Harrow’s Mournflight are indisputably the most amazing warband of all the tiers. Basically:

• First all female warband.
• 4 ghosts are better than 7.
• They fly through stuff.
• All have daggers.
• Movement 6 with damage 4 and cleave.
• Score immediately objective of just attacking.
• Only 1 dodge to balance the warband.
• All have 5 wounds.
• You don’t stand a ghost of a chance against them.

This warband is strong that it’s not even out yet. Fly through your foes and stab them in the back. They’re fast, ethereal and easy to paint combat monsters. Watch them dominate Dreadfane then the rest of the Mirorred City.

---

There you go. Now you have my comprehensive list of every warband so you can easily figure out which is best. Remember that tier lists aren’t subjective at all and are not dependent on what everyone else is playing locally. This unbiased and scientifically accurate list should help you decide what warband is best to use so you can always roll more crits!

PS: Spiteclaw’s Swarm is the best.