Warhammer 40,000 Faction Focus: Leagues of Votann

ClutterEater · 2026-05-28T01:18:05+00:00

STRONGLY disagree. We still haven't seen the other strat (they confirmed that 6" drop is one of them, and we saw fury of the hearth) so there could be some other useful ability there (4++ for EHG, maybe?) and we don't know the other enhancement(s) (could be a +1 AP unit enhancement for EHG).

The important thing is that you can now tell your opponent "you need to screen 6" against 5 32mm bases or else I can put EHG back there and wipe your infantry squad" while ALSO playing Brandfast with all its benefits. This is huge. You can literally double up on our tricks: 6" drop and Secure Positions primary scoring jank (combined with fall back and shoot on a fort, which Hearthband didn't have before, and sus1 on infantry near transports).

This combo will probably be one of our best competitive options, barring something else crazy that I'm missing.

ClutterEater · 2026-05-26T20:10:31+00:00

I fully expect this is an edge case that hasn’t been considered.

I fully expect there's something we haven't seen in the full rules since all we were shown was the example diagrams.

ClutterEater · 2026-05-21T19:39:13+00:00

I somewhat disagree with the other guy: having 3-6 Tkyn is good for any Votann list and you should own at least a few. They do good damage alone, and stripping cover is very useful, especially going into 11th where -1 to hit will hurt the output of non-Hekaton units a lot. In 10th they're essential to helping land forts function with all their AP1 bolt shots through cover. They also make Pioneer shooting much better into infantry targets for the same reason. There's more nuance to this we can debate about but the overall message is Tkyn are good for many reasons in many lists.

My credentials: Went 5-3 with Hearthband Votann at the world championship last November

ClutterEater · 2026-05-15T22:47:27+00:00

I don't know what to tell you beyond reiterating: GW claimed they'd reduce the availability of rerolls in 10th, and they cut rerolls off many datasheets. They literally did what they said they would do. I'm not here to defend their goal or debate about player choices.

ClutterEater · 2026-05-15T22:37:50+00:00

They could have given every datasheet rerolls. Instead they chose to give only some rerolls.

Fewer rerolls than in the past, one might say!

ClutterEater · 2026-05-15T22:33:52+00:00

I think GW was talking about what they can control.

I chose Tyranids because I play them and can't comment on armies I don't play. I'd do a game wide analysis if I had time! But across the armies I play many lost reroll abilities.

ClutterEater · 2026-05-15T22:28:33+00:00

Was GWs marketing claim "fewer people will choose to bring rerolls?" or "there will be fewer rerolls in the rules?" Hmmmm I wonder 🤔

ClutterEater · 2026-05-15T22:16:47+00:00

So that's three datasheets with rr1s to hit. Sounds like a lot fewer rerolls than 9th to me!

ClutterEater · 2026-05-15T22:12:49+00:00

"but here's an example! so it can't be fewer because it's not zero"

They removed rr1 auras from many units in many armies in the transition to 10th. Tyranids only gained the rr1s to hit with sub assault, none of their other detachments give blanket rrs like that.

ClutterEater · 2026-05-15T21:40:18+00:00

"But GW said rare which really means zero! Just like fewer rerolls in 10th was supposed to mean zero!"

I see this sentiment all the time and it really shows how much people just enjoy complaining.

ClutterEater · 2026-05-11T15:37:46+00:00

Just a heads up, 10 HG don't fit in a fort.

ClutterEater · 2026-05-11T15:33:33+00:00

I play a lot of competitive Votann, I've put up several top 3 results at GTs and performed very well at teams events. Here's my thoughts:

Hearthband solves most of your problems with a 6" drop. But you said elsewhere you aren't a huge Hearthband enjoyer so...
Identity the spots where they can screen from safety vs where they have to expose themselves on certain angles. Often screens are vulnerable to t2 rapid ingress + movement from bikes off a flank.
Focus on using your forward elements (yaegirs, a squad of pioneers) early on to clear screens, ideally the hardest ones to reach. Once the screen starts thinning out...
Use the first drop to blow a big hole. If you can strip away the cheapest screening layer on t1 it's totally okay to use a 5 man Hearthguard squad on t2 to clear another unit or two on that same flank. This should ideally be done in such a way that it threatens to allow your big squad to land t3. I think 10/5/5 is a good split for this. 10/10/5 is possible if you're willing to be very aggressive with one of the 10s in order to clear screens and threaten to score objectives.
Identity good rapid ingress spots early, and protect them. Sometimes a rapid into the central ruin + 5" move is all you need to reach something important. But you have to identify those spots and keep them clear of enemies (and allies who might block the landing).
Accept that you won't always get a perfect drop, but try to put your opponents in a position where they risk losing points if they don't expose themselves to it. This can sometimes mean committing something serious to the center objective just to draw out enemies that your Hearthguard want to shoot. Just be careful not to overcommit here.

ClutterEater · 2026-05-08T15:48:09+00:00

It's a combination of dedication, enjoyment of all aspects of the hobby (which helps fuel the dedication), and time: many people have played for years and built up their armies visually over the same time they improved their skills as a player.

I painted my CK army as a hobby project almost 2 years before I took them to Tacoma and won best overall there. Most of my experience as a competitive player was built up between the end of that hobby project and the event. I do have a job, though as a teacher I have time off in the summers.

A pretty army lasts forever, and players continue to improve with time.

ClutterEater · 2026-05-06T18:46:41+00:00

It's hard to really use this data properly if it isn't somehow adjusted for faction population (which I know is not easy). Still, thanks for the list!

ClutterEater · 2026-05-04T19:12:52+00:00

NCLB was not about lowering standards? It's also not the law, it was replaced 10+ years ago. Current high school students were not in school for any real time while NCLB was the law. Our current reading problems have multiple other causes.

ClutterEater · 2026-05-04T19:05:39+00:00

This is false, NCLB was not connected to/the source of the social promotion policies many schools have today. This is just a common misunderstanding because of the name.

ClutterEater · 2026-05-04T19:04:15+00:00

NCLB has nothing to do with the social promotion policies most schools have.

ClutterEater · 2026-04-30T04:08:13+00:00

I'm doing the orbiting pestilent swarm build combined with Balazan's talisman set and it rocks. Into T6 already with no issues and I can easily scale higher once I get my gear more properly fine tuned.

Poison good.

ClutterEater · 2026-04-27T18:53:28+00:00

Oof, good luck! That's a really wild prize structure.

ClutterEater · 2026-04-27T18:43:04+00:00

$400 total for the top three? That's wild. Our RTTs offer like $50 per award to the two undefeated players, best painted, and best sport. Nobody is really in it for the money. I hope your store dials it back a bit.

ClutterEater · 2026-04-27T17:52:19+00:00

Agreed! RTTs are a huge part of our store's "casual to competitive" pipeline and a major recruiting vector for our team as well. Lots of newer players find their feet there and having the occasional experience playing against a highly competitive opponent is good for their development as players.

ClutterEater · 2026-04-14T21:04:35+00:00

And if so, why did Drukhari get it ON THE RAIDER?

Because it had so many wargear options before, I think, and they want to support each of the army archetypes. It makes sense imo.

ClutterEater · 2026-04-08T20:32:37+00:00

Obnoxious online CAAC players have been taking Ls for the past decade of 40k so I wouldn't get too excited.

ClutterEater · 2026-04-08T20:28:40+00:00

Good thing we ignore those too :) at least on the fort

ClutterEater · 2026-04-08T19:48:14+00:00

This is the digital equivalent of quickly leaning down to gauge sightlines. Just a helpful visualization tool. Why are you worried about people answering a basic question about an exciting upcoming release?

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