Stormcast 3.0 Tier List (First Impressions)

 Organized my initial thoughts into a tier list. Tiers are ordered as units appear in the pitched battle profiles

S - Easily fit into many lists or defines an entire list, high impact niche

  • Celestar Ballistae
  • Judicators (Bow)
  • Vindictors
  • Gardus Steel Soul
  • Knight-Draconis
  • Knight-Incantor
  • Lord-Imperatant
  • Lord-Relictor
  • Krondys
  • Lord-Celestant (Stardrake)
  • Annihilators (Grandhammers)
  • Protectors
  • Stormdrake Guard
  • Stormstrike Chariot
  • Vanguard-Raptors (Longstrike)

A - Strong units with that you can form a list around

  • Liberators
  • Lord-Arcanum (Dracoline)
  • Lord-Arcanum (Tauralon)
  • Lord-Commander Bastian Carthalos
  • Lord-Ordinator
  • Annihilators
  • Dracothian Guard Fulminators
  • Evocators (Dracolines)
  • Retributors

B - A somewhat specific but still useful niche

  • Judicators (Crossbow)
  • Aventis Firestrike
  • Celestant Prime
  • Lord-Castellant
  • Yndrasta
  • Dracothian Guard Concussors
  • Dracothian Guard Tempestors
  • Evocators
  • Vanguard-Raptors (Hurricane)
  • Vigilors
  • Celestian Vortex

C - Situationally useful niche, could be overcosted

  • Astreia Solbright
  • Stormsire's Cursebreakers
  • Knight-Vexillor (Meteoric)
  • Lord-Arcanum
  • Vandus Hammerhand
  • Karazai
  • Aetherwings
  • Dracothian Guard Desolators
  • Praetors
  • Vanguard-Hunters

D - Significantly flawed, bad niche, maybe useful one day with a points drop

  • Sequitors
  • Knight-Arcanum
  • Knight-Judicator
  • Knight-Relictor
  • Knight-Vexillor (Apotheosis)
  • Knight-Vexillor (Stormbringer)
  • Lord-Arcanum (Gryph-charger)
  • Lord-Celestant (Dracoth)
  • Lord-Exorcist
  • Lord-Veritant
  • Drakesworn Templar
  • Castigators
  • Decimators
  • Prosecutors (Hammers)
  • Prosecutors (Javelins)
  • Vanguard-Palladors
  • Dais Arcanum
  • Everblaze Comet

F - Don't use these

  • Vanquishers
  • Gavriel Sureheart
  • Knight-Azyros
  • Knight-Heraldor
  • Knight-Questor
  • Knight-Venator
  • Knight-Zephyros
  • Lord-Aquilor
  • Lord-Celestant
  • Neave Blacktalon
  • Gryph-Hounds
  • Steelheart's Champions
  • The Farstriders

Totals

  • S Tier - 15 (20%)
  • A Tier - 9 (12%)
  • B Tier - 11 (15%)
  • C Tier - 9 (12%)
  • D Tier - 18 (24%)
  • F Tier - 13 (17%)
Community Q&A:

Q: I'm curious, what is it about the dracoline evocators that cause their rating to be as high as they are in your assessment? I'd like to focus on a list centered around them, but they still seem somewhat subpar. Is it the speed, high volume of attacks and mortal wound potential?

Theyre just a solid hammer unit. Fast, re-roll charges, do a lot of damage and reach 2+/2+ pretty easily. They roll 3 dice per model when using Lightning Arc instead of 2, so they do a fair amount of mortal wounds too. They make good use of the Celestial Vindicators trait.

There are some better damage dealers but Dracolines aren't bad. You can slot in 2x3 or 1x6 Dracolines with a LADrac pretty easily in a lot of lists without much opportunity cost. 

Ballistae are good for that same reason... cost efficient, impactful, and don't require many buffs to do their job effectively.

Q: What makes the ballistae so good? They went up in points and do less damage than before.

Other shooting options got much more expensive while taking a defensive hit. Judicators are still only 10 wounds per squad, which is bad for a 200 point unit. Raptors are 6 wounds for a 240p unit (might be the worst points per wound in the game lol). Meanwhile Ballistae gained 2 wounds and only went up 30 points. Their single shot is greatly improved with better accuracy and higher Rend. Combos well with the Celestial Warbringers trait to re-roll a single dice per phase. Multishot profile is less maximum damage than before but much more consistent damage because it's more accurate.

Versatility is what makes the Ballista S tier in my eyes. In some matchups its gonna pump Rend-3 D6 shots into 2+/5++ MONSTERS but in other matchups its gonna use its higher volume Rend-2 shots to clear screens for a hammer unit to get into melee.

They don't need many external buffs like a lot of other units. You can efficiently buff 4 of them with +1 hit using one Tauralon or Ordinator, so you are free to use limited resources (commands, command points, holy commands, etc.) on other units.

If you bring an Ordinator you also open the door to using allies/CITIES units like Gunhaulers, Gyrocopters, and more.

It's the most versatile shooting unit in our arsenal and it doesn't require dumping a ton of points/commands/enhancements into double tapping with Raptors/Judicators so you can run it in all kinds of lists. 

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