Today I’m going to cover the deck I brought to the 2025 World Championships of Warhammer in Atlanta, which was Starblood Stalkers with Emberstone Sentinels and Countdown to Cataclysm. In full honesty, I am not going to Worlds to win, or even make the top cut, but rather the have some fun and meet new people. If I happen to perform well, all’s the better. Despite a more casual approach, I still wanted to share the deck because I put a decent amount of thought into it (though not as much practice as I would like) and hopefully some of you could find inspiration for your own games in the near future.

Click here to check out other Deck Builds/Love Letters on Spent Glory

Why Starblood ES/CC?

Starblood ESCC was one of the pairings I was narrowing in on when the rules updates for Worlds were locked in. This was in part because I haven’t played a ton of Hold this edition and was having a lot of fun with Starblood in my preview practice as well as substantial success. My other leading contenders were Emberwatch BA/Wrack which won me my ticket, but I had kind of played that out, and Thorns of the Briar Queen Blazing/Deadly Synergy. I eventually decided against Thorns for two major reasons: First, they were going to require a lot more mental energy to pilot (and I didn’t want to burn out over 4 marathon days) and secondly because they look super strong and I didn’t want to be one of ‘those guys’. I’m expecting plenty of Thorns to be in attendance and have to be a special boy playing something less represented – even if my version of Thorns weren’t going to be Pillage abusers like many.

As I covered in my Starblood Stalkers Review, their inspiration condition of ‘holding three treasure tokens’ sort of forces Emberstone Sentinels on them. If you want a different gameplan, it will be difficult to inspire, and their stats aren’t great until they inspire – so you probably won’t accomplish that gameplan. GW has been incredibly stingy on the Take and Hold decks – probably because they were afraid of what they would create by adding yet more horde pillage combos to the broken meta. That means I don’t have anything else to start with, and really only have Countdown to Cataclysm with any reasonable Take and Hold synergy. CC also has some useful power cards to help me get around and nab some more tokens, since the Starblood Warscroll doesn’t provide extra pushes or moves.

I flirted with ES/Edge since I would have 4 tempered fighters and they have a couple good Objectives to overlap with such as Behind Enemy Lines, Calm Before the Storm, Immovable, and Risky Position, but they aren’t explicitly better than what CC had to offer. Additionally, the power cards were generally worse for my gameplan, and my two best fighters aren’t Tempered to take advantage of them anyhow. Maybe if I had more time to practice I could figure something out.

Then, the Rules Update

So, settling on Starblood ES/CC, I was then smacked upside the head by the rules update, which came just days before the ‘rules cutoff’ for Worlds. These notably included nobody having to place a treasure token in neutral territory. As a result, I could more reliably get 2-3 tokens in my territory to inspire which was great! However, I could NOT guarantee something in neutral, so could NOT guarantee things like Slow Advance or Shocking Assault, and in some cases this could also make Iron Grasp and Set Explosives more difficult.

I didn’t want to have to use one of my potential two drops on a neutral token and didn’t want to tip my hand by placing one in neutral. Neutral territory also invalidates my home territory skink reroll, so better to commit to holding at home and/or Enemy. As a result, my original deck (which included Slow Advance and Shocking Assault) would have to change.

What Did I Expect to Face?

Post Rules-Update I was glad to see Zarbag’s Gitz got kneecapped right good as they very clearly needed. They still look pretty strong and I imagine plenty of people will still be taking them. Grymwatch, who were busted before, saw no changes. Pillage picked up another R card, but otherwise they should continue to steamroll. Thorns of the Briar Queen were super frightening and saw no nerfs. Mollog’s Mob was already strong AF and got stronger, then saw no debuffs either.

Perennial favorites like Jaws of Itzl, Grandfather’s Gardeners, and Ephilim’s Pandaemonium would likely make a show. New warbands like Exiled Dead would be a huge problem (though they fortunately ate a decent nerf) and Blood of the Bull could make things really tough for anybody. No reason to assume Gorechosen were out of the picture, nor Ylthari’s or Borgit.

In short, I might run into a dozen things and there is no way to prepare for all of them especially on such short notice. The good news is there are so many possible threats I might face! Meta variety is nice.

While they also opened up the option to use multiple plot cards, I had already settled on ES as a starting point and didn’t bother to explore my options there. I will probably have to battle some crazy double-plot combos like CC/Edge or Raging/Synergy, but whatever man. Let’s have some fun and not worry so much. It’s not like they’ve never completely upended the game as we understand it mere weeks before Worlds before or anything. If I win or lose, I’m not planning to stress myself out about the hundred implications of each change to the game. Let’s look at my practice/testing record and then at how the deck ended up.

The Evidence

Long story short, it slaps. At least against aggro, anyway. 12-0 with relatively comfortable win margins, though the second game in this tracker ended after round 1. The warband and deck are defensive enough that I can survive even being torpedoed by Skittershank or bowled through by flank and surround Mollog in several flavors. I scored both Supremacy and Set Explosives in 11 games, and Iron Grasp in literally all 12. Strike shouldn’t be a problem for me in most situations if this practice is any indication.

Time will tell if I can compete with other hold strategies/hordes with better movement economy than me, but right now things are looking pretty, pretty, pretty good. 12 straight wins, and in the 11 complete games I won by an average of 7.36 glory. Starting to think Starblood is actually busted good and might need a nerf soon.

Also, am I going into worlds with just 12 games of practice? You bet your bucket I am.

The Deck

Link to Underworlds DB
Link to Wunderworlds Club

Surge Objectives

Aggressive Defender – a phenomenal card. I have 4 fighters with ranged attacks to make it even easier.

Collateral Damage – pretty consistent, especially since I have four 2-health fighters and will probably lose one per round. I also am likely to be the Underdog to score it the other way in an end phase. If not, then I’m doing pretty well anyway.

Sally Forth – I have to get into Enemy territory to hold stuff in some cases to score Supremacy, Iron Grasp, Set Explosives, etc. With fewer tokens in neutral this may be easier than before, and I’m not afraid to charge into enemy since being in enemy loses me the skink defense reroll anyway.

Step by Step – I can just run onto an enemy token, and it has potential duplication with Sally Forth with Underdog status.

The Perfect Cut – my opponents should eventually fail saves. The deck has ensnare in it, and I have a fighter with crit cleave/cleave and a fighter with cleave and ensnare.

Unassailable – sometimes, this will fail to trigger and frustrate me. It should eventually score, and I have the benefit of a full round ‘no driveback’ from The Bulwark Celestial. Even without that, I will have rerolls on defense at home pretty often, and once inspired lots of defense dice too.

End Phase Objectives

Hold Treasure Token 1 or 2 – I’ll be planning to do it anyway. I admit I had 1/2 as an alt art card from an Organized Play kit, and felt like a special boy for including it, SO THERE

Hold Treasure Token 3/4 – Same story as above, expect Hold 3/4 is better for tiebreakers

Iron Grasp – a great 2-glory end phase that will match my gameplan most instances. If I face a delving warband it will be even easier. Slightly hurt by the lack of neutral treasures, but still achievable.

Loaded for Bear – rare that you fail to score it outside of the first end phase, and totally dumpable if it doesn’t land.

Set Explosives – Overlaps with Iron Grasp, though again harder due to fewer neutral territory objectives. Also benefits from facing Pillage.

Supremacy – here’s my Restricted card. I am hesitant to take this since I have only two 2-glory fighters and a zero-bounty fighter, but Spread Havoc only scores for 1-2 and also is something lame people take. I’m sure I will regret this choice many games. I scored it in every practice match though.

I had considered Uneven Contest (hold all odd can be tough, but if they delve, it is a little easier. Additionally, I can flip with The Diviner, but this is a big reach even for 2 glory, and would make me feel obligated to spend a Ploy on Switch Things Up). I had also originally included Wreckers (since I used to score it ~50% of the time despite the auto-advancing Cataclysm tracker), but upon realizing Aqua Ghyranis are feature tokens that ARE included in the cataclysm tracker, it has become very difficult. I hit cataclysm 2 at the first end phase almost every time if I’m playing with AG tokens on the Spitewood boards, and had to cut it.

Ploys

By the Numbers – I’m planning to stand on 3 tokens to inspire, and at least 2 otherwise. This card thins the deck and then some.

Confusion – I need tokens, and this can help me nab them multiple ways

Healing Potion – Occasionally useless, since I have so many 2 health fighters, but keeping Kixi-Taka or Klaq-Trok around for another hit can help me score Supremacy etc.

Hold the Line – This card is a little less useful than it might normally be because I have Bulwark Celestial. That said, the other two rounds I can still find use for it.

Improvised Attack – Realistically this is a potential push to free up a token, but I have used it to good effect to deal damage in a pinch.

Settle In – Keeping somebody alive, especially my dodgy boys, is pretty clutch. Guard keeps me on the token too, in the event I’m not using Bulwark Celestial at the time.

Sidestep – Extra token grabbing which helps score and inspire earlier.

The Extra Mile – are we fast and feel like we don’t need this? Yes! Does this help us get onto far-flung tokens, especially when uninspired and it’s most important? Also yes. This was a late add to the list but I found it super useful in any round of the game, especially when you consider Klaq is move 3 inspiring to 4 and Kixi stays move 4. Occasionally you have Hunter’s Steed up when inspired and you don’t really NEED to move 7 in most cases, but if I’m playing keep away to close out the game or have to run to a far away place to score something with my last fighter (Hold ‘number’ token, Iron Grasp, etc) it has come in clutch.

Total Collapse – targeted ping is nice, occasionally. With Cata values advancing so fast now with AG tokens counting toward the advancement, it’s pretty easy to get 2 dice in round 2 and 3-4 dice in round 3.

Violent Blast – Potential to push somebody onto a token and/or displace an enemy from one.

I toyed with Hidden Paths for a while, but I’m never voluntarily going into edge hexes with this objective suite, and only can deploy in an edge hex from 3/4 board sides, which I will get to orient only 50% of them time. I just never found it worth having and cut it for The Extra Mile, which immediately made me happy in the next 3 games.

Upgrades

Agile – I already get a reroll on skinks with no charge tokens in friendly territory, but what’s one more? Plus, sometimes I have to charge or be in enemy territory, and Klaq-Trok likes defensive rerolls too.

Brute Momentum – More drive-back prevention means more token occupancy

Desperate Rage – Sometimes you need to access 3 damage. I have plenty of little guys to use this with in a pinch.

Duelist – Slide onto tokens, slide into an edge hex to combo with Hidden Paths, pretty useful in loads of cases – especially considering my leader has a range 2 melee.

Great Fortitude – Taking one of my 2-bounty bois up to 5 health helps me score Supremacy and hold stuff.

Great Strength – It’s great.

Inescapable Grasp – I expect lots of dodge in the meta these days, and it also helps score Perfect Cut

Inviolate – Can’t be Flanked or Surrounded, so long as I’m holding a Treasure Token (which is the plan anyway). Considering how much Deadly Synergy, Mollog, Thorns of the Briar Queen, Exiled Dead, Gitz, and Hidden Aid I expect to see, this should be useful more games than not.

Keen Eye – I’m always a fan of hitting when I make attacks. I’m extra a fan when The Great Drake is active and I have +2 dice now/

Utter Conviction – Cataclysm advances turbo fast now with 2 more features in Aqua Ghyranis. I make it to Cataclysm 3-4 in round 2-3 pretty routinely since this change, so it’s solid for me even with inspiring to 2 defense on everybody. Should I fail to inspire, this can help keep somebody alive, and I’ll be honest; recently I had Kixi-Taka wearing this for 4 defense, on guard, with two rerolls, unable to be flanked or surrounded, and tanked five attacks. That’s unlikely to happen again, but just knowing it’s possible gives me the warm fuzzies.

Wrap

There you go, Take and Hold in Spitewood, without any of that dastardly pillage delving business. In the next week or so I will post a recap of my experience at Worlds and share whether this deck was able to hold up to the best players on the planet. Until then, I hope you enjoy Spending your Glory, and consider trying out the Starblood Stalkers!