Tournament List

Here is my single list 35 point tournament list.

Legion of Everblight
Machinations of Shadow (Vayl, Consul of Everblight)
(Tier 4)
PCs: 35 / 35
25 models

[00] Vayl, Consul of Everblight (0 / 6 WB)
[08]  >> Scythean
[08]  >> Angelius
[08]  >> Angelius
[02]  >> Harrier
[01] Blighted Nyss Shepherd
[01] Blighted Nyss Shepherd
[04] Blighted Nyss Sorceress & Hellion
[06] Blighted Nyss Legionnaires (9 grunts)
[03] Spawning Vessel (6 grunts)

Why this list?

So I have a lot of choices when it comes to making a single list for a tournament but in the end it came down to three choices. The other two for curiosities sake were:

Mercenaries

Four Star Syndicate

PCs: 35 / 35

10 models

[00] Captain Bartolo Montador (0 / 5 WJ remaining)

[02]  >> Sylys Wyshnalyrr, the Seeker

[18]  >> Galleon

[02] Ragman

[02] Master Gunner Dougal Macnaile

[09] Wrong Eye

[00]  >> Snapjaw (Companion)

[03]  >> Bull Snapper

[04] Lady Aiyana & Master Holt

Cygnar

Standard Army

PCs: 35 / 35

14 models

[00] Major Victoria Haley (0 / 5 WJ remaining)

[02]  >> Squire

[19]  >> Stormwall

[03] Journeyman Warcaster

[06] Arcane Tempest Gun Mages

[02]  >> Arcane Tempest Gun Mage Officer

[02] Gorman Di Wulfe, Rogue Alchemist

[03] Eiryss, Angel of Retribution

[03] Ogrun Bokur

If you think that Haley2 list is odd you are correct. Rather than the standard Haley2 list I teched one to give me an advantage in the mirror match. 

I rate myself as a half decent player, If I can give myself a fighting chance at the start of the game then I will back myself to win it. If you try and build a list that gives you too much of an advantage against some builds (for example you could take a Lylyth2 build with 3 ravagores) then you find yourself with some very bad matchups with you fighting heavily uphill. Even in a two list format the Bart Galleon player has another list. Whereas a more balanced list will still be strong against the good matchups but it still gives you a fighting chance in the not so good match ups (going back to Lylyth2 this would probably include Typhon instead of a third ravagore and the BFS as well and suddenly your list is good in melee). 

What I want, especially in a one list environment is a list that has at least some fight against everything in the game. I want some answers for high ARM, I want some answers for high DEF, I want to be able to kill a colossal, I want to be able to kill a swarm of infantry. The list can't be shut down by Stormwall (the spell), or by Bestial or by covering fire templates (or Stormwall, not the spell), countermeasures, shadow pack, the choir, swamp pits, Janissa and the krielstone, crippling grasp, cloud or forest spam, inhospitable ground or mage hunter strike force. 

Straight up purification answers more than half of those problems. High DEF and high ARM are almost always upkeeps and animi and a lot of those other effects are spells. Legion handles a lot of the rest, pathfinder and eyeless sight are huge. I have talked before about attrition vs scenario vs assassination. Vayl2 does all 3 and does them wonderfully. Double angels can repluse to clear zones/flags, she has 25" on the double obliteration assassinations. With refuge pulling the Angels to safety and admonition keeping the Scythean alive, and occultation and the pot making new lessers she attritions really well. It's quite hard to get to her beasts and her infantry turns into shredders (and on rare occasions stingers and harriers). It is straight up good. Even against Bart Galleon it has some answers, purification drops hot shot and all the animuses (including submerge on Wrong Eye). With a Naga I could assassinate Bart quite easily without one I can still get to the support staff. If I set Bart on fire then the assassanation is on the table. Against Haley2 who I think you always have to make sure you have a fighting game against, the assassination is greater than 80% on her feat turn. I don't care if I go 1-4 with this list if that one win is killing Haley2 on her feat turn.