198: World Champs 2025 Retrospective

Seventeen-year-old Michael Kislyi joins the show fresh off a second-place finish at the Warhammer Underworlds World Championships. The only Austrian competitor at the event, he walks through his run to the final with Elathain’s Soulraid, covering early testing, deck selection, and the matchups that shaped his tournament. He explains why Blazing Pillage fit his playstyle, the vulnerabilities he had to navigate, and the standout moments that pushed his games into the top cut. Michael also reflects on what he’d adjust in his build, how Soulraid sit in the current meta, and where he thinks the next evolution of the game will land. From local games in Austria to the World Championship final table, this episode tracks the preparation, mindset, and adaptability behind his incredible run to the top table._________________________________________________Path to Glory is supported by our wonderful patrons on Patreon. If you would like to help the show, and join our discord community, go to patreon.com/pathtoglory and pledge your support. Patrons directly support the show and its growth by helping pay our monthly and annual fees, while contributing to future projects and endeavors. _________________________________________________⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our discord! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out the blog! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Facebook! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠World Championship of Warhammer Qualifiers Schedule⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Founded by: Aman Khusro & Jonathan DavisCast: George Athanail, Mark Breault, and Aman Khusro

Jaroslaw “Nocturnis” Kwasniewski joins the show to break down his winning run at the World Championships of Warhammer. He walks through why he chose The Wurmspat, how Polish testing groups refined the deck, and what pushed him toward BARF (Blazing Assault & Reckless Fury) over other builds. Jaroslaw shares his toughest matchups, the surprises he faced in top cut, and the in-game decisions that carried him through tense elite-versus-elite battles. From early season doubts about The Wurmspat to mastering their passive scoring and three-fighter profile, this is a full look at the prep, mindset, and moment-to-moment play that led to his championship title.Congratulations to Jaroslaw for becoming the third World Champion of Warhammer Underworlds!_________________________________________________Path to Glory is supported by our wonderful patrons on Patreon. If you would like to help the show, and join our discord community, go to patreon.com/pathtoglory and pledge your support. Patrons directly support the show and its growth by helping pay our monthly and annual fees, while contributing to future projects and endeavors. _________________________________________________⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our discord! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out the blog! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Facebook! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠World Championship of Warhammer Qualifiers Schedule⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Founded by: Aman Khusro & Jonathan DavisCast: George Athanail, Mark Breault, and Aman Khusro

Recorded just two days after getting home from Atlanta, George and Mark walk through their full Worlds experience with tired brains, congested sinuses, and unfiltered honesty. They cover day-by-day pool play, tight matches against friends, mental fatigue, and the pressure of top cut qualification. The boys break down key rounds, personal highs and lows, unexpected moments, and the lessons they’re taking into next year, all wrapped in the exhausted but genuine energy of players coming down from the biggest event of the season._________________________________________________Path to Glory is supported by our wonderful patrons on Patreon. If you would like to help the show, and join our discord community, go to patreon.com/pathtoglory and pledge your support. Patrons directly support the show and its growth by helping pay our monthly and annual fees, while contributing to future projects and endeavors. _________________________________________________⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our discord! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out the blog! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Facebook! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠World Championship of Warhammer Qualifiers Schedule⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Founded by: Aman Khusro & Jonathan DavisCast: George Athanail, Mark Breault, and Aman Khusro

Just mere days before the Worlds deck submission deadline, Games Workshop dropped a massive rules update, and the crew dives straight into the madness. George and Mark break down every twist in the new FAQ: from the rise and fall of Pillage decks to long-awaited fixes for token placement, warband reworks, and the end of plot-lock. Expect hot takes, theorycrafting, and the occasional bad pun as they dissect who’s up, who’s down, and what it all means for the meta heading into the biggest event of the year._________________________________________________Path to Glory is supported by our wonderful patrons on Patreon. If you would like to help the show, and join our discord community, go to patreon.com/pathtoglory and pledge your support. Patrons directly support the show and its growth by helping pay our monthly and annual fees, while contributing to future projects and endeavors. _________________________________________________⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our discord! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out the blog! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Facebook! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠World Championship of Warhammer Qualifiers Schedule⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Founded by: Aman Khusro & Jonathan DavisCast: George Athanail, Mark Breault, and Aman Khusro

Aggro with friends? George and Mark dive into Deadly Synergy, the plot deck from Spitewood that trades brute force for clever positioning and coordinated strikes. Built around the “United” and “Flanked” mechanics, this deck opens new lanes for warbands that thrive on tight movement, board control, and layered sequencing.They unpack the highs, the headscratchers, and the hidden gems, spotlighting combos that could reshape Nemesis builds from Hexbane’s Hunters to Brethren of the Bolt. If you’re looking to pair up and punch above your weight, this episode’s got the blueprints._________________________________________________Path to Glory is supported by our wonderful patrons on Patreon. If you would like to help the show, and join our discord community, go to patreon.com/pathtoglory and pledge your support. Patrons directly support the show and its growth by helping pay our monthly and annual fees, while contributing to future projects and endeavors. _________________________________________________⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our discord! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out the blog! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Facebook! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠World Championship of Warhammer Qualifiers Schedule⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Founded by: Aman Khusro & Jonathan DavisCast: George Athanail, Mark Breault, and Aman Khusro

Can control be aggro? George and Mark crack into Hunting Grounds, the latest Rivals deck from Spitewood, where holding the line hits harder than charging in. Built for punishing overreach and flipping momentum from your own territory, this deck rewards patience, positioning, and perfectly timed payback.But can it rival (pun maybe intended) Blazing Assault or Pillage? If you’re chasing tempo, tricks, and territorial traps, this one’s a must-listen._________________________________________________⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our discord! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out the blog! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Facebook! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠World Championship of Warhammer Qualifiers Schedule⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Founded by: Aman Khusro & Jonathan DavisCast: George Athanail, Mark Breault, and Aman Khusro

The gang wades into the dense wilderness of Spitewood, reviewing everything from new terrain rules to the meta-shaking warbands inside.They start with Kurnoth’s Heralds: nimble protectors of Ghyran whose power lies in elegant positioning and momentum-based surges. Then it’s on to the Blood of the Bull, a chaos duardin warband fueled by Demon-forged Dice and brutal stats that redefine what’s possible in second edition.The duo also tackles Waystone and Aqua Ghyranis tokens, token placement shifts, and how this box might shake up aggro, control, and flex strategies alike.If you play Underworlds, this box should be on your radar, and so should this episode._________________________________________________⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our discord! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out the blog! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Facebook! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠World Championship of Warhammer Qualifiers Schedule⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Founded by: Aman Khusro & Jonathan DavisCast: George Athanail, Mark Breault, and Aman Khusro

Mark returns from the Nova Open with fresh bruises and battle wisdom, while George holds court from the commentary seat. This episode dives into Mark’s full tournament run: from early nerves to standout matchups, with plenty of discussion about meta trends, sneaky cards, and key decision points along the way.Together, they dissect the top-performing warbands, what surprised them (and what didn’t), and how their pre-event predictions held up once the dust settled. There’s plenty of laughter, salt, and deep cuts for the diehards.Whether you were in the room or following from afar, this one’s got the storytelling, strategy, and sharp insights that keep your finger on the pounding pulse of the Underworlds meta. _________________________________________________Path to Glory is supported by our wonderful patrons on Patreon. If you would like to help the show, and join our discord community, go to patreon.com/pathtoglory and pledge your support. Patrons directly support the show and its growth by helping pay our monthly and annual fees, while contributing to future projects and endeavors. _________________________________________________⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our discord! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out the blog! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Facebook! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠World Championship of Warhammer Qualifiers Schedule⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Founded by: Aman Khusro & Jonathan DavisCast: George Athanail, Mark Breault, and Aman Khusro

This one’s a bit of a time capsule. Recorded just before Nova, we took a stab at where the meta might land heading into one of favorite events of the year. From punchy Rivals pairings to sleeper picks and bold banshee takes, we shared our expectations and our wild cards.Now that Nova’s come and gone, and the World Championships loom on the horizon, it’s a fun look at what we got right (and what we didn’t). Whether you're scouting the next shift or just in it for the banter, this one’s worth the listen._________________________________________________Path to Glory is supported by our wonderful patrons on Patreon. If you would like to help the show, and join our discord community, go to patreon.com/pathtoglory and pledge your support. Patrons directly support the show and its growth by helping pay our monthly and annual fees, while contributing to future projects and endeavors. _________________________________________________⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our discord! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out the blog! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Facebook! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠World Championship of Warhammer Qualifiers Schedule⁠⁠⁠⁠Founded by: Aman Khusro & Jonathan DavisCast: George Athanail, Mark Breault, and Aman Khusro

The path to glory is not paved in gold: it is scorched, battered, and soaked in blood. In this episode, the warbands ascend into the A tier, where warriors fight with purpose, power, and precision. These are no mindless brutes or fleeting sparks; they are refined blades in the forge of battle.Each warband in this tier brings a unique identity, whether it's calculated aggression, relentless objective play, or disruptive trickery. While they may not sit atop the throne of dominance, they are proven threats, fully capable of toppling titans in the right hands. Victory with them is earned, not given, and that struggle makes their triumphs all the sweeter.The warbands in A tier are not just strong, they are stories waiting to be told._________________________________________________Path to Glory is supported by our wonderful patrons on Patreon. If you would like to help the show, and join our discord community, go to patreon.com/pathtoglory and pledge your support. Patrons directly support the show and its growth by helping pay our monthly and annual fees, while contributing to future projects and endeavors. _________________________________________________⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our discord! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out the blog! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Facebook! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠World Championship of Warhammer Qualifiers Schedule⁠⁠⁠Founded by: Aman Khusro & Jonathan DavisCast: George Athanail, Mark Breault, and Aman Khusro