The Summer I.T.T.: Faction Breakdown

The world's largest team tournament lands in the 11th Edition of Warhammer 40k! With over 350 players and more than 70 teams, we take a deeper look at which armies are being played the most in these first months of 11th Edition.

Faction Choices

The faction breakdown gives us a few interesting surprises, starting with Emperor’s Children taking the top spot with 27 players. That is a huge presence in the room and makes them one of the factions to watch across the weekend, due to their new emergence as the most played faction. With Space Marines Astartes close behind on 25, it’s clear that the new edition has brought plenty of players towards some of the more established options.

Orks take third with 24 players, continuing to be a major presence at UKTC events and showing that the greenskins are still attracting plenty of players. Right behind them are Adeptus Custodes with 23, while T’au Empire rounds out the top five with 21 players. With five factions already breaking the 20-player mark, there is clearly plenty of variety at the top end of the field.

Further down the chart, Tyranids and Necrons both sit at 19 players, while Chaos Space Marines bring 18. Leagues of Votann and Thousand Sons also have strong representation with 16 and 15 players respectively, giving us plenty of opportunities to see how some of the more interesting faction options perform across the weekend.

And then there is the long tail. From Imperial Knights and Chaos Knights through to Drukhari, Genestealer Cults, Space Wolves, Imperial Agents, Deathwatch and Black Templars, almost every corner of the 40K roster is represented.

With 28 factions making an appearance, the Summer I.T.T. is giving us a fantastic spread of armies to watch. The question now is simple: which of these factions can turn numbers on the sign-up sheet into results on the tabletop?

First 11th Edition Balance Update

With the arrival of the new Edition, the new game balance patches are also starting to roll out, and the Summer I.T.T. is the perfect moment to analyze how they perform.

One of the standout adjustments was the cost hike for the Thousand Sons 'Hexwarp Thrallband' detachment. It was previously ran alongside the Sekhetar Cohort: a combo with great synergy, but one that pushed their win rate dangerously high. Now that this increase breaks up that setup, expect to see fresh detachment combinations emerging for the faction.

In the case of the Orks, they received a few points increases since many list archetypes were performing very well, driving up their win rates. Although the change was relatively moderate, a wide variety of lists is expected at this Summer I.T.T., keeping the Orks among the most played factions.

Astra Militarum also received several buffs in this balance pass. The faction had fallen behind in firepower during the first few weeks, and this update aims to patch that issue and restore some of its former glory, giving Guard players plenty of reasons to bring heavy armor back to the tabletop

Beyond the faction-specific tweaks, this update also introduces key rule clarifications and mechanical adjustments: including Command Points generation caps, Consolidation moves, and vehicle/transport interactions. The Summer I.T.T. will serve as the ultimate proving ground to see how these systemic shifts impact high-level play, giving us a much clearer picture of the new meta.

Emperor’s Children Lead the Charge

Emperor’s Children are the most played faction at the Summer I.T.T., with 27 players bringing them to the table. That level of representation makes them one of the defining factions of the event and gives us a great opportunity to see whether their popularity translates into results. With 11th Edition still settling, the Summer I.T.T. should give us a strong look at how well the faction performs when it has to navigate a full weekend of team games.

Their popularity also fits into a wider trend we’re seeing across the field: melee is very much on the menu. With Orks, Adeptus Custodes, and other combat-focused armies all heavily represented, players are clearly looking towards factions that can put pressure on the opponent and make the most of the new missions. The ability to threaten multiple parts of the table and force difficult decisions is proving increasingly valuable.

Speed is a huge part of that equation. Emperor’s Children can combine aggressive melee pressure with the mobility needed to get where they need to be, making them particularly interesting in an edition where positioning and board control matter so much. With 27 players putting them through their paces, the Summer I.T.T. will give us plenty of data on whether that speed and aggression can turn popularity into tournament success.

Overall, the Summer I.T.T. will be a fantastic test of where the 11th Edition meta is heading, with Emperor’s Children leading the field and a clear appetite for fast, aggressive melee armies. We’re excited to see whether that popularity translates into results across the weekend. Stay tuned for more posts diving into the lists, factions and key trends shaping the event!