GHB 2025–26 in Review: 9,000+ Games Reveal the Final Shape of the Global Age of Sigmar Meta
As the General’s Handbook 2025–26 approaches its conclusion, we can finally look back at one of the most data-rich seasons in Milarkis history. With 9,118 recorded games, 98+ tournaments worldwide, the numbers provide a fascinating snapshot of what players brought to the table, which battleplans defined the season, and who emerged as the most successful competitors in Milarki.
While balance updates and faction changes have shaped the meta throughout the year, the final statistics paint a clear picture of the trends that defined the closing months of GHB 2025–26.
A Season Defined by Over 9,000 Games
The dataset includes:
9,118 total games played
98 tournaments recorded
Thousands of players across the global competitive community
Every Grand Alliance represented at a high level of play
Surge of Slaughter Claims the Top Spot
Among the battleplans included in the battlepack, one emerged as the clear favorite.
Most Played Battleplans
Number of battles played per Battleplan
1 - Surge of Slaughter 1,038
2 - Linked Ley Lines 966
3 - Roiling Roots 927
4 - Bountiful Equinox 901
5 - Creeping Corruption 810
The spread between the top five battleplans remained relatively close, suggesting healthy tournament rotation throughout the season. Nevertheless, Surge of Slaughter finished comfortably ahead of the pack and became the defining scenario of GHB 2025–26.
Order Remains the Dominant Grand Alliance
Looking at faction representation across the four Grand Alliances, Order once again led the way in both popularity and overall performance.
Grand Alliance Breakdown
Number of battles played per grand alliance
1 - Order 5,607
2 - Chaos 4,419
3 - Death 2,785
4 - Destruction 2,981
Order armies accounted for the largest share of the competitive field and maintained the strongest overall results throughout the season.
Chaos continued to provide the biggest challenge, while Death remained consistently competitive. Destruction, despite several standout faction performances, was the only alliance to finish below the 50% mark.
Stormcast Eternals Lead the Popularity Charts
No faction came close to matching the popularity of Stormcast Eternals, which recorded an impressive 1,436 games during the season.
Most Played Factions
Number of battles played per Faction
1 - Stormcast Eternals 1,436
2 - Skaven 1,083
3 - Soulblight Gravelords 949
4 - Blades of Khorne 948
5 - Slaves to Darkness 937
6 - Maggotkin of Nurgle 925
7 - Sylvaneth 921
8 - Gloomspite Gitz 919
9- Lumineth Realm-lords 857
10 - Ossiarch Bonereapers 838
One of the most interesting takeaways is that popularity did not necessarily translate into success.
Despite being by far the most played faction, Stormcast Eternals finished with a 47% win rate. Meanwhile, Sylvaneth quietly posted one of the strongest performances among the most-played armies, reaching an impressive 56% win rate. Lumineth Realm-lords also demonstrated strong competitive credentials at 55%.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Gloomspite Gitz remained highly popular but struggled to convert appearances into wins, ending the season at 44%.
The Players Who Defined the Season
Individual performance is always one of the most compelling aspects of competitive Age of Sigmar, and several players distinguished themselves through both consistency and volume of play.
Top Players of GHB 2025–26
Ranked by number of wins
1 - Agaton Enskär, 113 wins / 77% winrate
2 - Jesper Melander, 79 wins / 86% winrate
3- George Thomas, 74 wins / 71% winrate
4 - Alexis "The Lion" Herbeck, 70 wins / 82% winrate
5 -Martin Åberg, 68 wins / 57% winrate
6 - Rasmus Hellkvist, 64 wins / 82% winrate
7 - Sebastian Andersson, 62 wins / 54% winrate
8 - Alexander Korling, 62 wins / 53% winrate
9 - Oscar Melander, 60 wins / 71% winrate
10 - Simon Jurstedt, 58 wins / 55% winrate
While several players achieved exceptional win percentages, Agaton Enskär stands out for combining elite performance with remarkable volume, recording 113 wins from 146 games played.
Meanwhile, Jesper Melander's 86% win rate is arguably one of the most impressive individual statistics in the dataset, demonstrating extraordinary consistency across a substantial number of games.
Looking Back at the GHB 2025–26 Meta
As the current battlepack reaches its final chapter, the data suggests a competitive environment that was diverse, active, and largely healthy.
Order remained the dominant force in terms of participation and overall success, while Chaos and Death consistently challenged for top positions. Several factions maintained strong win rates without becoming overwhelmingly dominant, and the most successful players demonstrated that mastery of the game still mattered more than faction choice alone.
With more than 9,000 recorded games and 98 tournaments now in the books, GHB 2025–26 will be remembered as a season of strong participation, broad faction representation, and a competitive meta that continued to evolve right up until the very end.
The next General’s Handbook is now on the horizon, and with it comes the inevitable question: which armies will rise, which will fall, and how different will the Age of Sigmar meta look a year from now?