Saturday, February 19, 2011

My GK army lists

One thing's for damn sure:  No more dual Land Raider crap if you want to play competitive.  Believe it or not, I've never played dual LRs for pure GKs.  I don't believe in taking 250+ point transports when most of the army is already so damn expensive.  Maybe because I like playing with a lot of Grey Knight Terminators and thus I spent most of my time DS'ing or footslogging.  You know what, I'm doing it again for this upcoming codex.  Now that the rest of my troops can take Rhinos, they're going to be the ones taking objectives and getting things done.

Check out my army lists:

2000

HQ:
Mordrack = 200
+10x Ghost Knights (Halberds, 2x Psycannon, 3x Warding) = 430
Lv.2 Librarian (Warding, +3x Powers) = 200

TROOP:
10x GKSS (Rhino, 2x Psycannons) = 260
10x GKSS (Rhino, 2x Psycannons) = 260
5x GKSS (Rhino, Psycannon) = 160
10x Terminators (Halberds, 2x Psycannons, 2x Warding) = 490

In this first list, you'll see my love of Grey Knight Terminators play out with purpose.  GM Mordrack enters battle on turn 1 with his retinue of Ghost Knights and start pouring down the fire.  They will find a good place to take cover from and lay down suppressing fire and will cast Psychic Communion so reinforcements can arrive.  Depending on the mission, Mordrack's Grand Strategy will either give the Librarian's Terminator unit Scout or re-roll 1s if I want things deader.  Scout allows me to outflank with +1 to reserves from PC, and I can always DS straight in another strategic location if I wanted to.  The Lv.2 Librarian has +3x powers which will probably be Quicksilver, Might of Titan and Summoning.  Quicksilver allows Grey Knights to fight glass hammer CC like Harlequins and triumph, Might of Titan punches through armor with ease and Summoning can bring squads to reinforce the front lines or bail Mordrack's squad of dudes out of trouble.

+++++++++++++++++++++++

2000

HQ:
Lv.2 Librarian (Warding, +3x Powers) = 200
Castellan Crowe = 150

TROOP:
10x GKSS (Rhino, 2x Psycannons) = 260
10x Purifier (Rhino, Halberds, 2x Psycannons) = 315
10x Purifier (Rhino, Halberds, 2x Psycannons) = 315
10x Terminators (Halberds, 2x Psycannons, Warding) = 470

HEAVY:
5x Purgation (Razorback, 4x Incinerators) = 145
5x Purgation (Razorback, 4x Incinerators) = 145

This next list focuses more on Purifiers and how awesome they are.  The extra attack and Cleansing Flame makes fighting horde units exceptionally awesome.  The Librarian has +3x powers again and he'll hang out with the Terminator squad with Crowe.  I'm not sure whether I like Halberds or Hammers yet but I'm sure that Quicksilver makes Halberds rather obsolete.  We'll see though.. since there's plenty of stuff that's still a mystery (like all the wargear options).  The rest of the units is pretty self explanatory.  My Purifier loadout features Halberds because the extra +I will allow me to engage MEQ without fear.  The GKSS unit is also pretty standard with 2x Psycannons and the Rhinos are there to keep my precious GKs safe from harm.  Depending on what kind of scenario the game is, I'll either sit back and shoot with my Psycannons or engage in a full out assault because my 2 Incinerator-totting Purgation squads are begging for some action.  This list is best used with the Librarian's unit footslogging and laying down firing support (plus drawing fire) or coming in via DS while the rest of the army surges forward.

I spent the better half of 4th Ed. footslogging my Grey Knights into their deaths by Nidzilla, Tau Suit spam, Dual Lash and other power lists.  As much as I'd like to get revenge for all those brave battle-brothers lost, I'm more or less disappointed with the new book.  It might be the old school GK player in me, but I don't think the new book captures the essence of Grey Knights at all.  I'm pretty sure it's a Mat Ward book because the fluff is outrageous, there's a serious overdoing of psychic and I have no idea why all 3 branches of the Inquisition is in a GK codex.  For some reason, I feel like I'm playing Thousand Sons minus the PE: Daemons.

10 comments:

  1. Link deleted :)
    Please don't post IP infringement on my blog..

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  2. While most of us know where to find the leaked codex (won't say where though :D) how close do you think it is to the finished article, especially with the rumors regards warding staves to one per five guys.

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  3. I don't about the new codex from what ive seen.

    while rhino's and razorbacks are fun, it bring them inline with all MEQ armies with psychic powers.

    Grey Knights are the real marine recon unit. Hard hitting, can take on plenty more than their own numbers are a small foot element.

    I'm personally going to build with that theme in mind with storm ravens and the like.

    All the Grey knight stories i read are about Thunderhawk insertions or drop pod assaults.

    So the lack of drop pods in my mind is a real shame.

    It really does smack of matt ward.

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  4. I like both lists.

    Personally I like the Purifiers. Their damage output is what we need in this army. I am concerned if the GKSS can dish out enough attacks to move on to the next target if they don't get a charge.

    I am also wondering just how effective the Purgation squad really is. A great value no doubt, but I need to play test that one some more against MEQ. I wish I had hoard armies in my gaming group, but I just don't. Clever GW making psycannons so expensive in that unit.

    As for the book itself. I think it is a good book. We don't have to take Rhinos/Raz, but obviously we will. I have a problem with dropping elite armies into a fray without transport. But fluff wise it will look odd to me walking for so many years. All the psy powers? Well, I think they made the GKs stats make more sense using psy to boost them. There was no really good reason why a halbred would give S6. And W5 was a touch much, since that should be reserved for the HQs, and expensive Elites. So I think they made it all make more sense.

    I hate the fact that WH and AH INQs are in the book. I can't stand the idea of those ordos, and I don't like them in my book.

    Oh, and after play-testing draigo, I really like! I have to build a "vengence list" For all those times I was owned by SCs like SWs. I need a list to unlease to my fellow god squad builders.

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  5. The one thing I REALLY like about your lists is that the Razorbacks are clearly going to be moving forward. None of the gunline shenanigans that can make playing BA/Space Wolves feel like pulling teeth.

    I honestly like your second list moe, if only because it feels like it uses a wider variety of units from across the book (I'm a big advocate of variety in army lists). Plus, I think it is much more versatile in terms of mobility and firepower...and in all honesty, the idea of using that many Purifiers is scary good.

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  6. I like the purifiers/strike force combo. I think Crowe will be a go-to guy. Without knowing the psycannon stats on the move, I am dropping them.

    I want a GM to give counter charge to at least 1 of the purifiers. And depending on the roll gifts to other units.

    I want GKT transport. Simply, I want to enjoy mech for a bit.

    I want Dreadknights to draw attention. And by the looks of their stats, it is rightly deserved. Besides, I like the idea of them. I always found it stupid terminators climbing up demons to hit them.

    All this warding save hype, really, I like bare bone approaches. I roll 1s. In my Draigowing, I will do it, but not a mass list.

    I want Paladins. They're new and people will fear them. I think they're a good value base pts. if you watch your matchups.

    I want Falchions, because for endless years I have dreamed of my GK with them.


    2000

    HQ:
    Grand Master with Falchions = 185
    Castellan Crowe = 150

    ELITE:
    4 Paladins (bare bones) = 220

    TROOP:
    10x GKSS (Rhino, 2x Psycannons) = 260
    10x Purifier (Rhino, Halberds) = 295
    10x Purifier (Rhino, Halberds) = 295

    HEAVY:
    Dreadknight (heavy Psycannon, Doom Fist) = 170
    Dreadknight (gatling psilencer, Doom Fist) = 165
    Land Raider Crusader (5 pts extra) = 260

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  7. I think aside from a few differences, the leaked codex is as final as it's going to be. I work in the gaming industry and when a playtest version goes out, it's typically in a polished beta phase (because no one wants to be embarrassed by shitty work). Expect to see some balance changes, maybe some tweaks here and there to points and call it a day.

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  8. My grey knight force i have been working on for the last few months is a thousand sons army, to show how powerful theyd be if they diched the rubric marines. Bring it up cause like you say the codex has alot of pyschic very easily to much pschic, to a level to be reserved for eldar or tzeencth. in the last book it was always clear they were the best of the best of the top 2% but not supermen.

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  9. Well, having looked at the leaked info, making warrior acolytes so that my ISTs are useful makes them 13 points, which is at least as expensive as the previous codex, for a model with -1 BS. It's problematic. Adding the Jokaero gives them some unique possibilities, and considering that the old IST's weren't equipped with an AP3 weapon, but the Jokaero is 35 points, so that's a stiff squad upgrade.

    Question though, will Jokaero squad upgrade also affect the Inquisitor if he/she is attached?

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  10. Your second list looks good, but honestly the Terminators don't strike me as very appealing for their points. You could swap them for a third Purifier and Purgation unit, which would add even targets for the opponent's AT.

    Otherwise I'd give the librarian The Shrouding if you're going to slog it on foot with the termies.

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