New Grey Knight rumors and analysis

This is going to be a horrendously long post but stay with me.  I'm sure you'll love the rumors and I'm even more sure you'll like my analysis of these rumors.  Keep in mind that Grey Knights were my first army and I love them to death.  However, everyone and their mother around me wants to play GKs when they come out and that in itself is off-putting.  Bah.. whatever, here I go.  Check this out (my stuff will be in red):

Army Wide Rules:

• Aegis: Psykers targeting a squad with Aegis suffer -1 Ld. Psykers within 12" of a dreadnought with Reinforced Aegis suffer -4 Ld.
• And They Shall Know No Fear
• Combat Squads
• Psyker Pilots
• Brotherhood of Psykers
• Psyker Mastery Levels: Character can use 1 psychic power per turn for each level (so 2 powers per turn at level 2).
• Preferred Enemy: Demons

Pretty standard things here save for Aegis.  The -1 leadership for most Ld.10 models doesn't really change much.  The Dreadnought with Reinforced Aegis might be pretty handy to bring.. but I wouldn't really feel comfortable bringing a Dread just for that reason.  If anything, he'll be packing some Psycannon action.  Preferred Enemy Daemons just makes me sad for Daemon players and the Psyker Mastery Levels are a interesting addition.

Wargear:

• Nemesis Force Halberds: +1 Initiative.
• Psycannon: Str 7 AP 4 36" Assault 2/Heavy 4, Rending
• Incinerator: Str 5 AP 4 Template, Rending
• Personal Teleporter: Unit can move as though they have a jump pack. Once per game, the unit may move 30", but may not assault afterwards.

Now, the NFW here is noted as being +1I.  This makes all Grey Knights I5 basically and with their higher level HQs I6 and above.  No information no whether or not these will be Power Weapons or what not, but I'm definitely thinking that the Terminators will be PW and the GMs will be Force Weapons.  Don't quote me on this, this is just my guess.  Word on the street is that Psycannons are +20 pts, the basic GK is 20 pts, GKT at 40 pts and Paladins starting at 55 pts.  It's also noted that no Grey Knights can have Storm Shields apparently.  The Psycannons looks to be absolutely devastating because they're better versions of Assualt Cannons on vehicles.  Rending on the Incinerator is also pretty bad ass and the Personal Teleporter is very interesting.  Last minute contests anyone?

Psychic Powers:

• Hammer Hand: +1 strength in Close Combat

+1 in CC makes me think that NFW is definitely going to be S4.

• Warp Quake: Any deepstriking unit that lands within 12" suffers automatic mishap.

Quite possibly the end to any DS army (such as Daemons and BA).  No one can afford to mishap.. that's just how the game operates.  The same applies to Deathwing or anyone else thinking they can get in close to Grey Knights.  Definitely not with this.

• Holocaust: S5 AP - Large Blast 12"

The 12" here means that it has 12" range.  There's no such thing as a 12" large blast template and if there was, I'll probably not play this game.  Apoc template size things in normal games just shouldn't happen.  Ever.

• Quicksilver: Unit becomes Initiative 10

Useful in getting the jump on anything thinking they're faster than you.

• Warp-Rift: Template that auto removes models from play

It's supposed to be a template sized JotWW.  Make a I test for all models covered or be removed from the game.  It's insanely awesome, but at the same time, it's not 24" range and has as many options as JotWW.  This is a standard psychic shooting attack.

• The Summoning: A single friendly unit that is anywhere on the table is placed within 6" of the librarian and counts as deepstriking.

Sure, why not.

• Smite: As C:SM

Boring.

• Might of Titan: Beginning of librarians assault phase. Unit within 6" gains +1 str and extra D6 armour pen vs vehicles. Bonus is cumulative with hammerhand.

S6 is back for everyone that has a GK Librarian!  The S6 + 2d6 to armor pen is also quite amazing vs. any armored vehicle in the game.  No more will you be bogged down in combat with walkers!

• The Shrouding: Opponents shooting phase. All units within 6" gain stealth (minimum 5+ cover in the open).

As long as you're not a bad at using cover, most Grey Knight units on the walking front will receive a 3++ cover save.  You can do a lot with this ability as long as your units are in reach.

• Mind Blades: Start of any assault phase. One enemy unit within 6" loses 1 toughness for the rest of the assault phase.

Pretty sure that means that you're S6 and he's T3 means instant-death threats to anything there is.  Will also bring down T5 models to Fist kill range.  Thunderwolves beware.

• Vortex of Doom: As C:SM

K.

• Sanctury: Enemy assault phase. Enemy units wishing to assault any Grey Knight within 12" of librarian must make a difficult AND dangerous terrain test.

Beautiful. This makes perfect sense and I'm glad they have this ability.

• Psychic Communion (Grandmaster and Captain only): Take a psychic test. If passed, you may modify any reserve rolls by + or -1.

Talk to me oh lord of lords!  I would assume you cast this on turn 1 and on turn 2, you reserves come in at 3+.  You can also use this to delay your chances of coming if you want to get the jump on your opponent's reserves.  Example:  You delay your reserves by 1 and next turn, your opponent gets his reserves to come in. You can now get your reserves to come in on your opponents and go to town with shooting.

• Heroic Sacrafice (Champion only): During any assault phase and when the "chaplain" dies. If the psychic test is passed, make one attack against any one model that is in base to base with the champion. If the attack hits, the model is removed as a casualty with no saves. If it misses, there is no effect.

I heard that the Champion only has 1W and costs like 100 points.  Not sure if it's worth it, but he has some crazy things like this that might take down Abaddon in 1 go.  Not a very heroic way for them to die, but I guess this is one of those things that'll piss your opponents off.

• Cleansing Flame (Purifiers only): Start of any assault phase. All enemy models that are part of the same assault suffer a wound on a 4+ before any blows are struck with saving throws allowed. Casualties count towards combat resolution.

Amazing for horde-like armies imo.  If they try to boggle you down in combat and upset your chances of victory by numerical advantage, this spell evens out the playing field.

• Astral Aim (Purgation Squad only): Shooting Phase. Unit and attached characters may fire at any unit in range and regardless of line of sight. Target automatically gets a 4+ cover save that cannot be modified.

Imagine Purgation squads with max Psycannons unloading behind your Land Raider and shooting through the vehicle into your opponent's Defiler in open field.  Tears of happiness or sadness?  I think I see both.

• Reconstruction (techmarines only): Beginning of techmarine's movement. Re-roll any repair roll.

Too many psychic abilities already imo.

• Fortitude (Vehicle only): At the start of Grey Knight player's turn, removes any shaken or stunned results. 

Sure, extra armor can step aside since this makes it so your vehicles as Possessed... but retail BS4 because they're awesome like that.

• Zone of Banishment(Captain Stern only): During Stern's assault phase. All models (friend and foe, but NOT stern) within 6" make a strength test or are removed from play. Demons must re-roll successful tests. 

Hysterical.  S-test or GTFO.  I guess Stern's psychic abilities have grown since last we seen.

Here's what the supposed force org is supposed to look like:

Special Characters: 

Lord "Draigo" LR cost. 

Grand Master "Mordrack" Storm Raven Cost 

Brother Captain Stern 

Castellan Crowe 

Inquisitor Corteaz 

Inquisitor Karamazov 

Inquisitor Valeria

HQ 

Grand Master 

Brother Captain 

Brotherhood Champion 

Librarian 

Ordo Malleus Inquisitor 

Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor 

Ordo Xenos Inquisitor 

Elites 

Techmarine 

Purifier Squad 

Venerable Dreadnought 

Paladin Squad 

Callidus 

Eversor 

Vindicare 

Culexus 

Inquisitorial Henchmen Warband 

Troops 

Grey Knight Terminator Squad 

Special Upgrade Character - Justicar Thawn 

Grey Knights Strike Squad (the regular GK's) 

Transports 

Rhino 

Razorback 

Chimera 

Fast 

StormRaven 

Heavy Support 

Purgation Squad 

Dreadnought 

Nemesis Dreadknight (MC) 

Land Raider (and variants, including redeemer)

Look at how many freaking HQ choices there are!  Here's what I know so far from browsing through Warseer:

Lord Draigo: WS 7 BS 6 S 5 T 5 W 4 I 5 A 5 Ld 10 Sv 2+ Points 275

Wargear: Titan Sword (str 10 vs demons and psykers), Storm Shield, Frag, Krak, Psyk-out grenades

Options: ?

Special Rules: Lord of Titan (take Paladins as troops), Psychic Mastery 2, Eternal Warrior

Psychic Powers: Hammer Hand, Psychic Communion, Cleansing Flame

Grand Master: ?

Wargear: ?

Options: ?

Special Rules:

Psyker Level 1

Make Paladins troops.

Pick D3 Units and give them a special rule:

1) Makes them scoring (kinda neat for dread and or elite paladins)

2) Makes them re roll 1s to wound all game

3) Makes them have counter attack USR.

4) Makes them Scout

Note: All these units are affected by the one choice.

Psychic Powers: Hammerhand, Psychic Communion

Librarian: WS ? BS ? S ? T ? W ? I ? A ? Ld ? Sv ? 150 Points

Wargear: ?

Options: Upgrade to Psyker Mastery 3 +50 points. Take additional psychic powers for +5 points each.

Special Rules: Psyker Mastery 2

Psychic Powers: Hammer Hand

Ordo Xenos Inquisitor

Inquisitor: WS 4 BS 4 S 3 T 3 W 3 I 4 A 3 Ld 10 Sv ? 25 Pts

Wargear: Something exactly like a Dijin Blade, Forcefield, enemy takes save vs wound or die (like lucas the trickster)

Options: Psycher Mastery 1?

Special Rules: Stubborn, Independent Character, Henchmen Retinue (3-12)

You can find the rest out here.  As there's way too much information for me to post in one go, but I want to talk about the important ones (for me at least).

Grand Masters can make Paladins troops and can make another unit count as scoring.  This means he can make one of your big T7 4W 2+/4++ Dreadknights count as scoring.  Giving a unit like Paladins re-roll 1s to wound for the entire game is a very big deal, considering how all of them have power weapons.  Counter-attack is always welcome and making a huge unit of scoring Paladins Scout is just hysterical.  D3 units means if you have a Grand Master in your army with a big unit of Paladins and a Librarian in 1 unit, you can all start 18" away from the enemy and get some 3++ cover because of Shrouding.  If each unit has to have the ability, then start the GM somewhere else and have the Librarian go in there.  In fact, since GMs are Lv.2 Psykers with some spells already, can't they also buy up to more spells?  All this will be revealed in time.  Oh, and Scouting LRCs loaded with Paladins are also a good thing.

Lord Draigo is 275 points for a bunch of cool and fluffy abilities.  I'm not quite sure what his other abilities are, but from just reading the ones above, I'm not too impressed.  Depending on how many points a Grand Master is, I'd rather have 2x of them than Draigo.. especially if I can give out USRs and take different psychic abilities.  Most SCs can't really be customized so that's another thing to note.

I also don't know anything about Stern so that kinda sucks.  If there was more to him and he's affordable, then I'll probably take him as well since his psychic ability is just hysterical.  Something else to note here is that the GK Librarians are Lv.2 Psykers that can buy up to Lv.3.  Being able to cast 3 spells a turn rivals that of Tiberius, Eldrad and Mephiston.. making GK Psykers some of the most potent to ever exist (so far).

Paladin Squad

Paladin Terminator: WS 5 BS 4 S 4 T 4 W 2 I 4 A 2 Ld 10 Sv 2+/4++ Points 55

Squad Size: 1 - ? 

Weapons: Storm Bolter, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Nemesis Force Halberd

Options: Psychout grenades, Brotherhood Banner, Nemesis Demon Hammer, Pair of Nemesis Falchions, Nemesis Warding Stave, Psycannon, Incinerators, Psylencers, Apothecary, Psybolt Ammo, Master craft any weapon +5 points.

Special Rules: Psyker Level 1

Psychic Powers: Hammer Hand, Holocaust

The 2W Terminators are here!  Look at the options and note that I have no idea what they do.  In fact, no one does.. not even the person that posted the rumors.  I'm assuming the Daemon Hammer is a TH that strikes at I vs. Daemons.. the Falchions are Lightning Claw-equivs and the Brotherhood Banner is either a Chapter Banner or the Wolf Standard equiv.  Psychout Grenades is a mystery and the Nemesis Warding Stave sounds like psychic protection of some sort.  Maybe -4 Leadership for psykers just like the Reinforced Aegis?  Apothecary makes these bad boys FNP and Psybolt Ammo is probably just AP4 w/o Invul saves.  Essentially 60ppm with Master-crafted weapons at WS5 and no options for Storm Shields, these are some of the most hardcore marines to ever hit the field.

Grey Knight Terminator Squad

Grey Knight Terminator: WS 4 BS 4 S 4 T 4 W 1 I 4 A 2 LD 9 Sv 2+/5++ 40 Points

Wargear: Storm Bolter, Nemesis Force Weapon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades.

Options: Psybolt ammo

Special Rules: Psychic Mastery 1

Psychic Powers: Hammer Hand

These guys are troops and clock in at 40ppm.  Enough said here.  Oh wait, they come with Frag and Krak Grenades.  This means they can charge in cover and lol all over other Termies who can't do the same thing.

Grey Knights Strike Squad (the regular GK's)

Grey Knight: WS 4 BS 4 S 4 T 4 W 1 I 4 A 1 LD 8 Sv 3+ 20 Points

Wargear: Storm Bolter, Nemesis Force Sword.

Options: Psybolts, Personal Teleporters

Special Rules: Psyker Level 1

Psychic Powers: Hammer Hand, Warp Quake.

At 20ppm, the standard PAGK is back and better.  Well, I'm not 100% sure if they're better since they're not WS5 and no True Grit, but we'll see how they function in time.

Nemesis Dreadknight (MC): WS 5 BS ? S 7 T 7 W 4 I ? A 3 Sv 2+/4++ 130 Points

Wargear: Heavy Psycannon, Super Incinerator, 2 close combat weapons.

Options: Personal Teleporter +75 Points

Special Rules: Monsterous Creature, Deepstrike, Psychic Mastery 1

Psychic Powers: Hammer Hand, Holocaust.

130 points of T7 2+/4++ and 4 wounds.  Pretty much the same thing as a Wraithlord but has its own invul save and the ability to teleport for an outrageous amount of points.  Imagine having Grand Masters to put scoring on 3 of these and having them teleport around in late game.

Edit:


Brotherhood Champion:
74441*10 2+
Infantry, Character
Artificer, Frag, Krack, Iron Halo, storm bolter
Anointed Blade: Nemesis Force Sword, re roll failed wounds.

Titans Herald: AKA Litanies of Hate.

* The perfect Warrior (instead of an attack value, makes special cc attack ability):
Sword Storm: Makes one A on each model in B2B.
Blade Shield: Does not attack, but re roll failed saves.
Rapier Strike: Makes D3 Attacks (+1 if charged) at I10 but must be against an IC or MC.

Powers:
HammerHand
Heroic Sacrifice

100pts Base
Upgrades:
Digital Weapons 5pts
Empyriean Mines 10pts
Psybolt ammo 5pts