Boiling Down List Ideas

March/April is a busy time where I work, which is why it's been a while since I last posted! And it hasn't the least bit to do with my sulking.


I was lined up to fight Space Wolves last Monday with my test list. And I lost. I'll get the bitter part out of the way: If the game had ended on turn 5, I would have won. Also if I'd remembered to go to ground, it would have been a draw; But hey ho that's the way the cookie crumbles! 


The Space Wolves player I was up against was Paul [Who coincidently co-runs Facebook's largest Space Wolves page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Space-Wolves/120208048022208 - Ed] who is a most excellent tactician. Because of this he realised he did NOT want to go into assault with me, and instead of taking his usual Thunder Wolf Cavalry, took 2 units of long fangs with 5 missile launchers and a Wolf Guard with a cyclone missile launcher. That's 7 missile attacks a turn he can split fire with, and he had 2 squads of them!

Second Grey Knights Battle

Well tonight is my second playtest game with the new codex. Last week I used a "Sucker Punch" list involving Mordrak and scouting Dreadknights. I wanted to go for a different feel this time and try out some other GK strategies.

I've been trying to decide between many lists, from Coteaz Razorback spams, through Crowe lists to Massed Dreadknight & Venerable Dreadnought lists.

For tonight though I've settled on a list which doesn't use any special characters [shocker!]. Have a look below.

Shame

After hours and hours of thinking, scheming, math hammering, mentally-worked out battles and fun-scale levels, I managed to come up with a few Grey Knight lists. Then, out of curiosity, I decided to use what I'd leant make a Coteaz list and, this is where the shame comes in, I really like it.

Its so easy to get scoring bodies in metal boxes! Plus Coteaz himself has the spy network ability which allows (or forces) seize initiative re-rolls for either side. Plus the ability to shoot at any deep striking unit within 12". Add in Sanctuary power and we're talking! He's not too shabby in combat either, with 3 Str8 force weapon attack at I1 (OK he's not winning any prizes, but he ain't half bad!).

OK I've gushed enough, I won't go through the entire process, but below is the current list. Pic is related btw, there's a few Razorbacks in the list (this week's "in thing" on the GK blogosphere). Again, based on 1750 points.


HQ
Coteaz 100
Libby w/ 5 powers 175
Elite
Callidus 145
7 Purifiers w/ 1xMC-Ham, 1xHam, 5x Halberds, Rhino 235
Ven PsyAssCannon & doomfist Dread 190
Troops
5 Acolytes & 2MG in PsyBack 90
5 Acolytes & 2MG in PsyBack 90
5 Acolytes & 1MG in PsyBack 80
5 Acolytes & 1MG in PsyBack 80
3 Acolytes in Chimera 67
5 Terms w/psyC 225
Heavy Support
Psyfleman 135
Psyfleman 135

HOKAY! In case any of you are wondering, those PsyBacks are Standard Razorabacks (Twin-Linked Heavy Bolters) with psybolt upgrades weighing in at 50 points. 3 twin-linked Str6 Ap4 shots at 42" effective range is ok by me!

So, the psyflemen pop some transports, the razorbacks advance into mid-field and shoot the gooey innards of said transports. The chimera holds the librarian and Terminators. The chimera, Purifer Rhino (with coteaz in) and ven dreadnought all advance up behind the psybacks, the libby constantly casting shrouding for all the vehicles, and the ven dread causing any psychic powers aimed at the group to be cast at -4 leadership thanks to that reinforced aegis. (Its very fun watching psykers try to cast on Ld 6!) If any powers do go off, the libby will have a chance to null them with his hood.

So the army holds the mid-field shooting everything up, enemy tanks and Heavy infantry are loath to come near because every Razorback has meltaguns inside it (even if they are BS3). Also 2 hard core combat units ready for counter charges.

Callidus is there for taking out annoying enemy Devastator squads or the like.

Thoughts and comments?

Playtest Lists

Some of you might remember that I'm aiming to have a 1750 point Grey Knights army ready for a trip I'm making to Warhammer World at the end of April.

To that end I've been musing on a possible army lists and I've come up with a few interesting ones. Not sure if they'd work or not yet, they look good on paper though, but only playtesting will tell!

Anyway, here's 3 lists I dreamt up, along with some explanations.

Battle Analysis

Last night I had my first test game for the new codex. As I was using stand ins I didn't take any photos and so this post is going to be less a battle report and more an analysis of how each of the units fared.

I gave a brief run down of my list and intended tactics here.

The mission was Capture and Control with Spearhead deployment. Happily I got first turn.

List Creation For First Battle

Well tonight will be the first battle for me using the new Grey Knights Codex. My opponent suggested 2500 points. While bigger than most casual games, with everything in the GK codex being so darn expensive I was happy to oblige!

So in my first game I decided to build the army list around my favourite units from the codex. Those being; Librarian, Purifiers, Vindicare, Psflemen, Dreadknight and Callidus. (because Callidus is just fun!)

Whoops

I'm big enough to admit when I've made a mistake. I believe a few posts ago I stated that Mordrak's Ghost Knights no longer have the "Stealth" rule.

In fact they do. In their army list entry it does not list Stealth under the unit's special rules. Yet in the description under Mordrak's unit listing it states "Ghost Knights also always have the Steaktg special rule due to their spectral nature."

Why couldn't they then list it under "Special Rules" in the unit's list entry? I have no idea. Still, This might trick a few people, but now we know.

Prop Tip: Thanks to the recent FAQ, this will pass on Stealth to Mordrak (and a Librarian IC if he joins the unit) !

New King Of Suppression

Ah the rifleman dread. For those unaware or who can't tell from the picture, rifleman dreads are the slang term given to Space Marine Dreadnoughts who are armed with 2 twin linked autocannons.

Putting out 4 strength 7 shots a turn with re-rolls to hit, they may not sound impressive on paper, but they are the kings of suppressing light vehicles and transports and have become a popular addition to many Space Marine armies.

I use three of them myself, hitting the points sweet spot and levelling a perfect balance between anti-tank and anti-personal, they have come into their own time and time again on the battlefield. I particularly like chewing up expensive Thunder Wolf Calvary with mine, but I digress.

A modern day classic, but Grey Knights simply weren't happy enough...

Does Coteaz Call For An FAQ Already?

THE ISSUE:


Coteaz's special rules include the following:

"
Lord of Formosa
Inquisitorial Henchmen Warbands are Troops choices in an army that include Inquisitor Torquemada Coteaz, and are not limited by the number of Inquisitors in your army.
"

The interesting consideration comes from the special limitations rule that the Inquisitorial Henchmen Warband has: 
"
For each Inquisitor in your army, you may also include a unit of 3-12 henchmen, chosen in any combination from those shown. The unit does not use up a force organisation slot.
"


There are many taking this to mean that Henchmen count as troops choices, but do not take up a force allocation slot. Meaning you can take as many units of them as you like and they are scoring. (But you will also have to take 2 troops choices from the codex)


MY STANCE:

What A Week!

Well what a week to choose to go on holiday!

Black boxes arrive in stores, in-store viewing of the codex and models, pre-orders up on the GW website, and the internet is abuzz with how the codex has changed compared to the leaked version and what this means for GK armies!

Holiday

So I'm jumping in the old Stormraven and jetting off to some mountains for a week as of tomorrow morning.

Due to there only being me here, things will go a little quiet for a bit; but fear not! I shall return to you in the fullness of time (well, a week).

Adios!

The Board Is Set, The Pieces Are Moving

We have news that in secret, unmarked vans, Grey Knights boxes are currently being shipped to Games Workshop stores all across Europe.

Pre-Orders are up next week. The End is nigh!

Inquisitor Allies

Now here's a thorny issue; Inquisitor Henchmen. I had always planned to take a pure Grey Knights army from the new codex, no weak willed and flimsy mortals getting in the way of my awesomeness! The problem has arisen when I begrudgingly admitted that they are just

=][=SO

=][=DAMN

=][=GOOD!

The Month Of March

I love march. It gets warmer. It starts to get light when I leave work. I don't have to wear 15 layers or snow-grips just to take the bins out. Oh yeah an my birthday usually comes along. But this year I love it all the more, why?

You guessed it, Grey Knights!