Grey Knights - Playtestan' @ 1500

One game with and two games against the new GKs in two days; a win, a draw, and a loss.  I think I'm starting to get my head around what works and what doesn't.  Some musings, but first an apology to Mat Ward.  I came into this book thinking it looked like shit.  It's not shit.  It's awesome.  So, sorry about that.

Now, musings:

= In terms of how it all works, in my mind the GKs seem to be a lot like the Wolves, however where the Wolves rely on chipping away at you and find resiliency in having multiples of everything, the GKs will out-and-out kill your face off and find resiliency in the fact they are Marines-Plus.  Squad for squad they are surprisingly destructive, and while a lot of their smashiness is concentrated in a 24 inch bubble they do have access to some natty fire support too.
= Psyfleman Dreads are, I reckon, the GK's Long Fangs; they're really, really good.  Four S8 shots with rerolls to hit is enough to push a damage result past any transport's cover save in the early game, and once the cover saves start disappearing it's easily enough to tear most light vehicles to bits.
= Fortitude allows you to be a little more cavalier about deploying and moving your vehicles, and it can make GK mech armies a right royal pain in the bum.  How?  All the Autocannons and Missile Launchers you have brought along to Stunlock transports and Walkers; Fortitude makes those not work.  Either you kill the vehicle, or it will keep coming after you.
= After yesterday's game against an MSU Coteaz army I was thinking Fortitude might be a good excuse to bring Land Raiders, the rationale being that silly Glancing hits from Missile Launchers and Lascannons would not be an issue.  I was wrong.  In most armies that can use them you will have enough models on the table to prevent Deep Striking Land Speeders and suicide Rhinos from Meltagunning them to death; not so with the Grey Knights.  Mine only survived because my opponent's Land Speeder gunners were drunk, and his Meltawagons were too busy trying to stop my Dreads from chewing through his army.
= Dreadknights... they're a riot.  They're almost worth taking for the Heavy Incinerator alone, which I reckon will be what most people do since his other shooting options don't seem all that inspiring.  The Greatsword definitely seems worth it's water, although it's a choice between +1 Attack for free (giving him 5 on the charge) and rerolls on... well, everything it's possible to reroll in close combat for an extra 25pts.
= Psycannons are really cool.  They're not as spammable as I'd like, but you can choke in enough of them at 1500pts to give most people headaches and they are dangerous enough to armour that they can't be ignored.  The fact they will do a number on infantry doesn't really need to be stated; combined with Storm Bolters and Hammerhanded power weapons your anti-infantry needs are more or less taken care of.  Give them to Terminators and they're very nasty indeed; Grand Masters and BroCaps pay a shit-ton of points for them for a reason.
= All that said, while your basic GK can and will step on the throat of most any other trooper you throw him at, the real anti-infantry nastiness lies with Purifiers.  Cleansing Flame, cheap Halberds and free Incinerators sort of mark them out as the blokes you push into Ork hordes, although the extra Psycannons they have access to come in handy too.
= Grand Masters are awesome now.  Other HQ options are available, some of them just as awesome, but if you want a big GK army at 1500pts then you're either taking a Grand Master or you're taking Crowe, as far as I can see.

I've got a couple more games booked in over the weekend so that gives me a chance to see how this all bears out. Guard and Tyranids next; yay!

Nate Dogg have die

But we will remember him always.

1500pt Grey Knights crap

Posted this over at H-O, postan' it here too.  Barring some mathematical failure I think they should work okay:

Grey Knights 1500
HQ
Mordrak
Coteaz

Elites
Purifier Squad
- 5 bods, 3 Halberds, 1 Incinerator, 1 Hammer, Rhino
Purifier Squad
- 5 bods, 3 Halberds, 1 Incinerator, 1 Hammer, Rhino

Troops
Terminators
- 5 bods, 3 Halberds, 1 Sword, Psycannon, Justicar w/ Hammer
Henchman Warband
- 2x Jokaero, 2x Crusader, Las/ Plas Razorback
Henchman Warband
- 2x Jokaero, 2x Crusader, Las/ Plas Razorback

Heavy Support
Psyfleman Dread
- 2x TL Autocannons, Psybolt Ammunition
Psyfleman Dread
- 2x TL Autocannons, Psybolt Ammunition

Backfield consists of 2 Dreads, the Monkey Bulters and their Razorbacks, and Coteaz. Purifiers, Mordrak and the Terminators go forwards. Purifiers are to hoover up hordes and infantry, everything else is sort of self-explanatory. Use Mordrak's super-powers to make as many units Scoring as possible; prefer the Purifiers if you have to chase objectives and the Dreads if you have to hold ones you're sitting on. Coteaz can sit in a Monkey Bulter squad and use Sanctuary to stop people charging them, or he can mongle forward with the Terminators if you're not Deep Striking them. Shove Mordrak in people's faces so they shoot him and he spawns Knights.

Coteazwing 1500
HQ
Coteaz
Croweballs

Troops
Purifier Squad
- 10 bods, 2 Halberds, 1 Sword, 1 Incinerator, 1 Hammer, 3 Psycannons, Rhino
Purifier Squad
- 10 bods, 2 Halberds, 1 Sword, 1 Incinerator, 1 Hammer, 3 Psycannons, Rhino
Henchman Warband
- 2x Jokaero, 1x HB Servitor, 2x Warrior w/ Boltgun, Las/ Plas Razorback
Henchman Warband
- 2x Jokaero, 1x HB Servitor, 2x Warrior w/ Boltgun, Las/ Plas Razorback

Heavy Support
Psyfleman Dread
- 2x TL Autocannons, Psybolt Ammunition
Psyfleman Dread
- 2x TL Autocannons, Psybolt Ammunition

Same as the last one more or less, except here you have Purifiers who'll want to Combat Squad; close combat gear and the Incinerator go into the Rhinos, 3 Psycannons walk around on their own. Use Coteaz and Crowe together; Sanctuary, and the threat of being charged by a loony with Rends-on 4+ attacks who will remove your Hive Tyrant from play if he dies in base contact, should provide a reasonable disincentive to launch assaults on your Psycannons.

The Warriors with Bolters are wound counters. They fail at being anything else.


Fuck You And Your Henchmen 1500
HQ
Grand Master w/ 3x Servo Skulls & Incinerator
Librarian w/ Halberd, The Shrouding, The Summoning & Teleport Homer

Elites
Purifier Squad
- 5 bods, 2 Psycannons, TL-AssCan Razorback w/ Psybolt Ammunition
Purifier Squad
- 5 bods, 2 Psycannons, TL-AssCan Razorback w/ Psybolt Ammunition

Troops
Terminators
- 5 bods, 4 Halberds, Incinerator, Justicar w/ Mastercrafted Hammer
Strike Squad
- 5 bods, Psilencer, TL-AssCan Razorback w/ Psybolt Ammunition

Heavy Support
Psyfleman Dread
- 2x TL Autocannons, Psybolt Ammunition & Warp Stabilisation Field
Psyfleman Dread
- 2x TL Autocannons, Psybolt Ammunition & Warp Stabilisation Field

More or less the same dealie as the Mordrak list, except instead of Monkey Lascannons you have S7 Rending all over the place and a Librarian to do Flying Circus-style tricks.

You may want to drop the Warp Stabilisers off the Dreads and stick them on the Purifiers' Razorbacks instead that might be an idea, although with everything either riding forward or Deep Striking in having the Dreads sitting in the backfield on their own might be a problem.

The Servo-Skulls are to keep landing zones clear for the DSing Termies, while the Strike Squad has a Psilencer because they are free and pretty neat, despite looking like a Pie Gun from Bugsy Malone.

Stelek's 6+6: Chaos Spess Mehriens 1500pts

From this:
http://yesthetruthhurts.com/2011/02/chaos-using-the-66-and-the-42/

To this:

Chaos Space Marines 6+6: 1500pts
HQ - 105
Lord w/ Power Weapon - 105

Elites - 210
Dread w/ TLAC & ML - 110
Dread w/ CCW & ML - 100

Troops - 685
Chaos Marines - 145
- 4 bods, 1x Champion w/ Combi-Melta, 1x Meltagun, Rhino
Chaos Marines - 145
- 4 bods, 1x Champion w/ Combi-Melta, 1x Meltagun, Rhino
Chaos Marines - 145
- 4 bods, 1x Champion w/ Combi-Melta, 1x Meltagun, Rhino
Noise Marines - 125
- 5x Pervs w/ Sonic Blasters
Noise Marines - 125
- 5x Pervs w/ Sonic Blasters

Fast Attack - 240
Raptors - 120
- 5 bods, 2x Meltagun
Raptors - 120
- 5 bods, 2x Meltagun

Heavy Support - 260
Autolas Pred - 130
Autolas Pred - 130


Is it still 6+6?

Anti-tank:
2 Preds
2 Raptors
1 Dread

Anti-infantry:
2 Noise Marines1 Dread

Plus the CSMs, who can RF at stuff or Melta things.

I would've preferred to have kept the Greater Daemon - or at the very least got a flying DP to replace him - but couldn't make it fit in a way that appealed to me.


Runs much the same way as Stelek's, in case you're wondering, however the loss of the Vindicator means you haven't really got a big fat 'Shoot Me Plz!' vehicle to put in midfield.  Your choices are either make do and mend, or alternatively ditch a CSM death-ride and bring the Vindicator.

My Wolves - Last Time

HQ - 320
Rune Priest w/ Stormcaller, Living Lightning
Wolf Lord w/ TW Mount, Frost Blade, Storm Shield, 2x Wolves

Elites - 200
Wolf Guard
- 3x PAWG w/ combi-melta
- 1x TAWG w/ Chainfist & Storm Shield
- 1x TAWG w/ CML, Storm Bolter & Wolf Claw

Troops - 660
3 of:
Grey Hunters
- 5 bods, Meltagun. Rhino
Grey Hunters
- 5 bods, Meltagun, Las/ Plas RB
Grey Hunters
- 5 bods, Plasma Gun, Las/ Plas RB

Fast Attack - 40
Fenrisian Wolves
- 5x Wolf

Heavy Support - 280
2 of:
Long Fangs
- 2x ML, Las/ Plas RB

Motherf--

Finding out Matt Ward is writing the GK Codex has put a right old damper on my passion to re-do my GKs; given his efforts thus far in 5th I have difficulty believing the book will be about anything other than selling DreadKnight kits (which, by the way, look like fucking Optimus Prime), that the army will be anything other than bland and soulless, or that he will be able to resist the desire to make GKs an Ultramarines successor Chapter and retcon the Inquisition so it was invented by some Sergeant from the Third Company.  Or maybe Rowboat himself.

So bollocks to it, it's Dark Eldar time!

I haven't really digested the Codex yet but as near as I can tell it is yet more Phil Kelly filth in much the same style as the Space Wolves book; lots of bodies, lots of guns, lots of options, however where the Wolves can spread the hate throughout the entire army the Sexy Elves seem to be more about specialisation, and avoiding damage altogether rather than soaking it in stoic, mean-bastard Space Viking style.

I'mma get on that now.  Lists... soon.

Preparing For GK Codex Stage 2

Here you see approximately 1100 points of my 1500pt pure Grey Knight army, stripped and ready for repainting.

I'm guessing GKs in power armour will be Elites or Nemesis Force Weapons will cost 30pts per model in the new book.  Otherwise I would be able to use my old models to make a new army, and Jervis won't allow that (cf. Blood Angels Death Company).

Preparing For GK Codex Stage 1

Betazone; kills all known 8 year old paintjobs dead.  Also looks like piss and smells like a hospital, hence the butty box with airtight lid.

Enjoy your bath, Justicar Failbot!