Way Too Early, Completely Pointless Vs. Grey Knight Tactica

So as you all know, I played in a 2000pt tourney a couple weeks back, and went 2-1-0. My lone loss came to the brand new Grey Knights. Going into the game, all I had heard about was how nasty Purifiers are and how you don't want to get close to em.


Well the guy I played had 5 squads of em, all in Razorbacks, all with psy bolt ammo, and a GM/Termie squad in a Storm Raven to top it all off. This game was very enlightening, giving me a better understanding of what they are capable of and what they do. So naturally, I thought I would share with you my current revelations. Now, I have not read the codex, nor have I played multiple games against them, so all this is general stuff, not in depth 100% accurate tactica.


1. Keep Your Head Down!

Probably the first thing I noticed about the GK is dear God what firepower. within 24" I don't know if there is an army that can match them, and psy bolt ammo makes them ungodly. Cheap HB razorbacks suddenly become 36" S6 monsters, with every marine throwin 2 S5 shots all over the place. Psy bolt ammo may be one of the nastiest introductions to the game, with its typical low cost and its availability to almost anything in the army.

if you are looking at it from this angle, its too late

Imagine a storm raven that within 12" can throw 4 S7 rending shots, 3 S6 shots, 12 S5 shots, all twin linked, not counting the missiles. Pure nasty. So, when playin these shiny bastards, you will wanna make sure you don't find yourself caught in that dead zone for long, pick one side or the other and get there quick. Now this also has an advantage for you. GK lack a whole lotta punch outside that range, so it is not hard to outgun them as long as you arent playing within their range.


2. They use a lot of Psychic Powers

Can Save Your Tookus

This one is kind of obvious, but worth mentioning. Grey Knight players roll a lot of psychic tests, and my guess is you will see a lot of people building lists that will hinge on certain psychic abilities. A psychic hood or similar device can really give GK's a headache. Even just stopping a third of their powers can go a long way to helping you weather the storm. I am seriously considering throwing a libby into my BA tourney list. Problem is, they got all kinds of stuff that royally screws psykers, so you will have to be careful.


3. They may look prettier, but on the inside, they're just like you and me

If it Kills him, it'll kill them.

I was very surprised at the lack of survivability of the Grey Knights. I don't know what I was expecting them to do, but it was weird to see them drop so easily. Then it hit me - They're just marines. They may say a few more prayers, have cooler toys, and be a lil shinier, but deep down, they are just the same ol' marines we all know and love. Which means that the same things that have killed marines since the 80s will kill Grey Knights today. Lots of attacks, power weapons, power fists, plasma all this stuff is just as effective on them as it is on us. I have yet to try it, but I am thinkin death companies and Stormravens can give GK's quite the pain in the hindquarters.


The distinct lack of 3++'s was very noticeable as well. His termies packed a punch, but dropped pretty easily. They also don't have that many attacks. a 5 man squad of purifiers and a 7 man squad of Plague Marines were actually pretty even in assault, also surprising.


4. Don't Be Afraid!

Not an effective tactic

I lost the game because I was afraid of his Purifiers and tried to play the range game with him. Not a good decision on my part. Had I just thrown my army down the table, I might have had a better chance. Don't be afraid to get in there and play in the mud. If you play in fear of his nastiness, then you are letting your opponent force you to play reactionary, which is always in their favor. Now I am not saying just put your models on the board and be an idiot. All I am sayin is that don't let the interwebz' nerd rage freak you out to the point where it hurts your ability to make tactically sound decisions.


Well that is all for now, what have y'all learned in your games versus GW's newest army?