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I've been planning to start a new Grey Knight army when the new codex comes out, but I am having trouble coming up with a fluff for them, as their recruitment methods are rather unknown.

I was thinking of having my Grey Knight Grandmaster be some sort of old friend of my Chaos Lord/DP from my CSM/Daemon army, now bent on chasing his fallen brother.
However it's unclear if all GKs are cloned, recruited or what. Obviously my Chaos Lord cannot be ex GK, as GK are supposedly incorruptible.

So where do GKs get their recruits from? Psyckers inside inquisitorial forces perhaps? Even inquisitors themselves? Can anyone help me on that one?

Cloning isn't allowed in the Imperium so that's unlikely...
I haven't read anything about the GKs recruiting but i did read something about them being mind wiped which would probably be used to ensure absolute loyalty.
They probably wouldn't recruit other marines since they would have the gene-seed from another primarch and things would start going off slightly.
Most IG troopers would be too old to be recruited...
I'd suppose they choose recruits from the Ordo Pyskana (or whatever they're called) since the GK need all recruits to be psychic even if it's only slightly.

Unlike most Space Marine Chapters, the Grey Knight recruits are drawn directly from the Black Ships after they return to Terra they are then brought to Titan for testing.

Or so says The Inquisition(a Background book by Black Library).

For those looking for it:

# ISBN 10:1-84416-491-8

Yay i guessed vaguely correctly

Hmmm, that makes sense.

Another question. Is it possible for Inquisitors to be ex space marines? Especially from a broken, destroyed chapter? The wiki states that pretty much anyone can be an inquisitor.

Grey Knights recruit on the harshest worlds in the Imperium. However, they must also present psychic potential. When they are brought to Titan, they are mind-scrubbed, or at least so indoctrinated in the process of becoming a Grey Knight that they would not recruit a Guardsmen or Space Marine...

Though this may change with the new codex.

DrDuckman wrote:Hmmm, that makes sense.

Another question. Is it possible for Inquisitors to be ex space marines? Especially from a broken, destroyed chapter? The wiki states that pretty much anyone can be an inquisitor.

No. Space Marines are soldiers and most of the time don't really have the kind of mind required to be an Inquisitor and even if they did they aren't exactly the best at sneaking about... and even if they didn't bother with that they would more than likely be in a retinue or go off an die heroically if their chapter was destroyed.

I kind of doubt it, he would either have to be the last surviving member of his chapter or perminantly seconded to the Inquisitors service. Now if the marine was the last of his chapter (highly unlikely) then maybe he could be chosen as the Inquisitors successor, but if he was just seconded then he would either go back to his chapter or serve another Inquisitor. Now Space Marines are intelligent, but unless they're a captain or some other rank their intelligence is mainly geared towards combat. Inquisitors are more then just muscle.

And even though cloning isn't allowed in the Imperium that dosen't mean that outside forces (say Fabius Bile who cloned Horus) could do it.

I was actually considering the last surviving sane member of a chapter that moved to chaos, a librarian probably, eventually becomes an inquisitor himself, I dont actually mean to field Space Marines in an inquisitor's unit or anything.

Would that be possible? I mean, I doubt other space marines would accept him, given that he comes from a traitor chapter, but an inquisitor would have found a use for him as an advisor/assistant when chasing that chapter, and eventually elevated him to inquisitor himself.
It does not seem unlikely, especially for Radical Inquisitors. Why not use the one that knows your enemy the best.

That would deffinitly be a no. Add on everything I said as to why a Space Marine woulden't become an Inquisitor then add on to that the idea of a Librarian who is more at risk of turning to Chaos then almost any other Space Marine that comes from an entire chapter that turned to Chaos. He would probably be executed just on suspicion of being a traitor let alone be made into an Inquisitor.

Warboss Imbad Ironskull wrote:

And even though cloning isn't allowed in the Imperium that dosen't mean that outside forces (say Fabius Bile who cloned Horus) could do it.

Except my apologies in advance if im wrong but Fabius failed to clone Horus correct? I thought i read that they tried and failed to clone him.

Ugly Green Trog wrote:

Warboss Imbad Ironskull wrote:

And even though cloning isn't allowed in the Imperium that dosen't mean that outside forces (say Fabius Bile who cloned Horus) could do it.

Except my apologies in advance if im wrong but Fabius failed to clone Horus correct? I thought i read that they tried and failed to clone him.

They cloned him but Abaddon came and broke everything... Mr Bile has cloned himself several times and is probably the hardest person in the galaxy to kill (concerning mortals, daemons don't count)

Inquisitors are all human AFAIK, rather than Space Marines.

Melissia wrote:Inquisitors are all human AFAIK, rather than Space Marines.

Does Garro from HH count as an inquisitor?

I would say he counts as a progenitor to the Grey Knights, but what exactly he and his groups were sent to form is up for debate.

purplefood wrote: and even if they did they aren't exactly the best at sneaking about...

I'm going to go ahead and disagree with this. Did they completely forget the training they received as Scouts? What about Space Wolf Scouts, who are veteran marines instead of trainees? And those chapters renowned for their stealth skills and tactics?

Melissia wrote:I would say he counts as a progenitor to the Grey Knights, but what exactly he and his groups were sent to form is up for debate.

The Emperor Himself is the progenitor of the Grey Knights. Their geneseed was taken directly from Him shortly before Horus began the Seige of Terra. Garro was indeed one of the first Inquisitors, along with Iacton Qruze of the Luna Wolves/Sons of Horus, and Amendera Kendel of the Sisters of Silence.

Captain Aphael wrote:

Melissia wrote:I would say he counts as a progenitor to the Grey Knights, but what exactly he and his groups were sent to form is up for debate.

The Emperor Himself is the progenitor of the Grey Knights. Their geneseed was taken directly from Him shortly before Horus began the Seige of Terra. Garro was indeed one of the first Inquisitors, along with Iacton Qruze of the Luna Wolves/Sons of Horus, and Amendera Kendel of the Sisters of Silence.

And where might I ask did you get this nugget of information?

The lagacy of the Knights Geneseed comes from the Grey Knights Novels based on their interpretations of their origins. The info. about Garro, Qruze, and Kendel, comes from the novel The Flight of the Eisenstein. At the end, Malcador the Sigillite issues the Emperor's edict for what would become the foundation of the Inquisition. While not in title, these three were the first members of the Inquisition in their roles.

If I can find quotes, I'll be sure to post them.

Yeah, they've never come out and said that.

Spoilers from Flight


We alll know where they are going, but it isn't confirmed yet. It is further enhanced by the Garro audio dramas.

Theory about Audio Dramas

I own the Grey Knights books and I'm pretty sure it never says conclusivly that the Emperor supplied the gene seed for the chapter. It is hinted as a possibility (a very likely possibility) but it isn't confirmed so that can't be stated as fact.

I haven't read The Flight of The Eisenstien but unless they're actually labeled as Inquisitors there is no way of knowing that they where the first. I don't doubt that the 3 where the founding members of the Inquisition but that doesen't mean that Qruze and Garro where actually Inquisitors. For all we know they could have been the first Deathwatch or the trainers of the first Grey Knights. So it can't be said as fact that they where Inquisitors

Read my post. It didn't say conclusively, yet.

Grey Knights origins can be found in the Grey Knights articles in the Deamonhunters Codex.
As to the Audio Drama info, I've never listened to the audio books, I'll have to look into them.
I'll agree it never comes out and says that they are inquisitors, but we all know where Malcador was going with the edict.

P.S. Warboss Imbad Ironskull: Flight of the Eisenstein is a fantastic read. I highly recommend it.

The portion of the DH codex that says they used the Emperor's gene-seed starts with 'Legend tells that...'

The sentence about the gene-seed specifically says 'The Grey knights were unique in that their gene-seed was said by some to have come from the Emperor's own flesh.'

Emphasis mine.

Sounds like they intentionally left it open. That being said, the GK codex came out 8 years ago. We'll get some clarification with the rest of the HH series and the new GK codex. I think the GK codex will stay vague and they will leave it for a big reveal in HH.

pretre wrote:The portion of the DH codex that says they used the Emperor's gene-seed starts with 'Legend tells that...'

The sentence about the gene-seed specifically says 'The Grey knights were unique in that their gene-seed was said by some to have come from the Emperor's own flesh.'

Emphasis mine.

Sounds like they intentionally left it open. That being said, the GK codex came out 8 years ago. We'll get some clarification with the rest of the HH series and the new GK codex. I think the GK codex will stay vague and they will leave it for a big reveal in HH.

Supposedly, the new GK codex tells us more on it, hinting that it's a cocktail of Traitor geneseed or something like that. At least, that's what various quotes in the rumour threads were saying.

Platuan4th wrote:

purplefood wrote: and even if they did they aren't exactly the best at sneaking about...

I'm going to go ahead and disagree with this. Did they completely forget the training they received as Scouts? What about Space Wolf Scouts, who are veteran marines instead of trainees? And those chapters renowned for their stealth skills and tactics?

I meant inquisitorial sneaking...
Pretending to be a diplomat or a nor noble when you have the power to call down hell upon a world.

purplefood wrote:I meant inquisitorial sneaking...
Pretending to be a diplomat or a nor noble when you have the power to call down hell upon a world.

Marines are pretty good at that. Alpha legion was well known for it. They usually worked through agents. Which, strangely enough, inquisitors are well known for.

pretre wrote:

purplefood wrote:I meant inquisitorial sneaking...
Pretending to be a diplomat or a nor noble when you have the power to call down hell upon a world.

Marines are pretty good at that. Alpha legion was well known for it. They usually worked through agents. Which, strangely enough, inquisitors are well known for.

Yeah they worked through agents.
Most inquisitors have a retinue of only a few members and so they do a lot of sneaking on their own.
SM are hardly the best individuals to disguise themselves.
Alpha Legion can disguise themselves as other Astartes members which they have been known to do.

purplefood wrote:Yeah they worked through agents.
Most inquisitors have a retinue of only a few members and so they do a lot of sneaking on their own.
SM are hardly the best individuals to disguise themselves.
Alpha Legion can disguise themselves as other Astartes members which they have been known to do.

Read Legion.
Astartes don't have to disguise themselves.

pretre wrote:

purplefood wrote:Yeah they worked through agents.
Most inquisitors have a retinue of only a few members and so they do a lot of sneaking on their own.
SM are hardly the best individuals to disguise themselves.
Alpha Legion can disguise themselves as other Astartes members which they have been known to do.

Read Legion.
Astartes don't have to disguise themselves.

I haven't read Legion.
They kind of do... it's pretty easy to pick one of them out of a line up even without their armour.