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So, simple escalation league at the FLGS and I want to pick up Grey Knights for this one. We're starting at 250 points and every 2 weeks we add 250 until we reach 1500, in the 250 and 500 areas we're using a doctored force organization of "1-2 Troop, 0-1 Elite, 0-1 Fast Attack, 0-1 Fortification" I'm looking for advice since there is only one dedicated Grey Knight player at the FLGS and one other not so dedicated(read: has pretty much all the armies and rotates as he sees fit) and both of them tend to focus on Henchmen lists. I'd like to focus more on Power Armor and splash some termies/pallies. I'm not trying to be win at all costs, but I would like to be competitive.

At 250 a basic Strike Squad easily hits that limit:
10x Models with the Justicar holding a Hammer psybolt ammo and then 2x Psycannons with the rest holding swords

Since I'm not allowed to take HQs I literally cannot take henchmen, and termies make me nervous with only 5 models on the table. This league also focus on painting quite a bit, so I'm hoping to look somewhat forward too, because the painting points are based on the percentage of your army fully painted. Normally I'm a procrastinator but I want to get a head on this league. I'd also love to mag my models so any advice on that from people would be awesome.

tl;dr:
250 list with modified force org
10x Models with the Justicar holding a Hammer psybolt ammo and then 2x Psycannons with the rest holding swords - 250 pts
C&C please.

To be perfectly honest 250 is a silly amount to start with, should really be staeting at 500, with 250 increases.

Problem with that FOC is that you have no option to take a hq, a cheap inquisitor would be a good start. So you need one troop, you either have the strike squad or terminator squad, so say you go terminators,that leaves 50 points left, take a psycannon for 25 and that leaves 25 to do not much with.

As you have done, the best bet is to take strike squad, either a base one at 100, then 150 left.

Could go for an interceptor squad with incinerator or in elites, could take a vindicare assain and laugh at anyone who take a tank.

I think your list will be solid, best to get lots of bodies on the feild, 2 psycannons is great for anything woth decent toughness or any tanks, and with psybolt makes a good shooty unit.

Only problem would be if someone takes a green tide list I guess but not much you can really do, I would take this

5 strikes psycannon: 110
5 purifiers with 2 psycannons: 140

Total: 250

Same number of bodies, however one extra psycannon, and they really are that good. Purifiers can use cleansing flame to take out any hordes, no hammer but I dont thin you would need it any way. Strike squads should not be in combat with one attack base.

Hope this helps.

I... sense a GOPHER!

@Overlord Zerrtin: Yes, a gopher I is. I played DE for the last league, should tell you enough to point me out.

@Tuiman: I like your change with the Purifiers, I had pretty much just labeled them a little too expensive to look at at this level but 3 Psycannons on the table is really scary to think about.

Looking ahead to the 500, I'm wondering if I should just put the strikes I first posted with Tuiman's suggestion to get 20 bodies and 5 Psycannons, or if I should start thinking about termies, or maybe even rhinos/razorbacks? My first instinct would be for bodies in a game that small but termies can be scary.

I would suggest terminators, but keep them simple with just the free upgrades (hammers and halberds) and then a psycannon. then use the spare 25 points to get an extra purifier.
What HQ will you be taking when the points get higher?

Ah yes i know who you are now i played necron grey knight hybrid and nerons and chaos

I haven't put much thought into HQs yet, but Coteaz is definitely high on the list at 750 and 1000. I was thinking about Crowe for end game because I'm looking for a more power armor centered game, but I know he and the purifiers have their issues too.

i d go with 5 strikes psycannon: 110 and 5 purifiers with 2 psycannons: 140. terminators have the habit to fail and the impact is much larger. +2 save is nice but 10 wounds instead of 5 is a bit advantage. psycannons are really nice, my favorit. if you plan ahead you need to get 2 squads 10 man. maybe vindicare assassin is nice to snipe important models, which your opponent spent points in, DA tactical with the plasma gun or cannon. 500 gkss and the purifies with a assassin and some additional models in the squads. never play anything like that, but i think people might take everything that flies, so aegisline can be nice.

after 500 what will you be allowed to use?

Caine out.

Oh, rereading the rules, it appears we wont be having a 750 bracket, it will be 250, 500, 1000, then 1500 for 2 weeks each and at the end of all that there will be a tourney at 1500. Once we hit 1000 points its normal FOC.

would transports help in this points level?

I'm torn on the subject of transports, they would help me get around with out having to worry too much about sustaining heavy casualties. On the other hand, though, I know our necron player has managed to squeeze a flier into his 250 point list, and likely up to three night scythes in his 500 point list so those can open any transports I bring like a can of sardines. I know for sure there is 1 necron player, they may be up to 2 more in the league, two other people have them just depends if they bring them or not. Lots of marine players so they'll have access to fun toys for opening cans as well.

I thought the parameters sounded familiar.

I wouldn't worry TOO much about painting in this league, as however you decide to cut it, you're not going to have all that many minis to paint, being grey knights and all. Plus, priming them silver and washing them black gets you most of what you need.

As for your list, the first thing you should probably ask yourself is where you want it to be going. Eventually you're going to have a lot of points, and as much as possible, you should probably try and avoid taking things at the lower points level that you wouldn't want to play at a higher points level.

So, start at the beginning. What do you want your grey knights army to look like? You're not just starting a league, or a new army, you're starting a new lifestyle, so to speak. Do you see yourself as an inquisitor who runs around with henchmen and hijacks local imperial guard regiments? Do you see yourself as the absolute hard point of the spear, fielding literally only the elitest of the elites? Do you want to blend in your DE experience, going for a highly mobile army that makes its way by making extensive use of teleporting and shunting? Do you want to play a psy-ammo gunline?

Start by thinking about what you want your grey knights army to be. How it should feel, how it will be distinctively yours, etc. When you know what you want form your army, then being able to start an escalating list will be a lot easier. On the plus side, you're playing GK now, which doesn't have all that many non-competitive builds. I'd focus less on its ability to beat face, which in your case is rather a given (compared to, say, if you'd just started a tau army), and focus more on other things first.

You will probably want a psyrifle man in your 500 point list if you know your going to be versing flyers with 4 shots twin linked your bound to get some hits then go for the shaken and stunned results to cripple it's next offensive.
Try something like this.

Strike squad (10 man)/ 2 psycannons - 220
Purifiers/ 2 psycannons - 140
Dreadnought/ 2x TL AT, psybolt - 135

Then that leaves you 5 points for what ever.

tuiman wrote:
Only problem would be if someone takes a green tide list I guess but not much you can really do, I would take this

5 strikes psycannon: 110
5 purifiers with 2 psycannons: 140

Total: 250

I can't think of anything that would defeat this at 250 pts. 3 psycannons will destroy everything from green tide to terminators.

You sir, are mean.

One other question I'm looking at is what would the optimal kitting for a Strike Squad and Purifiers respectively? I would like to run Crowe and thus purifiers for the final 1500 form of the list.