Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Greetings. New member on the forum, long time 40k enjoyer and pretty new 40k player. I request help making a viable imperial knight freeblade list that only has 2 conditions.

1. Must have one castellan.
2. Must also have 2 quaestoris knights, any type.
3. Doesn't want armigers. Doesn't need armigers.
4. About 1500 points, probably.
5. Freeblade lance because all my knights are flamboyantly painted.

The vision I had was 1 big stompy castellan and 2 fast stompy gallants. Please tell me why, why not, or how something like this would work and maybe actually win sometimes. Many thanks.

No armigers, no bonds - one of the strength of IK.

I will echo the above, you will struggle without Armigers. Armigers give you the extra models you need to hold Objectives, they also synergise with the Bondsman abilties. Having said that, if you want to go ahead, here is my stab at a list.

610 Castellan with Ion Bulwark and an extra Siegebreaker cannon
425 Gallant with Sanctuary, meltagun and Ironstorm Launcher
455 Warden with Ironstorm Launcher
1490 points

I have avoided splashing out extra CPs on Relics and WLTs since you have to -3CPs to run this list but you can go bigger if you wish. You mandated the Castellan so you are good for anti-tank and anti-elites. I have balanced this with a Warden for some horde control and a Gallant for melee.

With only 3 models, the enemy may well try and hide important units from you so I have put Ironstorms on both Questoris to give you some shooting that ignores LOS. I have also invested in extra cannons for the Castellan rather than missiles since youcan only fire one missile per turn. If your Castellan is stilll alive and shooting on the third turn, chances are the game is going your way anyway.

Thanks for the reply Karhedron. I know the flexibility and buffs that Armigers give are hard to pass on, and in future lists I will probably incorporate them once I can get the models. I really like the Castellan but it is indeed a bit tricky to fit into lists. It doesn't work as well with armigers as some of the quaestoris models, and it also doesn't contribute towards the 12CP refund that you can get with having 3 quaestoris models.

I like the feedback you gave, definitely covers all the bases and leaves some flexibility. I modified it a bit by giving the Castellan Cawl's Wrath and Forgemaster, and taking away one of the ironstorms on the other 2 knights. I swapped Ion Bulwark out for Blessed by Sacristans and I figured Forgemaster would help mitigate losing the 4+ invul from Ion Bulwark. I might spend one more CP to put the Ion Bulwark on the Warden instead, I think it's great value. In fact, I'm viewing the Warden as interchangeable with a Paladin or Errant depending on the situation. My models are magnetized and I think those 3 are almost all the same point cost.

I'll be playing a friendly match soon so I guess we'll see how it goes. Thanks again

Cool, let us know how it goes.

Hey, mini bat-rep for ya! I pulled some last minute changes and went with a freeblade lance having the Castellan with Cawl's Wrath, a Warden with Endless Fury, and Canis Rex. I was able to make it work point-wise, and even though a lot of the buffs and benefits that Canix Rex gives went to waste from no armigers, the WS/BS 2+ and A5 profile plus Freedom's Hand and the flexibility of the Las-Impulsor were actually very helpful. I viewed Canis Rex as a more adaptable close combat threat over the gallant. It can't move as fast, and costs more of course, but I think it's a great value unit with a decent attack ranged option. For the Warden, Endless Fury absolutely SLAPS! My opponent was playing Dark Angels with a terminator focus. I wasn't sold on the Warden at first as the avenger gatling cannon just seemed a bit underwhelming, but I think Endless Fury might be one of the best options knights have for dealing with elite infantry and especially terminators. The terminators required 4+ to wound regardless, so higher strength weapons mattered less.

Anyways, each knight fulfilled its role quite well. Castellan deleted almost anything it was able to fire at, the Canix Rex was great in CC and just ok with ranged, and sheer amount of shots The Warden could pump out made it a major threat. Though the Warden ended up going down during the battle, and objectives were certainly hard for me to deal with having only 3 units. But I did end up outscoring my opponent by the end and wiped almost his entire army from the table. All in all, not a bad first outing for my knights.

Thanks again for the feedback on the list!