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So, nothing really beats playtesting and having had my head handed to my by an eldar player testing out his new codex (mental note: don't try to trim a 1K list to 750 then add back 150 so the eldar chap can fit in all the toys he wants but leaving myself with a less than optimized list for the PV), and those space elves definitely have some fun toys (I fear the rending weapons )

But (since it was my first game of 6th Ed w/ the GK) I did learn some valuable lessons (and in one case confirmed something I'd suspected ... see tactical notes at the end of the list).

Also note: For short-term purposes, I'm pretty limited by the number of models I have (and local opponents have been very good about letting me proxy), but suggestions for changes will be welcomed for the medium-term as I build out the force.

HQ -- 225 -- :Librarian
TDA
Nemesis staff
Digital Weapons (swap-able for Master Crafting on the staff)
3x servo skulls
Codex Psychic powers
(Smite, Shrouding, Summoning, Warp Rift)

Troop -- 360 -- Grey Knight Strike Squad
Psybolt Ammo
Justicar w/ Halberd
2x Psycannon
1x Daemonhammer & Storm bolter
6x Sword & Storm bolter
Razorback w/ TL Assault cannon, Psybolt, HK missile, storm bolter
(note, the SB is the upgrade I'm most willing to drop on the R-back)

Troop -- 205 -- Terminator Squad (5 models)
Justicar with Falchions & SB
Incinerator & Nemesis sword
SB & Hammer
SB & Halberd
SB & Sword
(note -- the falchions could go on the sword termie @ the same points and make him immune to challenges)

Fast -- 205 -- Interceptor Squad
Justicar w/ falchions & SB
Incinerator
Hammer & SB
Halberd & SB
Falchion & SB

The general plan is to combat squad the SS into one of five with 2x psycannon, justicar, hammer, halberd in 1 group and the 5 sword/SB in the other and deploy the 5x sword & SB SS and the interceptors (and RBack)... while keeping the other combat squad, termies and librarian in reserve to teleport in (hopefully near the Servo Skulls for less scatter

The Strike's with just sword & SB camp in my deployment zone on an objective (hopefully/if there is cover) with the r-back moving fwd to get into 24" range ... the interceptors use their 30" shunt move to get in incinerator distance of an enemy unit (this contributed to my sole VP in the eldar game, getting first blood )

I'm about 95 percent convinced that during deployment starting the interceptors on the board is almost always the best option, because they can shunt 30" w/o worrying about scatter like they would with DS... they can't assault in that turn, but getting a heavy flamer + a batch of SB shots against an enemy's troops on T1 and a likely assault (with HoW) on T2 does not seem bad.

The other strike squad DS'es allowing me to put to Assault 2 psycannons w/in shooting range of an enemy, ditto the Terminators (if I can free up 20 points elsewhere, I'm tending to think I'd like to swap the incinerator for a psycannon on the termies too). And the Librarian with summoning can call reinforcements to his side from anywhere on the board (barring the r-back).

An alternative build drops the SS to 5 models (1 psycannon justicar w/ falchions & Daemonhammer still with the r-back) to fit in a dreadnought (assault cannon + TL Autocannon + Psybolt) and 70 points to spare (probably putting extra models in the SS & interceptors... though theoretically I could also take a paladin or add another termie w/ Brotherhood banner)... note that this is a medium term option as I don't yet have the Dread (though that is my first purchase moving forward).

Thoughts welcome, especially in re: short and medium term... what can I do with limited models (25-ish tac marines, more than 5 but less than 10 assault marines) 5 terminators and 1 rhino/r-back kit


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Edit:
The alt version (also 1K points)
Librarian (drop digital weapons (or 1 coxex psych power))
Dread (as above alt option)
Terminators with Psycannon
Gk Strike Squad (5 -- psybolt, justicar with falchions, 1 psycannon, 1 hammer, 1 halberd, 1 sword)
Razorback (TL Assault cannon psybolt)

I've only recently started GK, so feel free to ignore stuff if you know it doesn't work.

- Do you need the Librarian? you could get Coteaz for less than half that and he gets two powers. If it is mainly for the skulls, perhaps an OMI with Termie armour, kitted out how you want?

- With the special weapons on the squads, in my initial games I'm finding that they rarely make a difference (with the exception of 1 hammer), mainly because there are so few attacks when you only have 5 in the squad. So, I find I can use the points elsewhere. But I normally use GKSS/Interceptors not Termies.

- The dred loadout - I understand that the assault cannon with rending can pen AV 14, but you need to get within 24 inches to make that work. With twin TLAC you get more range (but you can only glance AV14). As dreds have only 3 hull points, longer range seems preferable to me.

- I agree on the Interceptors, I like them with incinerators a lot!

- I'm finding that at low point games, more bodies is better - termies take up too many points. Sure, tougher but those additional points (for me) cost mobility.

- At low point games, I should take an ADL with Quad for flyers, but I don't. I tend to rely on Coteaz, prescience and psycannons. And, to cover AV 14, I always plan to assault the thing (normally with a DK with PT). However, I'm working in a Vindi now to see if that works better.

- Coteaz unlocks henchmen as troops. To combat the need to spend so much on the troop section I'm building some warrior acolytes. Sure, they will die if they get sneezed on (actually, probably just looking at an Eldar wraithknight would do) but 3 squads of 3 for a total of 45 points will hopefully let me unlock more Interceptors/DK/Purifiers. Maybe this is worthwhile for you?

MarkCron wrote:
I've only recently started GK, so feel free to ignore stuff if you know it doesn't work.

- Do you need the Librarian? you could get Coteaz for less than half that and he gets two powers. If it is mainly for the skulls, perhaps an OMI with Termie armour, kitted out how you want? ...

- The dred loadout - I understand that the assault cannon with rending can pen AV 14, but you need to get within 24 inches to make that work. With twin TLAC you get more range (but you can only glance AV14). As dreds have only 3 hull points, longer range seems preferable to me.

One of the main reasons for the librarian is the Summoning (Codex power), which also helps with the short range on the assault cannon (dread has a warp stabilization field that I forgot to mention earlier)... I also like the assault cannon as the rending makes it a pretty decent anti-MEQ/TEQ shooting weapon.

- With the special weapons on the squads, in my initial games I'm finding that they rarely make a difference (with the exception of 1 hammer), mainly because there are so few attacks when you only have 5 in the squad. So, I find I can use the points elsewhere. But I normally use GKSS/Interceptors not Termies.

I probably could drop the special weapons on the SS/interceptors and ad another body to one of those squads, but there's partly a modeling issue involved -- only have to buy 2 boxes rather than 3

- I'm finding that at low point games, more bodies is better - termies take up too many points. Sure, tougher but those additional points (for me) cost mobility.

You may be (probably are) right (for the same price I can get another strike squad & r-back but I have a bit of a modeling issue -- one old R-back and it feels strange to have an old model along side a new one.

- At low point games, I should take an ADL with Quad for flyers, but I don't. I tend to rely on Coteaz, prescience and psycannons. And, to cover AV 14, I always plan to assault the thing (normally with a DK with PT). However, I'm working in a Vindi now to see if that works better.

- Coteaz unlocks henchmen as troops. To combat the need to spend so much on the troop section I'm building some warrior acolytes. Sure, they will die if they get sneezed on (actually, probably just looking at an Eldar wraithknight would do) but 3 squads of 3 for a total of 45 points will hopefully let me unlock more Interceptors/DK/Purifiers. Maybe this is worthwhile for you?

Yeah, using Coteaz for cheaper troops isn't a bad idea, but I confess I haven't even really looked at the warbands army list entry to see what might be good there... not wild about mixing in S/T3 models in w/ the GKs though... The OMI + prescience is potentially useful, but a lot of my scheming about this army has been based around the Librarian & summoning (to deal with the short-range weaponry problem)...

With the warbands, I wouldn't mix the squad, I'm planning on just having the acolytes running around by themselves. They are really just a way of getting additional scoring units, but they do get melta bombs!

So, for around 50 points (depending on loadout) you could get 2/3 squads of henchmen with melta bombs. Die easily, but I'll play them just like they were Nids (hug cover and leap out when target of opportunity appears).

MarkCron wrote:
With the warbands, I wouldn't mix the squad, I'm planning on just having the acolytes running around by themselves. They are really just a way of getting additional scoring units, but they do get melta bombs!

So, for around 50 points (depending on loadout) you could get 2/3 squads of henchmen with melta bombs. Die easily, but I'll play them just like they were Nids (hug cover and leap out when target of opportunity appears).

No crusaders? For 15 pts/model getting the Storm Shield 3++ save,,,, if you're going with Coteaz and warbands are troops, I can't see skipping those guys....

Having a squad w/ meltabombs is a good thing, but it doesn't have a lot of mobility (w/o a chimera), so I'm not sure how useful those would be.

Apostasus wrote:

MarkCron wrote:
With the warbands, I wouldn't mix the squad, I'm planning on just having the acolytes running around by themselves. They are really just a way of getting additional scoring units, but they do get melta bombs!

So, for around 50 points (depending on loadout) you could get 2/3 squads of henchmen with melta bombs. Die easily, but I'll play them just like they were Nids (hug cover and leap out when target of opportunity appears).

No crusaders? For 15 pts/model getting the Storm Shield 3++ save,,,, if you're going with Coteaz and warbands are troops, I can't see skipping those guys....

Having a squad w/ meltabombs is a good thing, but it doesn't have a lot of mobility (w/o a chimera), so I'm not sure how useful those would be.

I'm not a big fan of henchmen - I bought GK for the knights. However, given the number of objectives in some games I thought I needed the ability to have more troops (and I was using Coteaz anyway). They make fine objective sitters (in cover!). The melta is just a bonus. For the purposes I want them, I can get 3 acolytes for the price of 1 crusader. I'd rather invest the points in the GKSS. But, just imho, and ymmv.