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.

Hey everyone,
so I have had 4 games of 8th edition so far, and have been tabled in 3 of them, lost the other too , I play grey knights and my opponent each time was csm, and playes magnus. I really cant figure out how to beat him, as magnus can use warptime to move twice and charge, and can now strip one of my units of my invun and increase his to 3++ reroll ones, and also possibly smite my squads out of existence with his possible d6 or 2d6 smite. Ive tried shooting him with a load of lascannons, ive tried to 'deepstrike' and assault with paladins and dreadknights with auras nearby and so far nothing ive tried works consistently.

If I don't kill him, he can go round the table clearing up pretty easily. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas how I could try to beat magnus early in the game, I was thinking for next time trying to utilise how my smite does 3 wounds against daemons, and hope he doesn't deny?
Sorry for the blob of text,
thanks guys

Overwheming him with your smites is the easiest way, he can deny only 3, and after some wounds he will start having problems with that. The real challenge with GSK is tying him down while you do that, you lack cheap fodder.

Your best bet is taking a second detachment, even just an auxiliary detachment of cheap troops. Conscripts are obviously the best choice, but that would be cheesing a bit too much. Maybe 10 sisters of silence? They last 2 turns and also prevent some deny and halts any smites as long as he is in melee.

I play the Crimson King,

MAGNUS THE RED

As Grey Knights you are probally the best to combat him, you have to spam smite and hope your Thousand Sons Opponent doesnt bring Ahiraman (Can Also deny 3 with a +1) or bring Daemon Allies who can deny as T Sons players will just deny all your casting powers. I run Ahiraman, THE CRIMSON KING, Daemon Prince of Tzeentch and the Changeling with Rubes, Tzangoors, Brimstone Horrors, Occult Termies and played Grey Knights, I felt kind of bad, as my deny dice were fire and stomped the GK player. No lie......it's Cheese
Magnus on his First Turn has
T7 3+, 4++/3++ (Rerolling 1s), -1 to Hit, 18 Wounds and can move anywhere he wants and can fight almost any enemy without any problems except for Guilliman and Big Ork Blobs. This is all without Legion Traits, Warlord Specific Traits, Strategems or point decreases/changes. I still think Magnus is apropriatley Priced, especially after seeing Guilliman not change price.


As GK I would spam Smites and hope for no deny, also Alpha Strike him before he has the chance to cast his Psychic Hell upon you. Brimstones are the hard counter to this, so watch out. You vant fight him like a Tank, the best strategy is to fight him like an flyer; like a Stormraven big fast and resistent. GK with Astra Allies seem good, to keep Magnus from immediatley wrecking face, i dont knoe about Sisters of Silence though, they are too soft

He is likley going to be the best Model in the game (Maybe besides Guilliman) after all the codexes droped, people say he got a major nerf but he is still filthy due to how the game has changed in the Psychic and Assault Phase.

I do think GK should have a power like:

Heretical Scourge
Cast 9
"A character may attempt to deny a unit with the DAEMON keyword if rolled on a 5+ the Daemon Unit is banished, If failed the caster suffers D3 Mortal wounds.

Then release a Hyperion model who casts on a 7 instead of 9 and on a 4+ but must be within 12" of 2 other GK models and they cannont Cast powers, as well as any other models within 12" of Hyperion.

Spoletta wrote:
Overwheming him with your smites is the easiest way, he can deny only 3, and after some wounds he will start having problems with that. The real challenge with GSK is tying him down while you do that, you lack cheap fodder.

Your best bet is taking a second detachment, even just an auxiliary detachment of cheap troops. Conscripts are obviously the best choice, but that would be cheesing a bit too much. Maybe 10 sisters of silence? They last 2 turns and also prevent some deny and halts any smites as long as he is in melee.

I dont think bringing conscripts to fight Magnus is too much cheese at all. If they are taking Magnus, Bobby G, or any other superheavy for that matter, their opponent should bring their A game to respond.

Thanks guys, ill try spamming him with smite next time, perhaps use a combination of interceptors and deep strike to get as many units up as possible first turn?

The 3++ definitely makes Magnus more of a threat. I felt with the 4++ he was a little too easily shot down. He will definitely be a tougher nut to crack now.

try and run out his denies on smites and then cast null zone. Null zone makes his really easy to kill.

High rate of fire will bring him down. GK stormraven has plenty of dakka.

stratigo wrote:
try and run out his denies on smites and then cast null zone. Null zone makes his really easy to kill.

I don't think I can use the SM powers without having another detachment of space marines


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 whembly wrote:
High rate of fire will bring him down. GK stormraven has plenty of dakka.

unfortunately I don't have one, could be worth getting one I guess but in the last game he saved all 8 lascannon shots I fired at him with his 3++ reroll 1s with my available shooting

necronlad42 wrote:

stratigo wrote:
try and run out his denies on smites and then cast null zone. Null zone makes his really easy to kill.

I don't think I can use the SM powers without having another detachment of space marines


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 whembly wrote:
High rate of fire will bring him down. GK stormraven has plenty of dakka.

unfortunately I don't have one, could be worth getting one I guess but in the last game he saved all 8 lascannon shots I fired at him with his 3++ reroll 1s with my available shooting

Storm ravens aren't good against magnus. It's a big high value target he can easily nuke off the table.

You can spam Smite or a lot lot of shoot.
With ynnari it's possible, serpent shield, 6 or more smite, Executioner, mind war spell, Gaze spell, Word of phenix on 9 Dark reaper.

Minh wrote:
You can spam Smite or a lot lot of shoot.
With ynnari it's possible, serpent shield, 6 or more smite, Executioner, mind war spell, Gaze spell, Word of phenix on 9 Dark reaper.

Smite goes against the nearest model, doesnt it?

Yes, smite hits the closest unit.

To hit someone like Magnus you need to hold a lot of deepstriking GK units in reserve, wait for him to do his usual "zoom five feet across the board and use his absurd smite before melee" nonsense, then next turn drop in around him in a circle and cast smite 5-6 times. It's 3 wounds each and you may want to bring a Culexus Assassin to the party, he'll get -2 to his Deny the Witch rolls.

The problem is, of course, when your opponent sees that coming and doesn't play in the typical manner for his otherwise indestructible unit. If he cautiously moves Magnus up the board surrounded by chaff you'll never get your smite window.

KingLetterman wrote:
I play the Crimson King,


He is likley going to be the best Model in the game (Maybe besides Guilliman) after all the codexes droped, people say he got a major nerf but he is still filthy due to how the game has changed in the Psychic and Assault Phase.

I feel like when the thousand sons get their own codex, the powers in it will make Magnus worse, because the powers currently are just insane. Losing wartime and +1 invuln will change how he is played massively

Admech wrath of mars and elimination volley with 6 dakkabots, 12 plasma destroyers and cawl.

Not point efficient, but deadly.