Written By GoDz BuZzSaW
Hello and welcome to Part 3 of My Grey Knight Tactica, this section takes a look at the Elites section from the 5th Edition Codex. This is the section where there is a lot to choose from, including the Durable Paladins and Destructive Purifiers.
Paladins:
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One of the most Durable units in Warhammer 40k and can be made a Troops Choice if Draigo is chosen, as an elites choice, they are not seen much on the battlefield, but if combined with Grand Strategy to make them troops they can still be a fearsome troops choice nontheless. Their WS5 makes them very useful against most enemies and 2 wounds with a 2+ Save means they will take some shifting, especially if there is an apothecary in the unit.
May Take:
Apothecary - A whopping 75 points may seem like a big drop, but in large units of paladins will easily be worth it's points cost. Makes Paladins nearly impossible to kill with small arms fire when combined with Allocation and 2 wounds, a great choice and seen in many a Draigowing List.
Incinerator - A bargain as always, The fact that you can have 4 of these in a unit of 10 for only 20 points extra makes this unit truly terrifying at close range as you could be guaranteed 18-20 flamer hits combined. Also another great way to keep your paladins alive with allocation.
Psycannon - Another Great Weapon to put onto your Paladins, a unit of 10 can get off 16 shots in a single turn if they are in range, and that is going to do some damage to both infantry and vehicles alike.
Halberd - You wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of WS5 I6 Terminators, and for free, why not give up the +1 Inv save in close combat? The higher I value means they will be more likely to kill the enemies that would harm them anyway.
Nemesis Daemon Hammer - A Hammer at WS5 will do more damage to those WS4 Walkers than your standard units, a good choice and when combined with Hammerhand will be at S10. It's great to mix and match these with halberds as there will be a lot of different models for wound allocations.
Brotherhood Banner - Good in a unit of 10 men as it will give an extra 9 Attacks at WS5 that ignore armour saves, but ensure you only use it in a unit of 10 to maximise effectiveness. Another good allocation method.
Master Crafted - Great to put on a few models as it's gives you that one re-roll to hit when you need it and it helps with wound allocation for a cheap price.
Rating: Competitive
Purifiers:
Like their Terminator counterpart, Purifiers are most likely to be seen as a Troops choice in a unique army list. The Crowe list consists of many squads of Purifiers in place of Strike Squads due to their 2 Attacks. But that doesn't mean Elite Purifiers are without their uses, and they can be a very destructive unit on the battlefield.
May Take:
Nemesis Daemon Hammer - At least 1 is a must have in every squad, you never know when your purifiers may be called upon to take out a tank or a monstrous creature.
Halberd - A bargain to make your purifiers strike at I6, This makes them a very fearsome unit when combined with Cleansing flame as they can wipe out over half of a mob of 30 boyz before they even get a chance to attack in combat.
Nemesis Falchions - Much Cheaper than the Falchions on the strike squad and not out of the question when it gives the unit 3 Attacks each standard, but the Halberds get priority due to their cut price tag.
Psycannon - 10 Points is a bargain and even though you give up 2 power weapon attacks you make up for it in sheer ranged firepower.
Incinerator - If this is free, why not take it? It can come in handy when up against horde armies where Purifiers already excel, you can wipe out 10-15 Boyz before the Close Combat Phase.
Nemisis Warding Stave - A bit pricey, but can be useful to keep the Knight of the Flame alive so he can make full use of his powers.
Rating: Competitive
Techmarine:
Those players who have played any marine codex before Grey Knights will tell you that the Techmarine just doesn't cut it in 5E, However this codex makes the much unloved mechanic worth taking. He has access to the finest of wargear the Grey Knights have to offer, which benefits a unit greatly with the combination of Rad, Psychotroke and Blind Grenades to name but a few, best of all he's an Independant character so he can join any unit you wish, and his Bolster Defences rule can combine nicely with The Shrouding to give an important troops unit a 2+ save in Ruins.
May Take:
Conversion Beamer - Not too bad for the price you pay, this is the only role i can picture a Techmarine performing on the battlefield if he was kitting out with both this and the orbital strike relay, but that makes him ridiculously expensive.
Nemesis Warding Stave - Helps keep the Techmarine alive and making full use of his grenades and his extra attacks and both S4 and S8 and no doubt with Hammerhand he can become a fearful close quaters fighter in his own right, combining survivability with lots of power weapon attacks.
Servo Skulls - Cheap and effective, one of the only good upgrades for this unit, but a HQ choice could do this job just as well.
Orbital Strike Relay - Too Expensive to be used on a single wound model as he could die before he can make full use of this, plus it's not the most reliable thing in the universe.
Rad Grenades - A nice addition for the Techmarine which can support the unit he is in well in close combat, however an Inquisitor does the job better for cheaper. Another nice idea for the Techmarine though
Blind Grenades - Defensive Grenades are pure brilliance in 5E, take a look at how well they work for plague marines, denying the enemy those vital extra attacks which can bring your unit some real hurt. This works brilliantly with units of Purifiers as you will always have more attacks than the enemy, and it works well with Terminators best of all as it limits the sheer number of attacks on your few models helping to keep them alive.
Psychotroke Grenades - Oh Dear, what was Mr Ward thinking? These Grenades are hands down the best Grenades in 5E. You'll always be able to use them as they work when you are assaulted as well as when you assault and the abilities are ridiculous, they will easily make up their points and trust me, you won't be dissapointed with them!
Empyrian Brain Mines - Helps keep your Techmarine alive, as he's an IC he needs to be targeted in CC and this will stop power fists and the like from killing him outright, helping you to get the most out of the grenades throughout the game.
Rating: Competitive
Venerable Dreadnought:
A very tough and Durable unit, while expensive can be kitted out with a variety of destructive weaponry that is nearly guaranteed to make its points due to Fortitude and the Venerable special rule, taken when you've maxed out the Heavy Support slot Dreadnoughts, BS5 Psyriflemen Dreadnoughts are a Dangerous unit to face.
May Take:
TL Autocannon - A bargain when 2 are used with Psybolt Ammunition (The Infamous Psyrifleman Dreadnought), 4 TL S8 shots are great for tank hunting especially when at BS5, will make mince meat of Vehicles and Infantry Alike.
TL Heavy Flamer - Too conditional but can do well when combined with Psyflame ammunition, if you're going to take a heavy flamer it would be better to take one on the power fist arm rather than your main weapon as it makes the Dreadnought less Versatile.
TL Heavy Bolter - A bargain when combined with Psybolt Ammunition, but the Autocannons do the same job better for only a slight increase in points, with Psybolt gives your Dreadnought a decent platform that is versatile.
Assault Cannon - A nice choice when combined with Psybolt Ammunition, just watch out for the lack of range.
TL Lascannon - Too expensive for my liking as there are many other choices that can do the job better, leave this upgrade out of the army list.
Plasma Cannon - Not the worst upgrade to take but there are better, but still a decent choice when combined with an autocannon on the other arm as it can become a very versatile heavy infantry and vehicle killer.
Missile Launcher - Cheap and effective, is also quite versatile, what's not to like?
Psybolt Ammunition - An essential upgrade for most weapons on the dreadnought, and at a bargain 5 points there's no reason why this shouldn't be taken if you're including a weapon that it benefits.
Rating: Competitive
Assassins:
The lone wolves of the Grey Knight army are great at supporting other units, whether it is taking out tanks or crushing heavily armoured infantry, the Assassins have their uses on the battlefield, the one of each type per army is quite annoying however, and these expert killers find themselves competing with several units for an elite slot.
Vindicare - Competitive
Eversor - Casual
Celexus - Competitive
Callidus - Semi Competitive
Inquisitorial Henchmen:
The unit that can only be taken if an Inquisitor is included in the army, makes a great troops choice if Coteaz is taken and deal a lot of damage in their own right if used with a standard inquisitor. Inquisitorial Henchmen definitely have their place on the table.
Arco Flagellant - Competitive
Banisher - Casual
Crusader - Competitive
Daemonhost - Semi Competitive
Death Cult Assassin - Competitive
Inquisitorial Servitor - Casual
Jokaero Weaponsmith - Competitive
Mystic - Competitive
Psyker - Semi Competitive
Warrior Acolyte - Competitive
