Written by GoDz BuZzSaW
Hello and welcome to Part 6 of my Grey Knight Tactica, this section takes a look at the tactics that the army as a whole will want to employ, from the choice of troops to the wargear for the devastating vehicles.The Grey Knights are considered as one of the most competitive armies in the 5th Edition of Warhammer 40k and this section will take a look on what tactics to employ in games, whether competitive or fun, and how you can get the most out of your Grey Knights.
The Jack Of All Trades:
The Grey Knights are the Jack of All Trades, good all round but the master of none. Their close combat attacks can cut through the strongest of armour as if it was nothing, but they can easily struggle in close combat due to a lack of attacks and will struggle against horde armies, although the incorruptible purifiers are the way around this. However if Crowe is not taken then the majority of the Grey Knight troops will suffer against the likes of Orks and Tyranids, where they will get swamped and die without dealing much themselves.
The Grey Knight's strength does not lie in Close Quarters combat, don't let those power weapons fool you! Instead, they belong in short ranged firefights. Here, they can make full use of their Storm Bolter and Psycannon fire providing the anti horde punch that the Grey Knights need, the key thing is to make sure your army operates in and Patrols this area, whether it's Paladins or Purifiers, so that they can make full use of the Imperium's best weaponry.
Long Range Fire Support:
In an army that is so centred around short range firepower, a source of long range anti tank is essential. Unfortunately, there are not many options to choose from. However, the Grey Knights have one of the most reliable sources of anti tank, the infamous Psyrifleman Dreadnought. Comprised of 2 Strength 8 TL Autocannons, this Dreadnought comes in at a stunning 135 points. The Strength 8 Autocannons carry a similar role to that of the Hive Guard, sacrificing the ability to shoot out of sight for extra range, this fire can take out vehicles with ease. In the Mechanised Edition of 40k, this Dreadnought is a bargain, it is capable of still being able to shoot despite suffering Crew Shaken or Stunned Results, which means 9/10 times it will be firing every turn given it's still alive. They can easily take out an AV12 Vehicle a turn, and can suppress those AV13 Hammerheads or Vindicators While the Main Grey Knight Waves advance.
While the Psyrifleman Dreadnought is by far the best, there are some other ways of getting reliable Anti Tank if you don't want to be ultra competitive, the ever Reliable Gunboat Land Raider can provide a nice amount of weaponry, with it's 2 TL Lascannons and a S6 TL Heavy Bolter if Psybolt Ammunition is taken, although this becomes very expensive, but it can transport your Terminators or Strike squads. Another thing to look at is the Razorback, while the TL Lascannon will be effective against tanks, it does make it rather expensive and a TL Heavy Bolter with Psybolt ammunition combines a decent range and strength which can be used to take out light vehicles.
The Psychic Force:
Make no mistake, despite hating Psykers themselves, the Grey Knights are a psychic force, with every unit counting as a psyker including vehicles. There are numerous ways to make advantages out of this, from S5 Power Weapons to Shooting without Line of Sight. The Grey Knights draw great power from their psychic abilities, and will hence suffer against Anti Psyker armies such as Space Wolves or Tyranids.
Hammerhand is the best psychic power in the Grey Knight Codex, it comes with almost every unit as standard and gives them +1 Strength which is done before any additional modifiers, so can help with Instant Death Threshold. Hammerhand is utterly brilliant, being able to kill T4 enemies on a 3+ is amazing, and that is with standard troops, combine that with the anti vehicle qualities this power gives and it's hard to define how it could be justified. It gives S10 Nemisis Daemon Hammers which means you are auto-penetrating most vehicles in close combat, and even you everyday Nemsis Force Sword Grey Knights are at S5, meaning they themselves are also capable of penetrating and destroying even a mighty Leman Russ tank!
The other Psychic Power I want to take a look at is Fortitude. I love this psychic power and thank Matt Ward greatly, I would easily put down 20 points for this Psychic power, yet Matt Ward has decided to give it to you for just 5 points above the RRP of said vehicle. The need to keep vehicles moving and shooting is essential in this edition, especially when the Mechanised army is the most competitive and effective list out there. It's key on every vehicle in the codex, Dreadnoughts can keep firing turn after turn taking out tanks or heavy infantry, It's nearly impossible to stop a Land Raider from moving unless it's immobilised, even on a Rhino this power is great, it makes a tank that costs so little able to make up it's cost easy by being able to move/fire each turn as you are most likely to get the power off, This power is second to Hammerhand, and the fact it doesn't compete with it makes it even better!
As said on the HQ Page where I discussed the Librarian's powers, the Grey Knight army can be enhanced further to provide more advantages and suit personal needs, so be sure to take a look at the psychic power reviews!
Punishing Psybolt:
Pysbolt Ammunition is arguably one of the best upgrades in the Grey Knight Codex, for 5 points on the majority of vehicles you can turn an Assault Cannon into a Psycannon or make a Heavy Bolter S6 which is suprisingly effective. Even on Infantry, for 20 points it is a fantastic upgrade, Storm Bolters mean that you'll be getting 20 shots at 24" as opposed to the normal bolters 10 for not being in rapid fire range, so why not take full advantage of this and make them S5? You'll throw wounds on Space Marines and other T4 enemies with ease which should make it easier for the intevitable assault whether you charge or get charged.
