Grey Knight Codex Arrives, Clogs Toilet, Asks to Borrow $20

Inquisition HQs I can no longer use for Grey Knights

The 7th ork codex was deeply disappointing because it forced me to rethink every unit I use and I could find solid options throughout even though I still can't figure out how to make the army work as a whole because of the problem with troops.  The Grey Knight release is disturbing and affects the army I use so much more that it feels personal.  I can't even field a valid grey knight army anymore.

The fluff initially was a big draw to get me into the game when I first started reading about the Warhammer 40,000 universe back in 2006.  Since I've started playing, I've barely read any of the fluff sections but can appreciate a lot of what goes on.  But among the reasons people play, for me it would be 1) Painting 2) Playing 3) Modeling 4) Fluff.  So to split off the Inquisition wasn't an option I cared for because it 'made sense' that the codex should only be Grey Knights.  Nevertheless, I can live with losing inquisition generally and pleasantly surprised to see the Assassins get updated rather than a rushed copy paste job.  I'm not limited by number of detachments  or what I can bring, so I don't look at this from a tournament perspective.

Ninjas with Nunchuks

In some ways the Inquisition codex does a few things better.  You can take Valkyries, Preachers are better than banishers, the warlord traits are good, and you can take double heavy bolter chimeras with Psybolt.  Unfortunately, my Crusaders are modeled with a halberd and my DCA are modeled with sword and nunchuks (counts as power mauls) and the Inq. codex only allows swords for both.  I don't think I'll have an issue using them though.  Coteaz doesn't make troops objective secured though, which doesn't matter too much, but you are restricted 2 3 squads of henchmen per detachment now.  You are free to use other Inquisitors though, since previously you were limited to 1 per inquisitor except Coteaz.

What's left in the codex for Grey Knights is quite sparse.  I don't plan on buying the codex so the cost isn't too big of a factor, but 1 codex replaced with 3 is unquestionably a raw deal.  The other reason not to buy it is that it is very simple (same as the Ork codex).  So simple, that I don't need it to know the rules and stats since there are very few.  Anything I would need would be printable on a single sheet of notebook paper.

There are only 3 generic HQs, 2 named HQs, 1 slotless (techmarine), 3 elites (although really only 2), 2 troops, 2 fast, 2 Heavy, and 3 dedicated (which can be taken in fast or heavy as well).    I can't help but feel shafted, not only by the loss of units but the loss of options for units.  With the sole exception of the Brotherhood Champion (and Crowe) every other unit in the codex is worse than it was before.  Most units got a price drop, though some illogically got a a price increase.  I feel like you can nerf a unit and keep the price same or keep the unit the same and increase the cost, but you absolutely cannot nerf and increase the base cost.  When units get updated from codex to codex there is an anchor point that is hard to shake.  Especially with similar.

$66 +resign bases+primer+paint cost+40 hours

Many of the losses leads to the army feeling less 'elite' to me.  I should probably rephrase that to say that the Grey Knights themselves feel less elite since previously I always took some henchmen.  The amount of shooting that armies like Eldar, Tau, Astra Militarum, Space Marines, and even Tyranids can put it out will shred the Grey Knights because they cannot put enough bodies on the ground and cannot put out enough shooting.  The GK Landraiders, razorbacks, and Rhinos are identical to the Space Marine counterparts.

There is a feel to the whole codex that they read the complain emails from 2011 about Grey Knights and adjusted accordingly, not considering how much everything has changed since then.  I hated playing GK in 5th. Although I always thought the models, when I played people with painted armies instead of rush jobs, 3 color minimum, or proxies. Draigowing was boring to play.  Purifiers kicked my orks to the ground and took their lunch money, then pissed on their face for good measure.  With the addition of hull points, AP3 swords, mass plasma/AP2, and the increase in ignores cover GK were no longer overpowered but firmly middle tier, yet paling in comparison to the other deathstars available to other armies, OP BB combos, and mass shooting of Tau and Eldar.

I preferred not to use many of the nasty tricks that people hated.  I never played with rad/psychotroke grenades,  which really weren't that exciting. I disliked Paladins and Draigo mainly because it wasn't that good anymore. Mindstrike missiles were as easy to counter as other small blast templates and GKs were actually the most susceptible army to them.  Psybolt, while undercosted on Dreadnoughts during 5th, contributed to the elite feel of the army and overpriced for most units and all characters.

I joined the Grey Knight train after the hoopla died down on their OP status when helldrakes ruled the skies, Wraithknights+Riptides ruled the ground, beatstars+seercouncils clogged the middle, and the waveserpeant ruled everything. They started as a gap filler for my Blood Angels--a way to take down MCs or contribute mass shots (bolt pistols weren't cutting it)-- but grew into my primary army over the course of the last year that I really enjoyed playing.

Now, I can't field a Grey Knight army for the simple fact that I don't have an HQ.  I could proxy an Ordo Malleus Inquisitor in Terminator armor as a brother-captain if I had to but really the army is a shell of what it was.  The only things I have left that are in the GK codex are 2 strike squads, 2 5-man Purgation squads, 2 Dreadknights, 3 Dreadnoughts, and 2 Rhinos/Razorbacks.

Odds are very low that I'll finish painting

Dreadnoughts were hit the hardest.  Their base cost increased and coupled with the loss of Psybolt renders them utterly useless.  They are 30 points more expensive than a comparable Space Wolf dreadnought in their codex released earlier this month.  For that 30pts you primarily get buffs against daemons, but nothing close to approximating the value you need for those points.  I have 3 Forgeworld dreads on bases that I can't do anything with.  I don't even see the value in ripping the arms off any using them with other guns.  They're now in the running for most worthless unit in the game.

Double Psycannons with my old sword style

Strikes were utterly neutered.   Let's consider where they were when I bought them 18 months ago (took me a long time to assemble and paint).  For 240 points with 2 Psycannons and Psybolt, you got 16 Str 5 shots (2 precision), 8 Str 7 rending (half that if you moved),  Warp Quake to protect against alpha strikes, and could wait to cast hammer hand or force in the assault phase.  Now for 240 points for the same unit but losing Psybolt you no longer have psybolt or warp quake, but instead have an anti-daemon power.  The psycannon moving to Salvo sucks because it reduces range, mobility, and charge ability if you fire it at all.  The gun is worse and costs you more.

Quad incinerators

Purgation squads got more expensive and incinerators are no longer free, although 100 points for 4 incinerators was far too cheap before, but never really filled a need GKs had so weren't used.  I suppose 4 with Psilencers for 150pts in a bunker or bastion putting out 24 force shots would be decent if you could cast force in a building (or vehicle)  Unfortunately, you can't and being heavy 24" is going to limit a lot of what it can do.  There aren't many that many multi-wound units with low toughness and armor.  Let's see - Spawn of Nurgle, foot nobs, Tyranid Warriors (and variants such as raveners), swarms, Wraiths (yay!) - then a bunch of daemon units like the greater daemons, the entire elite and fast attack section.

FW hatch.  only about 50% painted

Rhinos didn't nee the psychic pilot rule, though it was nice, is probably better to give them a cheaper option.  Why anyone would take a razorback at 55 points is beyond me.  A heavy bolter for elimination of fire points and reduced capacity isn't a fair swap, much less a 20 point premium.  GW thinks way too highly of Heavy Bolters.  Psybolt made them usable with henchmen because they were cheap enough that you didn't care too much.  The upgrade to Str 6 made it more usable in so many ways.  Also it let you take Psycannons instead of assault cannons, meaning they were actually Grey Knight vehicles rather than generic.

Swords aren't finished, but this avoids the Baby Bjorn look

Dreadknights lost some power since they don't come stock with nemesis fists anymore and the greatsword lost its rerolls and instead is just master-crafted.  Other than the base price, everything got cheaper, including the teleporter, which was really the only way it was viable.  Dreadknights were overpriced compared to Riptides, wraithknights, et al, but now they seem a bit underpriced, especially considering the kick in the nuts everything else got.  Now, they are unquestionably the best choice in the codex.


This leaves me a strange position of really only liking my dreadknights.  The Strikes will have to be modified somehow, either converted to purifiers/incterceptors or have the psycannons changed.  I still need to come up with an HQ.  I guess Librarians are ok and since they can deep strike attached to the Strike Squad in the Nemesis Strike Force formation I only have to take1 troop.  I'm not sure what they'll use their psychic powers on.  Santic, pyromancy and telekineses aren't either, and Telepathy only really has invisibility.  That leaves divination which will take the squad up from meh to eh.

This just doesn't have the same feel as my old grey knight codex.  Where the henchmen were the bulk of the bodies, but the GKs were the studs on the table that did the most work. Now their shooting ability is so much weaker that they have to allies and inquisition forces have many of the same limitations so it doesn't make a lot of sense to use them together since you're much better off with Astra Milatarum or sisters.  Those armies are better off with regular Space Marines.

There are likely to be some decent builds out there.  Incinerator Interceptors, MSU purifiers, and dreadknights are decent enough.  I just have to retool so much of my army that I don't think it's worth it.  I'll work on my daemons and hope that, in the meantime, there is a release called Codex Pysbolts: a Grey Knight Supplement.