Tuesday 26 July 2011

Killswitch Improves His Grey Knight List

So after the fun of Brighton and a few test games there after on vassal and at my LGS, I've made a few changes to my list.
I have been thinking a bit now and the very basics of the list design is very strong. As a matter of speaking, It’s more my playstyle which lead me to make a few mistakes during some of my games.
I think this is normal as it’s a fairly new army which needs plenty of practice to get it right. Different setups, missions and armies meant I was a little confused as what to do.

A big example of this was my game against Necrons. I wouldn’t say I misjudged my opponent or his army, but my approach. I though I could simply sit back and out shoot, which looking back…I could of. However the dice were fickle and after seeing a nNightbringer take 18 wounds in 1 round of shooting and taking only 2 wounds, I began to realize that was a big mistake. This is a game of dice, but tactical decions dictate the outcome overall, so perhaps I should have been more aggressive in that game.

Other games showed me that I simply cannot kill AV 14 at range. This means I either have to sacrifice some of my tanks to block it off which only works 50% of the time, or rely on a few lucky psycannon shots, which also rarely works. So here is my revised list with a detailed overview underneath:

Coteaz: 100pts

3 x 5 Purifiers squads @ 199ps each
2 Psycannons, 2 Halberds, 1 Hammer & Razorback with Twin-linked Heavy bolter & Psybolts.

2 x 5 Strike Marines: @161pts each
Psycannon & Razorback with Twin-linked Heavy bolter, searchlights & Psybolts.

5 Death cult Assassins: 130pts
 Razorback with Twin-linked Heavy bolter, Dozer blades & Psybolts.

2x 3 Henchmen: 98pts
3 Meltaguns, Chimera with hull Heavy bolter & Searchlights.

3 x Dreadnought: 135pts
Two twin-linked Autocannons & Psybolts.


Total: 1750pts

So as you can see I have some useful melta in there whilst still retaining a solid firebase of str 5-8 firepower.

Purifiers tend to lead the charge and are always up front. The reason for this is, out of all my transports I expect these to die first. Mainly because they are deployed aggressively. To this end, the unit deploys out, ready to fire their 2 Psycannons in my turn who count as being stationary. This tends to work nicely, and if they aren’t popped I tend to deploy them turn 2 depending on what I am facing. The strike squads tend to back up the purifiers or sit around on objectives. I rarely want to get these guys out unless facing a rushing army, but their added firepower is always nice to have, along with the support of their force weapons in times of need.

The strike squads no longer have a Hammer. This is due to the fact that I see them more as a support unit than anything else. I'd rather have them lay down firepower than get stuck in, and if they even do end up in combat, rarely is it against something their force weapons can't handle.

Melta Henchmen gives me something against AV 14 which I have really struggled against in a few games. Most games this unit will tend to sit back and pop off some multi-laser & Heavy bolter shots, whilst holding an objctive. Others they will have to double team a Land raider and sacrifice themselves in doing so. Such is the life of a Henchmen ;)

The deathcults are a great utility against deathstars & proper combat units left over from my shooting. They arn't fantastic, but a scoring 75pt unit which can give the army a small combat boost is always welcoming.

So there you have it, my new and improved 1750 list ready to hit the tabletop.

10 comments:

  1. Venerable Brother26 July 2011 at 16:44

    Where is the improvement?
    THe change is no LasPlas Razors, Chimeras instead.. I like the extra av12 and torrent (ish) ... bout the same in my opinion, so all good..
    The 1 SS Hammer is gone to fund an extra Halberd in each Purifier squad..

    Very small tweaks, the only major one is the lasplas to chimera..

    Still very effective. Have you played alot of Guard with it? How about DOA angels? No skulls they can avoid a turn or two of shooting and then drop in and melta your vehicles away..

    But then there is the question of what are you likely to see at tournaments, Jumper BA doesnt seem as popular as mech BA...

    I've been playing around with a Coteaz build - an evolution from those "Core" articles I did a while back.. He really is a fantastic utility character...

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  2. I never had the melta but yeh very small teaks.

    I have played guard, asked Andy how I fare against guard ;) DOA Angels are no problem. I have strike squads remember, so celever positioning means they can't drop in and melta. If they do, they will just get bitch slapped by the assassins.

    Also, DOA will rarely get the charge off. 2 units of purifiers can handle a unit of assault marines themselves, and even on the charge ill be striking first with the majority of my squads. Just down to deployment and positioning.

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  3. Who can kill AV14 reliably at range?

    As GK don't have speeders for blocking, you need to think of other tactics, which you have.

    Rhinos for blocking and melta warriors are probably your only options, but you have to be aware that you're going to be blocking them in midfield instead in their own deployment.

    Just so you know, this is almost the identical list I worked out with Lee. I think I found some points for a few more ablative warriors, but not much else.

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  4. I was on about my las/plas trying to pop AV 14 which just doesn't work lol.

    Yeah I spoke to lee about this list ages ago as well, but I wasn't overly fused with the melta vets. I tried blocking the Raiders but when they are sat on an objective and don't really care if they are blocked (scoring unit inside) then its nice to have the melta just in case.

    It is a shame there are no speeders in the codex as they would of been a great choice.

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  5. Venerable Brother26 July 2011 at 17:23

    Sorry mate, thought you had the melta already.
    Alot of jumper armies start on the table these days, the amount of FNP marines should make it hard to kill it all, but I could be wrong ;)

    @BroLO - Av14 @ Range...Tau? Broadside spam..what? you don't see that every other game you play? Weird....

    I saw Lee's list up on the forum for BWL, it was basically this was it not? It's very effective.

    The core build around Coteaz, 3 Purifiers, 3 Dreads and at least 3/4 Henchmen in Psybacks is a very very strong build..then need to add counter attack and tougher troops and voila!

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  6. The GKSS and Coteaz are really nifty for DoA. You have a turn to faff around as well - so can have GKSS pop warp quake on either side of your "castle" and could either do some tom foolery and get Coteaz and some purifiers in a chimera on T1 or just get them out on the field - between those 3 you can cover a pretty wide arc to keep DoA well out of melta range (and pistol range).

    I like the list - the chimera's are nice as you could feasibly move 6" - torrent something with the multi-laser and melta something else. However, I wonder if fortitude might be nicer - as I am not sure if its shaken, are you going to want to get 3xDudes out just to melta then potentially die. But thats a risk anyway as they'll get blown up in a explosion anyway.

    I like the changes over all - did you say you tested the psyker battle squad wannabe's? I kinda like the idea of them, but only really because I have a really good idea for how I want to model them/paint them lol.

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  7. Have you had a go with a vindicaire for your AV14 dealing duties? Its what I've been toying about with in my GK list.

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  8. @ Bully, yeah the psyker jobbies are decent in a 1500 and 2k list but I can't fit them in my 1750 list lol. Chimeras pump out decent torrent, give the dreads a cover save & I still have a hatch. Fortitude isn't that neccesary, and even if it is they can just swap rides with the purifiers :)

    @ Simo, Thats a bit too specific. 145pts for a 2 wound T 4 model just isn't reliable. Going second my oponent can just get rid of him. He also doesn't score, and takes up an Elite slot of one of my purifier squads which is a huge problem.

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  9. Keeping him alive is a worry, a 4 up save isn't much against 5 missle launchers, my thought was castle-ling him up behind rhinos and razorbacks, he isn't a big model so you can keep him alive.

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  10. Curious what the 1500 list was then - I think I have a rough idea. Do you still keep the DCA in there?

    I am still tinkering with a list I like for non-purifiers - right now its something quite similar to yours or something much more like my Terminator (or Paladin) list. Gotta love relentless psycannons.

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