40K Op-ed: Grey Knights May Be Back
This weekend I witnessed a miracle – Grey Knights wrecking multiple armies on the tabletop. This is not a drill!
The Grey Knights players have walked the road of the penitent man all through 8th Edition. Maybe it was karmic justice for the era of Psycannon-Razorspam from back in the day. Who can say. But the Grey Knights have been considered the bottom of the game for pretty much the entire edition.
But in the last 3 months they have received the double shot in the arm of Chapter Approved with slashed their points and a set of new rules and buffs in Ritual of the Damned.
These two things combined may have just done it.
Not Just Theoryhammer
It’s one thing to flip through rulebooks, sit in a comfy leather chair with a glass of brandy and pontificate on an army’s chances. It’s quite another thing to see the cold hard results on the tabletop. This weekend I saw just that thing. A BoLS Open monthly prep 40K event here in Austin TX saw a player bring in a Grey Knight army and fight through multiple hard opponents, almost winning the whole event. It was amazing. Here what I took away from the event after studying the list over multiple games.
The points reductions have increased the modelcount of Grey Knights lists substantially. These lists can field well over 50+ infantry with decent vehicle support. I’d estimate a modelcount increase of roughly 15-50% from what I used to expect from Grey Knights.
The new Tides of the Warp rules from Ritual o the Damned are potent. These really redefine the entire faction and up its power substantially. Tide of Escalation is a stone cold killer, and can almost act as a second shooting phase when paired with a list built around it.
MSU combined with lots of characters is a killer. The list I witnessed had well over a dozen units and characters and was throwing out 2W Mini-smites like a machine gun, just rat-a-tat-tatting sturdy units from full intact to dead in single Psychic phases. Then following up with shooting. YIKES!
Tide of Shadows keeps those increased number of bodies alive while they get into smite range. Cover saves on lots of Terminators with -1 to hit is really, really solid.
Are The Grey Knights Kings?
Not by a long shot, and they won’t be blasting Iron Hands off the table anytime soon. But what they are is solid and viable in the hands of players willing to put in the time and give the new rules a try. In the shortterm – and after 3 years wandering in the desert of crappiness, they also have the element of surprise on their side. Many players will be caught unawares.
What they are is another army to prepare to see in the mix at the tabletop. And that in my book is always a good and welcome thing!
~Welcome home guys, we missed you!
