So today we're going to look at the Grey Knights Strike Squad, now unless you're playing a pure Draigowing army then these guys are likely to be the backbone of any Grey Knights force. So without further delay lets look at these guys, their upgrades and wargear whilst also looking at some example load outs to get you running your squads efficiently to provide maximum effectiveness when facing the enemies of the Emperor...
So your basic 5 man Grey Knight Strike Squad comes in at 100 points and these guys come equipped with the usual liberal dusting of grenade goodness, however they also have their own psychic power called Warp Quake which causes anything preventing Deep Strike scatter within 12" and any unit that deploys from Deep Strike within 12" of the squad instantly suffers on the Deep Strike mishap table...perfect for those troublesome Daemons not to mention the likes of the Dark Angels Deathwing!
But what about the other equipment available to these guys, does it add to their power or is it merely window dressing for an already very strong Power Armoured squad? Lets take a look...
Options available:
Include up to 5 additional Grey Knights - go for all if you're thinking of taking a rhino.
For every 5 models in the squad 1 Grey Knight may replace his Storm Bolter and Nemesis Force Sword with the following:
Psilencer - Just not worth it, such a shame!
Psycannon - take 2 in a large squad to maximise firepower.
Incinerator - Great for a little fluffy fun...burn those heretics!
Any model may replace his Nemesis Force Sword with the following:
Nemesis Force Halberd - Give as many as you can to your squads in rhino's and get them into combat!
Nemesis Force Falchions - Such a waste for the points cost...again a shame.
Nemesis Daemon Hammer - Worth taking just in case you need to take out armour.
1 model may replace his Nemesis Force Sword with Nemesis Warding Stave - Too costly for a Strike Squad unless!
Entire squad may take Psybolt ammo - Definitely worth taking with a maxed out squad in a Rhino.
Justicar may Master Craft any of his weapons - Not bad if you have the points left over.
The squad may also take a Rhino or Razorback dedicated transport - Always worth taking, the Grey Knights Rhino/Razorback rush tactis is extremely effective against most armies when you play tactically.
So there are the options for your Grey Knights Strike Squad so lets look at a couple of squad loadouts which can help you maximise the power of your squads:
Grey Knights Strike Squad 1: 260pts
10 Grey Knights
8 x Nemesis Force Halberds
2 x Psycannon
Stick these guys in a Rhino and scream towards the enemy or use a deep striking Grey Knights Librarian to suck the Rhino to him using his Summoning psychic power and be ready to open fire on the heretics...
Grey Knights Strike Squad 2: 270pts
10 Grey Knights
10 x Nemesis Force Halberds
Psybolt ammo
Use a squad like this to hold up your objectives in cover or use a Rhino for extra cover, the extra power given by the Psybolt ammo buffs your firepower and if the enemy gets too close let them taste the power of your Nemesis Force Halberds before they even get a chance to try and attack you.
Grey Knights Strike Squad 3: 150pts
6 Grey Knights
6 x Nemesis Force Halberds
A smaller variation of squad 1 predominantly designed for taking a Razorback as a dedicated transport vehicle. Use a few of these units to converge on your opponent, let the tank become your hardcore firebase while you use your Grey Knights purely in a close combat role to mop up the survivors...you've got to be sure!
Conclusion:
So there we have the Grey Knights Strike Squad a formidable unit for any army to have to face, with these guys to deliver themselves into the heat of battle with their own armoured transports packing more than enough firepower to protect your squad inside, couple that with their delicious close combat and shooting abilities (if you take Psycannons or Psybolt ammo) and you have the perfect unit to take into battle at a comparably cheap points cost, making them one of the best value infantry units that the Grey Knights have in their arsenal...
A word of warning though remember that these guys are still only Power Armoured Space Marines and so should not be considered to be invincible marines, take your tactics into consideration when using these guys...They are the best of the best, not the Supermen of 40K!
Labels: Grey Knights, List Building, Ordo Malleus, Strike Squad, Tactics
So there are the options for your Grey Knights Strike Squad so lets look at a couple of squad loadouts which can help you maximise the power of your squads: