Daemons are a royal pain in the Imperium’s behind, and their otherworldly, warp-fuelled abilities make them especially nightmarish for regular rank-and-file soldiers to deal with. Even Space Marines have a hard time dealing with major incursions, which is why the ever-thoughtful Emperor founded a sect of specialist daemonhunters to fight back against the galaxy’s worst warp-spawn in secret.
One Chapter versus every daemon in the galaxy – that’s just how good the Grey Knights are.
Overview
Grey Knights are tasked with vanquishing all things born from the warp, armed with sanctified wargear and specialist training designed to take down creatures of the empyrean. They’re just as deadly when facing more material factions, however – disciplined psychic abilities, finely-honed blades, and barking storm bolters make Grey Knights a terror on the assault, and their signature teleport strikes will decapitate an Ork Waaagh! or a Hive Fleet incursion as easily as any Chaos cult.
Faction Rules
As far as the Imperial citizens lucky enough to see them* are concerned, the Grey Knights are a pure embodiment of the Emperor’s divine wrath – they appear from nowhere in a flash of light and fury, their shining silver armour blazing with a corona of psychic energy. The Sons of Titan employ teleportation with a skill few can match, deploying – and even re-deploying – in massed Teleport Assaults guided by their Prognosticars and protected from the hazards of the warp.
The ability to pick up a handful of units each round and put them back down wherever you like is a powerful tool, especially considering every INFANTRY unit in their roster** – plus the hulking Nemesis Dreadknight suits – also comes with the Deep Strike ability as standard.
Grey Knights always get to fight on ground of their own choosing, and any opponent will face an uphill struggle to pin them down or isolate objectives. Seizing control of the battlefield becomes even harder when faced with a Teleport Strike Force Detachment – faced with tricky terrain or blockading troops, these warriors can simply Teleport Shunt their way right through.
Unit Spotlight
Although they have plenty of vehicles to aid their assaults, Grey Knights are primarily an infantry force, with a variety of specialised squads. Purgation Squads, for instance, can use their Astral Aim to draw lines of fire through the eyes of their battle-brothers, shooting powerful firearms at targets they can’t even see.
Coupled with the excellent mobility provided by their army rule, Purgation Squads can easily scoot behind cover before unleashing a fusillade from unexpected quarters.
When overt, in-your-face power is the order of the day, Grey Knights can instead strap into their unique Nemesis Dreadknights. These massive walking warsuits give individual warriors the ability to go toe-to-toe with Greater Daemons and prevail – especially for a Grand Master, who can unleash a Surge of Wrath to slaughter the biggest baddies.
Weapon Spotlight
Every member of the Grey Knights is a walking wellspring of psychic power, and each unit has a different psychic ability. Purifier Squads are all about incinerating their enemies up close with radiant soulfire, and their Purifying Flame psychic weapon adds a potent short-ranged blast to go along with their storm bolters and special weapons.
Stratagem Spotlight
Many of the Teleport Strike Force Stratagems take advantage of their coming-and-going by granting boons to units that just arrived by Deep Strike or Teleport Assault, enforcing their role as a series of precise hammer blows that land wherever the enemy doesn’t want them. Keeping your limited numbers safe during these dangerous manoeuvres is of paramount importance – fortunately, enemy marksmen have serious trouble aiming at squads Haloed in Soulfire.
When a charge hits home and those nemesis force weapons start chopping, extra motes of psychic power can be channelled directly into the blades themselves, wreathing swords and halberds in searing flame that slices through armour and potentially even invulnerable saves with each Radiant Strike.
The Word from the Studio
“The Grey Knights are an indomitable force of empyrically-charged Space Marines who make your regular Adeptus Astartes look friendly by comparison,” explains Scott from the Warhammer Design Studio. “They’re famed for appearing seemingly from nowhere, especially when the denizens of the warp are involved, and this has been reflected in their army rule and Detachment rule – giving them unparalleled mobility at all times during battle as they rapidly reposition to adapt to threats.
“Grey Knights have also become tougher and more elite, as befits their reputation and tactics, with many units gaining an improvement to their Save characteristic – often to 2+! Their psychic abilities also focus on their mastery of the warp to improve their prowess, rather than directly harming their foes. After all, none know better the perils of the warp…”
Black Library
All adventures into the arcane history of the Grey Knights begin with The Grey Knights Omnibus by Ben Counter, a classic collection of three novels that explore the life of Justicar Alaric – a veteran of many wars against daemonkind – and the horrifying trials his duty places before him.
Further on, The Emperor’s Gift by Aaron Dembski-Bowden centres on one of the Chapter’s most legendary engagements – the First War for Armageddon – and their clash against the Daemon Primarch Angron. Sons of Titan by David Annandale is a great way to learn more about hellish conflicts a squad of Grey Knights must face on a day-to-day basis, as Squad Styre battle their daemonic nemesis across four short stories that take them into the warp itself.
Our Faction Focus series continues next week as we delve into the final few factions remaining – starting with the Drukhari. Keep checking back with Warhammer Community, as we still have plenty to show from the new edition of Warhammer 40,000, and you won’t want to miss a bit of it.
* Those who aren’t subsequently mind-wiped or executed for seeing too much, anyway.
** Except for Servitors. Poor guys.