I am testing Grey Knights so I can have a bit of a heads up when I play Metallicarule this Friday. I don't want to go in totally blind and I can adjust my tactics a bit. It will be a interesting game, G.K vs Eldar. Though this game I tried Grey Knights against Dark Eldar.
Grey Knights "Purifier Order" - 2,000 points
HQ
Castellan Crowe
Elite
Venerable Dreadnought - 2 x twin-linked autocannons & psybolt ammo
Venerable Dreadnought - 2 x twin-linked autocannons & psybolt ammo
Troops
5 x Purifiers w/ Rhino - 2 x psycannons & 3 x nemesis daemon hammers
5 x Purifiers w/ Rhino - 2 x psycannons & 3 x nemesis daemon hammers
5 x Purifiers w/ Rhino - 2 x psycannons & 3 x nemesis daemon hammers
5 x Purifiers w/ Rhino - 2 x psycannons & 3 x nemesis daemon hammers
5 x Purifiers w/ Rhino - 2 x psycannons & 3 x nemesis daemon hammers
5 x Purifiers w/ Rhino - 2 x psycannons & 3 x nemesis daemon hammers
Heavy Support
Dreadnought - 2 x twin-linked autocannons & psybolt ammo
Dreadnought - 2 x twin-linked autocannons & psybolt ammo
Total: 1,980
Dark Eldar "Kabal of a Thousand Cuts" - 2,000 points
HQ
Baron Sathonyx
Elite
4 x Kabalite Trueborn w/ Venom - 4 x blasters - Venom w/ splinter cannon
4 x Kabalite Trueborn w/ Venom - 4 x blasters - Venom w/ splinter cannon
3 x Kabalite Trueborn w/ Venom - 3 x blasters - Venom w/ splinter cannon
Troops
5 x Kabalite Warriors w/ Venom - blaster - Venom w/ splinter cannon
5 x Kabalite Warriors w/ Venom - blaster - Venom w/ splinter cannon
5 x Kabalite Warriors w/ Venom - blaster - Venom w/ splinter cannon
5 x Kabalite Warriors w/ Venom - blaster - Venom w/ splinter cannon
5 x Kabalite Warriors w/ Venom - blaster - Venom w/ splinter cannon
5 x Kabalite Warriors w/ Venom - blaster - Venom w/ splinter cannon
Fast Attack
Beastmasters - 3 x beastmasters, 5 x khymerae & 4 x razorwing flocks
Beastmasters - 3 x beastmasters, 5 x khymerae & 4 x razorwing flocks
Heavy Support
Ravager - flickerfield
Ravager - flickerfield
Ravager - flickerfield
Game: Annihilation + Pitched Battle
Deployment
Dark Eldar win the roll off and go first. All skimmers deploy more or less in the centre with the Ravagers at the front to give cover. On the left flank deploy both Beastmaster squads using ruins on the board to give cover, Baron deploys with the Beastmasters on the far left.
Grey Knights deploy with the Rhinos on the left flank in two rows of three. Crowe deploys in a ruin out of LOS by himself in the centre while the Dreadnoughts have a mother's meetings on the right opposite the skimmer fleet.
Turn 1
Grey Knights attempt to seize the initiative, they fail.
D.E move all Venoms flat out, though just over 12" so they are not so close to psycannons and can use the centre ruin for some cover. Ravagers pivot and move slightly ready to blast the Dreadnoughts. Beastmasters without Baron move and run and end up in the centre tower ruin while Baron's Beastmasters move down the left flank using a ruin for cover.
Shooting; Ravagers blast the Venerable Dreadnoughts and score weapon destroyed and stunned on one and score weapon destroyed and immobilised on another. That's it!
Grey Knights first turn; Venerable Dreadnought does psychic test for fortitude and it's fine. The front Rhinos move 6" over towards the Venom fleet while the other three gamble that the Beastmasters will be bogged down in terrain and maybe out of assault range.
Shooting; one Purifier unit out of the static Rhinos fires at the Beastmasters in the centre, though it out of range, the other two Purifiers from the static Rhinos open up with psycannons and two Beastmasters and a Khymerae are dead - Beastmasters pass morale test. More psycannons blast out and two Trueborn Venoms blow up - both squads pass pinning and one has to take morale, though it's fine. Storm bolters from the Rhinos attempt to finish off the last Trueborn, but fail. Autocannons from the Dreadnoughts blast the Ravagers, one Ravager gets cover thanks to a large shrine ruin and passes all cover saves while the shots which do get through on the other Ravagers are saved by flickerfields.
Kill points - Grey Knights: 2 Dark Eldar: 0
Turn 2
Baron splits from the Beastmasters and flies over the ruin to assault, though rolls a 1 to assault. The Beastmaster unit Baron was with moves and runs 6 down towards the Grey Knights tank line while the other Beastmasters move out through terrain ready to assault. Venoms move down ready to torrent the closest Rhino and Dreadnoughts with blasters.
Shooting; Trueborn torrent the closest Rhino and score weapon destroyed and stunned. Ravagers and blasters fire at the Dreadnoughts, one Dreadnought explodes while one Venerable is shaken and the other is stunned.
Assault; the Beastmasters in the centre multi assault the three Rhinos which moved, the Rhino which has already taken damage is immobilised while the other two get away scott free. The other Beastmaster unit is just in range of one Rhino which hasn't moved and it is wrecked - Purifiers pass pinning test. Baron is about 2" from assault
Grey Knights second turn; both Venerables and the stunned Rhino pass fortitude tests. Purifiers from the wrecked Rhino and one of the unmoved Rhinos move to assault the closest Beastmasters while another unit of Purifiers bails out their Rhino and goes towards Baron. One more unit of Purifiers bail out of their Rhino to assault the other Beastmasters, Crowe comes out the ruin to support them.
Shooting; psycannons rip into Baron and he fails his shadowfield and is instagib. Both Beastmasters get shot up but psycannons and storm bolters. Psycannons blast into the last operational Trueborn Venom and it explodes, the surviving Trueborn gets blown away by storm bolters from Rhinos - squad fails morale and falls back, the single Trueborn from the previous turn is shredded by psycannons after surviving plenty of storm bolter shots. Psycannons open fire and manage to explode one of the Ravagers while the others survive the gun fire.
Assault; two Purifier units charge the Beastmasters on the left flank, both cast cleansing flame and after only four Razorwing Flocks remain and a single Khymerae - one Grey Knight falls, though 18 nemesis daemon hammer attacks see that the Beastmasters are wiped out. Crowe and Purifiers charge the other Beastmaster units, both cast cleansing flame and only four Razorwing Flocks remain - Flocks score no wounds and Crowe adapts the shield blade stance just in case, the hammer attacks smash them to pieces.
Kill points - Grey Knights: 8 Dark Eldar: 2
Turn 3
Dark Eldar swing their Venoms across the flank to get the splinter cannons into range. Trueborn continue to fall back as they are under half strength.
Shooting; the surviving Trueborn unit blast Crowe (who failed to consolidate from LOS) and he is instagibbed. Blasters fire at a Venerable Dreadnought, a few damage results are re-rolled which turn into shaken/stunned but ultimately it is wrecked. Splinter cannons open fire on the Purifier unit which assisted Crowe in combat and wipe them out, another unit gets blasted by splinter cannons and only a single Grey Knight is left - the survivor passes morale. Another squad gets blasted as the single survivor is out of LOS, two die from this unit and they too pass morale.
Grey Knights third turn; all Purifiers get back into their tanks so they don't get poisoned to death. A Dreadnoughts casts fortitude power and it is no longer stunned.
Shooting; psycannons fire and wreck a Warrior Venom and explode another - both squads pass pinning, though one Trueborn from the remaining squad dies to shrapnel - survivor passes morale. Storm bolters fire into the surviving Trueborn, though passes all cover saves. Dreadnoughts fire and take out another Ravager and rip off a lance from the other.
Kill points - Grey Knights: 12 Dark Eldar: 5
Turn 4
Dark Eldar remain in position using their down skimmers as cover, no point moving them up so they don't get cover saves or could get assaulted.
Shooting; blasters fire and take out the Rhino which is immobilised and weapon destroyed, Purifiers pass pinning though are then gunned down with combo of splinter cannons, rifles and blaster. Blasters fire into the Dreadnoughts and shake/stun the two remaining Dreadnoughts.
Grey Knights turn; both Dreadnoughts pass fortitude tests, the operational Dreadnought moves out so it can assault a unit. Remaining Rhinos hold position.
Shooting; Dreadnought fires into a Warrior unit and kills four - survivor pass morale though Dreadnought will be out of assault range. Psycannons fire and knock out two Venoms while Rhino storm bolters finally finish off the single Trueborn.
Kill points - Grey Knights: 15 Dark Eldar: 7
Turn 5
Remaining Warriors hold position again so use the wrecked Venoms and craters for cover.
Shooting; both remaining Dreadnoughts are taken out by blasters, that's it for D.E.
Grey Knights go balls to the wall this turn, the unit of three Purifiers bail out and move towards the closest Warriors ready to smack them with some hammers, another Rhino attempts to move through terrain, though it's immobilised. Another Rhino tries the same trick, it moves 12" through terrain and over the Rhino wreck and the Purifiers bail out ready to issue some good hearted justice.
Shooting; Purifiers which just bailed out their moved Rhino fire into a Warrior squad with psycannons and storm bolters and wipe them all out. I think that's about it.
Assault; Purifiers charge and cast cleansing flame, though it does zero wounds this turn, Dark Eldar kill the psycannon Grey Knight but the hammers smash them in return, squad fails morale and falls back with the G.K in hot pursuit.
Kill points - Grey Knights: 17 Dark Eldar 9
Summary
As to be expected, Grey Knights are Dark Eldar's rock to scissors, just like Guard are. At first I thought it was going well as the Ravagers passed quite a few flickerfield saves, but alas it was not to be. What D.E use to get the win is surpressed tanks and it is very hard to surpress G.K vehicles, damn fortitude. Ultimately it went the way I thought it would and that was a loss for Dark Eldar. Some things could have gone better for them like Baron getting into assault, blasters causing better damage than shaken/stunned and splinter cannons actually hit something, several times they missed 7 shots!
G.K played as well as I remember them last year. I still think the Purifier build it pretty awesome. When I tried this list last time I used Interceptors and halberds, I cannot say I missed that unit or wargear. I also did some maths and the hammers end up killing round about the same in combat, benefit for hammers is against walkers.
The point however was to see if G.K was over powered. I am sticking to my guns and saying no. They are a pretty cheesy army (too good) and have some things a little too sweet which get a few raised eyebrows. They can be dealt with though, you just need the right tools for the job and some good dice rolls ;)
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