Mech Grey Knight Tournament Report (day 1)

Rob speaking,

Following on from my tournament the other month, I was attending another tournament shortly. I wasn’t totally happy with my list and with a couple more practice games, things just didn’t improve with it. So I have decided to go back to Grey Knights and take a list that is rarely seen on the tournament scene, but I believe could work. My one practice game before the event didn’t go well, but the list was competitive at least, so I decided to go with it!

 The list:

[HQ 1] Coteaz (100) = [100]
[HQ 2] Malleus Inquisitor (25) Terminator Armour (40) Psycannon (15) Lvl1 Psyker (30) = [110]
[Troop 1] 10 Strike Squad (200) 2 Psycannons (20) Psybolt Ammo (20) Justicar Hammer (10) = [250] (Transport 1)
[Troop 2] 10 Strike Squad (200) 2 Psycannons (20) Psybolt Ammo (20) Justicar Hammer (10) = [250] (Transport 2)
[Troop 3] 5 Strike Squad (100) 1 Psycannon (10) = [110] (Transport 3)
[Troop 4] 2 Warrior Acolytes (8) 1 Banisher (15) = [23] (Transport 4)
[Troop 5] 3 Warrior Acolytes (12) = [12] (Transport 5)
[Troop 6] 3 Warrior Acolytes (12) = [12] (Transport 6)
[Fast 1] 5 Interceptors (130) Psycannon (10) = [140]
[Heavy 1] Dreadknight (130) Heavy Incinerator (30) = [160]
[Heavy 2] Dreadnought (115) 2 Twin Linked Autocannons (15) Psybolt Ammo (5) = [135]
[Heavy 3] Dreadnought (115) 2 Twin Linked Autocannons (15) Psybolt Ammo (5) = [135]
[Transport 1] - Razorback (45) Heavy Bolter (-) Psybolt Ammo (5) = [50]
[Transport 2] - Razorback (45) Heavy Bolter (-) Psybolt Ammo (5) = [50]
[Transport 3] - Razorback (45) Heavy Bolter (-) Psybolt Ammo (5) = [50]
[Transport 4] - Razorback (45) Heavy Bolter (-) Psybolt Ammo (5) Searchlight (1) = [51]
[Transport 5] – Chimera (55) Multilaser (-) Heavy Flamer (-) Searchlight (1) = [56] 
[Transport 6] – Chimera (55) Multilaser (-) Heavy Bolter (-) Searchlight (1) = [56]

[1750 Points]

Looking at the meta as it stands most players are taking infantry armies, so people are weighing their lists to include flamers and are taking plasma over melta, while all the time taking boots on the ground over the protection of tanks, so this is where my list comes in. It's designed to pray on the lists that are strong at the moment, so that’s Necron Wraithwing, Tyranid MC spam/Psychic choir and Daemons Screamer/Flamer spam. While other pray armies are starting to rear their ugly heads, like Dark Eldar Venom heavy lists and Marines with Thunderfire cannons.

So jumping straight into the tournament:

GAME 1 Crusade (3 objectives) Pitched Battle deployment.

I would be facing Chaos with Ork allies, 2 Daemon Princes, both with wings, 1 with mark of Khorne, the other with Tzeench and various upgrades, 2x 10 Cultists, 3x Helldrakes with Baleflamers, Warboss in mega armour, 10x Lootaz, 2x 27 Boyz with 2 big shootaz in each squad. With 2 objectives on my opponents side and 1 on mine, I new I had to push, but I didn’t want to expose my infantry as the Baelflamers are perfect for taking them out, STR6 AP3… So I deployed in the bottom left corner, as the Chaos has deployed in a line down the centre of the table with the lootaz in the middle on a large hill, flanked by a squad of Boyz on either flank, with the Daemon princes behind the hill the Lootaz are on, the Cultists and Helldrakes in reserve.

My tactics where to deep strike the 5 Strikes and Dreadknight, with the Interceptors to move on from reserve and these would all go for the far right objective, while I deployed the rest of my army on the left flank, this worked to a degree, but one thing I didn’t anticipate was the fact the Helldrakes can move on 36” and Vector Strike… all 3 turned up turn 2 and Vector strikes removed both Chimeras first, then in the shooting phase Baleflamered the contents which was nicely packed in the wreckage, the first 10 strikes were reduced to 2 and the second squad, Coteaz was out in front and he saved everything, which was about 10 saves from the first flamer, then followed by a second flamer which only hit 3 or 4. The rest of the game consisted of me clearing the far right objective with the Dreadknight, who got me linebreaker, took out both Daemon Princes for Slay the Warlord and Firstblood, while the Baleflamers and Vector strikes took out all the tanks and I just about fought the Orks off the objective on my side, while I had 2 guys left to get my objective with Coteaz taking the hits from a Baleflamer, but after passing about 26 saves through the game, he failed the first of 3 and other guys where auto killed… giving Matt the win, 4-3 on VP's. If I’d passed 3 2+ saves it would have been a 6-4 win to me!

30-1 Loss

Game 2 Big Guns (5 Objectives), Vanguard Strike Deployment

I would be facing off against Space Wolves with Grey Knight allies, Rune Priest, 2x 7 Grey Hunters with 2x Plasma, Standard, 10x Grey Hunters with 2x meltaguns and 3x 4 Hyperios Defence Batteries, Coteaz, 10x Strikes with 2x Psycannons and a Dreadknight with Jump Pack, Incinerator and Great Sword.

Basically we placed the objectives 4-1 weighted on the right hand side of the table, so whoever won the roll off would be in a very strong position. My opponent won the roll, so my deployment was pretty limited, I castled as close to the objectives as possible, with the whole idea of trying to contest/capture as many as possible... I won first turn and took it, then deployed on the right flank with everything bar the Dreadknight which went in deep strike reserve with 3x Warrior Acolyte squads to walk on. My opponent deployed centrally and towards my right flank. The highlight of the game was, I got firstblood by taking out a Rhino, basically the first 2 turns I was quite dominant taking out the Drop pod and its contents for the loss of a Razorback, the game then came down to a turn 7 end. Turn 5 I had the top left objective and it was close on the other 3, 1 would not be contested/captured as we both targeted each others troops, The opponents Dreadknight had gone through a Strike squad and Inquisitor as I messed up on the charge, I should of cast hammerhand and mutually killed the Inquisitor and the Dreadknight… but the Dreadknight was down to a single wound after the Rune Priest had blocked the Force Weapon. Anyway, back to turn 5, I fired everything into the Dreadknight and it eventually failed its save, freeing up a squad of 3 Warrior Acolytes to capture the objective, this means the game goes down to 2 objectives which my opponent had pretty much sewn up, with 7 Grey Hunters and 10 Strikes + Coteaz on each.

Turn 6, after taking out the Dreadknight my attention switched to trying to take out the troops, which doesn’t work as by the end of turn 7 there are 2 Grey Hunters holding 1 objective and 2 Strikes holding another objective, I should of concentrated fire power into 1 of the units… basic school boy error, but I won the game in the end with a firstblood, warlord and 1 heavy support choice secondary objective win. 25-5 win.

Game 3 Emperors Will and Dawn of War Deployment

This game I would be going against Tyranids, 2x flying Tyrants with Devouers, 2x 10 Gants with Devourers, 2x Tervigons, 2x Trygons and a Doom in a pod.

An army I’ve designed my list to beat, so here is the acid test, but the mission is quite difficult to win, my opponent won the roll off for first turn and decided to go first, outflanking a Tervigon and a flying Hive Tyrant, while keeping the other Hive Tyrant in reserve. So there was only 2 squads of Termagants and a Tervigon deployed on the table. I deployed in a line, with most of the vehicles central, Interceptors went on the right flank and the large strikes deployed, one on the left flank to capture my home objective and the other centrally to act as a blocking unit. The Warrior Acolytes in reserve with the Dreadknight in deep strike reserve. Highlights of the game, turn 2, the Hive Tyrants came on and deleted the Interceptors and I rolled out my skin to save the Strikes on the left flank who took a peppering but only lost 2 guys.. My opponents then rolled a shocker, the first shot into a Tyrant and it was grounded and was deleted by the Strike squad in the middle, the other Tyrant was grounded first shot and was deleted by the other strike squad, the Dreadknight stayed in reserve. Skipping forward and we decide to call the game at the end of turn 5, with the Dreadknight taking out Doom and consolidating and running towards the opponents objective in my turn to contest it turn 5 giving me the win. Warp quake won me the game, the doom had to drop to act as a blocker to my opponents objective and both Trygons also dropped way back and where both taken out before they could do any damage rather than dropping in my face, a second win of the day, this time 30-1. That’s the end of day 1!

Overall I was extremely happy to have recovered from the mauling game 1, with 2 good wins in game 2 and 3. I should of won by more game 2, but I was getting greedy.

More to come…