Warhammer 40,000/3rd Edition Tactics/Daemonhunters

Why Play Daemonhunters

Because you want to take the least amount of dudes than everyone else, but still pay as much. Also SILVER PAINT EVERYWHERE. The models also subscribe to the rule of cool.

Unit Analysis

HQ

• Grey Knight Grand Master - Fuck awesome. Give him a Terminator retinue and watch him slaughter his way to the top. Give him what you see fit.

• Grey Knight Brother-Captain - Poor mans HQ choice, exactly the same as a Grey Knight Terminator squad leader. Only 1 wound makes him vulnerable in melee, though if you insist on using him you are best off giving him psycannon, master-craft it and start shooting.

• Ordo Malleus Inquisitor Lord - You can take an Inquisitor model that looks like Jim Carrey. That is awesome.

• Inquisitor Lord Coteaz Torquemada - Inquisition's fluffy unit. Most expensive until you fully beef up your Grand Master. Really great option as an HQ.

• Brother-Captain Stern - A mini-Grand Master, his Special rule is what makes him great. Even better if your opponent forgets to use the rerolls granted by Stern using his reroll. He's a bit of a hit-or-miss. Though he can do just as well as a Grand Master. He will probably be Grand Master Stern by the time the next codex hits.

Elite

• Grey Knight Terminator Squad - Awesome. These guys will butcher in close combat. They all got I4 S6 power weapons, even the ones with a psycannon or incinerator. Deep Strike these fellows with Incinerators.

• Ordo Malleus Inquisitor - More Inqusitor Jim Carrey!

• Daemonhosts - The units themselves are very good, but you suffer from the loss of Grey Knight forces, though you can compensate with inducted Space Marines or Imperial Guard. Also, you know who doesn't need to worry about not using Grey Knights? Any other Imperial army using DH as allies.

• Death Cult Assassins - Great counter-charge units, though you have Grey Knights for that already.

• Callidus Assassin - The only assassin that can routinely justify it's point cost.

• Culexus Assassin - Very situational. Really only good against psykers. Disregard that. They are ONLY good against psykers.

• Eversor Assassin - The Eversor is a bit of a gambit. The Eversor will virtually murder almost anything at close range and he is durable so your opponent will more or less turn the junkie into a fire magnet, with his big guns. With this, you could make him a distraction to get your heavy hitting units into position to take out said guns turning the Eversor into a fire magnet or send him off on his own, Kharn style. But if your opponent is retarded enough to fail to notice him, sit back and watch him leave a bunch of horribly mutilated corpses;

• Vindicare Assassin - Will always die like a bitch. I repeat. Will always die like a bitch.

Troop

• Grey Knight Squad - Your bread and butter unit for Daemonhunters. Justicar by default as an I4 power weapon. All members of the squad with a melee weapon are S6.

• Inquisitorial Stormtroopers - Go back to playing Guard.

Fast Attack

• Grey Knight Teleport Attack Squad - Same as a Grey Knight Squad, only can Deep Strike. Give them Incinerators.

Heavy Support

• Grey Knight Purgation Squad - Same as a Grey Knight Squad, though you can take up to 4 psycannons or incinerators (5 if you give your Justicar one). Take it for the firepower against infantry, though you really need some anti-vehicle weaponry. Give them all Psycannons and shoot from maximum distance. Statistically the enemy has a less than 50% chance of hitting them.

• Orbital Bombardment - Congratulations, you just lost a heavy support choice. In an army where you will always be outnumbered, you need as many bodies on the table as possible.

Note, the following can only be taken if a Grey Knight Grand Master, Brother-Captain, or Stern are taken as HQ choices.

• Grey Knight Dreadnought - Very flexible unit, can be given the normal Space Marine Dreadnought loadouts, or can take a Psycannon and Nemesis Force Weapon w/ a built-in incinerator. Give them a twin-linked lascannon and a missile launcher, they still benefit from the Shrouding. Fluff wise they should have psychic powers.

• Grey Knight Land Raider - A good mix of transportation and anti-vehicle firepower. Land Raiders and it's variants are the only transports Grey Knights have. The two twin-linked lascannons make this the best anti-armour the Grey Knights have.

• Grey Knight Raider Crusader - For the normally foot-slogging (or deep striking) Grey Knights, this is a veritable gift from the Emperor for your troops that aren't teleporting into battle. The sacrifice of the anti-vehicle firepower is the only downside.

• Grey Knight Land Raider Redeemer - Same as the baseline Land Raider, though the anti-vehicle firepower is exchanged for anti-infantry with the flamers built into the sponsons.

Building your Army

Buy Grey Knights pretty much, though Inquisitor Lord Torquemada is a very good choice for HQ. Also Brother-Captain Stern is a useful model to use as himself or a Grand Master.

Tactics

• Muhltiple, simuln-tehneous and devashtehting defensive deep strikes! If you are rich enough to get this many Grey Knight models, you could have total of 70 Grey Knights teleport into battle. The sheer swarm of additional units should be entertaining.

• Dark Heresy re-enactment - Ordo Malleus Inquisitor Lord w/ retinue, with the Ordo Malleus Inquisitors and their retinues taking up the elite slots. Combine with Stormtroopers and Inducted Imperial Guard and you play now play Daemonhunters with no marine forces at all! Enjoy playing Dark Heresy as a wargame.

• The Shrouding - This is what makes the Grey Knights. Always remember to roll for this, otherwise you are an overpriced Black Templar army without the transports. Grey Knight Purgation Squads and Dreadnoughts will have a less than 50% chance of being shot at when firing at max range with this.