Editing Warhammer 40,000/9th Edition Tactics/Grey Knights (section)

==Tactics==

Grey Knights are actually ''top-tier'' now, who would've thunk?
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Grey Knights have been dominating lately, and it's all thanks to the Grand Masters in Baby-Carriers and Interceptors. 4++ invuln, able to hit twice with the sword, and being able to teleport around the battlefield to avoid being shot at is pretty good.
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The Interceptors may not have their redeploy as an innate ability, their mobility is still very good for their points, and gets you on objectives without relying on Gate of Infinity. That being said, a rumored points change increases them to 33 ppm, which while not game-breaking, may see them being taken less. 
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Having a plan is vital to making GK work, because most units have pre-determined spells, and locking yourself into a Brotherhood means needing to pick one that synergizes well with the units you have. 
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That being said, the other units in the codex aren't bad, they just require a lot of thinking to make them work. Purifiers, for example, can blast out a Melta's worth of MW, they just need to get close enough to use it, and that means either Razorbacks or Land Raiders. 
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Units that also used to be auto-takes in 8E are less useful now, as Terminators have the same attack and damage output as Strike Squads at a much higher price. Paladins and Ven Dreads are locked out of Brotherhoods, finally killing the Paladin bomb of 8.5. That being said, Paladins can actually pick what spells they want, and Ven Dreads give all GK Core rerolls to Hit Or Wound with a 1CP Stratagem, rather than limiting them to Brotherhoods.
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===Listbuilding===
Some of your units have a huge problem: They are potentially powerful, but only with the help of certain psychic powers and/or stratagems, but Because of the Rule of One these units, though strong, can't effectively be fielded in large numbers (no more than 2). Examples include Dreadnoughts and Purgation squads, which desperately need either Gate of Infinity, Astral Aim, or onslaught to get anything done. Taking IG as an ally is a very efficient way to make good use of extra command points. ''If you have extra command points... why do you have extra command points?''

Unless you're using GK as an ally to another force, these are your most efficient units; spam them to kingdom come.
:*Grand Master Nemesis Dreadknight
:*Razorbacks and/or Strike Squads 
:*Dreadknights
:*Draigo
:*Librarians
:*Interceptors
:*Apothecaries
:*Purgation Squad (in pure GK)

If you're insistent on running pure GK (and with the new Masters of the Warp rules you should be), you can fit about 2 battalions of Strike Squads, and 1-2 vanguard/supreme commands of supporting units like Dreadknights, Paladins, etc. 

For your HQ's, include at least 1 Brother-Captain ''(Not essential anymore now we lost immunity to incrementing smite. Still a viable option though, just not a must-have.)'', and at least one HQ that give rerolls. Be sure to make your warlord a non-unique character (i.e. GMDK) so you can take First to the Fray as your warlord trait. In addition, don't fall  for the trap of running too many Dreadknights. While it looks tempting, understand that you can only consistently protect 1-2 ,as Heed and Sanctuary can't be used more that once a turn. Consider using Draigo instead of a 2nd or 3rd Dreadknight, he's just as good in CC, and comes stock with 3++.

With the new rule released in ritual of the damned and the point drop from CA there are some slight tweaks to list building to consider. first characters to spam the new list of spells, before you wouldn't have minded having you strike squads to cast gate for you, but now he has a 2 damage smite that he can't use. On top of that with the a new relic that allows reroll to psychic and a +1,  take a librarian and never worry about awkward miscasts again.

Second, spam your strike squads. After their point drop they are now just 5 points over a regular space marine you and you get a storm bolter, a forces weapon, you can deep strike and you get a smite?!?! They have a fuck ton of value, the only issue is they are not very efficient, all that value you get from having force weapons is wasted if the never get into CC. So spam them, but be careful with regular marines you don't lose out on much using scouts to cap an objective, you do the same with GK, you get the same result, for twice the points. At they very least make sure they can get the sweet sweet 2 damage smite off at every opportunity.

Third don't be afraid of putting all your eggs in 1 or 2 baskets, GK just got a lot of tools to protect high value units with armored resilience, the tide of shadows, and various stratagems not to mention you still have sanctuary and all your old strats as well. Things like landraiders and 10 man blobs of terminators are no longer as stupid as the might seem for other factions.

The best thing about grey knights, all your units have a lot or value, so even if you bet it all on a 10 man paladin squad, and they failed, your strike squads can still put in work. Hell, even your apothecary has the stat line of a low end smash captain. And if your opponent spends all their time trying to kill your paladins, they probably won't have much left for the rest of your army.

====Inquisitors====
As an Imperium army, you can throw in {{W40kKeyword|Agent of the Imperium}} units (Of which the Inquisitor is) in one of their detachments without breaking "pure army" rules, like our Tides, and they can also hitch a ride in your vehicles. They have access to a unique [[Warhammer_40,000/Tactics/Imperium(8E)#Telesthesia_Discipline|psyker discipline]], that includes '''Terrify''', which ''turns off overwatch''. They're kinda squishy to be used as a warlord, especially when stuck in with a front-line melee unit, however, they have a nifty 1CP (!) [[Warhammer_40,000/Tactics/Imperium(8E)#Stratagems_3|stratagem]] that allows them to take ''both'' a warlord trait ''and'' (as long as they are not named characters) a [[Warhammer_40,000/Tactics/Imperium(8E)#Relics|relic]]. The '''Blackshroud''' might be a good choice, as its -1 to wound makes this character pretty much immune to sniper mortal wounds.

Selecting the [[Warhammer_40,000/Tactics/Imperium(9E)#Special_Rules_4|'''Ordo Hereticus''']] makes the '''No Escape''' [[Warhammer_40,000/Tactics/Imperium(9E)#Warlord_Traits|Warlord Trait]] available, a 6" heroic intervention and ''enemy units can't fall back'' on a 4+. Alternatively, the [[Warhammer_40,000/Tactics/Imperium(9E)#Special_Rules_4|'''Ordo Xenos''']]' [[Warhammer_40,000/Tactics/Imperium(9E)#Warlord_Traits|Warlord Trait]] Esoteric Lore generates a CP on a 5+ whenever your ''opponent'' uses a stratagem.

Best of all, they're super-cheap, starting at a mere 60pts (cheaper than a Techmarine). Unfortunately, there are only two deepstrike options: Hector Rex and the expensive [[Warhammer_40,000/Tactics/Imperium(9E)#Special_Rules_4|'''Ordo Malleus''']] terminator.

The top options:

*Basic Inquisitor - CP farming - Esoteric Lore warlord trait, the stratagems: Arbiter of the Emperor's Will (''maybe'' Alpha-Class Psyker and Strategic Excruciation), the psychic power Terrify; switch the Bolt pistol for a Storm Bolter and take the Blackshroud Relic. Cheap too: 60 points and 1CP, with plenty of opportunities to earn back that CP and then some. You could toy with Mental Interrogation and Psychic Veil for a different build, but this is supposed to be a bare-bones Inquisitor.
**Basic Inquisitor - Melee Monster - Esoteric Lore warlord trait; stratagems: Arbiter of the Emperor's Will (''maybe'' Alpha-Class Psyker and Strategic Excruciation); the psychic power Psychic Veil; switch the Bolt pistol for a Plasma Gun, get a Force Sword and take the Universal Anathema Relic. They demolish anything that isn't a vehicle in close combat, and do even better vs Xenos. Then they can make a 6" bubble of no-targeting unless closest for Xenos units, and yes that protects them from snipers.
*Hector Rex - Powers should be: '''Terrify''' to bypass overwatch and '''Mental Interrogation''' (for CP generation) or '''Castigation''' (to cause a bit more damage). Tanky (2+/3++), can deep strike, and he is BRUTAL vs daemons. A bargain at 100 points and 1CP, and as the cherry on top he is thematically appropriate for Grey Knights.

=== Smite Spam FTW! ===

Assuming a 1,000pts Battalion containing the following;
* Librarian with Severance Bolts (d3 MW's on a 3+ shooting hit roll), Psychic Epitome Warlord Trait (+1 MW with Witchfire Powers, included in the following), Vortex of Doom Dominus Power (2d3+1 MW's after casting on WC7), and Smite (likely d3+1 MW's),
* Castellan Crowe with the Purifying Flame Santic Power (3 MW's).
* Three Strike Squads firing Smite (likely d3 MW's),
* Brotherhood Ancient with the Banner of Refining Flame Relic (d3 MW's against all units within 6", assume one unit hit) and firing Smite (likely d3 MW's),
* Three Purifier Squads with the Purifying Flame Santic Power (3 MW's).

This gives us a ''rough'' total in one turn of... 9d3+14 MW's (average of 32). ''Rough'', since none of this include the possible d6 MW's with smite, or d3+3 MW's with Purifying Flame, or even failing to cast. Also one of those d3's are one-use only (Severance Bolts). This is still great for a 1,000pts list. Escalating to 1,500pts would give you room for three Paladin Squads with the Purge Soul Santic Power (d3 MW's on a Ld roll-off).

Additionally, two <Brotherhoods> have MW-inflicting Powers; <Exactors> Fires of Covenant (roll a d6 for each enemy model in a unit within 1", and each 4+ inflicts one MW) and <Prescient Brethren> Fatal Precognition (each time one enemy units moves in any way, they suffer d3 MW's on a 4+ for 3 MW's on a 6). If Tide of Escalation is active, they can be cast multiple-times per turn in the same way as Smite and Santic Powers.

=== Or just drown the enemy in big thicc dakka ===

Not too viable anymore, with the nerfs to Psybolt Ammunition and Tide of Convergence (so no more D2 storm bolters). However, all your special weapons dropped in price and the psycannon is now D2 as a default. 

* <Swordbearers> Stratagem (one unit gains +1 to hit rolls with ranged attacks against one target within 12") and Psychic Power (all Vehicle units gain +1 to wound rolls with ranged attacks against a target within 18") are quite powerful buffs, especially with the incoming Dreadknight spam.
* '''Generic Stratagems'''
** Sanctified Kill-Zone gives a Purgation Squad +1 to wound rolls against a target within half range.  
** Psychic Onslaught gives a unit with Psi weapons +1S and +1AP. 
** Death From The Warp gives a unit +1 to hit rolls if they arrived by Deep Strike earlier this turn. 
** Psybolt Ammunition gives a unit with Bolt weapons +1AP and hit rolls of UM6 auto-wound. 
* '''Psychic Powers'''
** Empyric Amplification (Dominus) gives all units gain +1D with Psi weapons against one target within 12" of the caster. 
** Astral Aim (Santic) gives the casters unit one re-roll for a failed hit roll and their targets do not get a cover save bonus. 
* '''Litanies'''
** Intonement For Guidance allows one Core unit to ignore hit or BS modifiers.
** Psalm of Purity allows all Core units within 6" to gain +1AP on a wound roll of UM6. 
** Recitation of Projection gives one Core unit +6" range with Bolt and Psi weapons (Psi weapons only gain +3" range if Tide of Convergence is active, but this works out as +9" overall). 
* '''Masters of the Warp'''
** Tide of Convergence gives +6" range with Psi weapons. 

<Swordbearers> Psychic Power, Psychic Onslaught Stratagem, and Empyric Amplification Psychic Power on a Grand Master Dreadknight gives you 24 BS2+, S6, AP-2, D2 attacks that have a +1 to wound rolls modifier with gatling psilencers. Or 12 S9, AP-3, D3 attacks with the same BS and modifier using the heavy psycannons. A MSU Purgation Squad with all psilencers or psycannons using <Swordbearers> Psychic Power, and Psychic Onslaught and Sanctified Kill Zone Stratagems will grant you a cheaper kamikaze unit.

===Allied Detachments===
With the entire army not being pure GK, the GK army loses Masters of the Warp, unless theyre AGENTS OF THE IMPERIUM (Inquisition or a superheavy aux of Knights)

====Space Marines====
Despite very similar appearances, GK are Santic Astartes with <brotherhood> and SM are Adeptus Astartes with <chapter>. By not being pure Adeptus Astartes the SM detachment will lose Combat Doctrines. Space Marine allies are varied and bring many things, depending on what your GK army needs.
*Special mention to Deathwatch, just because the normally pricey GK makes SM seem like the cheaper option, with Deathwatch, the GK feel like the cheap option...

====Inquisition====
While taking a single Inquisitor can be added to an existing detachment, as mentioned above, the Inquisition can also be fielded in entire detachment. This faction only has elites and HQ slots, so for allies, they need to be a Vanguard detachment. The main reasons to include Inquisition in a GK army are 2: they are cheap, and they have the "Authority of the Inquisition" which allows them to ride in your GK transports despite not being GK. So like your GK rhino with 5 Strike, 1 champion, 4 empty seats can fill those with inquisition.

====Astra Militarum====
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====Sisters of Battle====
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====Custodes====
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====Ad-Mech====
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====Imperial Knights====
*Of all your soup options, only Knights (well  and Inquisitors) dont break Tides. An advantage of having Knights is that they give you substantial board presence while youve got your heavy hitters in reserve. It's your choice of taking either one big Freeblade, or a hunting pack of 3 Armigers. 
**The Case For Armigers: Most other IMPERIUM factions would take the Armigers, because Warglaives are decently choppy and shooty, and having 3 of them can threaten anything. Helverins aren't bad either, because they're like Predators with an Invuln. A few Armigers and Dreadknights (if you aren't already using Armigers to proxy the fugly Dreadknights) can be surprisingly dangerous in large numbers  and you're honestly not spending that many points for what you get.
**The Case for a full-size Knight: You don't really have a ton of anti-Tank and long-ranged shooting that can survive being shot at like a Knight can, so having one is a useful distraction that keeps the pressure off your GMDK for a bit.