"We are the warriors of the Grey Knights, armoured in faith, shielded by devotion and armed with purity of purpose”
Hi everyone, Build Monkey here and I’m back again with another look into the collection of Combat Patrol boxsets, this time checking out those ever-so secret and mysterious servants of the Emperor himself, the Grey Knights.
Existing since the time of the Horus Heresy, this chapter of Space Marines was designed to be humanity's greatest weapon against the threats of Chaos. Each member is an incredibly strong psyker considered to be nigh-on incorruptible, and practically nothing is known of them outside of the Inquisition… So, with all of this in mind, you’d think their Combat Patrol boxset would be a good investment, right? Well, let’s dig into their secrets and find out, shall we?
So, what’s in the box? The Combat Patrol: Grey Knights set comes with; 1x Librarian in Terminator Armour, 1x Nemesis Dreadknight, 5x Grey Knights Brotherhood Terminators, and 5x Grey Knights Strike Squad Marines… That right there is a grand total of… 12 models… That’s one of the lowest totals of model counts amongst the Combat Patrol boxsets so far, only being beaten to having the fewest by the Dark Angels who have 10. But, I digress, so let’s take a look at what each of these models would cost you if bought individually.
Disclaimer: Grey Knights don’t actually have a standardised model for a Librarian in Terminator Armour, so other Space Marine Librarians are used to fit the role instead. But the standard price for a Librarian in Terminator Armor is the same, whichever faction it originated from, so I shall be making my best guess at its cost individually, using this knowledge.
1x Librarian in Terminator Armour = £20
1x Nemesis Dreadknight = £40
5x Grey Knights Brotherhood Terminators = £32.50
5x Grey Knights Strike Squad Marines = £40
Total = £132.50
Saving = £42.50
The total cost of this Combat Patrol boxset is £132.50, which when it finally boils down to the savings, it’s only £42.50. Which isn’t much overall, really. But then again, with that saving you could easily buy yourself another Nemesis Dreadknight or Grey Knights Strike Squad to bulk out those low numbers you’d be fielding, so it’s certainly nothing to sniff at I suppose. But with this in mind, is it actually worth that price tag on the tabletop?
Librarian in Terminator Armour - This confused me a little when I first read the contents, because this isn’t actually a standard Librarian in Terminator Armour with a regular Space Marine statline; it’s a “Brotherhood Librarian”, and this guy’s stats are so much better. Coming equipped with a Nemesis Warding Stave, Frag Grenades and Krak Grenades as standard, a nice number of Psyker abilities and a plethora of potential upgrades under the guise of “Wisdom of the Prognosticars”, this guy is a complete power-house alone.
Nemesis Dreadknight - Other factions get a vehicle or even a Dreadnought to make them look more imposing on the battlefield, and don’t get me wrong, the Grey Knights get these too… But what they get that other factions don’t, is the Nemesis DreadKnight (or otherwise known as a Terminator in a baby-carrier, or giant mech-popouse). Bigger than a standard Grey Knight brother, it comes equipped with 2 Dreadfists as standard, and with a Movement of 9” when at full health this thing can charge right into the thick of it to put those Dreadfists to some damned good use. Plus, with its “Knights of Titan” ability “And They Shall Know No Fear”, it ignores all modifiers to any Combat Attrition Tests it may or may not have to take. But that’s not all, it can also actually serve as a Grand Master Nemesis Dreadknight armed with a Nemesis Daemon Hammer or Nemesis Greatsword, for example. But if you really want to terrify your opponent, then just remember; the Dreadknight can also Teleport Strike, just like every other member of the faction… Very nice…
Grey Knights Brotherhood Terminators - Terminators are usually beastly opponents at the best of times but the Grey Knights once again manage to take things up a notch. Armed with a Storm Bolter and whichever Nemesis Weapon happens to take your fancy, that +3 to it’s Weapon and Ballistic Skill is looking very nice when paired with the “Knights of Titan” ability “Bolter Discipline”, in which you can double the number of your attacks with Rapid Fire Bolt Weapons as long as you didn’t Move in your previous Movement Phase and your target is within half of the Bolters Range. Pew pew.
Grey Knights Strike Squad Marines - These guys usually serve as a Vanguard Squad and, even being the weakest members of this Combat Patrol boxset there is nothing weak about them. They’re faster than most of their brothers (bar the Nemesis Dreadknight at full power and health), equipped with the same Weapons as their Terminator brothers as standard, and the Justicar has full access to a number of powerful Stratagems that can really swing any battle in your favour right from the get-go, making full use of all that intel the Prognosticars brought forth…
So, what’s the verdict? Are these Grey Knights worth it on the tabletop…? Well, yes. Yes they are. Just, yes. I mean, they may not have the numbers of some other Combat Patrol boxsets, but what they lack in numbers they make up for in sheer raw power alone. Also, it’s worth noting that these guys are Psykers. Powerful ones. Every single one of them. Very very nice indeed.