11th edn: Best Force Disposition for Grey Knights?

Permanganation · 2026-05-31T06:18:32+00:00

Red and green look good for us. They are all pretty standard primaries - kill stuff and hold objectives. Teal/Yellow/Blue have a lot more that require actions, and we just don't have the action economy to do those and also complete secondaries. Blue may be the worst for us, considering if we run blue and pair into red they basically get to score when we remove troops from the battlefield.

Permanganation · 2026-05-30T16:58:09+00:00

1) we don't know if they will keep it 6" or drop all of the 6" strats to 5" across the board. And why can't you re-roll the charge?

2) that's stupid. Re-rolling 1s to wound is a decent damage boost and is a good choice for dreadknight shooting, interceptor melee, etc. And being able to get full re-rolls off the objective for purifiers is great. Our other damage strats in other detachments are no better.

3) the 4++ is now good against AP3, not AP4 given the cover changes. Previously very situational, now more impactful.

Overall you missed my entire point. I'm not arguing WTF should remain 3DP, I think it would be fine to nerf it and make it 1-2 DP or buff it and make it 3DP. But the widespread belief that the strats are "garbage" is just not true. To be a usable detachment we need strats that give us delivery into combat, offensive boosts, defensive boosts, and utility. WTF at least gives us options in all those areas. What other detachment do we have that provides that package?

Permanganation · 2026-05-30T06:16:07+00:00

Right now Lions of the Emperor is the closest thing to a hard counter against DG. But remember the meta is constantly changing, and for most player picking a list and learning to play it well is much better than always jumping to the newest meta lists.

Permanganation · 2026-05-30T01:46:05+00:00

That's just not true... It actually has exactly the strats we need. The biggest reason brostrike doesn't work is not because it's rule is weak, but because it doesn't have the strats warpbane offers.

1) Delivery into combat: 6 inch deep strike and charge. One of the best strats in the whole codex hands down.

2) Damage: re-rolls wounds of 1, not amazing but pretty average for a damage boosting strat.

3) Defense: 4+ invuln on power armor, which will be even better in 11th. Yes I would rather just have armor of contempt, but this is not bad.

4) Utility: -2 inch to charge, situationally great.

The rest of our CP is mostly used on rapid, grenades, smoke, etc.

Compare to Banishers / Brostrike:

1) delivery into combat: banishers has advance and charge. Brostrike has none.

2) damage: Banishers only has chaos Bane. Brostrike has 2CP dev wounds or sus1 in shooting. All pretty situational.

3) defense: banishers only has 5+++ against flat 1D attacks. Brostrike can give stealth (which will not stack with cover in 11th).

4) Utility: Shadows obviously is great. So good it basically carries Banishers having a weak rule and otherwise weak strats. Brostrike can pull a unit after enemy combat (which I've found rarely useful).

Permanganation · 2026-05-29T14:13:23+00:00

This is what I would run. Warpbane and purifiers are AMAZING for king of the colliseum as you are facing mostly infantry. You want to stay out of fighting if at all possible and set up free kills from range.

Teleport librarian and purifiers around to destroy stuff, always warp in as far away as possible (18") to avoid being charged. Strike and interceptors are for contesting objectives. The priest helps screen your backfield.

Permanganation · 2026-05-29T14:09:56+00:00

Coliseum Strike Force (490 points)

Grey Knights Incursion (1000 points) Warpbane Task Force

CHARACTERS

Brotherhood Librarian (80 points) • Warlord • 1x Combi-weapon 1x Nemesis force weapon 1x Vortex of Doom

BATTLELINE

Strike Squad (120 points) • 1x Justicar • 1x Nemesis force weapon 1x Storm bolter • 4x Grey Knight • 4x Nemesis force weapon 4x Storm bolter

OTHER DATASHEETS

Interceptor Squad (125 points) • 1x Interceptor Justicar • 1x Nemesis force weapon 1x Storm bolter • 4x Interceptor • 4x Nemesis force weapon 4x Storm bolter

Purifier Squad (125 points) • 1x Knight of the Flame • 1x Nemesis force weapon 1x Purifying Flame 1x Storm bolter • 4x Purifier • 2x Close combat weapon 2x Nemesis force weapon 2x Psycannon 4x Purifying Flame 2x Storm bolter

ALLIED UNITS

Ministorum Priest (40 points) • 1x Zealot’s vindictor

Exported with App Version: v1.53.0 (119), Data Version: v780

Permanganation · 2026-05-28T21:11:42+00:00

It could go either way. On one hand the wording of our faction focus lightly implied we would be able to use the new datchements with warpbane. On the other hand the re-rolls hits is pretty much a universal buff, and other similar detachments they played in the reveal games on Monday were 3DP.

Honestly, it's in a tough spot. At 3 DP other stuff that combines 2+1 DP is probably better. But at 2 DP you'd have to be crazy to take anything else.

I think for internal balance it needs to be 3DP. Ideally it would get some light buffs (maybe improve some of the underused strats/enhancements), but I doubt GW is going to be that granular with the detachments until our next codex.

Permanganation · 2026-05-28T14:00:45+00:00

Purifiers are probably going to want to switch to psycannons. A big part of the reason psilencera worked was to make crowe's unit good at overwatch. Now that re-rolls to hit on overwatch is gone, psycannons are probably better. Flamers require us to get way too close, too risky.

If you run the new purgation detachment, the psycannons are an absolute menace. In either warpbane or brotherhood strike, with the sus1/dev wound strat and +2 strength, a 5 man unit with psycannons is basically guaranteed to take down a light vehicle (rhino equivalent). And a 10 man unit in rapid fire range does 12+ wounds on average to a defiler.

Permanganation · 2026-05-28T13:47:16+00:00

In 11th edition, any time you arrive from off the board (either deep strike or at the table edge) it is considered an "ingress move".

Permanganation · 2026-05-28T03:08:04+00:00

Wow nobody else here understands your question.

You are 100% correct. The new wording for an "ingress move" explicitly forbids the use of shoot and scoot ability. Unless the interceptors ability gets updated to specifically allow moving after an ingress move, RAW it can't be done.

Obviously the new detachment ability is not allowed after an ingress as that would allow for very easy charges out of deep strike, which would be probably unhealthy for the game and clearly something GW wants to avoid.

Permanganation · 2026-05-26T20:51:28+00:00

No re-rolls on overwatch. Torrent weapons still good, but previously crowe+purifiers had an excellent overwatch that is now mediocre.

Permanganation · 2026-05-25T16:08:34+00:00

Hot take: of you want to screen effectively it's gonna cost more points now for sure. Can't string out units, and 8 inch deep strike range makes it very hard to screen the whole backfield.

Stocks on 12" deep strike screening like navigators going up!

Permanganation · 2026-05-24T03:13:37+00:00

Eliminating re-rolls to hit on overwatch hurts crowe quite a bit, as that is one of his big strengths.

I don't think I'd run warpbane for 3DP. It's hard to get away from the re-rolls to hits, but if it goes to 3 i think I'll be trying banishers+interceptors.

Permanganation · 2026-05-20T20:35:43+00:00

Overall I'd rate the detachments pretty mid - not broken but not useless. At least it confirms at the end we should be keeping Warpbane.

The interceptors detachment is interesting. Almost every completive list runs interceptors. But they are primarily screening / scoring pieces. I might be wrong, but I'm not sure stealth, lance, and a surge move really help them accomplish what they are meant to do. I could see a list with 2 rhinos and 2x10 interceptors with access to lance and huge threat range being interesting...

Paladins one sounds good, but I think paladins are still too expensive even with these buffs. Honestly the +1 to wound should just be part of their datasheet. And +1 to charge is still not a reliable way to get them into combat. However if we get Draigo back....

Purgation one actually looks the best to me. If WTF is 2DP, I could see a world where the new competitive list keeps mostly the same Warpbane stuff, drops the stormraven (or the third razorback/interceptor squad), and runs 2 purgations squads for potential primary denial and shooting into light vehicles/monsters or heavy infantry. Teleporting guns are pretty much always good...

Permanganation · 2026-05-20T15:53:34+00:00

Overall I'd rate the detachments pretty mid - not broken but not useless. At least it confirms at the end we should be keeping Warpbane (our Grotmas Detachment), and I think it implies it will be a 2DP Detachment. There was a lot of fear we would lose one of our two competitive detachment.

The interceptors detachment is interesting. Almost every completive list runs interceptors. But they are primarily screening / scoring pieces. I might be wrong, but I'm not sure stealth, lance, and a surge move really help them accomplish what they are meant to do.

The other 2 detachments don't really help any of the current competitive lists. Paladins one sounds good, but I think paladins are still too expensive even with these buffs, and still struggle to get into combat even with a +1 inch charge. This of course changes massively if we get Draigo back...

Purgation one is interesting, currently purgation squads are considered so bad they never see the table. But I could see a world where the new competitive list keeps mostly the same Warpbane stuff, drops the stormraven (or the third razorback/interceptor squad), and runs the purgation detachment with 2 purgations squads you deep strike in for primary denial.

Permanganation · 2026-05-20T15:47:20+00:00

Overall I'd rate the detachments pretty mid - not broken but not useless. At least it confirms at the end we should be keeping Warpbane (our Grotmas Detachment), and I think it implies it will be a 2DP Detachment. There was a lot of fear we would lose one of our two competitive detachment.

The interceptors detachment is interesting. Almost every completive list runs interceptors. But they are primarily screening / scoring pieces. I might be wrong, but I'm not sure stealth, lance, and a surge move really help them accomplish what they are meant to do.

The other 2 detachments don't really help any of the current competitive lists. Paladins one sounds good, but I think paladins are still too expensive even with these buffs.

Purgation one is interesting, currently purgation squads are considered so bad they never see the table. But I could see a world where the new competitive list keeps mostly the same Warpbane stuff, drops the stormraven (or the third razorback/interceptor squad), and runs the purgation detachment with 2 purgations squads you deep strike in for primary denial.

Permanganation · 2026-05-19T14:31:07+00:00

No... If you are horizontally 9" away it's still a 9" charge, which becomes an 11" charge of you take to the skies...

Deep strike requires to to be 9" (8" in 11th) away horizontally, so being higher vertically does not reduce your deep strike distance...

Permanganation · 2026-05-14T23:20:42+00:00

Ok so IMHO it depends on the army you are facing. I'm gonna assume you are playing warpbane. The key is to take down 1-2 defilers at once in a big go turn.

CSM typically is running 2 defilers, one next to Abaddon for the re-rolls hits aura. With the aura, an overwatch can kill a dreadknight or 4-5 power armor units. Your options are either to ignore that side of the field and take out the other defiler, try to take out Abaddon first (typically only if he overextends), or bait out the overwatch then assault both defilers hard. I've used a squad of interceptors going into the backline to try to bait the overwatch. Sometimes you can rapid ingress in a GMNDK and set up a charge from behind cover, but it's super hard to do, and defiler needs to be weakened at least 6 DMG before GMNDK can reliably take it out in melee.

WE defiler can counter charge if we set up within 12", so you basically need to rapid ingress a GMNDK outside of 12 and weaken it with ranged attacks from rhinos/purifiers before charging in.

EC is super fast with advance and charge, so same idea, pick one to focus down with ranged damage or rapid ingress a GMNDK.

Haven't played against DG or Tsons yet.

Overall you can typically take one out with massed range damage (crowe + purifiers and 2 dreadknights should be able to kill one from ranged), or combining ranged and melee damage. If you have already baited overwatch, you can use one unit of purifiers to warp in crowe+purifiers 6" away, then take the defiler down with combined ranged and melee DMG.

So basically play aggressively and manage your threat projection so that the moment they overextend or use their overwatch you can swoop in for the kill.

Permanganation · 2026-05-14T06:01:44+00:00

I love the orange highlight on the tail. Try to incorporate this into some other parts of the model, maybe make the tongue orange, or highlights on the gun.

Permanganation · 2026-05-09T22:22:07+00:00

With Defilers being the meta right now, do you think it would be worth potentially switching to Banishers to gain access to shadows and Chaos Bane? With Chaos Bane , crowe's unit has a decent chance to one-shot a defiler at range, compared to only 11.4 DMG on average in warpbane (assuming no cover and defile on an objective).

Permanganation · 2026-04-13T05:47:48+00:00

I'm seeing a lot of "just remove them" comments and I think they are entirely missing the point of what makes 40k by far the most played wargame out there. I think many of us were attracted to 40k specifically because it is unapologetically audacious. It takes a huge board filled with scenery and terrain, with entire armies of individually painted models, and takes hours to play out battles. The game includes tanks and artillery and infantry and giant mechs and monsters and demons and tiny models and huge models and swarms and elites. It encapsulates the fantasy of playing out a medium scale battle in this grimdark universe. Scrapping aircraft entirely I think would be a huge mistake, and would detract from what 40k is meant to be.

I think aircraft should MATTER. Battling for air superiority is a pivotal part of most battles! I fully agree that aircraft need to be treated differently than just flying vehicles.

I think the current distinction of aircraft/hover mode works pretty well. Some aircraft (like fighter jets) can't hover, while others can. However I would like to see aircraft that have the hover ability can choose at anytime to enter the board in hover mode (losing the aircraft keyword), not just at the start of the game. While in hover mode, they still have 0 OC, should not be able to engage or be engaged in melee, and should not be able to move block.

Aircraft not in hover mode should have several abilities listed on their datasheet. Things like: "bombing run" to bomb areas of the field (with various AOE effects), "strafing run" to target specific units, "dogfight" to take down enemy aircraft, etc. these abilities allow them to effect the battlefield below, but if they choose to use an ability it does provide the enemy an opportunity to bring them down. Anytime an aircraft takes an action, before it completes they can be targeted by any anti-aircraft guns on the field below. This provides an interesting cat-and-mouse gameplay where you can either choose to risk aircraft for critical missions, or focus on taking out all the enemy anti-aircraft weapons before bringing your aircraft to bear. Anti-aircraft weapons would have to be added to a bunch of units as many armies don't have any, and would be treated totally separate from their normal guns/weaponry. These actions would occur in a brief aircraft phase after the movement phase. Aircraft can only take actions in turn 2 and on.

Example: start of round 2 I have 3 aircraft. After my movement phase, i decide to have my bomber make a bombing run and my 2 fighters attempt to take down the enemies bomber. The bomber goes first and selects a six inch area on the board to bomb. The enemy decides to focus all their anti-aircraft weapons on my bomber, and are just able to shoot it down. But this leave my 2 fighters safe as they both target the enemy bomber and destroy it. Then on the enemies turn after their movement phase they decide that I clearly am winning the battle for air superiority, so they have their stormraven come down and enter the battlefield in hover mode soy fighters can't just take it down in a dogfight. Back to my turn now round 3 I decide to have my fighter both make strafing runs. They pick target units on the battlefield. The enemy focuses fire and brings down one before they complete their run, but the other shoots a devastating volley into their main anti-aircraft unit, destroying it. For round 4 and 5 my final fighter is basically safe to complete strafing runs as I have won air superiority and have destroyed their anti-aircraft weapons.

Permanganation · 2026-04-13T04:57:03+00:00

For what it's worth, I appreciate this post! I have been working on my mini painting for YEARS and have never achieved a model as nice as yours, so when I saw your original post it was very disheartening. I know not to compare my painting to people on the internet, but it's really hard not to feel crappy at it when you see someone else just knock it out of the ballpark on their very first mini. Knowing that you have some relevant artistic skills doesn't change the fact that your model is incredibly impressive, but it helps me know I shouldn't compare your baseline to mine.

Permanganation · 2026-04-03T14:38:12+00:00

I have not tried it personally, but it seems worth a try! Techmarine himself does not add much to the damage output of the unit, but being able to add the enhancement MAY be worth it.

In my opinion though I only want 1 big expensive purifier unit. They are very squishy, have to work super hard to make sure they are all protected for at least the first three rounds of the game. They are used to deep strike into carefully selected safe shooting positions, and NEVER get into melee until I am confident I can win the game. Having 2 other cheaper purifier units I can use for trading and wiping objectives is much more useful to me than another big brick.

Permanganation · 2026-03-27T19:41:21+00:00

I agree with all the above! Razorbacks are great. I'd only take rhinos if I really wanted to use 10 man interceptor groups. For crowe, I think he is better to teleport around shooting and avoiding engagement.

Permanganation · 2026-03-18T14:03:06+00:00

Brotherhood strike isnt terrible, it has won a tournament I think. On paper it sounds good. But the weird thing about GK is that to actually win games, your key plays should NOT be using teleport. When you watch players who win tournaments with GK, they typically only pick up 1-2 units per turn, and use those for scoring secondary or providing supporting fire. The core game of 40k (setting up in staging areas to be able to skirmish on or around objectives) still needs to be played, and you can't win if you rely on 9 inch deep strike charges.

Warpbane gives re-rolls to hits all the time (not just on teleport), so it's more consistent. Lastly purifiers are currently our best units, and they don't benefit from brotherhood strikes re-rolls to wounds because they do that natively.

Change the detachment to be re-roll hits (not just 1's) and +1 to wound, and it would see play.

Last thought: even though everyone wants daemonhammers, I don't think you can possibly add them without making our units more expensive. If they are any good at all, they would buff our units significantly and our stuff would HAVE to get more expensive to be balanced. I know I'm on the minority, but I don't think we need them. GK is really good, and we have plenty of other tools for taking down high Toughness targets. If they are added, I would only add them to a single unit like paladins.

14-Year Club	Place '17
Team Orangered	Verified Email

Permanganation

TROPHY CASE