The Road to Nova: Beginnings (Grey Knights)

              As mentioned in my previous post, one of my major projects fort he future is my army for the Nova Open this September. Well I have had a love for Grey Knights for about 15 years now, and still have a few of the original grey knight figures (horribly painted though) around. That said I have had an internal battle with myself to do this army as, it is so very popular at the moment, and most everyone has or is playing the army. However, after much hobby soul surfing, and wanting to stay excited in my hobby I have chosen to go with them anyway; I just really like the army, and back story, and models....... you get the idea. 

              Since Adepticon I have busied myself with two projects simultaneously, Grey knights pictured below, and Ogres (previewing tomorrow). I have taken, what I believe, is a different approach to the army.

              So currently Grey Knights are, overly popular is you will, and running very similar builds, a pally list, or some form of henchmen list usually. Well after many discussions with my hobby buddy Brian, and reading several different blogs and forums on tactics, I Have gone for a kind of different route. I have employed the use of strikes squads, with no henchmen, and no pally's. I had read an article after talking to my hobby buddy about using no death star units and just putting down lots of fire power, then having a couple of clean up crews. Well I could not completely put off the death star, but went heavy strike squad as seen in the picture. 

The list is as follows:
Grandmaster: Psyco, rad, blind gernades (he is not in the picture, I an doing some sculpting to him)
Xenos inquisitor: 3 skulls, psyco, rad, blind gernades.
4 strike squads (all identical) 5 marines, 1 psycannon, psyback w/ dozer blade.
10 man purifier squad: 3 psycannons, incinerator, 2 hammers, halberds the rest, rhino
5 man termy squad: psycannon, psybolt ammo, 2 hammers, 2 halberds
rifle dread w/ psybolt ammo
dread with assault cannon w/ psybolt ammo
Stormraven: sponsons, multi melta, plama cannon (for now)

          I have had two test games with this army, and it has preformed really well. I was actually quite shocked at how well a basic strike squad does, and when you run them in squads of 5, they can easily get overwhelmed when alone. I am sure as test games continue, I will make some tweaks, but I wanted to do something different and had to start somewhere.
         I have begun painting, as you can see in the picture the army has been sprayed a blue metal. I created it using GW paints, off a paint plan I got from tale of painters found here http://taleofpainters.blogspot.com/2012/04/tutorial-how-to-paint-grey-knights.html. it is a detailed paint plan but I really like it. Hopefully I will have my first squad done this weekend, so stay tuned for that.