Combat Patrol: Grey Knights

Who Are The Grey Knights?

Thanks to Horus turning on the Emperor, embracing the Chaos Gods, plunging the Imperium into a civil war that became known as “The Horus Heresy” and generally becoming an absolute spoon. The Emperor tasked his most loyal servant, Malcador, to find the finest soldiers and train them to use the powers of Chaos against its creators.

Twelve champions were selected and became the first Grey Knights. Four began what would become “The Inquisition”. While the other eight, along with a selection of Space Marines, trained in secret on the Saturn Moon of Titan. But when Horus and his Chaos legions arrived in the solar system, the Grey Knights were not yet ready so Malcador yeeted Titan into the Warp to hide it.

Fun fact – time moves differently in the Warp. So when Titan was brought back out of the Warp after the Horus Heresy ended they didn’t find eight Space Marines and some recruits in training. Instead they found a 1000-strong, fully trained army ready to go.

Since then the Grey Knights, who chose not to paint their armour, have travelled from system to system, fighting Chaos in all its forms. And they’re pretty damn good at it too.

What’s In The Box?

The Grey Knights is one of the more customisable sets from the Combat Patrol range. A Librarian in Terminator Armour is at the head of the squad. Five Grey Knights Brotherhood Terminators, which can be built as Grey Knights Paladins. Five Grey Knights Strike Squad Marines, which can be built as Interceptor Squad, Purifier Squad, or Purgation Squad Marines. And a Nemesis Dreadknight, which can be built as a Grand Master in Nemesis Dreadknight is available for some heavy support.

With all the options available it’ll be tempting to get two boxes. Especially when taking the into consideration the saving you make by buying a Combat Patrol in the first place. But whatever equipment options you choose your Grey Knights will look fantastic… even if the Dreadknight looks a little like a Space Marine in a baby-carrier. Sure, this box doesn’t have as many miniatures as some of the others (I’m looking at you Chaos factions). But that speaks more to the strength of the Grey Knights and you shouldn’t feel short-changed.

Are They Difficult To Paint?

They’re a little more challenging than other Space Marine chapters due to the heavy use of metallics. Getting the blue glow of the eyes is simpler than it looks. If you want the power weapons to stand-out then you’ll be combining glazes to create smooth colour transitions. But fear not, it’s an enjoyable challenge with a great pay-off.

The Dreadknight is also more difficult than standard dreadnoughts as there aren’t nearly as many flat surfaces and far more intricate details. Glazing will once again play a pivotal role in achieving the best look and shine for your bi-pedal killing machine.