Faction Guide
Grey Knights
The Imperium's most closely guarded secret. An entire Chapter of Space Marines who are also powerful psykers — created for one singular purpose: hunting and destroying Chaos daemons. Every single warrior. Every single one.
Playstyle
Elite Psychic
Painting
Medium
Rules
Hard
Starter Cost
~$160
Who are the Grey Knights?
They don't officially exist. The Imperium denies them. Witnesses are mind-wiped. The Grey Knights are based in a fortress-monastery on Titan, one of Saturn's moons, hidden behind a perpetual psychic veil. Even other Space Marine Chapters don't know their full truth. The Inquisition does — they work together, but carefully.
What makes them unique: every single Grey Knight is a psyker. From the newest Battle-Brother to the Grand Master himself, every warrior in the Chapter wields psychic power. This isn't true of any other Space Marine Chapter in the Imperium. Their gene-seed draws from the same lineage as regular Marines, but has been further refined and augmented over ten thousand years of selective breeding and psychic conditioning.
Their weapons — called Nemesis force weapons — are psychically charged blades and hammers that are devastatingly effective against daemonic entities. A Grey Knight Terminator carrying a force halberd is one of the most lethal anti-daemon weapons in the entire galaxy. They are also known for one other remarkable trait: no Grey Knight has ever fallen to Chaos. Not one, in ten thousand years. The mental conditioning runs that deep.
Each Knight is said to know the true name of every greater daemon — and in the lore, knowing a daemon's true name gives you power over it. The Grey Knights are warriors, yes. But they are also scholars, mystics, and hunters of the most dangerous things that exist.
How they play on the table
Grey Knights play small. Where a Space Marine army might field 30–50 models, a Grey Knights army typically runs 15–25 models total. These are among the most points-expensive infantry in the game — losing a single Terminator hurts. Every model counts in a way that few other armies can match.
Their signature move is Deep Strike — teleporting units directly onto the battlefield mid-game. Combined with psychic powers from the Sanctic Sorcery discipline (offensive, defensive, and utility abilities), they can appear exactly where the threat is and immediately apply devastating pressure. Getting good positioning on your teleports is the core skill of the army.
Combat is where they shine. Nemesis force weapons deal extra damage against daemons and pack psychic abilities that trigger on good dice rolls. The army is melee-forward with psychic support — not a shooty army. Resource management is critical: you have limited command points and psychic actions, and optimizing them each turn separates a good Grey Knights player from a great one.
This is not the easiest army to learn. The low model count amplifies every mistake. But if you love precision, positioning puzzles, and the feeling of an elite strike force doing surgical damage — the reward is extraordinary.
Grey Knights are for you if...
- ✓ You love elite, low-model-count armies
- ✓ You enjoy psychic/resource management gameplay
- ✓ You want stunning silver armor that photographs beautifully
- ✓ You love the idea of anti-daemon warrior-monks
- ✓ You want a faction with incredible lore depth
Maybe look elsewhere if...
- ✗ You're a complete beginner wanting a forgiving army
- ✗ You want a horde with lots of cheap models on the table
- ✗ You prefer shooting over melee
- ✗ You don't want to think too hard about positioning
How to paint Grey Knights
Pure metallic silver — not gold like Custodes. The key look is clean, cold steel with glowing blue-purple psychic energy on the force weapons.
Spray with Leadbelcher
Citadel's metallic spray primer. Covers everything in one pass with a solid steel base coat. This is the foundation of the whole scheme.
Wash with Nuln Oil
Flows into the panel lines and joints, creating instant shadow and depth on the silver armor. Let it dry fully — rushing this step muddies the final result.
Layer Ironbreaker on raised surfaces
Restore the bright silver to the raised armor plates and edges while the Nuln Oil stays in the recesses. Use a flat brush and keep off the shadowed areas.
Edge highlight with Stormhost Silver
A thin bright line on the sharpest edges of every armor plate. This is what gives Grey Knights their crisp, heroic silhouette. Take your time — it's worth it.
Paint force weapons: psychic glow effect
Base the blade with Kantor Blue → layer Caledor Sky over the upper two-thirds → edge with Lothern Blue → tip with White Scar. The result is a blade that looks like it's crackling with psychic energy.
Red accents + gold trim + base
Mephiston Red for eye lenses and purity seals. Retributor Armour for any gold trim. Astrogranite Debris for the base, drybrush Administratum Grey, add a tuft.
The psychic glow shortcut
If you find the multi-layer blade technique intimidating, tryTalassar Blue Contrast over a Wraithbone-primed blade. It creates a beautiful deep blue in one pass. Then just pick out the tip with White Scar. Much faster, still looks great on a gaming table.
What to buy first
Start with the Combat Patrol. Paint it before buying anything else.
Combat Patrol: Grey Knights
Castellan Crowe (named hero), 10x Strike Squad (with alternate builds as Interceptors, Purifiers, or Purgation Squad), 5x Brotherhood Terminators (alternate: Paladin Squad), and 1x Venerable Dreadnought. 17 models — a complete, playable force.
The alternate build options are excellent value. The Strike Squad kit alone gives you four different unit types depending on how you assemble them — so this box builds the exact playstyle you want to focus on.
Search Amazon for Combat Patrol →Grey Knights Terminator Squad
More Terminators are never wrong for Grey Knights. This box also builds Paladin Squad — the upgraded elite variant. Adding five more gives you the flexibility for different list configurations as you learn what playstyle you prefer.
Search Amazon →Paints you need
Honest cost breakdown
Combat Patrol: Grey Knights
17 models — fully playable army
Essential paints (6)
Spray + shade + layers + force weapon colors
Basing supplies
Texture paint + tuft + grey
Clippers + hobby knife
One-time purchase
Superglue
Or plastic glue — both work
All-in starter total
~$237Prices approximate. Grey Knights are an investment — but 17 elite models go a long way. You will not need to buy many more kits to have a competitive army.
By the Emperor's Light.
The Grey Knights are not for the faint of heart — on the table or in the hobby. But when that silver Terminator teleports in and carves through a Greater Daemon, there is nothing quite like it. The vigil never ends.