Changes: Grey Knights

Revision as of 16:19, 10 September 2011

Grey Knight Battle-Brother2 — Grey Knights Colour Scheme and Chapter Badge

GreyKnightandCultist — A Grey Knight confronts a Chaos Cultist

The Grey Knights are a mysterious Loyalist Chapter of Space Marines specifically tasked with combating the dangerous daemonic entities of the Warp and all who wield the corrupt power of the Chaos Gods. The Grey Knights act as the military arm or Chamber Militant of the Ordo Malleus, the Daemon Hunters who form the oldest branch of the virtually omnipotent Imperial Inquisition and their fortress-monastery is based on Titan, the largest of the moons of Saturn in the Sol System. Unlike the other Astartes, every Grey Knight is a potent psyker, yet no Grey Knight in the 10,000 standard years of Imperial history has ever been corrupted by the Ruinous Powers of Chaos.

Chapter History

Legend has it that the Grey Knights were founded on the order of the Emperor himself, in the early days of the Horus Heresy. Though the Chapter's origins are uncertain in many details, it is thought that the Emperor ordered the creation of a force designed to fight Chaos after the onset of the Horus Heresy demonstrated that a powerful military force specialising in fighting the daemonic minions of Chaos was necessary.

Originally they were thought not to be descended from any of the original 20 Space Marine Legions, having been created from a unique gene-seed, rumoured to come from the Emperor of Mankind himself. Another possible source for their gene-seed is a purified genetic "cocktail" comprised of gene-seed taken from 8 Space Marines of the Traitor Legions or Loyalist Legions who managed to survive the Battle of Istvaan III and were presented to the Emperor by Malcador the Sigillite several years after the start of the Heresy. Malcador had been charged by the Emperor immediately after news had reached Terra following the massacre of the Loyalist Astartes on Istvaan III of Horus' betrayal to gather a group of people, 8 from the Loyalist Astartes and 4 from the Imperium's lords and administrators, whose loyalty, courage and strength of mind was unquestioned. The resulting eight Space Marines possessed paranormal skills as psykers that were kept dormant (in respect of the Council of Nikaea's previous ruling during the Great Crusade that the use of psychic powers was forbidden to Space Marines) and they had cast aside their former loyalties to their Legions and Primarchs because of those Legions' corruption by Chaos. The Emperor is believed to have responded, "Malcador, you have judged well. These eight Space Marines do indeed have a vital role to play in the future of the Imperium, though veiled in secrecy will they be." The Grey Knights are permanently attached to the Ordo Malleus branch of the Imperial Inquisition. The Grey Knights are unique amongst the Space Marines as the only Chapter to have full knowledge of the dark secrets of Chaos -- they alone completely know of and understand the existence of daemons and of their ability to enter realspace, and they alone are best equipped to battle and defeat Mankind's most terrible enemy. While other Chapters and Imperial forces have some knowledge of daemons and how to fight them, only the Grey Knights are privy to the darkest, deepest secrets that the Ordo Malleus possesses on these creatures and how to defeat them.

In the Space Marines' long history the Grey Knights hold the highest honour of all: Not one Grey Knight has ever turned to Chaos or betrayed the Emperor. Due to their secretive nature, little is known about the Grey Knights' operations. Under their great fortress-monasteries on Titan lie countless Grey Knight heroes, although few outside the Inquisition and the Chapter itself will ever know they existed.

Chapter Organisation

While the Grey Knights are technically Astartes, they do not involve themselves with the ordinary activities of the other Space Marines. They do not know their Primarch, and are not listed under any Founding. They are instead attached to the Ordo Malleus, charged with uncovering and expunging the heretical taint of Chaos wherever it is found.

Each successful Grey Knight neophyte is given a suit of Aegis Armour and a Nemesis Force weapon, and is assigned to a squad under the leadership of a sergeant called a Justicar. The Grey Knight can ascend to the position of Justicar, and then from this point may be awarded the Crux Terminatus of the Grey Knights (which would also be accompanied by a suit of Tactical Dreadnought Armour). Elite soldiers within the Terminator corps can be promoted to the position of Brother-Captain, or even to the position of Grand Master of the Chapter. Multiple Grey Knights may hold the rank of Grand Master at the same time, working together to guide the Chapter as a form of ruling council. At all times, a Grand Master of the Grey Knights traditionally is a member of the Inner Conclave of the Inquisition. (Note: Tactical Dreadnought Armour, or "Terminator Armour," is worn by both Brother-Captains and Grand Masters.)

Chapter Brotherhoods

The bulk of the Grey Knights Chapter is organised into Brotherhoods, fighting formations roughly equivalent to the Battle Companies of other Chapters. On paper, each of the Chapter's eight Brotherhoods contains roughly one hundred Battle-Brothers under arms. This nominal figure does not include the Brotherhood's officers: the Brother-Captain in active command, the Brotherhood Champion and the Grand Master who holds final responsibility over the Brotherhood. Each squad also practices its own psychic disciplines, the better to allow mental and physical prowess to act in reinforced harmony. So it is that when a Grey Knight moves from one type of squad to another, he must learn anew how to wield his psychic potential in battle. suppressing all other applications he has learned to that point. Each of a Brotherhood's squads is led by a Justicar- a Grey Knight who holds a rank equivalent to sergeant. In addition to his bonds of leadership, it is the Justicar's duty to hone and focus the psychic powers of the Battle-Brothers he leads, to act as the conduit for their sorceries. Such a role places the Justicar in greater danger than his fellows- as the mystic locus, he will be the first to suffer should things, go awry.

Purifiers and Paladins

In addition to the Brotherhoods, the Grey Knights maintain two other main fighting bodies: the Purifiers and the Paladins. Purifiers are anathema to Warpspawn -tainted creatures wither at their touch. The Purifiers can be considered a separate and entirely unique Brotherhood, albeit a small one. There are rarely more than forty Purifiers at any one time, and on those occasions when their numbers do as well, it inevitably foreshadows some great incursion. Just as the Purifiers are exemplars of the Chapter's spiritual heart, the Paladins are its martial champions. Though they act primarily as bodyguards to the Grey Knights' Grand Masters, Paladin Squads are commonly assigned to fight alongside the Brotherhoods - their skill and experience can swing the odds of even the most desperate battle.

Purifiers - The Purifiers are an order apart from other Grey Knights, distanced from their Battle-Brothers by their nature and tradition. The Purifiers epitomise the Chapter's sanctity of purpose. Purifiers recruit only from those amongst their Battle-Brothers whose souls are considered to be utterly incorruptible and resistant to the temptations of the Warp - even by the exacting standards of the Grey Knights. So careful is the selection that there are seldom more than a few score Purifiers.
Paladins - Paladins are Grey Knights who are warriors without peer. If a Grey Knight wishes to prove himself worthy of a place amongst the Paladins, bravery and skill are not enough - he must complete eight quests to establish his character and cause. Given the perilous nature of these quests, it is little wonder that only the boldest Knights become Paladins. From the moment of his elevation, each Paladin is bound in service not only to his Chapter, but also to one of the Grand Masters for whom he will act as bodyguard, champion and advisor. Henceforth, his place upon the battlefield will be wherever the fighting is thickest and the peril greatest.

Squad Types

Strike Squads - Strike Squads often form the vanguard of a Grey Knights' strike force. Strike Squads are used to capture vital locations and key objectives, deploying the Strike Squads via fixed teleporter to ensure a swift seizure of isolated or Inaccessible locations. Once in place, a Strike Squad can lay down a punishing stream of storm bolter and psycannon fire in support of the main assault.
Interceptor Squads - Interceptor Squads carry personal teleporters- backpacksized devices that allow the squad to teleport site-to-site, without the massive arrays of machinery employed by conventional devices. Grey Knights equipped with personal teleporters can react to battlefield circumstances on the fly and cover huge straight-line distances by 'shunting' themselves through Warp space. Of all the warriors in service to the Imperium, only Grey Knights could hope to utilise such technology.
Purgation Squads - Purgation Squads are the Grey Knights' foremost means of delivering punishing firepower. Each squad carries not one, but up to four of the Chapter's heavy weapons. In aspect, a Purgation Squad appears little different to the Devastator Squads employed by more conventional Space Marine Chapters. In doctrine, however, the two are markedly different. The weaponry wielded by a Purgation Squad is twice as deadly, a hundred times rarer and ten thousand times more valuable than the more commonplace armaments carried by Space Marine Devastators. Devastators will normally advance behind the main assault, seeking out suitable locations from which to unleash covering fire, Purgation Squads are ever required to keep pace with the main attack, all the while picking out suitable targets for their weaponry.

Chapter Command

The Grey Knights are governed and directed by a Chapter Council. At this oaken table sit eight Grand Masters and the Chapter lord- commonly referred to as the Supreme Grand Master. Such is one of the Grey Knights' oldest traditions, as laid down at the founding by Malcador and his eight recruits. Although the Chapter Lord's rule is absolute, he can only be appointed by the unanimous consent of the Grand Masters, so it is nigh impossible for a reckless or unsuitable candidate to achieve dominion over the Chapter.

Chapter Homeworld

The Grey Knights' fortress-monastery is located on Saturn's moon of Titan. This world is also home to the Librarium Daemonica, the Imperium's foremost repository of information relating to daemons, daemonology, sorcery and the Ruinous Powers of Chaos.

Although Titan is the Chapter's homeworld, squads of Grey Knights are scattered throughout the galaxy, in order to best respond to the threat of Chaos, wherever it may strike.

Unlike almost all other Space Marine Chapters, the Grey Knights do not follow the tenets of the Codex Astartes in the matter of force organisation. Due to the unique manner in which the Grey Knights are recruited and trained, each warrior progresses through a series of pre-ordained ranks and will operate in a particular squad led by an individual of higher rank, rather than being assigned to a particular battle company. These squads may be called upon to act independently from the main body of the Grey Knight force, and have to operate at full efficiency even when light years away from the rest of their Chapter. As such the Brother-Captain who is the leader of each Grey Knight squad is obeyed immediately and without question by those under his command.

Chapter Recruitment

Considering the role of the Grey Knights in the Inquisition, potential recruits are put through even more stringent trials than other Space Marine Neophytes. The recruits are drawn from across the galaxy and brought to Titan for testing. The most advanced bio-engineering and psycho-surgery available is utilised to condition the Neophytes, and each recruit must pass the six hundred and sixty-six Rituals of Detestation, to prove that he is capable of withstanding horrors that would break even the greatest of normal Space Marines. Upon success, the recruit also has all of their prior memories erased^[1], the better to ensure their absolute and unwavering loyalty to the Emperor, and to prevent psychic daemons from using one's own fears, memories and feelings against them. One of the main criteria for selection into the Chapter is that the recruit must show great psychic potential, as the entire Chapter is made up of psykers. Once they begin to undergo the standard process to transform into a member of the Grey Knights, the new Grey Knight is also implanted with silver hexagrammic and pentagrammic purity wards under his skin which cover his entire body. Unlike normal Space Marines who first serve in their Chapter's Scout Marine company, Grey Knight Neophytes are awarded a suit of power armour (or Aegis Armour) and are immediately pressed into service. They then move through the ranks as detailed above; this is due to their elite training. They surpass any other type of Space Marine in combat and in every trial. They are the elite of the Space Marines and serve as the right hand of the Emperor. They are the greatest army of the Imperium and mankind's most potent weapon against the evil forces of Chaos.

Chapter Ranks

The Grey Knights Chapter hierarchy, like that of the Space Wolves and Black Templars, is drastically different from Codex Astartes-compliant Astartes Chapters. The biggest difference is that the Grey Knights do not technically have an acknowledged Chapter Master.

Battle-Brother: The standard Grey Knight. Equipped not only with the famed Aegis suit, the standard armament of a Grey Knight includes a wrist-mounted Storm Bolter of perfect craftsmanship and a Nemesis Force Weapon. Each weapon is unique to its owner, having been attuned to his particular psychic signal. They can take the form of a Halberd, Sword, Axe, Hammer, Mace, Maul, Scythe or even a Morning Star. Newly accepted Battle-Brothers will be inducted into fresh squads led by a Justicar, eventually developing their abilities in leadership, weaponry, psychic ability and armed/unarmed combat. Upon demonstration of above average ability in one of these areas they take their place in either the Assault Teleport, Heavy Purgation squads or become Justicars themselves to lead new batches of recruits.
Justicar: Justicars are the leaders of the latest recruits to the Grey Knights - although it should be noted that such recruits may have been fighting the Emperor's foes for up to a century. This is the first step on the path to becoming a Grand Master. Justicars also lead Grey Knight Terminator squads, although such leaders are usually referred to as 'Brother-Captain' (more detailed below) rather than Justicar.
Terminator: Like all Space Marine Chapters, the Battle-Brothers wearing Terminator armor are the elite warriors of the Grey Knights. In addition to possessing more powerful armor, they also use their psychic powers actively as opposed to passively in combat. It is also speculated that they go through the Emperor's soul binding as part of their final initiation, which (if true) would make their willpower and stoicism far beyond even the most dedicated servants of the Imperium. They also have the same special weapons options - incinerators and psycannons (although they are wrist-mounted rather than two handed) - as their standard power armor-wearing Battle-Brothers, but some exceptionally strong Marines may wield thunder hammers and storm shields.
Brother-Captain: Usually the leader of a Grey Knight Terminator squad, he may also be the force commander. Like his brethren, he wields a Nemesis Force Weapon in combat, and also possesses considerable psychic powers.
Grand Master: The second highest rank attainable by a Grey Knight, a Grand Master is - by virtue of his esteemed rank - a member of the Inner Conclave of the Inquisition and the council of Grand Masters whom govern the Grey Knights Chapter. By tradition, there are eight Grand Masters of the Grey Knights. Each is the spiritual heir of one of the eight founding Grand Masters all those long millennia ago. A master daemonslayer, the Grand Master always wears Terminator armor and wields a force weapon in combat, and is also a powerful psyker. Few, if any, Daemons have been able to stand against a Grand Master of the Grey Knights and survive. The death of such a powerful defender of the Emperor's will is always mourned by the Grey Knights and the Ordo Malleus - though no common citizen of the Imperium will ever know of him. Due to the amount of experience, and enemy kills, needed to become such a warrior, Grand Masters are typically ancient, millennia old, Space Marines.
Supreme Grand Master This is the absolute highest rank possible, to be attained by a Grey Knight. Also referred to as Chapter Lord, the Supreme Grand Master has complete authority over the Chapter. However, a Grey Knight can only be appointed as a Supreme Grand Master with the unanimous consent of every other Grand Master, thus ensuring that an unsuitable candidate does not attain dominion over the Chapter.

Specialist Ranks

Apothecary - Few Battle-Brothers are as important to the Chapter's future as an Apothecary. It is his task to tend to fallen Battle-Brothers, healing them with his narthecium, or reclaiming the progenoid organs- and the precious gene-seed within - with his reductor should the wounds be too severe. Without Apothecaries, the Grey Knights' genetic heritage would be lost amid the ruin of battle, and the Chapter would cease to exist within a matter of decades. Thus do the Apothecaries receive the foremost guardians the Chapter can provide. On those occasions in which one of the Grey Knights' Apothecaries takes to the battlefield, his protection will be given over to a squad of Paladins.
Brotherhood Champion - A specialist rank, a Brotherhood Champion holds foremost responsibility for the martial training of new recruits, but on the battlefield, his chief duty is to act as bodyguard to his Brother-Captain. This deadly warrior has forsaken all other forms of combat to become a master of the blade. They will willingly sacrifice themselves if necessary, but this ultimate sacrifice is rare, however, as few foes are skilled enough to defeat a Champion in combat.
Chaplain - Grey Knights Chaplains fulfill the same function as in other Space Marine Chapters, albeit on a much higher level, administering to the spiritual needs of the Chapter's Battle-Brothers whom must face and fight the horrors of the Warp. These individuals are rare indeed as the Chapter has precious few of them. Yet, thanks to their vigilance in their duties, not one Grey Knight has fallen to Chaos.
Librarian - Chapter Librarians are Grey Knights who have proven to possess a strength of mind far greater than that of their fellows and are able to wield their psychic abilities freely. These formidable Librarians possess a will of iron. They must, for the sorceries they wield are far more powerful than those of their Battle-Brothers.
Techmarine - Techmarines are warrior-smiths of the highest calibre, responsible for the creation and repair of all the equipment employed by the Grey Knights. Techmarines are forever apart from their Battle-Brothers, for long years of training on Mars inculcate an entirely new set of traditions and rituals upon them. Many of these traditions and rituals stand in direct contradiction to the aims and goals of the Chapter. So it is that a Techmarine is called upon to balance these two opposed sides of his nature on a daily basis: to serve the goals and ideals of his Chapter, but according to the traditions of the Adeptus Mechanicus.

Chapter Combat Doctrine

Most engagements of the Chapter will involve a single squad of Grey Knights supporting an Ordo Malleus Inquisitor, or a local force of planetary law enforcement, military forces or Imperial Guard. For the most serious daemonic incursions, several squads of Grey Knights numbering ususually about 20 Marines are collected around the presence of a senior Brother-Captain, or even a Grand Master. In these circumstances, Tactical Squads will attempt to establish a beachhead in the Chaos-tainted area, before the Terminators and senior Marines teleport down to the surface and engage the primary daemon, banishing it back to the Immaterium.

The very presence of Grey Knights upon the field of battle is painful to Daemons and their kin. Their psychic purity and sonorous chants of detestation repel the daemonic and make it hard for these entities to maintain a grip in the physical universe. This means that Grey Knights gain immense advantages against Chaotic opposition, but the high expense of an individual Grey Knight leads to its own tactical problems - for all their power, Grey Knights will always be badly outnumbered and must focus upon the fast and lethal application of force.

A Grey Knight force also contains a high proportion of troops who can teleport through the Warp into battle, a high-risk maneuver which can turn the tide of a battle if deployed well.

Chapter Equipment

Grey Knights - Weapons of Battle — Commonly used weapons of the Grey Knights

As the Grey Knights are an elite Space Marine Chapter engaged in fighting Daemonic infestation, they have access to specialised equipment not available to other Chapters. Among these powerful and arcane items are the Psycannon, a powerful heavy weapon, armed with ritually inscribed silver and blessed 'bolts' which are capable of damaging Daemonkin far more than the standard Bolter. Another heavy weapon used by this Chapter is a sanctified Incinerator which utilizes promethium which is mixed with sacred oils and then is ritually blessed to give it an even greater effect on the daemons that it is used upon. Grey Knights may also utilise standard Space Marine weapons or equipment, although this is much rarer. In addition, Ordo Malleus Inquisitors and Grey Knight Hero units obtain powerful equipment designed to weaken the resolve and skill of Warp-spawned foes. This equipment can range from simple Storm Bolters to the powerful Psycannon or relics such as the Grimoire of True Names, and even a legendary Daemonhammer.

Nemesis Force Weapons

Nemesis Force Weapons are sanctified Force Weapons, usually taking the form of a sword, halberd or spear. Sometimes a rare Nemesis Hammer or Nemesis Mace will appear, though Nemesis weapons can take the form of any close combat melee weapon. Each Nemesis weapon is consecrated and anointed with sacred oils, psychically-charged, and inscribed with religious scripts that are anathema to Daemons. The first Nemesis Force Weapons had Storm Bolters built into the shaft of the weapon, but newer models separated the ranged weaponry from the melee blade.

Like all Force Weapons available to the psychic warriors of the Imperium, the power of the weapon itself directly corresponds to the psychic talent of the wielder, and as the Grey Knights are some of the greatest psykers of the Imperium, they are truly devastating weapons in their hands. Because of this quality, the entire Chapter is able to wield these weapons, and every member is a hero in his own right. However, due to the inexperience of younger recruits, the Nemesis Force Weapon delegated to lower ranks will be weaker in terms of strength than their higher level counterparts. This makes the weapon effectively "evolve" as the bearer progresses through the ranks, his psychic powers intensify and he masters the weapon. In the hands of a Grand Master, these Force Weapons are some of the strongest in the galaxy (a Grey Knight Grand Master is more than capable of beating a Daemon Prince or a Carnifex with a single cut).

Aegis Armour

The unique suits of Power Armour and Terminator Armour worn by the Grey Knights are incredibly well-crafted; anointed and inscribed with prayers and wards, ritually consecrated and psychically-charged. Working in tandem with the Grey Knights' formidable psychic powers, the Aegis Armour protects the wearers from the effects of the Immaterium and the Daemons it spawns. The armour's ritual blessings and psychic resonance also serve to confound the perception of any enemy, resulting in an effect called the Shrouding.

As well as its psychic properties, the armour itself incorporates a Storm Bolter which, when combined with the skill of the Knights themselves, can be used with equal effectiveness in both ranged and melee combat. When circumstances dictate, the weapon can be loaded with psychic force-touched ammunition.

The Codicium Aeternum

This dread tome contains the Grey Knights and Ordo Malleus' knowledge on many of the daemons the organization has faced and defeated in the long millennia of their existence. In the tomes madness-stained pages resides knowledge and calculations on where-and-when various daemons will manifest again and the means by which they can be defeated.

The Liber Daemonica

A copy of this arcane book, the Liber Daemonica, its contents drawn from material taken from the Librarium Daemonica on Titan along with the battle rites of the Grey Knights Chapter, is carried into battle by every single Grey Knight, in a compartment in his armour's chest plate. The book is also represented in Grey Knight iconology, on the chest plate and pauldron of both their Power Armour and Tactical Dreadnought Armour (Terminator Armour). It is a symbol of the greatest weapon of Mankind against the Forces of Chaos - an unshakable faith in the Emperor of Mankind.

Dreadnoughts

Grey Knight - MKVI Dreadnought — A Grey Knights Mark VI Dreadnought

Grey Knight Venerable Dreadnought — A Grey Knights Venerable Dreadnought fighting alongside his Battle-Brothers

Like their fellow Space Marine Chapters,a battle-brother sustains such grievous wounds that they are beyond even the skilled talents of their Chapter's Apothecaries. Despite their mortal injuries these dying battle-brothers refuse the mercy of the Emperor's Peace - instead they still wish to serve the Emperor. If found worthy by merit of their heroic deeds, these warriors are interred within a cyborganic sarcophagus and placed within the formidable armoured shell of a mighty Dreadnought. Unlike other Chapters, however, Grey Knights do not look upon this extension of their life as an honour - for it is the fervent wish of every Grey Knight that upon his death he be carried back to Titan to be interred in the consecrated crypts of the Dead Fields - resting for eternity alongside the very greatest of the Chapter's heroes. They would rather find peace in eternal rest than continue their lives inside a machine. As such, Grey Knight Dreadnoughts are extremely rare.

Yet it is not the Dreadnought's armour, nor its Aegis reinforcement, nor even its armament, that make it such a deadly foe. That honour goes to the warrior that guides the goliath. Only the mightiest of the fallen are interred within a Dreadnought. This great warrior has long set aside all mortal frailties for a mechanical form that is as untiring and unyielding as his own will. Such is a Dreadnought's wealth of combat experience that, once fully awakened, it can adopt any role required. Indeed, amongst the Grey Knights, it is far from unusual for a Dreadnought to serve as a secondary commander, holding authority over the main strike force, thus allowing the Brother-Captain to direct efforts elsewhere. This should come as no surprise, for many Dreadnought pilots attained the rank of Brother-Captain, or even Grand-Master, before their internment, and relish the opportunity to apply their strategic acumen to fresh campaigns. To take battle alongside such a warrior is to walk in the shadow of a living legend and, in such company, a Battle-Brother will not be found wanting.

Dreadknights

The sign of the emperor by noldofinve-d3hjfrv — A Grey Knights Dreadknight stands ready to do battle with the daemonic forces of Chaos

Dreadknights are a more powerful and advanced version of the standard Dreadnought. However, Dreadknights are not cybernetic combat walkers but advanced exoskeletons intended to be used by any Astartes trained in their use to enhance his physical strength and firepower beyond even the superhuman norm of the Space Marines. These warmachines are currently exclusive to the Grey Knights. Dreadknight exoskeletons were designed and built for the purpose of allowing a single Grey Knights Astartes to combat powerful Greater Daemons and Daemon Princes who are physically far stronger than even the oldest and most experienced Space Marine. In appearance, Dreadknights are drastically different from standard Dreadnoughts. They are taller, bulkier and appear as a humanoid-shaped exoskeleton. Unlike Dreadnoughts which sometimes replaces one of its manipulators for a weapon, a Dreadknight has two large Power Fist-like appendages that then can hold additional weapons (such as Heavy Bolters) that are mounded on the exoskeleton's wrists. This unique addition allows the Dreadknight to be armed with massive Nemesis Warhammers or Power Swords so that it can engage in melee combat with all of the fluidity and agility of a human being. The pilot's head is almost completely exposed in the top of the exoskeleton's pilot compartment, but can freely enter and leave the warmachine, unlike true Dreadnoughts, whose Astartes occupants have been hard-wired into the Dreadnought's cybernetic shell for all eternity. Despite this disadvantage, it is possible that the Dreadknight has greater flexibility, strength and agility in combat than a Dreadnought, making it more dangerous and effective in combat against the truly potent foes it must face.

Psychic Abilities of the Grey Knights

Grey Knight Librarian — Grey Knights Librarian using his formidable psychic abilities against the Forces of Chaos

The Grey Knights have many abilities that standard Space Marines lack. These powers are psychic in nature and work on a gestalt principle much like that of the Orks in which the more Grey Knights that are present in one location, the more powerful their psychic abilities become. Besides these powers, the Grey Knights are highly-skilled close combat fighters. Most Grey Knights who are masters of melee combat are able to win against even the most seemingly impossible of odds. Unlike Space Marine Librarians or other psykers, their power is deemed free of the taint of the Warp and they are the only psykers allowed, for instance, in a Black Templars Chapter Crusade army.

The Canticle of Absolution - This ancient rite is used by the Grey Knights to banish daemons and purify; also known as the Six-Hundred-and-Sixty-Six Secret Words.

Dark Excommunication - The Grey Knight weaves an enchantment that severs the Daemon's connection to its dark master.

Hammerhand - Focusing the raging power of their minds, Grey Knights can augment their already prodigious might. Even unarmed, such a warrior can crush flesh and bone - given blade or hammer there is little limit to what they can slay.

Holocaust - Units of Grey Knights Terminators are able to make use of the Holocaust psychic power as a whole. A group of Grey Knights can harness their collective psychic powers to manifest this ability as long as the entire group is focused on manifesting the ability. If successful, a Grey Knight Terminator can incinerate opponents at close range using this power. It is a manifestation of the hate the Grey Knights feel for the daemonic, and is completely capable of burning a daemon 's physical body to ash. This power is especially terrifying because whatever is destroyed by the Holocaust power dies in the Warp as well, its spirit extinguished like a candle. It can burn the souls of mortals to nothing and can banish daemons as if they were but a bad dream. This power is a lesser version of the extraordinary final burst of psychic power used by the Emperor of Mankind to snuff out the soul of Horus in the Warp at the end of the Horus Heresy during the final battle on Horus' Battle Barge, the Vengeful Spirit.

Might of Titan - Drawing strength from the legends of his Chapter, a Librarian is able to bolster the might of his allies.

Quicksilver - Quickened by the Librarian's uncanny mind, his fellow Grey Knights' reflexes are increased to an incredible speed.

Sanctuary - Chanting words of binding, the Librarian creates a shield of psychic turbulence to hinder his foes.

The Shrouding - Through prayer and the combined gestalt psychic power of the Grey Knights, they are able to blind their enemies to their location through their sheer faith in the Emperor and the power from the Warp this faith can draw. For an enemy to fire upon a Grey Knight operating in a unit making use of the Shoruding, he must first determine if he can even spot the unit.

Smite - Lethal bolts of lightning leap from the Librarian's fingertips, tearing his enemies apart in a barrage of psychic energy.

The Summoning - The Librarian creates a Warp bridge and is able to summon Battle-Brothers to his side.

Vortex of Doom - The Librarian is able to open a tear between the material realm and the howling destruction of the Warp, unleashing devastating energies that utterly consume his foes.

Warp Rift - With a simple gesture, the Librarian is able to rend the material realm asunder, condemning his foes to the caprices of the Warp.

Chapter Appearance

Grey Knights - Examples of Personal Heraldry

Chapter Colours

There are at least two different documented versions of the Grey Knights' Chapter colours. Earlier portrayals show the Chapter's Aegis Armour as being black, with ornate silver gauntlets, shoulder plates, and decorations with the Chapter symbol displayed in gold. The second source depicts the Grey Knights as wearing steel grey or silver Aegis Armour, with ornate gold decoration prevalent on many parts of the armour. The latter is the currently accepted livery, black and silver colour schemes being already well-used in several named Chapters, most notably the Deathwatch Space Marines who are the Chamber Militant of the Inquisition's Ordo Xenos.

In both cases, each individual Space Marine bears personal heraldry, either on their shoulderpad, or on a small shield positioned over the left shoulder, facing forward. The heraldry designs incorporate black, white and red, with iconography usually made up of swords and skulls. For Grey Knight Battle-Brothers and Justicars, heraldry often includes their squad markings. However, Grey Knights in Terminator Armour are permitted to use their own design, with one half typically depicting their own heraldry, and the other half simple battle honour markings.

Chapter Badge

The badge of the Grey Knights Chapter is an open book, the Liber Daemonicus, with a sword stabbing through it. In all accounts of the Chapter, this always remains constant.

Chapter Fleet

Like other Space Marine Chapters, the Grey Knights' primary mode of transportation is the Strike Cruiser class of Imperial starship that is exclusive to the Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes. However, the Grey Knights' starships are specially modified in several ways. One is the hexagrammic and anti-daemonic wards that are built into the entire ship from bridge to landing struts and every bulkhead in between, similar to those that are placed under the skin of the Grey Knights themselves. These wards lend the vessel added protection from the Forces of Chaos. Also, the Grey Knights' Strike Cruisers are equipped with significantly more advanced armour than the starships of other Chapters. This is to allow them to close with more powerful foes and reach their destination safely, since the Grey Knights must fight more powerful enemies than the standard Adeptus Astartes Chapters. Finally, the landing and Drop Pod bays are enlarged to be able to deploy larger numbers of Space Marines faster. The crew of Grey Knights Strike Cruisers are all strictly mind-wiped to prevent the possible taint of Chaos corruption, and are psychically implanted with a key word which will kill all the crew members on a Grey Knights Strike Cruiser by shutting down their autonomic nervous systems should it fall into the hands of the Forces of Chaos.

The modifications made to the Grey Knights' starships are made possible by two factors. The first is their fortress-monastery's location on Titan, a moon of Saturn and thus its close proximity to Mars, the greatest Forge World in the Imperium of Man, allowing access to technology that was forgotten or is impossible to replicate anywhere else in the Imperium (this could also explain the high quality of all Grey Knights equipment). The other reason is the vast resources that the Ordo Malleus makes available to the Grey Knights due to their position as the Ordo's Chamber Militant.

Known Grey Knights Vessels

The Rubicon (Strike Cruiser) - The Rupicon served Grand Master Tencendur during the capture of the renegade Inquisitor Valinov and later transported Justicar Alaric and his strike team during the Hunt for Ghargatuloth. The Rubicon sacrificed itself to deliver Justicar Alaric and his warriors to the surface of Volcanis Ultor.

The Valour Saturnum (Strike Cruiser) - The Valour Saturnum participated in the Purging of Khorion IX.

The Vengeful (Strike Cruiser) - The Vengeful participated in the Purging of Khorion IX.

Notable Grey Knights

Lord Kaldor Draigo (Supreme Grand Master of the Grey Knights) - During the Daemonic incursion on the world of Acralem in 799.M41, then-Battle-Brother Draigo fought against M'kar the Reborn and his daemonic army. During a daring assault on the Daemon Prince's fortress, it was Draigo who dealt the deathblow to M'kar, and so cast the daemonic horde back into the Warp, but the Daemon clung to life just long enough to place a vengeful curse upon his slayer. Draigo was acclaimed to the rank of Justicar for his actions on Acralem. Through the next two centuries Draigo continued to serve his Chapter and Emperor with unfailing distinction - earning honours and glory unsurpassed - save perhaps by the Grey Knights first Supreme Grand Master, Janus. Two hundred years to the day since Draigo's victory the Grey Knights received an Astropathic beacon bringing news to Titan that Acralem had once again been invaded by M'kar and his Daemon army. Forbidding his Chapter to involve themselves, Lord Draigo undertook the burden of facing M'kar himself. Upon the pinnacle of Shadow Peak, before the swirling Warp rift from which the Daemon Prince drew his unholy power, the two adversaries faced one another, once again. Draigo managed to deliver M'kar a fateful death blow with the broken blade of his Nemesis force weapon. But Draigo's ultimate victory was robbed from him as the Daemon Prince cast the Grey Knight into the collapsing warp rift. Since that time, Draigo has been cursed to the hell of being doomed to walk within the Realm of Chaos, unable to escape. But when there is a Daemonic incursion in the material universe, and a Daemon Prince draws power from the Warp, Draigo is once again drawn back into the material realm. Reunited with his Chapter temporarily, Draigo fights alongside his fellow Grey Knights once again. But their victory is always a hollow one, as Lord Draigo is once again drawn back into the Warp. The fortitude of character that Draigo possesses to endure this half-life is unheard of, yet endures he does. He continues to walk the Realm of Chaos still, continuing his eternal battle against the Chaos Gods. But there is still hope, that while Draigo still lives, he will one day yet prevail and return to be reunited with his Chapter.
Supreme Grand Master Aeneas - Lord Aeneas lead the Chapter for 55 years during M37 before he was mortally wounded by the Chaos Sorcerer Ahriman of the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion and was interred within a Dreadnought Sarcophagus.
Supreme Grand Master Orias - Lord Orias was brought low in M39 by the Daemon Prince Plague Lord Herperitus. Mortally wounded but still alive Lord Orias was interred within a Dreadnought Sarcophagus and continues to serve the Chapter to this day.
Grand Master Mandulis - One of the few Grey Knights that died during the First War for Armageddon, Mandulis led a force of three hundred Grey Knights on the Chaos-corrupted world of Khorion IX in an attempt to vanquish the daemon Ghargatuloth back into the Immaterium. His Nemesis weapon becomes a plot device in a sequence of events that come into play after he vanquishes the daemon into the Warp for one thousand years. The sacrifice of the three hundred Grey Knights results in the banishing of Ghargatuloth. None, save the body of Grand Master Mandulis and his Nemesis weapon, were recovered. He is mentioned several times in Grey Knights by Ben Counter, and his sword is thought to be the only weapon capable of destroying Ghargatuloth again.
Brother-Captain Leodegarius - Leodegarius appears at the end of Part 3 of Graham McNeill's The Killing Ground, the fourth installment of his Ultramarines series. When the Omphalos Daemonium (a daemon train that traverses the Warp to wherever its daemon master wills it) dumps Captain Uriel Ventris and his Sergeant, Pasanius, on the world of Salinas, after they completed a death oath in the Eye of Terror and sought to return home to Ultramar. While upon Salinas, they sent an astropathic message to the Ultramarines' fortress on the world of Macragge. A Grey Knights outpost intercepts the message, and learns of Uriel's and Pasanius' foray into the Eye of Terror. A squad is immediately dispatched to test their faith and flesh. While on Salinas, and after these tests, the Grey Knights aid Uriel and the Salinites in defeating the unfleshed and vengeful spirits of wrongly murdered Salinites.
Brother-Captain Stern - Brother-Captain Stern has served the Grey Knights for many long years and is a prominent Daemonhunter. His most famous act was when he destroyed the Cult of the Red Talon and banished its instigator, the Lord of Change Daemon named M'kachen, back into the Warp for one hundred years and a day. When the vengeful daemon finally returned, he vowed to send Captain Stern into the realm of the dead no matter what the cost. He appears on the battlefield to face Stern every chance he gets, or if unable to come personally, sends one of his most powerful servants to attempt the deed for him. Stern is approximately 400 standard years old and has battled M'kachen three times so far. Each time, the Brother-Captain has proven his ability to withstand the power of the Daemon and defeated the creature.
Chaplain Durendin - A venerable Grey Knights Chaplain that always wore an enormous suit of Terminator Armour when seeing to the Chapter's spiritual health. One arm was painted a glossy black to signify his office as Chaplain and the rest was the traditional gunmetal grey. Durendin wore the same pair of ornate lightning claws that had been passed down since the chapter's earliest days.
Justicar Alaric - Justicar Alaric leads, from Ben Counter's Grey Knights, Dark Adeptus, and the recently released Hammer of Daemons a strike force of the elite of the Space Marines, the Grey Knights. In the novel Grey Knights, Alaric finds himself and the men under his command hunting down the Prince of a Thousand Faces, Servant to Tzeentch, the daemon Ghargatuloth. Along the path Alaric hunts down Hidden Cults along the Trail of St. Evisser, who in turn has become a vessel of the enemy. When his Inquisitional aide, Ligeia, finds her mind being warped by the powers of the Daemons, and is subsequently executed at the prison of Mimas, Alaric has to decipher the secrets of the Trail himself. His quest finally leads him to Vulcanis Ultor, the Hive Superior of the Trail. It is here, after a brief battle with the confused Sisters of Battle of the Bloody Rose, does Alaric make his way into the Fallen Saint's tomb, and face off against it and its unimaginable strength. It is only when his Battle-Brother Terminator Justicar Tancred smites the Saint that Ghargatuloth comes into being. By saying the Daemons true name, Alaric brings the creature into the physical realm, where with the help of all the loyal Imperial forces nearby they banish the Daemon Prince back to the Warp for another one thousand years. Qualities normally buried by the training of a Grey Knight such as imagination and creativity are actually notable traits found in Alaric. Combined with his Space Marine physical and psychic abilities, his sharp mind was the decisive factor that allowed him to survive on the daemon world of Drakaasi where he was captured and stripped of his armor. These characteristics may be deemed as unstable and unwanted among Grey Knights, thus preventing Alaric from attaining the rank of Brother-Captain. However, Inquisitor Nyxos seems to have special plans to better employ Alaric's skills within the Inquisition.
Terminator Justicar Tancred - In the novel Grey Knights, Tancred is revered as the best swordsman Justicar Alaric has ever seen, second only to Brother-Captain Stern himself. Tancred himself could become a Captain in his own right, but chooses the life of the elite soldier instead. Having never met his match in battle, nor finding an agent of Chaos strong enough to contend with him, Tancred finally met his death at the summoning of the Daemon Prince, Ghargatuloth. The Grey Knight strike force sent to stop the rising of the Daemon met the Herald of the Prince of a Thousand Faces, who was none other than the Daemon-warped corpse of Fallen Saint Evisser. Standing four times the height of a Grey Knight, the Saint fought the strike force and slaughtered any Marine who strayed too near. Tancred, wounded and wielding the Sword of Mandulis, rose from the smoke and approached the Fallen Saint, saying a time-honored Battle Prayer of a Martyred Grey Knight, "I am the Hammer. I am the sword in His hand. I am the Gauntlet about His fist. I am the Bane of His foes and the woes of the treacherous. I am the End." With two of his Battle-Brothers, Justicar Santoro and Justicar Alaric, Tancred beheaded the Saint, and allowed Ghargatuloth to be born, giving Alaric the chance he needed to say the Daemon's true name. In doing so, Tancred gave his life, but brought about the banishment of the Prince of a Thousand Faces. Neither his body nor his armor were found in the aftermath of Ghargatuloth's banishment, which has left some to speculate that he may still be alive.
Battle-Brother Dvorn - This Space Marine is always wielding his Nemesis Force Hammer, a strange weapon for a normal Grey Knight but perfectly suited to him. He survives all three encouters with Chaos that we know of, and in the final book, Hammer of Daemons it is revealed that after the Massacre of Sarthis Majoris Dvorn has been granted his own suit of Tactical Dreadnaught (Terminator) Armour and a place among Brother-Captain Stern's Terminator Retinue.

Chapter Notes

While Grey Knights are not part of the Ordo Malleus, they are a Space Marine chapter permanently attached to the Ordo Malleus.
Grey Knights do NOT retain any memories of their previous life.
Although permanently attached to the Ordo Malleus the Grey Knights do not answer to the Inquisition's hierarchy, since by ancient Imperial decree dating back to the Great Crusade no Astartes is subordinate to anyone save for the Primarchs and the Emperor himself, but work with the Ordo Malleus because of the similarity of their work. However, if a representative of the Inquisiton is present, the Grey Knights look to them for orders, no matter their rank, as seen when Justical Alaric looks to Interrogator Hawkespur for orders, although he technically outranks her. Note that Grey Knights refuse to work and fight alongside Radical Inquisitors, that is, those Inquisitors who attempt to harness the power of Chaos in an attempt to defeat it.

Sources

Codex: Black Templars (4th Edition)
Codex: Daemonhunters (3rd Edition)
Codex: Grey Knights (5th Edition)
Dark Adeptus (Novel) by Ben Counter
Grey Knights (Novel) by Ben Counter
The Hammer of Daemons (Novel) by Ben Counter
Horus Heresy – Volume IV: Visions of Death
Index Astartes II, (1st Edition)
Realm of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness (1st Edition)
Warhammer 40,000 Rulebook (4th Edition)
White Dwarf 260 (AUS), "Index Astartes – Purge the Unclean"

@@ Line 144: / Line 144: @@
 [[File:Grey_Knights_-_Examples_of_Personal_Heraldry.jpg|thumb]]
 ===Chapter Colours===
-There are at least two different documented versions of the Grey Knights' Chapter colours. Earlier portrayals show the Chapter's Aegis Armour as being black, with ornate silver gauntlets, shoulder plates, and decorations with the Chapter symbol displayed in gold. The second source depicts th
+There are at least two different documented versions of the Grey Knights' Chapter colours. Earlier portrayals show the Chapter's Aegis Armour as being black, with ornate silver gauntlets, shoulder plates, and decorations with the Chapter symbol displayed in gold. The second source depicts the Grey Knights as wearing steel grey or silver Aegis Armour, with ornate gold decoration prevalent on many parts of the armour. The latter is the currently accepted livery, black and silver colour schemes being already well-used in several named Chapters, most notably the [[Deathwatch]] [[Space Marines]] who are the Chamber Militant of the Inquisition's [[Ordo Xenos]].
-e Grey Knights as wearing steel grey or silver Aegis Armour, with ornate gold decoration prevalent on many parts of the armour. The latter is the currently accepted livery, black and silver colour schemes being already well-used in several named Chapters, most notably the [[Deathwatch]] [[Space Marines]] who are the Chamber Militant of the Inquisition's [[Ordo Xenos]].
 In both cases, each individual Space Marine bears personal heraldry, either on their shoulderpad, or on a small shield positioned over the left shoulder, facing forward. The heraldry designs incorporate black, white and red, with iconography usually made up of swords and skulls. For Grey Knight Battle-Brothers and Justicars, heraldry often includes their squad markings. However, Grey Knights in [[Terminator Armour ]]are permitted to use their own design, with one half typically depicting their own heraldry, and the other half simple battle honour markings.
 ===Chapter Badge===
 The badge of the Grey Knights Chapter is an open book, the ''Liber Daemonicus'', with a sword stabbing through it. In all accounts of the Chapter, this always remains constant.