Grey Knights * Troop Choices (pure GKs)

So if you want to run a pure Grey Knights list then your troop choices are terminators, Strike squad or Paladins if you field Kaldor Draigos. The ability to field Paladins as a troop choice is a nice touch but I don't think we are going to see large squads in the more competitive lists so the staple choices are either terminators or the Strike squad. You can also take Purifiers as a troop choice if you include Castellan Crowe but i don't see him as all that competitive as an HQ - definitely Draigos, a standard Grand Master and the Librarian bring a lot more to the table in my mind. I played around with the numbers and came to the conclusion that terminators are a tad too expensive for what you get... A squad of 10 terminators is over 400 points if you take a couple of heavy weapons, psybolt ammunition and a couple of daemon hammers. On the other hand a squad of 10 Grey Knights in power armor (couple of heavy weapons, psybolt ammunition and some Nemesis falchions) runs around 350 points plus that includes the cost for a rhino with dozer blades. Off the top of my head I see the main advantages to fielding terminators are as follows:

- 2+ armor save
- Deepstrike
- free upgrade for Nemesis halberds or Daemon Hammers
- Ability to move and fire their special weapons at the full rate
- Better choice for breaking into combat squads

The 5++ invulnerable save is okay but I don't see it as a huge advantage over the reduction in points when compared to Grey Knights in power armor. You are paying in points for the advantages I listed above and that cost makes your army smaller... pure Grey Knights are going to be quite a small army anyways. I think the inclusion of a rhino is pretty darn good too - it provides a mobile bunker to protect your Grey Knights and adds some mobility which tactically speaking is a nice touch when compared to the previous codex.

I think the 2+ armor save is the best advantage that terminators have over Grey Knights in power armor as they become immune to Long Fang missile spam. Missile spam can well be a problem for Grey Knights in power armor as the Long Fangs have the advantage of range. If you can get close enough to shoot the Long Fangs with significant numbers they will quickly wilt and drop like flies. Deepstriking is nice too since you could feasibly start with an entire army held in reserve.

I'm still on the fence though... An army consisting solely of terminator HQ (e.g., Draigos and a Librarian), one small squad of Paladins to form a retinue for the HQ, standard terminators plus a couple of Dreadknights is appealing to me.