Daemonhunters into grey knights: brief.

As many of you know, I play demonhunters - pure, foot-based grey knights, to be more specific. Saying I'm one of only a handful of such players isn't hyperbole, but very much the truth.

Now, for the past *eight years* or so, my foot grey knights have served me fairly well.
In other words, it's been a total wash, and the only reason I win is because I'm so much better than the opposition, my common opponents think the army itself is invincibly overpowered.

Easily the weakest of the current books, codex: Daemonhunters is a terrible piece of misery and broken promises, given to us far, far, back, during the hallowed days of 2003.
Spurred by Andy Chambers, marines were everywhere, 'experiments' greenlit, and mister Gav had unmonitored access to the fluffchambers.
This is why sisters are now part of the inquisition - as opposed to the imperial church, like it should.
Few in number are the grey knights. Armed and armored with the best tech imaginiable, their glorious victories ever expanding the secret archives on Tita- no, let's go for the real deal.

Your basic dude has power armor, stormbolter, and a nemesis weapon. Now, not many people play this army, or have even played against it, so I'll explain.
'The dude' is a bog-standard space marine, with a mighty weaponskill of 5, plus minor psychic protection, both in addition to pseudo-nightfighting. That's it.
Nemesis is a one-handed combat implement, infusing the wielder with psychic might and grace, thus striking at strength 6. 'My lord! That's awesome! Why are you complaining!?
Fearless, and 25 points apieace, with enforced 50-point sarges, who aren't allowed to upgrade their weapoins. Yeah, not so good anymore.

So, yes, you have acceptable combat ability - in theory. Reality is, your army is extremely weak in combat.
This isn't because the individual models are weak - far, far from it. No, it's because of points. Everything at your disposal is vey expensive, cutting into what you can have, and constricting the number of models you'll get to put on the table.

Ragardless of what you do, grey knights still suck in combat.
They hit hard, yes, but not first, can't get grenades, plus easily swarmed by light infantry.
In fact, so expensive are the unuts, that four knights and a sarge charge you enough points to buy 25 ork boyz.

Emprah have mercy.

So, no - you can't combat.
Well, can you shoot, then? Yes, you indeed can, and it's quite something - if the enemy doesn't have metalboxes to hide in, that is.
You see, like eldar, the army's limited to S6 guns and implements, but unlike eldar, there are no lances, almost no meltaguns, boxes for your units to hide in, S7+ guns, good psychic powers, or fast armor.

"What the hell kind of codex is this, and why do you play it?" As of march 2011, it's the weakest codex currently on offer, for the worst army in the game.
I play it because I love the models, and the 'feel.' An army of heroes.

-

Stormbolter. It's your best friend. Stay at 24 range, shoot, shoot, shoot. Something draws near? Move away, and shoot, shoot, shoot some more. Repeat. If you absolutely have to beat someone over the head, the gun counts as a pistol, but you never get the +1 attack for charging.

Dreads are your BFF's. They bring the linked las, the flamer templates, a hunter-killer missile, and are costed like 3rd edotion dreads - in other words, cheap.

You have a love-hate relationship with terminators, for reasons that shall soon be explained. See, they've got an enforced 61 point sarge, and each member is 46 points extra. Hrmmm.
This leads to you taking 3-manz, outfitted with psycannons for the sarge, and one of his buddies.

Fast attack? Man, in 2003, we didn't need no damn fast attack!

Grandmasters and brother-captains (terminator sarges) are both useful. The master, because he is the army's only real combat unit, though horribly dated, and old, by this point.
You can only take one. Yes, it sucks, but them's the breaks.
No matter who you settle on, you're gonna give him bionics, targeter, and a psycannon. You'll give him two buddies, too, and outfit one with a psycannon.

3 dreads, with linked-las, and a hunter-killer each. This is your anti-tank. Yes! This is all your anti-tank!
Boss and buddies, with a total of 2 psycannons between them. If it's a master's retinue, this is a combat unit. If not, it's a 'stay at 36 inches always, and pepper the enemy with blessed silver'-unt.
3 terminator squads, each a 3-manz. Two cannons total, and same job as the boss.
For troops, you have two 5-manz units of knight on foot, with two cannons per squad.

This is your army.
These are the grey knights, finest force in the galaxy, and beyond.
After Gav's rewrite of fluff here, and fluff there, this is what we ended up with.

Then came along the year 2011...