Have you ever wondered how Games Workshop wants you to construct a Knight Army? I have. So let’s see how they lay it out.
I’ve often wonder about how Knights and Knight armies fit into 40k as a tabletop game. Personally, I don’t quite know if I’ve ever liked them as a concept in 40k. And while I do understand them from both a lore and a rules perspective, I’ve often felt like they were over tuned for what they do.
It’s also clear that GW has been attempting to tune them with points changes and rules adjustments. Heck, we just saw the new Balance Dataslate impact them over the week. So maybe this time around GW will have found that sweet spot. Anyhow, based on that idea of “The Sweet Spot” for Knights, I’ve also been wondering how GW envisions players starting and growing the army. Well now we have an answer.
Today, WarCom has put out a “Starting an Imperial Knights Army” article. It’s got a ton of info and background about the army. From lore, to painting, and even some tips on getting started. This is where I want to spend my focus. How does GW think players should start this army? And how do they want you to grow it?
Getting Started With Imperial Knights – The GW Way
First off, GW is pushing the Combat Patrol to get started. That makes the most sense. Combat Patrol is basically a smaller version of 40k. And the default Combat Patrols are supposed to be balanced well enough against each other.
“The Imperial Knights gained a Combat Patrol in White Dwarf 509 which sends a pair of Armigers into the fray, representing a specialised task force of elite low-ranking bondsmen sent to sweep forward positions before the big Knights arrive.”
For the Imperial Knights, their Combat Patrol consists of a pair of Armigers. One as a Warglaive and one as Helverin. You can actually view their full rules for free, too. The point is this is the starting point that GW views for Imperial Knight Armies. Honestly, this really is a good start, too. And it won’t take long before you’re looking to up the ante and go bigger…
Oh and you’re probably going to need a Codex sooner rather than later. I just sort of assumed that players would pick one of these up along with a pair of Armigers. But GW does mention that you’ll want one after a few Combat Patrol Games. GW also mentions getting in a few 500 point games as well. I’m re-reading their article and I’m not entirely sure where they mentioned you were at 500 points at. Because if you’ve only picked up an Armiger box and the Codex, you’re sitting at roughly 300 points. So… I’m guessing there was another Armiger added at some point for 500 point games that weren’t Combat Patrol?
More Knights Beyond Combat Patrol
Anyhow, after you get your Armigers, Codex, and some Combat Patrol games in you’ll likely want to start building towards 1000 points and beyond. The first Knight option GW recommends is the Knight Questoris-pattern.
These are the backbone of your army and you’ll likely be using at least ONE of them from here on out. As you can see above there’s quite a few builds to work with. The good news is that most of the builds are great for both ranged and close-combat. So at least you won’t have a blind spot. The bad news is that a few of them do have more specialized combat roles. But again, you’ll probably end up with a couple of these eventually. So I wouldn’t get too hung up on making the wrong decision for your first Knight. And also, don’t forget the Armigers.
“With a small handful of large models at your disposal, it can be tricky to maintain your presence all around the battlefield – especially if you lose a Knight or two early in the game – so Armigers are an important way to spread your influence further. They pack serious speed and respectable damage into their smaller frames, with a choice between short-range Warglaives and long-range Helverins letting you contest objectives anywhere on the board.”
That’s maybe some of the best advice in the article. Armigers are great for playing the objective game for this army. Don’t discount bringing them in even larger games! Between the Questoris-pattern Knights and the Armigers you should be able to top 1000 points easily. So what’s next?
Bring On The Big(ger) Guns
The Castellan is a popular option for a reason. Honestly, the Valiant is good as well but the this kind of where I’d like to hit the pause button on “The GW Way” and get real for a moment. At this point in your Knight Army journey you’ve probably already dropped a couple hundred on the army. The Knight Dominus is another big chunk of points as well as money-invested. You’re probably going to want to have at least one of these in your collection though. But at 410 points, you’ve got to choose: Castellan or Valiant.
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If you’re smart, you’d want to take a look at the other options in your collection at this point. Hopefully you’ve gotten enough experience with them to pick-up on where the holes are in your list or your overall strategy for the army. Hopefully, one of these Knight Dominus options can plug that hole for you. That’s the one you should go with. Alternatively, more Questoris Knights and Armigers might not be a bad move either.
But, if we go back to “the GW Way” then they are recommending one (or both) of these Dominus-patterns for your collection. That’s another 820ish points (and almost $400 in Knights). So you decide what’s best for you and the army you want to build.
Is GW’s Way The Best Way?
Overall, I don’t think this is a terrible way to get into Knights. Personally, I’d start with a Codex vs a Combat Patrol. But for any army I’d do that first. I like to know what units are open to me later and I’ll even plan out a 2000 point list. I would even take that list to friends I trust to go over it and see if they notice any holes or blind spots in my list. Many times, that initial list will involve the Combat Patrol options to start and build from.
“The GW Way” kind of does that. I think it’s got the bones of a good structure to work from but at some point you’re going to have to take over and flesh the army out. And you absolutely should — it’s your army. I do agree that starting small and getting games in at lower point values is the right way to build this army (or any army) for 40k. You’re going to want to get a good foundation to build from. Learn your units and get a feel for their strengths and weaknesses. That will help guide you as to what your next steps should be.
And even if you buy something you don’t end up using later just remember that GW changes rules constantly. What’s considered “useless” in this Balance Update might get a complete rework in the next. And having a wide collection to pull from only makes the army better in the long term.
Would you follow the slow-grow GW method or just buy your 2000 point army and run with it?
Writer, Editor, Texas Native, and now Tex-Pat, Adam covers all things Tabletop Gaming. Which includes Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar, D&D, Board Games and everything else that involves dice, boards, cards and a table.
A hobbyist, player, and collector of miniatures and games, Adam’s current obsession are his Death and Chaos Armies for Age of Sigmar, his Blood Angels and Tyranids for 40k, an expanding collection of Marvel: Crisis Protocol minis, and his ever growing Arkham Horror: The Card Game Collection.