Heavy Inlisterator - Winning List from 2011 NOVA Invitational

As seen on baldandscreaming.com, here is the Nathan Nanavati's winning list for the 2011 NOVA invitational:

HQ
Inquisitor Coteaz

Elites
5 Purifiers, 2 Psycannons, Hammer
  - Rhino, Dozer Blade

5 Purifiers, 2 Psycannons, Hammer
  - Rhino, Dozer Blade

5 Purifiers, 2 Psycannons, Hammer
  - Rhino, Dozer Blade

Troops
5 Strike Squad GKs, Psycannon, Hammer
  - Razorback, Psybolt

5 Strike Squad GKs, Psycannon, Hammer
  - Razorback, Psybolt

5 Strike Squad GKs, Psycannon, Hammer
  - Razorback, Psybolt

5 Strike Squad GKs, Psycannon, Hammer
  - Razorback, Psybolt

Heavy Support

Dreadnought, TL AC x2, Psybolt

Dreadnought, TL AC x2, Psybolt

Dreadnought, TL AC x2, Psybolt

1,750 pts

***

The very first thing that stood out to me in this list is the selection of Rhinos and Razorbacks. It's a decision I've been flopping back and forth on (which units to give what transport to, how many to take and so on) and I think Mr. Nanavati made a pretty smart and interesting choice for his MSU Grey Knights list. While it doesn't necessarily convince me either way (mostly because I'm rather indecisive) the success of his army speaks volumes to this theory of GK transportation.

The question for me was always do I go with the Rhino with two firing points so I can shoot my powerful Grey Knight weaponry out the top as I move and carry a full ten-man squad? If so, I must be ok with the fact that after the troops are unloaded I'm left with a mobile piece of terrain that has a stormbolter sticking off the top of it. Or do I go with a psybolted Razorback with no firing points, a max capacity of six but a S6 heavy bolter with 36" range that's good even after I drop off the troops inside?

For Nanavati, the answer was if you have one psycannon, you get a Razorback, but if you have two Psycannons, you're going inside a Rhino so you can assault 2 those baddies out the top of your tank as you ride in to own some Xenos. Now without asking we don't know if the decision was ultimately more based on point values (squeezing in the most troop value of his points) or if he decided that this was the best way to trick out GK MSU with dedicated transports. If it's the latter, the decision does seem to make a good deal of sense. He still gets 4 psybacks roaming around after the foot soldiers get out but when he's advancing and shooting from inside his vehicles 4 S7 rending shots at 24" and 3 S6 twin-linked shots at 36" seem to be fairly equal threats.

Notice the HQ choice that Nanavati took. Not a week ago, I raved about the beast Coteaz and how he was simply far and away the best low-cost HQ a Grey Knight army could take: anything less being damn near a waste of the points. While I don't know what unit Coteaz went in, my guess would be one of the Purifiers and that by keeping his units clumped close together Nanavati could hit most of them with Sanctuary.

Twin-linked bang bang

Nanavati filled out the rest of his army with Psyflemen Dreads, my alter ego grumpy-old-wargamer's least favorite GK unit but the hands down easiest to use and highly effective heavy support choice. These need no introduction.

I also like how Nanavati gave his scoring units transports with Dozer Blades, meaning they could pretty safely traverse most terrain without fear of getting immobilized on a tree stump and stuck foot-slogging it to their destination, hoping they don't get shot to pieces.

Posted in: Bald and Screaming, Heavy Inlisterator, MSU, NOVA