Need help: Grey Knight Interceptor Squad

[Wildcard]

This time I would like your advice on GK interceptors. As they tend to fall short on shooty side as well as an assault specialists, when, how and against whom you would use them?

Enemy type / race?
Role?
Loadout?
Tactics?
Pros / Cons (when compared to strike squads and purifiers - ie why would you take interceptors)

Please think of their own role, without the synergy of other troops / vehicles (with the exception of transport), points are not issue here, although please detain from ridiculous upgrades as a point dump.

I've played my whole 40k career with ig, so i am not in anyway familiar with jump infantry / melee oriented thinking (although i've more than once have my *** handed to me by blood angels assault squads :) ). This is why i now need your help my fellow lost souls!

Other reason i am thinking of these is that i am playing grey knights only-list and i would like to have some other units than terminators and purifiers even if it would not be best results for the buck (or the points)

Thanks in advance!

[Bean]

Interceptors aren't great in close combat, but they're good enough to beat low-end units like tactical marines, guard, tau, gaunts, and whatnot.

What they are good at is bringing some mobile firepower. There are two ways to go about it, really: a small unit with one psycannon or incinerator and no other upgrades, or a large unit with two psycannons or incinerators and psybolt ammunition (which is good on a unit that can get into side and rear tank armor reliably) and maybe some small amount of combat upgrades--(thunderhammer, maybe master-crafted, probably nothing else).

If you're dying to have some incinerators in your army, or routinely play against the sorts of horde armies against which they excel, Interceptors are about the best incinerator platform you can find (since they're so fast), but, as usual, the psycannon is the better choice in general. For one, it works against tanks. For another, it lets you get full effectiveness at 24". It sucks a little because you so rarely get all of your psycannon shots, but even two shots per gun makes for a pretty good set of shots.

So, my top two suggestions are:

10x Interceptors, 2x Psycannons, McHammer, Psybolt ammo

5x Interceptors, Psycannon.

[Aegis]

I find they are the 'johnny-on-the-spot' unit, at least in my experience. I never really tool them out for any specific task, but rather use them to fill the gaps in my own battle line. Also, I tend not to take more than five in smaller games.

Their shunt move, if saved, is great for a late game contesting of an objective, or even clearing one off using incinerators. Alternatively, if you use the Grand Master, and bestow scout, they can do an awesome strike against a particularly nasty unit.

I am still playing around with using psycannons on them, but I am starting to lean towards incinerators as being the preferable option. With them always on the move, you rarely, if ever, get the full shots of the psycannon, which, in my mind, is getting only half the value of the cost. Rather, with the incinerators, you can easily go to town on many units (even dedicated assault units would feel the burn from a pair of those, with psybolt ammo).

So far, my best use with them have been in supporting roles to jump Dreadknights. Use them in pairs, and I find the dreadknight gets most of the attention, leaving the interceptors to have a bit more tactical flexibility.

[DarkLink]

In my opinion, Interceptors are the coolest unit that I won't take. They're just so expensive and don't bring a Rhino chassis to the board, and they don't score by default. I find myself taking more potent options (10 Terminators, Psyrifle Dreads, etc) and by the time I have all my bases covered for a competitive list I just don't have the points left to make them work.

Were I to take them, I think one would have to design a list around them specifically. Take 20-30, a Grand Master for the scoring option (you won't have too many points left for actual scoring units) and go heavy footslogging. You'll have lots of psycannons, lots of storm bolters, but not a whole lot of CC unless you take Terminators.

Keep in mind that if you have 20 exposed Marines and a bunch of Rhinos/Terminators, you're giving enemy anti-infantry an easy targeting choice. I've found that keeping my power armor dudes meched up, Terminators in cover with Shrouding and Psyrifle Dreads backing them up the opponent's anti-infantry stuff is useless and he has too many targets for his heavy firepower to deal with. After a couple of turns, I've whittled him down enough that the power armor can now run around with relative impunity.

Also be very careful about getting isolated, as plenty of armies have the ability to make 10 isolated Marines disappear in one turn. Get too shunt happy and you might lose half your army before you have the opportunity to do any real damage.

[Cyberscape7]

Haven't bought any yet, but I'm planning on going for the "small hammer" unit. I'll probably take 5 with one psycannon, psybolt (and maybe a halberd). It makes for a nice pest to annoy your opponent with, zipping round the field causing some minor damage then shunting onto an objective just at the end.

[Wildcard]

I don't play in tournaments, i don't try to create my lists to be as efficient as possible. I try to figure out how would some taskforce fluffily turn out.. And although i know that psyrifleman is one of the most potent walkers in the game, i try to stick having only 1 of those, venerable or normal..(Mostly cos i don't like the concept of firesupport dreadnought, in general that is).

Currently i have 10 terminators, 5 purifiers + rhino / razorback, brotherhood champion, draigo, librarian, venerable dreadnought, landraider crusader, dreadknight and stormraven.

and so.. i would like to include one unit of jump infantry to complement / give some variation..
This is why i would like some advice how to equip them, and in what kind of situation / what kind of tactics they are good for :)

[Chronowraith]

I take one or two small squads of interceptors and, usually, hold them in reserve. With my Grand Master I usually make both scoring units and then I use them for late game objective grabbing/contesting.

This has saved me a number of times and even in the worst games I can usually pull off a draw using this tactic. Just keep the squads small and cheap (well, cheap for Grey Knights).

[celestialatc]

The few times I have used interceptors I used them as a surprise unit. I would give them scout, have them in the back near enemy armor and try to pick off gun platforms. Predators and Leman Russ's are very juicy targets from behind!