Equipping Grey Knight Librarians

[Bean]

Alright, so the Grey Knight Librarian continues to be an excellent HQ in sixth edition, but has undergone some significant changes. To get the massive nerf out of the way, let's first acknowledge that the Psychic Hood is very, very lame and move on. He's a good HQ even without that.

The big question, really, is what psychic powers he should bring, and whether it's worth purchasing Mastery Level 3. Let's start by making sure that I know what I'm talking about.

As I understand it, the GKL has two options when taking powers. First, he can purchase powers for five points each. He can get up to nine in this way, and he picks each one from the list in the Grey Knight Codex. Second, he can opt to generate two powers (three if he upgrades his mastery) from the Pyrokinesis, Divination, and Telekinesis disciplines. This is done randomly, by rolling for each power on a chosen discipline, but doesn't cost any extra points.

It seems to me that the strongest powers are to be found in the BRB rather than in the Grey Knight codex. In addition, these powers are free.

On the other hand, selecting powers from the BRB is pretty random--there are some strong powers in there, but some less exciting ones, too. Primaris powers help a little bit (more on that in a second) but it's nice to be able to choose which powers you want, and five points a piece doesn't seem like much to pay for that privilege. Plus, you can bring more powers (though selected from a somewhat narrower range) if you take them from the codex.

It seems to me that, of the BRB disciplines, Divination is the one you'll routinely get the most from. Its Primaris power is excellent, allowing one friendly unit to re-roll all failed rolls to hit (in shooting and close combat). This means that you're going to get one good power from Divination, at least, as opposed to Pyrokinesis or Telekinesis, both of whose Primaris powers are distinctly lack-luster.

All in all, Telekinesis seems the weakest. Assail is unspectacular, and Crush is interesting, but unreliable. Telekine Dome is pretty dubious; the reflecting of shots is interesting, but it's only a 5+ invulnerable save--which many Grey Knight options already have--and it only reflects shots that you make the 5+ invulnerable save against, which means that you won't be using it to bounce bolters and the like. By comparison, the Divination power that gives a unit a 4+ invulnerable seems substantially better. Gate of Infinity is nice for a foot slogger army (which I think Grey Knights will certainly tend to be, now that Rhinos are dubious) and the real jewel of the Telekinesis discipline is the funny pseudo-latin curse that makes an enemy unit re-roll all of their sixes to hit and to wound (with both shooting and close combat). It also inflicts glancing hits on enemy tanks. If I could pick this one every time, I'd take it a lot, but the odds of getting something good out of Telekinesis just seem too low.

Pyrokinesis has some interesting spells. Its Primaris Power is basically a heavy flamer, which is unremarkable, but not terrible. It has a reasonable personal buff for your librarian (though personal buffs for the GK librarian often feel like poor choices compared to the unit buffs) and the defensive buff for a unit is also pretty good. Molten Beam is spectacular--worth its 2 Warp Charge--and the Nova with Blind isn't bad, either, though its range is very short. All in all, I think this is a better option than Telekinesis (chance to get Molten Beam, heavy flamer if you don't like what you roll) but I'm still skeptical.

Divination seems like the most reliable. It has several good unit buffs, one of which is its Primaris power. Its slot-six spell is situational--sometimes really good and sometimes worth very little. It has one debuff (forces an enemy unit to re-roll all successful saves) that is really good, and its psyker-only buff is also really good (Psyker can re-roll failed saves, hits, and wounds). All in all, you're pretty likely to come out of this one with something good, making it my top pick for book Disciplines, at least among those available to the GKL.

So, what do you take as a Librarian? Well, I think that any librarian you used to play is probably still worthwhile--none of the codex powers really got gimped.

I also think that paying a straight 150 points for a GKL with no upgrades and rolling two Divination Powers will routinely result in a character well worth bringing. I suspect he remains worth it when you buy him Mastery Level 3--something I probably wouldn't do for a Librarian with just codex powers. Either way, I really think I'd take all of my rolls in Divination, and I'd always swap out one roll for the Primaris power, which is, perhaps, the discipline's best option.

I actually don't think I'd generally spend points on other upgrades for the Libby. Maybe 5 for a halberd or 35 for a staff (really not sure about the staff, but I play Paladins, so challenges aren't really a concern for me). I might buy master-crafting if taking codex powers, but not if taking Divination--why bother, when he'll have the re-roll everything power?

I think my first pick is probably going to be the budget option, though--150 points, no upgrades, two Divination powers.

What do you guys think? What's your go-to Grey Knights Librarian for 6th Edition, and why? What powers, disciplines, and gear do you thin, are good, bad, or important?


Edit: just for the sake of completion, remember that the GKL gets Hammerhand in addition to everything else, regardless of which option you take.

[Mr.Pickelz]

I take mine as a lvl 3 with a MC halberd and digital weapons, sometimes with Brain mines, but that depends on the list I'm running.

[Bean]

I take mine as a lvl 3 with a MC halberd and digital weapons, sometimes with Brain mines, but that depends on the list I'm running.

What psychic powers do you typically use?

[DarkLink]

This might not apply to the Librarian specifically, but I've started taking Hammers on my ICs. Since they can't be singled out, they get to hit. If I face a character that doesn't have a power fist, I can challenge them and almost guarantee the kill, and just tank the attacks back. I give my squad characters Staves now, so if my opponent challenges with someone nasty I want to avoid, I can accept with my Stave and tank just about anything.

The Librarian isn't an offensive CC guy, so this might not really apply to him. I will say, however, if you want a support character with 2 BRB powers, take Coteaz. Mastery Level 2, plus all of his bonus rules, for a lot cheaper than a Librarian.

[Bean]

This might not apply to the Librarian specifically, but I've started taking Hammers on my ICs. Since they can't be singled out, they get to hit. If I face a character that doesn't have a power fist, I can challenge them and almost guarantee the kill, and just tank the attacks back. I give my squad characters Staves now, so if my opponent challenges with someone nasty I want to avoid, I can accept with my Stave and tank just about anything.

The Librarian isn't an offensive CC guy, so this might not really apply to him. I will say, however, if you want a support character with 2 BRB powers, take Coteaz. Mastery Level 2, plus all of his bonus rules, for a lot cheaper than a Librarian.

Ive thought about coteaz. He's undeniably good. I kinda like to play pure grey knights, though, for aesthetics.

Now that hammers are ap2 and the other weapons aren't, you're probably right on that front.

So, which psychic powers do you like? Still playing codex powers? (sanctuary and shrouding are tough to give up--and might of Titan is nice. And they still have one-warp-charge vortex, though warp rift is prolly a little better.). Jve you messed around with the brb disciplines at all? (divination does seem really good.)

[DarkLink]

I'm honestly not a big fan of the Librarian. He's a lot of points to spend for Sanctuary and Shrouding, and Coteaz gets Sanctuary and Coteaz is just about as tough in assault. I'd rather spend points on a GM who gives similar buffs but is much more potent in CC, and/or Coteaz or Driago.

I think the random rulebook powers are just that, a little bit too random, but I haven't played around with them much. The Librarian brings some pretty good buff powers already, but it's a nice option to have if you like the Librarian. The reroll to hit power is very good with GKs, especially if you take, say, Paladins with lots of psycannons, and there are some other good powers, but it depends on how much you think you need the Shrouding and Sanctuary. Since cover got nerfed, Shrouding kind of got nerfed since you only get a 4+ when you used to get a 3+.

Personally, I think I'm still sticking to a GM (including Mordrack and Driago), Coteaz, and possibly Crowe (now that rending and the 2+ is so awesome) as my HQs. The Librarian is still very expensive for some kind of gimmicky buffs you can get elsewhere, the Brotherhood Champion is still pretty weak with only 1 wound, and most of the Inquisitor options are mediocre at best (except a psycannon Inquisitor or an Inquisitor with grenades).

[Bean]

I'm honestly not a big fan of the Librarian. He's a lot of points to spend for Sanctuary and Shrouding, and Coteaz gets Sanctuary and Coteaz is just about as tough in assault. I'd rather spend points on a GM who gives similar buffs but is much more potent in CC, and/or Coteaz or Driago.

I think the random rulebook powers are just that, a little bit too random, but I haven't played around with them much. The Librarian brings some pretty good buff powers already, but it's a nice option to have if you like the Librarian. The reroll to hit power is very good with GKs, especially if you take, say, Paladins with lots of psycannons, and there are some other good powers, but it depends on how much you think you need the Shrouding and Sanctuary. Since cover got nerfed, Shrouding kind of got nerfed since you only get a 4+ when you used to get a 3+.

Personally, I think I'm still sticking to a GM (including Mordrack and Driago), Coteaz, and possibly Crowe (now that rending and the 2+ is so awesome) as my HQs. The Librarian is still very expensive for some kind of gimmicky buffs you can get elsewhere, the Brotherhood Champion is still pretty weak with only 1 wound, and most of the Inquisitor options are mediocre at best (except a psycannon Inquisitor or an Inquisitor with grenades).

Yeah, I'm still not a big fan of Crowe. He hits hard, but being on his own just makes him too vulnerable. I'd take a bare-bones librarian any day.

GMs are good. Mordrak and Draigo are particularly good. But, I'm not entirely convinced that their extra hitting power and Grand Strategy is worth the price difference and the powers. I'm not really playing generic grey knights, though--just paladins--so I always have Draigo and that kinda skews my perspective.

Coteaz is undeniably awesome for 100 points. I might give him a shot. Again, though, not a huge fan of the inquisitor aesthetic. I think I'm gonna try a 150 point BRB libby and a 200 point BRB libby and see how they go. I really think these divination powers are gonna prove worth it. If not, well, I'll let you guys know.

[Tynskel]

I have generally viewed the Inquisitors as a separate army within the Grey Knight Codex.

[Tynskel]

I think the random rulebook powers are just that, a little bit too random, but I haven't played around with them much. The Librarian brings some pretty good buff powers already, but it's a nice option to have if you like the Librarian. The reroll to hit power is very good with GKs, especially if you take, say, Paladins with lots of psycannons, and there are some other good powers, but it depends on how much you think you need the Shrouding and Sanctuary. Since cover got nerfed, Shrouding kind of got nerfed since you only get a 4+ when you used to get a 3+.


The random powers are not too random, due to the ability to take the primarius power and re-roll same powers/powers you cannot cast.

[Mr.Pickelz]

I find that with Draigowing, my Libby with Divination works out well, 2 of the powers (5 and 6) are usually dropped for the Primaris, as that helps 4 psycannons get the shots onto something, and with paladins as characters allows for more precise shots out of the shots, the Re-roll successful saves malediction is what saved me against a CSM termy unit with Abbadon and Typhus. Overwatch with full BS is nice to have and can really screw over an assaulting unit. 4+ invul save means my swords effectively have Storm Shields in CC, and so forth. Divination is so far a worth while investment, as All my units keep Hammerhand, including the Libby, while getting some amazing buffs in the form of blessings.

[DarkLink]

And if you roll for your two divination powers and get a 5 and 6? Happened to me when I tried it out the first time.

I'm not saying the powers are bad, just that Gks already have pretty good powers so you might not always want to trade them out every game.

[Bean]

And if you roll for your two divination powers and get a 5 and 6? Happened to me when I tried it out the first time.

I'm not saying the powers are bad, just that Gks already have pretty good powers so you might not always want to trade them out every game.

Yeah, that would be a shame. Still, odds of getting a five and a six are actually very low.

And the GK powers are good. I'm not entirely convinced that Divination is worth it. One thing that I do think it worth keeping in mind, though, is that if you bring a Divination Psyker, you don't really need to buy master crafting for your big squad--the one power you're certain to have overrides mastercrafting completely. The 20 points from mastercrafted psycannons and 15 to 20 points from the powers that you would have bought for your Librarian otherwise is a non-trivial savings.

And, for what it's worth, if you really do roll a five and a six, you can drop six for the primaris power and five makes your librarian scarier in combat than an unbuffed GM would be.