Grey Knight Autonomy

[jakehunter52]

So I bought the Dark Heresy rulebook last week and have been reading it in preparation to starting a campaign (which I am stoked about! It's amazing to see how insane a powerfist is in "real life") and went over the different Ordos sections. As I was going over the Malleus section, it said this:

 

"They Grey Knights are based at their fortress-monastery on Saturn's moon of Titan but the majority of them are elsewhere at any given time, forming the retinues of Ordo Malleus Inquisitors or fighting in the the cutting edge of an army led by a Daemonhunter."

 

I thought that was an interesting (and very scary) idea and read some more:

"The Grey Knights, like most capters, have their own fleet and support staff but, unlike most, they do not act completely independently- they are commanded by the Ordo Malleus, who alone know how to use such a potent weapon as the Grey Knight to maximum effect."

 

Now, don't get me wrong. I love the =I=. And I may be a bit dense which is why I am bringing this up but does this seem a bit off to you? Why do humans get to control super humans? Especially consistently exposed corruptible humans controlling pure warriors. Lions and lambs, eh? Maybe I'm not giving the Inquistion enough credibility either, they have been doing this for a fairly long time and have done a good job keeping most everything from going messed up. But it is an interesting question, possibly it is because the =I= can fudge the line a bit and they have the GKs as gold standard that they can do their job better. And it's not to say that GKs are totally out of the loop, a Grand Master is sitting in the highest council of the =I= which is second only to the Lords of Terra...so that makes us pretty dang up there. Thoughts?

[Inquisitor Agrippa]

Though I also don't agree so fully but just because an Inquisitor is a normal human don't discount his or her ability. Remember there are very few 'normal' humans in the 40k universe who can order the total and utter destruction of a planet without anyone even raising an eyebrow about the decision. But to hand over complete control as it seems listed in the book does seem odd. Though perhaps the fluff isn't just syncing up right with how the codex puts it.

 

Who gets the writing credit for Dark Heresy?

[Alanter]

Reads like the old fluff. The GK where ruled by the OM in their early fluff. Back then they were no psykers, too. I think I get Inquisitor Agrippa thinking right if I say that the author just reads old fluff!

[jeffersonian000]

Grey Knights were always psykers; back what they first came out, the GW teaser in WD listed them as a chapter of librarians.

 

SJ

[Alanter]

Think they were first mentioned in realms of chaos. The WD is a little younger.

[Red Lost Soldier]

Like all Space Marine chapters, the question of autonomy and power struggles is a murky grey (sorry bad pun) area, tainted with influence, specific context, and the temperance of the chapter.

 

What I've always thought, is that the GK's don't have scouts, or reconnaissance forces, or information gatherers. This is made up for by the Inquisition, specifically the Ordo Malleus. They hunt and find the daemons, then if they feel the need is great enough, summon the GK...(or their...other forces....if they are that way inclined).

[Alanter]

I reread the dex again, for it seems I lost my realm of chaos. :P

 

Red Lost Soldier ist quite right. GK do not search the enemy - they kill the ones the OM or others found. In the dex there is a pasage where it reads that even single squads of PAGK act without order from Titan. They are especially trained for fighting without high-command.

 

I think the DH fluff fits well, because GK will fight most times together with the OM. SoB and the Deathwatch have a close connection to their inquisitors, because they are their weapon arm. I think the author just wants to show that a inquisitor ist really mighty and so on - and any munchikn-player will get to taste nemesis force weapon.

[Grand Master Tyrak]

They do have some level of autonomy in the sense that they are the gold standard, the incorruptibles. If they find an Inquisitor, or a group of Inquisitors, to be tainted then that's it - their opinion will be upheld. True autonomy from the Inquisition they do not have, but they are the ones who will judge the Inquisitors. Indeed, some of the older fluff told us that each cell formed to hunt down a rogue Inquisitor had to include a squad of Grey Knights.

[lepire]

in my humble opinion : =][= do the research stuff , find the evils within , and then call for us , free to us to decide how to solve the problem .

that s where i see our autonomy .

basically as said earlier , our action or inaction is decided by =][= , but once we are on the field .......

[Ominous Anonymous]

Not to mention a Grandmaster regularly makes up the inner council of the Inquisition, so it's not like they aren't represented.

[Prathios]

In all the fluff I've read the Inquisition treats the Knights as equals in the fight against the demonic. They in no way order them around as subordinates.

[Grand Master Tchezzarus]

If I remember correctly the OM is directed by a council of 7 (or 9 members) high figure of the OM, one of them is ALWAYS a GM of the Grey Knight.

So I suppose that they've always got a word to say in any decision.

I'am pretty sure that's what I've read about the OM organisation, but can't remember where, maybe some other member of the B&C could confirm it?

Tchezz.

[Thaelion Hexis]

As far as I have understood it, the Grey Knights as a whole are under the direct control on the Ordo Malleus' Inner Sanctum/Conclave. As such the Grey Knights have a representative on the council, who would obviously work to find solutions that benefit all parties, being loyal Ordo Malleus as a whole. I try to think of the OM as a single entity, each with it's own role, all under the command of the Inner Conclave. Grey Knights fight when summoned. They work nothing like the less disciplined 'Astartes'.