Gallant Appreciation and Shenanigans

[Frostglaive]

The Knight Gallant. Once considered one of, if not the, worst Knight in the Imperial Knights line-up. While not terrible per se, at the time it just could not compete with its brothers in firepower and attack power. Plus its points cost really didn't help matters.

 

But now.....

 

With our shiny new codex, the once sad Gallant has become viable again. Almost considered an auto-include in any Knight army. With an extra attack, WS2+, all the relics, strats, and WL traits that can give them a major boost, Gallants got good. Real good. And with how much people have been raving about them on these forums, I'm pretty sure most of us are in agreement on the subject.

 

So, with how much a lot of Knight players seem to love them, I figured let's start up a thread for the Gallant. Show our appreciation for them.

 

Let's talk strategies. What relics and WL traits do you equip it with? Favorite combos to run. Army lists. And any shenanigans that may have occurred in a game with one. Let's just have some fun here and talk Gallants. Because why not?

 

To start off, here's my stupid story. Buddy of mine last week was telling me about all kinds of shenanigans he can pull with his new Grey Knight army. I'm talking Imperial Knights to him, about how excited I am with them and some of the shenanigans I can pull. He's going on about how easily his Grand Master Dreadknights could kill my Knights. Now while I do agree they could put the hurt on them, I told him I think it just depends who gets the charge off first, because I know I could beat one down first Fight phase. Nope, he keeps going on about how Dreadknights would win.

 

So Saturday hits, our shiny new codex comes out, and we agree to a 3,000pt game. I have my Gallant, along with a Crusader and Crusader pretending to be a Castellan (my opponent even asked me to do that, so that's on him), and 4 Warglaives. He has 3 Grand Master dreadknights in his list. I get first turn, beat on him. His turn hits, he beats me up some. By top of Turn 3, one DreadKnight is down to 1 wound without Sanctuary, 1 down to 8 wounds WITHOUT Sanctuary, and his Warlord unharmed WITH Sanctuary. And he's out of CP. And the last two are right next to each other after Deep Striking and FAILING to get the charge on my Gallant. Crusader shoots the 1 wound Dread off the map, Gallant multi-charges the other two.

 

Gallant has WL trait Knight Seneschal (+1 attack) and the Paragon Gauntlet (because WHY NOT?!). 6 attacks, 3 per Dreadknight with Paragon Gauntlet. I punch the 8 wound one, hit and wound all three, he fails all 3 invuls. Dead. And then thrown into a nearby Strike Squad. 3 attacks into the Warlord GM Dreadknight. All hit, all wound. All three 3++ invuls FAILED. Warlord slain. And then thrown into nearby Strike Squad, wiping them out. My opponent just looks at the table, at me, back to the table and just wonders "what the heck just happened?"

 

I was very proud of my Gallant, as well as laughing hysterically.

[frosteldar]

That is awesome!  It's moments like that which make this game so fun and memorable!  Highly unlikely he'd fail all his Invul saves usually....but the dice gods are fickle and Lady Luck is whimsy.  LOL!

[hermanista]

Hoping to get a game this week,

 

Aim is to run a Terryn gallant with blessing of the sacrosanct (Titanic Feet) and probably the 4++ relic.

 

Then run at full pelt, advance, full tilt and double fight.

 

And then maybe death grip if needed.

 

Take that Mortarion...

[Lysere]

Hoping to get a game this week,

 

Aim is to run a Terryn gallant with blessing of the sacrosanct (Titanic Feet) and probably the 4++ relic.

 

Then run at full pelt, advance, full tilt and double fight.

 

And then maybe death grip if needed.

 

Take that Mortarion...

 

The 4++ is a warlord trait not a relic, although the 2+ Armor and the 5++ in melee are both relics.

[hermanista]

2+ will do then.

 

Unless something is rocking a -3 It'll be a 5+ in combat anyway.

[Stray]

I'll say it, cos you, yeah you, at the back there, behind the ginger kid, you're thinking it. I see you thinking it. Frosty's thinking it too...

 

Gallants are the bestest Knights. No, they are. Seriously.

 

They're super cheap, super strong - they'll kill chaff because lots of attacks and a killer Michael Flatley impression (your Riverdance thing tickled me earlier Herm :P), and they'll kill big stuff, because it sucks to be hit with a Gauntlet, that even when using the base variety doesn't feel like you have a penalty because yeah, you're WS2!

 

Then there's the fact that they're super tough! You're in melee (or if you're not, stop playing, go to bathroom, look in the mirror... take a long hard look. Now go back out there and get into melee), and a quirk of aiming across cultures in the 41st millennium means you can't shoot at that giant building sized robot stamping on your ant sized pals, because you might hit them or something :P. Who needs a 4++ against shooting if you can't be shot at anyway :D?

 

Gallants are the little engine that could. While Crusaders were swanning around being all 'Imma Knight yo!', Gallants spent the last edition off the field, and in secret Shaolin temple retreats... for giant killer robots. Probably. Anyhow, they fight good now.

 

The reality is, a competitive Knight list probably looks something like: Gallant, Gallant, Gallant + Guard CP Battery (boo!) + Helverins / Warglaives and something else for flavour. It's true, you know it deep down...

 

...embrace it! And first turn chaaaaaarge!

[frosteldar]

Maybe we should insert a magnet into the palm of the gauntlet.  Then, you could get a model from each race/army you typically play against and make sure it looks like it is getting squeezed....and put a magnet in it's back.  Instant morale boost when you pop that model onto the gauntlet prior to your game....ensuring your opponent's army is represented......*cackles with glee*.....

[hermanista]

Stray - I hope the Riverdance class Gallant becomes a thing :-)

[hermanista]

The reality is, a competitive Knight list probably looks something like: Gallant, Gallant, Gallant + Guard CP Battery (boo!) + Helverins / Warglaives and something else for flavour. It's true, you know it deep down...

 

...embrace it! And first turn chaaaaaarge!

Actually, three Gallants, two Warglaives and 2 guard battalions is 1750 exactly...

 

That's a 40k GT build...

[Stray]

Stray - I hope the Riverdance class Gallant becomes a thing :-)

 

We'll make it a thing buddy. Sir Michael Flatley rides to war!

[Lysere]

Honestly the thing I like about the Gallant is I never feel like I actually need to put a relic or warlord trait on it. I can, and depending on the match up I probably will most of the time, but it doesn't truly need it. It can chop your tank in half and throw the remains at your infantry that its in the process of stepping without all those fancy bonuses.

[Heliomanes]

I like the Krast Gallant, since rerolling hits in melee drastically reduces the problems involved with the statline decaying from injury - while still being a good bonus overall that also helps your armigers. Having the option to go tapdancing with the damage bonus relic is interesting too. But if you just use a single gallant (with two warglaives), I'd probably go for the 2+ 4++ combo. Talk about a distraction carnifex. That thing should be close to charging on the first turn, can buff up to a 3++ vs shooting, and because of the rerolls in close combat he'll smack people up even when he's halfway wrecked. I think it could compliment an Admech gunline quite well.

[Stray]

I really do think we'll see one or two folks experiment with a Gallant in high level play now. The points cost vs the benefits are probably around the area that'll have some of the usual suspects field one.

 

I hope so, it'd be great to see a big stompy Knight on a major event top table for a change :) 

[LucidNinja]

Yep, Gallant has got my vote. I'm adding 1 with 2 warglaives to support my primaris army.

Plan is terryn, paragon, landstrider and full tilt. 32" threat range for a first turn charge. Warglaives are there to shoot a bit and get the 2nd turn charge with some luck.

[librisrouge]

I’m sincerely considering making my pair of gallants as the foundation of every Knight list. Then a porphyrion, or something, because I might want to shoot sometime.

[Aegir_Einarsson]

One gallant with +2 to charge and advance, one with 4++, And one with +1 attack.

And call it a day:). And 2+ relic, 5++ in combat And gauntlet for another. What you think?:)

[Charlo]

Honestly the thing I like about the Gallant is I never feel like I actually need to put a relic or warlord trait on it. I can, and depending on the match up I probably will most of the time, but it doesn't truly need it. It can chop your tank in half and throw the remains at your infantry that its in the process of stepping without all those fancy bonuses.

 

2+ to hit D8 Fist.

[Stray]

One gallant with +2 to charge and advance, one with 4++, And one with +1 attack.

And call it a day:). And 2+ relic, 5++ in combat And gauntlet for another. What you think?

 

As long as during the combat phase you also hum the tune from a certain Irish music and dance extravaganza, I'd say you're doing it right bro ;)

[Felstone]

Reports like this make me want to field 2 in a 1750 list. Well played.

[Lord Momotaro]

Nvm late to the party

[TURBULENCE]

So I'm building up my first questoris right now, with a second box open, and will be up and running soon. Initially I was planning on building them as an errant and warden, warden with the fist relic. But after all this and getting a look in the codex, I'm starting to think a crusader and a gallant. It would just be a matter of shifting arms I haven't built around a bit.

 

What say ye all? Stick to the plan or go FULL TILT?

[Felstone]

So I'm building up my first questoris right now, with a second box open, and will be up and running soon. Initially I was planning on building them as an errant and warden, warden with the fist relic. But after all this and getting a look in the codex, I'm starting to think a crusader and a gallant. It would just be a matter of shifting arms I haven't built around a bit.

 

What say ye all? Stick to the plan or go FULL TILT?

 

Magnetize, now you have both.

[Charlo]

The Gallant is just so good now. Feels super destructive. Relics just push it to another level.

[ImperialSquishiness]

Before the Codex dropped I would have chosen a crusader all day long. Now the dex is out, I want 2 Gallant backed up by 2 crusaders. Maybe squeeze a couple of helverins in if points allow

[Karhedron]

Initially I was planning on building them as an errant and warden, warden with the fist relic. But after all this and getting a look in the codex, I'm starting to think a crusader and a gallant. It would just be a matter of shifting arms I haven't built around a bit.

It has often been the case in 40K that specialised units do better than all-rounders because it is easier to maximise the usage of a unit that has a clear role. I think Knights are another illustration of this and I think Gallants and Crusaders have edged ahead of mixed-builds like Wardens, Palladins and Errants.

 

The thing I cannot decide about the Gallant is whether to go all out and maximise CC with the Paragon gauntlet or to get some balance by taking a relic such as the 2+ save to make them a bit more survivable. The Paragon Gauntlet will only become relevant against toughest foes whereas a 2+ save will protect against death by a thousand lasguns and provide some extra durability against thunder hammers etc.

 

But above MAGNETISE!