Background Advice

[BatMarine]

I recently got my hands on nearly 6,000 points of Grey Knights for quite cheap, all built, not so much on the painted part. My only problem is that I don't really like the background for the Grey Knights, like... At all. Though the models themselves are some of my favorites.

*Well-thought-out-in-game-backstory* wise I've always been more partial to Chaos, and as I was reading about some more of the Grey Knights story, I realized there may be a way to achieve the Chaos theme, while still using the Grey Knights models/rules.

That opportunity comes in the form of Mr.Crowe. He wields a blade rumored to give extreme power, however it is all but promised that using that power will corrupt the person who opens themselves up to it. Crowe has vowed to use this sword, but never tap it's power, despite being "incorruptible" it's not worth the risk, and even without tapping into the power, his struggle against the sword is not easy. The entry ends saying that he will remain devout and pure "until the day of his death."

So then I propose that Tzeentch planned all along to have the blade land in the hands of the symbol of imperial purity, and in a battle between Chaos and the Grey Knights Crowe was struck down, in his moment of weakness, the blade still in his hand seized this opportunity to push into his mind and at the moment of death, he was resurrected as a servant of Chaos. The power granted by the sword is an army designed by the psyche of the holder of the blade, and fueled by the demonic powers of the four gods. While the army appears to be Grey Knights in armor design, some things have changed, such as banners devoted to the dark gods.

I am also planning to paint them in four different color schemes, I haven't yet decided whether or not to separate it by squad or by equipment type. I am currently leaning towards equipment type, with Tzeentch for special weapons and basic swords (+1 invulnerable save), Slaanesh for Halberds as they give bonus initiative, Khorne for Falchions, with their +1 attack, and Nurgle for Apothecaries and Hammers, for feel no pain, and loss of initiative. For the colors themselves I aim to use the Nurgle and Tzeentch colors from the recent How To Paint Chaos Warriors Forsaken. For Slaanesh I want to use Creme colored polished looking armor with deep purple details to contrast, and lastly for Khorne I will use the magma scheme I used for the armor in the picture that I can't post here, so it's on Dakka: [url]http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/0/506508.page#5268255[/url]

Any ideas to expand this would be welcome, as well as criticism, I haven't started yet so now is the time to talk about it!

[Kawauso]

Seems like a good place that you're coming from with your fluff.

I think the whole background part about Crowe serves as a nice, subtle way of hinting that the Grey Knights are not quite 'incorruptible'. I think it's largely their own hubris that's the source of that notion. They fluff does go to good lengths to give them more depth than being literal knights in shining armour, what with examples of their 'pragmatism' casting them in a pretty cold and merciless light.

There was some background in the last codex too, I think, along those lines. Something about the psychic wards they have burning them up is anything like daemonic possession might afflict one of them. So technically they are incorruptible in the sense that, were a daemon to try and jack a Grey Knight's body, he'd just get fried to a crisp.

[BatMarine]

Someone on Dakka just suggested the idea that the sword was used to subtly steal information about the GK from Crowe, and once he died and the sword was recovered there was a massive summoning ritual used to create the army as well.

Yeah I remember there being a story about them coating their armor in the blood of some sisters of battle at one point as well, and I remember thinking that was the most Chaos thing I'd ever heard.......

[Kawauso]

That oft-hated example isn't something I see as a Chaos thingamajig.

I think it serves better as an example of how ruthless the GK are in carrying out their missions.

But the point remains - there's plenty of stuff in the background to use as basis for a less-than-holy GK army. They just have a holier-than-thou attitude. Really they're a fine example of religious extremists. I mean, more so than much of the Imperium. They should hang out with the Black Templar and Sisters more often, but just like in real life those factions don't seem to get along very well with one another.

[BatMarine]

See that's the argument usually used, but it's still sacrificing virgins/innocents, and bathing in their blood. Might just be that it's so grimdark it hurts though.