The Grey Knights are the Imperium’s secret weapon against daemons, a Space Marine chapter of powerful psykers who exist to banish Chaos back to the warp. They’re the Chamber Militant of the Ordo Malleus, and most of the Imperium doesn’t even know they exist.
What are the Grey Knights?
The Grey Knights are the legendary Chapter 666, a Space Marine chapter created specifically to hunt and exterminate daemons. They’re more than another Astartes chapter, they’re the Chamber Militant of the Ordo Malleus, the Inquisition’s daemon-hunting arm.
Every Grey Knight is a potent psyker, trained to channel warp energy into protective wards called the Aegis. Their psychic presence is anathema to daemons, making them uniquely suited to fighting creatures that would drive lesser minds insane.
- Chapter 666, the Grey Knights
- Chamber Militant of the Ordo Malleus
- Specialise in daemon hunting and extermination
- All members are powerful psykers
- Homeworld: Titan, moon of Saturn
Origins and secrecy
According to legend, the Emperor created the Grey Knights in secret during the Horus Heresy, forging them on Titan as a last gift to humanity. They were designed to be the perfect warp-resistant weapons, armed with sanctified truesilver and psychoreactive Nemesis force weapons.
The chapter’s existence is one of the Imperium’s most closely guarded secrets. Most Space Marine chapters believe them to be a myth. Those who encounter them are telepathically scoured, and Imperial Guard regiments who fight alongside them are often executed to preserve secrecy.
How they fight
Grey Knights are trained to fight daemons with their own weapons, embracing the power of the warp to combat its horrors. They move as an army of silver ghosts, equipped with force weapons and storm bolters, and their battle cry is ‘We are the hammer!’
Each Grey Knight is a singularly unstoppable warrior, but they’re also incredibly rare. For every thousand Space Marines, there’s roughly one Grey Knight, and only the very best candidates survive the harrowing induction rituals.
- Battle cry: ‘We are the hammer!’
- Approximately 1,000 battle-brothers
- Armed with Nemesis force weapons and storm bolters
- Protected by the Aegis psychic wards
- Led by Supreme Grand Master Kaldor Draigo
Notable campaigns and connections
The Grey Knights have fought in some of the most central battles of the last ten millennia, including the First War for Armageddon and the Noctis Aeterna. They’re connected to the Ordo Malleus, the Deathwatch, and the Adepta Sororitas as fellow Chamber Militants of the Inquisition.
Their secrecy has caused conflict, notably with the Space Wolves during the Months of Shame, when the Wolves slaughtered Grey Knights and Inquisition forces to protect survivors of Armageddon. Despite this, the Grey Knights remain humanity’s best defence against the daemonic.
Key facts
- The Grey Knights are the Chamber Militant of the Ordo Malleus, specialising in daemon hunting.
- They’re all powerful psykers, protected by the Aegis and armed with Nemesis force weapons.
- Their homeworld is Titan, a moon of Saturn, and their fortress-monastery is the Citadel of Titan.
- They number around 1,000 battle-brothers and are led by Supreme Grand Master Kaldor Draigo.
- Their existence is a secret from most of the Imperium, and they often execute witnesses to preserve it.
- Their battle cry is ‘We are the hammer!’
FAQ
Are Grey Knights Space Marines?
Yes, they’re a Space Marine chapter, but they operate under the Inquisition’s Ordo Malleus rather than the Adeptus Astartes chain of command. They’re the Chamber Militant of the Ordo Malleus.
Why are Grey Knights so secretive?
Knowledge of daemons and the warp is dangerous, a single mind opened to Chaos can doom a world. So the Grey Knights erase evidence of their existence, often executing those who fight alongside them.
Who leads the Grey Knights?
Supreme Grand Master Kaldor Draigo is the current leader. He’s a legendary figure who spent time trapped in the warp, carving his name into a daemon primarch’s heart.