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Generally you don't want to use troops as your firebase because they aren't good at it. If you must do so, just pick whichever one you like the most. Ideally you just take cheap scouts to fill lathe slots and fill the firebase with actually useful units.

Not a fan of plasma cannons, but missile launchers and heavy bolters are $$ because of the FAQ.

hintzy wrote:

 NH Gunsmith wrote:


Oh yes, there will be five characters in the Razorback haha. Devs with no Cherub and riding in a Rhino?! And speaking of Rhinos... Four of them baby. NO assault elements?! Dreadnoughts haha... Oh man. This looks hilariously bad, but so much fun. I am excited to finally get to use six of my eight five man Tactical Squads. It should be fun to just dump forty-five Marines out of vehicles in a single turn, and will look cool as heck while they do it. I haven't been this excited for some games of 40k with my Blood Angels in a long time now.

I'm genuinely curious how this list works for you. I'm hoping the plasma tacticals in rhinos work better than you're expecting. For some reason I've always wanted to try a mechanized Blood Angels force ever since I was a kid, but I never have.

Hi Hintzy, I regularly run my tac squads in rhinos, and have my scouts on bikes. I always have dual stormbolters on the rhinos an they can put out quite a few shots! But don't ask me for advice on winning games, I run my tacs in the rhinos with heavy flamers, they kill sweet FA but it is fun running a mechanised force

I also like dreads, again, not optimal but they just look cool on the board, throw in some razorbacks, slam and a lefty and your good to go

hintzy wrote:

 NH Gunsmith wrote:


Oh yes, there will be five characters in the Razorback haha. Devs with no Cherub and riding in a Rhino?! And speaking of Rhinos... Four of them baby. NO assault elements?! Dreadnoughts haha... Oh man. This looks hilariously bad, but so much fun. I am excited to finally get to use six of my eight five man Tactical Squads. It should be fun to just dump forty-five Marines out of vehicles in a single turn, and will look cool as heck while they do it. I haven't been this excited for some games of 40k with my Blood Angels in a long time now.

I'm genuinely curious how this list works for you. I'm hoping the plasma tacticals in rhinos work better than you're expecting. For some reason I've always wanted to try a mechanized Blood Angels force ever since I was a kid, but I never have.

I have used Plasma Tacs in Rhinos for a good chunk of early 8th/post Codex BA. It has fallen out of use for me because the new heavy weapons that have been coming out make even a 72 point Rhino a liability in my play group. I have been better off just taking more bodies and accepting the losses of dudes every turn.

This list looks tons of fun for a casual setting, even though it takes almost zero benefit from the Chapter Tactic is this setup because Tacs are laughably bad in melee. But that is the nice thing about our planned narrative campaign, we aren't going to be running competitive armies at all, just cool stuff.

So plasma tacs are out? Which heavies are taking down the rhino so easily? Rhinos stack up well against disintegrators and tau 2 damage weapons.

Martel732 wrote:
So plasma tacs are out? Which heavies are taking down the rhino so easily? Rhinos stack up well against disintegrators and tau 2 damage weapons.

Plasma Tacs I wouldn't say are out, they just don't ever seem to be worth 93 points with how quickly they die.

And Riptides, Missile Broadsides, Eldar/Dark Eldar Lances, Daemon Princes, and a slew of others have just made Rhinos wasted points in my games.

Oh ion acclerator Riptides? Yeah, those are bad.

Well, they are still only costing you 7 points per wound.

Martel732 wrote:
Oh ion acclerator Riptides? Yeah, those are bad.

Well, they are still only costing you 7 points per wound.

That is true. But the relic banner placed dead center of my gunline, with Devs and characters huddled around him provides much better protection and value to my army than 72 points of explosive metal box.

Since I normally take Scouts as troops, Rhinos aren't needed. And besides maybe a single plasma Tac Squad in Twin Assault Cannon Razorback... The big guns are stationary for the most part, and everything that will be assaulting (10 DC, Relic JP Libby, Lemartes) drops in from orbit... Also making Rhinos not needed.

Rhinos just aren't providing enough value with how killy our meta is.

I hate scouts. Scouts with no cloaks just die instantly on turn 1. But I also hate tacs. It's just not a good situation all around.

Martel732 wrote:
I hate scouts. Scouts with no cloaks just die instantly on turn 1. But I also hate tacs. It's just not a good situation all around.

I hate to be 'that guy' but if your scouts are dying on turn one you're playing on tables with terrain that isn't suited for 8th edition. You need some pieces of good LOS blocking terrain to play this edition, or agree that the bottom floor of buildings block LOS. Once you have a solid table to play on scouts can live past turn one if you stuff them out of LOS.

Main problems: indirect fire guns and Drukhari that can clear the corners to reestablish LoS.

Martel732 wrote:
I hate scouts. Scouts with no cloaks just die instantly on turn 1. But I also hate tacs. It's just not a good situation all around.

You complain more than my grandma! Take intercessors as your troop choice then if neither scouts nor tactical marines suit for you.

Spado wrote:

Martel732 wrote:
I hate scouts. Scouts with no cloaks just die instantly on turn 1. But I also hate tacs. It's just not a good situation all around.

You complain more than my grandma! Take intercessors as your troop choice then if neither scouts nor tactical marines suit for you.

To expensive

Intercessors are the worst of the three. None of the marine troops are really any good at all.

Going to have to disagree on that point martel, for the points I find the assault or normal version of the intercessors very good, they outlive scouts for sure, put down a hurting in the fight phase more so with the Sargent carrying a chain sword for free. and the aux grenade launchers provide a bit of extra hurt. All for 96 points and obsec I think its well worth it for the 10 wounds and 12 attacks

5 Intercessors cost the same as 5 tac marines with a ML or LC.

Stick 'em in area cover for that sweet 2+ save and with 2 wounds should be able to take a bit of punishment.

If indirect fire is from the popular mortars of AM then with them averaging 3.5atks per, hitting on 4's, wounding on 4's and that sweet aforementioned 2+ save then anything less than 69 mortars isn't gonna wipe them in 1 turn!

On average.

EDIT: Corrected calculation.

GodsCronik wrote:
Going to have to disagree on that point martel, for the points I find the assault or normal version of the intercessors very good, they outlive scouts for sure, put down a hurting in the fight phase more so with the Sargent carrying a chain sword for free. and the aux grenade launchers provide a bit of extra hurt. All for 96 points and obsec I think its well worth it for the 10 wounds and 12 attacks

It's really close, so i almost agree with you. Damage 2 is just too common now in my meta. Esp dissy cannons.

 PrometheusZero wrote:
5 Intercessors cost the same as 5 tac marines with a ML or LC.

Stick 'em in area cover for that sweet 2+ save and with 2 wounds should be able to take a bit of punishment.

If indirect fire is from the popular mortars of AM then with them averaging 3.5atks per, hitting on 4's, wounding on 4's and that sweet aforementioned 2+ save then anything less than 69 mortars isn't gonna wipe them in 1 turn!

On average.

EDIT: Corrected calculation.

They dont have a 2+, pretty sure its a 3+

GodsCronik wrote:

 PrometheusZero wrote:
5 Intercessors cost the same as 5 tac marines with a ML or LC.

Stick 'em in area cover for that sweet 2+ save and with 2 wounds should be able to take a bit of punishment.

If indirect fire is from the popular mortars of AM then with them averaging 3.5atks per, hitting on 4's, wounding on 4's and that sweet aforementioned 2+ save then anything less than 69 mortars isn't gonna wipe them in 1 turn!

On average.

EDIT: Corrected calculation.

They dont have a 2+, pretty sure its a 3+

Yeah, 3+ armour with an extra one for sitting in area cover!

 PrometheusZero wrote:
5 Intercessors cost the same as 5 tac marines with a ML or LC.

Stick 'em in area cover for that sweet 2+ save and with 2 wounds should be able to take a bit of punishment.

If indirect fire is from the popular mortars of AM then with them averaging 3.5atks per, hitting on 4's, wounding on 4's and that sweet aforementioned 2+ save then anything less than 69 mortars isn't gonna wipe them in 1 turn!

On average.

EDIT: Corrected calculation.

With the range of 48" on the mortars they shoot something without a 2+ save.

Parking marines in cover is not a winning strategy usually. And certainly not with intercessors.

U02dah4 wrote:

 PrometheusZero wrote:
5 Intercessors cost the same as 5 tac marines with a ML or LC.

Stick 'em in area cover for that sweet 2+ save and with 2 wounds should be able to take a bit of punishment.

If indirect fire is from the popular mortars of AM then with them averaging 3.5atks per, hitting on 4's, wounding on 4's and that sweet aforementioned 2+ save then anything less than 69 mortars isn't gonna wipe them in 1 turn!

On average.

EDIT: Corrected calculation.

With the range of 48" on the mortars they shoot something without a 2+ save.

If at the start of a game any infantry is not in cover or in a transport you're doing it wrong!

Martel732 wrote:
Parking marines in cover is not a winning strategy usually. And certainly not with intercessors.

Why not? When I play them I use them to control objectives

 lash92 wrote:
Question from a newer BA player here:

I´m writing a list atm and I want to build a small firebase which is buffed by my Veritas Vitae carrying Captain. I have 350-450 points left over and need mainly anti infantry shooting.
What are my best options here? TAC with HB, Intercessors, Devastators with HB? (1 Devastator squad is ok for me, but the rest of the choices should be Standard, since I have to fill out that batallion)

I have used to reasonable effect 3 Rapiers with Quad Mortars. They have dual fire - either 60" indirect 4d3 shots s5 ap-0 1dam, or 24" direct fire s8 ap-2 3dam, heavy support, and small enough to hide. Very potent with a captain and lieutenant support, I give them both jump packs too so they can stay flexible to redeploy if needed and also help with counter-charge. Also nice to use to hit a Brigade's requirements with, and can surround with 3 Tarantulas for dirt cheap fast attack slots.

Spado wrote:

Martel732 wrote:
Parking marines in cover is not a winning strategy usually. And certainly not with intercessors.

Why not? When I play them I use them to control objectives

Because they aren't contributing anything back there.

 Maakeff wrote:

 lash92 wrote:
Question from a newer BA player here:

I´m writing a list atm and I want to build a small firebase which is buffed by my Veritas Vitae carrying Captain. I have 350-450 points left over and need mainly anti infantry shooting.
What are my best options here? TAC with HB, Intercessors, Devastators with HB? (1 Devastator squad is ok for me, but the rest of the choices should be Standard, since I have to fill out that batallion)

I have used to reasonable effect 3 Rapiers with Quad Mortars. They have dual fire - either 60" indirect 4d3 shots s5 ap-0 1dam, or 24" direct fire s8 ap-2 3dam, heavy support, and small enough to hide. Very potent with a captain and lieutenant support, I give them both jump packs too so they can stay flexible to redeploy if needed and also help with counter-charge. Also nice to use to hit a Brigade's requirements with, and can surround with 3 Tarantulas for dirt cheap fast attack slots.

I prefer 4 assault bolter Inceptors. Awesome and consistent number of shots, good AP, mobile and most importantly of all, deep strike capable. Not dropping then on turn 1 isn't a big deal as you'd think, as if they were on the board, they were not likely to reach anything anyways and were more likely to get shot at. This way, they can drop down, on any target of your choice, stay max range of their weapons and unload.

A few more games lately after a month off of 40k due to being too busy and I’m slowly learning the codex better.

I’ve stopped making Cpt Smash my warlord. Now he’s just a sacrificial scrub who gives my opponent absolute fits.

Intercessors are my go-to troops, mostly because I love the minis, but also because they leverage the +1 to Wound better.

SG are my favourite elites; amazing models and if you can get Unleash Rage off they are worth their weight in...gold coloured plastic.

DC continue to elude me. I know it’s because I don’t invest the CP and points into them that I ought to but the past 3 games they’ve done nothing but fail charges and die.

Vanguard Vets have no place. I sold the 10 I have. Screw ‘em. They’re the cover girls of our book but shouldn’t be lol.

Tac marines are trash.

Devs with ablative wounds have been working well for me. Hellblasters have been good but being able to take casualties without loss of effectiveness and 48” range has been fantastic.

Librarian dread has been so-so. Some games he’s great, some games he isn’t. I honestly feel at this point that several of our psychic powers are 1 higher to cast than they ought to be, especially compared to the utility many of our opponents get from their disciplines.

Predators, and to a lesser extent Razorbacks, continue to suck.
Dreadnoughts sort of suck as well, outside of maybe the Contemptor.

Quick question, in the codex and on battlescribe it seems that devastors have access to heavy flamers. Is this an oversight? Or can Blood Angel devastator squads pack 4 heavy flamers?

They can, but why would you?

Because that seems really cool. I know this probably wouldn't cut it in top tournaments, but 2 heavy flamer dev squads in a crusder, with a 5 man death company squad and a chaplain sounds really really fun.

Run that up to support a jump pack assault, and assaults by ad mech priests in termites...man that sounds cool.

More cost effective way would probably be devs in rhinos and rushing them up. Supporting the assaulting.