Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Well, I keep working on lists of Space Marine armies for various games sizes. The most common of these are absolutely small games like 500 (well, 550 for local games) and 1000 point games. I've looked at Vanilla and BA marines a lot, and Dark Templars a little bit, but I really don't find them very good for gaming only aspect. Thing is, I'm making a DIY chapter, so the fluff and look is all how I want it to be, so the most important aspect for which I choose is play style and power... and dare I say it... cheese...

It's pretty hard to cheese out 500 points. 2 scout squads, 100 pt HQ choice, and 1 Ironclad + some options is about the best you can hope for. HQ/Scouts with combat knives/Land Raider Redeemer would also be functional but have difficulty in many situations.

What are your opponents normally fielding? Identifying common themes will better allow you to build a counter force.

Mostly, they're necrons and nids. The necron player plays a lot of warriors, and a unit of destroyers. The Nids change it up a lot, but mostly like melee swarms.

Land Raider Redeemer with a Captain and Scouts would probably mess up a lot of their day.

Thunderfire Cannon without question is the most powergamey unit in the Space Marine codex.

If he's playing against Destroyer Necrons it won't last a turn.

vulkin with terms, tac squads in pods with as many meltas and flamers as you can fit.

Melta weapons and Krak Missiles to soften em up, Power Weapons to put the hurt on.

olympia wrote:Thunderfire Cannon without question is the most powergamey unit in the Space Marine codex.

If you play three of them.

Krak missile launchers kill more than I thought - experience from my last tourney.

So, how do blood angels stack up? They have quite a bit of melee hurt, and I'm considering either drop pods or rhinos to get in some squads. They lack thunderfire cannons which make me sad, but at the same time, I don't play high enough point games to warrant playing multiple of them in an army.

You'd do well against the 'Crons but probably get swarmed to death versus the 'nids. And if you're playing Tacticals in Rhinos, you may as well do vanilla SM for cheaper HQ options and free flamers.

sourclams wrote:You'd do well against the 'Crons but probably get swarmed to death versus the 'nids. And if you're playing Tacticals in Rhinos, you may as well do vanilla SM for cheaper HQ options and free flamers.

I'm combat squadding the tac squads. The captain and flamer guy + 3 marines charge in on rhinos to help cover my assaults, and block off enemy escape points, the other half of the squad gives long support fire. The assault squads/chaplain/death company are the big driving force. I can use them to jump to the other side of the units, where my rhinos will be flanking them, and then rip them to pieces. Hopefully.

Any way, all I've ordered so far was a tactical squad and a rhino, so that makes it VERY easy to keep using those in the regular SM codex.

How's this for a 500 point list?

Predator with HB sponsons

Vindicator

Regular captain with nothing

5 man tac squad
Rhino

5 man scout squad

Yes, it has nothing in the way of scoring units, but if you can keep those guys safe for like 2 turns, you will have already killed everything else