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In my experience the key to Deathwing is balance of being able to stay alive and the ability to kill. You may a touch under gunned but you make up for it by being hard to kill.
So with your preds and typhoons providing relatively cheap firepower I would not worry too much about mech.

Compare the balance to going for 6[really even 5] squads of termies provides the staying alive but not enough ability to kill or going for melta bikes with the termies which provide a huge amount of killing but not enough staying power.

The codex is scheduled to arrive today and the army is supposed to arrive Friday.

Last chance to make suggestions to this list:

Dark Angels - 2000
Belial - TH / SS
Dreadnought - Assault Cannon
Dreadnought - Assault Cannon
5 Terminators - 5 TH / SSs, 1 Cyclone Missile Launcher, Apothecary
5 Terminators - 5 TH / SSs, 1 Cyclone Missile Launcher
5 Terminators - 5 TH / SSs, 1 Cyclone Missile Launcher
5 Terminators - 5 TH / SSs, 1 Cyclone Missile Launcher
5 Terminators - 5 TH / SSs, 1 Cyclone Missile Launcher
Land Speeder Typhoon - Multi-Melta & Typhoon Missile Launcher
Land Speeder Typhoon - Multi-Melta & Typhoon Missile Launcher
Predator - Autocannon, Lascannon Sponsons
Predator - Autocannon, Lascannon Sponsons
Total - 1995

After having discussed it extensively, we are pretty well set on pure TH / SSs. Due to the high amount of Mech and Grey Knights in our area, the 3++ seems vital. Additionally, there aren't large groups of I4 Marines running around. 2 or 3 extra attacks at S4 I4 simply aren't worth it when compared to losing 3++ saves against everything. The Lightning Claws will be saved, so changes can always be made if deemed absolutely necessary.

As for the list itself, a few ideas include dropping a Dreadnought for a third Predator or a third Typhoon, adding Ravenwing Bikers to the list, or trying out a Land Raider. Having pairs of support units brings more diversity to the list, will be more fun to assemble / paint, and will look cooler on the battlefield. None of us really like Land Raiders, as they simply die too easily in the current environment, and Bikers just seem too expensive dollars and points-wise. Plus, they aren't Terminators. Deep Striking will be dependent on deployment and is always an option, even with the scatter die.

Any last thoughts? Again, thank you all for the help with this list.

If you have a barebone 3-bike squad, it might help you if you go first. Put 1 squad of termies in reserve.

Scout move the bikes: You are now at the 24-in mark. Deathwing assault so you bring in your 1 squad next to the bikes (behind cover of course).

Everyone else move up to the 18" mark.

Fire E V E R Y T H I N G.

Well, now that I think more about it, they are not worth it since you don't gain much this way anyway. So, I vote no, just stick to Dreadnoughts.

Besides, with the 6th edition, you don't scatter if you are 18" away anyway.

Regarding the TH/SS Vs LC debate, I'd say TH/SS all the way. You only have squads sized 5 men big. Every model you lose hurts so you need to survive, hence the storm shields. I get the LC argument because it potentially reduces the amount of incoming attacks. But, the thunder hammers wound on 2s so convert more hits into wounds, so you need less of them. Also, what the LC give you in terms of reducing incoming attacks, you lose by not having 3+ invuls, so those fewer attacks will mean less saves to take but, potentially more failed saves per hits received.

And that's just CC. Neither TH/SS or LC provide you with any offensive output at range but the 3+ the storm shield gives you means that you are more survivable at range. And of course, what happens in CC is a moot point if you can't survive long enough to get there.

I completely agree with your thoughts.

A Ravenwing Battleforce has been ordered from Warstore, due to simply being such a good deal.

With that said, would you leave this 2000 point list as it is or work those models into it?

Ravenwing into a Deathwing list? Umm, no.

Ravenwing Battleforce is a good addition to a Ravenwing list or any list that want to run bikes.

"Also, is it common to put wounds on Belial in an effort to preserve your Terminators? If he takes a wound, he is still fighting at full strength."
As long as it is not an insta-kill type of wound(Krak missile, meltagun, Lascannon) since Belial is NOT Eternal.

"Deathwing assault so you bring in your 1 squad next to the bikes (behind cover of course). "
Actually, with TH/SS heavy squads, cover/terrain is your enemy (your taking a 2+3++ over a 2+4+ Cover). Putting your guys in or behind cover restricts their mobility and movement when you need to get them into CC ASAP.

@dkellyj True. I was thinking of a LC+TH/SS mixed squads. In 6th edition 5+ cover save, I don't think it matters anyway.

So no on the Bikes.

I think the list is as optimized as it is going to get at this point!

All of the Terminators are fully assembled! I've got one Predator done as well.

Before I start priming, any last thoughts?

Why not play them before you prime? If it doesn't work out after a couple of games, you can still get rid of them for a decent price.

Given the new codex rumors, do you think I should continue assembling / painting this army?

Rumors are rumors. Thunder hammer and storm shield don't go away overnight.

I am sure your models will still be competitive. I would maybe worry better looking models may come along:insert your own analogy about being faithful rather than chasing some blonde.

If you take it a view that updated codices are always better, then the question of whether there is a new codex is win-win.
I include 'nids who were accidentally not suitable for edition they were built for and SoB being improved so slightly as to still not be effective. Daemonhunters could be seen as downgrade rather than a removal but I digress.

Yeah, one thing for sure: do NOT chase fads. Find the models that you love looking and handling. Don't care about competitiveness. It is usually the path to competitiveness that ruins the game.

Let not the Tzeentch glitter beguile you, brother.