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I've started putting together a pool of 15-20 (depending on bits) Death Company for my BA army to pick and choose from.

I just wanted to ask opinions on the best way to equip them?

My current Idea is to have:

7x Power weapons
4x Thunder hammer
2x inferno pistol
2x plasma pistol
5 x Chainswords

I was planning to go with jump packs, but recently I've been thinking a dedicated transport might be better for dealing with rage... I might even go magnets.

My main question is do I need that many power weapons and thunder hammers? or would it be better to fill out with just chainswords for cheapness?

Also is it worth taking any bolters to take advantage of 'relentless'? Or better to go with all bolt pistols to max out attack?

I would cut down on the number of PW.

You'll face the same things Banshees face, killing the enemy far too quickly.

I personally use a standard LR to counter rage.

And take bolters on anyone who is using PF or TH. They're not going to get the extra attack anyway. So might as well get in another shot!

That's too much crap.

I'd do 2 PFs and then that's it.

You'll face the same things Banshees face, killing the enemy far too quickly.

Oh!... Could you fill me in on why that's bad?

willydstyle wrote:That's too much crap.

I'd do 2 PFs and then that's it.

Well I probably won't be using any more than 6 at a time. Seems wasteful to glue 18 marines all with chainswords and then realise I'd like to field a 3 man squad of just TH to go tank hunting. Is PF better than thunder hammer, TH only cost 5pts more?

Power weapons seemed like a good compromise, they are half the price of TH, they don't have the initiative penalty, and with a chaplain I can re-roll wounds. I though 5 Death Company with power weapons, might work well against MEQs and Terminators, with TH to flatten ICs.

And I still have 5 with chainswords that I can field cheaply if points are tight.

And take bolters on anyone who is using PF or TH. They're not going to get the extra attack anyway. So might as well get in another shot!

Ahhh I hadn't thought of that, thank you

I personally use a standard LR to counter rage.

I was thinking if I only field 5 or 6 at a time I might be able to get away with using a razorback?

A TH basically *is* a powerfist except against MCs, and it is even of marginal usefulness against them.

The reason why TH/SS terminators are better than PF terminators is not because a TH is a big upgrade over a PF (it is not) but because of the 3++ save. Really a "perfect" CC terminator would be chainfist/SS because that represents a significant upgrade over a powerfist.

Don't you mean a Thunderchain Hammer, and Storm Shield?

I mean a model that actually exists in the game's rules...

Well my thought was that against a tough IC or MC, Death Company would have a good chance at surviving more than 1 round with fearless and feel no pain (and power armour). And assuming I got to use the TH that would mean the combat was nearly over.

If the TH didn't kill, I would be almost certain to kill the following turn with the opponent reduced to initiative 1 and the rest of the squad with power weapons. (and possibly re-rolling wounds).

Maybe that just isn't a very likely scenario though...


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also I was wondering... I have Astorath, I was thinking if I did hook the Death Company up with jump packs, could I join him to the unit and deep strike them together?

And if I did that what becomes of decent of angels, would Astorath lose that rule if he's attached to the Death Company or would they just become separated?

Killing too fast is bad cause you just killed a unit in YOUR assault phase.

Now your DC say hi to the enemy army.

Only reason I use a LR is so they can assault out of it.

SmackCakes wrote:Well my thought was that against a tough IC or MC, Death Company would have a good chance at surviving more than 1 round with fearless and feel no pain (and power armour). And assuming I got to use the TH that would mean the combat was nearly over.

If the TH didn't kill, I would be almost certain to kill the following turn with the opponent reduced to initiative 1 and the rest of the squad with power weapons. (and possibly re-rolling wounds).

Maybe that just isn't a very likely scenario though...


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also I was wondering... I have Astorath, I was thinking if I did hook the Death Company up with jump packs, could I join him to the unit and deep strike them together?

And if I did that what becomes of decent of angels, would Astorath lose that rule if he's attached to the Death Company or would they just become separated?

All Blood angels with jump packs have the deep strike rule and descent of angels special rule.

so bring in Astorath and have fun with em!

Bring thirty, dual thunderhammers on all of them.

Who needs an army?

Death company do not need a lot of power weapons to be very very very deadly. 4 attacks on the charge with we roll to hit and WS5 and re-roll to wound and S5 at I5. The regular wounds will eat through almost everything. 2 basic death company will pull down a termy with out anything else for the same cost. 8 attacks, 7.11 hits, 6.32 wounds. This will kill slighty more than one terminator, or it will kill a bit more than 5 orks, very deadly either way. Lots of attacks and re-rolls will bring down any enemy by shear weight of numbers be it 2+ armor or hordes. The LR is there to make sure that the Death company get the charge. With out the Furious Charge and Re-rolls from a Chaplain of some sort, they will not make their points back. I would agree with the previous posters and recomend that the upgrades be light, 0-1 power swords, 1-2 fists/bolter. They are already deadly, keep them cheap and efficient.

svendrex wrote:Death company do not need a lot of power weapons to be very very very deadly. 4 attacks on the charge with we roll to hit and WS5 and re-roll to wound and S5 at I5. The regular wounds will eat through almost everything. 2 basic death company will pull down a termy with out anything else for the same cost. 8 attacks, 7.11 hits, 6.32 wounds. This will kill slighty more than one terminator, or it will kill a bit more than 5 orks, very deadly either way. Lots of attacks and re-rolls will bring down any enemy by shear weight of numbers be it 2+ armor or hordes. The LR is there to make sure that the Death company get the charge. With out the Furious Charge and Re-rolls from a Chaplain of some sort, they will not make their points back. I would agree with the previous posters and recomend that the upgrades be light, 0-1 power swords, 1-2 fists/bolter. They are already deadly, keep them cheap and efficient.

This.

Personally I run this:
1xTH (I don't mind paying 5 extra points to make a daemon prince slow every other game)
1xPF
1xPW
1x Inferus pistol/CCW
3x BP/CCW

and to top it all off, a Termie Reclusiarch and a Godhammer LR

They typically cut down most of the enemy in a turn, but typically there's always one left!

willydstyle wrote:I mean a model that actually exists in the game's rules...

exists.

Wolf Guard w/ Chainfist and Storm Shield. Expensive, but it exists!

Brother-Thunder wrote:

willydstyle wrote:I mean a model that actually exists in the game's rules...

exists.

Wolf Guard w/ Chainfist and Storm Shield. Expensive, but it exists!

...Epic

DeathReaper wrote:All Blood angels with jump packs have the deep strike rule and descent of angels special rule.

so bring in Astorath and have fun with em!

Doh!!! Thanks I totally missed that in the codex.

I assumed from the Decent of Angels description; Death Company didn't have Decent of Angels, because it's not listed under their special rules. But now I see it was there all the time tucked away under 'equipment'

xxBlazinGhostxx wrote:

svendrex wrote:Death company do not need a lot of power weapons to be very very very deadly. 4 attacks on the charge with we roll to hit and WS5 and re-roll to wound and S5 at I5. The regular wounds will eat through almost everything. 2 basic death company will pull down a termy with out anything else for the same cost. 8 attacks, 7.11 hits, 6.32 wounds. This will kill slighty more than one terminator, or it will kill a bit more than 5 orks, very deadly either way. Lots of attacks and re-rolls will bring down any enemy by shear weight of numbers be it 2+ armor or hordes. The LR is there to make sure that the Death company get the charge. With out the Furious Charge and Re-rolls from a Chaplain of some sort, they will not make their points back. I would agree with the previous posters and recomend that the upgrades be light, 0-1 power swords, 1-2 fists/bolter. They are already deadly, keep them cheap and efficient.

This.

Personally I run this:
1xTH (I don't mind paying 5 extra points to make a daemon prince slow every other game)
1xPF
1xPW
1x Inferus pistol/CCW
3x BP/CCW

and to top it all off, a Termie Reclusiarch and a Godhammer LR

They typically cut down most of the enemy in a turn, but typically there's always one left!

Okay thanks loads.

I do still have some modelling considerations still... For Power Weapons I got hold of some DA Power Maces. I was actually really looking forward to kitting out my Death Company with Power Maces, so it's disappointing to hear that they are overkill. I might still have to do a few just for the cool factor. But I see that x7 is perhaps excessive. I'll certainly cut back on the number of PWs and THs.

The Land Raider has given me a lot to think about though, It makes sense that Death Company need to make sure they get their assault, But I'm not sure I'm going to always want to sink 250pts into it. Especially if I only choose 3-5 Death Company.

Maybe I was too quick to write-off Jump Packs... I think magnets might certainly be the way forward.

battle Brother Lucifer wrote:

Brother-Thunder wrote:

willydstyle wrote:I mean a model that actually exists in the game's rules...

exists.

Wolf Guard w/ Chainfist and Storm Shield. Expensive, but it exists!

...Epic

Or a lone wolf with the same (one of my favorite units in the game actually).

Nurglitch mentioned a "thunderchain hammer" or something like that...

I personally don't use JP, not because the LR is so much better, but it's either the LR or be the only guys on foot... that's what I get for being mech.

xxBlazinGhostxx wrote:I personally don't use JP, not because the LR is so much better, but it's either the LR or be the only guys on foot... that's what I get for being mech.

Ahh... Well so far I have been collecting my army based on what looks cool, rather than with any particular strategy in mind. But I'm trying to plan ahead a little so I don't end up with an army that's pretty but totally useless and overpriced in games.

But so far I do have quite a few jumpy bits, like Astrath and Sanguinary Guard, and a JP Captain... And 4 land speeders. So maybe when I actually start to shape it into a cohesive force, I might be naturally draw to JP army based on the models.

In that case, you may wanna look at lemartes as an upgrade to one of the DC units.

If nothing else, he's a pretty boss looking jump chappie.

I find the JP's are too expensive for my tastes on anything that does not come with them

for every 4 DC you field with JP's you could have 7DC runnin their butts off

15 DC with JP's 525

15 DC in a land raider crusader 550pts
and the LR has bigger guns than the jump packs :-P