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.

Hey everyone,

I am wanting to get back into 40k but haven't played in awhile. I have a Death Company army from CA and would like to use it as a BA army in the current edition. All are painted like DC but that shouldn't pose much of a problem. I have a list of models, but not sure where to start with getting a good solid foundation down. I was hoping a few of you might throw something at me. I'm looking at sticking with the models I have atm due to finances so please keep that in mind.

I was planning on using the DC on foot as either DC, assault w/o backpacks or whatever else they could be useful as.

Thanks!

List is after the spoiler break

Well, here's a breakdown of how Blood Angels armies typically work.

There are two main archetypes. The first is mech BA, which is based around Assault Squads in Razorbacks, to leverage the 35 point discount. You support them with 3 Predators or Vindicators (maybe dual TL-Autocannon Dreadnoughts) and 3 Baal Predators. This allows you to have 6 AV13 vehicles on the table, along with lots of Razorbacks. A Librarian HQ is pretty much mandatory, as his Shield of Sanguinius power helps keep the vehicles alive. Some people use Sanguinary Priests and give the Assault Squad Sergeants upgraded weapons, others don't. Most give Assault Squads a special weapon, usually a Meltagun but sometimes a flamer. Furioso Dreadnoughts can be included at higher points.

The other archetype is usually called DoA, for the Descent of Angels special rule. The idea here is to load up on Jump Infantry, and leverage the DoA rule. Here, you take 10 man Assault Squads, give them two special weapons (usually Meltaguns again) and give the Sarge a Power Fist. You add Sanguinary Priests with JPs to buff them, and again a Librarian HQ to keep them alive and buff them some more. Support is usually Vanguard Veterans and Honor Guards for special weapon spam. A variant uses squads of Missile Launcher Devastators for fire support, but this means you usually won't deepstrike except with Vanguard Vets. Instead you plan to hop up the board, with the Priests and Librarian keeping you alive. Some people take Dante (who's mediocre) and Sanguinary Guard (which aren't good).

These are the two main competitive styles. You can base lists around Stormravens, but that's somewhat risky as they aren't that hard to bring down, and you need them in multiples, so you end up with few Troops. You can play an all Death Company list by taking Astorath, but that's strictly for fun, as you can't control them and they can't claim objectives.

As for your collection, you have a lot of models that fit the modern army, plus a bunch (DC, Tactical Marines) that could be converted. If I were you, I'd probably try to make a mechish list using what you have, centered around a Death Company in the Land Raider. It won't be a tourney winning list, but it wouldn't be terrible. The main problem is that the available HQs suck horribly. Dante is ok, but it doesn't look like you have the models to really use him. Captains are crap, and Tycho is the worst entry in the codex, while DC Tycho is one of the worst entries in any codex. If you can't convert any of the HQs into Librarians, consider spending a little money to pick one or two up. You'll get a lot of return on a small investment.

Here's what I came up with.

List:


Grab two librarians and stick them in squads. Termie lib goes with terminator squad and will deepstrike. The assault squads w/ jp will also ds. The power armor lib goes with the DC in the LRC. This gives me enough mech to cover some shots while rushing forward. The attack bikes and the dreadnaught offer some heavy fire cover.

Any opinions?

Do you have the current codex? Because Tactical Squads can't have heavy or special weapons unless there are 10 men in them. It would also be a really good idea to have two special weapons in each 10 man Assault Squad; cut Plasma Pistols to do it if you can, cut the sixth men from the Razorbacks squads if you can't. I'd also take a 35 point weapon on all Razorbacks if you have the models to do it; Heavy Bolters are crap.

Giving that Sarge a Power Fist and a Power Weapon is a waste of 15 points. If you have two different special CC weapons, you can't get the bonus for two weapons, so the only benefit is being able to strike at I4. It isn't worth it.

Blood Angels meh

3 Baal Preds (Flamers)
3 Preds (autocannon, lascannon)
5 man assault squad in a Land Raider Redeemer with Extra Armour
10 man tactical squad in Land Raider redeemer with Extra Armour
Librarian with TS/Chaplin with AS

That is about 1750 points

MrEconomics wrote:Do you have the current codex? Because Tactical Squads can't have heavy or special weapons unless there are 10 men in them. It would also be a really good idea to have two special weapons in each 10 man Assault Squad; cut Plasma Pistols to do it if you can, cut the sixth men from the Razorbacks squads if you can't. I'd also take a 35 point weapon on all Razorbacks if you have the models to do it; Heavy Bolters are crap.

Giving that Sarge a Power Fist and a Power Weapon is a waste of 15 points. If you have two different special CC weapons, you can't get the bonus for two weapons, so the only benefit is being able to strike at I4. It isn't worth it.

I do, I just have this problem of not reading thoroughly lol. I know giving him a pw and pf is a waste, but it's how it's modeled. I'll go back through a little later and see what I can scrounge up.

Thanks!

MrEconomics wrote:...Some people take Dante (who's mediocre) and Sanguinary Guard (which aren't good)...

This is purely speculative opinion based on ranting and math hammering on the internet.

Caboose wrote:

MrEconomics wrote:...Some people take Dante (who's mediocre) and Sanguinary Guard (which aren't good)...

This is purely speculative opinion based on ranting and math hammering on the internet.

I agree I like Dante, and Sanguinary Guard squads

Caboose wrote:

MrEconomics wrote:...Some people take Dante (who's mediocre) and Sanguinary Guard (which aren't good)...

This is purely speculative opinion based on ranting and math hammering on the internet.

What is the best way to use these squads in your opinion?

In force. Make a list of lots of Sang Guard and some support units like VanVets and HGuard. Dont spread out when you DoA. Drop Dante with one unit of Sanguinary Guard next to an ork mob of 30 boys on a flank, and you're dead. Drop Dante with 4 Sanguinary Guard squads, 2 Honor Guards squads, and a vanvet squad next to an ork mob of 30 boys on a flank, and they're dead.

My take/play-style is this: My 1850/2000/2500 pts dropped against a third or even a half of your army, and I'm going to come out on top. Then I'm going to push the 75%ish of my army thats left against the remaining 50% of yours.

Caboose wrote:In force. Make a list of lots of Sang Guard and some support units like VanVets and HGuard. Dont spread out when you DoA. Drop Dante with one unit of Sanguinary Guard next to an ork mob of 30 boys on a flank, and you're dead. Drop Dante with 4 Sanguinary Guard squads, 2 Honor Guards squads, and a vanvet squad next to an ork mob of 30 boys on a flank, and they're dead.

My take/play-style is this: My 1850/2000/2500 pts dropped against a third or even a half of your army, and I'm going to come out on top. Then I'm going to push the 75%ish of my army thats left against the remaining 50% of yours.

Makes complete sense. I'll see what I can find on eBay to boost some numbers and maybe go for more of a mech list.

If you want to give Sanguinary Guard a try, go for it. But I wouldn't use them in a mech list. They have Jump Packs, so you can't put them in a transport, and it appears the best way to use them is to take them en masse, which you can't do in a mech list.

As a general rule, you should pick one strategy and go with it. I'd look for Predators and Baal Predators on ebay if I were you.

Mr. E is correct, you shouldn't mix strategies. Its possible, but hard to do. Stick with all mech or all DoA. You know where my recommendation is Keep us posted on your progress.