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What do you feel is the best loadout for Death Company? Currently I feel that DC are awesomely effective when deployed right, but absolutely awful and useless if they're not used correctly.

Currently, I'm running a 5 death company squad with jump packs, all otherwise naked except for one PF. A reclusiarch/chaplain is joined to the unit and I tend to deploy it from a Stormraven -- incredibly expensive but usually incredibly distracting and effective. I've thought about using DoA to get them in, or potentially a Death Company drop pod or rhino and dropping the jump packs, but I'm unsure about their effectiveness after they (hopefully) destroy their closest target without jump packs.

Any pointers for using Death Company effectively?

Drop the jump packs. You've already given them an assault vehicle so the added manouverability doesn't give you that great of an improvement considering the points spent.

I find the best loadout is a squad of 5 w/ 2 x p. weapons, a thunder hammer and lead by a Reclusiarch. The DC's S, WS and I5 on the charge coupled with the re-rolls from the Reclusiarch should reliably put down 7-8 models. The Reclusiarch ensures the squad-wipe, and the hammer is insurance should the DC rage into something tough like a Dreadnought

L. Wrex

Thanks for the tip!

Lycaeus Wrex wrote:Drop the jump packs. You've already given them an assault vehicle so the added manouverability doesn't give you that great of an improvement considering the points spent.

Where would you suggest to drop off the DC at that point? I assume that I would leave them in the area with the thickest fighting and let them clean up. My only concern about that would be that they'd be open to counter-charge, which would make the reclusiarch/chaplain considerably less useful.

I've tended to either fly them to the opposite side of the board to take out long ranged support fire (e.g. Lootas) or along the flanks of the main combat zone to counter flanking attempts by fast moving transports. The jump packs, while expensive, let them jump back into the fray and counter any attempts to kite them around by other jump infantry. Obviously to attempt that sans jump packs, they'd have a long foot slog back into combat.

I really like that squad loadout. Will definitely give it a try soon!

Using DC is fairly simple. Highlight the biggest/most expensive threat the enemy has and use the TL-MM on the Stormraven to pop it if its a vehicle, before letting the DC charge it. Yes, you then leave yourself open to a counter-charge, but that's why the squad size is quite small; it limits your investment and still retains quite a substantial amount of killing power.

Dumping them into the heart of the enemy battle-line (where most people keep their big, expensive units) plays to your strengths, as it forces the enemy to kite them or commit forces to stop them. Once the DC have been used for that one haymaker knock-out punch, you don't really care what/who you charge next, anything else they get to pulverise is kind of a bonus. Just make sure that the first thing you charge is worth the investment and you should be fine.

L. Wrex

Drop pod + 1 infernus pistol, does the trick nicely and creates a massive distraction.

Just make sure that the first thing you charge is worth the investment and you should be fine.

I like the sound of that. Thanks for the help.

Drop pod + 1 infernus pistol, does the trick nicely and creates a massive distraction.

Would just using DoA work as well for a strategy like this or is the intention here to use Drop Pod Assault to get it in on turn 1? Personally, I love drop pods so I would have no qualms about buying one for my DC.

Since all these suggestions use 5+ DC, what about Death Company Dreads? Worth it? I like the idea of filling a Stormraven with DC and a DC Dread and letting them go to town... I can see a couple main problems with DC dreads already, mainly that they're only front AV12 and WS 5 but cost as much as a furioso. Generally, all my elites are full, though, so I'd love to be able to add in another Blood Talon dread, even if it is a little bit weaker. Are they worth it?

stormraven and dc dread is actually probably the best way to field them. Anything else, short of commiting a rhino to them, will leave them in the open for a turn before they get to do anything.

WanderingFox wrote:stormraven and dc dread is actually probably the best way to field them. Anything else, short of commiting a rhino to them, will leave them in the open for a turn before they get to do anything.

Sweet. Would I just throw blood talons on it or go for blood fists?

I always get the best use out of a 10 man Death Company with 2 Power Fists, 3 Power Weapons, 2 Infernus Pistols, and the rest with Chainsword and Bolt Pistol all with a Reclusiarch or Lemartes, the chainsword guys die first and by then the power weapons wreck shop

My thoughts on DC loadout is either all PW or no PW, with fists to season.

Reason is, if you mix power weapons with non-power weapons, your opponent can stack the power weapon wounds on a few models and the armor saves on the important models, negating all the points you spent on powerweapons. Fists dont suffer this problem thanks to init 1, which is actually a benefit and not a disadvantage in 5th ed.

5 with 5 PW or 2 fists and 3 regular guys, with an elite chaplain attached, fit nicely in a razorback, zoom 18 inches up turn 1, pop smoke, and the enemy is forced to kill you more or less immediatly. You also unlock the very potent DC dread in a pod with them.

If you dont want the DC dread, or want a storm raven or land raider as their transport instead of the rhino/razor, then you should instead run terminators. LC termies are superior to DC with PW in every way for 5 more points, save ws5. THSS termies are superior in every way to DC with fists for the same cost, again save ws5. Seeing as you have an attached chaplain/libby for rerolls, WS5 is much less necessary.

Thats nearly a 300pt 6 man unit.